U.S. patent application number 13/708788 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-03 for front vehicle body structure.
This patent application is currently assigned to Hyundai Motor Company. The applicant listed for this patent is HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY. Invention is credited to Log Won Do, Ki Bong Park.
Application Number | 20140091598 13/708788 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50276186 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140091598 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Park; Ki Bong ; et
al. |
April 3, 2014 |
FRONT VEHICLE BODY STRUCTURE
Abstract
A front vehicle body structure may include a front side member
extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a fender apron
upper member disposed in an outer direction of the front side
member in a traverse direction of the vehicle, and a fender apron
front reinforcement member extending in the traverse direction of
the vehicle and connecting the fender apron upper member and the
front side member.
Inventors: |
Park; Ki Bong; (Seoul,
KR) ; Do; Log Won; (Suwon-si, KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY |
Seoul |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Hyundai Motor Company
Seoul
KR
|
Family ID: |
50276186 |
Appl. No.: |
13/708788 |
Filed: |
December 7, 2012 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
296/203.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B62D 25/082 20130101;
B62D 25/08 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
296/203.02 |
International
Class: |
B62D 25/08 20060101
B62D025/08 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 2, 2012 |
KR |
10-2012-0109732 |
Claims
1-2. (canceled)
3. The front vehicle body structure of claim 10, wherein a bumper
beam disposed in the traverse direction of the vehicle is mounted
to the front side member; and wherein the fender apron front
reinforcement member is disposed at a rear side of the bumper beam
in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
4. The front vehicle body structure of claim 3, wherein a crash box
is mounted to the front side member between the bumper beam and the
fender apron front reinforcement member.
5. (canceled)
6. The front vehicle body structure of claim 10, wherein the first
end of the fender apron front reinforcement front member includes a
passing-through coupling hole and the front side member is coupled
to the fender apron front reinforcement front member through the
coupling hole.
7. The front vehicle body structure of claim 10, wherein the first
end of the fender apron front reinforcement front member includes a
flange, and wherein the flange is attached to the inner surface of
the front side member while the front side member is coupled to the
coupling hole of the first end of the fender apron front
reinforcement front member.
8. The front vehicle body structure of claim 7, wherein a front end
module is fastened to the fender apron front reinforcement front
member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle while
overlapping the of the fender apron front reinforcement front
member.
9. (canceled)
10. A front vehicle body structure, comprising: a front side member
extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle; a fender apron
upper member disposed next to the front side member; and a fender
apron front reinforcement member extending in a traverse direction
of the vehicle and being connected to the fender apron upper member
and the front side member, wherein the fender apron front
reinforcement member includes: a fender apron front reinforcement
front member; and a fender apron front reinforcement rear member
wherein the fender apron front reinforcement front member and the
fender apron front reinforcement rear member are coupled to each
other; wherein the front side member includes an inner surface and
an outer surface in the traverse direction of the vehicle; wherein
the fender apron front reinforcement front member includes: a first
end connected to the fender apron upper member; and a second end
through which the front side member passes and which is attached to
the inner surface of the front side member; and wherein the fender
apron front reinforcement rear member includes: a second end
attached to the fender apron upper member; and a first end attached
to the outer surface of the front side member; a stay connecting
the first end of the fender apron front reinforcement rear member
and the outer surface of the front side member; and wherein the
first end of the fender apron front reinforcement rear member is
connected to the outer surface of the front side member at a
predetermined angle; and wherein the stay is connected to each of
the first end of the fender apron front reinforcement rear member
and the outer surface of the front side member at a predetermined
angle, so that the first end of the fender apron front
reinforcement rear member, the outer surface of the front side
member, and the stay are formed in a triangular shape.
11. The front vehicle body structure of claim 9, wherein the stay
is shaped of a quadrangular plate, and includes a bead extending in
a longitudinal direction of the stay.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent
Application No. 10-2012-0109732 filed on Oct. 2, 2012, the entire
contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a front vehicle body
structure of a vehicle.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] A front body vehicle of a vehicle includes a front end
module which is disposed at a front side of an engine room in a
longitudinal direction of the vehicle and to which a cooling
module, head lamps, and the like are mounted, and a left side
member and a right side member disposed at both left and right
sides of the front end module along a traverse direction of the
vehicle while extending in the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle, respectively.
