JP7496065B2 - Vehicle front structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional vehicle front structure in which the rear end of a front side frame is connected to a front inclined portion of the vehicle floor, and a vertically extending recess (weakened portion) is formed in the inner wall of the front side frame in the vehicle width direction, so that the recess bends in the vehicle width direction within a horizontal plane due to the impact load of a frontal collision. In this vehicle body structure, a mounting bracket is provided on the lower wall of the front side frame in front of the recess, which supports and suspends a frame-shaped front subframe. The front subframe supports the engine, transmission, suspension device, etc.

JP 2016-607 A

However, since many devices are arranged in the space at the front of the vehicle where the vehicle's engine, electric motor, and other power units are mounted, it is necessary to arrange each device efficiently in the limited space. In this case, it may be necessary to bridge a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction over the left and right side members extending in the fore-and-aft direction, and use the cross member to support electrical components such as a converter and an SPU (Sensor Processing Unit). In this case, the power unit is arranged below the electrical components to which high voltage is applied.

In the conventional structure described above, the effect of the collision load acting on the front subframe suspended from the lower wall of the front side frame (side member) on the front side frame during a frontal collision is taken into consideration. However, no frame structure was designed to take into account the collision load that acts on high-voltage electrical components that may be located above the power unit supported by the front subframe during a frontal collision, leaving room for improvement.

The present invention was made in consideration of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle front structure that allows the surrounding structure to absorb the collision load acting on electrical components supported by a cross member during a frontal collision.

In order to achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle body having a side member disposed at a front portion of a vehicle and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a strut tower provided on the outer side of the side member in the vehicle width direction, an apron panel located on the outer side of the side member in the vehicle width direction and on the front side of the strut tower and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a cross member disposed on the inner side of the side member in the vehicle width direction and extending in the vehicle width direction for supporting electrical components, and a bracket fixed to an upper surface portion of the side member and to which a transverse end portion of the cross member is attached, wherein the side member is disposed at the front of the vehicle. The present invention provides a vehicle front structure having a front portion, a middle portion and a rear portion in a rear direction, the middle portion being fixed to the apron panel and the rear portion being fixed to an inner wall surface of the strut tower in the vehicle width direction, the boundary portion between the middle portion and the rear portion being located at a position overlapping with the boundary portion between the strut tower and the apron panel as viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the rear portion being formed into a shape that approaches inward in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle as viewed from above the vehicle, and the bracket being located at a position overlapping with the boundary portion between the middle portion and the rear portion on an upper surface portion of the side member as viewed from above the vehicle. In this vehicle front structure, the boundary portion between the strut tower and the apron panel has a step portion formed by the front end portion of the vehicle width direction inner wall surface of the strut tower, the front wall surface of the strut tower, and the rear end portion of the apron panel, and the bracket is formed with a U-shaped cross section by an upper surface portion extending in the vehicle width direction and a pair of side wall surfaces extending downward from the front and rear ends of the upper surface portion, and the upper surface portion is provided with a connecting portion to which the vehicle width direction end of the cross member is connected in a detachable manner in the vehicle width direction.

