Offset Patents (Class 296/187.1)
  • Patent number: 11958530
    Abstract: A motor vehicle has a chassis on which vehicle wheels of an axle of the motor vehicle that are rearmost in the vehicle longitudinal direction are rotatably held. The chassis has longitudinal members, which are arranged on the rear of the motor vehicle and are mutually spaced apart in the vehicle transverse direction. The longitudinal members each have at least one length region that runs rearward and inward obliquely to the vehicle longitudinal direction behind the respective center points of the vehicle wheels with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Maximilian Pecher
  • Patent number: 11718251
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a Vehicle front structure as defined above is provided, in which the front structure comprises: a side member for supporting a vehicle bumper beam, the side member extending along a longitudinal axis between a first end for connecting to the vehicle bumper beam and a second end for connecting to a bulkhead, and a lateral extension member extending substantially perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis of the side member and outward with respect to the vehicle front structure, the lateral extension member is connected to the side member such that the lateral extension member can exert a bending moment to the side member, and a bending strength of the lateral extension member in backward direction towards the side member is higher compared to a bending strength in the forward direction away from the side member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: VOLVO CAR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Babak Nejabat, Weijia Wu, Asmer Ibrovic, Ejder Eken, Frida Madsen, Martin Swahn
  • Patent number: 11679808
    Abstract: A front body reinforcement structure for a vehicle includes: a front side member connected to a dash panel; a front pillar which is disposed in a height direction of a vehicle body and has a lower part connected to the front side member; a front side upper member connecting a front of the front side member and an upper part of the front pillar; and a reinforcement unit that is connected with the dash panel and connects a rear of the front side member and an upper portion of the front pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eonpyo Kim
  • Patent number: 11584443
    Abstract: A front portion of a vehicle body includes front side frames, a subframe, and a vehicle compartment front structure body. The subframe has a subframe body, a leg portion, a front fastening portion, and a rear fastening portion. The front side frame has a subframe mounting portion which is arranged on a front side of a bending starting point and to which the front fastening portion is fastened. A component mounting bracket having an inclined guide portion with a front surface inclining downward toward a vehicle rear side is coupled to a rear side of the bending starting point of the front side frame. The inclined guide portion is arranged on a track in which the leg portion detached from the front side frame is displaced rearward when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Anzai
  • Patent number: 11511811
    Abstract: A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to an inboard surface of the front side member, A push-off structure is attached to an outboard surface of the front side member adjacent to a front end surface of the front side member. A portion of the push-off structure extends outboard from the outboard surface. Another portion of the push-off structure extends downward below the lower surface of the front side member toward the lateral portion of the engine cradle and the engine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jordan Renn, Masayuki Katou, David Coakley, Yasutsune Terashima, Shuichi Okada, Syu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11511812
    Abstract: A vehicle frame structure has a front side member that extends forward from a dashwall. An engine cradle is attached to the front side member with a lateral side portion of the engine cradle being located beneath and spaced apart from a lower surface of the front side member. An engine is installed to the engine cradle with a portion of the engine extending upward from the engine cradle adjacent to the inboard surface of the front side member. An inboard push structure has an inboard surface, an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion is attached to an inboard surface of the front side member. The lower portion extends downward below a lower surface of the front side member. The inboard surface faces the engine proximate the lateral portion of the lateral side portion of the engine cradle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: NISSAN NORTH AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jordan Renn, Masayuki Kato, David Coakley, Yasutsune Terashima, Shuichi Okada, Syu Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 11459033
