Nissan North America, Inc.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Joseph Buratto

Perry McConnell

Michael J McGory

Christopher Hartley

Patrick Grattan

Hideo Aimoto

Takao Tani

Takemi Nishikawa

Kazunori Iimi

Naoki Kamizawa

Gunnar Mason

Matthew Michael Gapinski

David James Wozniak

Paul Dyde

A vehicle structure includes a vehicle frame with a first side member, a front suspension structure and a stop structure. The stop structure is installed to a first side member rearward of the front suspension structure. The stop structure extends outboard from the first side member and includes an upper surface, a lower surface and a main surface. The upper surface and the lower surface are horizontally oriented. The main surface is vertically oriented and includes a first section, a second section and a third section. The first section is attached to the first side member. The second section extends outboard from the first section defining a forward-facing stop surface that extends to a distal outboard end of the stop structure. The third section extends rearward from the second section, with the first section, the second section and the third section defining vertically oriented exterior surfaces.

Vehicle structure

A vehicle structure includes a vehicle frame and a beam. The vehicle frame has a first side member and a second side member extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction and a cross-member extending in a vehicle lateral direction from the first side member to the second side member perpendicular to the first side member and the second side member. A first end of the beam is connected to one of the first side member or the second side member at a location spaced apart from the cross-member. A second end of the beam is connected to the cross-member at a location spaced apart from both the first side member and the second side member such that the beam is angularly offset from the cross-member with an angle of between 35 and 60 degrees defined between the cross-member and the beam.

An off-center impact reinforcement structure includes a push arm proximate rearward of a front portion of the vehicle frame. The push arm extends in a forward and laterally outboard direction from a front side member. A rear surface of the push arm is located below the first side member. During an initial stage of an off-center impact event in which a stationary barrier directly impacts a front surface of the push arm, impacting forces from the off-center impact event move the rear surface of the push arm into contact with brackets that extend downward from the front side member and transfer through the push arm to brackets and to the vehicle frame. In a second stage, a rear surface of the push arm contacts the vehicle frame as the push arm pivots with the front surface of the push arm moving in a laterally outboard direction.

A vehicle structure includes a frame and a diagonal structure. The frame has a first side member, a second side member and a cross-member that extends in a vehicle lateral direction between the first and second side members. The cross-member is perpendicular to the first and second side members. The diagonal structure has a beam with a rear end that extends to an area of the second side member rearward of the cross-member. An angle of between 35 and 60 degrees is defined between the cross-member and the beam of the diagonal structure. The rear end of the beam is supported to the second side member by a rear attachment bracket such that the rear end of the beam is spaced apart from the second side member with a rear gap being defined between the rear end of the beam and the second side member.

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.

A front suspension structure has a front portion on a first side member of a vehicle frame and a rear portion on the first side member rearward of the front portion. A front wheel is supported by a wheel support structure that is pivotally mounted to a front suspension structure of the first side member. A stop structure is installed to the first side member at the rear portion of the front suspension structure. The stop structure extends in an outboard direction of the first side member. The stop structure has a stop surface that defines an angle relative to the vehicle longitudinal direction between 110 and 130 degrees. In response to an impact event to a front area of the front wheel, the front wheel pivots relative to the wheel support structure moving a rear area of the front wheel into contact with the stop surface.

An off-center impact reinforcement structure includes a push arm and a first diagonals structure installed to elements of a frame of a vehicle structure. The push arm is coupled to the frame proximate an intersection of a first side member and a first cross-member and extends in a forward and laterally outboard direction from the intersection. The first diagonal structure extends rearward and laterally inboard from proximate the intersection toward a section of a second side member rearward of the first cross-member. The off-center impact reinforcement structure is configured such that during an off-center impact event in which a stationary barrier impacts against a front surface of the push arm during forward movement of the vehicle frame, impacting forces from the impact event are transferred through the push arm to the vehicle frame at the intersection and from the intersection to the first diagonal structure.

A vehicle support structure including a vehicle floor, a vehicle frame and a restraining member. The vehicle floor includes a structural member rigidly attached to a lower surface of the vehicle floor. The vehicle frame is attached to the vehicle floor and includes a frame member that extends adjacent to and spaced apart from the structural member. The restraining member has a first end section attached to a first side of the structural member, a second end section attached to a second side of the structural member, and a restraining section extending from the first end section to the second end section. The restraining member at least partially encircles the frame member and is spaced apart from the frame member with a limited range of non-contacting movement between the restraining member and the frame member.

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Beverly Hills, MI, United States of America

Joseph Buratto