Front-end structure of a vehicle

• US 6,708,790 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Itou, Yasuhiko, Sasano, Norihisa, Maeda, Noriaki, Hatano, Tomoyuki, Kafuku, Kazuaki, Nagasaka, Takeshi, Takagi, Hiromi, Okai, Harumi, Hibi, Yasushi, Ozawa, Ikuo, Sugiyama, Toshiki
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Brian L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): AVERY, BRIDGET D
• Application Number:
  US10/132,495
• Publication Number:
  US 20020162695A1
• Time in Patent Office: 698 Days
• Field of Search: 180/68.4, 180/68.6, 180/291, 180/292, 180/299, 180/68.5, 280/781, 280/785, 296/194, 296/203.02, 296/37.1, 296/30, 165/42, 165/43, 165/44
• US Class Current: 180/68.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/04 Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds B60K11/085 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/084 Radiator supports
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2005/025 using two or more air pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 29/582 specially adapted for elastic fluid pumps

Abstract

A front-end structure comprising a panel body (400) to which a center member (500), being fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle and supporting, at least, a driving engine (E/G), is joined, wherein the panel body (400) is molded out of aluminum by die-casting and a joining section (421) of the panel body (400) to which the center member (500) is joined has a mechanical strength higher than that of any other sections of the panel body (400) near the joining section (421) except the joining section (421).

Claims

1. A front-end structure of a vehicle:

having a panel body that is fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle and to which at least a radiator is attached;

wherein;

the front-end structure comprises a fan which is attached to said panel body and supplies cooling air to said radiator, and a driving means that is disposed in a position, in said panel body, deviated from the rotation center of said fan and rotates said fan via a belt;

said panel body is made of metal; and

said panel body is provided with a cooling air inlet for conducting cooling air to said driving means, said driving means is an electric motor.

2. The front-end structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said panel body has integrally-molded shrouds for preventing, by covering the clearance between said fan and said radiator, that air flow induced by said fan detours around said radiator.

3. The front-end structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said panel body has at least an integrally-molded belt cover for covering said belt.

4. The front-end structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fans are attached to said panel body and are rotated by said driving means via said belt.

5. The front-end structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said fan is disposed in a more downstream side of the cooling air flow than said radiator.

6. The front-end structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said panel body is molded out of aluminum by die-casting.

7. A front-end structure of claim 1, wherein said fan is adapted to suck air into an engine room, from the front of the vehicle, said cooling air inlet being formed at a front surface of the panel body, an exhaust outlet being formed on a more upstream side of the cooling air flow than the fan to discharge the cooling air which has been used to cool the motor.

8. A front-end structure of claim 1, comprising the panel body to which a center member, being fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle and supporting, at least a driving engine is joined, wherein:

said panel body is molded out of aluminum by die-casting; and

a joining section, of said panel body, to which said center member is joined, has a mechanical strength higher than that of any other section of said panel body near said joining section except said joining section.

9. A front-end structure of claim 1, comprising the panel body to which a center member, being fixed to a body of a vehicle at a front end of the vehicle and supporting, at least, a driving engine, is joined, wherein:

said panel body comprises;

an upper beam that is disposed at a top of the panel body and extends in a horizontal direction;

a lower beam that is disposed at a bottom of the panel body, extends in a horizontal direction, and is provided with a joining section to which said center member is joined; and

pillars that extend upwards and downwards to join said upper and lower beams; and

said upper and lower beams and said pillars are integrally molded out of aluminum by die-casting; and

said joining section has a mechanical strength higher than that of any other section of said lower beam except said joining section.

10. A front-end structure of claim 7, wherein:

said panel body comprises;

an upper beam that is disposed at a top of the panel body and extends in a horizontal direction;

a lower beam that is disposed at a bottom of the panel body, extends in a horizontal direction, and is provided with a joining section to which said center member is joined;

pillars that extend upwards and downwards to join said upper and lower beams; and

a shroud that prevents the cooling air from detouring the radiator; and

said cooling air inlet is formed in the upper beam, and said exhaust outlet is formed in the shrouds.

11. The front-end structure of claim 8, wherein the mechanical strength of said joining section is enhanced by increasing the thickness of said joining section.

12. The front-end structure of claim 8, wherein the mechanical strength of said joining section is enhanced by providing reinforcing ribs.

13. The front-end structure of a vehicle of claim 8, wherein said panel body has integrally-molded shrouds for preventing, by covering the clearance between a radiator of said vehicle and at least a fan for supplying cooling air to said radiator, that air flow induced by said at least a fan detours around said radiator.