Front body member for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9266566-B2
Application number	US-201414496851-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Apr 9, 2014
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A front body member which transfers collision energy to a front side member, or allows collision energy to be absorbed by the front side member at a time of a vehicle collision, may include an upper portion and a lower portion with respect to a height direction of the vehicle body, in which the upper portion and the lower portion of the front body member further include an upper flange and a lower flange, respectively, which are formed along perimeters of the upper portion and the lower portion to be in surface-to-surface contact with each other, and an empty space is formed in each of the upper portion and the lower portion of the front body member for a target internal space to be formed in the front body member when the upper flange and the lower flange are in surface-to-surface contact with each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A front body member installed on a front portion of a front side member forming a frame of a front side of a vehicle body in a length direction of the vehicle body, and configured to transfer collision energy to the front side member, or allow the collision energy to be absorbed by the front side member at a time of a vehicle collision, the front body member comprising:
an upper portion and a lower portion with respect to a height direction of the vehicle body,
wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the front body member include an upper flange and a lower flange, respectively, which are formed along perimeters of the upper portion and the lower portion to be in surface-to-surface contact with each other,
wherein an empty space is formed in each of the upper portion and the lower portion of the front body member for a target internal space to be formed in the front body member when the upper flange and the lower flange are in surface-to-surface contact with each other, and
wherein the upper portion and the lower portion of the front body member together form an opening into which the front portion of the front side member is inserted and an engaging inner perimeter surface on the front body member which overlaps an outer perimeter surface of the front portion of the front side member inside the opening, in a state in which the upper flange and the lower flange are in contact with each other.

2. The front body member of claim 1 , wherein shapes of the upper portion and the lower portion of the front body member are symmetrical to each other with respect to a contact surface of the upper flange and the lower flange.

3. The front body member of claim 1 , wherein a length of the engaging inner perimeter surface is 70 mm or more in a length direction of the front side member.

4. The front body member of claim 1 , wherein the front body member further includes at least one bulkhead, and the at least one bulkhead is fixedly installed in the target internal space to serve as a reinforcement member.

5. The front body member of claim 4 , wherein the front side member comprises:
an outer front side member forming an outer portion of the front side member in a vehicle width direction; and
an inner front side member forming an inner portion of the front side member in the vehicle width direction,
wherein the at least one bulkhead is formed to divide the target internal space into two spaces in the vehicle width direction while being in contact with a front end of the outer front side member or the inner front side member.

6. The front body member of claim 5 , wherein a first portion of the at least one bulkhead which is in contact with either one of the upper portion or the lower portion of the front body member is fixedly installed by a structural adhesive or laser welding, and a second portion of the bulkhead which is in contact with the either one of the upper portion or the lower portion of the front body member that is not in contact with the first portion of the at least one bulkhead, is fixedly installed by spot welding.

7. The front body member of claim 1 , wherein the front body member is integrally formed by welding the upper flange to the lower flange.

8. The front body member of claim 1 ,
wherein when the front body member is engaged with the front portion of the front side member, the front body member is formed to have a parallel face which is parallel with the length direction and a height direction of the front side member, a vertical face which is perpendicular to the parallel face, a diagonal face which forms predetermined angles with respect to the parallel face and the vertical face, and upper and lower cover faces in the vehicle height direction which are perpendicular to the vertical, parallel and diagonal faces.

9. The front body member of claim 8 , wherein the diagonal face and the vertical face are formed outside the front side member in the vehicle width direction.

10. The front body member of claim 1 , wherein the front body member is fixedly engaged with the front side member by welding the engaging inner perimeter surface and an outer perimeter surface of the front portion of the front side member.

11. The front body member of claim 1 , wherein a plane including the opening forms an angle identical to an angle that is formed between a plane including an opened face of a front end of the front portion of the front side member and the length direction of the front side member.

12. The front body member of claim 11 , wherein an angle between the plane including the opening and the length direction of the front side member is between +45° and +135°.

13. The front body member of claim 1 ,
wherein the front side member includes an upper end protruding portion or a lower end protruding portion formed respectively on an upper end surface or a lower end surface of the front side member and extending in the length direction of the front side member, and
wherein at least one of an upper engaging groove and a lower engaging groove is formed in the vehicle length direction in the upper or lower portions respectively of the front body member so that at least one of the upper end protruding portion and the lower end protruding portion is fitted into the at least one of the upper engaging groove and the lower engaging groove respectively when the front body member is engaged with the front portion of the front side member.

14. A front body member which is installed on a front portion of a front side member forming a frame of a front side of a vehicle body in a length direction of the vehicle body, and configured to transfer collision energy to the front side member, or allow the collision energy to be absorbed by the front side member at a time of a vehicle collision,
wherein the front body member is integrally formed to have a target internal space,
wherein when the front body member is engaged with the front portion of the front side member, the front body member is formed to have a parallel face which is parallel with a length direction and a height direction of the front side member, a vertical face which is perpendicular to the parallel face, a diagonal face which forms predetermined angles with respect to the parallel face and the vertical face, and upper and lower cover faces in a vehicle height direction which are perpendicular to the parallel face, the vertical face, and the diagonal face, and
wherein the front body member is integrally formed with an opening into which the front portion of the front side member is inserted, and an engaging inner perimeter surface which overlaps an outer perimeter surface of the front portion of the front side member inside the opening.

15. The front body member of claim 14 , wherein the front body member further includes at least one bulkhead, and
the at least one bulkhead is integrally formed at a predetermined position in the internal space to serve as a reinforcement member.

16. The front body member of claim 15 , wherein the front side member includes an outer front side member which forms an outer portion in a vehicle width direction, and an inner front side member which forms an inner portion in the vehicle width direction, and
the at least one bulkhead is formed to divide the internal space into two spaces in the vehicle width direction while being in contact with a front end of the outer front side member or the inner front side member.

17. The front body member of claim 14 , wherein the diagonal face and the vertical face are formed outside the front side member in the vehicle width

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Hyun Sik

Classifications

• B62D25/082 Primary

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B62D25/088

  Details of structures as upper supports for springs or dampers · CPC title

• B60R19/02

  Bumpers, i.e. impact receiving or absorbing members for protecting vehicles or fending off blows from other vehicles or objects ({B60R19/56 takes precedence; initiating brake action by contact of bumper with an external object B60T7/22; for rail vehicles B61F19/04; safety equipment for cycles B62J27/00;} integral with waterborne vessels or specially adapted therefor B63B59/02) · CPC title

• B60R19/18 Primary

  {characterised by the cross-section;} Means within the bumper to absorb impact · CPC title