Front end structure of vehicle body

A front end structure of a vehicle body may include: a pair of left and right front side members each extending in a vehicle front-rear direction; a pair of left and right apron upper members each extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and being located outward of the pair of left and right front side members in the vehicle left-right direction; a pair of left and right connection members, the left connection member extending between an intermediate portion of the left front side member and the left apron upper member and the right connection member extending between an intermediate portion of the right front side member and the right apron upper member; and a component mount frame comprising a first mount crossmember extending between the pair of left and right connection members in the vehicle left-right direction.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese patent application No. 2020-003616, filed on Jan. 14, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technique disclosed herein relates to a vehicle body, especially relates to a front end structure of a vehicle body.

BACKGROUND

A front end structure of a vehicle body is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-20628. This front end structure includes a pair of left and right front side members each extending in a vehicle front-rear direction and a pair of left and right apron upper members each extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, with the left apron upper member located outward of the left front side member and the right apron upper member located outward of the right front side member. A component mount frame on which components such as a power conversion unit are mounted is fixed to the pair of left and right front side members.

SUMMARY

An excellent safety performance against collision is needed for a front end structure of a vehicle body, and it is required to meet standards (safety standards) which should be met in a variety of collision tests. Among the tests, a Small Overlap (SOL) crash test is regarded as one of harshest collision tests with the vehicle body impacted with very severe damages. In the Small Overlap crash test, in particular, a collision load tends to be concentrated only on one of front upper members, as a result of which this front upper member is bent inward. In this case, collision energy cannot be sufficiently absorbed.

Given the above conditions, the present disclosure provides a novel and useful front end structure of a vehicle body. This front end structure may comprise: a pair of left and right front side members each extending in a vehicle front-rear direction; a pair of left and right apron upper members each extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, the left apron upper member being located outward of the left front side member in a vehicle left-right direction and the right apron upper member being located outward of the right front side member in the vehicle left-right direction; a pair of left and right connection members, the left connection member extending between an intermediate portion of the left front side member and the left apron upper member and the right connection member extending between an intermediate portion of the right front side member and the right apron upper member; and a component mount frame comprising a first mount crossmember extending between the pair of left and right connection members in the vehicle left-right direction.

In the above-described front end structure of the vehicle body, the left apron upper member is connected to the left front side member positioned inward thereof in the vehicle left-right direction via the left connection member on a left side of the vehicle, and the right apron upper member is connected to the right front side member positioned inward thereof in the vehicle left-right direction via the right connection member on a right side of the vehicle. Further, the pair of left and right connection members is connected to each other via the first mount crossmember. With such a configuration, the left apron upper member is supported by the left front side member and the component mount frame via the left connection member from an inner side thereof in the vehicle left-right direction, and the right apron upper member is supported by the right front side member and the component mount frame via the right connection member from an inner side thereof in the vehicle left-right direction. Due to this, even when a collision load is concentrated only on one of the apron upper members, the apron upper members can be prevented from being bent inward, and more of collision energy can be absorbed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In an embodiment of the present art, the front end structure of the vehicle body may further comprise a pair of left and right suspension towers, the left suspension tower being disposed between the left front side member and the left apron upper member and the right suspension tower being disposed between the right front side member and the right apron upper member. In this case, the left connection member may be disposed along the left suspension tower, and the right connection member may be disposed along the right suspension tower. According to this configuration, strengths of the connection members can be significantly enhanced by the suspension towers having a non-flat shape. A part of or an entirety of each of the connection members may be integrally constituted with corresponding one of the suspension towers, or may constitute a part of corresponding one of the suspension towers.

In one embodiment of the present art, the front end structure of the vehicle body may further comprise a dash crossmember extending in the vehicle left-right direction and a pair of left and right front pillars (also referred to as A pillars) each extending in a vehicle up-down direction. In this case, rear ends of the left and right front side members may be connected to the dash crossmember. A rear end of the left apron upper member may be connected to the left front pillar, and a rear end of the right apron upper member may be connected to the right front pillar. Further, a lower end of the left front pillar may be connected to one end of the dash crossmember, and a lower end of the right front pillar may be connected to another end of the dash crossmember.

According to the aforementioned configuration, a ring structure including the left apron upper member, the left connection member, the left front side member, the dash crossmember, and the left front pillar is defined on a left side in a plan view, and a ring structure including the right apron upper member, the right connection member, the right front side member, the dash crossmember, and the right front pillar is defined on a right side in a plan view. As a result, rigidities and strengths of these members in the vehicle left-right direction can be significantly enhanced, by which the apron upper members can be effectively suppressed from being bent inward. The respective lower ends of the front pillars may at least partially be connected to the dash crossmember via a rocker (also referred to as a side sill).

