US 11,945,505 B2
Land vehicles incorporating impact management systems
Robert Willison, Lebanon, OH (US); Donald L. Wires, Loveland, OH (US); and Gary Cain, Loveland, OH (US)
Assigned to Workhorse Group Inc., Sharonville, OH (US)
Filed by Workhorse Group Inc., Sharonville, OH (US)
Filed on Sep. 7, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/462,656.
Application 18/462,656 is a continuation of application No. 18/106,195, filed on Feb. 6, 2023, granted, now 11,753,078.
Application 18/106,195 is a continuation of application No. 17/884,526, filed on Aug. 9, 2022, granted, now 11,572,102, issued on Feb. 7, 2023.
Application 17/884,526 is a continuation of application No. 17/546,641, filed on Dec. 9, 2021, granted, now 11,440,590, issued on Sep. 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0415816 A1, Dec. 28, 2023
Int. Cl. B62D 21/00 (2006.01); B60K 1/02 (2006.01); B60K 7/00 (2006.01); B60T 1/02 (2006.01); B62D 21/15 (2006.01)
CPC B62D 21/15 (2013.01) [B60K 1/02 (2013.01); B60K 7/0007 (2013.01); B60T 1/02 (2013.01); B60K 2007/0092 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electric vehicle comprising:
a frame structure including a pair of rails that each extends in a longitudinal direction;
at least one electric motor supported by the frame structure to generate rotational power to drive movement of the electric vehicle; and
an impact management system supported by the frame structure that is configured to deform in response to impact forces applied thereto in use of the electric vehicle to maintain structural integrity of the pair of rails,
wherein:
the impact management system includes a crash cage having a pair of upright outer posts each arranged outward of a corresponding one of the pair of rails in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction,
each of the pair of upright outer posts extends perpendicular to the corresponding one of the pair of rails,
the crash cage includes a first outrigger structure that extends from a first upright outer post of the pair of upright outer posts to a crash wall located adjacent a forward-most point of the vehicle to define a first arc between the first upright outer post and the crash wall,
the crash cage includes a second outrigger structure that extends from a second upright outer post of the pair of upright outer posts to the crash wall to define a second arc between the second upright outer post and the crash wall, and
each of the first outrigger structure and the second outrigger structure is formed to include a plurality of voids.