Vehicle front structure

Abstract

This vehicle front structure comprises a suspension support structure and a load receiving member. The suspension support structure has a damper support part. The load receiving member extends from the damper support part toward the front of the vehicle. The load receiving member includes a first load receiving region and a second load receiving region. A bumper beam is connected to the front part of the first load receiving region, the first load receiving region extends substantially along the vehicle front-rear direction, and the rear part of the first load receiving region is connected to the damper support part. The second load receiving region extends substantially along the vehicle front-rear direction in a state in which at least the upper part of the second load receiving region is disposed above a part connected with the bumper beam. The second load receiving region is continuously linked to the first load receiving region in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the rear part of the second load receiving region is connected to the damper support part.

Description

Vehicle front structure

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

[0002] As a front structure of a vehicle, a pair of side frame portions are arranged spaced apart in the vehicle width direction in front of a passenger compartment, and a damper housing and an upper member that supports an upper wall portion of the damper housing are arranged above each of the left and right side frame portions. This is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the vehicle front structure described in Patent Document 1, an upper member is arranged substantially parallel to the side frame portion above the side frame portion, and an upper wall portion of a damper housing (damper support portion) is connected to the rear portion of the upper member. The rear portion of the damper housing is connected to a rear region of the lower side frame portion via a rear connecting wall. A bumper beam is connected to the front end portion of the side frame portion via a crash box. In addition, a vicinity portion near the front end portion of the upper member is connected to a connecting plate that extends upward from a front region of the side frame portion. The connecting plate connects the upper member and the side frame portion at a position spaced apart from the damper housing toward the front side.

[0004] This vehicle front structure constitutes an annular load transmission body by the side frame portion, the upper member, a rear connecting wall that connects the rear portions thereof, and a connecting plate that connects the front portions thereof. In this vehicle front structure, the side frame portion, the upper member, the damper housing, the rear connecting wall, the connecting plate, etc. are integrally formed by die-casting of an aluminum alloy.

[0005] Chinese Utility Model Patent No. 217100186 Specification

[0006] The vehicle front structure described in Patent Document 1 transmits an impact load to the rear side of the vehicle by the above-described annular load transmission body, and absorbs the energy of the impact load by deformation of the side frame portion, the connecting plate, the upper member, etc.

[0007] However, in the vehicle front structure described in Patent Document 1, the bumper beam is connected to the front of the side frame via a crash box, and the upper member is located above the connection point with the bumper beam. Therefore, when an impact load is applied to the bumper beam from the front, the load is mainly applied to the side frame, and it is difficult to transmit a sufficient load to the upper member. In other words, in the vehicle front structure described in Patent Document 1, although the vicinity of the front end of the upper member is connected to the front region of the side frame via a connecting plate, the side frame and the upper member are separated by a space behind the connecting plate. Therefore, it is difficult to sufficiently distribute and transmit the impact load to the upper member.

[0008] The problem to be solved is to distribute the impact load input from the front of the vehicle over a wide area of ​​the load-bearing member, efficiently absorb the energy of the impact load with the load-bearing member, and transmit the load to the rear of the vehicle. This invention aims to improve collision safety performance by solving this problem.

[0009] A vehicle front structure according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle front structure comprising: a suspension support structure having a damper support portion; and a load-receiving member extending forward from the damper support portion and having a bumper beam connected to its front portion, wherein the load-receiving member comprises: a first load-receiving region to which the bumper beam is connected at its front portion and which extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with its rear portion connected to the damper support portion; and a second load-receiving region to which at least the upper portion is positioned above the connection portion with the bumper beam and which extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is continuously connected to the first load-receiving region in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to a position where it reaches the damper support portion, and has its rear portion connected to the damper support portion.

[0010] With the above configuration, when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle, the load is applied to the front of the first load-bearing area below the load-bearing member through the bumper beam. A portion of the load applied to the front of the first load-bearing area is transmitted directly through the first load-bearing area to the rear damper support. The remaining load applied to the front of the first load-bearing area is transmitted to the second load-bearing area above the first load-bearing area. At this time, since the second load-bearing area is continuously connected to the first load-bearing area in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle up to a position where it reaches the damper support, the impact load is distributed over a wide area in the longitudinal direction of the second load-bearing area and transmitted to the damper support. If an impact load is applied directly to the front of the second load-bearing area, a portion of that load is transmitted through the second load-bearing area to the rear damper support. The remaining load applied to the second load-bearing area is transmitted through the first load-bearing area to the rear damper support.

[0011] The load-receiving member comprises: a first open section portion having an open cross-section composed of at least two surfaces extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, with the bumper beam connected to its front end and the damper support portion connected to its rear end; a second open section portion having a closed cross-section composed of at least two surfaces extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction at a position above the connection portion with the bumper beam, with the rear end connected to the damper support portion; and a connecting wall portion that continuously connects the first open section portion and the second open section portion in the vehicle's longitudinal direction to a position reaching the damper support portion. The first load-receiving region may be composed of the first open section portion, and the second load-receiving region may be composed of the second open section portion and the connecting wall portion.

[0012] In this case, since the first and second open sections of the load-bearing member are not closed sections, stress concentration can be avoided because there is no partial difference in strength or stiffness across almost the entire area of ​​the load-bearing member in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when an impact load is applied to the front of the load-bearing member, the load is transmitted almost evenly across the entire area of ​​the first open section, the connecting wall, and the second open section. Consequently, when this configuration is adopted, the entire area of ​​the first open section, the connecting wall, and the second open section deforms almost evenly when an impact load is applied, making it possible to efficiently absorb the energy of the impact load.

[0013] The damper support portion includes a front wall against which the rear portion of the load-receiving member abuts, the front wall having a lower abutment region against which the rear portion of the first open section abuts, an upper abutment region against which the rear portion of the second open section abuts, and an intermediate abutment region against which the rear portion of the connecting wall abuts, and the intermediate abutment region of the front wall may be provided with load-transmitting ribs extending from the intermediate abutment region toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0014] In this case, when an impact load is transmitted to the connecting wall of the load-bearing member, a portion of that load is transmitted through the rear of the connecting wall to the intermediate contact region of the front wall of the damper support. A portion of the load transmitted to the intermediate contact region of the front wall is efficiently transmitted to the rear of the vehicle through the load transmission rib that extends towards the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the load input to the connecting wall of the load-bearing member is received by the load transmission rib through the front wall (intermediate contact region) of the damper support, promoting deformation of the connecting wall for energy absorption.

[0015] The first open section comprises an upper horizontal wall extending substantially horizontally at the upper part of the first open section, the second open section comprises a lower horizontal wall extending substantially horizontally at the lower part of the second open section, the damper support comprises a front wall against which the rear part of the load-receiving member abuts, the front wall having a lower abutment region against which the rear part of the first open section abuts, an upper abutment region against which the rear part of the second open section abuts, and an intermediate abutment region against which the rear part of the connecting wall abuts, the lower abutment region is provided at a position approximately the same height as the upper horizontal wall of the first open section, a first reinforcing rib extending from the front wall toward the rear of the vehicle may be provided, and the upper abutment region is provided at a position approximately the same height as the lower horizontal wall of the second open section, a second reinforcing rib extending from the front wall toward the rear of the vehicle may be provided.

