Vehicle body front structure
By firmly connecting the front longitudinal beam and the front panel cross beam in the front body structure, and using reinforcement ribs and reinforcement pipes, the problems of increased impact energy and high manufacturing complexity and cost in the event of collision of electric vehicles are solved, and the effect of improving collision resistance and ensuring the safety of the passenger compartment is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202411284591.X
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2023-12-06
- Filing Date
- 2024-09-13
- Publication Date
- 2025-06-06
AI Technical Summary
The electric vehicle has a battery under the floor, which increases weight and increases impact energy during collisions, but the space to absorb impact energy is reduced, and the manufacturing process of the front panel beam is complicated and costly.
A front structure of the vehicle body is designed to increase the stiffness of the vehicle body by firmly connecting the front longitudinal beam for absorbing impact and the front panel cross beam for protecting the passenger compartment, and to improve the impact absorption performance by using the reinforcement ribs and reinforcement pipes of the front longitudinal beam and the extension frame part.
The collision resistance of the front structure of the vehicle body is improved, the safety of the passenger compartment is ensured, and the deformation of the front panel crossbar is reduced by evenly distributing the impact load, and manufacturing complexity and cost are reduced.
Smart Images
Figure CN120096690A_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0176007, filed on December 6, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field
[0003] The present application relates to a vehicle body front structure. Background Art
[0004] The vehicle may include a dash panel and a dash cross member that separate the passenger compartment from the front compartment. A powertrain including a power source may be disposed in the front compartment. For example, an internal combustion engine vehicle may have a mechanical powertrain including an internal combustion engine and a transmission in the front compartment, while an electric vehicle may have an electric powertrain including an electric motor, an inverter, and a transmission in the front compartment. The dash cross member may be mounted at a front edge of the floor, and the dash panel may be connected to a top edge of the dash cross member. The dash cross member may extend in a width direction of the vehicle.
[0005] Due to the increasing complexity of vehicles, the integration of body components / parts is still needed. Casting methods such as high vacuum die casting are conducive to the integration of body components / parts, and the demand for them is increasing. For example, a dash beam according to the related art can have a closed cross-section by a pressing method, a connecting method, etc., so as to meet its target stiffness. However, since a plurality of components are manufactured by a pressing method and connected together by fasteners, welding, etc., the manufacturing process of the dash beam may become very complicated, and its manufacturing cost may be relatively increased. Therefore, the dash beam may be designed to have an open cross-section including a plurality of ribs formed thereon, so that the dash beam can be easily manufactured by a casting method, and the stiffness of the dash beam can be ensured.
[0006] Since an electric vehicle includes a battery disposed under the floor, the weight of the electric vehicle may increase compared to that of an internal combustion engine vehicle. Accordingly, in the event of a vehicle collision / impact, the impact energy may increase, but the space for absorbing the impact energy may be relatively reduced.
[0007] To address these issues, structural members such as the dash cross member may be integrated with peripheral components to increase the rigidity of the vehicle body, and front longitudinal members may need to be utilized to improve impact absorption performance.
[0008] The above information described in this Background section is provided to help understanding the background of the present invention concepts and may include any technical concepts that are not regarded as known prior art. Summary of the invention
[0009] The present application relates to a vehicle body front structure. A specific embodiment relates to such a vehicle body front structure, which is designed to firmly connect a front longitudinal member for absorbing impact and a cowl cross member for protecting a passenger compartment, thereby improving crashworthiness and ensuring the safety of the passenger compartment.
[0010] The embodiments of the present application can solve the problems arising in the prior art while maintaining the advantages achieved by the prior art.
[0011] The embodiment of the present application provides a vehicle body front structure designed to firmly connect a front longitudinal member for absorbing impact and a cowl cross member for protecting a passenger compartment, thereby improving crashworthiness and ensuring safety of the passenger compartment.
[0012] According to an embodiment of the present application, a vehicle body front structure may include: a dash cross member including a cross-section extending in a width direction of the vehicle and a pair of outrigger sections provided at both ends of the cross-section, a pair of front longitudinal beams extending from the pair of outrigger sections toward the front of the vehicle, and a plurality of reinforcing tubes provided in a rear portion of each front longitudinal beam. Each outrigger section may include a front connecting section having a chamber for accommodating a rear portion of a corresponding front longitudinal beam, and each reinforcing tube may extend in the width direction of the front longitudinal beam.
