Automobile vehicle-body front structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9242675-B2
Application number	US-201414446823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2014
Priority date	Aug 2, 2013
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

According to a vehicle-body front structure, when a collision load caused at the time of a front end collision is input into a front part of a connecting member fixed to a front end of an apron upper member, a protruding member protruding outwardly in a vehicle width direction from a front part of a side-member main body is able to interfere with the front part of the connecting member from a vehicle rear side. This makes it possible to improve a transmission efficiency of the collision load between the connecting member and the front side member. Besides, the front part of the connecting member is reinforced by a bulk head, thereby making it possible to restrain the front part from being deformed by the collision load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automobile vehicle-body front structure comprising:
a front side member extending in a vehicle front-rear direction along a side of a compartment in front of a cabin;
an apron upper member provided on a vehicle upper side and a vehicle-width outer side relative to the front side member, the apron upper member extending along the vehicle front-rear direction;
a connecting member including a rear end fixed to a front end of the apron upper member, the connecting member including a front end and a front part adjacent the front end, the front end of the connecting member fixed to a front part of the front side member, the connecting member including a reinforcement portion provided at the front part of the connecting member; and
a protruding member protruding outwardly, in a vehicle width direction from the front part of the front side member, a front face of the protruding member faces a rear side of the front part of the connecting member.

2. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the protruding member is provided with a load transmission portion inclined inwardly in the vehicle width direction as the load transmission portion extends rearwardly in the vehicle front-rear direction; and
the load transmission portion is provided between the front part of the connecting member and the front side member.

3. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the connecting member is formed in a hollow shape, and a reinforcing member is attached inside a section of the front part of the connecting member.

4. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2 , wherein:
the connecting member is formed in a hollow shape, and a reinforcing member is attached inside a section of the front part of the connecting member.

5. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
a vehicle-width outer surface of the front part of the connecting member is curved or inclined outwardly in the vehicle width direction as the vehicle-width outer surface extends rearwardly in the vehicle front-rear direction toward the vehicle rear side.

6. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
a rear face of the protruding member is inclined in such a manner that a distance between the rear face of the protruding member and the front side member decreases as the rear face of the protruding member extends rearward in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the protruding member is formed in a triangular shape in a plane view.

8. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the front face of the protruding member is spaced from the front part of the connecting member via a gap.

9. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the front part of the connecting member is joined to the protruding member.

10. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the front part of the front side member is provided adjacent a front most end of the front side member in the vehicle front-rear direction.

11. The automobile vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the front end of the connecting member is fixed to a vehicle-width outer side of the front part of the front side member.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kuriyama Tomoyuki
• Sakakibara Kosuke
• Tamaoki Akihiro
• Ohmi Masanobu
• Ayukawa Tatsuya

Classifications

• B62D21/152

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B60R19/34

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

• B62D25/082 Primary

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B62D25/08

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