Front structure of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12221044-B2
Application number	US-202217929230-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2022
Priority date	Nov 2, 2021
Publication date	Feb 11, 2025
Grant date	Feb 11, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle front structure comprises a beam member and a plate member. The plate member comprises a vertical face portion, a body portion extending forwardly from the vertical face portion, a front end portion positioned at a front end of the body portion, and a protrusion face portion provided to be forwardly spaced apart from the vertical face portion. The front end portion comprises an upper section located at a higher level than the body portion. The protrusion face portion comprises a protrusion-face-portion upper section located at a higher level than an upper end of the upper section and a protrusion-face-portion lower section located at a lower level than the upper end of the upper section. The protrusion-face-portion lower section is configured to have lower strength against a collision load applied from a vehicle forward side than the protrusion-face-portion upper section.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front structure of a vehicle, comprising:
a beam member positioned in front of a sub frame and having a closed-cross section extending in a vehicle width direction; and
a plate member extending forwardly from the beam member,
wherein said plate member comprises a vertical face portion provided along a front face portion of said beam member, a body portion extending forwardly from said vertical face portion, a front end portion positioned at a front end of said body portion and configured to have higher rigidity against a load applied in a longitudinal direction than said body portion, and a protrusion face portion provided to be forwardly spaced apart from said vertical face portion,
said front end portion of the plate member comprises a front-end-portion upper section located at a higher level than said body portion,
said protrusion face portion comprises a protrusion-face-portion upper section located at a higher level than an upper end of said front-end-portion upper section and a protrusion-face-portion lower section located at a lower level than the upper end of said front-end-portion upper section, and
said protrusion-face-portion lower section is configured to have lower strength against a collision load applied from a vehicle forward side than said protrusion-face-portion upper section.

2. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said protrusion-face-portion upper section of the plate member is provided at a part of said vertical face portion and comprises an upper wall and right-and-left side walls such that the protrusion face portion is formed in a boxy shape, and a high-rigidity portion is provided in an upper area of said boxy shape, and
wherein the protrusion-face-portion lower section forms a lower area of the boxy shape which is configured to be a hollow.

3. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein a lower-side crash can which is connected to said beam member is provided in front of the sub frame, said beam member comprises a central portion which is positioned at a central location, in the vehicle width direction, of the beam member and extends in the vehicle width direction and two end portions which extend obliquely outwardly-and-rearwardly from right-and-left ends of said central portion in a plan view, and said protrusion face portion of the plate member is provided between a border portion between the central portion and each of said both-end portions of the beam member and a position of an inward-side end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of said lower-side crash can.

4. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 3 , wherein said boxy shape of the protrusion face portion is configured such that a center, in the vehicle width direction, thereof protrudes forwardly.

5. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein said front end portion of the plate member comprises said front-end-portion upper section located at the higher level than the body portion and a front-end-portion lower section which is located at a lower level than said body portion, and said front-end-portion upper section is positioned on the vehicle forward side of said front-end-portion lower section and protrudes higher relative to the body portion.

6. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 5 , wherein a rib which connects a front end of said front end portion and said body portion of the plate member is provided.

7. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said boxy shape of the protrusion face portion is configured such that a center, in the vehicle width direction, thereof protrudes forwardly.

8. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said front end portion of the plate member comprises said front-end-portion upper section located at the higher level than the body portion and a front-end-portion lower section which is located at a lower level than said body portion, and said front-end-portion upper section is positioned on the vehicle forward side of said front-end-portion lower section and protrudes higher relative to the body portion.

9. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 3 , wherein said front end portion of the plate member comprises said front-end-portion upper section located at the higher level than the body portion and a front-end-portion lower section which is located at a lower level than said body portion, and said front-end-portion upper section is positioned on the vehicle forward side of said front-end-portion lower section and protrudes higher relative to the body portion.

10. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein a rib which connects a front end of said front end portion and said body portion of the plate member is provided.

11. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 3 , wherein a rib which connects a front end of said front end portion and said body portion of the plate member is provided.

12. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein a rib which connects a front end of said front end portion and said body portion of the plate member is provided.

13. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a lower-side crash can which is connected to said beam member is provided in front of the sub frame, said beam member comprises a central portion which is positioned at a central location, in the vehicle width direction, of the beam member and extends in the vehicle width direction and two end portions which extend obliquely outwardly-and-rearwardly from right-and-left ends of said central portion in a plan view, and said protrusion face portion of the plate member is provided between a border portion between the central portion and each of said both-end portions of the beam member and a position of an inward-side end portion, in the vehicle width direction, of said lower-side crash can.

14. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 13 , wherein said boxy shape of the protrusion face portion is configured such that a center, in the vehicle width direction, thereof protrudes forwardly.

15. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 13 , wherein said front end portion of the plate member comprises said front-end-portion upper section located at the higher level than the body portion and a front-end-portion lower section which is located at a lower level than said body portion, and said front-end-portion upper section is positioned on the vehicle forward side of said front-end-portion lower section and protrudes higher relative to the body portion.

16. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 13 , wherein a rib which connects a front end of said front end portion and said body portion of the plate member is provided.

17. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said front end portion of the plate member comprises said front-end-portion upper section located at the higher level than the body portion and a front-end-portion lower section which is located at a lower level than said body portion, and said front-end-portion upper section is positioned on the vehicle forward side of said front-end-portion lower section and protrudes higher relative to the body portion.

18. The front structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a rib which connects a front end of said front end portion and said body portion of the plate member is provided.

Assignees

• Mazda Motor

Inventors

• Furutani Masayuki
• Ando Ryo
• Yoshiura Reiko

Classifications

• B60R2019/186

  Additional energy absorbing means supported on bumber beams, e.g. cellular structures or material · CPC title

• B60R19/023

  Details · CPC title

• B60R2019/1806

  Structural beams therefor, e.g. shock-absorbing · CPC title

• B60R19/34 Primary

  destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type · CPC title

• B60R19/12 Primary

  vertically spaced · CPC title