Vehicle front section body

Abstract

Vehicle front section structure, comprising: a lower absorber (20) installed in a lower area of ​​a vehicle front section and having a greater length in a width direction than in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; at least one load-bearing element (50, 60) arranged on a rear side of the lower absorber (20) and connected to the lower absorber (20) to receive a load transferred from the lower absorber (20), wherein at least part of the lower absorber (20) is equipped with a reinforcing element (32), characterized by the fact that the lower absorber (20) has a lower central absorber (22) and a pair of lower edge absorbers (30) arranged on both sides of the lower central absorber (22) in the width direction, an upper surface of the lower central absorber (22) is flat, while a plurality of ribs are formed on the back of the lower central absorber (22), and the reinforcing element (32) is arranged on the lower edge absorbers (30) and is formed in cross-section in the form of a wave, consisting of a series of upwardly projecting parts (34u) that project upwards with respect to the vehicle, and downwardly projecting parts (34d) that project downwards with respect to the vehicle, wherein the upwardly and downwardly projecting parts (34u), (34d) are arranged alternately along the width direction of the vehicle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure is directed to a vehicle front portion structure including a lower absorber having a greater length in a width direction of a vehicle and one or more load receiving members for receiving a load from the lower absorber. BACKGROUND

[0002] Numerous techniques have been proposed in the prior art to minimize damage to a collision object (such as a pedestrian's foot) when the collision object collides with a vehicle front section. For example, JP 2016 - 022 805 A discloses a bumper absorber mounted on a vehicle front section, in which the shape of ridges in the bumper absorber is designed to reliably compress the bumper during a collision impact to absorb collision energy and thus protect a pedestrian.

[0003] In addition to the collision energy absorption technique for protecting a collision body, another collision body protection technique has recently been proposed, in which the collision body is forced to fall onto a hood or roof of a vehicle, thereby preventing a joint (e.g., a knee) of the collision body from hyperextending. Specifically, there have been several disclosures related to this technique, in which a lower absorber is installed under an upper absorber that absorbs collision energy from the collision body, and the lower absorber is configured to apply a reaction force that causes the collision body to be lifted upon impact and then fall onto the hood or other parts of the vehicle.

[0004] A vehicle front section structure according to the preamble of claim 1 is the subject of EP 1 726 490 B1. Further bumper constructions for vehicles are known from JP 6 028 740 B2 and JP 2008-260 364 A.

[0005] In this case, the lower absorber described above must apply the reaction force immediately after the collision with the impact body. In a conventional vehicle, a molded surface (bumper cover) at the front end of the vehicle is designed to protrude the furthest outward in the horizontal direction at the installation height of the lower absorber in order to apply the reaction force promptly. However, such a design, in which the molded surface protrudes the furthest outward in the horizontal direction at the installation height of the lower absorber, is problematic because it reduces a certain degree of design flexibility at the front end of the vehicle.

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned problem, the object of the invention is to further develop a vehicle front section structure such that it can ensure a collision protection function while simultaneously improving a certain flexibility or degree of freedom in the design of a front end of the vehicle. This object is achieved by the features of claim 1, and advantageous further developments are the subject of the subclaims. SUMMARY

[0007] A vehicle front section structure disclosed herein includes: a lower absorber installed in a lower portion of a vehicle front section and having a greater length in a width direction than in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; and one or more load-bearing members arranged on a rear side of the lower absorber and connected to the lower absorber to receive a load transmitted from the lower absorber. In the vehicle front section structure, at least a part of the lower absorber is provided with a reinforcing member. The lower absorber includes a lower center absorber and a pair of lower edge absorbers arranged on both sides of the lower center absorber in the width direction, wherein an upper surface of the lower center absorber is flat, while a plurality of ribs are formed on the rear side of the lower center absorber.The reinforcing member is arranged on the lower edge absorbers and is formed in cross section in the shape of a wave consisting of a series of upwardly projecting parts that protrude upward with respect to the vehicle and downwardly projecting parts that protrude downward with respect to the vehicle, wherein the upwardly and downwardly projecting parts are arranged alternately along the width direction of the vehicle.

