Front-end structure for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9150252-B2
Application number	US-201214357697-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2012
Priority date	Jan 25, 2012
Publication date	Oct 6, 2015
Grant date	Oct 6, 2015

Abstract

A front-end structure for a vehicle is provided with: front side frames, a subframe extending across a vehicle body floor front portion to support a suspension component and an electric power steering device, the subframe being supported at least at the front end portion and at the rear end portion and being formed in a subframe main body from a light alloy casting, and a pair of left and right extension arms that are fixed to the subframe main body and extend forward of the subframe main body, and that are formed from a light alloy or steel by press-molding. In the rear portion of the extension arms in the vicinity the subframe main body, provided is a recessed portion that serves as a point at which downward bending starts midway along the lengthwise direction of the subframe with an input load in the event of a vehicle frontal collision.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A front-end structure for a vehicle wherein: a subframe, which is provided across front side frames arranged along a vehicle lengthwise direction in left and right of a vehicle front-end portion and a vehicle body floor front portion to support a suspension component and an in-vehicle component, is supported at least at a front end portion and at a rear end portion of the subframe;
the subframe is provided with a subframe main body and at least one extension arm that extends forward of a front end portion of the subframe main body; and
at a rear portion of the at least one extension arm and near the subframe main body, there is provided a weakened starting portion that serves as a point at which downward bending starts midway along the lengthwise direction of the subframe with an input load in an event of a vehicle frontal collision, wherein:
on the rear end portion of the subframe, there is provided a fastening portion for attaching to the front portion of the vehicle body floor, and a rear end extension portion extends backward from the fastening portion to a position configured and arranged to be near the heels of a vehicle operator in a driving posture during vehicle operation,
there is provided a front bulkhead that is attached to front end portions of the left and right front side frames,
the subframe extension arm includes an extension arm main body, a rear end attachment portion provided on a rear end portion of the extension arm main body, and a front end attachment portion provided on a front end portion of the extension arm main body,
the rear end attachment portion of the at least one extension arm is fixed to the subframe main body,
the front end attachment portion of the at least one extension arm is fixed to the front bulkhead, and
the weakened starting portion is formed at the rear end portion of the extension arm main body.

2. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the subframe main body, in the front end portion thereof, has an intermediate fastening portion that is operatively attached to at least one of the front side frames with a fastener; and in either one of a portion of the front side frame immediately surrounding an intermediate fastening portion insertion hole for receiving the fastener, or a portion of the intermediate fastening portion immediately surrounding an insertion hole for receiving the fastener, there is provided a separation cutaway portion that is configured to break and to allow the subframe to move downward in relation to the side frames when the subframe receives a downward load during said vehicle frontal collision.

3. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein:
the subframe main body is formed in a trapezoidal shape;
said at least one extension arm comprises a pair of left and right extension arms arranged in a non-parallel configuration so as to increase the width therebetween with approach to the front side; and the rear end portion of the subframe main body is connected to a floor center frame that is attached to the vehicle body floor.

4. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the rear end portion of the extension arm is fixed to the subframe main body by three fasteners that are inserted in the vertical direction and are arranged in a triangular shape.

5. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the tip end of the at least one extension arm is connected to a lower corner portion of the front bulkhead.

6. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a floor tunnel portion is formed in a vehicle widthwise center portion of the vehicle body floor, and there is provided a floor center frame that extends along the lengthwise direction on each side of this floor tunnel portion; a front end extension portion is provided on the front end portion of each floor center frame; the fastening portion of the subframe is fixed to the front end extension portion of the floor center frame; and in front of the front end extension portion there is arranged an in-vehicle component to be supported on the subframe.

7. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front end extension portion of the floor center frame is provided with a recess portion that receives the rear end extension portion of the subframe.

8. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front end portion of the subframe is positioned higher than the weakened starting portion of the subframe.

9. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the rear end extension portion of the subframe has strength and rigidity greater than or equal to that of the portion of the subframe at the rear of the weakened starting portion.

10. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a periphery of the fastening portion of the subframe is reinforced.

11. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the subframe, in a portion at the rear of the weakened starting portion, has an intermediate fastening portion that fastens to the front side frame; and in the intermediate fastening portion there is provided a separation starting portion that is configured to be separated when a downward load is received.

12. The front-end structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the subframe main body includes two upper arm attachment portions for attaching the subframe to the side frames, and further comprising a pair of connecting brackets, with one of said connecting brackets interposed between an outer end of each of the upper arm attachment portions and one of the side frames at a position to the rear of the weakened starting portion,
wherein each of said connecting brackets comprises a substantially vertically extending portion having a separation starting portion formed therein that is configured to permit separation of the subframe from the side frames when a downward load is received during said vehicle frontal collision.

13. A front-end structure for a vehicle wherein: a subframe, which is provided across front side frames arranged along a vehicle lengthwise direction in left and right of a vehicle front-end portion and a vehicle body floor front portion to support a suspension component and an in-vehicle component, is supported at least at a front end portion and at a rear end portion of the subframe;
the subframe is provided with a subframe main body that is formed from a light alloy casting and that supports the suspension component and the in-vehicle component at a rear portion thereof, and a pair of left and right extension arms that are fixed to, and extend forward of the subframe main body, and that are formed from a light alloy or steel by press molding;
at a rear portion of the extension arms and near the subframe main body, there is provided a weakened starting portion that serves as a point at which downward bending starts midway along the lengthwise direction of the subframe with an input load in an event of a vehicle frontal collision, and
wherein in an upper surface of the subframe main body, between an intermediate fastening portion and the rear end portion of the subframe main body, there is formed an insertion recess portion into which a stabilizer serving as the suspension component is to be inserted in the vehicle widthwise direction; on an upper portion of the subframe main body, there is fixed a power steering device; and a steering gear box of the power steering device is provided at a position that blocks an opening portion of the insertion recess portion.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yasui Ken
• Higuchi Eisei
• IMANISHI Tomoyuki
• Miyahara Tetsuya
• Yoshida Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B60G2204/15

  Mounting of subframes · CPC title

• B60G7/02

  Attaching arms to sprung part of vehicle {(B60G7/006 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B62D21/155 Primary

  Sub-frames or underguards · CPC title

• B62D21/11

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