Abstract: A bumper beam formed of fiber reinforced resin containing continuous fibers oriented at least in the vehicle width direction sufficiently absorbs the collision energy of a high-speed collision in the fiber reinforced resin. The bumper beam also has a center portion positioned in the center in the vehicle width direction and protruding outward in the front-back direction, and right and left outer portions inclined from the respective ends of the center portion seen in the vehicle width direction toward the inner side in the front-back direction. The outer portions each have a resin foam member protruding outward in front-back direction. Thus, at the time of a low speed collision, the resin foam member is crushed to absorb part of the collision energy so that the energy is absorbed and distributed over the center and outer portions, protecting the car body frame from deformation.

Abstract: A bumper beam body 13 and upper and lower parts of a flange portion 22 each contain a continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer 20, and a first flange tip portion 22a made of thermoplastic resin that has an L-shaped cross section extending outward in a vertical direction and then curving outward in a vehicle rear-front direction is connected to edges of the flange portion 22. Thereby, even when continuous fibers and matrix resin of the continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer 20 stick out from the edges of the flange portion 22 as flash, this flash can be covered with the first flange tip portion 22a.

Abstract: Since a front side frame, whose rear end is fixed to a front face of a dashboard lower panel of a vehicle body formed into a bathtub shape, includes a fixed portion, an inclined portion, a bent portion and a horizontal portion, when the collision load of a frontal collision is input into the front end of the front side frame, the fixed portion and the bent portion buckle so as to bend back, and the upper face of the inclined part abuts against the front face of the dashboard lower panel, thus making it possible to absorb the collision energy by deformation of the front side frame itself, and to increase the area over which the load is transmitted from the front side frame to the dashboard lower panel to thus disperse the load, thereby reducing the reaction force required for the dashboard lower panel.

Abstract: Since a continuous fiber of a fiber-reinforced resin member includes an axial fiber aligned in the axial direction and an axially right-angled fiber aligned at right angles to the axial direction, and the density of the axially right-angled fiber of a first layer on the outer side of the corner part is made higher than the density of the axially right-angled fiber of a second layer on the inner side of the corner part, when an axial load is input and the fiber-reinforced resin member breaks, the axially right-angled fiber disposed at high density in the outside first layer of the corner part is actively stretched and breaks, thereby enabling a large energy-absorbing effect to be exhibited. Moreover, the fiber-reinforced resin member has a simple structure in which merely the density of the axially right-angled fiber in its interior is changed, thereby minimizing any increase in the production cost.

Abstract: A bumper beam body 13 and upper and lower parts of a flange portion 22 each contain a continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer 20, and a first flange tip portion 22a made of thermoplastic resin that has an L-shaped cross section extending outward in a vertical direction and then curving outward in a vehicle rear-front direction is connected to edges of the flange portion 22. Thereby, even when continuous fibers and matrix resin of the continuous fiber reinforced polymer layer 20 stick out from the edges of the flange portion 22 as flash, this flash can be covered with the first flange tip portion 22a.

Abstract: A bumper beam formed of fiber reinforced resin containing continuous fibers oriented at least in the vehicle width direction sufficiently absorbs the collision energy of a high-speed collision in the fiber reinforced resin. The bumper beam also has a center portion positioned in the center in the vehicle width direction and protruding outward in the front-back direction, and right and left outer portions inclined from the respective ends of the center portion seen in the vehicle width direction toward the inner side in the front-back direction. The outer portions each have a resin foam member protruding outward in front-back direction. Thus, at the time of a low speed collision, the resin foam member is crushed to absorb part of the collision energy so that the energy is absorbed and distributed over the center and outer portions, protecting the car body frame from deformation.

Abstract: An automobile bumper beam to be disposed in a vehicle width direction includes: a small sectional area portion at a center in the vehicle width direction; paired sectional area changing portions continuous to outsides in the vehicle width direction of the small sectional area portion; and paired large sectional area portions continuous to outsides in the vehicle width direction of the sectional area changing portions. The small sectional area portion projects most outward in a front-rear direction at paired impact load input portions. Thus, impact load in minor collision is inputted as two-point concentrated load to the paired input portions of a bumper beam body, reducing a peak value of bending moment acting on the body, and the sectional area changing portions and large sectional area portions bear the moment, thereby enhancing strength of the body, reducing its thickness and weight, and achieving an excellent collision energy absorbing effect.