    Abstract: A body of a vehicle may include: a pair of front side members extending along a front-rear direction of the vehicle; a crossmember connecting the front side members to each other; a pair of gussets, each of the gussets being joined to an outer lateral surface of corresponding one of the front side members; a pair of crash boxes, each of the crash boxes being provided frontward of corresponding one of protrusions; and a bumper reinforcement connected to the gussets via the crash boxes, wherein a beam portion and each of protrusions overlap each other when viewed along the right-left direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, SUBARU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyuga Atsumi, Osamu Shimasaki, Shunsuke Takii, Satoshi Ikeda
  • Patent number: 11358645
    Abstract: Provided is a vehicle body structure member molded by a die. The vehicle body structure member includes a general portion constituting a main part of the vehicle body structure member, and ribs provided in a standing manner from the general portion and extended along the input direction of a collision load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Soshiro Murata, Ayaka Kagami, Takashi Sagisaka, Yu Sasaki, Shinichi Arimoto, Koh Hirokawa
  • Patent number: 11235813
    Abstract: A side vehicle-body structure of a vehicle capable of efficiently absorbing side collision energy while downsizing an energy absorbing material. The side vehicle-body structure includes a center pillar in which a lower end side is positioned on a vehicle-width-direction outer side with respect to an upper end thereof. The center pillar includes a breakage inducing portion that is provided to be close to a lower portion of an outer wall of the center pillar and induces breakage at time of a side collision, and a step-down portion provided in a corner portion of a center pillar outer wall of the breakage inducing portion. An energy absorbing material is disposed between the step-down portion 3 and an inner panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: MAZD.A MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomohiro Komaji, Yoshihiko Horita
  • Patent number: 11097786
    Abstract: A vehicle front structure includes a dash panel and a reinforcing member. The dash panel includes a steering column hole. The reinforcing member includes a center reinforcing member mounted in a center portion along a width of a vehicle and an outer reinforcing member attached outward along the width of the vehicle. The center reinforcing member and the outer reinforcing member are superposed and joined together on the dash panel around the steering column hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Motoki Tanaka, Koji Saeki
  • Patent number: 10933915
    Abstract: A reinforcement is provided for the front structure of a motor vehicle. The motor vehicle comprises, on at least at one side laterally to a longitudinal axis of said vehicle, a front wheel, a generally vertical profile member (the A-pillar) located to the rear of the front wheel, and a transverse wall (the wheel arch) adjacent to the A-pillar defining the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The reinforcement is attached to the A-pillar and to the wheel arch, and is configured to interfere with the front wheel to limit an intrusion of the wheel into the passenger compartment in the case of a frontal crash on a portion of the vehicle aligned with the front wheel. The reinforcement comprises a generally flat central portion extending transversely along the A-pillar and the wheel arch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: PSA AUTOMOBILES SA
    Inventor: Marc Peru
  • Patent number: 10926806
    Abstract: An assembly includes an inner rail and a rocker rail outboard of the inner rail. The assembly includes a torque box having a first panel fixed to the inner rail and the rocker rail, a second panel fixed to the inner rail and the rocker rail, and a third panel fixed to the inner rail and the rocker rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Jamil M. Alwan, Djamal Eddine Midoun, Shekar Prabhakar Erasala, Pavan Nagaraj, Vladimir Vladimirovich Bogachuk, Shawn Michael Morgans
  • Patent number: 10870451
    Abstract: A lateral-section frame includes a wheel housing upper member, the rear end of which is connected to a front pillar, and a wheel housing lower member extending from the wheel housing upper member via an upper curved section and a lower curved section in a manner such that the front end thereof extends forward and downward to a substantially identical location as does the front end of the front side frame. A stiffener extending forward and rearward to sandwich the upper curved section is attached to the interior of the wheel housing lower member, and the stiffener includes a front rigid section and a rear rigid section attached to a lower surface section and an inside surface section to sandwich an inside ridge therebetween; and a connecting section connecting the front rigid section and the rear rigid section and being attached to at least the inside surface section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takehiro Kondo, Tomohito Kamada
  • Patent number: 10864871
