VEHICLE FRONT END STRUCTURE

• US 20080231084A1
• Filed: 03/12/2008
• Published: 09/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: MISHIMA, Naoki
• Granted Patent: US 7,963,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/203.02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/084 Radiator supports

Abstract

A vehicle front end structure is provided with a vehicle body frame forming a frontward portion of a vehicle, a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a frontward vehicle component, a rearward extending part and a bracket. The frontward vehicle component is disposed to protrude farther forward than the vehicle body frame. The rearward extending part is connected to the frontward vehicle component and extends to a rearward position of the vehicle body frame. The bracket fixes the rearward extending part to the vehicle body frame at a connection area such that the rearward extending part is located farther rearward than the connection area of the vehicle body frame, with the bracket being constructed such that the rearward extending part releases from the vehicle body frame when a force acts to move the frontward vehicle component and the rearward extending part rearward.

Claims

1. A vehicle front end structure comprising:

a vehicle body frame forming a frontward portion of a vehicle;

an acceleration sensor mounted to the vehicle body frame to detect a longitudinal acceleration rate of the vehicle;

a frontward vehicle component disposed to protrude farther forward than the vehicle body frame with respect to the vehicle;

a rearward extending part connected to the frontward vehicle component and extending from the frontward vehicle component to a rearward position of the vehicle body frame with respect to the vehicle; and

a bracket fixing the rearward extending part to the vehicle body frame at a connection area such that the rearward extending part is located farther rearward than the connection area of the vehicle body frame, with the bracket being constructed such that the rearward extending part releases from the vehicle body frame when a force acts to move the frontward vehicle component and the rearward extending part rearward.

2. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the vehicle body frame includes a rubber mounting member, and

the bracket includes a vehicle body mounting section having an open ended slot with an enlarged area and a frontward opening that is narrower than the enlarged area, the rubber mounting member being retained in the enlarged area of the open ended slot with the rubber mounting member having a width that is larger than an opening width of the frontward opening such that when the force acts to move the frontward vehicle component and the rearward extending part rearward, the open ended slot of the vehicle body mounting section detaches from the rubber mounting member and the rearward extending part moves rearward relative to the vehicle body frame.

3. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the rubber mounting member and the opening width of the frontward opening are set with respect to each other such that as a hardness of the rubber mounting member becomes harder, a minimum value of a settable range of the opening width of the frontward opening becomes larger.

4. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the rubber mounting member and the opening width of the frontward opening are set with respect to each other such that as a hardness of the rubber mounting member becomes softer, a maximum value of a settable range of the opening width of the frontward opening becomes smaller.

5. The vehicle front end structure recited in claim 1, wherein

the bracket includes an additional vehicle body mounting section releasable retained to the vehicle body frame by an additional rubber mounting member, with a portion of the bracket that supports the rearward extending part being arranged closer to the vehicle body mounting section that is closer to the acceleration sensor.

6. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the bracket includes an additional vehicle body mounting section releasable retained to the vehicle body frame by an additional rubber mounting member, with the vehicle body mounting sections being fixed so as to straddle a curved portion of the vehicle body frame.

7. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 1, wherein

the frontward vehicle component includes an intercooler and the rearward extending part includes a pipe connected to the intercooler.

8. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 2, wherein

the vehicle body frame further includes a mounting bolt with a sleeve disposed on a shaft portion of the mounting bolt, and the rubber mounting member is disposed on the sleeve, with the sleeve having a width that is smaller than the opening width of the frontward opening.

9. A vehicle front end structure comprising:

a vehicle body frame forming a frontward portion of a vehicle, the vehicle body frame including a rubber mounting member;

a frontward vehicle component disposed to protrude farther forward than the vehicle body frame with respect to the vehicle;

a pipe connected to the frontward vehicle component and extending from the frontward vehicle component; and

a bracket supporting the pipe on the vehicle body frame, the bracket including a vehicle body mounting section having an open ended slot with an enlarged area and a frontward opening that is narrower than the enlarged area, the rubber mounting member being releasably retained in the enlarged area open ended slot with the rubber mounting member having a width that is larger than an opening width of the frontward opening such that when a force acts to move the frontward vehicle component and the pipe rearward, the open ended slot of the vehicle body mounting section detaches from the rubber mounting member and the pipe moves rearward relative to the vehicle body frame.

10. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 9, wherein

the vehicle body frame further includes a mounting bolt with a sleeve disposed on a shaft portion of the mounting bolt, and the rubber mounting member is disposed on the sleeve, with the sleeve having a width that is smaller than the opening width of the frontward opening.

11. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 9, wherein

the rubber mounting member and the opening width of the frontward opening are set with respect to each other such that as a hardness of the rubber mounting member becomes harder, a minimum value of a settable range of the opening width of the frontward opening becomes larger.

12. The vehicle front end structure as recited in claim 9, wherein

the rubber mounting member and the opening width of the frontward opening are set with respect to each other such that as a hardness of the rubber mounting member becomes softer, a maximum value of a settable range of the opening width of the frontward opening becomes smaller.