IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,466,486
Granted Patent B2
US 12,466,486 · App. 18/173,131 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Front vehicle-body structure of vehicle

Inventors: Kenta Tachibana (Hiroshima, JP); Takashi Narahara (Hiroshima, JP); Yasushi Ishikawa (Hiroshima, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B62D21/152B62D21/11B62D25/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,466,486
App. No.
18/173,131
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A front side frame has a first deformation promotion portion to bend and deform a front side frame inwardly in a case where a collision load is applied to a vehicle from a vehicle front side, a front vehicle-body structure further comprises a load transmission portion positioned in front of a suspension housing between the front side frame and an apron reinforcement so as to transmit the collision load to the suspension housing, the load transmission portion being provided to connect the front side frame and the apron reinforcement so as to transmit a tensional load applied in a vehicle width direction between the front side frame and the apron reinforcement, and the load transmission portion has a second deformation promotion portion positioned in the vicinity of the first deformation promotion portion and promoting the bending/deforming of the front side frame.

Claims (23)

1 . A front vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a front side frame extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction in front of a dash panel;

an apron reinforcement positioned above and on an outward side, in a vehicle width direction, of the front side frame and extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction; and

a suspension housing positioned between the front side frame and the apron reinforcement and fixed to both of the front side frame and the apron reinforcement,

wherein said front side frame has a first deformation promotion portion to bend and deform the front side frame inwardly, in the vehicle width direction, in a case where a collision load is applied to the vehicle from a vehicle front side,

said front vehicle-body structure further comprises a load transmission portion positioned in front of said suspension housing between said front side frame and said apron reinforcement so as to transmit the collision load to the suspension housing, the load transmission portion being provided to connect the front side frame and the apron reinforcement so as to transmit a tensional load applied in the vehicle width direction between the front side frame and the apron reinforcement,

said load transmission portion has a second deformation promotion portion which is positioned in the vicinity of said first deformation promotion portion and promote said bending/deforming of the front side frame, and

said apron reinforcement has a third deformation promotion portion to bend and deform said apron reinforcement inwardly, in the vehicle width direction, in front of said suspension housing, and said load transmission portion has a fourth deformation promotion which is positioned in the vicinity of said third deformation promotion portion and promotes the bending/deforming of said apron reinforcement.

2 . The front vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said second deformation promotion portion includes a first fixation portion which is fixed to said front side frame in front of said first deformation promotion portion, a second fixation portion which is fixed to the front side frame in back of the first deformation promotion portion, and a non-fixation portion which is positioned between said first fixation portion and said second fixation portion and not fixed to the front side frame.

3 . The front vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said load transmission portion has a first joint portion which is joined to a flange of said front side frame, and said non-fixation portion is a first notch which is formed at said first joint portion.

4 . The front vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said load transmission portion has an upper-side plate and a lower-side plate which is positioned below said upper-side plate.

5 . The front vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein said upper-side plate and said lower-side plate are joined together, and said load transmission portion has a closed-cross section structure in which a closed-cross section extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction is formed between said upper-side plate and said lower-side plate.

6 . A front vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a front side frame extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction in front of a dash panel;

an apron reinforcement positioned above and on an outward side, in a vehicle width direction, of the front side frame and extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction; and

a suspension housing positioned between the front side frame and the apron reinforcement and fixed to both of the front side frame and the apron reinforcement,

wherein said front side frame has a first deformation promotion portion to bend and deform the front side frame inwardly, in the vehicle width direction, in a case where a collision load is applied to the vehicle from a vehicle front side,

said front vehicle-body structure further comprises a load transmission portion positioned in front of said suspension housing between said front side frame and said apron reinforcement so as to transmit the collision load to the suspension housing, the load transmission portion being provided to connect the front side frame and the apron reinforcement so as to transmit a tensional load applied in the vehicle width direction between the front side frame and the apron reinforcement,

said load transmission portion has a second deformation promotion portion which is positioned in the vicinity of said first deformation promotion portion and promote said bending/deforming of the front side frame,

said second deformation promotion portion includes a first fixation portion which is fixed to said front side frame in front of said first deformation promotion portion, a second fixation portion which is fixed to the front side frame in back of the first deformation promotion portion, and a non-fixation portion which is positioned between said first fixation portion and said second fixation portion and not fixed to the front side frame,

said load transmission portion has a first joint portion which is joined to a flange of said front side frame, and said non-fixation portion is a first notch which is formed at said first joint portion, and

said apron reinforcement has a third deformation promotion portion to bend and deform said apron reinforcement inwardly, in the vehicle width direction, in a case where the collision load is applied to the vehicle from the vehicle front side, said load transmission portion has a joint portion which is fixed to the apron reinforcement and a second notch which is located at a position of said joint portion which corresponds to said third deformation promotion portion and is not fixed to the apron reinforcement, and said first notch and said second notch are located at respective positions where the first and second notches overlap each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

7 . The front vehicle-body structure of the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein said load transmission portion has a plate-shaped body which interconnects said suspension housing, said front side frame, and said apron reinforcement.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2023
From: TACHIBANA, KENTA; NARAHARA, TAKASHI; ISHIKAWA, YASUSHI
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062777/0883 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-134291 · Aug 25, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240067269A1 · Feb 29, 2024
References Cited (3)
US 20110095568A1 · Terada · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 20190016389A1 · Kamei et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
JP 2019018666A · 2019 [cited by applicant]