Vehicle Front Structure Lower Grille Rigidity Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front structures with lower grilles of low rigidity fail to provide a safety plate function while increasing the number of parts, which complicates manufacturing and mounting processes.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle front structure design that integrates a lower grille with an annular portion, a protruding portion, and a reinforcing portion to enhance rigidity, allowing the lower grille to function as a safety plate without additional parts, while maintaining airflow and cooling efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the lower grille is made with low rigidity to absorb collision energy, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the safety plate function cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
The lower grille is designed with non-uniform rigidity distribution: the reinforcing portion at the upper side provides high rigidity to enable safety plate function (sweeping pedestrian legs), while the protruding portion at the lower side maintains相对较低 rigidity for energy absorption. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between needing high rigidity for safety plate function and low rigidity for collision energy absorption.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate safety plate is added to provide the safety plate function, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the number of parts increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety plate function is integrated into the lower grille structure itself through the reinforcing portion and protruding portion configuration. The lower grille simultaneously performs its original cooling function and the safety plate function, eliminating the need for a separate safety plate component. This merging reduces the number of parts while maintaining pedestrian protection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The lower grille is designed to serve multiple functions: (1) cooling function through the opening for air intake, (2) safety plate function through the reinforcing portion that sweeps pedestrian legs, and (3) collision energy absorption through the protruding portion. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a separate safety plate is added to provide the safety plate function, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the number of mounting steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The safety plate function is integrated into the lower grille structure itself through the reinforcing portion and protruding portion configuration. The lower grille simultaneously performs its original cooling function and the safety plate function, eliminating the need for a separate safety plate component. This merging reduces the number of parts while maintaining pedestrian protection capability.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a vehicle front structure including a front bumper and a lower grille. The front bumper includes a front-bumper lower surface extending in a vehicle rear direction, the front-bumper lower surface having a pair of bottom surface portions at respective side portions and a recessed surface at a center portion, the recessed surface extending from the pair of bottom surface portions and being recessed in an upper direction. The lower grille includes an annular portion arranged at the lower side of a rear end of the recessed surface and forming an opening, a protruding portion protruding from a lower portion of the annular portion so as to protrude in a front direction and oppose to the recessed surface, and a reinforcing portion extending from an upper portion of the annular portion to a back surface of the recessed surface and reinforcing the front-bumper lower surface.