[0008] Since the reinforcement member consisting of the series of upwardly projecting parts and downwardly projecting parts alternating along the width direction of the vehicle is provided, the lower absorber with the reinforcement member is resistant to deflection along a front-and-rear direction of the vehicle when an impact force is applied to the vehicle from the front. Therefore, a collision load is promptly transferred from the lower absorber to the load-bearing member on the rear side of the lower absorber. With this configuration, a reaction force against the collision load can begin to act early even if a molded surface of a front end of the vehicle is positioned further rearward at an installation height of the lower absorber than in the conventional technology. This can increase the degree of freedom regarding the design of the front end of the vehicle and appropriately protect the collision body.This configuration also improves the design of the vehicle by creating a surface (the top of the lower center absorber) that is visually visible from the gaps of a front grille or radiator grille, giving the impression of being smooth and tidy.

[0009] The lower absorber may protrude further outward in the width direction than the load-bearing element, and the lower absorber may be connected to the load-bearing element at a location that is further outward in the width direction than the load-bearing element.

[0010] This configuration makes it possible to reliably or quickly transfer the collision load to the load-bearing element, even if the collision load is absorbed at a position that is further outward in the width direction than the load-bearing element. This makes it possible to expand the area on the vehicle where the collision body can be appropriately protected.

[0011] Furthermore, the vehicle front section structure may include a bracket fixed to the load-bearing member and further connected to the lower absorber, wherein the lower absorber may include a contact wall erected to face a front end surface of the bracket.

[0012] With this configuration, although the connection between the lower absorber and the load-bearing element is released after the collision load is absorbed, since the contact wall is brought into contact with the front end face of the bracket, the collision load is transferred through the bracket to the load-bearing element. This can ensure reliable protection of the collision body.

[0013] The upwardly projecting parts and the downwardly projecting parts forming the reinforcing member may extend substantially radially from a connecting part of the lower absorber with the load-bearing member toward a front end of the lower absorber.

[0014] The configuration described above can facilitate the transfer of the collision load absorbed at the front end of the lower absorber through the upwardly projecting parts or the downwardly projecting parts to the connecting part and thus to the load-bearing element. This can further ensure that the collision body is reliably protected.

[0015] Furthermore, the load-bearing element may comprise a center load-bearing element arranged on a rear side of the lower center absorber and connected thereto, and a pair of edge load-bearing elements each arranged on the rear side of the pair of lower edge absorbers and connected thereto; wherein the lower edge absorbers may protrude further outward in the width direction than the edge load-bearing elements and may be fully equipped with the reinforcing element.

[0016] Since the reinforcement element is mounted on the lower edge absorbers, which protrude further outward than the edge load-bearing elements, the lower edge absorbers can quickly exert the reaction force in addition to the lower center absorber, which can contribute to expanding the area on the vehicle in which the collision body can be appropriately protected.

[0017] Furthermore, the molded surface of the front end of the vehicle may be set back from a most outwardly projecting portion of the molded surface, which projects furthest outward in the horizontal direction, toward the rear of the vehicle at an installation height of the lower absorber.

[0018] Since there is no embodiment of such a design form, which is difficult to implement in the prior art, the design form described above leaves a new impression on a user.