[0006] Left and right portions of a bumper beam extending in the
traverse direction of the vehicle are mounted to front tip ends of
the left side member and the right side member in the longitudinal
direction of the vehicle through crash boxes.
[0007] The bumper beam is formed to be longer than an interval
between the left side member and the right side member, and when
the left and right portions of the bumper beam are mounted to the
left side member and the right side member, the bumper beam has a
left outer portion and a right outer portion protruding toward an
outer side of the left side member and the right side member in the
traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0008] A part of the front end module and a fender apron member are
positioned while being spaced apart from both side outer portions
at rear sides of the left outer portion and the right outer portion
of the bumper beam in the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle.
[0009] In the aforementioned front vehicle structure in the related
art, when a vicinity of the left outer portion of the bumper beam
or a vicinity of the right outer portion of the bumper beam is
crashed into an object or another vehicle (hereinafter, referred to
as a crashed object), crash energy is not effectively distributed
to other portions of the vehicle body.
[0010] That is, when the left side member or the right side member
is front offset crashed by 25% into the crashed object
(hereinafter, referred to as a small offset crash), the left side
member or the right side member is bent toward the engine room by
the crashed object, and the fender apron member is crashed into the
crashed object, so that the crash energy is not effectively
distributed to other portions of the vehicle body.
[0011] Accordingly, it is necessary to enhance structural strength
of the front vehicle body portion positioned at a rear side of the
left outer portion and the right outer portion of the bumper
beam.
[0012] The information disclosed in this Background of the
Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the
general background of the invention and should not be taken as an
acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information
forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the
art.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0013] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to
providing a front vehicle body structure having advantages of
improving front offset crash response performance of a vehicle by
directly connecting fender apron front reinforcement members
positioned at rear sides of a left outer portion and a right outer
portion of a bumper beam and mounting a stay for enhancing
connection strength of a connection portion between the fender
apron front reinforcement member and the side member.
[0014] In an aspect of the present invention, a front vehicle body
structure may include a front side member extending in a
longitudinal direction of a vehicle, a fender apron upper member
disposed in an outer direction of the front side member in a
traverse direction of the vehicle, and a fender apron front
reinforcement member extending in the traverse direction of the
vehicle and connecting the fender apron upper member and the front
side member.
[0015] The fender apron front reinforcement member may include a
fender apron front reinforcement front member, and a fender apron
front reinforcement rear member, wherein the fender apron front
reinforcement front member and the fender apron front reinforcement
rear member are coupled to each other to form a shape of a hollow
quadrangular beam.
[0016] A bumper beam disposed in the traverse direction of the
vehicle is mounted to the front side member, wherein the fender
apron front reinforcement member is disposed at a rear side of the
bumper beam in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
[0017] A crash box is mounted to the front side member between the
bumper beam and the fender apron front reinforcement member.
[0018] The front side member may include an inner surface and an
outer surface in the traverse direction of the vehicle, wherein the
fender apron front reinforcement front member may include a first
end connected to the fender apron upper member and a second end to
which the front side member is fitted while passing through the
second end and which is attached to the inner surface of the front
side member, and wherein the fender apron front reinforcement rear
member may include a second end attached to the fender apron upper
member and a first end attached to the outer surface of the front
side member.
[0019] A passing-through coupling hole is formed at the second end
of the fender apron front reinforcement front member and the front
side member is fitted to the coupling hole to be coupled
thereto.
[0020] The second end of the fender apron front reinforcement front
member may include a perpendicularly bent flange, wherein the
flange is attached to the inner surface of the front side member in
a state that the front side member is fitted to the coupling hole
of the second end of the fender apron front reinforcement front
member to be coupled thereto.
[0021] A front end module is fastened to an entire surface of the
fender apron front reinforcement front member in the longitudinal
direction of the vehicle while overlapping the entire surface of
the fender apron front reinforcement front member.
[0022] The front vehicle body structure may further include a stay
connecting the first end of the fender apron front reinforcement
rear member and the outer surface of the front side member.
[0023] The first end of the fender apron front reinforcement rear
member is connected to the outer surface of the front side member
at a predetermined angle, wherein the stay is connected to each of
the first end of the fender apron front reinforcement rear member
and the outer surface of the front side member at a predetermined
angle, so that the first end of the fender apron front
reinforcement rear member, the outer surface of the front side
member, and the stay are formed in a triangular shape.