[0016] In this case, when an impact load is transmitted to the first and second open sections of the load-receiving member, the load is transmitted through the rear portions of the first and second open sections to the lower and upper contact regions of the front wall of the damper support. At this time, a first reinforcing rib is provided in the lower contact region of the front wall at approximately the same height as the upper horizontal wall of the first open section, and a second reinforcing rib is provided in the upper contact region of the front wall at approximately the same height as the lower horizontal section of the second open section. Therefore, a portion of the impact load applied to the upper horizontal wall of the first open section and the lower horizontal wall of the second open section is efficiently transmitted to the rear of the vehicle through the first and second reinforcing ribs, which extend to the rear of the vehicle, respectively. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the load applied to the first and second open sections of the load-receiving member is transmitted to the rear side of the vehicle via the front wall of the damper support, the first reinforcing rib, and the second reinforcing rib, thereby promoting deformation of the first and second open sections for energy absorption.

[0017] The first reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib may be configured such that at least a portion of them slopes downward toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0018] In this case, the impact load applied from the rear of the load-receiving member to the front wall of the damper support can be efficiently transmitted to the front passenger compartment member on the rear-lower side of the damper support through at least one of the first and second reinforcing ribs.

[0019] The rear portion of the suspension support structure is connected to a front passenger compartment member, which is a member constituting the front area of ​​the passenger compartment. The suspension support structure comprises a damper support portion, an upper load transmission portion that connects the damper support portion to the upper area of ​​the front passenger compartment member, and a lower load transmission portion that connects the damper support portion to the lower area of ​​the front passenger compartment member. The upper load transmission portion is provided with a fracture induction portion that fractures upon input of an impact load exceeding a specified value. The rear portion of at least one of the first reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib may be connected to the lower load transmission portion.

[0020] With the above configuration, if the impact load input from the load-receiving member through the damper support to the upper load transmission unit is less than the specified value, the load is transmitted from the damper support to the upper and lower regions of the front passenger compartment member through the upper and lower load transmission units. If the impact load transmitted from the load-receiving member through the damper support to the upper load transmission unit is greater than the specified value, the fracture-inducing unit ruptures, blocking the load transmission path through the upper load transmission unit. As a result, the impact load is mainly transmitted to the lower region of the front passenger compartment member through the lower load transmission unit, and large loads are not transmitted to the upper region of the front passenger compartment member. At this time, the main load transmission path is between the damper support and the lower load transmission unit, and this load transmission path is reinforced by at least one of the first and second reinforcing ribs provided on the front wall of the damper support. Therefore, even after the fracture-inducing unit of the upper load transmission unit ruptures, it is possible to efficiently transmit the load from the damper support to the lower load transmission unit. Therefore, by adopting this configuration, it becomes possible to switch the load transmission path to an appropriate path in response to the input impact load.

[0021] It is desirable that the front wall of the damper support portion is continuous without gaps between the lower contact region and the intermediate contact region, and between the upper contact region and the intermediate contact region.

[0022] In this case, when an impact load is applied to the front of the load-bearing member, the load is more easily transmitted almost equally to the lower contact area, intermediate contact area, and upper contact area of ​​the front wall of the damper support. As a result, local deformation of the front wall of the damper support is suppressed, and the applied impact load can be efficiently transmitted to the rear of the vehicle through the load transmission rib.

[0023] The first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region may have different extension lengths in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0024] In this case, by making the extension lengths of the first load-bearing area and the second load-bearing area in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle different, it becomes possible to adjust the timing at which impact loads are directly input to the front of each of the first and second load-bearing areas.

[0025] The front portion of the second load-bearing area may be provided with a notch for arranging components.

[0026] In this case, by providing a notch for component placement in the front portion of the second load-bearing area of ​​the load-bearing member, it becomes possible to place desired components in the front area of ​​the vehicle while avoiding interference with the load-bearing member. Therefore, adopting this configuration results in a good component layout at the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, the components placed in the notch will fill the space of the notch in the second load-bearing member. As a result, when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle, it becomes possible to effectively transmit the impact load to the second load-bearing area via the components placed in the notch.

[0027] The first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region each have an open cross-sectional portion consisting of at least two surfaces that extends substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and each of the open cross-sectional portions of the first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region has a ridge portion that substantially follows the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and at least one of the ridge portions of the first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region may be inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from rear to front when viewed from above.

[0028] In this case, when an impact load is applied from the front at an angle to the vehicle, the ridge of the open cross-section can effectively absorb that impact load.

[0029] The outer end of the front of the second load-bearing area in the vehicle width direction may be positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the connection portion of the front of the first load-bearing area with the bumper beam.

[0030] In this case, if a load from an object with a greater vertical height than the connection between the load-receiving member and the bumper beam is applied from the front side of the connection between the load-receiving member and the bumper beam, the object will effectively transmit the impact load not only to the first load-receiving area at the rear of the bumper beam but also to the second load-receiving area. As a result, it becomes possible to efficiently transmit the impact load to the rear of the vehicle through the wide frontal viewing area that combines the first and second load-receiving areas. Furthermore, even if the impact load is applied slightly outside (outside in the vehicle width direction) of the connection between the load-receiving member and the bumper beam, the applied impact load can be absorbed by the second load absorption section.

[0031] The outer end of the bumper beam in the vehicle width direction may be positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the outer end of the front part of the second load-bearing area in the vehicle width direction.

[0032] In this case, when the load of the object to be loaded is applied from the front of the vehicle to a position slightly outside the front of the second load-receiving area (outer position in the vehicle width direction), the impact load applied from the object to be loaded can be received by a part of the bumper beam (the outer end in the vehicle width direction). Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the impact load applied from the front to the outer end of the vehicle can be effectively absorbed by the outer end of the bumper beam (the outer end in the vehicle width direction).

[0033] In one aspect of the present invention, the front vehicle structure has a first lower load-receiving region and a second upper load-receiving region of the load-receiving member that are continuously connected in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle up to a position where they reach the damper support. The second load-receiving region is positioned at least above the connection point between the first load-receiving region and the bumper beam. Therefore, when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle, the load transmitted from the bumper beam to the first load-receiving region can be efficiently distributed and transmitted to the second upper load-receiving region. Consequently, when the front vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention is adopted, it becomes possible to distribute the impact load input from the front of the vehicle over a wide area of ​​the load-receiving member, efficiently absorb the energy of the impact load with the load-receiving member, and transmit the load to the rear of the vehicle.

[0034] A perspective view of the front of the vehicle according to the embodiment. A perspective view of the front of the vehicle showing some of the members of Figure 1 with dashed lines. A side view of the front of the vehicle according to the embodiment, viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction. A perspective view of the front of the vehicle according to the embodiment, corresponding to the view of arrow IV in Figure 3. A front view of the load-receiving member according to the embodiment, viewed from the front of the vehicle. A plan view of the front of the vehicle according to the embodiment. A front view of the suspension support structure according to the embodiment. A perspective view of a part of the suspension support structure according to the embodiment. A plan view of a part of the suspension support structure according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view along the line X-X in Figure 8. A cross-sectional view along the line XI-XI in Figure 8. A perspective view of the reinforcing member according to the embodiment. A plan view of the front of the vehicle according to the embodiment. A perspective view of the suspension support structure according to the embodiment, viewed from the passenger compartment side. A perspective view of the suspension support structure according to the embodiment, with the dashboard panel attached, viewed from the passenger compartment side. A side view of the load-receiving member according to the first modified example. A side view of the load-receiving member according to the second modified example.

[0035] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, front and rear, up and down, and left and right refer to the front and rear, up and down, and left and right of vehicle 1 unless otherwise specified. Also, in the drawings, arrow FR points to the front of the vehicle, arrow UP points to the top of the vehicle, and arrow LH points to the left side of the vehicle.