[0013] The vehicle body front structure may further include a pair of outer panels respectively fixed to the pair of outrigger portions. Each outer panel may have a front extension portion mounted on a front connection portion of a corresponding outrigger portion.
[0014] The front connecting portion of each outrigger portion and the front extending portion of the corresponding outer panel may be fixed to the plurality of reinforcing tubes by fasteners.
[0015] The front extension portion of each outer panel may be fixed to the rear portion of the front longitudinal beam by a first bolt screwed into the first end portion of each reinforcement tube.
[0016] The front connecting portion of each outrigger portion may be fixed to the rear portion of the front longitudinal beam by a second bolt screwed into the second end portion of each reinforcement tube.
[0017] The front connecting portion may further include a support wall aligned with a rear portion of the front longitudinal beam.
[0018] The supporting wall may have an upper inclined portion extending obliquely from the top wall of the front connecting portion at a predetermined angle and a lower inclined portion extending obliquely from the bottom wall of the front connecting portion at a predetermined angle. The upper inclined portion and the lower inclined portion may have symmetrical shapes, and the bottom end of the upper inclined portion may be integrally connected to the top end of the lower inclined portion.
[0019] The rear portion of the front longitudinal beam may have an upper inclined surface and a lower inclined surface provided on an end surface thereof. The upper inclined surface may be aligned with the upper inclined portion, and the lower inclined surface may be aligned with the lower inclined portion.
[0020] Each outrigger portion may include a plurality of reinforcing ribs aligned with the front longitudinal beam, and each reinforcing rib may extend in a longitudinal direction of the front longitudinal beam.
[0021] A plurality of reinforcing tubes may be arranged in a shape corresponding to the supporting wall. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0022] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present application will become more apparent through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0023] Figure 1 A perspective view showing a vehicle body front structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application;
[0024] Figure 2 Shows Figure 1 A side view of the front structure of the vehicle body is shown;
[0025] Figure 3 Shown along Figure 2 A cross-sectional view taken along line AA; and
[0026] Figure 4 A state in which a front longitudinal member and an outrigger are partially connected in a vehicle body front structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application is shown, with an outer panel removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0027] Hereinafter, the exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals will be used throughout to represent the same or equivalent elements. In addition, the detailed description of the known techniques related to the present application will be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the subject matter of the present application.
[0028] For example, the term of the first, second, A, B, (a) and (b) can be used to describe the elements in the exemplary embodiments of the present application. These terms are only used to distinguish an element from another element, and the essential characteristics, order or sequence of the corresponding elements, etc. are not limited by these terms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms including technical terms or scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as the meaning generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the field to which the present application belongs. This term defined in a common dictionary should be interpreted as having the same meaning as the meaning in the context of the relevant field, and should not be interpreted as having an imaginary or overly formalized meaning, unless clearly defined in the present application.
[0029] Reference Figure 1 , a vehicle body front structure 1 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present application may include a dash cross member 10 extending in a width direction of a vehicle and a pair of front longitudinal members 15 extending from the dash cross member 10 toward the front of the vehicle.
[0030] The dash cross member 10 may be mounted at the front edge of the floor, and the dash panel may be mounted at the top edge of the dash cross member 10. The dash panel may separate the front cabin of the vehicle from the passenger cabin of the vehicle. A power transmission system including a power source may be disposed in the front cabin. For example, an internal combustion engine vehicle may have a mechanical power transmission system including an internal combustion engine and a transmission in the front cabin, while an electric vehicle may have an electric power transmission system including an electric motor, an inverter, and a transmission in the front cabin.
[0031] Reference Figure 1 The dash cross member 10 may include a cross portion 11 extending in the width direction of the vehicle and a pair of outrigger portions 12 provided at both ends of the cross portion 11. The dash cross member 10 may be manufactured by a casting method such as a high vacuum die casting method, so that the cross portion 11 and the outrigger portions 12 may form a single integral structure.