[0024] The stay is formed in a shape of a quadrangular flat plate,
and may include a bead extending in a longitudinal direction of the
stay.
[0025] According to the front vehicle body structure according to
the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the fender apron
front reinforcement members positioned at the rear sides of the
left outer portion and the right outer portion of the bumper beam
are directly connected to the side members, and the stay for
enhancing strength of a connection portion between the fender apron
front reinforcement member and the side member is mounted.
[0026] Accordingly, when the vehicle is small overlap crashed into
a crashed object during travelling in a front direction, the fender
apron front reinforcement member reduces crash energy by receiving
and absorbing the crash energy, and effectively distributes the
crash energy to the left side member or the right side member,
thereby improving cash response performance of the front vehicle
body.
[0027] Further, the front vehicle body structure is simple, so that
it is possible to decrease the number of components and weight
compared to the corresponding front vehicle body reinforcement
structure in the related art.
[0028] The methods and apparatuses of the present invention have
other features and advantages which will be apparent from or are
set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings, which are
incorporated herein, and the following Detailed Description, which
together serve to explain certain principles of the present
invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0029] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front vehicle body
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of a front vehicle body
according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of
FIG. 1.
[0032] It should be understood that the appended drawings are not
necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified
representation of various features illustrative of the basic
principles of the invention. The specific design features of the
present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example,
specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be
determined in part by the particular intended application and use
environment.
[0033] In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or
equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several
figures of the drawing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments
of the present invention(s), examples of which are illustrated in
the accompanying drawings and described below. While the
invention(s) will be described in conjunction with exemplary
embodiments, it will be understood that the present description is
not intended to limit the invention(s) to those exemplary
embodiments. On the contrary, the invention(s) is/are intended to
cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various
alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments,
which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention
as defined by the appended claims.
[0035] Hereinafter, an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 1, a front vehicle body according to an
exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a front end
module 12, front side members 14, and fender apron upper members
16.
[0037] The front end module 12 extends in a traverse direction of a
vehicle and includes an opening at a center portion in the traverse
direction so that a cooling module and the like is installed
therein.
[0038] A bumper beam 18 is disposed at a front side of the front
end module 12 according to the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle.
[0039] The bumper beam 18 is formed in a beam shape extending in
the traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0040] Both left and right side portions of the bumper beam 18
according to the traverse direction of the vehicle are mounted to
the front side members 14 through crash boxes 20 to be
supported.
[0041] The bumper beam 18 includes outer portions 18a further
extending outwardly than the front side members 14 in the traverse
direction of the vehicle.
[0042] The front side members 14 extend in the longitudinal
direction of the vehicle, and are disposed at both left and right
sides while being spaced apart from each other at a predetermined
interval in the traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0043] The fender apron upper members 16 are disposed at outer
sides of the front side members 14 according to the traverse
direction of the vehicle and upper portions according to a height
direction of the vehicle.
[0044] Fender apron front reinforcement members 22 are connected to
front tip ends of the fender apron upper members 16 according to
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
[0045] The fender apron front reinforcement member 22 extends in
the traverse direction of the vehicle while facing the front side
member 14.
[0046] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a second end of the fender apron
front reinforcement member 22 according to the traverse direction
of the vehicle is connected to the fender apron upper member 16 and
a first end of the fender apron front reinforcement member 22
according to the traverse direction of the vehicle is connected to
the front side member 14.
[0047] The fender apron front reinforcement member 22 is disposed
at a rear side of an outer portion 18a of the bumper beam 18 in the
longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
[0048] The fender apron front reinforcement member 22 includes a
fender apron front reinforcement front member 221 and a fender
apron front reinforcement rear member 222.
[0049] The fender apron front reinforcement front member 221 and
the fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222 are coupled to
each other to be generally formed in a shape of a hollow
quadrangular beam.
[0050] The front side member 14 includes an outer surface and an
inner surface according to the traverse direction of the
vehicle.
