Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front structure that is advantageous for improving energy absorption performance during front collision while achieving protection of a battery pack.SOLUTION: A collision load is inputted from a front part of a pair of front side frames 20, whereby the pair of front side frames 20 is deformed to the rear of a vehicle, and the collision load is transmitted from the pair of front side frames 20 to the rear of the vehicle. A pair of transmission members 18 is displaced to the rear of the vehicle in association with deformation of the pair of front side frames 20 to the rear of the vehicle, and when a rear end 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 is displaced to the rear of the vehicle by a gap S2, the gap S2 disappears, and the rear end 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 contacts the battery pack 26. The battery pack 26 is supported by a side frame 14, and therefore, the collision load is transmitted from the battery pack 26 to the side frame 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a front structure of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A front structure of a vehicle is known in which a battery pack is disposed between a pair of side frames connected by a plurality of cross beams (cross members). In such a vehicle front structure, a technology has been disclosed that aims to protect the battery pack by providing a pair of transmission members that connect the middle point in the vehicle width direction of the cross beam that passes under the battery pack to a pair of side frames that are located further forward of the cross beam, thereby reducing the compressive stress that occurs in the front parts of the pair of side frames in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US10988014B2 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, while the above-mentioned conventional technology is effective to a certain extent in reducing the compressive stress that occurs in the front portions of the pair of side frames during a frontal collision of the vehicle, there is room for improvement in terms of improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision by efficiently transmitting the collision load input from the front portions of the pair of side frames to the vehicle body. The present invention was devised in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a front structure for a vehicle that is advantageous in terms of protecting the battery pack while improving energy absorption performance in the event of a frontal collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention comprises a pair of side frames spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, a battery pack arranged between the pair of side frames and supported by the side frames, and a pair of transmission members branching off from portions of the pair of side frames located forward of the battery pack and extending rearward of the vehicle toward the battery pack, the pair of transmission members being arranged opposite each other at a distance from the front wall of the battery pack, with their rear ends located close to the front wall of the battery pack. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the pair of side frames include a pair of front side frames extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at the front of the vehicle, a pair of floor side frames extending rearward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at a position rearward of the pair of front side frames and offset outward in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of connecting frames extending so that their rear ends are positioned outward in the vehicle width direction than their front ends and connecting the pair of front side frames and the pair of floor side frames, the battery pack being arranged between the pair of floor side frames, and the pair of transmission members branching off from the pair of connecting frames. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the pair of connecting frames have frame inclined portions that are inclined so as to displace away from each other as they approach the rear of the vehicle, and the pair of transmission members branch off from the front ends of the frame inclined portions of the pair of connecting frames. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the pair of transmission members have transmission member inclined portions that are inclined so as to displace toward each other as they extend from the front end of the frame inclined portion to the rear of the vehicle, and the transmission member inclined portions are formed approximately linearly symmetrically with the frame inclined portions in the vehicle width direction when viewed in a plane. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pair of transmission members have rear portions that extend parallel to each other from the transmission member inclined portion toward the rear of the vehicle. In one embodiment of the present invention, rear ends of the pair of transmission members are connected to the front wall of the battery pack via elastic members. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it includes a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of connecting frames, and the pair of transmission members are joined to the cross member. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a reinforcing structure is provided inside the battery pack, the reinforcing structure including a front reinforcing member extending in the vehicle width direction at the front of the battery pack, and a pair of lateral reinforcing members extending from both ends of the front reinforcing member in the vehicle width direction along the side walls of the battery pack toward the rear of the vehicle and connected to the pair of side frames, and rear ends of the pair of transmission members face the front reinforcing members of the battery pack in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction. In addition, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the reinforcing frame has a connecting member extending forward from the front reinforcing member and connecting to the front wall of the battery pack, and the connecting member is positioned such that its front end faces the rear end of the transmission member in the fore-and-aft direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the collision load input to the side frame during a frontal collision of the vehicle is distributed and transmitted to two load transmission paths: a first load transmission path that is transmitted to the side frame, and a second load transmission path that is transmitted to the side frame via a pair of transmission members and a battery pack. Therefore, the collision load input during a frontal collision can be efficiently distributed across the two load transmission paths and absorbed by the vehicle body, which is advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision and in protecting the battery pack from collision loads. In addition, since a gap is secured between the rear ends of the pair of transmission members and the front wall of the battery pack, the torsional load transmitted from the side frame to the transmission members during normal driving is not applied to the battery pack, which is advantageous in protecting the battery pack. Furthermore, if the pair of side frames comprises a pair of front side frames extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at the front of the vehicle, and a pair of floor side frames extending toward the rear of the vehicle and connected to the pair of front side frames, the collision load input to the front side frames during a frontal collision of the vehicle is distributed and transmitted to two load transmission paths: a first load transmission path transmitted to the side frames, and a second load transmission path transmitted to the side frames via a pair of transmission members and the battery pack.This means that the collision load input during a frontal collision can be efficiently distributed across the two load transmission paths and absorbed by the vehicle body, which is advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision. Furthermore, if the pair of side frames are provided with a pair of connecting frames that connect the pair of front side frames and the pair of floor side frames, and the pair of transmission members are branched off from the pair of connecting frames, this is advantageous in ensuring freedom in the layout of the pair of transmission members, such as by positioning the pair of transmission members closer to the center in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, by branching the pair of transmission members from the front ends of the frame inclined portions of the pair of connecting frames, the rear ends of the pair of transmission members can be positioned away from the rear ends of the pair of connecting frames toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, which is advantageous for efficiently distributing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is even more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance in the event of a frontal collision. Furthermore, if the pair of transmission members have transmission member inclined portions that are inclined so as to displace toward each other as they extend from the front end of the frame inclined portions to the rear of the vehicle, and the transmission member inclined portions are formed to be approximately linearly symmetrical to the frame inclined portions in the vehicle width direction when viewed in a plane, the collision load input during a frontal collision is transmitted in approximately equal parts to the frame inclined portions of the connecting frame and the transmission member inclined portions of the transmission members, which is advantageous in efficiently distributing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is even more advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision. Furthermore, if the rear portions of the pair of transmission members extend parallel to each other from the transmission member inclined portion toward the rear of the vehicle, this is advantageous for efficiently transmitting the collision load to the battery pack, and therefore is advantageous for efficiently dispersing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, which is even more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance in the event of a frontal collision. Furthermore, if the rear ends of the pair of transmission members are connected to the front wall of the battery pack via elastic members, this is advantageous in reliably transmitting collision loads to the battery pack via the elastic members from the rear ends of the pair of transmission members, and also allows the pair of transmission members to be used as mounts that support the battery pack itself, which is advantageous in attenuating collision loads with the elastic members, and further advantageous in suppressing the transmission of twisting of the pair of side frames to the battery pack when the vehicle is traveling. In addition, if a cross member is provided that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects between a pair of connecting frames, and a pair of transmission members are joined to the cross member, the collision load can be transmitted to the cross member, which is advantageous for efficiently dispersing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is even more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance in the event of a frontal collision. In addition, a reinforcement structure is provided inside the battery pack, including a front reinforcement member extending in the vehicle width direction at the front of the battery pack, and a pair of lateral reinforcement members extending from both ends of the front reinforcement member in the vehicle width direction along the side walls of the battery pack toward the rear of the vehicle and connected to the pair of side frames.When the rear ends of the pair of transmission members face the front reinforcement members of the battery pack in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the collision load input during a frontal collision can be efficiently distributed and absorbed by the vehicle body through two load transfer paths: a first load transfer path that is transferred to the side frames, and a second load transfer path that is transferred from the front side frames to the floor side frames via the pair of transmission members and the tray reinforcement structure, which is advantageous for improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision. In addition, the reinforcing frame has a connecting member that extends forward from the front reinforcing member and connects to the front wall of the battery pack.When the connecting member is positioned so that its front end faces the rear end of the transmission member in the fore-and-aft direction, the collision load transmitted to the transmission member during a frontal collision is reliably transmitted to the front reinforcing member via the connecting member, which is advantageous for efficiently dispersing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is even more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a front structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing a front structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically illustrating a main part of a front structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The front structure of the vehicle of this embodiment is applicable to electric vehicles that use a motor as the only drive source, hybrid vehicles, or plug-in hybrid vehicles that can be externally charged or externally powered, and are equipped with a battery pack that supplies power to the motor. In the following drawings, the symbol UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, the symbol FR indicates the front side of the vehicle, and the symbol HL indicates the width direction of the vehicle. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 10 is a frame vehicle that supports a cabin (not shown) on a chassis frame 12, and the chassis frame 12 is configured to include a pair of side frames 14 that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, a plurality of cross members 16, and a pair of transmission members 18, and the battery pack 26 is disposed between the pair of side frames 14 and supported by the side frames 14. The pair of side frames 14 includes a pair of front side frames 20, a pair of floor side frames 22, and a pair of connection frames 24, and a battery pack 26 is mounted on the pair of floor side frames 22.

