Vehicle structure

Abstract

This vehicle structure is provided with: a side member that extends in the front-rear direction; a frame member that is a separate member from the side member and that is disposed at a position offset in the vertical direction from the side member; a first bracket that is fixed to the side member and the frame member; and a heat exchanger that is supported by the first bracket.

Description

Vehicle structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure.

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle front structure in which crash boxes are provided at the front ends of a pair of left and right side members that make up a subframe to absorb collision loads during a frontal collision of the vehicle. In Patent Document 1, fixed flange members are provided at the front ends of the side members, and connecting flange members are provided at the rear ends of the crash boxes, with these flange members overlapping each other and fastened together with bolts and nuts.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a horizontally long flange is integrally formed with the nut on the fixed flange member, with the short side of the horizontally long flange facing the front suspension member. This horizontally long flange is intended to suppress deformation of the connecting flange member when a collision load is input to the crash box in a frontal vehicle collision, and to suppress collapse of the crash box due to deformation of the connecting flange member.

[0004] Meanwhile, as vehicles become more fuel-efficient and electrified, there are an increasing number of cases where they have multiple cooling circuits for each function, and from the perspective of cooling efficiency, it may be necessary to place a heat exchanger on the left or right side of the radiator that was previously found in vehicles.

[0005] Because a heat exchanger is a component that connects to the powertrain, it is desirable to install it in the same assembly unit as the powertrain and front suspension, considering the piping installation at the factory. However, because a heat exchanger is typically a large component in the vertical direction, it is generally fixed to the BIW (Body In White) side, which consists of side members, etc., rather than to the assembly consisting of the powertrain, front suspension, etc. However, simply fixing the heat exchanger to the side member has sometimes resulted in insufficient support stability for the heat exchanger.

[0006] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2010-202093

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle structure that can stably support a heat exchanger.

[0008] The present invention has the following configuration: (1) A vehicle structure comprising: a side member extending in the longitudinal direction, a frame member that is a separate member from the side member and is positioned offset from the side member in the vertical direction, a first bracket fixed to the side member and the frame member, and a heat exchanger supported by the first bracket.

[0009] According to the present invention, a vehicle structure capable of stably supporting a heat exchanger can be provided.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle structure of this embodiment, seen diagonally from the front left. Fig. 2 is a view of the oil cooler supported by a bracket, seen from the front of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a view of the oil cooler supported by the bracket, seen from the left side of the vehicle (outside in the vehicle width direction). Fig. 4 is a view of Fig. 2 with a bumper force lower and a bumper force side added.

[0011] (First embodiment)

[0012] A vehicle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle structure according to this embodiment, seen from the left front. In the following description, the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction are expressed relative to the driver in the vehicle. While each figure mainly shows the configuration of the left side, the right side has a substantially symmetrical and identical configuration.

[0013] The vehicle structure 100 of this embodiment comprises a pair of left and right front side members 1 (only the left front side member 1 is shown) extending in the fore-and-aft direction as skeletal members that make up the vehicle body, a pair of left and right front suspension members 7 (only the left front suspension member 7 is shown) that are arranged below the front side members 1 and extend in the fore-and-aft direction, and a frame member 17 that extends in the up-and-down direction and connects the front portions of the front side members 1 and the front suspension members 7.

[0014] An engine compartment is defined between the pair of left and right front side members 1 and between the pair of left and right front suspension members 7, and houses a power plant including an engine, motor, reduction gear, etc. Upper crash boxes 4 serving as first crash boxes are disposed at the front ends of each front side member 1. Flanges 1a, 4a are welded to the front ends of each front side member 1 and the rear ends of each upper crash box 4, respectively. These flanges 1a, 4a are aligned with each other in the fore-and-aft direction, and their four corners are fastened together with bolts 5 and nuts (not shown).

[0015] A bumper reinforcement upper 6 extends in the left-right direction across the front ends of the pair of left and right upper crash boxes 4 so as to connect these front ends. Both left and right ends of the bumper reinforcement upper 6 are welded to each upper crash box 4. As a result, both left and right ends of the bumper reinforcement upper 6 are connected to the front ends of the front side members 1 via the upper crash boxes 4.

