Vehicle front structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981694-B2
Application number	US-201715405529-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 25, 2016
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle front structure includes a first bending portion, a second bending portion, and a third bending portion in a left front side frame. An outer panel of the first bending portion includes a first concave portion. An inner panel of the second bending portion includes a second concave portion. The third bending portion is formed to be concave toward an interior. An inner central wall of the inner panel extends flat to the rear side of the vehicle body toward the second bending portion. A left branch gusset extends to tilt from the inner central wall, and the outer panel is joined to a rear surface of the left branch gusset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle front structure in which a front side frame extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction in a front side portion of a vehicle body, and the front side frame is formed into a closed section by joining an inner panel on an interior side and an outer panel in an exterior side, wherein the front side frame comprises:
a first bending portion including a first concave portion formed in the outer panel to be concave toward the interior;
a second bending portion including a second concave portion formed in the inner panel behind the first bending portion in the vehicle body to be concave toward the exterior; and
a third bending portion formed behind the second bending portion in the vehicle body to be concave toward the interior,
the inner panel includes an inner central wall extending flat to the rear side of the vehicle body from the first bending portion to the second bending portion,
a branch gusset extends to tilt from the inner central wall outward in a vehicle width direction and obliquely to a front side via an inside of the first bending portion, and the outer panel is joined to a rear surface of the branch gusset,
wherein the inner panel comprises an inner wall facing the interior side, an inner upper surface projecting from an upper end of the inner wall to the exterior side, and an inner lower surface projecting from a lower end of the inner wall to the exterior side, the inner panel is formed into a substantially U-shaped section by the inner wall, the inner upper surface, and the inner lower surface,
the branch gusset comprises a wall portion, an upper flange projecting from an upper end of the wall portion, a lower flange projecting from a lower end of the wall portion, and a rear flange projecting from a rear end of the wall portion to the rear side of the vehicle body,
the branch gusset is formed into a substantially U-shaped section by the wall portion, the upper flange, and the lower flange,
the vehicle front structure comprises a connecting portion configured to connect the branch gusset to the inner panel,
the connecting portion comprises:
an upper connecting plate projecting from the inner upper surface toward the branch gusset; and
an lower connecting plate projecting from the inner lower surface toward the branch gusset, the upper flange is joined to the inner upper surface and the upper connecting plate,
the connecting portion is formed is into a substantially U-shaped section by the upper connecting plate, the lower connecting plate and the support wall portion,
the lower flange is joined to the inner lower surface and the lower connecting plate, and the rear flange faces or is joined to the inner central wall and,
the connecting portion, the inner panel, and the branch gusset form a box structure having an almost trapezoidal shape in a plan view.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the branch gusset includes a bead formed in a longitudinal direction of the branch gusset.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion comprises a support wall portion configured to connect a front end of the upper connecting plate and a front end of the lower connecting plate,
a bumper beam extension is supported by the support wall portion, and
a bumper beam is provided at a front end of the bumper beam extension.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a front pillar provided outside the front side frame in the vehicle width direction; and
an upper member extending from the front pillar to tilt to a lower front side in the vehicle body and inward in the vehicle width direction and connected to a front end of the branch gusset,
wherein the upper member and the branch gusset are tilted to be substantially bilaterally symmetrical.

5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 4 , wherein the connecting portion comprises:
an upper joint flange projecting upward from an outer end of the upper connecting plate; and
a lower joint flange projecting downward from an outer end of the lower connecting plate, and
the upper joint flange and the lower joint flange are joined to a front end of the upper member.

6. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the third bending portion is formed to have a width in the vehicle width direction larger than widths of the first bending portion and the second bending portion, and
is formed to be curved outward in the vehicle width direction from a rear side to a front side of the vehicle body.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• H One Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sekiguchi Tomohide
• Kato Hisaharu

Classifications

• B60R19/18

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

• B60R2019/1806

  Structural beams therefor, e.g. shock-absorbing · CPC title

• B62D25/08

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

• B62D21/152 Primary

  Front or rear frames · CPC title