[0009] The pair of front side frames 20 are formed of members having a closed cross-sectional structure, and extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 at the front of the vehicle 10 with a gap in the vehicle width direction. The pair of floor side frames 22 are constructed of members having a closed cross-sectional structure, extend rearward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at a position rearward of the pair of front side frames 20 and offset outward in the vehicle width direction, and are connected to the rear ends 2002 of the pair of front side frames 20 and extend rearward from these rear ends 2002 of the vehicle.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pair of connecting frames 24 extend so that their rear ends are positioned outward in the vehicle width direction than their front ends, and connect the rear ends 2002 of the pair of front side frames 20 and the front ends 2202 of the pair of floor side frames 22. The connecting frame 24 includes a frame front portion 2402 and a frame rear portion 2404 that extend linearly, and a frame inclined portion 2406 that connects the frame front portion 2402 and the frame rear portion 2404. The front frame portion 2402 is connected to the rear end 2002 of the front side frame 20, and the rear frame portion 2404 is connected to the front end 2202 of the floor side frame 22, and the frame inclined portions 2406 of the pair of connecting frames 24 are inclined so that they move away from each other in the vehicle width direction as they reach the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, the floor side frames 22 are offset outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the front side frames 20, and the spacing between the floor side frames 22 in the vehicle width direction is greater than the spacing between the front side frames 20 in the vehicle width direction.

