Vehicle body front structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325486-B2
Application number	US-201916560559-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 27, 2018
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle front body structure comprising a port device (30) received in a housing (36) and mounted to a vehicle body under a front hood (7). A lid (58) is provided on the housing to selectively close a port opening (21) in the front hood, the lid being provided with a lid plate (59) that selectively closes the port opening, and a hinge arm (61) extending from the lid plate into the housing and rotatably connected to the housing via a hinge shaft (75) extending laterally.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle body front structure, comprising:
a front hood provided in a front part of a vehicle body and provided with a port opening extending through the front hood in a thicknesswise direction thereof;
a port device mounted to the vehicle body so as to be positioned under the front hood and to face the port opening;
a housing surrounding the port device and having an open side facing the port opening; and
a lid provided on the housing to selectively close the port opening, the lid being provided with a lid plate that selectively closes the port opening, and a hinge arm extending from the lid plate into the housing and rotatably connected to the housing via a hinge shaft extending laterally,
wherein the lid is configured to move from a closed position to an open position as the lid plate rotates rearward about the hinge shaft, and a rear part of the housing is provided with a lid receiving recess which is recessed more downward than a front part of the housing to receive at least a part of the lid in the open position.

2. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the lid plate has a smaller lateral width in a front part thereof than in a rear part thereof.

3. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a biasing member that biases the lid to the open position with respect to the housing, and a damper that dampens a rotational speed of the lid relative to the housing.

4. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 3 , wherein the housing is provided with at least a pair of side walls extending on either side of the port device, and the damper comprises a rotary damper which is attached to an outer surface of one of the side walls,
the hinge shaft of the lid extending through the side wall and being fitted with a gear meshing with a gear provided on a rotary shaft of the rotary damper on a free end thereof,
the outer surface of the side wall being provided with a cover that covers the gears and the rotary damper.

5. A vehicle body front structure, comprising:
a front hood provided in a front part of a vehicle body and provided with a port opening extending through the front hood in a thicknesswise direction thereof;
a port device mounted to the vehicle body so as to be positioned under the front hood and to face the port opening;
a housing surrounding the port device and having an open side facing the port opening; and
a lid provided on the housing to selectively close the port opening, the lid being provided with a lid plate that selectively closes the port opening, and a hinge arm extending from the lid plate into the housing and rotatably connected to the housing via a hinge shaft extending laterally,
wherein a first frangible portion is provided in an intermediate part of the hinge arm with respect to a lengthwise direction thereof.

6. A vehicle body front structure comprising:
a front hood provided in a front part of a vehicle body and provided with a port opening extending through the front hood in a thicknesswise direction thereof;
a port device mounted to the vehicle body so as to be positioned under the front hood and to face the port opening;
a housing surrounding the port device and having an open side facing the port opening; and
a lid provided on the housing to selectively close the port opening, the lid being provided with a lid plate that selectively closes the port opening, and a hinge arm extending from the lid plate into the housing and rotatably connected to the housing via a hinge shaft extending laterally,
wherein the housing is supported by the vehicle body via a support member having a second frangible portion.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakanishi Yukinobu
• Ebihara Daisuke
• Ichinose Tomofumi

Classifications

• B60L53/16 Primary

  Connectors, e.g. plugs or sockets, specially adapted for charging electric vehicles · CPC title

• B62D25/105 Primary

  for motor cars · CPC title

• B62D25/24 Primary

  Superstructure sub-units with access {or drainage} openings having movable or removable closures; {Sealing means therefor}(inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05) · CPC title

• B62D25/12

  Parts or details thereof (locks E05B, {E05B83/16; devices for holding open E05C17/00, e.g. while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042}; hinges E05D; counterbalancing means E05F; {checks, stops, buffers E05F5/00; } springs, {e.g. pneumatic springs} F16F) · CPC title