1. A frame rail for a vehicle, comprising:
a pair of elongated structural members, each one of said pair of elongated structural members having flanges protruding from lateral edges thereof, said flanges of one of said pair of elongated structural members extending in a direction toward the flanges of the other one of said pair of elongated structural members; and,
first and second web panels interconnecting the pair of elongated structural members so as to form a box beam structure, at least a major portion of each one of the first and second metallic web panels having a material thickness that is substantially less than a material thickness of at least a major portion of each one of the pair of elongated structural members.
2. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each one of the first and second web panels is substantially planar.
3. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first web panel is attached to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members on a first side of the box beam structure via peripheral regions of the first web panel, and wherein the second web panel is attached to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members on a second side of the box beam structure via peripheral regions of the second web panel, such that the first web panel is spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the second web panel.
4. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first and second web panels are welded to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members.
5. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first and second web panels are mechanically fastened to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members.
6. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first and second web panels are secured to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members using an adhesive.
7. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one elongated structural member of said pair of elongated structural members comprises two structural member portions, each structural member portion having one of said flanges protruding from an outer lateral edge thereof and having an inner lateral edge, wherein the inner lateral edges of the two elongated structural member portions are disposed in a side-by-side arrangement and wherein said two structural member portions are butt-welded together along said inner lateral edges thereof.
8. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the first web panel is butt-welded along opposite edges thereof to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members on a first side of the box beam structure, and wherein the second web panel is butt-welded along opposite edges thereof to the flanges of the pair of elongated structural members on a second side of the box beam structure, such that the first web panel is spaced apart from and substantially parallel to the second web panel.
9. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the box beam structure is formed along substantially the entire length of the frame rail.
10. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the height of the box beam structure is at least double the width of the box beam structure.
11. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said elongated structural members are made from one of steel and aluminum.
12. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first and second web panels are made from one of steel and aluminum.
13. A frame rail for a vehicle, comprising:
a first elongated structural member having a first width defined between opposite edges thereof, and having first lateral surfaces along each of said opposite edges, said first lateral surfaces extending along at least a portion of a length of the first elongated structural member;
a second elongated structural member having a second width defined between opposite edges thereof, and having second lateral surfaces along each of said opposite edges, said second lateral surfaces extending along at least a portion of a length of the second elongated structural member; and,
first and second metallic web panels interconnecting the first and second elongated structural members so as to form a box beam structure, each one of the first and second metallic web panels being substantially planar,
wherein a material thickness of at least a major portion of each one of the first and second metallic web panels is substantially less than a material thickness of at least a major portion of each one of the first and second elongated structural members.
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29. A method of making a frame rail for a vehicle, comprising:
providing a blank, the blank comprising a plurality of joined together sections, some of the plurality of joined together sections having a material thickness extending over at least a major portion thereof that is less than a material thickness extending over at least a major portion of others of the plurality of joined together sections, a first section being disposed along a first lateral edge of the blank and having a same material thickness as a second section that is disposed along a second lateral edge of the blank;
shaping the blank such that an edge of the first section is aligned with and adjacent to an edge of the second section, the edge of the first section and the edge of the second section extending along a length direction; and,
fixedly joining the edge of the first section to the edge of the second section so as to form a frame rail with a closed profile in a cross section taken in a plane that is transverse to the length direction.
30. The method according to claim 29, wherein adjacent sections of the plurality of joined together sections are joined together via a butt weld.
31. The method according to claim 29, wherein fixedly joining comprises butt-welding the edge of the first section to the edge of the second section, and wherein the first section and the second section cooperate, when butt-welded together, to form a first elongated structural member extending along the length direction.
32. The method according to claim 31, wherein shaping comprises bending the blank such that a central section of the plurality of joined together sections forms a second elongated structural member disposed opposite the first elongated structural member, a first intermediate section disposed between the first section and the central section forms a first sidewall, and a second intermediate section disposed between the second section and the central section forms a second sidewall.
33. The method according to claim 32, wherein a material thickness of at least a major portion of each one of the first and second intermediate sections is substantially less than a material thickness of at least a major portion of the first, second and central sections.
34. A blank for use in making a frame rail for a vehicle, the blank comprising:
a first elongated metallic section having a width and a length, the first elongated metallic section having a first material thickness extending over at least a major portion thereof;
a second and a third elongated metallic section each having a length substantially the same as the first elongated metallic section, the second and the third elongated metallic sections each having a material thickness extending over at least a major portion thereof that is substantially the same as the first material thickness; and,
a fourth and a fifth elongated metallic section each having a length substantially the same as the first elongated metallic section, the fourth elongated metallic section being butt-welded along a first edge thereof to the first elongated metallic section and being butt-welded along a second edge thereof that is opposite the first edge to the second elongated metallic section, the fifth elongated metallic section being butt-welded along a first edge thereof to the first elongated metallic section and being butt-welded along a second edge thereof that is opposite the first edge to the third elongated metallic section, a material thickness of at least a major portion of each one of the fourth and fifth elongated metallic sections being substantially less than the first material thickness.
