Vehicle front structure

Abstract

A vehicle front structure includes: a front end module including a cross beam disposed in a first direction of a vehicle, and a pair of side beams vertically extending from first and second ends of the cross beam; a pair of vertical members connected on a rear surface of the front end module; a pair of fender apron members connected to the top end portions of the pair of vertical members, respectively; and a pair of front side members connected to the middle of the front end module, where each fender apron member extends in a second direction of the vehicle.

Description

Vehicle front structure

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2024-0152950, ​​filed on October 31, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference for various purposes. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a front structure of a vehicle, and more specifically, to a front structure of a vehicle designed to distribute loads in the event of a vehicle collision / impact. Background Technology

[0004] The vehicle may include a front compartment and a passenger compartment separated by a dashboard. A powertrain system, including a prime mover, may be located in the front compartment. For example, an internal combustion engine vehicle may have a powertrain system including an internal combustion engine in its front compartment, while an electric vehicle may have a powertrain system including an electric motor in its front compartment.

[0005] The front compartment may be defined by the vehicle front structure, and the vehicle front structure may include a front module, a pair of front longitudinal beams connected to the front module, a pair of fender skirt members connected to the front module, a pair of shock absorber housings connected to the pair of front longitudinal beams, and an instrument panel.

[0006] A pair of front longitudinal beams may be spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the vehicle. Each fender skirt component may bend vertically and horizontally, and the front end of each fender skirt component may connect to the front bumper. A pair of fender skirt components may support the fenders located on the left and right sides of the vehicle. Each shock absorber housing may support shock-absorbing devices such as shock absorbers from the vehicle's suspension system. Each shock absorber housing may be positioned between the corresponding front longitudinal beam and the corresponding fender skirt component. The front cowl may be mounted to the upper part of the dashboard.

[0007] In the vehicle front structure according to the prior art, the upper crossbeam of the front module may be made of a plastic molded part or a plastic molded part with steel inserts, which may make its rigidity relatively weak, and therefore the upper crossbeam may be difficult to transmit loads.

[0008] Furthermore, the fender skirt components in existing vehicle front structures can be bent in both vertical and horizontal directions to have a three-dimensional curved shape, making them difficult to support loads and prone to bending. Therefore, in the event of vehicle collisions / impacts such as frontal collisions, small overlap collisions, and offset collisions, the fender skirt components may be unable to stably support the loads.

[0009] Therefore, existing vehicle front structures may not be able to distribute loads evenly during a vehicle collision / impact.

[0010] The information contained in this background section is intended only to enhance the understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be construed as an admission or in any way implying that the information constitutes prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0011] Various aspects of the present invention aim to provide a vehicle front structure designed to include a fender skirt member connected to the top end of a vertical member mounted on a front end module, such that the fender skirt member can stably support loads and uniformly distribute loads in the event of a vehicle collision / impact.

[0012] According to one aspect of the present invention, a vehicle front structure may include: a front end module comprising a crossbeam and a pair of side beams extending vertically from a first end and a second end of the crossbeam; a pair of vertical members connected to the rear surface of the front end module; a pair of fender skirt members respectively connected to the top ends of the pair of vertical members; and a pair of front longitudinal beams connected to the middle portion of the front end module. Each fender skirt member extends along the length direction of the vehicle.

[0013] The front end of each fender skirt component may at least partially overlap and be fixed with the top end of the corresponding vertical component.

[0014] The front structure of the vehicle may also include a pair of reinforcing plates fixed to the rear surfaces of a pair of side beams. A pair of vertical members may be fixed to the pair of reinforcing plates.

[0015] The front ends of each front longitudinal beam can be fixed to the corresponding reinforcing plate.

[0016] The front structure of the vehicle may also include: a pair of mounting brackets, each connected to the bottom end of a pair of vertical members; and a front subframe, connected to the pair of mounting brackets.

[0017] Each mounting bracket can extend vertically from the bottom end of the corresponding vertical component.

[0018] The vehicle's front structure may also include a front bumper connected to a pair of side beams. The front bumper can be connected to the pair of side beams via a pair of impact boxes.

[0019] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that will be apparent from or set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, which together serve to illustrate certain principles of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the front structure of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 shows an exploded perspective view of the front structure of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 shows a side view of the front structure of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the connection between the crossbeam and the side beam of the front module in the front structure of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 5 shows the view as seen from the direction indicated by arrow A in Figure 3;

[0025] Figure 6 shows the view as seen from the direction indicated by arrow B in Figure 3; and

[0026] Figure 7 shows the view as seen from the direction indicated by arrow C in Figure 3.