    Abstract: When viewed from the vehicle front and rear direction, the front end portions of the upper plate part 21, the lower plate part 22, the left plate part 23, and the right plate part 24 of the left front side frame 2 and the rear end portions of the upper wall part 41, the lower wall part 42, the left wall part 43, and the right wall part 44 of the left crush can 4 overlap each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: MAZDA MOTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kuniyoshi Tashiro, Ippei Kuroda, Satoshi Nakamura
  • Patent number: 10807645
    Abstract: A reinforcement member has a load-receiving portion and an inclined portion. At least a part of the load-receiving portion is placed in front of a Fr side member. An end, at an inner side in the width direction, of the inclined portion matches in the width direction of the vehicle with a ridgeline at an inner side, in the width direction of the vehicle, of the Fr side member, or is provided at an outer side, in the width direction of the vehicle, in relation to the ridgeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Takashi Tagaito
  • Patent number: 10793191
    Abstract: A lower vehicle body structure includes a vehicle body floor having a bottom surface part, a floor tunnel bulging upwardly from the bottom surface part and extending in vehicle front-and-rear directions, side sills extending in the front-and-rear directions, hinge pillars extending upwardly from the side sills, first frames, lowered parts and second frames. Each first frame extends in the front-and-rear directions between the floor tunnel and a side sill. Each lowered part is provided to the bottom surface part between a first frame and a side sill so as to be lowered below a part where the floor and the side sills are joined. Each second frame extends to a first frame, obliquely rearwardly and inwardly from a side sill along an upper surface of the bottom surface part, and forms in a part including a lowered part a closed cross-section between the bottom surface part and a second frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Hirotaka Natsume, Hidenori Matsuoka, Keisuke Ebisumoto
  • Patent number: 10717469
    Abstract: A vehicle body front part structure includes: a pair of left and right front side frames extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; and a front bulkhead connected to front ends of the front side frames. The front bulkhead includes: a pair of upper and lower lateral members extending in the left-right direction; and a pair of left and right vertical members extending in the up-down direction so as to connect ends on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction of the lateral members to each other. A forward extension part extending toward the front of the vehicle is provided at a lower end of the vertical member. A first load transmission member located on a more outer side in the vehicle width direction than the front side frame is fixed to the forward extension part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiyohiko Matsuoka, Tomohito Kamada, Akira Haga
  • Patent number: 10689035
    Abstract: A side rail includes base members, and plate members that are different in both plate thickness and material from the base members. The base members have a cutout or an opening, and the plate members are fitted into this cutout or opening and joined to the base members by laser welding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Masahiro Onoda, Makoto Kato, Takaaki Onodera, Junichi Amo, Tokukatsu Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10689037
    Abstract: A vehicle lower portion structure includes rockers and front wheel anchoring portions. The rockers are configured to be disposed at vehicle transverse direction outer sides of a battery pack that is installed at a vehicle lower side of a floor panel, and the rockers extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The front wheel anchoring portions are provided at regions, that face front wheels in the vehicle longitudinal direction, of front ends of the rockers, and the front wheel anchoring portions are configured such that a wheel of one or the other of the front wheels, that moves toward a vehicle transverse direction inner side at a time of a front collision of a vehicle, anchors at one of the front wheel anchoring portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masami Uehata
  • Patent number: 10654524
    Abstract: A vehicle body front structure includes: a front pillar that includes an A-pillar provided to extend in an up-down direction, an A?-pillar provided to extend in the up-down direction in the rear of the A-pillar, and a lower frame disposed between lower ends of the A-pillar and the A?-pillar; and a bracket connected to the lower end of the A-pillar and provided to extend frontward from the lower end of the A-pillar. In the vehicle body front structure, strength of the bracket is set to be lower than strength of the A-pillar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasuyuki Kato, Sadayuki Asano, Tomohide Sekiguchi
  • Patent number: 10526020