[0051] The fender apron front reinforcement front member 221
extends from the fender apron upper member 16 to the front side
member 14 in the traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0052] The fender apron front reinforcement front member 221
includes a second end 225 and a first end 224 according to the
traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0053] The first end 224 of the fender apron front reinforcement
front member 221 is connected to the fender apron upper member 16,
and the second 225 of the fender apron front reinforcement front
member 221 is connected to the front side member 14.
[0054] A passing-through coupling hole 221 a is formed at the
second end 225 of the fender apron front reinforcement front member
221, and the front side member 14 is fitted to the coupling hole to
be coupled.
[0055] The second end 225 of the fender apron front reinforcement
front member 221 includes a perpendicularly bent flange 22 lb. The
flange 221b is attached to an inner surface of the front side
member 14 in a state where the front side member 14 is fitted to
the coupling hole of the second 225 of the fender apron front
reinforcement front member 221 to be coupled.
[0056] The fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222 extends
from the fender apron upper member 16 to the front side member 14
in the traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0057] The fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222
includes a first end 227 and a second end 228 according to the
traverse direction of the vehicle.
[0058] The second end 228 of the fender apron front reinforcement
rear member 222 is attached to the fender apron upper member 16 and
the first end 227 of the fender apron front reinforcement rear
member 222 is attached to the outer surface of the front side
member 14.
[0059] An entire surface of the fender apron front reinforcement
front member 221 according to the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle is fastened to the front end module 12 with a bolt while
overlapping the front end module 12, but may be connected to the
front end module 12 by a welding method and the like.
[0060] A stay 24 is attached while connecting the first end 227 of
the fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222 and the outer
surface of the front side member 14.
[0061] One tip end of the stay 24 is fastened to the outer surface
of the front side member 14 with a bolt to be connected, and the
other tip end of the stay 24 is fastened to the first end 227 of
the fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222 with a bolt to
be connected, but the one tip end of the stay 24 may be attached to
the outer surface of the front side member 14, and the other tip
end of the stay 24 may be attached to the first end 227 of the
fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222 by welding.
[0062] The first end 227 of the fender apron front reinforcement
rear member 222 is connected to the outer surface of the front side
member 14 at a predetermined angle, and the stays 24 are connected
to the first end 227 of the fender apron front reinforcement rear
member 222 and the outer surface of the front side member 14 at a
predetermined angle, respectively, so that the first end 227 of the
fender apron front reinforcement rear member 222, the outer surface
of the front side member 14, and the stay 24 are generally formed
in a shape of a triangle.
[0063] The stay 24 may be formed in a shape of a quadrangular flat
plate.
[0064] The stay 24 includes a plurality of beads 24a extending in a
longitudinal direction thereof and flanges fastened while being in
close contact with the first end 227 of the fender apron front
reinforcement rear member 222 and the outer surface of the front
side member 14.
[0065] The bead 24a serves to enhance strength in the longitudinal
direction of the stay 24.
[0066] When the vehicle is 25% front offset crashed with the
crashed object, such as a barrier 26, around an outer portion 18a
of the bumper beam 18, that is, the vehicle is small overlap
crashed, the outer portion 18a of the bumper beam 18 is bent toward
the rear side according to the longitudinal direction of the
vehicle and the front side member 14 is also bent toward the engine
room.
[0067] When the crash continues, the barrier 26 is crashed into the
fender apron front reinforcement member 22, and the fender apron
front reinforcement member 22 absorbs crash energy, so that the
crash energy is reduced.
[0068] Further, since the fender apron front reinforcement member
22 is connected to the front side member 14 and is strongly
supported to the front side member 14 by the stay 24, the crash
energy applied to the fender apron front reinforcement member 22 is
transferred to the front side member 14 and the fender apron to be
effectively distributed to other portions of the vehicle, thereby
improving front offset crash response performance of the front
vehicle body according to the exemplary embodiment of the present
invention.
[0069] For convenience in explanation and accurate definition in
the appended claims, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner" and
"outer" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments
with reference to the positions of such features as displayed in
the figures.
[0070] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments
of the present invention have been presented for purposes of
illustration and description. They are not intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms
disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are
possible in light of the above teachings. The exemplary embodiments
were chosen and described in order to explain certain principles of
the invention and their practical application, to thereby enable
others skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary
embodiments of the present invention, as well as various
alternatives and modifications thereof. It is intended that the
scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and
their equivalents.
* * * * *