# US 12,594,823 B2 · Vehicle-body front structure with side frame support

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- Number: US 12,594,823 B2
- Document ID: US12594823B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/109,363
- Filed: 2023-02-14
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Granted: 2026-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-24
- Assignees: Mazda Motor Corporation
- Applicants: Mazda Motor Corporation
- Inventors: Kota Yoshida; Taiki Yotsuyanagi; Takehiro Kamei; Satoshi Nakamura; Takayuki Kimura
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594823B2

## CPC

- B60K 1/04: of the electric storage means for propulsion
- B62D 25/2018: {the subunits being front structures}
- B60L 3/0007: {Measures or means for preventing or attenuating collisions}
- B60L 50/66: {Arrangements of batteries}
- B60L 53/14: Conductive energy transfer
- 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 21/15: having impact absorbing means, e.g. a frame designed to permanently or temporarily change shape or dimension upon impact with another body (bumpers B60R19/02; shock absorbers in general F16F)
- B62D 21/152: {Front or rear frames}
- B62D 21/155: {Sub-frames or underguards}
- B62D 21/157: {for side impacts}
- B62D 25/08: Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)}
- B62D 25/082: {Engine compartments}
- B62D 25/20: Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)}
- H01M 50/242: adapted for protecting batteries against vibrations, collision impact or swelling
- H01M 50/249: specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains (constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64)
- B60K 2001/0416: {Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle}
- B60K 2001/0438: {Arrangement under the floor}
- B60L 53/12: Inductive energy transfer
- H01M 2220/20: Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
- Y02T 10/70: Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
- Y02T 10/7072: Electromobility specific charging systems or methods for batteries, ultracapacitors, supercapacitors or double-layer capacitors
- Y02T 90/14: Plug-in electric vehicles
- 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
- 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)
- B60L: PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of electrical propulsion units or of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion in vehicles B60K1/00, B60K6/20; arrangements or mounting of electrical gearing in vehicles B60K17/12, B60K17/14; preventing wheel slip by reducing power in rail vehicles B61C15/08; dynamo-electric machines H02K; control or regulation of electric motors H02P); SUPPLYING ELECTRIC POWER FOR AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES (electric coupling devices combined with mechanical couplings of vehicles B60D1/64; electric heating for vehicles B60H1/00); ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES IN GENERAL (control or regulation of electric motors H02P); MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; MONITORING OPERATING VARIABLES OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES; ELECTRIC SAFETY DEVICES FOR ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLED VEHICLES
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION

## Abstract

A vehicle-body front structure for an electric vehicle includes a front-side battery frame which extends in a vehicle width direction, a pair of left and right side frames which extend from the front-side battery frame to a vehicle front to be positioned on vehicle-width-direction outer sides, a left-side support mounted on the front-side battery frame and supports the left side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side, and a right-side support mounted on the front-side battery frame and supports the right side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle-body front structure adapted for an electric vehicle, the electric vehicle including a traveling motor and a battery casing which houses a battery supplying electric power to the traveling motor, the battery casing disposed below a floor panel, the vehicle-body front structure comprising:
a front-side battery frame disposed forward of the battery casing and extending in a vehicle width direction;
a pair of side frames including a left side frame and a right side frame, which extend from the front-side battery frame toward a vehicle front and are positioned on vehicle-width-direction outer sides; and
a frame bracket mounted on the front-side battery frame and extending in a left-right direction along a front surface of the front-side battery frame, wherein the frame bracket includes a left side insertion hole to receive a rear portion of the left side frame, and a right side insertion hole to receive a rear portion of the right side frame,
a left-side support protruding forward from the frame bracket and extending along a left side surface of the left side frame to support the left side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side, and
a right-side support protruding forward from the frame bracket and extending along a right side surface of the right side frame to support the right side frame from the vehicle-width-direction outer side.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, comprising a first cross member extending between the left side frame and the right side frame, the first cross member being spaced apart from the front-side battery frame to the vehicle front.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2, comprising a second cross member between the first cross member and the front-side battery frame and between the left side frame and the right side frame.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3, wherein in a plan view, a quadrilateral shape is formed with the second cross member, the front-side battery frame, and the left and right side frames.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the frame bracket is an integrally formed component of metal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 5, wherein on the vehicle-width-direction outer side of the frame bracket, a suspension arm constituting part of a front suspension apparatus swingably supported.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, wherein on the vehicle-width-direction outer side of the frame bracket, a suspension arm constituting part of a front suspension apparatus swingably supported.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3, wherein the second cross member is shorter in the vehicle-width-direction than the first cross member.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2, wherein in a plan view, a quadrilateral shape is formed with the first cross member, the front-side battery frame, and the left and right side frames.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 2, wherein
the first cross member extends further to a left side in the vehicle width direction than a front of the left-side support, and
the first cross member extends further to a right side in the vehicle width direction than a front of the right-side support.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the frame bracket further includes a lower plate which extends rearward away from the vehicle front along a lower surface of the front-side battery frame.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the frame bracket further includes a left upper plate that extends forward toward the vehicle front to cover part of an upper surface of the left side frame and a right upper plate that extends forward toward the vehicle front to cover part of an upper surface of the right side frame.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 3, further comprising:
a left reinforcement member extending rearward from the second cross member to the front-side battery frame; and
a right reinforcement member extending rearward from the second cross member to the front-side battery frame,
wherein the left reinforcement member is fixed to a right side surface of the left side frame, and the right reinforcement member is fixed to a left side surface of the right side frame.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, further comprising:
a pair of left and right impact absorption members configured to perform compressive deformation, wherein the left impact absorption member is fixed to a front portion of the left side frame and extends forward, and the right impact absorption member is fixed to a front portion of the right side frame and extends forward; and
a front member suspended between the left and right impact absorption members.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The vehicle-body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the battery casing includes a front central member extending in a vehicle front-rear direction inside the battery casing, and wherein the front-side battery frame connects the front central member with the pair of left and right side frames.