    Abstract: A side body structure of a vehicle is provided, which includes a hinge pillar extending in vertical directions of the vehicle, a hinge reinforcement disposed in the hinge pillar, and a reinforcing member disposed in the hinge pillar and extending in the vertical directions. The hinge reinforcement is provided with an overlapping section provided on a rear side of a portion of the reinforcing member and overlapping in the vertical directions with the portion when viewed from a vehicle front side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Takashi Narahara, Shuichi Nakagami, Hiroshi Matsubara, Katsuhisa Miyoshi
  • Patent number: 10526017
    Abstract: A structural member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. An off-center impact structure has a first member and a second member. The first member has a linear portion and an offset portion both having a hollow interior. The first linear portion extends through a first opening in the structural member in a direction perpendicular to the structural member and further extends in an outboard direction from the structural member. The offset portion is angularly offset from the first linear portion and extends laterally outboard and forward relative to the structural member. The second member has a first section and a second section. The first section is disposed within the hollow interior of the linear portion of the first member and the second section extends through of an opening in the first member outboard from the opening of the first member away from the hollow interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventor: Patrick Ramses Grattan
  • Patent number: 10501035
    Abstract: A vehicle frame component for limiting the movement of the wheel of the vehicle toward the cab of a cab on frame vehicle including a base member welded to openings in the frame side rail and extending outwardly and located proximal the wheel structure. In one embodiment the vehicle frame component is located forward of the wheel and includes a tire puncture device to deflate the tire during an offset front impact and in a second embodiment the vehicle frame component is located rearward of the wheel. The vehicle frame component has particular utility during an offset front impact where the offset is less than approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the width of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Kumar Gupta, Narayana Venugopal, John Charles Caris, Mark Wlotkowski, Charles Ko, Leonard Anthony Shaner
  • Patent number: 10464513
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a front bumper system for a vehicle. A pair of front side members is arranged along a front-rear direction of the vehicle and arranged on opposite sides of the vehicle and on opposite sides of a cross member structure of the vehicle. Pair of crash box units are mechanically fixated to the front side members. A front bumper is laterally disposed and mechanically fixated to each of the crash box units. A lateral push element is mechanically fixed to one of the crash box units and being arranged to provide a load transfer path via the cross member structure towards the opposing front side member such that at least the front side member on the side of the lateral push element is moved towards the opposing front side member in the event of a crash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2019
    Assignee: Volvo Car Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel Karlsson, Jens Raine, Jan-Erik Larsson, Martin Swahn, Frida Madsen
  • Patent number: 10407104
    Abstract: An integral hot-stamping vehicle body structure may include an integral hot-stamping panel separated into an A pillar section forming an A pillar, a B pillar section forming a B pillar, and a C pillar section forming a C pillar, and forming a side sill with lower portions of the A pillar section, the B pillar section, and the C pillar section, and a joint member disposed on the A pillar section and occupying an open front joint space in the A pillar section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2019
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Jun-Gyoo Park, Seok Oh
  • Patent number: 10384721
    Abstract: A body component for a motor vehicle provides at least one inner shell manufactured from an aluminum material and at least one outer shell manufactured from an aluminum material, the at least one inner shell and the at least one outer shell being connected to one another at least at flange regions and providing at least one cavity between them; and at least one reinforcement element arranged in the cavity. The inner shell is connected only by a rear section to the reinforcement element, such that the rear section of the inner shell is reinforced in dimensionally stable fashion by the reinforcement element in order to safeguard the passenger compartment, and is delimited by a front, non-reinforced section for energy dissipation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Philipp Kellner
  • Patent number: 10322753
    Abstract: A vehicle body front structure includes a main body section (21) extending forward from a substantially central portion of a front pillar in an upward/downward direction, and an upper member (5) including an extension section (22) extending forward and downward from the main body section (21). The main body section (21) includes a first L-shaped member (31). The extension section (22) includes a second L-shaped member (33). Either one of the first L-shaped member (31) and the second L-shaped member (33) has an extension portion (51) overlapping a wall surface of the other one of the first L-shaped member and the second L-shaped member different from a flange (41) and a flange (42) of the other one of the first L-shaped member (31) and the second L-shaped member (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2019
