Patent ID: 7441829

Claim:
A supporting structure for use at a front end of a safety passenger cell comprising a front section with a crumple zone and two wheel housings arranged laterally in a region of the crumple zone and in which a respective wheel, including a tire and a wheel rim, is arranged, a wheel support ramp running obliquely downwardly, as seen from a travel direction, and being configured to contact the respective wheel at a level so that the respective wheel, which has been moved toward the wheel support ramp by a crash-induced deformation of the crumple zone, is guided downwardly in a direction of the safety passenger cell, and a separate wheel impact element provided for each wheel and coordinated with a force which acts on the wheel support ramp so as to be deformable relative to the wheel support ramp by the respective wheel that has been moved because of the crash-induced deformation of the crumple zone, for additional energy absorption after deformation of the crumple zone has substantially occurred.