Vehicle-body front structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10479409-B2
Application number	US-201816022855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	Nov 19, 2019
Grant date	Nov 19, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle-body front structure includes a pair of left and right side frames, a cross member, a pair of sub-frames, projections, and buckling structures. The pair of left and right side frames extend in a front-rear direction. The cross member is coupled to a lower side of the pair of left and right side frames and extends in a left-right direction. The pair of sub-frames are coupled to a lower side of the cross member and extend in the front-rear direction. Each projection is disposed on a front end side of the corresponding sub-frame and projects from the corresponding side frame outward in the left-right direction in a plan view. Each buckling structure is formed in the corresponding sub-frame and causes the sub-frame to buckle such that the corresponding projection comes into contact with the cross member when an impact load is applied to the projection from a front side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle-body front structure comprising:
a pair of left and right side frames extending in a front-rear direction;
a cross member that is coupled to a lower side of the pair of left and right side frames and that extends in a left-right direction;
a pair of sub-frames that are coupled to a lower side of the cross member and that extend in the front-rear direction;
projections each of which is disposed on a front end side of the corresponding sub-frame and projects from the corresponding side frame outward in the left-right direction in a plan view; and
buckling structures each of which is formed in the corresponding sub-frame and causes the sub-frame to buckle such that the corresponding projection comes into contact with the cross member when an impact load is applied to the projection from a front side.

2. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein a width of each projection gradually decreases toward a rear side in a plan view.

3. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein each projection has a substantially triangle shape in a plan view.

4. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein a front end of each sub-frame is located at a higher position than a position of a joint between the sub-frame and the cross member, and each sub-frame buckles such that the sub-frame bends upward and downward when the impact load is applied to the corresponding projection from the front side.

5. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein a front end of each sub-frame is located at a higher position than a position of a joint between the sub-frame and the cross member, and each sub-frame buckles such that the sub-frame bends upward and downward when the impact load is applied to the corresponding projection from the front side.

6. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3 ,
wherein a front end of each sub-frame is located at a higher position than a position of a joint between the sub-frame and the cross member, and each sub-frame buckles such that the sub-frame bends upward and downward when the impact load is applied to the corresponding projection from the front side.

7. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 4 ,
wherein each buckling structure comprises a first buckling member that is formed on the corresponding sub-frame near a rear end of the corresponding projection and that causes the sub-frame to bend such that the sub-frame projects upward, and a second buckling member that is formed on the sub-frame between the first buckling member and the corresponding joint and that causes the sub-frame to bend such that the sub-frame projects downward.

8. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 5 ,
wherein each buckling structure comprises a first buckling member that is formed on the corresponding sub-frame near a rear end of the corresponding projection and that causes the sub-frame to bend such that the sub-frame projects upward, and a second buckling member that is formed on the sub-frame between the first buckling member and the corresponding joint and that causes the sub-frame to bend such that the sub-frame projects downward.

9. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 6 ,
wherein each buckling structure comprises a first buckling member that is formed on the corresponding sub-frame near a rear end of the corresponding projection and that causes the sub-frame to bend such that the sub-frame projects upward, and a second buckling member that is formed on the sub-frame between the first buckling member and the corresponding joint and that causes the sub-frame to bend such that the sub-frame projects downward.

10. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 7 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a fragile part that is more fragile than a front-side part and a rear-side part, and
wherein each second buckling member comprises a rigidity-varying part at which a rigidity gradually increases toward a rear side.

11. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 8 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a fragile part that is more fragile than a front-side part and a rear-side part, and
wherein each second buckling member comprises a rigidity-varying part at which a rigidity gradually increases toward a rear side.

12. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 9 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a fragile part that is more fragile than a front-side part and a rear-side part, and
wherein each second buckling member comprises a rigidity-varying part at which a rigidity gradually increases toward a rear side.

13. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 7 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a notch formed on an inner side in the left-right direction and a lower and rear side of the corresponding projection, and a bead that is formed on a lower side of the corresponding sub-frame inside the notch in the left-right direction and that extends in the left-right direction.

14. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 8 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a notch formed on an inner side in the left-right direction and a lower and rear side of the corresponding projection, and a bead that is formed on a lower side of the corresponding sub-frame inside the notch in the left-right direction and that extends in the left-right direction.

15. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 9 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a notch formed on an inner side in the left-right direction and a lower and rear side of the corresponding projection, and a bead that is formed on a lower side of the corresponding sub-frame inside the notch in the left-right direction and that extends in the left-right direction.

16. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 10 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a notch formed on an inner side in the left-right direction and a lower and rear side of the corresponding projection, and a bead that is formed on a lower side of the corresponding sub-frame inside the notch in the left-right direction and that extends in the left-right direction.

17. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 11 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a notch formed on an inner side in the left-right direction and a lower and rear side of the corresponding projection, and a bead that is formed on a lower side of the corresponding sub-frame inside the notch in the left-right direction and that extends in the left-right direction.

18. The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 12 ,
wherein each first buckling member comprises a notch formed on an inner side in the left-right direction and a lower and rear side of the corresponding projection, and a bead that is formed on a lower side of the corresponding sub-frame inside the notch in the left-right direction and that extends in the left-right direction.

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Fujiwara Seiji
• Hachisu Yosuke
• Takeda Kenichi

Classifications

• B62D21/155 Primary

  Sub-frames or underguards · CPC title

• B62D21/00 Primary

  Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted (combined frame and vehicle body B62D23/00 {; characterised by the material thereof B62D29/00}) · CPC title

• B62D21/152

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B62D25/08

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