Abstract: A suspension subframe is secured to an insert member embedded in a core material of an inclined wall of a dash panel. The core material is formed from corrugated plate having a multiplicity of concave-convex portions extending in the fore-and-aft direction. One apex of the insert member is oriented in the vehicle width direction, and two sides of the insert member, proximate the apex, abut against the core material. When a load in the vehicle width direction is inputted from the suspension system into the subframe, it is possible, by absorbing the load by dispersing it from the two sides sandwiching the apex of the insert member toward the core material of the inclined wall of the dash panel, to enhance the support rigidity of the subframe with respect to the inclined wall of the dash panel without excessively complicating the structure of the insert member.

Abstract: Since a front side frame, whose rear end is fixed to a front face of a dashboard lower panel of a vehicle body formed into a bathtub shape, includes a fixed portion, an inclined portion, a bent portion and a horizontal portion, when the collision load of a frontal collision is input into the front end of the front side frame, the fixed portion and the bent portion buckle so as to bend back, and the upper face of the inclined part abuts against the front face of the dashboard lower panel, thus not only making it possible to absorb the collision energy by deformation of the front side frame itself, and to increase the area over which the load is transmitted from the front side frame to the dashboard lower panel to thus disperse the load, thereby reducing the reaction force required for the dashboard lower panel.

Abstract: Since a continuous fiber of a fiber-reinforced resin member includes an axial fiber aligned in the axial direction and an axially right-angled fiber aligned at right angles to the axial direction, and the density of the axially right-angled fiber of a first layer on the outer side of the corner part is made higher than the density of the axially right-angled fiber of a second layer on the inner side of the corner part, when an axial load is input and the fiber-reinforced resin member breaks, the axially right-angled fiber disposed at high density in the outside first layer of the corner part is actively stretched and breaks, thereby enabling a large energy-absorbing effect to be exhibited. Moreover, the fiber-reinforced resin member has a simple structure in which merely the density of the axially right-angled fiber in its interior is changed, thereby minimizing any increase in the production cost.

Abstract: An automobile bumper beam to be disposed in a vehicle width direction includes: a small sectional area portion at a center in the vehicle width direction; paired sectional area changing portions continuous to outsides in the vehicle width direction of the small sectional area portion; and paired large sectional area portions continuous to outsides in the vehicle width direction of the sectional area changing portions. The small sectional area portion projects most outward in a front-rear direction at paired impact load input portions. Thus, impact load in minor collision is inputted as two-point concentrated load to the paired input portions of a bumper beam body, reducing a peak value of bending moment acting on the body, and the sectional area changing portions and large sectional area portions bear the moment, thereby enhancing strength of the body, reducing its thickness and weight, and achieving an excellent collision energy absorbing effect.

Abstract: A bumper beam formed of an automobile fiber-reinforced resin member integrally includes a main body part that has a squared U-shaped cross section opening in one direction and that has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls, and a rib that connects the bottom wall and the pair of side walls. The main body part reinforced with continuous fibers and the rib reinforced with a discontinuous fiber are press formed at the same time to prevent the cross section from collapsing by reinforcing the main body part having a squared U-shaped cross section. It is possible to use the discontinuous fiber to reinforce the rib, which is difficult to reinforce with the continuous fibers, while ensuring high strength by reinforcing the main body part with the continuous fibers, and to eliminate the necessity of separately molding and joining the main body part and the rib.

Abstract: The frontal crash load is transmitted from a front pillar to a center pillar in a reliable manner so that a bending moment caused by the frontal crash load is favorably supported, and the deformation of the door is avoided. A beam member attached to an inner panel includes a S shaped cross section member. An upper channel section of the S shaped cross section member extends along the lower edge of a window opening, and a lower channel section extends adjacent to and in parallel to the lower edge of a window opening in a rear part of the door and is offset toward a lower part of the vehicle body in a rear part of the door, with a front end being located at a same elevation as an upper door hinge.