35. The blank according to claim 34, wherein the second elongated metallic section and the third elongated metallic section each has a width and wherein the total width of the second elongated metallic section and third elongated metallic section is substantially the same as the width of the first elongated metallic section.
36. The blank according to claim 34, wherein the fourth elongated metallic section and the fifth elongated metallic section each has a width, and wherein the width of each one of the fourth elongated metallic section and the fifth elongated metallic section is at least two times the width of the first elongated metallic section.
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43. The frame rail for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said first and second web panels are made from a composite material.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A network apparatus comprising:
storage units, mounted on the board, storing configuration information about the network apparatus;
an input network interfaces mounted on the board, to couple to at least one network physical line;
at least one processor, mounted on the board, receiving network data from said input network interface, processing said data, storing information about said network data in said storage units, storing said data as formatted data units in said storage units;
a first bus interfaces to two bus connections;
a first hardware component reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said formatted data units stored in said storage units to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface;
a second bus interface to two bus connections;
an output network interface to at least one network physical line; and
a second hardware component reading formatted data units arriving on at least one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface and storing said formatted date units in said storage units, said at least one processor reading said formatted data units from said storage units, processing them and sending them as network data to at least one network physical line through said output network interface.
2. The network apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:
a bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface to one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface, the first hardware component of said network apparatus sending formatted data units to said bus and the second hardware component receiving from said bus said formatted data units.
3. The network apparatus of claim 2,
wherein the second hardware component further comprises an additional storage unit and additional logic for reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said read formatted data units either to said storage units or to said additional storage unit; and
wherein, the first hardware component further comprises a bus accessing said additional storage unit, said first hardware component steering said formatted data units stored in said additional storage unit to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface.
4. A switching system comprising:
a network apparatus according to claim 3;
a second network apparatus according to claim 2;
a second bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus, said second bus conveying data received at the network interface of said first network processor said data being intended to be sent to the network interface of said second network processor;
a third bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus, said third bus conveying data having been sent through said second bus but being intended to be sent through said bus to said additional memory, to the network interface of said first network processor.
5. A blade comprising:
a circuit board;
a network apparatus according to claim 3 mounted on the board;
a second network apparatus according to claim 2 mounted on the board;
a second bus, mounted on the board, connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus, said second bus conveying data received at the network interface of said first network processor said data being intended to be sent to the network interface of said second network processor;
a third bus, mounted on the board, connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus, said third bus conveying data having been sent through said second bus but being intended to be sent through said bus to said additional memory, to the network interface of said first network processor.
6. A switching system comprising:
a switching fabric receiving formatted data units from at least one input bus connection and switching said formatted data units to at least one output bus connection;
a second switching fabric receiving formatted data units from at least one input bus connection and switching said formatted data units to at least one output bus connection;
a first network apparatus according to claim 3;
a second network apparatus according to claim 3;
a first bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said first network apparatus to one of the at least one input bus connection of said switching fabric, said first bus conveying formatted data units sent by said first network apparatus to said first switching fabric;
a second bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus to one of the at least one output bus of said switching fabric, said second bus conveying formatted data units sent by said first switching fabric to said first network apparatus;
a third bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus to one of the at least one input bus connection of said second switching fabric, said third bus conveying formatted data units sent by said second network apparatus to said second switching fabric;
a fourth bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus to one of the at least one output bus of said switching fabric, said second bus conveying formatted data units sent by said switching fabric to said first network apparatus;
a fifth bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said first interface of said first network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of the second interface of said second network apparatus; and
a sixth bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said first interface of said second network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of the second interface of said first network apparatus.
7. The network apparatus of claim 2 wherein the recited elements are formed on a common semiconductor substrate.
8. A switching system comprising:
a switching fabric receiving formatted data units from at least one input bus connection and switching said formatted data units to at least one output bus connection;
a first network apparatus according to claim 7;
a second network apparatus according to claim 1;
a second bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said first network apparatus to one of the at least one input bus connection of said switching fabric, said second bus conveying formatted data units sent by said network apparatus to said switching fabric;
a third bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one output bus of said switching fabric, said third bus conveying formatted data units sent by said switching fabric to said network apparatus;
a fourth bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus, said fourth bus conveying data received at the network interface of said first network processor said data being intended to be sent to the network interface of said second network processor; and
a fifth bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said second network apparatus to the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said first network apparatus, said fifth bus conveying data having been sent through said second bus but being intended to be sent through said bus to said additional memory, to the network interface of said first network processor.
9. A switching system comprising:
a switching fabric receiving formatted data units from at least one input bus connection and switching said formatted data units to at least one output bus connection,
at least one network apparatus according to claim 2, each network apparatus further comprising:
a second bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one input bus connection of said switching fabric, said first bus conveying formatted data units sent by said network apparatus to said switching fabric;
a third bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one output bus of said switching fabric, said second bus conveying formatted data units sent by said switching fabric to said network apparatus.
