Front body structure of an automotive vehicle

• US 5,184,868 A
• Filed: 11/26/1991
• Issued: 02/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pike, Andrew C.
• Application Number:
  US07/798,154
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 296/188, 296/189, 296/194, 296/204, 280/784
• US Class Current: 296/187.09
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/152 Front or rear frames
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/082 Engine compartments

Abstract

A front body structure of an automotive vehicle includes a pair of support members disposed on opposite sides of a section between a front body and a passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle, the support members having high rigidity, and a pair of front side frames disposed in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle. Each of the front side frames includes a front portion, a rear portion connected to one of the support members and an, intensive deformable portion which allows intensive compressive deformation of a portion of the front side frame before the rear portion of the front side frame when the vehicle encounters a head-on collision.

Claims

1. A front body structure of an automotive vehicle comprising:

a pair of support members disposed on opposite sides of a section between a front body and a passenger compartment of the automotive vehicle, the support members having high rigidity; and

a pair of front side frames disposed in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle, each of the front side frames comprising;

a front portion having a first wall and a second wall opposed to each other;

a rear portion connected to one of the support members; and

an intensive deformable means for allowing intensive compressive deformation of an intermediate portion before the rear portion of the front side frame when the vehicle encounters a head-on collision, comprising;

a first intensive deformable portion formed on the first wall, and

a second intensive deformable portion formed on the second wall, wherein

each first intensive deformable portion and each second intensive deformable portion are offset from each other in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle;

and wherein;

the front portion of each front side frame is provided with a front reinforcement member therein;

the rear portion of each front side frame is provided with a rear reinforcement member therein;

each first intensive deformable portion is formed by arranging the corresponding front reinforcement member and the corresponding rear reinforcement member so as to provide a space between a front end of said corresponding rear reinforcement member and a rear end of said corresponding front reinforcement member for locally reducing rigidity of the corresponding first wall; and

each second intensive deformable portion is formed by cutting away a portion of the corresponding front reinforcement member so as to provide a space for locally reducing rigidity of the corresponding second wall.

2. A front body structure of the automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein each second intensive deformable portion is formed by cutting away a portion of the rear end portion of the corresponding front reinforcement member facing the corresponding second wall.

3. A front body structure of the automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein each support member comprises

a box-shaped support member

and a wheel apron reinforcement member,

and the corresponding rear reinforcement member is disposed in a position adjacent to the box-shaped support member and the wheel apron reinforcement member.

4. A front body structure of the automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein the front portion of each front side frame has a closed hollow rectangular cross section, and the corresponding front reinforcement member is disposed in the front portion of the corresponding front side frame.

5. A front body structure of the automotive vehicle as defined in claim 1, wherein:

each front reinforcement member has a connection flange extending from one side of the rear end of the corresponding front reinforcement member;

each rear reinforcement member has a wall on the same side of the front end of the corresponding rear reinforcement member as the connection flange of the corresponding front reinforcement member; and

the connection flange of the corresponding front reinforcement member is connected to the wall of the corresponding rear reinforcement member.