[0019] According to the vehicle front section structure disclosed herein, since the lower absorber is equipped with the reinforcement member consisting of the series of upwardly projecting portions and downwardly projecting portions arranged alternately along the width direction of the vehicle, the lower absorber resists deflection along the front and rear directions of the vehicle when subjected to a front-to-vehicle impact force, allowing the lower absorber to promptly transfer the collision load to the load-bearing member on the rear side of the lower absorber. Thus, even though the molded surface of the front end of the vehicle is located at the rearward position relative to the prior art at the installation height of the lower absorber, the reaction force against the collision load can be quickly applied at an early stage.This allows the collision body to be protected appropriately while at the same time achieving improved flexibility in the design of the front end of the vehicle. SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0020] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below based on the figures, in which: Fig. 1 a sketch of a longitudinal section of a vehicle front section structure; Fig. 2 a sketch of a side cut on a Fig. 1 indicated height position A; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a lower edge absorber and the adjacent areas; Fig. 4 a top view of the lower edge absorber; Fig. 5 a sectional view along a line BB in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 a sectional view along a line CC in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a starting time of the application of a reaction force from the lower edge absorber; and Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a cross-sectional shape of a conventional lower edge absorber DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0021] In the following, a structure of a vehicle front section or a vehicle front section structure is described using the drawings. Fig. 1 is a sketch of a longitudinal section of the vehicle front section structure and Fig. 2 is a sketch of a side section of the vehicle front section structure at a Fig. 1 indicated height position A. It should be noted that the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 only show components that are particularly associated with a lower absorber 20.

[0022] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, a front end of a vehicle is covered with a bumper cover 10. The bumper cover 10 forms a molded surface of a front portion of the vehicle. A space behind the bumper cover 10 serves as an engine compartment 14 for accommodating engines (such as an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a traction battery) that generate power for vehicle travel. Furthermore, the bumper cover 10 includes a front grille 12 through which air from outside the vehicle is introduced into the engine compartment 14. The grille 12, as is known, is a long component extending along a vehicle width direction and having a plurality of through-holes.

[0023] Behind the bumper cover 10, that is, within the aggregate chamber 14, an upper absorber 16 and a lower absorber 20 are installed. The upper absorber 16 is a long component extending along the vehicle width direction and disposed in an area above the grille 12. When a collision body 100 (such as a pedestrian's foot) collides against a front end of the vehicle, the upper absorber 16 is compressed along a collision load absorbing direction (typically toward the rear of the vehicle), thereby absorbing the collision load. In this way, the upper absorber 16 serves to protect the collision body 100. In view of properly protecting the collision body 100, it is preferable that the upper absorber 16 comes into contact with the collision body 100 at the earliest possible time.For this purpose, the molded surface of the front end of the vehicle (the bumper cover 10) has a region 19 which projects furthest outwards in the horizontal direction at an installation height of the upper absorber 16.

[0024] The lower absorber 20 is arranged below the upper absorber 16 and also below the grille 12. The lower absorber 20 is made of, for example, a resin or the like and is configured to exert a reaction force against a collision force upon impact with the collision body 100, causing the collision body 100 to be pushed forward. This allows the collision body 100 to easily fall onto a vehicle side (such as a hood 18). Then, this action of falling onto the vehicle side prevents a joint 100a of the collision body 100 (such as a knee or a pedestrian's foot) from being hyperextended and reduces a load acting on the collision body 100.

[0025] The lower absorber 20 is a long component extending along the vehicle width direction. In the vehicle front section structure disclosed here, the lower absorber 20 is, as shown in Fig. 2, a lower center absorber 22 and a pair of lower edge absorbers 30 arranged at both width ends of the lower center absorber 22. Of course, the lower absorber 20 can also consist of a single component.

[0026] The lower center absorber 22 is a long and substantially rectangular component extending along the vehicle width direction. The lower center absorber 22 is flat on its upper surface, while a plurality of ribs (not shown) are formed on the back of the lower center absorber 22. The reason for making the upper surface flat is to improve the design viewed through the gaps in the grille 12. In particular, since the grille 12 is located above the lower center absorber 22, the upper surface of the lower center absorber 22 is visually visible through the gaps in the grille 12. If the upper surface visually viewed through the gaps in the grille 12 is flat, it appears clean and contributes to a sophisticated design. With this in mind, the upper surface of the lower center absorber 22 is flattened.In addition, the plurality of ribs formed on the back of the lower center absorber 22 makes the lower center absorber 22 rigid, whereby the lower center absorber 22 can quickly and reliably transfer the collision load introduced from the collision body 100 to a radiator support 60 on the back of the lower center absorber 22.