[0036] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the front of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1, with some of the members (load-receiving members 20, described later) shown by dashed lines. Figure 3 is a side view of the front of the vehicle 1 viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction (the left side of the vehicle 1), and Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front of the vehicle 1 corresponding to the view taken by arrow IV in Figure 3. Reference numeral 10 in Figures 1 and 2 indicates a pair of damper housings spaced apart on both the left and right sides of the front compartment 11 in front of the driver's seat. The damper housing 10 has an upper wall 10a having a damper connecting portion 16, and a covering wall 10b extending downward from the periphery of the upper wall 10a (front and rear edges and the inner edge in the vehicle width direction). The damper housing 10 is open to the downward side. The horizontal cross-section of the damper housing 10 is open to the outside in the vehicle width direction. Hereinafter, the part of the damper housing 10 that is open to the outside in the vehicle width direction will be referred to as the "open portion 52". The space enclosed by the upper wall 10a and the covering wall 10b contains the front suspension damper 50, coil spring 51, etc. (see Figure 3). The upper end of the damper 50 is connected to the damper connecting portion 16 of the upper wall 10a.

[0037] The left and right damper housings 10 are connected to each other by a connecting beam 12 that extends along the vehicle width direction. The connecting beam 12 is located on the lower front side of the passenger compartment. The connecting beam 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a rectangular cross-section that extends along the vehicle width direction. On the lower side of the left and right sides of the connecting beam 12, substantially U-shaped axle insertion blocks 13 are provided through which the axles of the corresponding left and right front wheels W are inserted.

[0038] Furthermore, a load transmission section 53 extending toward the rear of the vehicle is connected to the rear of each left and right damper housing 10. The load transmission section 53 has an upper load transmission section 56 that connects the left and right corresponding damper housings 10 to the front pillars 54 on the same side, and a lower load transmission section 57 (see Figure 3) that connects the damper housings 10 to the dashboard panel 55. The lower load transmission section 57 is connected to the lower region of the upper load transmission section 56. The front pillars 54 are located at the left and right ends of the front of the passenger compartment and are provided to run along the front edge of the front door (not shown). The dashboard panel 55 is a panel member that separates the passenger compartment from the front compartment 11, and its left and right ends are connected to the left and right corresponding front pillars 54.

[0039] The left and right damper housings 10, along with the load transmission section 53 and the connecting beam 12, are made of cast aluminum alloy parts. In this embodiment, the cast parts including the damper housings 10, load transmission section 53, and connecting beam 12 constitute the suspension support structure 15. In this embodiment, the front pillar 54 constitutes the front passenger compartment member of the upper area of ​​the passenger compartment, while the dashboard panel 55, the underfloor frame member (not shown), and the side sill (not shown) constitute the front passenger compartment member of the lower area of ​​the passenger compartment.

[0040] Furthermore, load-bearing members 20 extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction are connected to the front sides of each of the left and right damper housings 10. The left and right load-bearing members 20 are formed in a generally symmetrical manner. The load-bearing members 20 are made of cast aluminum alloy parts.

[0041] The left and right side edges of the bumper beam 14, which is located at the front of the vehicle 1, are connected to the front of the lower part of each of the left and right load-bearing members 20. The bumper beam 14 extends horizontally along approximately the width of the vehicle, and the back (rear) sides of the left and right side edges are connected to the front ends of the corresponding load-bearing members 20.

[0042] FIG. 5 is a front view of the load receiving member 20 as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1, 4, and 5, the load receiving member 20 includes a lower side load receiving portion 21 in which a plate-like wall portion extending substantially along the vehicle front-rear direction is bent in a crank shape in the vertical and horizontal directions and continuously provided, and similarly, an upper side load receiving portion 22 in which a plate-like wall portion extending substantially along the vehicle front-rear direction is bent in a crank shape in the vertical and horizontal directions and continuously provided. The upper side load receiving portion 22 is disposed above the lower side load receiving portion 21 and at a position outside in the vehicle width direction. Note that the bent shapes of the lower side load receiving portion 21 and the upper side load receiving portion 22 may be substantially L-shaped or channel-shaped, or may include a partially curved portion. The lower side load receiving portion 21 and the upper side load receiving portion 22 may have a structure in which an open cross section composed of at least two surfaces extends substantially along the vehicle front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the lower side load receiving portion 21 constitutes a first open cross section portion, and the upper side load receiving portion 22 constitutes a second open cross section portion.

[0043] A plate-like load input wall 23 extending in a direction (substantially orthogonal direction) intersecting the vehicle front-rear direction is provided at the front end portion of the lower side load receiving portion 21. The bumper beam 14 is fastened and fixed to the front surface of the load input wall 23. Further, the rear end portion of the lower side load receiving portion 21 abuts against the lower region of the front surface of the left and right corresponding damper housings 10 and the front surface of the axle insertion block 13, and is fastened and fixed to the front surface of the damper housing 10 and the front surface of the axle insertion block 13 in that state.

[0044] The upper side load receiving portion 22 is shorter in the front-rear length than the lower side load receiving portion 21, and its front end portion is located on the rear side of the vehicle with respect to the front end portion of the lower side load receiving portion 21. The lower side load receiving portion 21 and the upper side load receiving portion 22 are connected by a flat plate-like connecting wall portion 28. The connecting wall portion 28 continuously connects the lower side load receiving portion 21 disposed below and inside in the vehicle width direction and the upper side load receiving portion 22 disposed above and outside in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle front-rear direction. Note that the connecting wall portion 28 is formed to have substantially the same length as the upper side load receiving portion 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction, and continuously connects a substantially rear half region of the lower side load receiving portion 21 to the upper side load receiving portion 22.

[0045] The front ends of the connecting wall portion 28 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 are provided with plate-shaped front end walls 19 that extend in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The front end walls 19 are formed to straddle the connecting wall portion 28 and the front ends of the upper load-receiving portion 22. The rear ends of the connecting wall portion 28 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 abut against the upper regions of the front surfaces of the corresponding left and right damper housings 10, and are fastened and fixed to the front surfaces of the damper housings 10 in that state. Hereinafter, the portion of the front wall of the damper housing 10 and the axle insertion block 13 that the rear end of the load-receiving member 20 abuts against will be referred to as the "front wall 74 of the damper support portion," or simply the "front wall 74."

[0046] Plate-shaped load transmission walls 24 extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle's longitudinal direction are integrally provided at the rear ends of the lower load-receiving portion 21, the connecting wall portion 28, and the upper load-receiving portion 22. The load transmission walls 24 are formed to span almost the entire area of ​​the rear ends of the lower load-receiving portion 21, the connecting wall portion 28, and the upper load-receiving portion 22. The rear ends of the lower load-receiving portion 21, the connecting wall portion 28, and the upper load-receiving portion 22 are fastened and fixed to the front walls 74 of the corresponding damper support portions on the left and right sides via the load transmission walls 24.

[0047] The upper load-receiving portion 22 and the lower load-receiving portion 21, together with the connecting wall portion 28, constitute a part of the front wheel house that covers the inside of the front wheel W in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the connecting wall portion 28 is formed in the shape of a flat plate, but the connecting wall portion 28 may also be a plate-shaped wall portion that extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is bent in a crank shape in the vertical and horizontal directions, similar to the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22.

[0048] Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the load receiving member 20 includes a first load receiving region Af to which the bumper beam 14 is connected at the front, and a second load receiving region As disposed above the first load receiving region Af. The first load receiving region Af and the second load receiving region As both extend substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the rear portions thereof are connected to the front wall 74 of the damper support portion. The second load receiving region As extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in a state where at least the upper portion is disposed above the connecting portion 31 with the bumper beam 14. Further, the second load receiving region As is connected along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle above the first load receiving region Af. The connection portion between the second load receiving region As and the first load receiving region Af is continuous to the vehicle rear side up to a position reaching the front wall 74 of the damper support portion. In the present embodiment, the first load receiving region Af is constituted by a lower side load receiving portion 21 which is a first open cross-sectional portion, and the second load receiving region As is constituted by an upper side load receiving portion 22 which is a second open cross-sectional portion and a connecting wall portion 28. The upper side load receiving portion 22 which is a second open cross-sectional portion is disposed above the connecting portion 31 with the bumper beam 14.