[0016] In this embodiment, the upper crash box 4 has a rectangular cross section and is flared forward in plan view. Taking the left upper crash box 4 shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the right side (inner side) of the upper crash box 4 is formed along the right side (inner side) of the front side member 1, which extends in the longitudinal direction. In contrast, the left side (outer side) of the upper crash box 4 is formed at an angle relative to the left side (outer side) of the front side member 1, which also extends in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the left upper crash box 4 is flared leftward in plan view. In other words, its left side bulges leftward beyond the left side of the front side member 1. Although not shown or described, the right upper crash box 4 also has a symmetrical, substantially identical shape. This shape of the upper crash box 4 is designed to accommodate a slight overlap frontal collision. In other words, by making the upper crash box 4 bulge outward in the width direction of the vehicle, the intention is to input as much of the collision load as possible from the outside of the vehicle width into the upper crash box 4, and to cause the upper crash box 4 to rotate and displace due to this collision load.

[0017] A pair of left and right front suspension members 7 (only the left one is shown) are disposed below the pair of left and right front side members 1. The front portions of the pair of front suspension members 7 are connected to each other via a front cross member 8, and the rear portions of the pair of front suspension members 7 are connected to each other via a rear cross member (not shown). This forms a subframe 9, which supports left and right front suspensions (not shown). The pair of left and right front suspension members 7 are disposed on both the left and right sides of a power plant consisting of an engine, motor, reduction gear, etc.

[0018] The frame member 17 extends in the vertical direction so as to connect the front lower surface of the front side member 1 with the front upper surface of the front suspension member 7. The frame member 17 is a separate member from the front side member 1 and the front suspension member 7.

[0019] Lower crash boxes 10 serving as second crash boxes are disposed at the front ends of each of the pair of left and right front suspension members 7. The pair of left and right front side members 1 and the pair of left and right front suspension members 7 may be disposed in approximately the same position in the vehicle width direction (positions that overlap in a top view). Also, the pair of left and right upper crash boxes 4 and the pair of left and right lower crash boxes 10 may be disposed in approximately the same position in the vehicle width direction (positions that overlap in a top view).

[0020] Flanges 7a, 10a are welded to the front end of each front suspension member 7 and the rear end of each lower crash box 10. These flanges 7a, 10a are aligned with each other in the fore-and-aft direction and fastened to each other with bolts 11, nuts (not shown), etc.

[0021] A bumper reinforcement lower 14 serving as a first bumper member extends in the left-right direction across the front ends of the pair of left and right lower crash boxes 10 so as to connect these front ends. This bumper reinforcement lower 14 is located below the bumper reinforcement upper 6. Both left and right ends of the bumper reinforcement lower 14 are welded to each lower crash box 10, so that both left and right ends of the bumper reinforcement lower 14 are connected to the front end of the front suspension member 7 via the lower crash boxes 10.

[0022] As shown by the two-dot chain lines in Figure 1, a bumper reinforcement side 15 is disposed on each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body as a second bumper member. The upper part of the bumper reinforcement side 15 is fastened to the bumper reinforcement upper 6, and the lower part is fastened to the bumper reinforcement lower 14 by bolts, nuts, etc. As a result, on each of the left and right sides of the vehicle body, the front end of the upper crash box 4 and the front end of the lower crash box 10 are connected via the bumper reinforcement side 15. The bumper reinforcement side 15 has a vertical extension portion that extends in the vertical direction to connect the bumper reinforcement upper 6 and the bumper reinforcement lower 14, and a vehicle width extension portion that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower part of this vertical extension portion, and is generally L-shaped when viewed from the front-to-rear direction.

[0023] The oil cooler 20 is supported by a bracket and is shown in Fig. 2 as seen from the front of the vehicle. Fig. 3 is a view of the oil cooler supported by the bracket as seen from the left side of the vehicle (outside in the vehicle width direction). The oil cooler 20 dissipates heat from a refrigerant that cools, for example, a wheel drive motor and a generator.

[0024] 1 to 3, a support structure for an oil cooler 20, which is a heat exchanger, will be described. A vehicle structure 100 includes an upper bracket 30 as a first bracket that is fixed to a front side member 1 and a frame member 17 and supports the oil cooler 20, and a lower bracket 40 as a second bracket that is fixed to a front suspension member 7 and supports the oil cooler 20.