[0027] It is understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather present a simplified representation of various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. Specific design features of the invention included herein, such as specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the particular intended application and environment of use.

[0028] In these figures, reference numerals throughout the various figures refer to the same or equivalent parts of the invention.

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0030] 10: Front structure of the vehicle

[0031] 11: Front-end module

[0032] 12: Vertical components

[0033] 13: Fender Skirt Components

[0034] 14: Front longitudinal beam

[0035] 15: Install bracket

[0036] 16: Front subframe

[0037] 17: Front bumper

[0038] 18: Collision Box

[0039] 19: Shock absorber housing

[0040] 21: Crossbeam

[0041] 22: Side beam

[0042] 23: Reinforcing plate. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to examples shown in the accompanying drawings and illustrated below. While the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments thereof, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0044] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same reference numerals will always be used to denote the same or equivalent elements. Furthermore, to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the essential points of the invention, detailed descriptions of well-known techniques related to the present invention will be omitted.

[0045] Terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) are used to describe elements in exemplary embodiments of the invention. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another, and the inherent features, order, or sequence of the corresponding elements are not limited by these terms. Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms such as those defined in common dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as their contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined as having such a meaning in this application.

[0046] Referring to FIG1, the vehicle front structure 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include a front end module 11, a pair of vertical members 12 connected to the front end module 11, a pair of fender skirt members 13 connected to the top ends of the pair of vertical members 12, and a pair of front longitudinal beams 14 connected to the middle of the front end module 11.

[0047] A grille may be positioned at the front of the vehicle, and a front-end module 11 may be positioned behind the grille. The front-end module 11 may include a crossbeam 21 and a pair of side beams 22 extending vertically from both ends of the crossbeam 21. The crossbeam 21 may extend along the width direction of the vehicle and may be made of a material with relatively high rigidity, such as steel. The pair of side beams 22 may be spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the vehicle, and each side beam 22 may extend along the height direction of the vehicle and be made of a plastic material. A reinforcing member made of steel may be inserted into the middle of each side beam 22. The crossbeam 21 and the pair of side beams 22 may define openings for accommodating heat exchangers (radiators, condensers, etc.).

[0048] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, each end of the crossbeam 21 can be secured to the top of the corresponding side beam 22 by a plurality of fasteners 25 and 26. The plurality of fasteners 25 and 26 may include a plurality of vertical fasteners 25 for securing the top wall of the crossbeam 21 and the top surface of the side beam 22, and a plurality of horizontal fasteners 26 for securing the front wall of the crossbeam 21 and the front surface of the side beam 22.

[0049] The front bumper 17 can be connected to the center of the front module 11 via a pair of impact boxes 18. The front bumper 17 can extend along the width direction of the vehicle, and the pair of impact boxes 18 can be fixed to the front bumper 17. The pair of impact boxes 18 can be respectively connected to a pair of side beams 22. The front end of each impact box 18 can be fixed to the front bumper 17, and the rear end of each impact box 18 can be fixed to the center of the corresponding side beam 22.

[0050] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a pair of vertical members 12 may be spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the vehicle, and the pair of vertical members 12 may be connected to the rear surface of the front end module 11. The pair of vertical members 12 may be respectively connected to the rear surfaces of a pair of side beams 22. Each vertical member 12 may extend along the height direction of the vehicle, the top end of each vertical member 12 may abut against the top end of the corresponding side beam 22, and the bottom end of each vertical member 12 may be located below or adjacent to the front bumper 17 and the collision box 18.

[0051] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a pair of reinforcing plates 23 can be attached to the rear surfaces of a pair of side beams 22, and a pair of vertical members 12 can be attached to the rear surfaces of a pair of reinforcing plates 23, thus the pair of vertical members 12 can be connected to a pair of side beams 22 via a pair of reinforcing plates 23. Each reinforcing plate 23 can extend along the height direction of the vehicle, and the front surface of the reinforcing plate 23 can be fixed to the rear surface of the corresponding side beam 22, thereby improving the rigidity of the side beam 22 and the installation rigidity of the vertical members 12. Referring to Figure 5, the rear surface of each side beam 22 can be fixed to the front surface of the corresponding reinforcing plate 23 by a plurality of fasteners 27.

[0052] A pair of fender skirt members 13 may be spaced apart from each other along the width direction of the vehicle, and each fender skirt member 13 may extend along the length direction of the vehicle.