[0049] The upper side load receiving portion 22 and the connecting wall portion 28 are shorter in the longitudinal direction than the lower side load receiving portion 21 as described above, and the front end portions thereof are located on the vehicle rear side with respect to the front end portion of the lower side load receiving portion 21. Therefore, the second load receiving region As is shorter in the longitudinal direction than the first load receiving region Af, and the front end portion thereof is located on the vehicle rear side with respect to the front end portion of the first load receiving region Af. For this reason, it can also be said that the second load receiving region As is provided with a notch portion in which a front portion of the region As is missing by a predetermined length. Hereinafter, the missing portion (space portion) of the front portion of the second load receiving region As will be referred to as a "notch portion 45".

[0050] In the present embodiment, components 44 such as vehicle headlights, sensors, and control devices are accommodated and disposed in the notch portion 45 on the upper front side (front side portion of the second load receiving region As) of the load receiving member 20. The notch portion 45 in the front side portion of the second load receiving region As functions as a notch portion for component arrangement.

[0051] Figure 6 is a plan view of the area behind the load-bearing member 20 at the front of the vehicle 1, viewed from above, and Figure 7 is a front view of the suspension support structure 15. As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 7, the upper surface of the connecting beam 12 is formed flat. The upper surface of the connecting beam 12 is an auxiliary equipment mounting section 61 for mounting auxiliary equipment 60 such as a heat exchanger, compressor, power control unit (ECU), and power unit (a unit integrating the ECU and battery). The connecting beam 12 is positioned between the left and right damper housings 10 and is connected to the inner walls in the vehicle width direction of the covering walls 10b of the left and right damper housings 10. Hereinafter, the inner walls in the vehicle width direction of the covering walls 10b will be referred to as the "vertical wall section 62".

[0052] The auxiliary equipment mounting section 61 of the connecting beam 12 is positioned below the respective damper connecting sections 16 of the left and right damper housings 10. The vertical wall section 62 of the damper housing 10 extends downward from the vicinity of the inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the respective damper connecting sections 16 of the left and right damper housings 10 (the inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the upper wall 10a). The vertical wall section 62 connects the vicinity of the inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the damper connecting sections 16 to the auxiliary equipment mounting section 61. The left and right vertical wall sections 62 incline downward in the vehicle width direction from the vicinity of the inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the damper connecting sections 16 toward the auxiliary equipment mounting section 61.

[0053] As shown in Figure 6, the connecting beam 12 is positioned such that at least a portion of it overlaps with the strip-shaped region b connecting the extended portions of the damper connecting parts 16 of the left and right damper housings 10 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the strip-shaped region b connecting the extended portions of the left and right damper connecting parts 16 is set to be located inside the longitudinal width A of the connecting beam 12 in a plan view.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 7, axle insertion blocks 13 extending downward are integrally provided near the connecting portion between the left and right damper housings 10 and the connecting beam 12. A boss portion 63 extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction is provided in the upper region of the front surface of each axle insertion block 13. A support hole 64 is provided on the front surface of the boss portion 63. A shaft portion 66a for supporting the stabilizer is inserted into this support hole 64. The shaft portion 66a for supporting the stabilizer is provided on the locking block 66 of the stabilizer 65. The locking block 66 is attached to the rod portion of the stabilizer 65 that extends along the vehicle width direction.

[0055] Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an enlarged portion of the left side of the suspension support structure 15, and Figure 9 is a plan view showing an enlarged portion of the left side of the suspension support structure 15. As shown in Figures 1, 2, 6 to 9, the upper walls 10a of the left and right damper housings 10 (near the damper connecting portion 16) are connected by a second connecting beam 67. The second connecting beam 67 is formed from an aluminum alloy plate material with a roughly hat-shaped cross-section. The second connecting beam 67 extends substantially along the vehicle width direction, above the auxiliary equipment mounting portion 61 (upper surface) of the connecting beam 12, so as to be substantially parallel to the auxiliary equipment mounting portion 61 (upper surface). As shown in Figure 6, the front-to-rear width of the second connecting beam 67 is narrower than the front-to-rear width A of the connecting beam 12. In a plan view, the second connecting beam 67 is positioned to overlap with the connecting beam 12. As shown in Figure 7, the second connecting beam 67, together with the left and right damper housings 10 and the connecting beam 12, forms a closed cross-section that is approximately rectangular in shape when viewed from the front.

[0056] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view along the line X-X in Figure 8, and Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view along the line XI-XI in Figure 8. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the upper wall 10a and the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10 form an opening 52 that opens outward and downward in the vehicle width direction. The upper region of this opening 52 on the vehicle width direction is covered by a reinforcing member 30. The reinforcing member 30 is made of a metal material such as steel or titanium alloy, which has a higher tensile strength than the aluminum alloy that forms the damper housing 10. The reinforcing member 30 is fixed to the corresponding damper housings 10 on the left and right by bolting or welding. In this embodiment, the reinforcing member 30 is provided to cover only the upper region of the opening 52 on the vehicle width direction, but the reinforcing member 30 may also be provided to cover the intermediate or lower region in the vertical direction on the vehicle width direction of the opening 52.

[0057] Figure 12 is a perspective view of the reinforcing member 30 from above. The reinforcing member 30 extends along the side edge of the upper wall 10a of the damper housing 10 and includes an upper wall portion 30a that is connected to the lower surface of the upper wall 10a. The upper wall portion 30a has a side edge 30as that extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction at its outer end in the vehicle width direction, a front edge 30af that extends in the vehicle width direction at its front end in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and an inclined edge 30ai that connects the side edge 30as and the front edge 30af. The inclined edge 30ai is inclined from the outer end of the front edge 30af in the vehicle width direction toward the front end of the side edge 30as. The inclined edge 30ai is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle. The upper wall portion 30a of the reinforcing member 30 is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle in the region forward of the connection between the side edge 30as and the inclined edge 30ai.

[0058] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 30 includes a side wall portion 30b that bends or curves downward from the side edge 30as (outer position in the vehicle width direction) of the upper wall portion 30a, a front wall portion 30c that bends or curves downward from the front edge 30af (front position of the vehicle) of the upper wall portion 30a, and an inclined wall 30d that bends or curves downward from the inclined edge 30ai of the upper wall portion 30a. The front end of the inclined wall 30d is connected to the outer end of the front wall portion 30c in the vehicle width direction, and the rear end of the inclined wall 30d is connected to the front end of the side wall portion 30b. As shown in Figure 9, the inclined wall 30d is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from a position in front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle, relative to the damper connection portion 16. Furthermore, the reinforcing member 30 includes a side wall portion 30b, an inclined wall 30d, and a lower wall portion 30e (see Figure 10) connected to the lower end of the front wall portion 30c. The lower wall portion 30e extends below the upper wall portion 30a so as to be substantially parallel to the upper wall portion 30a. As shown in Figure 3, the upper end of the inclined wall 30d is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle along the inclination on the front side of the upper wall portion 30a.