[0032] Reference Figure 1 A pair of outrigger portions 12 may be provided at both ends of the cross portion 11, and rear end portions of a pair of front longitudinal beams 15 may be respectively connected to the pair of outrigger portions 12. The interval between the front ends of the pair of outrigger portions 12 may be smaller than the interval between the rear ends of the pair of outrigger portions 12.
[0033] Reference Figure 4 Each outrigger portion 12 may include a side wall 31, a top wall 32 disposed at a top edge of the side wall 31, and a bottom wall 33 disposed at a bottom edge of the side wall 31. Each outrigger portion 12 may have a chamber defined by the side wall 31, the top wall 32, and the bottom wall 33, and the chamber of the outrigger portion 12 may be open to the outside of the vehicle. In addition, each outrigger portion 12 may include a top flange 42 disposed on the top wall 32 and a bottom flange 43 disposed on the bottom wall 33.
[0034] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The dash cross member 10 may further include a pair of outer panels 13 respectively fixed to the pair of outrigger portions 12. The top edge of each outer panel 13 may be fixed to the top flange 42 of the corresponding outrigger portion 12 by fasteners, welding, etc. The bottom edge of each outer panel 13 may be fixed to the bottom flange 43 of the corresponding outrigger portion 12 by fasteners, welding, etc. Each outer panel 13 may at least partially cover the cavity of the corresponding outrigger portion 12. The rigidity of the outrigger portion 12 may be improved by the outer panels 13.
[0035] Each outrigger portion 12 may include a front connecting portion 12a provided at a front portion thereof, and a rear portion 15a of each front longitudinal beam 15 may be connected to the front connecting portion 12a of the corresponding outrigger portion 12. Figure 3 , the front connecting portion 12a may include a side wall 21 connected to the side wall 31 of the outrigger portion 12. Figure 4 The front connecting portion 12 a may include a top wall 22 connected to a top wall 32 of the outrigger portion 12 and a bottom wall 23 connected to a bottom wall 33 of the outrigger portion 12 .
[0036] Reference Figure 3 , the front connecting portion 12a may have a cavity 14 for accommodating the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15. The rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be accommodated in the cavity 14 of the front connecting portion 12a, and the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be fixed to the front connecting portion 12a using fasteners, welding, etc. Each outer panel 13 may have a front extension portion 13a provided at a front portion thereof, and the front extension portion 13a of the outer panel 13 may be mounted on the front connecting portion 12a using fasteners, welding, etc. Accordingly, the front extension portion 13a may cover the cavity 14 of the front connecting portion 12a. The top edge of the front extension portion 13a may be fixed to the top flange 42a of the front connecting portion 12a using fasteners, welding, etc. The bottom edge of the front extension portion 13a may be fixed to the bottom flange 43a of the front connecting portion 12a using fasteners, welding, etc.
[0037] Each front longitudinal member 15 may have an outer side wall facing the outside of the vehicle and an inner side wall facing the inside of the vehicle. Figure 1 , a bracket 18 can be installed on the top of each front longitudinal beam 15.
[0038] Reference Figure 2 and Figure 3 , a plurality of reinforcing tubes 50 may be provided in the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15. Figure 3 , the reinforcing tube 50 may extend in the width direction of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15. The longitudinal axis of the reinforcing tube 50 may be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the front longitudinal beam 15. The reinforcing tube 50 may have an internal thread formed therein. The first end of the reinforcing tube 50 may contact or be fixed to the outer side wall of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15, and the second end of the reinforcing tube 50 may contact or be fixed to the inner side wall of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15. The rigidity of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be enhanced by a plurality of reinforcing tubes 50.
[0039] The front connecting portion 12a of each outrigger portion 12 and the front extending portion 13a of the corresponding outer panel 13 can be fixed to the reinforcing tube 50 by fasteners 51 and 52. Accordingly, the front connecting portion 12a of each outrigger portion 12 and the front extending portion 13a of the corresponding outer panel 13 can be firmly connected to the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 by the reinforcing tube 50. Therefore, the crash resistance of the front structure of the vehicle body can be improved, and the safety of the passenger compartment can be ensured. Figure 3 The front extension portion 13a of the outer panel 13 can be fixed to the outer side wall of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 by a first bolt 51 screwed into the first end of the reinforcing tube 50. The side wall 21 of the front connecting portion 12a can be fixed to the inner side wall of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 by a second bolt 52 screwed into the second end of the reinforcing tube 50.