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yasunori Watanabe, Seiji Suzuki, Ryo Fujita
  • Patent number: 10245932
    Abstract: The bracket includes a front fastening portion, a rear fastening portion, and a connecting portion which connects the two of them. The front fastening portion and the rear fastening portion are brought into contact with the upper surface of the Fr side member and protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper surface of the Fr side member to come into contact with the upper surface of the MGCpm cross member. Further, the front fastening portion and the rear fastening portion are provided so as to be arranged in pairs in the front-rear direction across the bending and buckling starting point of the Fr side member. The connecting portion is formed in an angular groove shape having a front wall portion, a rear wall portion, and a side wall portion and recessed in the vehicle width direction in a cross-section in a plan view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Eiji Suzuki
  • Patent number: 10093357
    Abstract: A vehicle structure includes a vehicle frame and a push arm. The vehicle frame includes surfaces that define an intersection of a first side member and a first cross-member. The surfaces extend from the first side member to the first cross-member with an upper surface of a mid-section of the first cross-member being vertically spaced apart from an upper surface of the first side member. The push arm is coupled to the vehicle frame proximate the intersection. A rear surface of the push arm faces and is adjacent to a front area of the intersection. A main body of the push arm extends forward and laterally outboard from the rear surface such that the front surface is located laterally outboard of the first side member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Bruno Buratto, Christopher Robert Hartley, Perry McConnell
  • Patent number: 10086875
    Abstract: A vehicle structure includes a frame and a push arm. The push arm is coupled to a first side member of the frame proximate an intersection of the first side member and a first cross-member. The push arm has a main body, a rear surface, and a front surface. The rear surface faces and is adjacent to the intersection. The main body extends forward and laterally in an outboard direction from the rear surface such that the front surface of the push arm is located laterally outboard of and spaced apart from a front end of the first side member of the frame. The front surface has a first section and a second section both facing forward relative to the frame. The second section is angularly offset from the first section such that the second section and the first section define an obtuse angle therebetween.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Takemi Nishikawa, Kazunori Iimi, Takao Tani, Hideo Aimoto, Naoki Kamizawa, Christopher Robert Hartley, Patrick Dean Grattan, Perry Bruno McConnell, David James Wozniak, Michael James McGory
  • Patent number: 9969432
    Abstract: A vehicle body front structure includes left and right extension side mount members that are provided at rear ends of left and right bumper beam extensions of a front bumper beam and left and right front side frames whose front ends are coupled with the left and right extension side mount members, respectively. The vehicle body front structure further includes left and right gussets that are positioned on left and right corners between outer surfaces in a vehicle width direction of rear end portions of the left and right bumper beam extensions and the left and right extension side mount members, respectively. The left and right gussets are joined to the left and right bumper beam extensions, respectively. Strength of the left and right gussets is higher than strength of the left and right bumper beam extensions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuki Matsushima, Tomohide Sekiguchi, Keisuke Kawabe
  • Patent number: 9821851
    Abstract: A vehicle body front reinforcement assembly includes: a front side beam connected to a front of a dash panel; a side sill connected to a side end portion of a floor panel; and a torque box extending from the dash panel to the side end portion of the floor panel and connecting a rear end of the front side beam to a front end of the side sill, wherein the side sill includes: a side sill coupler coupled to a rear end of the torque box; and a side sill extension connected to a rear end of the side sill coupler and extending towards the rear of a vehicle, and wherein the side sill coupler is made of a material having a lower tensile to strength than the material of the side sill extension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignees: HYUNDAI MOTOR COMPANY, KIA MOTORS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyun Sik Kim, Ji Woong Park, Se Hoon Jung, Soo Heung Eom, Sun Ik Jang, Sea Cheoul Song, Ki Bong Park