[0059] Here, as shown in Figures 3 and 8, the upper walls 10a of the left and right damper housings 10 are provided with a damper connecting portion 16 to which the upper end of the damper 50 is connected, and a forward-sloping portion 70 that slopes downward toward the front of the vehicle from the front end of the damper connecting portion 16. The damper connecting portion 16 connected to the rear end of the forward-sloping portion 70 slopes downward toward the rear of the vehicle. The upper wall portion 30a of the reinforcing member 30 is connected to the lower surface of the outer edges in the vehicle width direction of the damper connecting portion 16 and the forward-sloping portion 70 of the upper wall 10a of the damper housing 10.

[0060] The reinforcing member 30 has a front wall portion 30c and a side wall portion 30b that are connected to the front and rear edges of the opening 52 of the damper housing 10. As a result, the opening 52 of the damper housing 10 is closed by the reinforcing member 30 in a horizontal cross-section that includes the inclined wall 30d.

[0061] Figure 13 is a plan view of the front of vehicle 1. In Figure 13, the object to which the load is applied 100 when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle is shown as a schematic cross-section. The object to which the load is applied 100 is located at a position offset to one side in the vehicle width direction relative to the front of the vehicle (a position offset to one side from the center in the vehicle width direction). As shown in Figure 13, the reinforcing member 30 is positioned such that at least a portion of it overlaps with the front and rear of the vehicle in a plan view with respect to the connection portion 31 between the load receiving member 20 (lower load receiving portion 21) connected to the front of the damper housing 10 and the bumper beam 14 at the front of the vehicle.

[0062] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the suspension support structure 15 as seen from the passenger compartment side. Figure 15 is a perspective view of the suspension support structure 15 with the dashboard panel 55 attached as seen from the passenger compartment side. The upper load transmission section 56, which is connected to the rear of each of the left and right damper housings 10, includes, as shown in Figures 3, 8, 14, and 15, a strip-shaped upper frame section 35 extending toward the rear of the vehicle from the outer edge in the vehicle width direction of the upper wall 10a of the damper housing 10, a rear frame section 36 that bends downward from the rear end of the upper frame section 35, and a vertical wall section 37 connected to the inner edges in the vehicle width direction of the upper frame section 35 and the rear frame section 36. The rear frame section 36 is connected to the corresponding left and right front pillars 54.

[0063] As shown in Figure 3, the vertical wall portion 37 is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape in a side view, with its vertical width gradually increasing from the front to the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, the horizontal cross-section of the vertical wall portion 37 is formed with a wavy curve. Each apex 38 of this wavy curve extends linearly in the vertical direction. In addition, each apex 38 of the wavy curve is arranged at substantially constant intervals in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The apex 38 of the wavy curve constitutes a fracture-inducing portion that induces fracture (or deformation) of the upper load transmission portion 56 when an impact load exceeding a specified value is input to the upper load transmission portion 56. Hereinafter, the apex 38 of the wavy curve will be referred to as the "fracture-inducing portion 38".

[0064] The fracture-inducing portion 38 of the vertical wall portion 37 is configured to induce fracture of the vertical wall portion 37 on the side where the load is applied when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle and biased to one side in the vehicle width direction, but to prevent fracture of the vertical wall portion 37 when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle and not biased to the vehicle width direction. In other words, the upper load transmission portion 56 (vertical wall portion 37) on the side where the large load is applied is configured to fracture at the fracture-inducing portion 38 only when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle with an offset in the vehicle width direction.

[0065] As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the lower edge of the vertical wall portion 37 slopes downward from the front end toward the rear of the vehicle. Slightly above this lower edge of the vertical wall portion 37, an inclined rib 39 is provided that slopes downward from the front end toward the rear of the vehicle, following the lower edge. The inclined rib 39 protrudes outward from the vertical wall portion 37 in the vehicle width direction. The protruding height of the inclined rib 39 is greater than the height of the wavy bend of the vertical wall portion 37 in the vehicle width direction (the height from the top protruding inward in the vehicle width direction to the top protruding outward in the vehicle width direction).

[0066] Furthermore, the lower load transmission section 57, which is connected to the rear of each of the left and right damper housings 10, includes, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, a curved wall 40 connected to the lower edge of the vertical wall 37 of the upper load transmission section 56 and the rear surface of the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10, and a lower block 41 connected to the lower end of the curved wall 40. The curved wall 40 is formed by curving three-dimensionally so that its upper surface forms a spherical shape that is convex upward. Multiple outer reinforcing ribs 42a, 42b, and 42c are provided on the upper surface of the curved wall 40, extending to connect the rear surface of the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10 and the upper surface of the lower block 41. All of these outer reinforcing ribs 42a, 42b, and 42c extend downward from their front ends toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0067] As shown in Figures 4 and 10, a plurality of inner reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 43e, and 43f are provided inside the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10, extending from the front wall 74 of the damper support section to the side wall and the rear wall. These plurality of inner reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 43e, and 43f are arranged so that their plate thickness direction is oriented vertically, and they extend from the front wall 74 of the damper support section toward the rear of the vehicle. Of these, two inner reinforcing ribs 43b and 43c are inclined downward from their front ends toward the rear of the vehicle, as shown in Figure 3, and their rear ends are connected to the front ends of two outer reinforcing ribs 42b and 42c, sandwiching the rear wall portion of the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10, as shown in Figure 14. In Figure 14, the reference numeral b indicates the connection between the inner reinforcing rib 43b and the outer reinforcing rib 42b on the rear wall portion of the covering wall 10b, and the reference numeral c indicates the connection between the inner reinforcing rib 43c and the outer reinforcing rib 42c on the rear wall portion of the covering wall 10b.

[0068] As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the lower block 41 bulges out from the rear of the axle insertion block 13 toward the rear of the vehicle. The lower block 41 has a flat upper surface 41u that connects to the lower end of the curved wall 40 and the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10, and a connecting surface 41c that faces toward the rear of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 15, the connecting surface 41c is connected to the front of the dashboard panel 55.

[0069] The lower load transmission section 57 of the load transmission section 53 is positioned behind the lower load receiving section 21 of the corresponding left and right load receiving members 20, and is located in a position that overlaps with the lower load receiving section 21 in the vertical direction. The upper load transmission section 56 of the load transmission section 53 is positioned behind the upper load receiving section 22 of the corresponding left and right load receiving members 20, and is located in a position that overlaps with the upper load receiving section 22 in the vertical direction.

[0070] Incidentally, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the front walls 74 of the left and right damper housings 10 (damper support sections) have a lower contact area 74Al, an upper contact area 74Au, and an intermediate contact area 74Am. The lower contact area 74Al is located below the front wall 74, and the upper contact area 74Au is located above the front wall 74. The intermediate contact area 74Am is located between the lower contact area 74Al and the upper contact area 74Au of the front wall 74. Note that the space between the lower contact area 74Al and the intermediate contact area 74Am, and the space between the upper contact area 74Au and the intermediate contact area 74Am are continuous without any gaps.

[0071] The rear end of the lower load-receiving portion 21 (first open section) of the load-receiving member 20 abuts against the front surface of the lower contact area 74Al. The rear end of the upper load-receiving portion 22 (second open section) of the load-receiving member 20 abuts against the front surface of the upper contact area 74Au. In addition, the rear end of the connecting wall portion 28 of the load-receiving member 20 abuts against the front surface of the intermediate contact area 74Am.

