Vehicle body front structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016347374-A1
Application number	US-201515116677-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2014
Publication date	Dec 1, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle body front structure includes left and right front side frames including at least left and right front bending portions, left and right middle bending portions, and left and right rear bending portions. The left and right front bending portions are bent to project inwards in a vehicle's width direction by a collision load exerted on a front end of a vehicle body, whereby the left and right front bending portions restrain a power unit. The left and right middle bending portions are situated spaced apart to the rear from the left and right front bending portions. The left and right rear bending portions are situated spaced apart to the rear from the left and right middle bending portions, are bent outwards in the vehicle's width direction, and absorb collision energy when struck by the power unit moved rearward together with the left and right front bending portions.

First claim

1 . A vehicle body front structure, comprising:
a dashboard lower panel that separates a power unit compartment defined at a front portion of a vehicle body so as to accommodate a power unit from a passenger compartment which is situated directly behind the power unit compartment; left and right front side frames that extend to the front of the vehicle body from the dashboard lower panel, and that enable to mount the power unit thereon by means of left and right mount portions; and a front bumper beam that is attached to stretch between front ends of the left and right front side frames, wherein the left and right front side frames have at least three left and right bending portions including left and right front bending portions, left and right middle bending portions which are situated spaced apart to the rear from the left and right front bending portions, and left and right rear bending portions which are situated spaced apart to the rear from the left and right middle bending portions, the left and right front bending portions are restraint sections that enable to restrain the power unit by holding the power unit from both sides thereof in a vehicle's width direction while absorbing collision energy by being bent to project inwards in the vehicle's width direction by means of a collision load exerted on a front end of the vehicle body from the front, the left and right rear bending portions are energy absorbing sections that enable to absorb the collision energy by being bent outwards in the vehicle's width direction by means of the collision load and being struck by the power unit which is moved rearward together with the left and right front bending portion by means of the collision load, and the left and right middle bending portions are bending assistance sections that enable to be bent outwards in the vehicle's width direction so as to allow the bending of the left and right front bending portions and the left and right rear bending portions.

2 . The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the left and right front bending portions are set at fastening positions of the left and right front side frames where left and right mounting brackets of the left and right mount portions are fastened with a bolt or are set in the vicinity of the fastening positions, and left and right attaching positions of the front bumper beam which is attached to the left and right side frames are offset outwards in the vehicle's width direction with respect to the left and right fastening positions.

3 . The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein the left and right front side frames include left and right front end portions which extend from front ends to the fastening positions or to the vicinity of the fastening positions, and left and right adjacent portions which lie adjacent to rear ends of the left and right front end portions and which are less rigid than the left and right front end portions, the left and right front bending portions are situated at boundaries between the left and right front end portions and the left and right adjacent portions, outer side surfaces of the left and right front end portions in the vehicle's width direction are inclined outwards in the vehicle's width direction as they extend from rear ends of the left and right front end portions towards the front of the vehicle body, whereby widths of the left and right front end portions gradually increase from the rear ends of the left and right front end portions towards the front of the vehicle body, and the left and right front attaching positions of the front bumper beam are set individually at widthwise centers of front ends of the left and right front end portions.

4 . The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the left and right front side frames include left and right proximal end portions which are joined to the dashboard lower panel, and left and right inclined portions which are inclined outwards in the vehicle's width direction as they extend from the left and right proximal end portions towards the front of the vehicle body, at least a part of inner side surfaces of the left and right inclined portions in the vehicle's width direction overlaps the power unit in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body as seen from the front of the vehicle body, and the left and right rear bending portions are situated at boundaries between the left and right proximal end portions and the left and right inclined portions.

5 . The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the left and right front side frames have vertical grooves which are formed on outer side surfaces of the left and right front side frames in the vehicle's width direction, and the left and right front bending portions and the left and right rear bending portions are sections formed brittle by the vertical grooves of the left and right front side frames.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miyamoto Hiroki
• Yasui Ken
• Higuchi Eisei
• Kawamura Eri

Classifications

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B60Y2306/01

  Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection · CPC title

• B60K5/1216

  characterised by the location of the supports relative to the motor or to each other (B60K5/1225 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60K5/04

  with the engine main axis, e.g. crankshaft axis, transversely to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle · CPC title

• B62D25/14

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