[0025] The upper bracket 30 includes a first plate-shaped portion 31 extending substantially perpendicular to the left-right direction, and a second plate-shaped portion 33 connected to the lower part of the first plate-shaped portion 31 and extending substantially perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0026] The first plate-shaped portion 31 has a vertical dimension greater than its longitudinal dimension, and is elongated in the vertical direction. The first plate-shaped portion 31 also has a tapered shape, with the longitudinal dimension decreasing upward. The first plate-shaped portion 31 is fixed to the vehicle width direction outer surface 1b of the front side member 1 by an upper bolt 38 and to the vehicle width direction outer surface 17a of the frame member 17 by a lower bolt 39. The bolts 38, 39 are threaded in the vehicle width direction. The frame member 17 is a member extending downward from the underside of the front side member 1, is a separate member from the front side member 1, and is positioned at a position offset from the front side member 1 in the vertical direction. The upper bracket 30 supporting the oil cooler 20 is fixed using two points, upper and lower, of the front side member 1 and the frame member 17, which are positioned offset from each other in the vertical direction, thereby stably supporting the oil cooler 20.

[0027] The second plate-shaped portion 33 extends outward and rearward in the vehicle width direction from the first plate-shaped portion 31. As shown in Fig. 2, the upper surface of the second plate-shaped portion 33 is an inclined surface that slopes downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction. In addition, a folded portion 33a that is folded downward is formed at the edge of the second plate-shaped portion 33.

[0028] 2 and 3 , the upper bracket 30 is connected to a folded portion 33a formed at the rear edge of the second plate-shaped portion 33 and has a downwardly extending hanging portion 35. A middle bracket 50 is threadably fixed to the hanging portion 35 with bolts 58. The middle bracket 50 supports the upper portion of the oil cooler 20. Therefore, the upper bracket 30 supports the oil cooler 20 via the middle bracket 50.

[0029] Middle bracket 50 includes a first plate-shaped portion 51 extending in the up-down direction, and a second plate-shaped portion 53 connected to a lower portion of first plate-shaped portion 51 and extending substantially perpendicular to the up-down direction. As shown in Figure 2, first plate-shaped portion 51 is fixed to hanging portion 35 of upper bracket 30 by bolts 58. The direction in which bolts 58 are threaded is at a slight angle with respect to the front-to-rear direction, and is threaded outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends rearward.

[0030] Here, when viewed in the front-rear direction as shown in Figure 2, the oil cooler 20 has a generally rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the up-down direction. An upper mounting piece 21 that protrudes upward is provided at the middle portion of the upper part of the oil cooler 20 in the vehicle width direction. The upper mounting piece 21 of the oil cooler 20 is screwed and fixed to the second plate-shaped portion 53 of the middle bracket 50 with a bolt 59. The screwing direction of the bolt 59 is the up-down direction. As described above, the upper bracket 30 supports the oil cooler 20 via the middle bracket 50. Note that in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which the upper bracket 30 supports the oil cooler 20 via the middle bracket 50, but the upper bracket 30 may also support the oil cooler 20 directly without the middle bracket 50.

[0031] The lower bracket 40 includes a first plate-shaped portion 41 extending in the vertical direction forward of the oil cooler 20, and a second plate-shaped portion 43 connected to the lower part of the first plate-shaped portion 41 and extending rearward approximately perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0032] 1, the first plate-shaped portion 41 of the lower bracket 40 is fixed to the flange portions 7a, 10a of the front suspension member 7 and the lower crash box 10 by a pair of bolts 48, 48. The pair of bolts 48, 48 are provided on the inner side of the first plate-shaped portion 41 in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of bolts 48, 48 are screwed in the front-rear direction.

[0033] The second plate-shaped portion 43 extends rearward from the first plate-shaped portion 41 located in front of the oil cooler 20, passes below the oil cooler 20, and reaches a point rearward of the oil cooler 20. Here, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a lower inner mounting piece 23 that protrudes forward and a lower outer mounting piece 25 that protrudes rearward are provided at the lower part of the oil cooler 20. The lower inner mounting piece 23 is provided on the inner part of the lower part of the oil cooler 20 in the vehicle width direction, and the lower outer mounting piece 25 is provided on the outer part of the lower part of the oil cooler 20 in the vehicle width direction.