[0027] The radiator support 60 is a highly rigid component and functions as a central load-bearing member for absorbing the collision load transmitted from the lower center absorber 22. The radiator support 60 is arranged on the rear side of the lower center absorber 22 and connected to a rear end of the lower center absorber 22. When the collision load is introduced into the radiator support 60 through the lower center absorber 22, the radiator support exerts a reaction force without being deformed. The reaction force acting on the collision body 100 through the lower center absorber 22 causes the collision body 100 to spring upward, which facilitates the collision body 100 from falling onto the vehicle side. The lower center absorber 22 has a width almost equal to that of the radiator support 60, so that the entire width of the lower center absorber 22 is supported by the radiator support 60.

[0028] The lower edge absorbers 30 are arranged on both sides of the lower center absorber 22 in the width direction. Each of the lower edge absorbers 30 has a substantially arcuate front end face 31 and is formed in a substantially fan-shaped shape when viewed from above. Since the front end surface of the vehicle is gradually rounded in plan view, the front end face 31 has a geometry corresponding to the rounded front end surface of the vehicle.

[0029] A second member 50 of a high-rigidity component is installed on a rear side of each of the lower edge absorbers 30, and the rear end of each of the lower edge absorbers 30 is connected to the second member 50 via a bracket 52. The second member 50, which is a component connected to a suspension member (not shown) located behind the second member 50, functions as an edge load receiving member for receiving the collision load transmitted from the lower edge absorber 30. When the collision load is input through one of the lower edge absorbers 30 to the corresponding one of the second members 50, the one of the second members 50 exerts a reaction force without being deformed. The reaction force acting through the edge sub-absorber 30 on the collision body 100 causes the collision body 100 to spring upward, which facilitates the collision body 100 from falling onto the vehicle side.

[0030] It should be noted that the lower edge absorbers 30 are located on the outside of the radiator grille 12 in the width direction. Furthermore, the lower edge absorbers 30, as shown in Fig. 2, extended further outwards than the second elements 50 (the edge load-bearing elements).

[0031] In order to reliably protect the collision body 100 by the lower absorber 20, it is desirable that the reaction force against the collision load act early. For this reason, the molded surface (the bumper cover 10) of the front end of the vehicle conventionally protruded the furthest outward in the horizontal direction not only at the installation height of the upper absorber 16, but also at the installation height of the lower absorber 20, so as to quickly transfer the collision load from the collision body 100 to the lower absorber 20. In this shape, the collision body 100 immediately collides with the lower absorber 20, which in turn causes the reaction force to act early. However, this shape inevitably includes a forward protruding portion in a lower part of the front end of the vehicle (at the installation height of the lower absorber 20) and thus has less design flexibility.

[0032] Under the circumstances, in the vehicle front section structure disclosed here, the molded surface (the bumper cover 10) of the front end of the vehicle is slightly recessed rearward from the outermost protruding portion 19 at the installation height of the lower absorber 20, and a deformation-resistant reinforcing member 32 is provided at a part of the lower absorber 20 (specifically, the lower edge absorber 30). Since the deformation-resistant reinforcing member 32 is associated with the part of the lower absorber 20, even though the lower absorber 20 is installed at a position recessed toward the rear of the vehicle compared to the prior art, the reaction force can be applied at an early stage, thus appropriately protecting the collision body 100.

[0033] In particular, in this example, the reinforcing element 32 is arranged at the lower edge absorber 30. This will be explained in detail below with reference to the Fig. 3 to 6 explained. Fig. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the lower edge absorber 30 and the adjacent areas, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lower edge absorber 30. Furthermore, Fig. 5 schematically shows a sectional view along a line BB in Fig. 4, and Fig. Figure 6 shows schematically a sectional view along a line CC in Fig. 4. It should be noted that in Fig. 4 the upwardly projecting parts 34u are light, the downwardly projecting parts 34d are dark and the other areas are shaded in an intermediate tone.

[0034] The lower edge absorber 30, as described above, has a substantially fan-shaped shape, with the front end side 31 having an arcuate contour corresponding to the shape of the front end of the vehicle when viewed from above. The entire lower edge absorber 30 is a location where projections and recesses are formed to prevent deformation; that is, it serves as the reinforcing member 32.