[0011] In this embodiment, when the connecting frame 24 is viewed in a plane, the front frame portion 2402 has a width in the vehicle width direction that is the same as that of the front side frame 20, and the rear frame portion 2404 has a width in the vehicle width direction that is the same as that of the floor side frame 22. The width of the front frame 2402 of the connecting frame 24 along the vehicle width direction is formed to be approximately equal to the width of the front side frame 20 along the vehicle width direction, and the width of the rear frame 2404 of the connecting frame 24 along the vehicle width direction is formed to be approximately equal to the width of the floor side frame 22 along the vehicle width direction. The intermediate portion between the front and rear of the frame inclined portion 2406 is a widened portion 2410 whose width is greater than the width of the front frame portion 2402 along the vehicle width direction and the width of the rear frame portion 2404 along the vehicle width direction. The widened portion 2410 is provided with a mount attachment portion 28 to which a mount that supports the front portion of the cabin (not shown) is attached. By providing a widening portion 2410 in the frame inclined portion 2406, a large second moment of area of ​​the frame inclined portion 2406 is ensured, and the strength of the frame inclined portion 2406 against the bending moment generated in the frame inclined portion 2406 due to the collision load applied during a frontal collision of the vehicle 10 is ensured.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the multiple cross members 16 each extend in the vehicle width direction and connect a pair of side frames 14 together. The multiple cross members 16 are each composed of a member having a closed cross-sectional structure, and include first to fourth cross members 16A-16D. The first cross member 16A connects the pair of front side frames 20 at positions near the front ends, the second cross member 16B connects the pair of front side frames 20 at positions in the middle between the front and rear, and the third cross member 16C connects the pair of front side frames 20 at positions near the rear ends. The fourth cross member 16D is located at a position spaced apart rearward from the third cross member 16C and connects the pair of frame inclined portions 2406 at positions corresponding to the widened portions 2410. The fourth cross member 16D has an intermediate portion 1602 extending linearly in the vehicle width direction, and side portions 1604 which are inclined upward as they extend from both ends of the intermediate portion 1602 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the ends of the side portions 1604 are connected to the inner side surfaces in the vehicle width direction at locations corresponding to the widening portions 2410 of a pair of frame inclined portions 2406. In the figure, reference numeral 30 denotes a bumper reinforcement member that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the front ends of the front side frames 20.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the battery pack 26 has a rectangular shape that is elongated in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle in a plan view, and is disposed between the pair of floor side frames 22. The battery pack 26 is composed of a case 34 consisting of a tray 32 and a cover (not shown) that covers the tray 32 from above, a battery pack housed in the case 34, and an electrical unit that controls the battery pack, both not shown.