[0040] Reference Figure 3 The rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may have a recess 15c formed in the outer side wall thereof. The nut 53 may be disposed between the recess 15c of the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 and the front extension portion 13a of the outer panel 13, and the first bolt 51 may be screwed into the nut 53 and the reinforcing tube 50.
[0041] Reference Figure 4 , the front connecting portion 12a may further include a supporting wall 24 connecting the top wall 22 and the bottom wall 23. The supporting wall 24 may have an upper inclined portion 24a extending obliquely from the top wall 22 at a predetermined angle and a lower inclined portion 24b extending obliquely from the bottom wall 23 at a predetermined angle. The upper inclined portion 24a and the lower inclined portion 24b may have a symmetrical shape, and the bottom end of the upper inclined portion 24a may be integrally connected to the top end of the lower inclined portion 24b, so that the supporting wall 24 may have a V-shape. The chamber 14 of the front connecting portion 12a may be defined by the side wall 21, the top wall 22, the bottom wall 23, and the supporting wall 24. The supporting wall 24 of the front connecting portion 12a may be aligned with the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15, so that in the event of a vehicle collision / impact, the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be supported by the supporting wall 24 of the front connecting portion 12a, and accordingly, the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be prevented from being pushed toward the rear of the vehicle.
[0042] Reference Figure 4, the rear portion 15a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may have an upper inclined surface 16a and a lower inclined surface 16b provided on the end surface thereof. The upper inclined surface 16a of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be aligned with the upper inclined portion 24a of the front connecting portion 12a, and the upper inclined surface 16a and the upper inclined portion 24a may have the same inclination angle. The lower inclined surface 16b of the front longitudinal beam 15 may be aligned with the lower inclined portion 24b of the front connecting portion 12a, and the lower inclined surface 16b and the lower inclined portion 24b may have the same inclination angle.
[0043] Reference Figure 2 , the plurality of reinforcing tubes 50 may be arranged in a triangular or V-shape corresponding to the supporting wall 24 .
[0044] Each outrigger portion 12 may have a plurality of ribs formed in a cavity thereof, and the rigidity of the outrigger portion 12 may be improved by the plurality of ribs. Figure 4 , each outrigger portion 12 may include a plurality of reinforcing ribs 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e extending in the longitudinal direction of the front longitudinal beam 15. Some of the plurality of reinforcing ribs 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e may be aligned with the front longitudinal beam 15 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In the event of a vehicle collision / impact, the impact load may be uniformly distributed through the front longitudinal beam 15 and the reinforcing ribs 34a, 34b, 34c, and 34d of the outrigger portion 12 aligned with the front longitudinal beam 15, and accordingly, the deformation of the dash cross member 10 may be reduced, thereby improving the safety of the passenger compartment.
[0045] Reference Figure 4 Each outrigger portion 12 may include a plurality of vertical ribs 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35e, and 35f connected to a plurality of reinforcing ribs 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d, and 34e, and a plurality of inclined ribs 36a, 36b, and 36c. The plurality of vertical ribs 35a, 35b, 35c, 35d, 35e, and 35f may extend in the height direction of the vehicle, and the plurality of inclined ribs 36a, 36b, and 36c may extend obliquely.
[0046] As described above, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present application, the front connection portion of each outrigger portion and the front extension portion of the corresponding outer panel can be fixed to the reinforcing tube by a fastener, so that the front connection portion of each outrigger portion and the front extension portion of the corresponding outer panel can be firmly connected to the rear portion of the front longitudinal beam by the reinforcing tube. Therefore, the crash resistance of the front structure of the vehicle body can be improved, and the safety of the passenger compartment can be ensured.
