Vehicle front section structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539968-B2
Application number	US-201414763387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2014
Priority date	Jan 25, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle front section structure includes a front side member that is formed with a front flange at a vehicle front-rear direction front end; a crash box that is joined to the front flange at a rear flange formed at a vehicle front-rear direction rear end; and a coupling member that is joined to a fender apron section at a vehicle rear end. The coupling member includes a joining plate formed at a vehicle front end side joined to the front flange in an interposed state between the front flange and the rear flange, with a front end side of a portion of the coupling member positioned at a vehicle width direction outer side of the front side member angled such that in plan view a rear side is separated further to the vehicle width direction outer side from the front side member than the vehicle front side.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle front section structure comprising:
a front side member that is formed with a front flange at a vehicle front-rear direction front side;
a crash box that is joined to the front flange at a rear flange formed at a vehicle front-rear direction rear side; and
a coupling member that is formed with a closed cross-section structure by an inner panel and an outer panel, that is joined to a fender apron section at a vehicle front-rear direction rear side, the coupling member including a joining plate extending from a vehicle front-rear direction front side end portion of the inner panel and curving in a direction inwardly toward a vehicle width direction inner side, and the joining plate being joined to the front flange in an interposed state between the front flange and the rear flange,
wherein a vehicle front-rear direction front side of a portion of the coupling member is positioned at a vehicle width direction outer side of the front side member angled such that, in plan view, a vehicle front-rear direction rear side is separated further to the vehicle width direction outer side of the front side member than the vehicle front-rear direction front side.

2. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the coupling member includes a main body that has a closed cross-section structure in a cross-section orthogonal to a length direction of the main body, and to which the joining plate is joined at a vehicle front-rear direction front side; and
the joining plate includes two plate members respectively joined to the main body by arc welding in a state sandwiching the main body in cross-section view.

3. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein the joining plate of the coupling member is fastened together with the front flange and the rear flange by a fastener, and the vehicle front-rear direction rear side of the coupling member is fastened to the fender apron section by a fastener.

4. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein the front flange includes a side wall portion that faces a vehicle width direction inner face of the front side member.

5. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein the joining plate is joined to the front flange at least at a portion at the vehicle width direction inner side of a vehicle width direction center of the front side member.

6. The vehicle front section structure of claim 1 , wherein the joining plate is joined to the front flange at a portion at the vehicle width direction inner side of a vehicle width direction center of the front side member and at a portion at the vehicle width direction outer side of the vehicle width direction center of the front side member.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishida Gen
• Matsui Nobuaki
• Iwaihara Reiji
• Ayukawa Tatsuya

Classifications

• B62D21/152 Primary

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B60R19/34 Primary

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

• B62D25/08

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

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title