[0053] Referring to FIG3, the front end portion 33 of each fender skirt member 13 can be fixed to the top end of the corresponding vertical member 12. Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the front end portion 33 of each fender skirt member 13 may include a top wall 33a fixed to the top surface of the vertical member 12, and a side wall 33b fixed to the side of the vertical member 12 adjacent to the top surface. The top wall 33a and the side wall 33b may be perpendicular to each other, and the top wall 33a and the side wall 33b may be fixed to the top end of the vertical member 12, such that the front end portion 33 of the fender skirt member 13 can be firmly fixed to the top end of the vertical member 12. The front end portion of the fender skirt member 13 may at least partially overlap and be fixed with the top end of the vertical member 12. Referring to FIG6, the top wall 33a of each fender skirt member 13 and the top surface of the vertical member 12 may overlap and be fixed within a predetermined overlap area W.

[0054] Referring to Figure 1, the front end 33 of each fender skirt member 13 can be fixed to the top end of the vertical member 12, so that the front ends of a pair of fender skirt members 13 can be connected to the upper part of the front end module 11 through the vertical member 12. Therefore, the crossbeam 21 of the front end module 11 and the pair of fender skirt members 13 can define a "U"-shaped upper load path L1 connected to the upper part of the front end module 11. Since each fender skirt member 13 does not bend towards the bottom of the vehicle, but extends along the length of the vehicle, the stiffness of the fender skirt members 13 can be improved.

[0055] A pair of front longitudinal beams 14 can be connected to a pair of side beams 22 respectively. Each front longitudinal beam 14 can be connected to the middle of the corresponding side beam 22. Referring to FIG7, the front end of each front longitudinal beam 14 can be fixed to the rear surface of the corresponding reinforcing plate 23, so that the front longitudinal beam 14 can be securely connected to the middle of the corresponding side beam 22 of the front end module 11 through the reinforcing plate 23.

[0056] Referring to Figure 1, a pair of shock absorber housings 19 can be respectively connected to a pair of fender skirt members 13. The upper edge of each shock absorber housing 19 can be fixed to the corresponding fender skirt member 13 by means of fasteners, welding or other methods, and the lower edge of each shock absorber housing 19 can be fixed to the corresponding front longitudinal beam 14 by means of fasteners, welding or other methods.

[0057] Each front longitudinal beam 14 can be aligned with the corresponding collision box 18 along the length of the vehicle, and a pair of front longitudinal beams 14 can be connected to the middle of the front module 11, such that the front bumper 17 and the pair of front longitudinal beams 14 can define a “U”-shaped central load path L2 connected to the middle of the front module 11.

[0058] Referring to Figures 1 and 3, a pair of mounting brackets 15 can be connected to a pair of vertical members 12. Each mounting bracket 15 can extend vertically from the bottom end of the corresponding vertical member 12 toward the bottom of the vehicle.

[0059] The top end of each mounting bracket 15 can be fixed to the bottom end of the corresponding vertical member 12, and the bottom end of each mounting bracket 15 can be adjacent to the bottom end of the corresponding side beam 22. In addition, each mounting bracket 15 can be fixed to the rear surface of the corresponding reinforcing plate 23 by means of fasteners, welding or other methods.

[0060] The front subframe 16 may be disposed below the front end module 11 and the front longitudinal beam 14, and the front subframe 16 may include a pair of front mounting seats 16a. The front mounting seats 16a of the front subframe 16 may be respectively connected to the bottom end of the mounting bracket 15.

[0061] The front subframe 16 can be connected to the lower part of the front module 11 via a pair of mounting brackets 15, thus the front subframe 16 can define a "U"-shaped lower load path L3 connected to the lower part of the front module 11.

[0062] According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, each mounting bracket 15 may be integrally connected with the corresponding vertical member 12, so that the mounting bracket 15 and the vertical member 12 can form a single integral structure.

[0063] Referring to Figure 1, the crossbeam 21 of the front-end module 11 may include a closed section 21c, the front bumper 17 may include a closed section 17c, and the front cross section of the front subframe 16 may include a closed section 16c. Therefore, the vehicle front structure 10 may include three closed sections 21c, 17c, and 16c, thereby improving its rigidity.

[0064] As described above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the fender skirt member 13 can be connected to the top end of the vertical member 12 fixed to the front end module 11, so that the fender skirt member 13 can stably support the load and thus disperse the load in the event of a vehicle collision / impact.

[0065] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a pair of fender skirt members 13 can be connected to the upper part of the front end module 11 via a pair of vertical members 12, a pair of front longitudinal beams 14 can be connected to the middle part of the front end module 11 via a pair of reinforcing plates 23, and the front subframe 16 can be connected to the lower part of the front end module 11 via a pair of mounting brackets 15, such that the vehicle front structure 10 can include three "U"-shaped load paths L1, L2, and L3. Therefore, the vehicle front structure 10 can uniformly distribute the load during a vehicle collision / impact, increase the front stiffness of the vehicle body, reduce restraint energy (RTE), and improve load-bearing performance.

