Mazda Motor Corporation

Takayuki Sunakawa

Nobuyuki Nakayama

Hiroshi Tanaka

Yukihiro Sugimoto

Takayuki Nakamae

Kyoso Ishida

Yasunori Kageyama

Katsunori Hanakawa

Masahiro Asahi

Manabu Tamura

Disclosed is a vehicle front structure, which comprises a bumper fascia, a lower shroud member, a subframeincluding a first shock-absorbing module, and a second shock-absorbing modulehaving a stiffness less than that of the first shock-absorbing module. A subframe bodyis formed in an approximately rectangular shape and disposed on a rear side of the lower shroud member. The first shock-absorbing moduleincludes an energy-absorbing sectionand a beam member. The energy-absorbing sectionhas a configuration which extends frontwardly from respective front end regions of the subframe bodylocated on laterally-opposite sides thereof, along respective opposite lateral surfaces of the lower shroud member, and the beam memberhas a configuration bridging between respective front ends of the energy-absorbing section, at a height position approximately equal to or adjacent to that of a lower edge of the lower shroud member. The second shock-absorbing modulehas a bulging portionwhich covers at least a part of a front surface of the beam member. The vehicle front structure of the present invention can ensure sufficient pedestrian protection performance by means of enhancing impact energy-absorbing capacity, while achieving enhanced repairability in the event of a low-impact collision.

Vehicle front structure

In a vehicle rear body structure of an automotive vehicle, there are provided the reinforcing members that are provided at the lower face of the floor panel at portions outside the spare tire pan and form with the floor panel the closed cross sections that extend longitudinally in parallel to the rear side frames. The closed cross sections are formed with the reinforcing members and the upper end-side curve portions located outside the spare tire pan, and located substantially at the same height-level as the rear side frames. Thereby, absorption of the impact energy at the vehicle crash can be improved and an improper weight increase can be suppressed.

Vehicle rear body structure of automotive vehicle

A pair of left and right front frames are formed with brittle sections on proximal portions of the frames, by the provision of the smaller cross-sectional area than other sections of the frame. The brittle sections and their peripheral sections are processed so as to become approximately equal to the other sections of the front frames in axial compressive strength by way of a hardening treatment like quenching. In an early-phase of a collision, the hardened brittle sections will not buckle so as to induce larger initial load. Thereafter, the brittle sections will buckle because of their lower ductility, so that the front frames begin bending deformation to effectively absorb the collision energy.

Body frame structure for a vehicle and method for manufacturing thereof

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima, Japan

Takayuki Sunakawa