Patent ID: 8267446

Claim:
A motor vehicle front-end panel assembly ( 1 ) of a type fixed to side struts and cradle extensions of a motor vehicle chassis, said assembly comprising: a plastics material structural frame ( 2 ) having a lower cross member ( 8 ), an upper cross member ( 6 ), and two vertical struts ( 10 , 12 ), each of said struts ( 10 , 12 ) comprising a plurality of deformable energy absorption components ( 14 ), said lower cross member ( 8 ) connecting lowermost ones of said deformable energy absorption components ( 14 ) of each of said two vertical struts ( 10 , 12 ) and said upper cross member ( 6 ) connecting uppermost ones of said deformable energy absorption components ( 14 ) of each of said two vertical struts ( 10 , 12 ); and a plastics material shield ( 4 ) formed to match a shape of a shield skin ( 56 ) and arranged against the structural frame ( 2 ), said shield ( 4 ) comprising an upper cross member ( 34 ) and a lower cross member ( 36 ) interconnected via vertical connecting beams ( 38 ), each of said vertical connecting beams ( 38 ) being in front of respective said deformable energy absorption components ( 14 ) of said two vertical struts ( 10 , 12 ), wherein the upper ( 34 ) and lower ( 36 ) cross members and the connecting beams ( 38 ) comprise a plurality of ribs ( 48 ) that form cells ( 50 ) in said cross members ( 34 , 36 ) and said beams ( 38 ), at least some of said cells ( 50 ) passing through the shield ( 4 ), and wherein the upper cross member ( 34 ) comprises at least one recess ( 52 ) opening onto a front face ( 39 ) of the shield ( 4 ), a foam component ( 54 ) being received in said recess ( 52 ).