Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855974-B2
Application number	US-201615226211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A body structure includes: a bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction; a pair of front side frames separated from each other in the vehicle width direction; and a pair of bumper beam extensions provided between respective front ends of the pair of front side frames and the bumper beam. The bumper beam is connected to the pair of bumper beam extensions at positions lower than respective upper walls of the pair of front side frames; and each of front portions of the pair of bumper beam extensions includes a connection portion to which a rear wall of the bumper beam is connected, and an extension portion provided above the connection portion and extending toward the vehicle front above the bumper beam.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle body structure comprising:
a pair of front side frames extending in a vehicle rear-front direction and located apart from each other in a vehicle width direction;
a pair of bumper beam extensions having respective front sides and rear sides in the vehicle width direction and at the rear sides thereof connected to respective front ends of the pair of front side frames;
a bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction and having a rear wall that is connected to the pair of bumper beam extensions at the front sides thereof such that the pair of bumper beam extensions are located between the respective front ends of said pair of front side frames and said bumper beam;
a subframe arranged at a position lower than said pair of front side frames; and
a pair of vertical connection brackets connecting respective lower front portions of said pair of front side frames and said subframe, each of said pair of bumper beam extensions at their rear sides being connected to one of the respective front ends of said pair of front side frames and one of said pair of vertical connection brackets such that each of bottom walls of said pair of bumper beam extensions is positioned at a height intersecting with said pair of vertical connection brackets, wherein
positions at which said bumper beam is connected to said pair of bumper beam extensions are lower than respective upper walls of said pair of front side frames in a vertical direction, and
each of said pair of bumper beam extensions at their front sides comprises,
a connection portion to which the rear wall of said bumper beam is connected, and
an extension portion provided above said connection portion and extending in the vehicle rear-front direction toward a vehicle front side above said bumper beam.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
said pair of bumper beam extensions are provided such that their upper walls are positioned at a height corresponding to the upper walls of said pair of front side frames in the vertical direction, respectively.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a pair of upper members extending in the vehicle rear-front direction and located at positions apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and outside said pair of front side frames in the vehicle width direction, wherein
said pair of bumper beam extensions are connected at their rear sides to front ends of said pair of upper members.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a pair of right-left connection brackets connecting front portions of said pair of front side frames and front portions of said pair of upper members, respectively, wherein
each of upper walls of said pair of bumper beam extensions at least in part is positioned at a height corresponding to one of upper walls of said pair of right-left connection brackets in the vertical direction, and
each of bottom walls of said pair of bumper beam extensions at least in part is positioned at a height corresponding to one of bottom walls of said pair of right-left connection brackets in the vertical direction.

5. The vehicle body structure according to of claim 1 , wherein
each of said pair of bumper beam extensions has a partition wall for partitioning its inner space, and
each of said partition walls is positioned at a location corresponding to one of outer side walls of said pair of front side frames.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
a front end of said extension portion is positioned within a width of said bumper beam in the vehicle rear-front direction.

7. A vehicle body structure comprising:
a pair of front side frames extending in a vehicle rear-front direction and located apart from each other in a vehicle width direction;
a pair of bumper beam extensions having respective front sides and rear sides in the vehicle width direction and at the rear sides thereof connected to respective front ends of the pair of front side frames;
a bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction and having a rear wall that is connected to the pair of bumper beam extensions at the front sides thereof such that the pair of bumper beam extensions are located between the respective front ends of said pair of front side frames and said bumper beam; and
a pair of upper members extending in the vehicle rear-front direction and located at positions apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and outside said pair of front side frames in the vehicle width direction, said pair of bumper beam extensions being connected at their rear sides to front ends of said pair of upper members, wherein
positions at which said bumper beam is connected to said pair of bumper beam extensions are lower than respective upper walls of said pair of front side frames in a vertical direction, and
each of said pair of bumper beam extensions at their front sides comprises,
a connection portion to which the rear wall of said bumper beam is connected, and
an extension portion provided above said connection portion and extending in the vehicle rear-front direction toward a vehicle front side above said bumper beam.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
said pair of bumper beam extensions are provided such that their upper walls are positioned at a height corresponding to the upper walls of said pair of front side frames in the vertical direction, respectively.

9. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a pair of right-left connection brackets connecting front portions of said pair of front side frames and front portions of said pair of upper members, respectively, wherein
each of upper walls of said pair of bumper beam extensions at least in part is positioned at a height corresponding to one of upper walls of said pair of right-left connection brackets in the vertical direction, and
each of bottom walls of said pair of bumper beam extensions at least in part is positioned at a height corresponding to one of bottom walls of said pair of right-left connection brackets in the vertical direction.

10. The vehicle body structure according to of claim 7 , wherein
each of said pair of bumper beam extensions has a partition wall for partitioning its inner space, and
each of said partition walls is positioned at a location corresponding to one of outer side walls of said pair of front side frames.

11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
a front end of said extension portion is positioned within a width of said bumper beam in the vehicle rear-front direction.

12. A vehicle body structure comprising:
a pair of front side frames extending in a vehicle rear-front direction and located apart from each other in a vehicle width direction;
a pair of bumper beam extensions having respective front sides and rear sides in the vehicle width direction and at the rear sides thereof connected to respective front ends of the pair of front side frames;
a bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction and having a rear wall that is connected to the pair of bumper beam extensions at the front sides thereof such that the pair of bumper beam extensions are located between the respective front ends of said pair of front side frames and said bumper beam; and
a pair of upper members extending in the vehicle rear-front direction and located at positions apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and outside said pair of front side frames in the vehicle width direction, said pair of bumper beam extensions being respectively disposed in front of said pair of front sid

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kase Fumitoshi
• Hamano Yoichiro
• Shibata Yasuyuki
• Kihara Makoto
• Mineshima Misato

Classifications

• B60R19/24 Primary

  Arrangements for mounting bumpers on vehicles · CPC title

• B62D21/02

  comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members · CPC title

• B62D25/08 Primary

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

• B60R19/12

  vertically spaced · CPC title

• B62D21/11

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