In an embodiment of the present art, the component mount frame may further comprise a second mount crossmember located rearward of the first mount crossmember and extending in the vehicle left-right direction. In this case, one end of the second mount crossmember may be connected to the left front side member, and another end of the second mount crossmember may be connected to the right front side member. According to this configuration, the component mount frame can be stabilized, and the apron upper members can also be supported more stably by the component mount frame.

In the aforementioned embodiment, the component mount frame may further comprise a pair of left and right mount side members each extending between the first mount crossmember and the second mount crossmember in the vehicle front-rear direction. According to this configuration, a strength of the component mount frame can be enhanced, and the apron upper members can also be supported more stably by the component mount frame.

A body10of an embodiment will be described with reference to drawings. The body10of the embodiment has a monocoque structure, and is assumed to be employed mainly to an electric vehicle. It should be noted that a structure to be described in the present embodiment is not limited to employment in a body of an electric vehicle, and may be employed to bodies of various vehicles. The electric vehicle described herein broadly refers to vehicles of which wheels are driven by an electric motor, and includes, for example, a rechargeable electric vehicle including a battery charged by an external power source, a fuel cell vehicle whose power source is a fuel cell, and a hybrid vehicle including an engine as well as an electric motor.

In the drawings, a direction FR shows a frontward direction in a vehicle front-rear direction, and a direction RR shows a rearward direction in the vehicle front-rear direction. A direction LH shows a leftward direction in a vehicle right-left direction, and a direction RH shows a rightward direction in the vehicle right-left direction. A direction UP shows an upward direction in a vehicle up-down direction, and a direction DW shows a downward direction in the vehicle up-down direction. In the present disclosure, the vehicle front-rear direction, the vehicle right-left direction, the vehicle up-down direction may simply be referred to as the front-rear direction, the right-left direction, and the up-down direction, respectively.

As shown inFIGS.1to3, a front end structure12of the body10includes a dash panel20and a dash crossmember22. The dash panel20is positioned between the front end structure12of the body10and a cabin14, and extends in the left-right direction and in the up-down direction. The dash crossmember22is a reinforcement member having one or more tubular structures, and extends in the left-right direction along the dash panel20. A part of the dash crossmember22is positioned before the dash panel20, and another part of the dash crossmember22is positioned behind the dash panel20.

The front end structure12of the body10further includes a pair of left and right front side members30L,30R. Each of the front side members30L,30R extends in the front-rear direction. A rear end30Lb of the front side member30L and a rear end30Rb of the front side member30R are connected to the dash crossmember22. A bumper reinforcement24is attached to a front end30La of the front side member30L via a crush box26L and attached to a front end30Ra of the front side member30R via a crush boxes26R. The front side members30L,30R are designed to absorb collision energy by being axially crushed upon frontal collision.

The front end structure12of the body10further comprises a front crossmember38. The front crossmember38extends in the left-right direction between the front end30La of the front side member30L and the front end30Ra of the front side member30R. Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, each of the front side members30L,30R extends outward in the left-right direction toward the front side, and a distance between the front side members30L,30R also gradually broadens toward the front side.

The front end structure12of the body10further includes a pair of left and right fender apron panels28L,28R. Each of the fender apron panels28L,28L defines an inner wall of a wheel house that houses a wheel (not shown). The fender apron panels28L extends upward and outward from the front side member30L in the left-right direction, and the fender apron panels28R extends upward and outward from the front side member30R in the left-right direction. A suspension tower29L is disposed on the fender apron panel28L, and a suspension tower29R is disposed on the fender apron panel28R. Each of the suspension towers29L,29R protrudes inward in the left-right direction from the corresponding fender apron panel28L,28R, and defines a space for accepting a suspension of the wheel on its outer side.

The front end structure12of the body10further comprises a pair of left and right apron upper members32L,32R. Each of the apron upper members32L,32R is a reinforcement member having one or more tubular structures, and extends in the front-rear direction along an upper edge of the corresponding fender apron panel28L,28R. The apron upper member32L is located outward and upward relative to the front side member30L in the left-right direction, and the apron upper member32R is located outward and upward relative to the front side member30R in the left-right direction. A rear end32Lb of the apron upper member32L is connected to a left front pillar36L, and a rear end32Rb of the apron upper member32R is connected to a front pillar36R. Each of the front pillars36L,36R substantially extends in the up-down direction, and a lower end36Lb of the front pillar36L and a lower end36Rb of the front pillar36R are directly or indirectly connected to the dash crossmember22(for example, via a rocker or a side sill).