[0035] More precisely, as in Fig. 5, the lower edge absorber 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular wave shape in cross section, consisting of a series of upwardly projecting portions 34u in a substantially rectangular shape that protrude upward with respect to the vehicle, and downwardly projecting portions 34d in a substantially rectangular shape that protrude downward with respect to the vehicle, wherein the upwardly and downwardly projecting portions 34u and 34d are arranged substantially alternately along a vehicle width direction (specifically, a direction parallel to the round shape of the front end of the vehicle). The thus formed shape makes the lower edge absorber 30 resistant to deformation, so that the reaction force against the collision load is effective at an early stage.

[0036] If only the lower edge absorber 30 is intended to be reinforced, the lower edge absorber 30 may be formed in a shape with a plurality of ribs 34r as shown in Fig. 8 only protrude in one direction, instead of the Fig. 5. The lower center absorber 22 described above has a geometry that corresponds to that shown in Fig. 8. However, in this geometry, a center of gravity Ca of the lower edge absorber 30 is greatly offset from the height center Cb of the lower edge absorber 30. In this case, the collision load tends to escape along a direction approaching the center of gravity Ca of the lower edge absorber 30; that is, along an upward direction. In this case, since stress may often occur due to a difference in stiffness between the upper and lower regions of the lower edge absorber 30, the lower edge absorber 30 is easily deformed along the back-and-forth direction. This impairs the transmission of the collision load to the second member 50 behind it, which poses a problem because the start of the application of the reaction force to the collision load is delayed, and thus the protection of the collision body 100 is delayed.

[0037] This problem is particularly detrimental to the lower edge absorber 30, which protrudes further outward in the vehicle width direction than the load-bearing member (e.g., the radiator support 60 and the second member 50). Specifically, since the lower edge absorber 30 includes a region not supported from behind by the load-bearing member, the lower edge absorber 30 is more susceptible than the lower center absorber 22 to impaired ability to transfer the collision load to the load-bearing member.

[0038] To avoid the problem in the vehicle front section structure disclosed here, the entire lower edge absorber 30 is configured as the reinforcing member 32 having a cross-sectional shape in the form of a substantially rectangular wave. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, when the lower edge absorber 30 is formed in the cross-sectional shape of a substantially rectangular wave, the center of gravity Ca of the lower edge absorber 30 approximately coincides with the center of gravity Cb of the height of the lower edge absorber 30, and an input point (the center of gravity Cb) of the load is located almost at the same height as the center of gravity Ca. This prevents the collision load from escaping in the vertical direction. In addition, since the rigidity levels of the upper and lower portions of the lower edge absorber 30 are almost equal, the lower edge absorber 30 becomes rigid in the front-and-back directions. This can facilitate the transmission of the collision load to the second member 50 located behind the lower edge absorber 30, so that the reaction force against the collision load is effective at an early stage, which can contribute to further appropriate protection of the collision body 100.

[0039] Furthermore, in addition to the above-described upwardly projecting portions 34u and downwardly projecting portions 34d, the reinforcing member 32 may include ribs 36 extending along the width direction. The inclusion of the ribs 36 provides resistance to both deflection along the front-and-back direction and deflection along the width direction, thus ensuring that the collision load is reliably transmitted to the second member 50.

[0040] The lower edge absorber 30 is connected to the second element 50 via the bracket 52. The bracket 52 is a substantially L-shaped sheet metal component that is attached to the front end surface of the second element 50. A horizontally extending surface of the bracket 52 (hereinafter referred to as "attachment surface 52a") has a fastening opening into which a fastening screw 54 is inserted. Here, as shown in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the fastening surface 52a is further outward in the width direction than the second element 50, and the fastening opening is further outward in the width direction than the second element 50.