With the vehicle front structure of the present invention, in the event of a frontal collision, the side members bend outward in the vehicle width direction near the boundary between the middle section and the rear section, allowing the surrounding structure to absorb the collision load acting on the electrical components supported by the cross member.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a front part of a vehicle to which a structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, viewed obliquely from above on the front side of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a side member and its surroundings in a state in which a rear bracket in FIG. 1 has been removed. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle from above with a cowl upper panel removed in FIG. 1 . FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the state in which the strut tower, the apron panel, the rear bracket, and the hood lock member are removed from FIG. 3 . 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a rear bracket in FIG. 1 . 7 is a side view of the rear bracket in FIG. 6 as viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 to 7 show a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, the arrow F direction indicates the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the arrow O direction indicates the outward direction in the vehicle width direction, and the arrow U direction indicates the upward direction in the vehicle vertical direction. In addition, "left and right" in the description of the embodiment correspond to left and right when looking forward from inside the vehicle cabin.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a power unit room (or motor room) P in which the vehicle's power unit is mounted is provided in the front part 1 of the vehicle to which the structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. A dash panel 2 is provided at the rear of the power unit room P, which separates the power unit room P from the passenger compartment R. A cowl upper panel 3 is provided above the dash panel 2. A pair of side members 4 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle are provided on the left and right sides of the front part 1 of the vehicle. The following describes the structure of the side member 4 located on the right side of the vehicle and its surroundings. Note that the structure of the side member 4 located on the left side of the vehicle and its surroundings is omitted as it has the same structure as the right side of the vehicle.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the side member 4 has a front portion 41, an intermediate portion 42, and a rear portion 43 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The front end of the front portion 41 is fixed to a front bumper cross member 5 provided at the front end of the vehicle. The rear end of the rear portion 43 is fixed to the front wall of the dash panel 2. The dashed lines in the figures represent the boundary portion 4a between the front portion 41 and the intermediate portion 42, and the boundary portion 4b between the intermediate portion 42 and the rear portion 43. The front portion 41, intermediate portion 42, and rear portion 43 may be integrally formed, or may be connected to each other via a connecting member or the like.

The rear portion 43 of the side member 4 is formed in a shape that approaches inward in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle when viewed from above the vehicle (FIGS. 3 and 4). Specifically, in this embodiment, the rear end portion of the rear portion 43 is formed in a curved shape so that it is positioned more inward in the vehicle width direction than the front end portion when viewed from above the vehicle. However, the rear portion 43 is not limited to a curved shape, and may be in an inclined shape that is bent inward in the vehicle width direction near the boundary portion 4b with the middle portion 42.

The side member 4 is formed so that the width W3 in the vehicle width direction of the rear portion 43 is larger than the width W1 in the vehicle width direction of the front portion 41 and the width W2 in the vehicle width direction of the intermediate portion 42 when viewed from above the vehicle (FIG. 4). The widths W1, W2, and W3 in the vehicle width direction represent average values within the ranges of the front portion 41, the intermediate portion 42, and the rear portion 43, respectively. In this embodiment, the widths of the front portion 41 and the intermediate portion 42 are formed so that they are approximately constant within the ranges of the front portion 41 and the intermediate portion 42. On the other hand, the width of the rear portion 43 is formed so that it gradually increases toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, the relationship between the average widths of the front portion 41, the intermediate portion 42, and the rear portion 43 is W1=W2<W3. This increases the rigidity of the rear portion 43 of the side member 4.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a strut tower 6 and an apron panel 7 are provided on the outer side of the side member 4 in the vehicle width direction. The strut tower 6 houses a suspension system consisting of a suspension spring and a shock absorber that suspends the wheels (not shown), and has high rigidity. A wheel house (not shown) is disposed below the strut tower 6. A flange portion 43a formed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the rear portion 43 of the side member 4 is joined to the lower end of the inner wall surface 6a in the vehicle width direction of the strut tower 6 by spot welding or the like (Figure 2). In other words, the rear portion 43 of the side member 4 is fixed to the inner wall surface 6a in the vehicle width direction of the strut tower 6.

The apron panel 7 is located on the vehicle front side of the strut tower 6 and stands upright, extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The apron panel 7 is formed in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle. The apron panel 7 is provided with a flange portion 7b that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the rear end portion 7a, and the flange portion 7b is joined to the front wall surface 6b of the strut tower 6 by spot welding or the like (FIG. 2). In addition, a flange portion 6c that protrudes forward from the lower inner lower part in the vehicle width direction of the front wall surface 6b of the strut tower 6 is joined to the lower rear end of the apron panel 7 by spot welding or the like. The portion located near these joints corresponds to the boundary portion B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7.

A flange portion 42a formed on the vehicle width direction outer side of the intermediate portion 42 of the side member 4 is joined to the lower end portion 7c of the apron panel 7 by spot welding or the like (Figure 2). In other words, the intermediate portion 42 of the side member 4 is fixed to the apron panel 7. Therefore, when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the boundary portion 4b between the intermediate portion 42 and the rear portion 43 of the side member 4 described above is located at a position that overlaps with the boundary portion B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7.

