Motor vehicle body having structure-reinforcing front frame attachment

• US 8,757,708 B2
• Filed: 08/22/2011
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Mildner, Udo
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLANKENSHIP, GREGORY A
• Application Number:
  US13/214,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20120043785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 296/187.09, 296/193.09, 296/193.02, 296/203.02, 296/29, 296/30, 296/198
• US Class Current: 296/203.02
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/082 Engine compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2045 the subunits being fire walls

Abstract

A motor vehicle body is provided having a front wall structure and having at least one lateral longitudinal girder, at least regionally situated in front of the front wall structure in the travel direction of the vehicle, and having a reinforcement element, which is connected to the front wall structure and to the longitudinal girder, the longitudinal girder and the reinforcement element, in a connection section lying in front of the front wall structure in the travel direction, being at least partially overlapping viewed in the vehicle transverse direction and being directly connected to one another.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle body of a vehicle, comprising:

a front wall structure;

a lateral longitudinal girder that is situated at least regionally in front of the front wall structure in a travel direction of the vehicle and that has a first cross-sectional profile;

a reinforcement element that is connected to the front wall structure and to the lateral longitudinal girder and that has a second cross-sectional profile, and

a closing plate secured to the lateral longitudinal girder and the reinforcement element and that jointly closes the first cross-sectional profile and the second cross-sectional profile,

wherein the lateral longitudinal girder and the reinforcement element are at least partially overlapping and directly connected to one another, viewed in a transverse direction of the vehicle, in a connection section in front of the front wall structure in the travel direction.

2. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement element is reinforcement plate having an essentially C-shaped cross-section, and wherein the reinforcement element is configured to curve outward in the transverse direction corresponding to a contour of a wheel housing section of the front wall structure.

3. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement element and the lateral longitudinal girder have cross-sectional profiles that are closed to a first, second, and third side and open to a fourth side and corresponding to one another in the first, second, and third sides at least in an area of the connection section.

4. The motor vehicle body according to claim 3, wherein the reinforcement element and the lateral longitudinal girder are configured to support one another in the area of an essentially vertically extending profile section.

5. The motor vehicle body according to claim 3, wherein the reinforcement element and the lateral longitudinal girder are configured to support one another in the area of an essentially horizontally extending profile section.

6. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein a cross-sectional profile of the lateral longitudinal girder is situated interleaved with the reinforcement element in the connection section and the lateral longitudinal girder and the reinforcement element are jointly closed by a closing plate.

7. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member and the lateral longitudinal girder are substantially “

C”

shaped with first substantially horizontally oriented profile legs, second substantially horizontally oriented profile legs, and substantially vertically running profile bases in a cross-sectional profile, wherein the first substantially horizontally oriented profile legs are secured to each other, the substantially vertically running profile bases are secured to each other, and the second substantially horizontally oriented profile legs are separated from each other, and wherein the cross-sectional profile is closed by a closing plate disposed opposite the substantially vertically running profile bases.

8. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein a material doubling formed by the lateral longitudinal girder and the reinforcement element has an orientation that extends in at least one directional component in the travel direction of the vehicle.

9. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement element extends outward viewed in the transverse direction starting from an attachment to the lateral longitudinal girder opposite to the travel direction.

10. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the front wall structure comprises a front wall crossbeam connected to the reinforcement element and a front wall plate.

11. The motor vehicle body according to claim 10, wherein an end section of the front wall crossbeam lying in the transverse direction of the vehicle is directly connected to the reinforcement element.

12. The motor vehicle body according to claim 10, wherein an end section of the reinforcement element facing away from the front wall structure directly adjoins a lateral front wall section.

13. The motor vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement element, the lateral longitudinal girder, a front wall plate, and a front wall crossbeam have a fastening flange on at least one edge section.

14. The motor vehicle body according to claim 13, wherein the reinforcement element, the lateral longitudinal girder, the front wall plate, and the front wall crossbeam are connected to one another in an area of the fastening flange.