[0041] The lower edge absorber 30 also has a fastening hole 40 into which the fastening screw 54 is inserted. The fastening hole 40 is located further outward in the width direction than the second element 50. Subsequently, the lower edge absorber 30 and the bracket 52 are screwed together by the fastening screw 54, which is inserted into the fastening holes of both the lower edge absorber 30 and the bracket 52. Since the fastening hole 40 is located further outward than the second element 50, the second element 50 is connected to the lower edge absorber 30 at a position outside the second element 50 in the width direction, as described above.In this arrangement, even if the collision body 100 collides with the vehicle at the position outside the second member 50 (the load receiving member) in the width direction, the collision force can be transmitted from the collision body 100 to the second member 50, which can cause the reaction force to act on the collision body 100 and in turn can further reliably protect the collision body 100.

[0042] In addition, as in the Fig. 4 and Fig. 6, a contact wall 38 is disposed on the upper side of the lower edge absorber 30 at a position slightly forward than the attachment hole 40 on the upper side. The contact wall 38 is a wall disposed closely adjacent to the front end side of the attachment surface 52a of the bracket 52 and directly opposite the front end side. When the contact wall 38 is disposed, a part (the contact wall 38) of the lower edge absorber 30 can come into contact with the bracket 52 even when the fastening screw 54 is loosened in response to receiving the collision load. Then, even though the connection by the fastening screw 54 is loosened, the collision load received by the lower edge absorber 30 can be reliably transmitted to the second member 50 through the bracket 52. In this way, the reaction force can be reliably applied to adequately protect the collision body 100.

[0043] The lower edge absorber 30 comprises, as described above, the upwardly projecting parts 34u and the downwardly projecting parts 34d, which form the reinforcing element 32. The upwardly projecting parts 34u and the downwardly projecting parts 34d extend, as shown in Fig. 4, substantially radially from a connection point with the second member 50 (a region contacting the bracket 52). In this way, the collision load absorbed at any point on the front end face 31 can be easily directed toward the connection point, and thus toward the bracket 52 and the second member 50, so that the collision load can be further reliably transmitted to the second member 50.

[0044] Fig. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a result of the analysis of a period in which the reaction force of the lower edge absorber 30 starts to act. In Fig. 7, the X-axis represents time and the Y-axis represents the magnitude of the reaction force. Furthermore, the solid line in Fig. 7 shows the reaction force of the lower edge absorber 30 having the structure disclosed herein, while the dashed line shows the reaction force of a lower edge absorber 30 having a conventional structure in which the ribs 34r are arranged as in Fig. 8 are arranged only on one side of the lower edge absorber 30.

[0045] As from Fig.As can be seen from Fig. 7, it is understood that in the lower absorber 30 disclosed herein, the reaction force begins to act at an earlier stage compared to the conventional structure. Furthermore, according to the lower absorber 30 disclosed herein, the peak value of the reaction force is increased by approximately 30% compared to that of the conventional structure, indicating that the collision load is transmitted to the second member 50 without leaking upward or downward. Since the reaction force can act at an early stage even when the molding surface is displaced backward from a conventional position in the installation height of the lower absorber 20, it is possible to adequately protect the collision body 100 while maintaining greater design flexibility.

[0046] Although in the above description, only the lower edge absorber 30 is provided with the reinforcement member 32 (the part with the cross-sectional shape in the form of a substantially rectangular wave), the reinforcement member 32 may be provided on all or part of the lower center absorber 22 in addition to or instead of the lower edge absorber 30. However, unlike the lower center absorber 22, the lower edge absorber 30 protrudes further outward from the second member 50 (the edge support member) in the width direction as described above. Since the thus protruding lower edge absorber 30 may have difficulty transmitting the collision load to the second member 50 if the reinforcement member 32 is omitted, it is desirable that the lower edge absorber 30 be provided with the reinforcement member 32.

[0047] Because the grille 12 is positioned above the lower center absorber 22, the top surface of the lower center absorber 22 is often visible through the gaps in the grille 12. In these cases, it is preferable for the lower center absorber 22 to have a flat top surface without including the reinforcement member 32. This configuration can improve the design of the lower center absorber 22, which is visible through the gaps in the grille 12.

