Vehicle front section structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12187342-B2
Application number	US-202217843553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2022
Priority date	Jun 22, 2021
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle front section structure includes: a power unit installed at a front section; a left and right pair of front side frames extending in a vehicle front-rear direction; a left and right pair of front side members extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at a vehicle upper side of the left and right pair of front side frames, with rear end portions of the front side members being respectively joined to the left and right pair of front side frames; a cross member disposed at a vehicle rear side and obliquely upward of the power unit so as to span between the left and right pair of front side members and to support a driving seat of the vehicle; and a reinforcement brace spanning between the cross member and at least one front side member of the left front side member or a right front side member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle front section structure comprising:
a power unit installed at a front section of a vehicle;
a pair of front side frames extending in a vehicle front-rear direction at both vehicle width direction sides of the power unit so as to support the power unit, a front side portion of a rear section of each of the pair of front side frames includes a kick panel that slopes downward on progression rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction;
a pair of front side members extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at a vehicle upper side of the pair of front side frames, with rear end portions of the front side members being respectively joined to the pair of front side frames, a rear section of each of the pair of front side members is provided with a kick panel that slopes downward on progression rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction;
a cross member disposed at a vehicle rear side and obliquely upward of the power unit so as to span, in a vehicle width direction, between the pair of front side members and to support a driving seat of the vehicle; and
a reinforcement brace spanning between the cross member and at least one front side member of the pair of front side members.

2. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein the power unit includes:
a motor supported by the pair of front side frames and enabling the vehicle to travel; and
a drive unit disposed at a vehicle upper side of the motor and controlling driving of the motor.

3. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the driving seat is disposed offset toward one vehicle width direction side with respect to a vehicle width direction center of the vehicle; and
the reinforcement brace is disposed at least at the one vehicle width direction side, and a joint between the reinforcement brace and the cross member overlaps with the driving seat in a vehicle front view.

4. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein:
a pair of reinforcement braces respectively span between the pair of front side members and the cross member; and
respective joints between the pair of reinforcement braces and the cross member overlap with the driving seat in a vehicle front view.

5. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement brace overlaps with the power unit in the vehicle front-rear direction in a vehicle side view.

6. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , further comprising a body that includes a floor panel having a sloped section that slopes downward on progression rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. The vehicle front section structure of claim 6 , wherein the sloped section of the floor panel is spaced apart from an upper side of the pair of front side frames.

8. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein portions of the pair of front side members forward of the kick panels are disposed on an outer side of the pair of front side frames in the vehicle width direction.

9. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein portions of the front side members rearward of the kick panels are disposed in between the pair of front side frames in the vehicle width direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hara Yasuhiro
• Koreishi Norimasa
• Watanabe Jumpei
• Ishioka Hirotaka

Classifications

• B62D25/20 Primary

  Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} · CPC title

• B62D25/08

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

• B60K2001/0411

  Arrangement in the front part of the vehicle · CPC title

• B60K1/04

  of the electric storage means for propulsion · CPC title

• B62D47/02

  for large numbers of passengers, e.g. omnibus · CPC title