[0014] The tray 32 includes a bottom wall 3202 that is approximately rectangular in plan view, a front wall 3204 that rises from the front end of the bottom wall 3202 and extends in the vehicle width direction, a pair of side walls 3206 that rise from both ends of the bottom wall 3202 in the vehicle width direction, extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and are connected to the front wall 3204, and a rear wall (not shown) that rises from the rear end of the bottom wall 3202 and extends in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the front wall 3204 of the tray 32 is attached via a mounting bracket 36 to the rear surface of the intermediate portion 1602 of the fourth cross member 16D, which faces toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the tray 32 includes a tray reinforcement structure 38 disposed on the bottom wall 3202 between a pair of side walls 3206, and the tray reinforcement structure 38 is a reinforcement structure provided inside the battery pack 26. The tray reinforcement structure 38 may be provided inside or outside the tray 32, but in this embodiment, the tray reinforcement structure 38 is provided inside the tray 32. The tray reinforcement structure 38 is formed in a rectangular frame shape and includes a front reinforcement member 3802 extending in the vehicle width direction between the front portions of a pair of floor side frames 22, a pair of lateral reinforcement members 3804 extending from both ends of the front reinforcement member 3802 in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle along a pair of side walls 3206 of the tray 32 of the battery pack 26, and a rear reinforcement member (not shown) connecting the rear ends of the pair of lateral reinforcement members 3804. The pair of lateral reinforcing members 3804, together with the pair of side walls 3206, are connected to the pair of floor side frames 22 via mounting brackets (not shown). The front reinforcing member 3802, the pair of horizontal reinforcing members 3804, and the rear reinforcing member (not shown) all have a closed cross-sectional structure or a hat-shaped cross-section, ensuring strength and rigidity.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, a gap S1 is secured between the front wall 3204 and the front reinforcing member 3802. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tray reinforcement structure 38 has a connecting member 40 that extends forward from the front reinforcement member 3802 and is connected to the front wall 3204 of the tray 32 of the battery pack 26. The connecting member 40 is disposed at a position where its front end faces the rear end 1804 of the transmission member 18 in the front-rear direction. In other words, the portion of the front wall 3204 where the rear ends 1804 of a pair of transmission members 18 described later abut in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, and the front reinforcing member 3802 that faces this portion of the front wall 3204 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, are each connected by a connecting member 40. The connecting member 40 extends linearly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and its cross section taken along an imaginary plane extending in the width direction of the vehicle has, for example, an I-shape, a hat-shape, or a rectangular frame shape.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of transmission members 18 branch off from a pair of side frames 14 located at the front of the vehicle relative to the tray 32, and extend rearward toward the vehicle toward the battery pack 26, with their rear ends 1804 located at positions displaced inward in the vehicle width direction from the pair of side frames 14. The pair of transmission members 18 each have an upper surface and a lower surface that face each other in the vertical direction, and a pair of side surfaces that connect the upper and lower surfaces, and each have a rectangular closed cross-sectional structure. In this embodiment, the front ends 1802 of the pair of transmission members 18 are connected to the inner surface of the boundary between the connecting frame front portion 2402 and the frame inclined portion 2406; in other words, the pair of transmission members 18 branch off from the pair of connecting frames 24 and branch off from the front ends of the frame inclined portions 2406 of the pair of connecting frames 24. The pair of transmission members 18 have transmission member inclined portions 1810 that are inclined and displace toward each other as they extend from the front end of the frame inclined portion 2406 toward the rear of the vehicle, and transmission member rear portions 1812 that are connected to the rear ends of the transmission member inclined portions 1810 and extend in a straight line parallel to each other toward the rear of the vehicle. When viewed in a plane, the transmission member inclined portion 1810 of a pair of transmission members 18 has an inclination that is approximately symmetrical to the frame inclined portion 2406 with respect to an imaginary line L that passes through the point where the transmission member 18 and the connecting frame 24 are connected and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The rear portions of the pair of transmission members 18 are located at locations spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, and the rear portions of the pair of transmission members 18 are joined to the upper surface of the middle portion 1602 of the fourth cross member 16D that connects the pair of floor side frames 22. The pair of transmission members 18 are arranged opposite each other with their rear ends 1804 positioned close to the front wall 3204 of the tray 32 of the battery pack 26 and spaced apart from the front wall 3204 with a gap S2 between them. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front reinforcement member 3802 and the front wall 3204 of the tray 32 are integrated by the connecting member 40, so this gap S2 is a gap provided between the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 and the front reinforcement member 3802 of the tray reinforcement structure 38, and is a gap having a longitudinal dimension provided so that the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 abut against the front reinforcement member 3802 via the front wall 3204 and the connecting member 40 in the event of a vehicle frontal collision. That is, a gap S2 is secured between the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 and the front reinforcement member 3802 of the tray reinforcement structure 38, allowing the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 to abut against the front reinforcement member 3802 in the event of a frontal vehicle collision, and the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 face the front reinforcement member 3802 of the battery pack 26 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0018] Next, the effects of this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, when the vehicle 10 is involved in a frontal collision, the collision load is input from the front of the pair of front side frames 20, causing the pair of front side frames 20 to deform toward the rear of the vehicle, and the collision load is transmitted through the pair of front side frames 20 toward the rear of the vehicle. As the pair of front side frames 20 deform toward the rear of the vehicle, the pair of transmission members 18 are displaced toward the rear of the vehicle, and when the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 are displaced toward the rear of the vehicle by the amount of gap S2, gap S2 disappears and the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 come into contact with the battery pack 26. Because the battery pack 26 is supported by the side frames 14, the collision load is transmitted from the battery pack 26 to the side frames 14. In this embodiment, when the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 are displaced rearward of the vehicle by the gap S2, the gap S2 disappears and the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 come into contact with the front wall 3204 of the tray 32. At this time, as the transmission member 18 is displaced rearward of the vehicle, the portion of the fourth cross member 16D joined to the transmission member 18 is also deformed rearward of the vehicle together with the transmission member 18. The collision load is then transmitted from the pair of front side frames 20 to the pair of floor side frames 22 via the pair of connecting frames 24 . At the same time, the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 abut against the front wall 3204 of the tray 32, and the collision load is transmitted from the pair of front side frames 20 to the pair of transmission members 18, the front wall 3204 of the tray 32, the pair of connecting members 40, the front reinforcement member 3802, the pair of lateral reinforcement members 3804, and then to the pair of floor side frames 22. In other words, the collision load input to the front side frame 20 during a frontal collision of the vehicle 10 is distributed and transmitted to two load transmission paths: a first load transmission path that is transmitted from the front side frame 20 to the floor side frame 22 via a pair of connecting frames 24, as shown by arrow F1 in Figure 4, and a second load transmission path that is transmitted from the front side frame 20 to the floor side frame 22 via a pair of transmission members 18 and the tray reinforcement structure 38, as shown by arrow F2 in Figure 4. Therefore, the collision load input during a frontal collision can be efficiently distributed across the two load transmission paths and absorbed by the vehicle body, which is advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision.