The boundary B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7 has a step 20 as shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2. Specifically, the step 20 is formed by the front end of the inner wall surface 6a of the strut tower 6 in the vehicle width direction, the front wall surface 6b of the strut tower 6, and the rear end 7a (and flange portion 7b) of the apron panel 7. In other words, the boundary B is provided with a step 20 formed by the corner portion where the inner wall surface 6a and the front wall surface 6b of the strut tower 6 in the vehicle width direction intersect, and the rear end 7a of the apron panel 7 joined to the front wall surface 6b continuing from the corner portion to the outside in the vehicle width direction.

Reinforcing members 7d and 7e are attached to the outer wall surface of the apron panel 7 (Figure 5). Reinforcing member 7d increases the rigidity of the front portion of the apron panel 7, and reinforcing member 7e increases the rigidity of the rear portion of the apron panel 7. However, the rigidity of the apron panel 7 reinforced by reinforcing members 7d and 7e is lower than the rigidity of the strut tower 6.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, an apron side frame 8 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is disposed above the apron panel 7. The apron side frame 8 is inclined downward as it approaches the front of the vehicle. The front end of the apron side frame 8 is connected to the front portion 41 of the side member 4 via a horizontal frame member 9 (Figures 1 and 3). The end of a hood lock member 10 extending in the vehicle width direction is also fixed to the front portion 41 of the side member 4.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, a front cross member 11 and a rear cross member 12 extending in the vehicle width direction are arranged on the inside of the side member 4 in the vehicle width direction with a gap in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front cross member 11 is attached to the side member 4 via a front bracket 13, and the rear cross member 12 is attached to the side member 4 via a rear bracket 14. The front cross member 11 and the rear cross member 12 are connected to each other by a plurality of connecting members 15 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front cross member 11, the rear cross member 12, and the connecting members 15 support electrical components such as a converter and an SPU (not shown), and a power unit such as an electric motor (not shown) is arranged below the electrical components. In this embodiment, the rear cross member 12 corresponds to the "cross member" according to the present invention, and the rear bracket 14 corresponds to the "bracket" according to the present invention.

The front bracket 13 is composed of a front portion 13a and a rear portion 13b. The front portion 13a extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and has a U-shaped cross section that opens to the inside in the vehicle width direction. The lower part of the side wall surface of the front portion 13a located on the outside in the vehicle width direction is joined to the side surface of the middle portion 42 of the side member 4 located on the inside in the vehicle width direction. The upper surface of the front portion 13a has a fixing hole for fixing the front cross member 11, and the vehicle width direction end of the front cross member 11 is fixed with a bolt or the like.

The rear portion 13b of the front bracket 13 is formed in a U-shaped cross section that extends in the vehicle width direction and opens downwardly of the vehicle, and the portion of the front side wall surface that is located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is joined to the rear side wall surface of the front portion 13a. In addition, the lower ends of the front and rear side wall surfaces of the rear portion 13b are joined to a portion located in the middle portion 42 of the upper surface portion 4c of the side member 4. Furthermore, the end portion located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the upper surface of the rear portion 13b and the end portions located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the front and rear side wall surfaces are joined to the inner wall surface of the apron panel 7.

As shown in Figures 1, 3, 6 and 7, the rear bracket 14 has a U-shaped cross section formed by an upper surface portion 14a extending in the vehicle width direction and a pair of side wall surfaces 14b, 14c extending downward from the front and rear ends of the upper surface portion 14a. The rear bracket 14 is formed with a front flange portion 14d protruding forward from the lower end and vehicle width outer end of the front side wall surface 14b, a rear flange portion 14e protruding rearward from the lower end and vehicle width outer end of the rear side wall surface 14c, and an outer flange portion 14f protruding upward from the vehicle width outer end of the upper surface portion 14a (Figure 6).