[0048] Although the reinforcing member 32 has been described as having a cross-sectional shape in the form of a substantially rectangular wave, the reinforcing member 32 may have another shape as long as upwardly projecting geometries and downwardly projecting geometries continuously alternate to form a cross-sectional shape in a substantially wave-like shape such that the center of gravity of the shape is closer to the height center of the shape. For example, the reinforcing member 32 may be formed in cross-section in the shape of a substantially sinusoidal wave (waveform) consisting of a series of upwardly curved arcs and downwardly curved arcs extending along the width direction. Furthermore, the reinforcing member 32 may be formed as another shape in the shape of a substantially triangular wave consisting of a series of upwardly directed peaks or crests.Ridges or peaks and downward peaks extending in the width direction. Further, in the present disclosure, the widths and a continuous direction of the upwardly projecting portions 34u and the downwardly projecting portions 34d may be changed accordingly, and the upwardly projecting portions 34u and the downwardly projecting portions 34d may be continued in parallel to a rear side of the vehicle. LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS 10 bumper cover 12 Front or radiator grille 14 Aggregate chamber 16 upper absorber 18 hood 19 most outwardly projecting area 20 lower absorber 22 lower center absorber 30 lower edge absorber 32 Reinforcing element 34d downward protruding part 34u upward protruding part 36 rib 38 Contact wall 40 mounting hole 50 second element (edge ​​load bearing element) 52 bracket 54 fixing screw 60 Radiator support (medium load bearing element) 100 collision bodies

Claims

[1] Vehicle front section structure, comprising: a lower absorber (20) installed in a lower region of a vehicle front portion and having a longer length in a width direction than in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; at least one load-bearing element (50, 60) arranged on a rear side of the lower absorber (20) and connected to the lower absorber (20) to receive a load transmitted from the lower absorber (20), wherein at least a part of the lower absorber (20) is equipped with a reinforcing element (32), characterized by , that the lower absorber (20) comprises a lower center absorber (22) and a pair of lower edge absorbers (30) arranged on both sides of the lower center absorber (22) in the width direction, an upper surface of the lower center absorber (22) is flat, while a plurality of ribs are formed on the back of the lower center absorber (22), and the reinforcing element (32) is arranged on the lower edge absorbers (30) and is formed in cross-section in the shape of a wave consisting of a series of upwardly projecting parts (34u) which project upwardly with respect to the vehicle and downwardly projecting parts (34d) which project downwardly with respect to the vehicle, wherein the upwardly and downwardly projecting parts (34u), (34d) are arranged alternately along the width direction of the vehicle. [2] A vehicle front section structure according to claim 1, wherein: the lower absorber (20) projects further outwards in the width direction than the load-bearing element (50, 60), and the lower absorber (20) is connected to the load-bearing element (50, 60) at a location which is further outward in the width direction than the load-bearing element (50, 60). [3] A vehicle front section structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a bracket (52) attached to the load-bearing element (50, 60) and connected to the lower absorber (20), wherein the lower absorber (20) comprises a contact wall (38) erected to face a front end surface of the holder (52). [4] A vehicle front portion structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the upwardly projecting parts (34u) and the downwardly projecting parts (34d) constituting the reinforcing member (32) extend radially from a connecting part of the lower absorber (20) with the load receiving member (50, 60) toward a front end of the lower absorber (20). [5] A vehicle front section structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: the load-bearing element (50, 60) comprises a central load-bearing element (60) arranged on a rear side of the lower central absorber (22) and connected to the lower central absorber (22), and a pair of edge load-bearing elements (50) each arranged on the rear side of the pair of lower edge absorbers (30) and connected to the lower edge absorbers (30); and the lower edge absorbers (30) protrude further outwards in the width direction than the edge load-bearing elements (50) and are completely equipped with the reinforcing element (32). [6] A vehicle front section structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a molding surface of a vehicle front end is recessed in an installation height of the lower absorber (20) from a most outwardly projecting portion of the molding surface which projects most outwardly in the horizontal direction toward the rear of the vehicle.

Images