[0019] In addition, the collision load transmitted from the transmission member 18 to the battery pack 26 is received by the tray reinforcement structure 38 and transmitted efficiently to the floor side frame 22, which is advantageous in protecting the battery pack 26 from the collision load. In addition, a gap S2 is secured between the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 and the front reinforcement member 3802 of the tray reinforcement structure 38, so that the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 abut against the front reinforcement member 3802 in the event of a frontal vehicle collision. This prevents the torsional load transmitted from the front side frame 20 to the transmission members 18 during normal driving from being applied to the front reinforcement member 3802 of the tray reinforcement structure 38, which is advantageous in protecting the battery pack 26 including the tray reinforcement structure 38. Furthermore, by ensuring the gap S2, the battery pack 26 can be easily attached to and detached from the vehicle body, which is advantageous in terms of improving the efficiency of assembly and maintenance work. As shown by imaginary lines in FIG. 4, an elastic member 50 may be disposed in the gap S2, and the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 may be connected to the front wall 3204 of the tray 32 of the battery pack 26 via the elastic member 50. In this case, it is advantageous to reliably transmit the collision load to the desired location on the front wall 3204 of the tray 32 via the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 via the elastic members 50, and it is also advantageous to be able to use the pair of transmission members 18 as a mount for supporting the battery pack 26 itself, to attenuate the collision load with the elastic members 50, and further to suppress the transmission of torsion of the pair of side frames 14 to the battery pack 26 when the vehicle is traveling.