The lower portion of the front flange portion 14d of the rear bracket 14 is joined to a portion located at the middle portion 42 of the upper surface portion 4c of the side member 4. The outer portion of the front flange portion 14d in the vehicle width direction and the front portion of the outer flange portion 14f are joined to the inner wall surface of the apron panel 7. The lower portion of the rear flange portion 14e is joined to a portion located at the rear portion 43 of the upper surface portion 4c of the side member 4. In addition, the outer portion of the rear flange portion 14e in the vehicle width direction and the rear portion of the outer flange portion 14f are joined to the inner wall surface 6a and the front wall surface 6b in the vehicle width direction of the strut tower 6. Therefore, the rear bracket 14 is provided at a position overlapping the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43 of the upper surface portion 4c of the side member 4 when viewed from above the vehicle (FIG. 3).

A connecting portion 14g is provided on the upper surface 14a of the rear bracket 14. The connecting portion 14g connects the vehicle width direction end of the rear cross member 12 in a state in which it can be detached toward the vehicle width direction. When viewed from the side of the vehicle, the connecting portion 14g is provided on the rear side of the boundary portion B (step portion 20) between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7. Specifically, the connecting portion 14g in this embodiment has a notch that is formed diagonally rearward with respect to the vehicle width direction and opens to the inside in the vehicle width direction. Note that, although an example in which the notch of the connecting portion 14g is formed diagonally rearward with respect to the vehicle width direction is shown here, it is also possible to form the notch diagonally forward with respect to the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear cross member 12 has a mounting hole 12a at its end in the vehicle width direction, which is connected to the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14. By inserting a bolt or the like through the notch of the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14 and the mounting hole 12a of the rear cross member 12 and tightening it, the end in the vehicle width direction of the rear cross member 12 is engaged with the notch of the connecting portion 14g. Due to this state of connection (engagement) between the rear cross member 12 and the rear bracket 14, in the event of a frontal collision, the rear bracket 14 is displaced outward in the vehicle width direction due to bending deformation of the side member 4 as described below, and the rear cross member 12 is released from the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14. At that time, resistance is generated because the notch of the connecting portion 14g is formed obliquely, not parallel to the vehicle width direction, and the rear cross member 12 cannot be released smoothly from the connecting portion 14g.

Furthermore, a ridge line 14h is formed on the upper surface 14a of the rear bracket 14, located between the pair of side wall surfaces 14b, 14c and extending in the vehicle width direction. This ridge line 14h is provided at a position overlapping with the boundary portion B (step portion 20) between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14 is provided on the vehicle rear side of the ridge line 14h.

Next, the operation of the vehicle front structure according to this embodiment will be described.
In the structure of the vehicle front portion 1 according to this embodiment as described above, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the collision load is input to the side member 4 via the front bumper cross member 5. In the side member 4 that receives the collision load, first, the front portion 41 is compressively deformed and crushed in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, thereby absorbing a portion of the collision load.

The collision load that cannot be absorbed by the front portion 41 of the side member 4 is transmitted to the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43 of the side member 4. At this time, due to the structure of the side member 4 as described above, that is, the middle portion 42 is fixed to the apron panel 7 and the rear portion 43 of the side member 4 is fixed to the vehicle width direction inner wall surface 6a of the strut tower 6, the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43 is provided at a position overlapping the boundary portion B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7 as viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the rear portion 43 is formed in a shape (curved shape) that approaches inward in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle as viewed from above the vehicle, the side member 4 bends outward in the vehicle width direction near the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43, and the bending deformation absorbs the collision load.

To explain in detail the bending deformation of the side member 4 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, the rigidity of the strut tower 6 to which the rear part 43 of the side member 4 is fixed is higher than the rigidity of the apron panel 7 to which the middle part 42 of the side member 4 is fixed. Therefore, when the collision load from the front part 41 of the side member 4 is transmitted to the apron panel 7 and the strut tower 6 via the middle part 42 and the rear part 43, the apron panel 7, which has low rigidity, deforms (crushes) and absorbs the collision load, while the strut tower 6, which has high rigidity, resists the collision load. In particular, in this embodiment, the boundary part B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7 has a step part 20, so that the apron panel 7 located in front of the step part 20 is easily deformed, and the strut tower 6 located behind the step part 20 is difficult to deform.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the side member 4 has a rear portion 43 that is curved inward in the vehicle width direction, so that when a collision load from the front portion 41 acts on the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43, the side member 4 is more likely to bend outward in the vehicle width direction near the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the rigidity of the rear portion 43 is increased by making the width W3 of the rear portion 43 in the vehicle width direction larger than the widths W1, W2 of the front portion 41 and the middle portion 42 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the side member 4 is more likely to bend at the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43.

The boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43 of the side member 4 is located at a position that overlaps the boundary portion B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, as the apron panel 7 deforms as described above, the middle portion 42 of the side member 4 fixed to the apron panel 7 is displaced toward the apron panel 7 (outward in the vehicle width direction). As a result, the side member 4 deforms toward the outside in the vehicle width direction in a "L" shape near the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43, and the collision load is absorbed by this bending deformation.

In accordance with the bending deformation of the side member 4 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction as described above, the rear bracket 14 moves toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. That is, the rear bracket 14 is provided at a position overlapping the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43 on the upper surface portion 4c of the side member 4 when viewed from above the vehicle. Therefore, when the side member 4 starts to bend toward the outside in the vehicle width direction near the boundary portion 4b between the middle portion 42 and the rear portion 43, the rear bracket 14 also moves in response to the deformation of the side member 4. At this time, since the upper surface portion 14a of the rear bracket 14 has a ridge line 14h extending in the vehicle width direction, the collision load transmitted to the rear bracket 14 via the side member 4 acts in a direction along the ridge line 14h. This promotes the movement of the rear bracket 14 in response to the bending deformation of the side member 4.

When the rear bracket 14 moves outward in the vehicle width direction, the rear cross member 12 connected to the connecting portion 14g is released from the rear bracket 14. Specifically, the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14 has a notch formed diagonally rearward with respect to the vehicle width direction and opening inward in the vehicle width direction. The rear cross member 12 connected (engaged) to the notch of the connecting portion 14g maintains an engaged state with the notch while the front portion 41 of the side member 4 is compressively deformed in the early stage of a frontal collision. On the other hand, after the compressive deformation of the front portion 41, the side member 4 is bent outward in the vehicle width direction, and when the rear bracket 14 begins to move outward in the vehicle width direction, the end of the rear cross member 12 in the vehicle width direction moves relatively toward the opening side of the notch. In other words, the rear bracket 14 follows the bending deformation of the side member 4, but the rear cross member 12 does not follow it. Then, as the rear bracket 14 continues to move outward in the vehicle width direction, the rear cross member 12 separates from the rear bracket 14.

However, if the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14 is deformed by the collision load, it may prevent the rear cross member 12 from being detached as described above. However, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 14g of the rear bracket 14 is located rearward of the step portion 20 at the boundary portion B between the strut tower 6 and the apron panel 7 when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the connecting portion 14g on the side of the highly rigid strut tower 6 is structured to be less susceptible to deformation. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision, the rear cross member 12 can be reliably detached from the rear bracket 14.

In contrast to the behavior of the rear cross member 12 as described above, the front cross member 11 does not come off the front bracket 13 even if the front bracket 13 moves in response to the bending deformation of the side member 4. In other words, during a frontal collision, the front cross member 11 moves in response to the bending deformation of the side member 4 without coming off the front bracket 13, but the rear cross member 12 comes off the rear bracket 14 and does not follow the bending deformation of the side member 4. This makes it possible to control the behavior of the front cross member 11, the rear cross member 12, and the electrical components supported by them, while absorbing the collision load acting on the electrical components by the bending deformation of the side member 4.

In other words, if both the front cross member 11 and the rear cross member 12 remain attached to the front bracket 13 and the rear bracket 14, the front cross member 11 and the rear cross member 12 will prevent the side member 4 from bending. This makes it difficult for the side member 4 to fully absorb the collision load acting on the electrical components supported by the front cross member 11 and the rear cross member 12 through bending. Furthermore, if both the front cross member 11 and the rear cross member 12 come off the front bracket 13 and the rear bracket 14, it becomes difficult to control the behavior of the front cross member 11, the rear cross member 12, and the electrical components. Under such circumstances, there is a possibility that the electrical components to which high voltage is applied may come into contact with the power unit located below them.

