IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,594,823
Granted Patent B2
US 12,594,823 · App. 18/109,363 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Vehicle-body front structure with side frame support

Inventors: Kota Yoshida (Hiroshima, JP); Taiki Yotsuyanagi (Hiroshima, JP); Takehiro Kamei (Hiroshima, JP); Satoshi Nakamura (Hiroshima, JP); Takayuki Kimura (Hiroshima, JP)
Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
B60K1/04B60L3/0007B60L50/66B62D21/02B62D21/11B62D21/15B62D21/152B62D21/157B62D25/08B62D25/20H01M50/242H01M50/249B60K2001/0438B60L53/12H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,594,823
App. No.
18/109,363
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A vehicle-body front structure for an electric vehicle includes a front-side battery frame which extends in a vehicle width direction, a pair of left and right side frames which extend from the front-side battery frame to a vehicle front to be positioned on vehicle-width-direction outer sides, a left-side support mounted on the front-side battery frame and supports the left side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side, and a right-side support mounted on the front-side battery frame and supports the right side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side.

Claims (27)

1 . A vehicle-body front structure adapted for an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery casing which houses a battery supplying electric power to the traveling motor, the battery casing disposed below a floor panel, the vehicle-body front structure comprising:

a front-side battery frame disposed forward of the battery casing and extending in a vehicle width direction;

a pair of side frames including a left side frame and a right side frame, which extend from the front-side battery frame toward a vehicle front and are positioned on vehicle-width-direction outer sides; and

a frame bracket mounted on the front-side battery frame and extending in a left-right direction along a front surface of the front-side battery frame, wherein the frame bracket includes a left side insertion hole to receive a rear portion of the left side frame, and a right side insertion hole to receive a rear portion of the right side frame,

a left-side support protruding forward from the frame bracket and extending along a left side surface of the left side frame to support the left side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side, and

a right-side support protruding forward from the frame bracket and extending along a right side surface of the right side frame to support the right side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side.

2 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , comprising a first cross member extending between the left side frame and the right side frame, the first cross member being spaced apart from the front-side battery frame to the vehicle front.

3 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2 , comprising a second cross member between the first cross member and the front-side battery frame and between the left side frame and the right side frame.

4 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3 , wherein in a plan view, a quadrilateral shape is formed with the second cross member, the front-side battery frame, and the left and right side frames.

5 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the frame bracket is an integrally formed component of metal.

6 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 5 , wherein on the vehicle-width-direction outer side of the frame bracket, a suspension arm constituting part of a front suspension apparatus swingably supported.

7 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein on the vehicle-width-direction outer side of the frame bracket, a suspension arm constituting part of a front suspension apparatus swingably supported.

8 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3 , wherein the second cross member is shorter in the vehicle-width-direction than the first cross member.

9 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2 , wherein in a plan view, a quadrilateral shape is formed with the first cross member, the front-side battery frame, and the left and right side frames.

10 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2 , wherein

the first cross member extends further to a left side in the vehicle width direction than a front of the left-side support, and

the first cross member extends further to a right side in the vehicle width direction than a front of the right-side support.

11 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the frame bracket further includes a lower plate which extends rearward away from the vehicle front along a lower surface of the front-side battery frame.

12 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the frame bracket further includes a left upper plate that extends forward toward the vehicle front to cover part of an upper surface of the left side frame and a right upper plate that extends forward toward the vehicle front to cover part of an upper surface of the right side frame.

13 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a left reinforcement member extending rearward from the second cross member to the front-side battery frame; and

a right reinforcement member extending rearward from the second cross member to the front-side battery frame,

wherein the left reinforcement member is fixed to a right side surface of the left side frame, and the right reinforcement member is fixed to a left side surface of the right side frame.

14 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a pair of left and right impact absorption members configured to perform compressive deformation, wherein the left impact absorption member is fixed to a front portion of the left side frame and extends forward, and the right impact absorption member is fixed to a front portion of the right side frame and extends forward; and

a front member suspended between the left and right impact absorption members.

15 . The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the battery casing includes a front central member extending in a vehicle front-rear direction inside the battery casing, and wherein the front-side battery frame connects the front central member with the pair of left and right side frames.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 14, 2023
From: YOSHIDA, KOTA; YOTSUYANAGI, TAIKI; KAMEI, TAKEHIRO; NAKAMURA, SATOSHI; KIMURA, TAKAYUKI
To: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 062689/0903 →
Priority Claims (5)
JP 2022-026685 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
JP 2022-026690 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
JP 2022-026703 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
JP 2022-026708 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
JP 2022-026710 · Feb 24, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63445026 · Feb 13, 2023
Related Publication 20230264557A1 · Aug 24, 2023
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