[0020] Furthermore, if the pair of side frames 14 are provided with a pair of connecting frames 24 that connect the pair of front side frames 20 and the pair of floor side frames 22, and the pair of transmission members 18 are branched off from the pair of connecting frames 24, this is advantageous in ensuring freedom in the layout of the pair of transmission members 18, such as by positioning the pair of transmission members 18 closer to the center in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, if the pair of transmission members 18 are branched off from the front ends of the frame inclined portions 2406 of the pair of connecting frames 24, the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 can be positioned away from the rear ends of the pair of connecting frames 24 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, which is advantageous for efficiently distributing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is even more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance in the event of a frontal collision. Furthermore, if the rear portions 1812 of the pair of transmission members 18 extend parallel to each other from the transmission member inclined portion 1810 toward the rear of the vehicle, this is advantageous for efficiently transmitting the collision load to the battery pack 26, and therefore is advantageous for efficiently dispersing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, which is more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision. In addition, if a fourth cross member 16D is provided that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects between a pair of connecting frames 24, and a pair of transmission members 18 are joined to the fourth cross member 16D, the collision load can be transmitted to the fourth cross member 16D, which is advantageous for efficiently distributing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is more advantageous for improving energy absorption performance in the event of a frontal collision. In addition, in this embodiment, a pair of connecting frames 24 are provided with frame inclined portions 2406, and a pair of transmission members 18 are provided with transmission member inclined portions 1810, and when viewed in a plane, the frame inclined portions 2406 and the transmission member inclined portions 1810 have an inclination that is approximately symmetrical with respect to an imaginary line L that passes through the point where the transmission members 18 and the connecting frames 24 are connected and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the collision load input during a frontal collision is transmitted in approximately equal parts to the frame inclined portion 2406 of the connecting frame 24 and the transmission member inclined portion 1810 of the transmission member 18, which is advantageous in efficiently dispersing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is more advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision. Furthermore, by providing the frame inclined portion 2406, the distance between the pair of floor side frames 22 in the vehicle width direction can be made larger than the distance between the pair of front side frames 20 in the vehicle width direction, which is advantageous in accommodating larger battery packs 26 to be installed in the vehicle 10.

[0021] In addition, in this embodiment, the tray reinforcement structure 38 is provided on the bottom wall 3202 of the tray 32, inside the front wall 3204 and a pair of side walls 3206, a gap S1 is secured between the front wall 3204 and the front reinforcement member 3802, and the portions of the front wall 3204 where the rear ends 1804 of the pair of transmission members 18 abut in the event of a vehicle frontal collision and the front reinforcement member 3802 are each connected by connecting members 40. Therefore, the collision load transmitted to the transmission member 18 during a frontal collision is reliably transmitted to the front reinforcement member 3802 via the connecting member 40, which is advantageous in efficiently dispersing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is more advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision.

[0022] The rear portions of the pair of transmission members 18 may be joined together, but if the rear portions of the pair of transmission members 18 are located at positions spaced apart in the vehicle width direction as in this embodiment, the collision load transmitted to the transmission members 18 during a frontal collision is distributed and transmitted to the front reinforcement member 3802 at two positions spaced apart in the vehicle width direction via the pair of transmission members 18, which is more advantageous in efficiently distributing the collision load and absorbing it into the vehicle body, and is more advantageous in improving energy absorption performance during a frontal collision.