[0034] The lower inner mounting piece 23 and the lower outer mounting piece 25 are screwed and fixed to the second plate-shaped portion 43 of the lower bracket 40 by bolts 49a, 49b, respectively. The bolts 49a, 49b are screwed in the vertical direction. As described above, the lower bracket 40 is fixed to the front suspension member 7 and supports the lower portion of the oil cooler 20. In this way, the oil cooler 20 is supported by the lower bracket 40 in addition to the upper bracket 30, and is therefore supported more stably.

[0035] Furthermore, during vehicle assembly, before docking the front suspension member 7 (powertrain assembly) to the front side member 1 (BIW), the oil cooler 20 can be temporarily held to the front suspension member 7 by the lower bracket 40, thereby making it possible to form the oil cooler 20 into a subassembly with the front suspension member 7 and the powertrain. Therefore, after connecting the oil piping to the oil cooler 20 in the subassembly state in advance, the subassembly can be docked to the BIW consisting of the front side member 1, etc., improving ease of assembly.

[0036] When the above-described assembly process is employed, the subassembly located at the bottom in Fig. 1 is composed of the front cross member 8, bumper reinforcement lower 14, lower crash box 10, front suspension member 7, lower bracket 40, lower crash box 10, oil cooler 20, middle bracket 50, power train, etc., with the oil piping connected to the oil cooler 20. The BIW located at the top in Fig. 1 is composed of the bumper reinforcement upper 6, upper crash box 4, front side member 1, frame member 17, upper bracket 30, etc. Then, the frame member 17 is bolted to the front suspension member 7, and the upper bracket 30 and middle bracket 50 are fastened with bolts 58, thereby docking the BIW and the subassembly.

[0037] In this embodiment, an assembly process other than the above-described process of temporarily holding the oil cooler 20 to the front suspension member 7 can also be employed, providing a high degree of freedom in the assembly process. For example, an assembly process may be employed in which the oil cooler 20 is fixed to a BIW (build-in wall) including the front side member 1 and the like via the upper brackets 30 and the middle brackets 50, the BIW is then docked with the powertrain assembly, and the oil cooler 20 is then fixed to the front suspension member 7 via the lower brackets 40. Alternatively, an assembly process may be employed in which, after docking the BIW and the powertrain assembly, the oil cooler 20 is fixed to the front side member 1 via the upper brackets 30 and the middle brackets 50, and is also fixed to the front suspension member 7 via the lower brackets 40. However, when such an assembly process is employed, it is necessary to temporarily hold the relatively long oil piping on the powertrain side somewhere, which is undesirable in that it complicates the assembly process.

[0038] Next, a description will be given of an arrangement structure for preventing or suppressing damage to the oil cooler 20 in the event of a frontal collision.

[0039] As described above, the vehicle structure 100 of this embodiment includes the upper crash boxes 4 connected to the front ends of the front side members 1 and the lower crash boxes 10 connected to the front ends of the front suspension members 7. These upper crash boxes 4 and lower crash boxes 10 are components that collapse during a frontal collision to absorb energy and reduce the impact on the occupants and the vehicle.

[0040] 1 and other figures, the oil cooler 20 is disposed rearward of the upper crash boxes 4 and outward in the vehicle width direction from the front side members 1. Therefore, even in the event of a frontal collision with another vehicle or an obstacle, the impact is absorbed by the upper crash boxes 4, and because the oil cooler 20 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the relatively hard front side members 1, damage to the oil cooler 20 can be prevented or suppressed.

[0041] Furthermore, the oil cooler 20 is disposed rearward of the lower crash boxes 10 and laterally outward of the front suspension members 7. Therefore, even in the event of a frontal collision, the impact is absorbed by the lower crash boxes 10, and the oil cooler 20 is located laterally outward of the relatively hard front suspension members 7, preventing or minimizing damage to the oil cooler 20.