[0072] The front ends of the aforementioned inner reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b, 43c, 43d, 43e, and 43f, which reinforce the interior of the covering wall 10b of the damper housing 10, are connected to the following areas of the front wall 74. The three upper inner reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b, and 43c are connected to the upper contact area 74Au of the front wall 74. The inner reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b, and 43c are arranged in this order from top to bottom and spaced apart from each other. The two lower inner reinforcing ribs 43b and 43c of these three inner reinforcing ribs 43a, 43b, and 43c are inclined downward toward the rear from the front end. The two inner reinforcing ribs 43d and 43e, located below the inner reinforcing rib 43c, are connected to the intermediate contact area 74Am of the front wall 74. The inner reinforcing ribs 43d and 43e are arranged vertically in this order and spaced apart from each other. These two inner reinforcing ribs 43d and 43e extend substantially horizontally from their front ends toward the rear, or a portion of them is slightly inclined downward. One inner reinforcing rib 43f, located below the inner reinforcing rib 43e, is connected to the upper contact region 74Au of the front wall 74. This one inner reinforcing rib 43f extends slightly substantially horizontally toward the rear from its front end and then inclins downward toward the rear.

[0073] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upper load-receiving portion 22 of the load-receiving member 20 is provided with a lower horizontal wall 22l that extends substantially horizontally from the lower end of the upper load-receiving portion 22. The lower horizontal wall 22l constitutes a part of the lower side of the open cross-section of the upper load-receiving portion 22. Furthermore, the lower load-receiving portion 21 of the load-receiving member 20 is provided with an upper horizontal wall 21u that extends substantially horizontally from the upper end of the lower load-receiving portion 21. The upper horizontal wall 21u constitutes a part of the upper side of the open cross-section of the lower load-receiving portion 21.

[0074] In this embodiment, the inner reinforcing ribs 43d and 43e extend from the intermediate contact region 74Am of the front wall 74 toward the rear of the vehicle and constitute load transmission ribs that transmit the input load from the front to the lower load transmission section 57. The inner reinforcing rib 43f constitutes a first reinforcing rib that extends toward the rear of the vehicle from a position approximately the same height as the upper horizontal wall 21u of the lower load receiving section 21 within the lower contact region 74Al of the front wall 74. The front end of the inner reinforcing rib 43f is connected to the front wall 74 in a substantially horizontal position and faces the rear end of the upper horizontal wall 21u across the front wall 74. The inner reinforcing rib 43c constitutes a second reinforcing rib that extends toward the rear of the vehicle from a position approximately the same height as the lower horizontal wall 22l of the upper load receiving section 22 within the upper contact region 74Au of the front wall 74. The front end of the inner reinforcing rib 43c is connected to the front wall 74 in a nearly horizontal position and faces the rear end of the lower horizontal wall 22l across the front wall 74.

[0075] The first reinforcing rib, the inner reinforcing rib 43f, and the second reinforcing rib, the inner reinforcing rib 43c, both have at least a portion that slopes downward toward the rear of the vehicle. Although some of these inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c have a substantially horizontal portion, their main parts are sloped downward toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0076] As shown in Figure 3, when a virtual line extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in a side view is used as the reference line, it is desirable that the inclination angle α1 of the inner reinforcing rib 43f (first reinforcing rib) with respect to the reference line and the inclination angle α2 of the inner reinforcing rib 43c (second reinforcing rib) with respect to the reference line be α1, α2 < 30°. It is desirable to set these inclination angles α1 and α2 to the above angles because if the angle exceeds 30°, the amount of load transmitted for input loads in the longitudinal direction decreases as the angle increases. In this embodiment, both inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c are inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle, but it is also possible for only one of the inner reinforcing ribs 43f or 43c to be inclined downward. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rear ends of both inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c are connected to the lower load transmission section 57, but it is also possible for only one of the inner reinforcing ribs 43f or 43c to be connected to the lower load transmission section 57. Also, the number of inner reinforcing ribs connecting the front wall 74 and the lower load transmission section 57 is not limited to the example of this embodiment. The number of internal reinforcing ribs can be increased or decreased as appropriate depending on the required performance.

[0077] Here, as shown in Figure 13, the left and right load-bearing members 20 have ridges r1 and r2 at the bending angles of the open cross-sections of the lower load-bearing portion 21 and the upper load-bearing portion 22, respectively. These ridges r1 and r2 extend along the respective extension directions of the lower load-bearing portion 21 and the upper load-bearing portion 22. As shown in Figure 13, the ridges r1 and r2 of the lower load-bearing portion 21 and the upper load-bearing portion 22 are inclined outward in the main width direction from rear to front when viewed from above.

[0078] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, the outer end Ase in the vehicle width direction at the front of the upper load-receiving portion 22 (second load-receiving region As) is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the connection portion 31 between the front of the lower load-receiving portion 21 (first load-receiving region Af) and the bumper beam 14. Also, the outer end 14e in the vehicle width direction of the bumper beam 14 is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the outer end Ase in the vehicle width direction at the front of the upper load-receiving portion 22 (second load-receiving region As).

[0079] As described above, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the lower first load-receiving region Af and the upper second load-receiving region As of the load-receiving member 20 are continuously connected in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle up to a position where they reach the front wall 74 of the damper support. The upper part of the second load-receiving region As is positioned above the connection portion 31 between the first load-receiving region Af and the bumper beam 14. Therefore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle, the load transmitted from the bumper beam 14 to the first load-receiving region Af can be efficiently distributed and transmitted to the upper second load-receiving region As as well. Consequently, when the vehicle front structure of this embodiment is adopted, it becomes possible to distribute the impact load input from the front of the vehicle over a wide area of ​​the load-receiving member 20, and to transmit the load to the rear of the vehicle while efficiently absorbing the energy of the impact load with the load-receiving member 20.

[0080] Furthermore, the vehicle front structure of this embodiment includes a load-receiving member 20 comprising a lower load-receiving portion 21 which is a first open cross-section, an upper load-receiving portion 22 which is a second open cross-section, and a connecting wall portion 28 which continuously connects the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22. Both the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 have open cross-sections that extend substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and their rear ends are connected to a damper support portion (front wall 74 of the damper housing 10). A bumper beam 14 is connected to the front of the lower load-receiving portion 21. The second load-receiving region As, which is located above the first load-receiving region Af, is composed of the upper load-receiving portion 22 which is a second open cross-section and the connecting wall portion 28. In this configuration, since the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 are not closed sections (they are open sections), stress concentration can be avoided because there is no partial difference in strength and rigidity over almost the entire area of ​​the load-receiving member 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when an impact load is applied to the front of the load-receiving member 20, the load is transmitted almost evenly across the entire area of ​​the lower load-receiving portion 21, the connecting wall portion 28, and the upper load-receiving portion 22. Consequently, when the vehicle front structure of this embodiment is adopted, the entire area of ​​the lower load-receiving portion 21, the connecting wall portion 28, and the upper load-receiving portion 22 deforms almost evenly when an impact load is applied, making it possible to efficiently absorb the energy of the impact load.

[0081] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the front wall 74 of the damper support portion has a lower contact region 74Al, an upper load receiving portion 22, and an intermediate contact region 74Am. The rear part of the lower load receiving portion 21 abuts against the lower contact region 74Al, the rear part of the upper load receiving portion 22 abuts against the upper contact region 74Au, and the rear part of the connecting wall portion 28 abuts against the intermediate contact region 74Am. The intermediate contact region 74Am of the front wall 74 is provided with inner reinforcing ribs 43d and 43e (load transmission ribs) that extend from the intermediate contact region 74Am toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when an impact load is applied and the load is transmitted to the connecting wall portion 28 of the load-receiving member 20, a portion of the load is transmitted through the rear of the connecting wall portion 28 to the intermediate contact region 74Am of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion, and further transmitted to the rear side of the vehicle through the inner reinforcing ribs 43d, 43e (load transmission ribs). Thus, when the vehicle front structure of this embodiment is adopted, the load applied to the connecting wall portion 28 of the load-receiving member 20 is transmitted to the rear side of the vehicle via the front wall 74 (intermediate contact region 74Am) of the damper support portion and the inner reinforcing ribs 43d, 43e (load transmission ribs), promoting deformation of the connecting wall portion 28 for energy absorption. Thus, the vehicle front structure of this embodiment can improve the energy absorption performance when an impact load is applied.