The front end structure12of the body10further comprises a pair of left and right connection members34L,34R. The connection member34L extends between an intermediate portion30L of the front side member30L and the apron upper member32L, and the connection member34R extends between an intermediate portion30Rc of the front side member30R and the apron upper member32R. As described above, the apron upper member32L is positioned outward and upward relative to the front side member30L in the left-right direction, and the apron upper member32R is positioned outward and upward relative to the front side member30R in the left-right direction. As such, the connection member34L extends outward and upward from the front side member30L to the apron upper member32L in the left-right direction, and the connection member34R extends outward and upward from the front side member30R to the apron upper member32R in the left-right direction. Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the connection member34L is disposed along the fender apron panel28L, especially along the suspension tower29L, and the connection member34R is disposed along the fender apron pane28R, especially along the suspension tower29R. The connection member34L solely or with the fender apron panel28L defines a tubular structure, and the connection member34R solely or with the fender apron panel28R defines a tubular structure.

The front end12of the body10further comprises a component mount frame40. One or more components, such as a power conversion unit, are mounted on the component mount frame40. The component mount frame40comprises a first mount crossmember42, a second mount crossmember44, and a pair of left and right mount side members46L,46R. The first mount crossmember42extends between the pair of left and the right connection members34L,34R in the left-right direction, and connects the pair of left and right connection members34L,34R to each other. Although not particularly limited, an end42aof the first mount crossmember42is connected to an intermediate portion of the left connection member34L via a left mount bracket50L. Another end42bof the first mount crossmember42is connected to an intermediate portion of the right connection member34R via a right mount bracket50R.

The second mount crossmember44extends in the left-right direction behind the first mount crossmember42. An end44aof the second mount crossmember44is connected to the left front side member30L, and another end44bof the second mount crossmember44is connected to the right front side member30R. The first mount crossmember42and the second mount crossmember44are connected to each other by the pair of left and right mount side members46L,46R. Each of the mount side members46L,46R extends from the first mount crossmember42to the second mount crossmember44in the front-rear direction. A specific configuration of the component mount frame40is not particularly limited. However, the component mount frame40may comprise at least the first mount crossmember42extending between the pair of the connection members34L,34R in the left-right direction.

As described above, in the front end structure12of the body10of the present embodiment, the apron upper member32L is connected to the front side member30L positioned inward thereof in the left-right direction via the connection member34L on the left side of the vehicle, and the apron upper member32R is connected to the front side member30R positioned inward thereof in the left-right direction via the connection member34R on the right side of the vehicle. Further, the pair of connection members34L,34R is connected to each other via the first mount crossmember42of the component mount frame40. With such a configuration, the apron upper member32L is supported from the inner side thereof by the front side member30L and the component mount frame40via the connection member34L, and the apron upper member32R is supported from the inner side thereof by the front side member30R and the component mount frame40via the connection member34R. Due to this, even when a collision load is concentrated only on one of the apron upper members32L,32R such as in the Small Overlap crash test, the apron upper members32L and32R can each be prevented from being bent inward, and can absorb a greater amount of the collision energy.

In the present embodiment, the connection member34L is disposed along the suspension tower29L, and the connection member34R is disposed along the suspension tower29R. As described above, each of the suspension towers29L,29R protrudes inward from the corresponding fender apron panel28L,28R and has a non-flat shape, thus its rigidity and strength are relatively high. Accordingly, when the connection member34L is disposed along the suspension tower29L and the connection member34R is disposed along the suspension tower29R, rigidities and strengths of the connection members34L,34R can be significantly enhanced. A part of or an entirety of the connection member34L may be integrally constituted with the suspension tower29L, or may constitute a part of the suspension tower29L, and a part of or an entirety of the connection member34R may be integrally constituted with the suspension tower29R, or may constitute a part of the suspension tower29R.

Further, in the present embodiment, the rear end30Lb of the front side member30L and the rear end30Rb of the front side member30R are connected to the dash crossmember22. Further, the rear end32Lb of the apron upper member32L is connected to the left front pillar36L, and the rear end32Rb of the apron upper member32R is connected to the front pillar36R. And, the lower end36Lb of the left front pillar36L is connected to one end of the dash crossmember22, and the lower end36Rb of the right front pillar36R is connected to another end of the dash crossmember22. According to the aforementioned configuration, a ring structure including the apron upper member32L, the left connection member34L, the left front side member30L, the dash crossmember22, and the left front pillar36L is defined on the left side of the vehicle in a plan view, and a ring structure including the apron upper member32R, the right connection member34R, the right front side member30R, the dash crossmember22, and the right front pillar36R is defined on the right side of the vehicle in the plan view (seeFIG.1). As a result, rigidities and strengths of these members in the left-right direction are significantly enhanced, by which the apron upper members32L,32R are effectively suppressed from being bent inward.