Vehicle front frame assembly, and methods of use and manufacture thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10093359-B2
Application number	US-201615197549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Jun 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A frame assembly of a vehicle front portion includes a windshield lower beam. A damper mount is disposed on the front portion and deforms when subjected to an impact energy. An A-pillar includes upper and lower pillar portions, the upper pillar portion having a lower end disposed adjacent the windshield lower beam, and the lower pillar portion having an upper end disposed adjacent to the windshield lower beam. A joint includes first and second joint members, the first joint member connecting the windshield lower beam to the lower and upper pillar portions and being connected to the damper mount, the second joint member contained within the first joint member and connected to the windshield lower beam, and upper and lower pillar portions. The joint is configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy such that the damper mount deforms and dissipates the impact energy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A frame assembly of a front body portion of a vehicle, the vehicle including a windshield connected to the front body portion, and at least one suspension component being connected to the front body, the frame assembly comprising:
a windshield lower beam that extends along a lower edge of the windshield;
a damper mount that is disposed on the front body portion at a location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion, the damper mount being configured to deform when being subjected to an impact energy;
an A-pillar including an upper pillar portion and a lower pillar portion, the upper pillar portion having a lower end disposed adjacent the windshield lower beam, the upper pillar portion extends away from the windshield lower beam and along a side edge of the windshield, and the lower pillar portion having an upper end disposed adjacent to the windshield lower beam; and
a joint including a first joint member and a second joint member, the first joint member extends onto the upper pillar portion, the first joint member connecting the windshield lower beam to each of the lower pillar portion and the upper pillar portion, the first joint member connected to the damper mount, the second joint member connected to each of the windshield lower beam, upper pillar portion and lower pillar portion, the second joint member extends on the upper pillar portion, and the joint being configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy such that the damper mount deforms and dissipates the impact energy transmitted to the joint and the A-pillar.

2. The frame assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the damper mount extends from the location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion to a location adjacent a forward edge of the windshield lower beam, the damper mount being configured to deform and dissipate the impact energy without contacting the windshield lower beam.

3. The frame assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the damper mount includes a front damper base connected to a rear damper base, the front damper base disposed where the suspension component is connected to the body and the rear damper base disposed adjacent a forward edge of the windshield lower beam.

4. The frame assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the front damper base is formed of casting.

5. The frame assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the rear damper base is formed as an aluminum sheet having relative structural weakness compared to the front damper base.

6. The frame assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the front damper base is configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy and be displaced, thereby deforming the connected rear damper base to dissipate the impact energy.

7. The frame assembly according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first joint member and the second joint member is formed of casting.

8. The frame assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the first joint member covers the connection between the second joint member, the damper mount, and the A-pillar.

9. The frame assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second joint member, the damper mount, and the A-pillar are connected to each other.

10. The frame assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second joint member is approximately L-shaped in cross-section.

11. A vehicle having a front body portion including a windshield, the vehicle comprising:
a suspension component; and
a frame assembly configured to connect the suspension component to the front body portion of the vehicle, the frame assembly including:
a windshield lower beam that extends along a lower edge of the windshield;
a damper mount that is disposed on the front body portion at a location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion, the damper mount being configured to deform when being subjected to an impact energy;
an A-pillar including an upper pillar portion and a lower pillar portion, the upper pillar portion having a lower end disposed adjacent the windshield lower beam, the upper pillar portion extends away from the windshield lower beam and along a side edge of the windshield, and the lower pillar portion having an upper end disposed adjacent to the windshield lower beam; and
a joint including a first joint member and a second joint member, the first joint member extends onto the upper pillar portion, the first joint member connecting the windshield lower beam to each of the lower pillar portion and the upper pillar portion, the first joint member connected to the damper mount, the second joint member connected to each of the windshield lower beam, upper pillar portion and lower pillar portion, the second joint member extends on the upper pillar portion, and the joint being configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy such that the damper mount deforms and dissipates the impact energy transmitted to the joint and the A-pillar.

12. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the damper mount extends from the location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion to a location adjacent a forward edge of the windshield lower beam, the damper mount being configured to deform and dissipate the impact energy without contacting the windshield lower beam.

13. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the damper mount includes a front damper base connected to a rear damper base, the front damper base disposed where the suspension component is connected to the body and the rear damper base disposed adjacent a forward edge of the windshield lower beam.

14. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the front damper base is formed of casting.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein the rear damper base is formed as an aluminum sheet having relative structural weakness compared to the front damper base.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein the front damper base is configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy and be displaced, thereby deforming the connected rear damper base to dissipate the impact energy.

17. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first joint member and the second joint member is formed of casting and is approximately L-shaped in cross-section.

18. The frame assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the first joint member covers the connection between the second joint member, the damper mount, and the A-pillar.

19. The vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein the second joint member, the damper mount, and the A-pillar are connected to each other.

20. A method of manufacturing a frame assembly of a front body portion of a vehicle, the vehicle including a windshield connected to the front body portion, and at least one suspension component connected to the front body, the method comprising:
forming a windshield lower beam that extends along a lower edge of the windshield;
disposing a damper mount on the front body portion at a location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion, the damper mount being configured to deform when being subjected to an impact energy;
defining an A-pillar including an upper pillar portion and a lower pillar portion, the upper pillar portion having a lower end disposed adjacent the windshield lower beam, the upper pillar portion extends away from the windshield lower beam and along a side edge of the windshield, and the lower pillar portion having an upper end disposed adjacent to the windshield lower beam; and
connecting a joint includin

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Vigil Fabian J
• Yamada Hirotomo
• Matsuura Hirokazu
• Dressel Brian E
• Hardesty Jason T
• Horner Kurtis R

Classifications

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D25/08

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title

• B62D21/152

  Front or rear frames · CPC title