[0082] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, an inner reinforcing rib 43f (first reinforcing rib) is provided extending from the front wall 74 toward the rear of the vehicle at approximately the same height as the upper horizontal wall 21u of the lower load receiving portion 21 (first open section) within the lower contact area 74Al of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion. In addition, an inner reinforcing rib 43c (second reinforcing rib) is provided extending from the front wall 74 toward the rear of the vehicle at approximately the same height as the lower horizontal wall 22l of the upper load receiving portion 22 (second open section) within the upper contact area 74Au of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion. In the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, when an impact load is transmitted to the lower load-receiving portion 21 (first open section) and the upper load-receiving portion 22 (second open section) of the load-receiving member 20, the load is transmitted through the rear portions of the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 to the lower contact region 74Al and the upper contact region 74Au of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion. At this time, a portion of the impact load input to the upper horizontal wall 21u of the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the lower horizontal wall 22l of the upper load-receiving portion 22 is efficiently transmitted to the rear of the vehicle through the inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c that extend to the rear of the vehicle, respectively. Therefore, when the vehicle front structure of this embodiment is adopted, the load input to the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 of the load-receiving member 20 is transmitted to the rear side of the vehicle via the front wall 74 and inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c of the damper support portion, thereby promoting deformation of the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 for energy absorption. Thus, the vehicle front structure of this embodiment can further enhance the energy absorption performance when impact loads are input.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c provided in the lower contact area 74Al and upper contact area 74Au of the front wall 74 are inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the load input to the front wall 74 of the damper support can be efficiently transmitted through the inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c to the dashboard panel 55, floor frame (not shown), side sill, and other front passenger compartment members located below and rear of the damper support. Note that substantially the same effect can be obtained even if only one of the two inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c (first reinforcing rib and second reinforcing rib) is inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0084] Furthermore, the vehicle front structure of this embodiment includes a suspension support structure 15 comprising an upper load transmission section 56 that connects the damper support section to the upper region of the front passenger compartment member, and a lower load transmission section 57 that connects the damper support section to the lower region of the front passenger compartment member. The upper load transmission section 56 is provided with a fracture induction section 38 that breaks when an impact load exceeding a specified value is input, and the rear portions of the inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c are connected to the lower load transmission section 57. Therefore, if the impact load input from the load receiving member 20 through the damper support section to the upper load transmission section 56 is less than the specified value, the load is transmitted from the damper support section to the upper and lower regions of the front passenger compartment member through the upper load transmission section 56 and the lower load transmission section 57. On the other hand, if the impact load input from the load receiving member 20 through the damper support section to the upper load transmission section 56 is greater than the specified value, the fracture induction section 38 of the upper load transmission section 56 breaks. As a result, the load transmission path through the upper load transmission section 56 is blocked, and the impact load is mainly transmitted to the lower region of the front passenger compartment member through the lower load transmission section 57. At this time, since the load transmission path between the damper support section and the lower load transmission section 57 is reinforced by the inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c, it becomes possible to reliably transmit the load from the damper support section to the lower load transmission section 57 even after the fracture-inducing section 38 of the upper load transmission section 56 has fractured. It should be noted that a substantially similar effect can be obtained even if only one of the two inner reinforcing ribs 43f and 43c (first reinforcing rib and second reinforcing rib) is connected to the lower load transmission section 57. Therefore, when the vehicle front structure of this embodiment is adopted, it becomes possible to switch to an appropriate load transmission path according to the input impact load.

[0085] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the area between the lower contact region 74Al and the intermediate contact region 74Am, and the area between the upper contact region 74Au and the intermediate contact region 74Am, of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion are continuous without gaps. Therefore, when an impact load is applied to the front of the load receiving member 20, the load is easily transmitted almost equally to the lower contact region 74Al, the intermediate contact region 74Am, and the upper contact region 74Au of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion. Consequently, when this configuration is adopted, local deformation of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion is suppressed when an impact load is applied, and the applied impact load can be efficiently transmitted to the rear side of the vehicle through the inner reinforcing ribs 43d and 43e.

[0086] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the load-receiving member 20 has different extension lengths in the vehicle longitudinal direction for the first load-receiving area Af and the second load-receiving area As. Therefore, the timing at which impact loads are directly input to the front of each of the first load-receiving area Af and the second load-receiving area As can be suitably adjusted.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a notch 45 for component placement is provided in the front portion of the second load-receiving region As of the load-receiving member 20. This makes it possible to place a desired component 44 in the forward region closer to the front of the vehicle, resulting in a good component layout at the front of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the component 44 is configured to protrude forward of the vehicle beyond the front end of the lower load-receiving portion 21 through the notch 45. Therefore, when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle at the height of the component 44, the load is input to the front of the second load-receiving region As via the component 44. Thus, in this structure, a load transmission path that does not go through the bumper beam 14 can be obtained. Also, the component 44 placed in the notch 45 fills the space of the notch 45 in the front portion of the second load-receiving region As. Therefore, when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle, it is possible to transmit the impact load well to the rear region of the second load-receiving region As via the component 44 placed in the notch 45.

[0088] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the ridges r1 and r2 of the upper load-receiving portion 22 and the lower load-receiving portion 21, which form the open cross section, are inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from rear to front when viewed from above. Therefore, when an impact load is input from the diagonal front of the vehicle, the impact load can be suitably transmitted to the rear side of the vehicle through the ridges r1 and r2 of the open cross section. In this embodiment, the ridges r1 and r2 of both the upper load-receiving portion 22 and the lower load-receiving portion 21 are inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from rear to front. However, it is also possible to incline only one of the ridges r1 and r2 of the upper load-receiving portion 22 and the lower load-receiving portion 21 outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0089] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the outer end Ase in the vehicle width direction of the front of the second load receiving area As (upper load receiving area 22) is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the connection portion 31 between the front of the first load receiving area Af and the bumper beam 14. Therefore, when a load from a load input object 100 that is taller vertically than the connection portion 31 is input from the front side of the connection portion 31 between the load receiving member 20 and the bumper beam 14, the load input object 100 will suitably transmit the impact load not only to the first load receiving area Af at the rear of the bumper beam 14, but also to the second load receiving area As. As a result, it becomes possible to efficiently transmit the impact load to the rear of the vehicle through the wide frontal viewing area that combines the first load receiving area Af and the second load receiving area As. Furthermore, even if an impact load is applied to a position slightly outside the connection portion 31 between the bumper beam 14 and the load-receiving member 20 (outward position in the vehicle width direction), the second load-receiving region As can receive the impact load and absorb the energy of the impact load.

[0090] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure of this embodiment, the outer end 14e in the vehicle width direction of the bumper beam 14 is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the outer end Ase in the vehicle width direction of the front of the second load receiving region As. Therefore, when the load of the load input object 100 is input from the front of the vehicle at a position slightly outside the front of the second load receiving region As (outer position in the vehicle width direction), the impact load input from the load input object 100 can be received by a part of the bumper beam 14 (the outer end 14e in the vehicle width direction). Thus, when the vehicle front structure of this embodiment is adopted, the impact load input from the front to the outer end of the vehicle can be suitably absorbed by the outer end 14e (outer end in the vehicle width direction) of the bumper beam 14.