  • Patent number: 9650075
    Abstract: A vehicle front section structure includes a front side member including an inner wall and an outer wall facing each other in a vehicle width direction; a load receiving section that is provided or formed at a vehicle front-rear direction front end portion of the front side member, and that receives load; and a weakened portion that is formed at least in the inner wall and the outer wall, at a location that is rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction of the front side member than the load receiving section, and that has lower rigidity than the rigidity of other locations in the front side member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichi Murayama
  • Patent number: 9566922
    Abstract: A vehicle frame component for limiting the movement of the wheel of the vehicle toward the cab of a cab on frame vehicle including a base member welded to openings in the frame side rail and extending outwardly and located proximal the wheel structure. In one embodiment the vehicle frame component is located forward of the wheel and includes a tire puncture device to deflate the tire during an offset front impact and in a second embodiment the vehicle frame component is located rearward of the wheel. The vehicle frame component has particular utility during an offset front impact where the offset is less than approximately twenty-five percent (25%) of the width of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Ajay Kumar Gupta, Narayana Venugopal, John Charles Caris, Mark Wlotkowski, Charles Ko, Leonard Anthony Shaner
  • Patent number: 9517799
    Abstract: A vehicle front section structure includes: a pair of left and right front side members extending along a vehicle front-rear direction at both vehicle width direction sides of a power unit installed in a vehicle front section; a spacer including an angled wall that is provided at a side face on a vehicle width direction outer side of the front side member, that is disposed at the vehicle width direction outer side of the side face, and that increases in distance from the side face on progression toward a vehicle front side, and including a rear end wall extending from a rear end of the angled wall toward the side face, and a spacer extension portion that is provided at the vehicle width direction outer side of the angled wall of the spacer, and that includes an extension wall extending the rear end wall of the spacer toward the vehicle width direction outer side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Ryoji Matsumoto, Hironori Kadoi
  • Patent number: 9283991
    Abstract: A front-end structure includes at least one lower longitudinal member and an absorber which is arranged on an outer side of a vehicle on the at least one lower longitudinal member and, in the event of an impact with a small overlap, provides an energy-absorbing load path into the at least one lower longitudinal member, wherein at least one deformation element is provided which is arranged at least between the absorber and a suspension strut dome and is connected to both thereof in a in a positive, non-positive and/or integrally bonded manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG, ThyssenKrupp AG
    Inventors: Axel Grüneklee, Martin Kibben, Markus Zörnack
  • Patent number: 9283924
    Abstract: A hinge for a hood of a vehicle includes a first bracket; a member rotatably coupled to the first bracket, and a second bracket rotatably coupled to the member. An actuator includes a base connected to the member and a rod moveable relative to the base. The rod moves from a retracted position to an extended position in contact with the second bracket for rotating the second bracket relative to the member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Iskander Farooq, Mohammed Omar Faruque, Sudip Sankar Bhattacharjee, Dean M Jaradi, Srinivasan Sundararajan
  • Patent number: 9266485
    Abstract: A vehicle body front structure includes a front side member that is arranged on a side portion of a vehicle body front portion and extends in a vehicle body front-rearward direction; an extending portion that extends farther toward an outside in a vehicle width direction than the front side member; and a load transmitting member that connects the extending portion and the front side member together, and is configured such that a pushing portion on a front end side is guided toward a receiving portion on a rear end side by an intermediate portion deforming in response to a frontal collision load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomoyuki Kuriyama, Kosuke Sakakibara, Akihiro Tamaoki, Masanobu Omi
  • Patent number: 9242676
    Abstract: A front vehicle body reinforcing structure may include front side members which are disposed at both left and right sides of the vehicle, each of which includes a front tip portion that is positioned at a front side of the vehicle, and each of which has a first closed cross section and front fender apron members which are disposed at both left and right sides of the vehicle, each of which includes a front tip portion that is positioned at the front side in the length direction of the vehicle and coupled to the front tip portion of the front side member, and each of which has a second closed cross section, thereby improving performance for coping with a frontal collision of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation
    Inventor: Ji Woong Park
  • Patent number: 9061713
    Abstract: A vehicle body front structure includes: a front side member arranged in a vehicle body longitudinal direction at an outer side of a vehicle body front in a vehicle width direction; a protrusion member provided on or to an outer wall of the front side member so as to protrude outward of the outer wall in the vehicle width direction, a rear end portion of the protrusion member being located to a vehicle body rear side of a vehicle body front-side end portion of a power unit arranged to an inner side of the front side member in the vehicle width direction in plan view; and a coupling member having one end portion connected to the rear end portion of the protrusion member and the other end portion connected to the outer wall of the front side member to a vehicle body rear side of the rear end portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Syouta Hashimoto, Hiroshi Kato, Shintaro Kitakata, Atsushi Mikuni, Satoshi Funabashi, Harutoshi Motojima
  • Publication number: 20150145283
    Abstract: A vehicle body lower section structure has a rocker that extends in a vehicle body front-rear direction at an outside in a vehicle width direction of a floor panel; and a dashboard cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction at a lower side of a dashboard panel, and an outside end portion of the dashboard cross member in the vehicle width direction is superimposed on and connected to an upper face of the rocker.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Akira NISHINO, Gen NISHIDA, Hideyuki TAKAHASHI, Satoshi KASAI, Daisuke NOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150145284
    Abstract: A vehicle body lower section structure comprises a rocker that extends in a vehicle body front-rear direction at a vehicle width direction outside of a floor panel; a first cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction at a lower side of a dashboard panel and includes an outside end portion in the vehicle width direction coupled to the rocker; a second cross member that extends in the vehicle width direction at the vehicle body front side of the first cross member; and a coupling member that couples the first cross member and the second cross member together, and configures a closed cross-section structure with the dashboard panel and/or the floor panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Gen NISHIDA, Akira NISHINO, Hideyuki TAKAHASHI, Satoshi KASAI, Daisuke NOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20150145282
    Abstract: A vehicle includes a frame rail that extends along and is longitudinally offset from a longitudinal axis. A load transferring member includes a first axial end that is attached to an outboard surface of the frame rail. The load transferring member extends along a centerline thereof, toward the forward axial end of the frame rail, to a second axial end of the load transferring member. The centerline of the load transferring member extends between the first axial end and the second axial end of the load transferring member to define a concave curved shape relative to the outboard surface of the frame rail. The load transferring member includes a cross sectional shape perpendicular to the centerline of the load transferring member that increases in area, when measured from the second axial end moving toward the first axial end.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: GM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS LLC
    Inventors: Vedanth M. Basappa, Bhushan W. Dandekar
  • Publication number: 20150137556
    Abstract: A deflector assembly for a vehicle having a bumper and a frame rail that are connected by a crush-can. The deflector assembly absorbs impact forces in a small overlap rigid barrier test by directing the impact from the barrier in a lateral direction toward the frame rail. A guide and follower, such as a wheel-shaped roller, a ball-shaped roller, a sliding shoe, or a fastener is received in a guide member that defines a guide surface extending longitudinally to guide a back end of the deflector assembly in a full frontal impact in a longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Bhimaraddi Venkaraddi ALAVANDI, Jeffrey Lawrence LAYA, Matt Alan NIESLUCHOWSKI, Jeffrey Dan RUPP
  • Publication number: 20150130217
    Abstract: An apparatus turns a front wheel of a vehicle inward during an offset frontal impact. The apparatus includes a first frame rail and a second frame rail spaced from each other. A bumper is supported by the first and second frame rails. A beam extends between and engages the first and second frame rails. The beam includes an extension extending from the first frame rail away from the second frame rail to a first end spaced from the first frame rail for being positioned forward of the front wheel and for being forced into the front wheel during the offset frontal impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2014