[0066] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, lateral displacement can be induced through three "U"-shaped load paths L1, L2 and L3, and the lateral stiffness of the vehicle body can be increased, thereby improving the driving performance of the vehicle.

[0067] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, a vehicle may be considered based on a concept encompassing various means of transportation. In some cases, a vehicle may be interpreted as being based on a concept that includes not only various land transport vehicles that travel on roads, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses, but also various other means of transport, such as airplanes, drones, ships, etc.

[0068] For ease of explanation and precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "upward," "downward," "facing upward," "facing downward," "front," "rear," "rear part," "inner side," "outer side," "inward," "outer," "internal," "external," "inner side," "outer side," "forward," and "rearward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of these features shown in the accompanying drawings. It should also be further understood that the term "connection" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0069] The term "or" used in exemplary embodiments of the present invention should be interpreted as meaning "additionally or alternatively".

[0070] The term "and / or" can include a combination of multiple related items, or any one of multiple related items. For example, "A and / or B" includes three cases: "A", "B", and "A and B".

[0071] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, "at least one of A and B" may refer to "at least one of A or B", or "at least one of a combination of at least one of A and B". Furthermore, "one or more of A and B" may refer to "one or more of A or B", or "one or more of a combination of one or more of A and B".

[0072] In this specification, unless otherwise stated, a singular expression shall include a plural expression when the context does not explicitly indicate that it is singular.

[0073] The terminology used to describe embodiments is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit those embodiments. As used in the description of embodiments and claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly specifies otherwise. The expression “and / or” is used to include all possible combinations of the terms.

[0074] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as “comprising” or “having” are intended to indicate the presence of features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not preclude the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, quantities, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations thereof.

[0075] As used in this article, conditional expressions such as “if” and “when” are not limited to optional situations, but are intended to explain the execution of related operations when specific conditions are met, or to interpret related definitions based on specific conditions.

[0076] Terms such as "first" and "second" may be used to describe various elements of the embodiments. However, the various components according to the exemplary embodiments should not be limited by the above terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another.

[0077] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the components may be combined with each other to form a whole, or some components may be omitted.

[0078] Specific exemplary embodiments of the invention have been described above for illustrative and explanatory purposes. These descriptions are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it will be apparent that various modifications and variations can be made in accordance with the foregoing teachings. These exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to explain certain principles of the invention and its practical application, enabling others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A front structure for a vehicle, comprising: The front end module includes: a crossbeam disposed along a first direction of the vehicle; a pair of side beams extending vertically from a first end and a second end of the crossbeam; a pair of vertical members connected to the rear surface of the front end module; a pair of fender skirt members respectively connected to the top ends of the pair of vertical members; and a pair of front longitudinal beams connected to the middle of the front end module, wherein each fender skirt member extends along a second direction of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein, The front end of each fender skirt component overlaps at least partially with and is fixed to the top of the corresponding vertical component.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2 further includes: A pair of reinforcing plates fixed to the rear surface of the pair of side beams, wherein the pair of vertical members are fixed to the rear surface of the pair of reinforcing plates.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein, The front ends of each front longitudinal beam are fixed to the rear surface of the corresponding reinforcing plate.

5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, further comprising: A pair of mounting brackets are respectively connected to the bottom ends of the pair of vertical members; and a front subframe is connected to the pair of mounting brackets.

6. The vehicle front structure according to claim 5, wherein, Each mounting bracket extends vertically from the bottom end of the corresponding vertical component.

7. The vehicle front structure according to claim 5, wherein, The crossbeam of the front-end module has a closed cross section, and the front cross section of the front subframe also has a closed cross section.

8. The vehicle front structure according to claim 7, wherein, The mounting bracket is integrally connected to the vertical component, so that the mounting bracket and the vertical component form a single unit.

9. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, further comprising: A front bumper connected to the middle of the front-end module, wherein the front bumper is connected to the pair of side beams via a pair of collision boxes.

10. The vehicle front structure according to claim 9, wherein, The front-end module's crossbeam has a closed cross section, and the front bumper also has a closed cross section.

11. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, further comprising: A pair of shock absorber housings are respectively connected to the pair of fender skirt components.

12. The vehicle front structure according to claim 11, wherein, The upper edge of each shock absorber housing is fixed to the corresponding fender skirt component, and the lower edge of each shock absorber housing is fixed to the corresponding front longitudinal beam.

13. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein, The crossbeam and the pair of side beams are made of different materials.

14. A vehicle comprising a front structure according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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