[0047] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, the support wall of the front connecting portion of each outrigger portion can be aligned with the rear portion of the corresponding front longitudinal beam, so that in the event of a vehicle collision / impact, the rear portion of the front longitudinal beam can be supported by the support wall of the front connecting portion and, accordingly, the rear portion of the front longitudinal beam can be prevented from being pushed toward the rear of the vehicle.
[0048] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present application, in the event of a vehicle collision / impact, the impact load can be evenly distributed through the front longitudinal beam and the reinforcing ribs of the outrigger portion aligned with the front longitudinal beam, and the deformation of the front panel crossbeam can be reduced accordingly, thereby improving the safety of the passenger compartment.
[0049] Although the present application has been described above with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present application is not limited thereto, but various modifications and changes may be made by those skilled in the art to which the present application belongs without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application as claimed in the accompanying claims.
Claims
1. A vehicle body front structure, comprising: a dash cross member including a span portion extending in the width direction of the vehicle and a pair of outrigger portions provided at both ends of the span portion; a pair of front longitudinal beams extending from the pair of outrigger portions toward the front of the vehicle, wherein each outrigger portion of the pair of outrigger portions includes a front connecting portion having a cavity capable of receiving a rear portion of a respective one of the pair of front longitudinal beams; as well as A plurality of reinforcing tubes are provided in a rear portion of each of the pair of front side members, each of the plurality of reinforcing tubes extending in a width direction of the front side member.
2. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, further comprising a pair of outer panels respectively fixed to the pair of outrigger portions, wherein: Each of the pair of outer panels has a front extension portion mounted on a front connecting portion of a corresponding outrigger portion of the pair of outrigger portions.
3. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2, wherein: A front connecting portion of each of the pair of outrigger portions and a front extending portion of a corresponding outer panel of the pair of outer panels are fixed to the plurality of reinforcing tubes by fasteners.
4. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 3, wherein: A front extension portion of each outer panel of the pair of outer panels is fixed to a rear portion of a corresponding front side beam of the pair of front side beams by a first bolt screwed into a first end portion of each reinforcement tube of the plurality of reinforcement tubes.
5. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 4, wherein: The front connecting portion of each of the pair of outrigger portions is fixed to the rear portion of the corresponding front longitudinal beam of the pair of front longitudinal beams by a second bolt screwed into the second end portion of each of the plurality of reinforcing tubes.
6. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 3, wherein: The front connecting portion of each of the pair of outrigger portions is fixed to the rear portion of the corresponding front longitudinal beam of the pair of front longitudinal beams by a second bolt screwed into the second end portion of each of the plurality of reinforcing tubes.
7. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein: each of the pair of outrigger sections includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs aligned with a respective one of the pair of front longitudinal beams; Each of the plurality of reinforcement ribs extends in a longitudinal direction of a corresponding front side beam of the pair of front side beams.
8. A vehicle body front structure, comprising: a dash cross member including a span portion extending in the width direction of the vehicle and a pair of outrigger portions provided at both ends of the span portion; a pair of front longitudinal beams extending from the pair of outrigger portions toward the front of the vehicle, wherein each outrigger portion of the pair of outrigger portions includes a front connecting portion, the front connecting portion including: a chamber capable of receiving a rear portion of a respective front longitudinal beam of a pair of front longitudinal beams; a support wall aligned with rear portions of respective ones of the pair of front side rails; and A plurality of reinforcing tubes are provided in a rear portion of each of the pair of front side members, each of the plurality of reinforcing tubes extending in a width direction of the front side member.
9. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 8, wherein: The supporting wall has an upper inclined portion extending obliquely from a top wall of the front connecting portion at a predetermined angle and a lower inclined portion extending obliquely from a bottom wall of the front connecting portion at a predetermined angle; The upper inclined portion and the lower inclined portion have symmetrical shapes; A bottom end of the upper inclined portion is integrally connected to a top end of the lower inclined portion.
10. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 9, wherein: The rear portion of each front longitudinal beam of the pair of front longitudinal beams has an upper inclined surface and a lower inclined surface provided on an end surface thereof; The upper inclined surface is aligned with the upper inclined portion; The lower inclined surface is aligned with the lower inclined portion.
11. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 8, wherein: The plurality of reinforcement tubes are arranged in a shape corresponding to the support wall.