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Applicant: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Leonard Anthony Shaner, Fungtai C. Ko, Ajay Kumar Gupta, Jing Han, Matt Alan Niesluchowski, Yu-Kan Hu, Narayana Venugopal
  • Patent number: 9027695
    Abstract: A first projection portion projecting outward, in a vehicle width direction, from a front side frame is provided. A front end of the first projection portion is located at the same position, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, as a connection portion of a crash can to the front side frame or located in back of the connection portion. An outward side face of the first projection portion is configured to slant rearward and inward in a plan view. The first projection portion and a power unit are arranged to overlap each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Accordingly, an impact transmitted to a vehicle-compartment side in a small overlap collision can be reduced, restraining repair costs of the crash can broken in a low-speed collision as well as maintaining appropriate design flexibility of a vehicle-body front portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2015
    Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
    Inventors: Satoshi Nakamura, Hiroaki Takeshita, Masanobu Kobashi
  • Publication number: 20150115653
    Abstract: A bumper reinforce extending in the vehicle width direction is connected to front ends of side member main bodies extending in the front-rear direction of a vehicle body. The bumper reinforce is provided, at end portions thereof in the vehicle width direction, with projecting ends projecting outward in the vehicle width direction from connecting portions connecting the bumper reinforce and bumper stays. The projecting ends are each provided with a gusset extending toward the rear side of the vehicle body. A catcher is fixed to the outside surface of the side member main body on the rear side of the gusset. The catcher is located at a position corresponding to a mount portion of a side member main body serving as a fixing portion for a power train unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Takao Ookubo, Hiroyuki Ide, Kiyoto Shima, Takeshi Ogata, Masaya Watanabe, Hisayasu Itou, Toshinori Nishida, Hironari Jo, Kiyoshi Fushikida
  • Patent number: 9016768
    Abstract: A vehicle front end structure includes an engine cradle, an engine assembly and a lateral energy transfer member. The engine cradle includes a side engine cradle member with an engine mounting structure, which is located rearward of a front corner of the engine cradle. The engine assembly is fixedly attached to the engine mounting structure of the side engine cradle member. The lateral energy transfer member is fixedly attached to the side engine cradle member between the front corner and the engine mounting structure. The lateral energy transfer member has an engine contact surface positioned adjacent an engine structure of the engine assembly with a prescribed lateral gap between the engine contact surface and the engine structure. The prescribed lateral gap is dimensioned to transfer lateral energy to the engine assembly from a lateral force applied to the side engine cradle member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Nissan North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Takaomi Makino, Takuya Yamashita, Ramkrishna Jayaram Chunduri, Kenneth Ameloot, Ryan Corby
  • Patent number: 9010845
    Abstract: Vehicle structures for dissipating energy associated with a collision are described herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes a side support extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction, a bumper assembly coupled to the side support and extending in a vehicle lateral direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a repositionable joint assembly extending between and pivotally coupled to the side support and the bumper assembly, the repositionable joint assembly including an outboard linking member pivotally coupled to the bumper assembly at a bumper securement location, an inboard linking member pivotally coupled to the side support at a side support securement location, and a fulcrum portion, where the outboard linking member is pivotally coupled to the inboard linking member at the fulcrum portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
    Inventors: Naipaul D. Ramoutar, Mark Kulik, Manikandan Baby Mony, Jonathan R. Young
  • Publication number: 20150102635
    Abstract: A front end assembly including a stepped deflector assembly. The stepped deflector assembly includes a first step attached to one end of a bumper. The first step includes an inner front leg and an intermediate leg. The second step includes an outer front leg and a rear leg. The intermediate leg and rear leg have ends that are disposed adjacent a frame rail, but that are not attached to the frame rail. In a collision, the first and second inner ends of the first and second step, respectively, are driven laterally into the frame rail to reduce intrusions into the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Saeed David Barbat, Mohamed Ridha Baccouche, Jamel E. Belwafa, Rahul Arora