Structure for front portion of vehicle

Details Structure for front portion of vehicle Structure for front portion of vehicle

1999-09-29

2002-06-11

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Structural detail

C296S204000, C296S190050, C180S068500, C180S311000, C180S312000, C280S781000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06402229

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for a front portion of a vehicle suitable for a small vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 7
is a plan view of a conventional front portion of a vehicle. In a vehicle such as an electric car or a midship engine or rear-engine car in which an internal combustion engine is installed at a midship or rear portion thereof, auxiliary machines are often installed in a front portion of the vehicle
100
. The auxiliary machines include an air conditioner compressor
101
, an air conditioner inverter
102
, a battery
103
, an ABS (anti-locking brake system) unit
104
or the like.
In a known structure, as shown in the figure, the aforesaid auxiliary machines of the vehicle are mounted at front portions of the left and right side frames
106
,
107
.
In addition, reference numeral
110
denotes a bumper beam,
111
,
111
, front wheels and
112
, a steering wheel.
In
FIG. 7
, reference numeral
113
,
113
denotes an impact absorption beam. These impact absorption beams
113
,
113
are provided at the front portions of the side frames
106
,
107
. In other words, the impact absorption beams
113
,
113
are connected to the bumper beam
110
at front ends thereof so that the impact absorption beams
113
,
113
can absorb a great external force applied to the bumper beam
110
. In the figure, N
1
denotes the length of a nose of the vehicle.
Recently, there is a tendency to increase the performances and capacities of the aforesaid auxiliary machines of the vehicle in order to improve the comfort inside the passenger compartment and handling properties of the vehicle. As the capacities of the auxiliary machines are increased, the sizes thereof also get larger, resulting in the increase in length N
1
of the nose.
On the other hand, in a small vehicle, since the overall length thereof is limited, if the nose length N
1
is increased, the length of the passenger compartment has to be reduced or a luggage compartment at the rear of the vehicle has to be made smaller, this leaving a problem in designing a vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a structure for a front portion of a vehicle which can reduce further the nose length thereof.
According to the invention a front portion has a ladder type frame installed on left and right side frames arranged longitudinally of a vehicle at a position a predetermined distance rearward from front tips of said side frames and forward of a dash panel in such a manner as to extend between said left and right side frames, and auxiliary machines of said vehicle are supported on the ladder type frame.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


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