Abstract: Since an inclined face extending in the fore-and-aft direction is formed in an inner skin on a border between a floor panel and a side sill in a fiber-reinforced plastic cabin for a vehicle, when a bending moment that works so as to collapse the side sill inwardly in the vehicle width direction is applied by the collision load of a side collision, it is possible, without increasing the number of cross members or increasing the height of the cross member, to prevent the side sill from collapsing. Furthermore, since the inclined face of the inner skin and an outer skin are joined to a frame member extending in the fore-and-aft direction, it is possible to suppress deformation of the inclined face and to further reliably prevent the side sill from collapsing by transmitting the bending moment to the outer skin via the frame member.

Abstract: A subframe supporting a suspension system is secured to an insert member embedded in a core material of an inclined wall of a dash panel. Since the core material is formed from the corrugated plate having a large number of concave-convex portions extending in the fore-and-aft direction, one apex of the insert member, is oriented in the vehicle width direction, and two sides sandwiching the apex abut against the core material, when a load in the vehicle width direction is inputted from the suspension system into the subframe, it is possible, by absorbing the load by dispersing it from the two sides sandwiching the apex of the insert member toward the core material of the inclined wall of the dash panel, to enhance the support rigidity of the subframe with respect to the inclined wall of the dash panel without complicating the structure of the insert member.

Abstract: In a vehicle body frame structure, a bumper beam extending in the vehicle width direction, and lower members extending forwardly from the front ends of upper members, are connected to the front ends of bumper beam extensions, which are made of a fiber-reinforced resin and extend forwardly from front ends of front side frames, and the front end faces of the pair of left and right bumper beam extensions, and the front face of the bumper beam are curved into a U-shape pointing toward the front of the vehicle body. Thus, is it possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle body frame in the front part of the motor vehicle, to transmit to the bumper beam extensions a collision load inputted even into the bumper beam or inputted even into the front parts of the lower members, and to reduce the dimensions of the vehicle body front part.

Abstract: A bumper beam formed of an automobile fiber-reinforced resin member integrally includes a main body part that has a squared U-shaped cross section opening in one direction and that has a bottom wall and a pair of side walls, and a rib that connects the bottom wall and the pair of side walls. The main body part reinforced with continuous fibers and the rib reinforced with a discontinuous fiber are press formed at the same time to prevent the cross section from collapsing by reinforcing the main body part having a squared U-shaped cross section. It is possible to use the discontinuous fiber to reinforce the rib, which is difficult to reinforce with the continuous fibers, while ensuring high strength by reinforcing the main body part with the continuous fibers, and to eliminate the necessity of separately molding and joining the main body part and the rib.

Abstract: The frontal crash load is transmitted from a front pillar to a center pillar in a reliable manner so that a bending moment caused by the frontal crash load is favorably supported, and the deformation of the door is avoided. A beam member attached to an inner panel includes a S shaped cross section member. An upper channel section of the S shaped cross section member extends along the lower edge of a window opening, and a lower channel section extends adjacent to and in parallel to the lower edge of a window opening in a rear part of the door and is offset toward a lower part of the vehicle body in a rear part of the door, with a front end being located at a same elevation as an upper door hinge.

Abstract: The frontal crash load is transmitted from a front pillar to a center pillar in a reliable manner so that a bending moment caused by the frontal crash load is favorably supported, and the deformation of the door is avoided. A beam member attached to an inner panel includes a S shaped cross section member. An upper channel section of the S shaped cross section member extends along the lower edge of a window opening, and a lower channel section extends adjacent to and in parallel to the lower edge of a window opening in a rear part of the door and is offset toward a lower part of the vehicle body in a rear part of the door, with a front end being located at a same elevation as an upper door hinge.

Abstract: In this vehicle body floor structure, stiffeners that extend to a rear of a front cross member and that have a U-shaped concave portion that is open at to top thereof when viewed in a cross-section of a vehicle are joined to a bottom surface on both side portions of floor panel. Beads that have a U-shaped concave portion when viewed in a cross-section of the vehicle are provided at a rear portion of the floor panel, and the beads are aligned with the concave portion of the stiffeners and are provided continuously with the stiffeners.