Nissan North America, Inc.

Nissan Motor Company Limited

Ryan Corby

Jeffery Carl Dix

Joyce Lam

Kenneth Ameloot

Adam Strean

Yunosuke Yamada

Stephen Fekete

Brandon Michael Dawe

Toshio Furuta

Seiichiro Eba

Takahiro Watanabe

Mark D Snyder

Ramkrishna Jayaram Chunduri

Takaomi Makino

Takuya Yamashita

Musashi Kishida

Daniel Malm

A vehicle engine cradle structure includes a front member, a rear assembly and a side member. The front member extends in a vehicle lateral direction and has a first outboard end and a second outboard end. The rear assembly extends in the vehicle lateral direction and has a first outboard area and a second outboard area opposite the first outboard area. The first side member has a first forward end, a first rearward end and a first forward outboard portion all being formed as a single monolithic unitary element. The first forward end is fixedly attached to the first outboard end of the front member. The first rearward end is fixedly attached to the first outboard area of the rear assembly. The first forward outboard portion extends in an outboard direction from the first outboard end of the front member defining an off-center impact area.

Vehicle engine cradle structure

A vehicle body structure includes an engine cradle and an impact receiving structure. A forward end of the first side portion and a first lateral end of a front portion of the engine cradle are fixedly attached to one another. The first side portion has a rearward section and a forward section, the rearward section being horizontally oriented and the forward section extending upward and forward from the rearward section defining an acute angle therebetween, the acute angle being between 30 and 35 degrees. The impact receiving structure is installed to the first side portion of the engine cradle proximate an intersection between the first side portion and the front member. A lower surface of the impact receiving structure extends downward along the forward section of the first side portion further defining the acute angle of the forward section of the first side portion of the engine cradle.

Vehicle body structure

A vehicle front end assembly includes an engine cradle, a transverse link and a fastener. The engine cradle has an upper attachment portion and a lower attachment portion, both being rigidly attached to the engine cradle. The upper attachment portion has a recessed area that includes a first opening extending through the recessed area. The upper attachment portion has a first overall thickness with a portion of the recessed area surrounding the first opening having a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. The lower attachment portion has a second opening below the first opening. The transverse link has an inboard portion with a third opening that extends through the inboard portion. The fastener passes through the first opening, the third opening and the second opening such that the fastener retains the transverse link to the upper attachment portion and the lower attachment portion of the engine cradle.

Vehicle front end assembly

A transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side. A steering knuckle has an upper end, a wheel supporting section and a lower end. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. A strut has an upper end and a lower end. An upper knuckle breakaway structure attaches the upper end of the steering knuckle to the lower end of the strut. The upper knuckle breakaway structure has a frangible part that releases the upper end of the steering knuckle from the lower end of the strut upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force. A transverse link breakaway structure couples the inboard side of the transverse link to a lower suspension support structure such that upon application of the prescribed rearward directed force the inboard side of the transverse link is released from the lower suspension support structure.

Vehicle front suspension

A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, a transverse link, a steering knuckle and a lower knuckle breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side, the inboard side being attached to the lower suspension support structure. The steering knuckle has an upper end, a lower end, and a wheel supporting section between the upper end and the lower end. The lower end is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. The lower knuckle breakaway structure is formed on the steering knuckle to release the steering knuckle from the transverse link upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the lower suspension support structure.

A vehicle front suspension includes a suspension support structure, a transverse link, a front link breakaway structure and a rear link breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side with a front connection structure connecting a front end of the transverse link to the suspension support at a first location and a rear connection structure pivotally connecting a rear end of the transverse link to the suspension support at a second location that is spaced rearwardly of the first location. The front link breakaway structure is configured to release the front end of the transverse link from the suspension support upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the suspension support structure. The rear link breakaway structure is configured to release the rear connection structure of the transverse link from the suspension support upon rearward rotation of the transverse link about the rear connection structure.

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.

Vehicle front end structure

A vehicle front body structure includes a front side member, an A-pillar and a strut tower. The front side member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The A-pillar is coupled to the front side member. The strut tower is positioned forward of the A-pillar and has an inboard side fixedly attached to an outboard section of the front side member. The strut tower also defines a force receiving surface extending between the inboard side and an outboard side. The force receiving surface of the strut tower is configured and arranged to receive a force directed rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction and redirect at least a portion of the force in a vehicle lateral direction toward the front side member.

Vehicle front body structure

A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, a transverse link, a steering knuckle and a lower knuckle breakaway structure. The transverse link has an inboard side and an outboard side, with the inboard side being attached to the lower suspension support structure. The steering knuckle is pivotally coupled to the outboard side of the transverse link. The lower knuckle breakaway structure is formed on one of the transverse link and the steering knuckle to release the steering knuckle from the transverse link upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on the vehicle front suspension outboard of the lower suspension support structure.

A vehicle front suspension includes a lower suspension support structure, an upper suspension support structure, a steering knuckle and a strut. The steering knuckle has a lower end pivotally coupled to the lower suspension support structure and an upper end. The strut has an upper end connected to the upper suspension support structure, and a lower end fixedly attached to the upper end of the steering knuckle by an upper knuckle breakaway structure. The upper knuckle breakaway structure has a predetermined frangible part that releases the upper end of the steering knuckle from the strut upon application of a prescribed rearward directed force on at least one of the lower suspension support structure and the steering knuckle.

A tool mounting assembly for a motor vehicle includes a vehicle body structure, a first storage container portion that is configured to receive at least one jack operation tool, and a second storage container portion that is fixed to the first storage container portion and is configured to receive at least one wheel chock. A first bracket is attached to the vehicle body structure and fully surrounds the first storage container portion in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the first storage container portion. A second bracket is attached to the vehicle body structure and at least partially surrounds the first storage container portion. The second storage container portion is positioned between the first bracket and the second bracket.

Tool mounting assembly for motor vehicles

A tool mounting assembly includes a vehicle body structure, a storage container, an upper bracket and a lower bracket. A central portion of the storage container has a circumference that is greater than the circumference of each of an upper portion and a lower portion of the storage container. Spaced upper and lower brackets each have mounting portions attached to the vehicle body structure and retainer portions that at least partially surround the storage container. The retaining portion of at least one of the upper bracket or the lower bracket includes a first arm that is connected to a base flange by a hinge for a movement between a closed position and an open position.

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Novi, MI, United States of America

Ryan Corby