Nissan Motor Company Limited

Yorozu Corporation

Akito Sakai

Masanobu Yoshioka

Kunihiro Nishihara

A hood structure for absorbing an impact applied to a hood of an automotive vehicle at collision has: a hood outer panel for closing an engine room; at least one impact absorb body disposed under the hood outer panel, for absorbing the impact applied to the hood when deformed; and an engine disposed under the impact absorb body, for stopping the deformed impact absorb body. Here, to reduce head injury criterion (HIC) effectively at a shortest possible stoke of the hood outer panel, an impact energy absorption rate of the impact absorb body and a total hollow gap formed between the hood outer panel and the engine are both determined in such a way that an impact energy generated at collision can be absorbed in accordance with an ideal impact energy absorption waveform Cm representative of an ideal relationship between reaction force and stroke of the deformed hood outer panel. The ideal impact waveform Cm can be obtained by calculation on the basis of an amount of impact energy required to be absorbed at collision and in accordance with the HIC derivation formulae (1) and (2). Since the impact absorb body is deformed at collision at a relatively moderate energy absorption rate to generate a secondary reaction force required for the ideal impact waveform Cm, the head impact characteristics can be securely improved.

Front upper structure of automotive vehicle

A hood structure for absorbing an impact applied to a hood (31) of an automotive vehicle at collision has: a hood outer panel (33) for closing an engine room (35); at least one impact absorb body (43) disposed under the hood outer panel, for absorbing the impact applied to the hood when deformed; and an engine (37) disposed under the impact absorb body, for stopping the deformed impact absorb body. Here, to reduce head injury criterion (HIC) effectively at a shortest possible stoke of the hood outer panel, an impact energy absorption rate of the impact absorb body and a total hollow gap formed between the hood outer panel (33) and the engine (37) are both determined in such a way that an impact energy generated at collision can be absorbed in accordance with an ideal impact energy absorption waveform Cm representative of an ideal relationship between reaction force (F) and stroke (S) of the deformed hood outer panel. The ideal impact waveform Cm can be obtained by calculation on the basis of an amount of impact energy required to be absorbed at collision and in accordance with the HIC derivation formulae (1) and (2). Since the impact absorb body is deformed at collision at a relatively moderate energy absorption rate to generate a secondary reaction force required for the ideal impact waveform Cm, the head impact characteristics can be securely improved.

A structure for supporting a vehicle suspension unit to a floor panel of a vehicle includes a rear side member secured to a longitudinally extending side portion of the floor panel and a rear cross member secured to a laterally extending portion of the floor panel. The rear cross member has at a side end portion thereof an opening. A collar has a through bore mated with the opening. An upper reinforcing member is secured to the collar, the rear side member and the rear cross member. A lower reinforcing member is secured to the collar and the rear cross member. A suspension supporting bolt has a serrated portion which is so sized as to fit into the through bore of the collar. The suspension supporting bolt is secured to the collar by thrusting the serrated portion into the through bore of the collar. The suspension supporting bolt passes through the collar and the opening and is secured to the vehicle suspension unit.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Akito Sakai