Vehicle front end assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511812-B2
Application number	US-202017035523-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2020
Priority date	Sep 28, 2020
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine is installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to the inboard surface of the front side member. An inboard push structure has an inboard surface, an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is attached to an inboard surface of the front side member. The lower portion extends downward below a lower surface of the front side member. The inboard surface faces the engine proximate the lateral portion of the lateral side portion of the engine cradle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle front end assembly, comprising:
a vehicle frame structure having a front side member and a dashwall, the front side member extending forward from the dashwall and a passenger compartment defined rearward of the dashwall, the front side member having a front end surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, an inboard surface that extends from the upper surface to the lower surface and an outboard surface that extends from the upper surface to the lower surface;
an engine cradle attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from the lower surface of the front side member;
an engine installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to the inboard surface of the front side member; and
an inboard push structure having an inboard surface, an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being attached to the inboard surface of the front side member, the lower portion extending downward below the lower surface of the front side member and the inboard surface facing the engine proximate the lateral portion of the lateral side portion of the engine cradle, the inboard push structure including an outboard bracket, an inboard bracket and a reinforcement bracket that extends between the outboard bracket and the inboard bracket.

2. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the inboard bracket of the inboard push structure has an inboard surface that faces the engine.

3. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcement bracket has a gusset that is welded to an outboard surface of the inboard bracket and a flange that is fixedly attached to an inboard surface of the outboard bracket.

4. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the outboard bracket of the inboard push structure has an upper flange and a lower flange, the inboard bracket of the inboard push structure has an upper flange and a lower flange, with the lower portion of the inboard push structure being defined by the lower flange of the outboard bracket and the lower flange of the inboard bracket, the lower portion of the inboard push structure being angularly offset from the upper flanges of each of the outboard and inboard brackets.

5. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 4 , further comprising
an outboard push-off structure attached to the outboard surface of the front side member adjacent to the front end surface of the front side member, with a main portion of the outboard push-off structure extending outboard from the outboard surface and a lower portion of the outboard push-off structure extending downward below the lower surface of the front side member with the lower portion of the outboard push-off structure being fixed to the lower portion of the inboard push structure.

6. A vehicle front end assembly, further comprising
a vehicle frame structure having a front side member and a dashwall, the front side member extending forward from the dashwall and a passenger compartment defined rearward of the dashwall, the front side member having a front end surface, an upper surface, a lower surface, an inboard surface that extends from the upper surface to the lower surface and an outboard surface that extends from the upper surface to the lower surface;
an engine cradle attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from the lower surface of the front side member;
an engine installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to the inboard surface of the front side member;
an inboard push structure having an inboard surface, an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion being attached to the inboard surface of the front side member, the lower portion extending downward below the lower surface of the front side member and the inboard surface facing the engine proximate the lateral portion of the lateral side portion of the engine cradle; and
an outboard push-off structure attached to the outboard surface of the front side member adjacent to the front end surface of the front side member, with a main portion of the outboard push-off structure extending outboard from the outboard surface and a lower portion of the outboard push-off structure extending downward below the lower surface of the front side member with the lower portion being fixed to the lower portion of the inboard push structure.

7. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising
a hood ledge that extends from the front side member proximate the front end surface upward and rearward toward an upper portion of the dashwall.

8. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 7 , further comprising
a joint bracket attached to both a forward end of the hood ledge and the outboard push-off structure.

9. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 6 , further comprising
a front bracket having a first portion attached to the front end surface of the front side member and a second portion attached to a front surface of the outboard push-off structure.

10. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the first portion of the front bracket has a first planar portion and the second portion of the front bracket has a second planar portion that are off-set from one another such that they are not co-planar.

11. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 10 , wherein
the first portion of the front bracket covers part of the front end surface of the front side member and the second portion of the front bracket covers part of the front surface of the outboard push-off structure.

12. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 9 , further comprising
a front bumper stay configured to support a front bumper assembly, the front bumper stay being fixed to a forward facing surface of the first portion of the front bracket.

13. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
the outboard push-off structure includes an outboard bracket, a lower main bracket, a lower reinforcement bracket, a first upper bracket, a second upper bracket, an inboard bracket and a forward bracket.

14. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 13 , wherein
the outboard bracket has an upper flange fixed to the front side member and a lower flange that extends below the front side member, and an outboard wall that is vertically oriented with a cavity being defined between the upper and lower flanges.

15. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 14 , wherein
the lower main bracket, the lower reinforcement bracket, the first upper bracket and the second upper bracket are all arranged within the cavity of the outboard bracket and define a labyrinth-like assembly that reinforces the outboard bracket against deformation in response to an off-center impact event.

16. The vehicle front end assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
the outboard wall of the outboard bracket has a rear end and a forward end, the rear end contacting a portion of the outboard surface of the front side member and the forward end of the outboard wall is spaced apart from the front end surface and the outboard surface of the front side member such that the outboard wall of the outboard bracket and the outboard surface of the front side member define an acute angle therebetween that is greater than 25 degrees.

17. The vehicle front end as

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc
• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Renn Jordan
• Kato Masayuki
• Coakley David
• Terashima Yasutsune
• Okada Shuichi
• Hashimoto Syu

Classifications

• B62D25/10

  Bonnets or lids {, e.g. for trucks, tractors, busses, work vehicles (for truck beds B60J7/1607; for boats B63B19/12; doors arranged at the vehicle rear B60J5/10; inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05; for protecting non-occupants of a vehicle B60R21/38)} · CPC title

• B62D27/065

  using screwthread (connection of crossbeam to A- pillars B62D25/147; mounting load bearing surfaces B62D21/09; securing mudguards B62D25/163; connections for synthetic parts B62D29/048) · CPC title

• B62D21/11 Primary

  with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions} · CPC title

• B62D25/14

  Dashboards as superstructure sub-units (other dashboard aspects B60K) · CPC title

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title