On the other hand, if the rear cross member 12 is detached from the rear bracket 14 as in this embodiment, the bending deformation of the side member 4 is not hindered by the rear cross member 12, so the collision load acting on the electrical components can be fully absorbed by the bending deformation of the side member 4. At the same time, by leaving the front cross member 11 attached to the front bracket 13, the behavior of the electrical components can be controlled, making it possible to avoid contact between high-voltage electrical components and the power unit.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments, an example was shown in which an electrical component is supported by the front cross member 11 and the rear cross member 12 fixed onto the side member 4 via the front bracket 13 and the rear bracket 14, but the electrical component may be supported by only the rear cross member 12, or the electrical component may be supported by three or more cross members including the rear cross member 12. Also, an example was shown in which the rear bracket 14 is formed with a U-shaped cross section, but it is possible to fix the cross member onto the side member by a bracket of any shape.

LIST OF SYMBOLS 1...vehicle front portion 2...dash panel 3...cowl upper panel 4...side member 4a...boundary portion between front portion and middle portion 4b...boundary portion between middle portion and rear portion 4c...upper surface portion 41...front portion 42...middle portion 43...rear portion 5...front bumper cross member 6...strut tower 6a...inner wall surface in vehicle width direction 6b...front wall surface 7...apron panel 7a...rear end portion 8...apron side frame 9...horizontal frame member 10...hood lock member 11...front cross member 12...rear cross member 13...front bracket 14...rear bracket 14a...upper surface portion 14b, 14c...side wall surfaces 14g...connecting portion 14h...ridge line 15...connecting member 20...step portion B...boundary portion between strut tower and apron panel P...power unit room R...vehicle compartment W1 to W3: Width in the vehicle width direction

Claims (5)

A side member disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle;
a strut tower provided on an outer side of the side member in a vehicle width direction;
an apron panel located on an outer side of the side member in a vehicle width direction and on a vehicle front side of the strut tower, the apron panel extending in a vehicle front-rear direction ;
a cross member disposed on an inner side of the side members in a vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle width direction, the cross member supporting an electrical component;
a bracket fixed to an upper surface portion of the side member and to which an end portion of the cross member in a vehicle width direction is attached,
the side member has a front portion, an intermediate portion, and a rear portion in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, the intermediate portion is fixed to the apron panel and the rear portion is fixed to an inner wall surface of the strut tower in the vehicle width direction, a boundary portion between the intermediate portion and the rear portion is provided at a position overlapping a boundary portion between the strut tower and the apron panel as viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the rear portion is formed into a shape that approaches inward in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle as viewed from above the vehicle,
a vehicle front structure, wherein the bracket is provided at a position overlapping a boundary portion between the intermediate portion and the rear portion of an upper surface portion of the side member when viewed from above the vehicle,
a boundary portion between the strut tower and the apron panel has a step portion formed by a front end portion of an inner wall surface of the strut tower in the vehicle width direction, a front wall surface of the strut tower, and a rear end portion of the apron panel,
The bracket is formed in a U-shaped cross section by an upper surface portion extending in the vehicle width direction and a pair of side wall surfaces extending downward from the front and rear ends of the upper surface portion, and the upper surface portion is provided with a connecting portion to which the vehicle width direction end of the cross member is connected in a detachable manner toward the vehicle width direction . The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting portion is provided rearward of the step portion when viewed from the side of the vehicle. The vehicle front structure described in claim 1, characterized in that a ridge line is formed on the upper surface portion of the bracket, the ridge line being located between the pair of side wall surfaces and extending in the vehicle width direction, the ridge line and the step portion being provided at a position where they overlap when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and the connecting portion being provided rearward of the ridge line. A vehicle front structure as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the connecting portion has a notch formed diagonally with respect to the vehicle width direction and opening toward the inside of the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle width direction end of the cross member engages with the notch . The vehicle front structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , characterized in that, when viewed from above the vehicle, the width of the rear portion in the vehicle width direction is greater than the width of the front portion in the vehicle width direction and the width of the middle portion in the vehicle width direction.