10. The network apparatus of claim 1,
wherein the second hardware component further comprises an additional storage unit and additional logic for reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said read formatted data units either to said storage units or to said additional storage unit; and
wherein the first hardware component further comprises a bus accessing said additional storage unit, said first hardware component steering said formatted data units stored in said additional storage unit to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface.
11. The network apparatus of claim 10 wherein the recited elements are formed on a common semiconductor substrate.
12. The network apparatus of claim 1 wherein the recited elements are formed on a common semiconductor substrate.
13. A switching system comprising:
a switching fabric receiving formatted data units from at least one input bus connection and switching said formatted data units to at least one output bus connection;
at least one network apparatus according to claim 1;
said switching system further comprising;
a first bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one input bus connection of said switching fabric, said first bus conveying formatted data units sent by said network apparatus to said switching fabric;
a second bus connecting one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one output bus of said switching fabric, said second bus conveying formatted data units sent by said switching fabric to said network apparatus.
14. The switching system of claim 13 further comprising:
a second switching fabric receiving formatted data units from at least one input bus connection and switching said formatted data units to at least one output bus connection;
said switching system further comprising:
a third bus connecting the second of the two bus connections of said first bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one input bus connection of said second switching fabric, said third bus conveying formatted data units sent by said network apparatus to said second switching fabric;
a fourth bus connecting the second one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface of said network apparatus to one of the at least one output bus of said second switching fabric, said fourth bus conveying formatted data units sent by said second switching fabric to said network apparatus.
15. A blade comprising:
a circuit board;
storage units mounted on the board, storing configuration information about the network apparatus;
an input network interface mounted on the board, to connect to at least one network physical line;
at least one processor mounted on the board, receiving network data from said input network interface, processing said data, storing information about said network data in said storage units, storing said data as formatted data units in said storage units;
a first bus interface mounted on the board, to connect to two bus connections;
a first hardware component mounted on the board, to read said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said formatted data units stored in said storage units to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface;
a second bus interface mounted on the board, to connect to two bus connections;
an output network interface mounted on the board, to connect to at least one network physical line;
a second hardware component mounted on the board, reading formatted data units arriving on at least one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface and storing said formatted data units in said storage units, said at least one processor reading said formatted data units from said storage units, processing them and sending them as network data to at least one network physical line through said output network interface.
16. A blade comprising:
a circuit board;
storage units mounted on the board, storing configuration information about a network apparatus;
an input network interface mounted on the board, to connect to at least one network physical line;
at least one processor mounted on the board, receiving network data from said input network interface, processing said data, storing information about said network data in said storage units, storing said data as formatted data units in said storage units;
a first bus interface mounted on the board, to connect to two bus connections;
a first hardware component mounted on the board, said first hardware component reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said formatted data units stored in said storage units to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface;
a second bus interface mounted on the board, to connect to two bus connections, wherein the second hardware component further comprises an additional storage unit, mounted on the board, and an additional logic, mounted on the board, for reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said read formatted data units either to said storage units or to said additional storage unit, wherein, the first hardware component further comprises a bus, mounted on the board, accessing said additional storage unit, said first hardware component steering said formatted data units stored in said additional storage unit to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface.
17. A blade comprising:
a circuit board;
storage units, mounted on the board, storing configuration about the network apparatus;
an input network interface, mounted on the board, to couple to at least one network physical line;
at least one processor, mounted on the board, receiving network data from said input network interface, processing said data units in said storage units; storage units, storing said data as formatted data units in said storage units;
a first bus interface, mounted on the board, to couple to two bus connections,
a first hardware component, mounted on the board reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said formatted data units stored in said storage units to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface;
a second bus interface, mounted on the board, to couple to two bus connections;
a bus, mounted on the board, connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface to one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface, the first hardware component of said network apparatus sending formatted data units to said bus and the second hardware component receiving from said bus said formatted data units.
18. A blade comprising:
a circuit board;
storage units, mounted on the board, storing configuration about a network apparatus;
an input network interface, mounted on the board, to couple to at least one network physical line;
at least one processor, mounted on the board, receiving network date from said input network interface, processing said data, storing information about said network data in said storage units, storing said data as formatted data units in said storage units;
a first bus interface, mounted on the board, to couple to two bus connections;
a first hardware component, mounted on the board;
reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said formatted data units stored in said storage units to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface;
a second bus interface mounted on the board, to connect to two bus connections;
a bus, mounted on the board, connecting one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface to one of the two bus connections of said second bus interface, the first hardware component of said network apparatus sending formatted data units to said bus and the second hardware component receiving from said bus said formatted date units, wherein the second hardware component further comprises an additional storage unit, mounted on the board, and an additional logic, mounted on the board, for reading said configuration information and said information about data stored in said storing units and steering said read formatted data units either to said storage units or to said additional storage unit, wherein, the first hardware component further comprises a bus, mounted on the board, accessing said additional storage unit, said first hardware component steering said formatted data units stored in said additional storage unit to at least one of the two bus connections of said first bus interface.