# US 10,766,353 B2 · Vehicle front portion structure > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,353 B2 - Document ID: US10766353B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/113,223 - Filed: 2018-08-27 - Published: 2019-04-18 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-12 - Assignees: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Takahiro Fukuoka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766353B2 ## CPC - B60K 11/04: Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds - B60R 19/34: destroyed upon impact, e.g. one-shot type - B62D 21/02: comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members - B62D 21/11: with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions} - B62D 21/155: {Sub-frames or underguards} - B62D 25/084: {Radiator supports} - B60Y 2306/01: Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection - B60K: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OF TRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS IN VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GAS EXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS IN VEHICLES - B60R: VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - B62D: MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS (steering, or guiding on a desired track, of agricultural machines or implements A01B69/00; wheels, castors, axles, increasing wheel adhesion B60B; vehicle tyres, tyre inflation or tyre changing B60C; connections between vehicles of a train or the like B60D; vehicles for use on rail and road, amphibious or convertible vehicles B60F; suspension arrangements B60G; heating, cooling, ventilating or other air treating devices B60H; windows, windscreens, non-fixed roofs, doors or similar devices, protective coverings for vehicles not in use B60J; propulsion plant arrangements, auxiliary drives, transmissions, controls, instrumentation or dashboards B60K; electric equipment or propulsion of electrically-propelled vehicles B60L; power supply for electrically-propelled vehicles B60M; passenger accommodation not otherwise provided for B60N; adaptations for load transportation or to carry special loads or objects B60P; arrangement of signalling or lighting devices, the mounting or supporting thereof or circuits therefor, for vehicles in general B60Q; vehicles, vehicle fittings or vehicle parts not otherwise provided for B60R; servicing, cleaning, repairing, supporting, lifting, or manoeuvring, not otherwise provided for, B60S; brake arrangements, brake control systems or parts thereof B60T; air-cushion vehicles B60V; motor-cycles, accessories therefor B62J, B62K; testing of vehicles G01M) - B60Y: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY ## Abstract A vehicle front portion structure that includes connecting members that each have a front side connecting portion that is disposed at a vehicle longitudinal direction front side and at which a first joined portion that is joined to a radiator support and a second joined portion that is joined to a lover member are formed, a rear side connecting portion that is disposed at a vehicle longitudinal direction rear side and at which the first joined portion and the second joined portion are formed, and an outer side cut-out portion that is cut out from a vehicle transverse direction outer side and that is formed at a position that, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, is between the second joined portions of both a front side connecting portion and a rear side connecting portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vehicle front portion structure, comprising: a sub-frame that structures a portion of a suspension, and that is disposed at a vehicle vertical direction lower side of front side members that extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction at both vehicle transverse direction outer sides of a vehicle front portion; lower members that extend toward a vehicle front side from a front end portion of the sub-frame; a radiator support that is disposed at a vehicle transverse direction inner side of the front side members, and that is formed in a shape of a rectangular frame in a vehicle front view; and connecting members that each have a front side connecting portion that is disposed at a vehicle longitudinal direction front side and at which a first joined portion that is joined to the radiator support and a second joined portion that is joined to the lower member are formed, a rear side connecting portion that is disposed at a vehicle longitudinal direction rear side and at which the first joined portion and the second joined portion are formed, and an outer side cut-out portion that is cut out from a vehicle transverse direction outer side and that is formed at a position that, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, is between the second joined portions of both the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein a joining strength of the second joined portions is lower than a joining strength of the first joined portions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein positions of the second joined portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and positions of the first joined portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, coincide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein: the radiator support includes a radiator support lower that extends in a vehicle transverse direction and structures a lower portion of the radiator support, and the first joined portions connect the lower member with the radiator support lower. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein: the radiator support includes a radiator support lower that extends in a vehicle transverse direction and structures a lower portion of the radiator support, a radiator support upper, and radiator support sides that vertically connect both left and right end portions of the radiator support upper and the radiator support lower and that structure vehicle transverse direction side portions of the radiator support, and the first joined portions connect the lower member with the radiator support side. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 4, wherein the connecting member has a side wall portion at which the second joined portions are formed and that extends in a vehicle vertical direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a lower wall portion at which the first joined portions are formed and that extends in a vehicle transverse direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction and that, together with the side wall portion, forms a ridgeline that contacts the lower member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 6, wherein the connecting member has lateral wall portions that extend in the vehicle transverse direction and the vehicle vertical direction and that connect the side wall portion with the lower wall portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein the connecting member has a uniting portion having a dimension in the vehicle transverse direction or the vehicle vertical direction that is smaller than corresponding dimensions of the from side connecting portion and the real side connecting portion, and that unites the front side connecting portion with the rear side connecting portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 6, wherein the connecting member has a uniting portion having a dimension in the vehicle transverse direction or the vehicle vertical direction that is smaller than corresponding dimensions of the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion, and that unites the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and at least a portion of the ridgeline formed by the side wall portion and the lower wall portion is cut out by the outer side cut-out portion. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 6, wherein the connecting member has a uniting portion having a dimension in the vehicle transverse direction or the vehicle vertical direction that is smaller than corresponding dimensions of the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion, and that unites the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and at least a portion of the side wall portion is cut out by the outer side cut-out portion of the connecting member. ### Claim 11 (depends on 5) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 5, wherein the connecting member has a uniting portion that unites the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and an inner side cut-out portion that is cut out from a vehicle transverse direction inner side of the lower wall portion and that is formed at a position that is, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, between the first joined portions of both the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein the front side connecting portion and the rear side connecting portion are separate members that are spaced apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction by the outer side cut-out portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein the lower member is an extrusion-molded part having a cross-section orthogonal to an extending direction that has a closed cross-sectional shape. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 1, wherein: a cross-section, orthogonal to an extending direction, of the lower member has a rectangular shape, and the lower member has ridgelines in the extending direction, and has a weak portion that is weakened due to the ridgelines of the lower member being cut out by beads, and the weak portion is provided at a position that, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, is between a position at which the front side connecting portion is joined to the lower member and a position at which the rear side connecting portion is joined to the lower member. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The vehicle front portion structure of claim 14, wherein the weak portion is provided at a region that is at a vehicle longitudinal direction front side of the lower member, and the region that is at the vehicle longitudinal direction front side of the lower member is weakened as compared with a region that is at a vehicle longitudinal direction rear side. ### Claim 16 A vehicle front portion structure, comprising: a sub-frame that structures a portion of a suspension, and that is disposed at a vehicle vertical direction lower side of front side members that extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction at both vehicle transverse direction outer sides of a vehicle front portion; lower members that extend toward a vehicle front side from a front end portion of the sub-frame; a radiator support that is disposed at a vehicle transverse direction inner side of the front side members, and that is formed in a shape of a rectangular frame in a vehicle front view; and connecting members that each have a first joined portion that is joined to the radiator support, and a second joined portion that is joined to the lower member and has a lower joining strength than a joining strength of the first joined portions.