[0042] 2 with the addition of the bumper force lower 14 and bumper force side 15. As shown in Fig. 4, the bumper force lower 14, which extends in the left-right direction so as to connect the front ends of the pair of left and right front suspension members 7, and the oil cooler 20 have at least a portion of the same vertical height. Therefore, even in the event of a frontal collision, the bumper force lower 14 absorbs the impact, preventing or suppressing damage to the oil cooler 20.

[0043] It is more preferable that the bumper reinforcement lower 14 and the oil cooler 20 are arranged so that they at least partially overlap when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. In Fig. 4, the outer end of the bumper reinforcement lower 14 in the vehicle width direction and the inner end of the oil cooler 20 in the vehicle width direction partially overlap when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. By adopting such an arrangement, the effect of preventing damage to the oil cooler 20 is improved.

[0044] 4, it is preferable that the bumper force side 15 and the oil cooler 20 overlap at least partially when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. In this way, even in the event of a frontal collision, the bumper force side 15 absorbs the impact, thereby preventing or suppressing damage to the oil cooler 20.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, the lower bracket 40 is located forward of the oil cooler 20, and the bumper force side 15 is located forward of the lower bracket 40. As shown in Figure 4, the bumper force side 15 and the lower bracket 40 at least partially overlap when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the bumper force side 15 covers almost the entire lower bracket 40. Therefore, even in the event of a frontal collision, the bumper force side 15 and the lower bracket 40 are in stable contact with each other to transmit the load, thereby preventing or suppressing damage to the oil cooler 20.

[0046] As described above, the present specification discloses the following:

[0047] (1) A vehicle structure comprising: a side member extending in a longitudinal direction; a frame member that is a separate member from the side member and is positioned offset from the side member in a vertical direction; a first bracket fixed to the side member and the frame member; and a heat exchanger supported by the first bracket.

[0048] According to the above configuration, the first bracket supporting the heat exchanger is fixed using two points, upper and lower, of the side member and the frame member, which are positioned offset from each other in the vertical direction, so that the heat exchanger can be stably supported.

[0049] (2) The vehicle structure according to (1), wherein the vehicle structure includes a suspension member disposed below the side member and extending in a front-to-rear direction, and the frame member extends in a vertical direction to connect the side member and the suspension member.

[0050] According to the above configuration, the frame member to which the first bracket is fixed is a member connected to the side member and the suspension member, so that the first bracket is firmly fixed and the heat exchanger can be supported more stably.

[0051] (3) The vehicle structure according to (1) or (2), further comprising: a suspension member disposed below the side member and extending in the front-rear direction; and a second bracket fixed to the suspension member and supporting the heat exchanger.

[0052] According to the above configuration, the heat exchanger is supported by the second bracket in addition to the first bracket, thereby providing a more stable support. Furthermore, by temporarily holding the heat exchanger on the suspension member (powertrain assembly) with the second bracket before docking the suspension member to the side member (BIW), the heat exchanger can be formed into a subassembly with the suspension and powertrain. Therefore, it is possible to connect piping to the heat exchanger in a subassembly state before docking the subassembly to the BIW, which is made up of the side member, etc., thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0053] (4) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the vehicle structure includes first crash boxes connected to front ends of the side members, and the heat exchanger is disposed rearward of the first crash boxes and outward of the side members in the vehicle width direction.

[0054] According to the above configuration, even in the event of a frontal collision with another vehicle or an obstacle, the impact is absorbed by the first crash box, and since the heat exchanger is located on the outer side of the relatively hard side member in the vehicle direction, damage to the heat exchanger can be prevented or suppressed.

[0055] (5) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (4), further comprising: a suspension member disposed below the side member and extending in the fore-and-aft direction; and a second crash box connected to a front end of the suspension member; and the heat exchanger is disposed rearward of the second crash box and outward of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction.

[0056] With the above configuration, even in the event of a frontal collision with another vehicle or an obstacle, the impact is absorbed by the second crash box, and since the heat exchanger is located on the outside of the relatively hard suspension member in the vehicle direction, damage to the heat exchanger can be prevented or suppressed.

[0057] (6) The vehicle structure according to (5), further comprising: a pair of left and right suspension members; a pair of second crash boxes respectively connected to the front ends of the pair of left and right suspension members; and a first bumper member extending in the left-right direction so as to connect the front ends of the pair of second crash boxes, wherein the first bumper member and the heat exchanger have the same vertical height in at least a portion thereof.