[0091] In the above-described embodiment, the load-receiving member 20 has a second load-receiving region As whose extension length in the front-rear direction is shorter than that of the first load-receiving region Af. As a result, the second load-receiving region As has a notch 45 in which the front part of the region As is missing by a predetermined length. However, the form of the notch provided in the front part of the second load-receiving region As is not limited to this. For example, a form like the first modified example shown in Figure 16 or a form like the second modified example shown in Figure 17 can also be adopted.

[0092] <First Modified Example> Figure 16 is a side view of the load-receiving member 120 of this modified example. In this modified example, the load-receiving member 120 has a concave notch 45A that opens to the front at the front end of the second load-receiving region As, and a component 44 such as a headlight can be housed inside the notch 45A.

[0093] <Second Modification> Figure 17 is a side view of the load-receiving member 220 of this modification. In this modification, the load-receiving member 220 has a concave notch 45B that opens upward in the front region of the second load-receiving area As, and a component 44 such as a 12V battery can be housed inside the notch 45B.

[0094] The load-bearing members 120 and 220 of the two modified examples described above can obtain the same basic effects as the load-bearing member 20 of the embodiment described above. However, in both modified examples, a concave notch 45A, 45B is provided in a part of the front region of the second load-bearing region As, so that the wall of the second load-bearing region As surrounds the part 44, and the part 44 can be well protected during normal vehicle operation.

[0095] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the rear of the lower load transmission unit 57 is connected to the dashboard panel 55, but the member to which the rear of the lower load transmission unit 57 is connected is not limited to the dashboard panel 55. The rear of the lower load transmission unit 57 may be any member located on the front side of the passenger compartment, such as a frame member under the floor or a side sill.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the inner reinforcing rib 43f (first reinforcing rib) is connected to the upper horizontal wall 21u of the lower load-receiving portion 21 (first open section) within the lower contact area 74l of the front wall 74 of the damper support portion at approximately the same height. However, if the lower load-receiving portion 21 (first open section) has other horizontal walls, a similar inner reinforcing rib may be provided at approximately the same height as those horizontal walls. Similarly, if the upper load-receiving portion 22 (second open section) has horizontal walls other than the lower horizontal wall 22l, a similar inner reinforcing rib may be provided at approximately the same height as those horizontal walls.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the fracture induction portion 38 provided in the upper load transmission portion 56 is composed of the peaks of the bent portions of the wave shape, but the configuration of the fracture induction portion 38 is not limited to this. The fracture induction portion 38 may be, for example, a slit or notch extending in the vertical direction, a thin-walled shape, etc., as long as it can induce fracture of a part of the upper load transmission portion 56 when an impact load is applied.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lower load-receiving portion 21, which is the first open cross-section, and the upper load-receiving portion 22, which is the second open cross-section, are connected by a connecting wall portion 28. However, the upper load-receiving portion, which is the second open cross-section, may be directly connected to the lower load-receiving portion.

[0099] 10... Damper housing (damper support part) 14... Bumper beam 15... Suspension support structure 20... Load receiving member 21... Lower load receiving part (first open section) 21u... Upper horizontal wall 22... Upper load receiving part (second open section) 22l... Lower horizontal wall 28... Connecting wall part 31... Connecting part 38... Top part (fracture inducing part) 44... Part 45, 45A, 45B... Notch part 54... Front pillar (front part of the passenger compartment) 55... Dashboard panel (front part of the passenger compartment) 56... Upper load transmission part 57... Lower load transmission part 74... Front wall 74Al... Lower contact area 74Au... Upper contact area 74Am... Intermediate contact area Af... First load receiving area As... Second load receiving area r1, r2... Ridge part

Claims

1. A vehicle front structure comprising: a suspension support structure having a damper support portion; and a load-receiving member extending forward from the damper support portion and having a bumper beam connected to its front end, wherein the load-receiving member comprises: a first load-receiving region to which the bumper beam is connected at its front end and which extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with its rear end connected to the damper support portion; and a second load-receiving region to which at least the upper part is positioned above the connection portion with the bumper beam and which extends substantially along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, is continuously connected to the first load-receiving region in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to a position where it reaches the damper support portion, and has its rear end connected to the damper support portion.

2. The load-receiving member comprises: a first open section portion having an open section composed of at least two surfaces extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, with the bumper beam connected to its front end and the damper support portion connected to its rear end; a second open section portion having a closed section composed of at least two surfaces extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction at a position above the connection portion with the bumper beam, with the rear end connected to the damper support portion; and a connecting wall portion that continuously connects the first open section portion and the second open section portion in the vehicle's longitudinal direction to a position reaching the damper support portion, wherein the first load-receiving region is composed of the first open section portion, and the second load-receiving region is composed of the second open section portion and the connecting wall portion, characterized in that the vehicle front structure according to claim 1.

3. The damper support portion includes a front wall against which the rear portion of the load-receiving member abuts, the front wall having a lower abutment region against which the rear portion of the first open section abuts, an upper abutment region against which the rear portion of the second open section abuts, and an intermediate abutment region against which the rear portion of the connecting wall abuts, the intermediate abutment region of the front wall is provided with a load-transmitting rib extending from the intermediate abutment region toward the rear of the vehicle, as described in claim 2.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, wherein the first open section portion is provided with an upper horizontal wall extending substantially horizontally at the upper part of the first open section portion, the second open section portion is provided with a lower horizontal wall extending substantially horizontally at the lower part of the second open section portion, the damper support portion is provided with a front wall against which the rear part of the load-receiving member abuts, the front wall having a lower contact region against which the rear part of the first open section portion abuts, an upper contact region against which the rear part of the second open section portion abuts, and an intermediate contact region against which the rear part of the connecting wall portion abuts, a first reinforcing rib extending from the front wall toward the rear of the vehicle is provided in the lower contact region at a position substantially the same height as the upper horizontal wall of the first open section portion, and a second reinforcing rib extending from the front wall toward the rear of the vehicle is provided in the upper contact region at a position substantially the same height as the lower horizontal wall of the second open section portion.

5. The front vehicle structure according to claim 4, characterized in that at least a portion of the first reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib is inclined downward toward the rear of the vehicle.

6. The rear portion of the suspension support structure is connected to a front passenger compartment member which is a member constituting the front area of ​​the passenger compartment, and the suspension support structure comprises a damper support portion, an upper load transmission portion which connects the damper support portion to the upper area of ​​the front passenger compartment member, and a lower load transmission portion which connects the damper support portion to the lower area of ​​the front passenger compartment member, the upper load transmission portion is provided with a fracture induction portion which fractures when an impact load exceeding a specified value is input, and the rear portion of at least one of the first reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib is connected to the lower load transmission portion, characterized in that the front vehicle structure according to claim 5.

7. The front wall of the damper support portion is characterized in that the space between the lower contact area and the intermediate contact area, and the space between the upper contact area and the intermediate contact area are continuous without any gaps, as described in claim 3.

8. The front vehicle structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region have different extension lengths in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

9. The front part of the vehicle structure according to claim 1, characterized in that a notch for arranging components is provided in the front part of the second load-bearing area.

10. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region each have an open cross section portion comprising at least two surfaces which extends substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, each of the open cross section portions of the first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region has a ridge portion substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and at least one of the ridge portions of the first load-bearing region and the second load-bearing region is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from rear to front when viewed from above.

11. The front end of the front of the second load-bearing area, on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the connection portion of the front of the first load-bearing area with the bumper beam, as described in claim 1.

12. The front vehicle structure according to claim 11, characterized in that the outer end of the bumper beam in the vehicle width direction is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the outer end of the front part of the second load-receiving area in the vehicle width direction.

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