[0023] In the embodiment, the pair of side frames 14 are described as including a pair of front side frames 20, a pair of floor side frames 22, and a connecting frame 24, but the pair of side frames 14 may also be composed of a pair of members extending linearly in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the connecting frame 24 may be formed integrally with the front side frame 20 or the floor side frame 22. Furthermore, although the tray reinforcement structure 38 may be provided outside the tray 32, providing the tray reinforcement structure 38 inside the tray 32 as in the embodiment simplifies the work of attaching and detaching the battery pack 26 to the vehicle body, which is advantageous in improving the efficiency of assembly and maintenance work. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 10 Vehicles (frame vehicles) 12 Chassis frame 14 Pair of side frames 16 Multiple cross members 16A First cross member 16B Second cross member 16C 3rd cross member 16D 4th cross member 1602 Middle section 1604 both ends 18 Pair of transmission members 1802 front end 1804 Rear end 1810 Transmission member inclined portion 1812 Rear transmission member 20 Pair of front side frames 2002 rear end 22 Pair of floor side frames 24 Pair of connecting frames 2202 Front end 2402 Front of frame 2404 Rear of frame 2406 Frame inclined part 2410 Widening section 26 Battery Pack 28 Mount attachment part 30 Bumper Force 32 trays 3202 Bottom wall 3204 Front wall 3206 Pair of side walls 34 cases 36 Mounting bracket 38 Tray reinforcement structure 3802 Front reinforcement member 3804 Pair of transverse stiffeners 40 Connecting member 50 Elastic member S1 Gap S2 Gap L Virtual Line

Claims

1. a pair of side frames arranged at an interval in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; a battery pack disposed between the pair of side frames and supported by the side frames; a pair of transmission members branching from portions of the pair of side frames that are located forward of the battery pack and extending rearward of the vehicle toward the battery pack; the pair of transmission members are disposed opposite to and spaced apart from the front wall of the battery pack, with their rear ends located close to the front wall of the battery pack; A front structure of a vehicle.

2. the pair of side frames include a pair of front side frames extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at the front of the vehicle, a pair of floor side frames extending rearward in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at positions rearward of the pair of front side frames and offset outward in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of connecting frames extending so that their rear ends are located outward in the vehicle width direction than their front ends and connecting the pair of front side frames and the pair of floor side frames, the battery pack is disposed between the pair of floor side frames, The pair of transmission members are branched from the pair of connection frames.

2. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The pair of connecting frames have frame inclined portions that are inclined so as to be displaced in directions away from each other as they approach the rear of the vehicle, The pair of transmission members branch off from front ends of the frame inclined portions of the pair of connection frames.

3. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 2.

4. the pair of transmission members have transmission member inclined portions that are inclined so as to be displaced in directions approaching each other as they extend from the front ends of the frame inclined portions to the rear of the vehicle, The transmission member inclined portion is formed substantially line-symmetrically with the frame inclined portion in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above.

4. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 3.

5. The pair of transmission members have rear portions extending parallel to each other from the transmission member inclined portion toward the rear of the vehicle.

5. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 4.

6. rear ends of the pair of transmission members are connected to the front wall of the battery pack via elastic members; 2. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 1.

7. a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the pair of connection frames; The pair of transmission members are joined to the cross member.

2. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 1.

8. a reinforcing structure including a front reinforcing member extending in a vehicle width direction at a front portion of the battery pack, and a pair of lateral reinforcing members extending from both ends of the front reinforcing member in the vehicle width direction along side walls of the battery pack toward the rear of the vehicle and connected to the pair of side frames; rear ends of the pair of transmission members face the front reinforcing member of the battery pack in the vehicle front-rear direction; 7. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 1.

9. the reinforcing frame includes a connecting member extending forward from the front reinforcing member and connected to the front wall of the battery pack; The connecting member is disposed at a position where a front end thereof faces a rear end of the transmission member in the front-rear direction.

8. The front structure of a vehicle according to claim 7.

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