[0058] According to the above configuration, even in the event of a frontal collision caused by another vehicle or an obstacle, the impact is absorbed by the first bumper member, so damage to the heat exchanger can be prevented or suppressed.

[0059] (7) The vehicle structure according to any one of (1) to (6), comprising: first crash boxes connected to front ends of the side members; suspension members disposed below the side members and extending in the fore-and-aft direction; second crash boxes connected to the front ends of the suspension members; and a second bumper member connecting the front ends of the first crash boxes and the front ends of the second crash boxes; wherein the second bumper member and the heat exchanger at least partially overlap when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction.

[0060] According to the above configuration, even in the event of a frontal collision caused by another vehicle or an obstacle, the second bumper member absorbs the impact, thereby preventing or suppressing damage to the heat exchanger.

[0061] (8) The vehicle structure according to (7), further comprising a second bracket fixed to the suspension member and supporting the heat exchanger, wherein the second bumper member and the second bracket overlap at least in part when viewed from the front-to-rear direction.

[0062] According to the above configuration, even in the event of a frontal collision caused by another vehicle or an obstacle, the second bumper member and the second bracket are in stable contact and transmit the load, thereby preventing or suppressing damage to the heat exchanger.

[0063] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Front side member (side member) 1a Flange portion 1b Vehicle width direction outer surface 4 Upper crash box (first crash box) 4a Flange portion 5 Bolt 6 Bumper reinforcement upper 7 Front suspension member (suspension member) 8 Front cross member 9 Subframe 10 Lower crash box (second crash box) 11 Bolt 14 Bumper reinforcement lower (first bumper member) 15 Bumper reinforcement side (second bumper member) 17 Frame member 17a Vehicle width direction outer surface 20 Oil cooler (heat exchanger) 21 Upper mounting piece 23 Lower inner mounting piece 25 Lower outer mounting piece 30 Upper bracket (first bracket) 31 First plate-shaped portion 33 Second plate-shaped portion 33a Folded portion 35 Hanging portion 38, 39 Bolt 40 Lower bracket (second bracket) 41 First plate-shaped portion 43 Second plate-shaped portion 48, 49a, 49b Bolt 50 Middle bracket 51 First plate-shaped portion 53 Second plate-shaped portion 58, 59 Bolt 100 Vehicle structure

Claims

1. A vehicle structure comprising: a side member extending in the longitudinal direction; a frame member that is a separate member from said side member and is positioned offset from said side member in the vertical direction; a first bracket fixed to said side member and said frame member; and a heat exchanger supported by said first bracket.

2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle structure includes suspension members disposed below the side members and extending in the longitudinal direction, and the frame members extend in the vertical direction to connect the side members and the suspension members.

3. The vehicle structure according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: a suspension member disposed below the side member and extending in the fore-and-aft direction; and a second bracket fixed to the suspension member and supporting the heat exchanger.

4. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the vehicle structure includes first crash boxes connected to the front ends of the side members, and the heat exchanger is positioned rearward of the first crash boxes and outward of the side members in the vehicle width direction.

5. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: suspension members disposed below the side members and extending in the fore-and-aft direction; and second crash boxes connected to front ends of the suspension members, wherein the heat exchanger is disposed rearward of the second crash boxes and outward in the vehicle width direction from the suspension members.

6. The vehicle structure according to claim 5, comprising: a pair of left and right suspension members; a pair of second crash boxes respectively connected to the front ends of the pair of left and right suspension members; and a first bumper member extending in the left-right direction so as to connect the front ends of the pair of second crash boxes, wherein the first bumper member and the heat exchanger have the same vertical height in at least a portion thereof.

7. The vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: first crash boxes connected to the front ends of the side members; suspension members arranged below the side members and extending in the fore-and-aft direction; second crash boxes connected to the front ends of the suspension members; and a second bumper member connecting the front ends of the first crash boxes and the front ends of the second crash boxes, wherein the second bumper member and the heat exchanger at least partially overlap when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction.

8. The vehicle structure according to claim 7, further comprising a second bracket fixed to the suspension member and supporting the heat exchanger, wherein the second bumper member and the second bracket at least partially overlap when viewed from the front-to-rear direction.

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