# US 12,594,996 B2 · Vehicle front structure

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- Number: US 12,594,996 B2
- Document ID: US12594996B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/963,814
- Filed: 2024-11-29
- Published: 2025-10-02
- Granted: 2026-04-07
- Earliest claimed: 2024-03-27
- Assignees: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shinjiro Yoshida; Junichiro Araki; Kotaro Iwakiri
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12594996B2

## CPC

- B62D 21/155: {Sub-frames or underguards}
- B62D 21/11: with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions}
- B62D 21/152: {Front or rear frames}
- B62D 25/08: Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)}
- 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)

## Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle front structure having good collision safety performance. The vehicle front structure includes: a pair of left and right suspension support members used to support a suspension device of a vehicle; a side frame connected to the suspension support members and extended toward a front of the vehicle; a cross beam connected to the pair of left and right suspension support members in a vehicle width direction, and the cross beam is disposed separately from the side frame above the side frame; and a driving source fixing part used to fix a driving source for driving the vehicle and disposed on the cross beam.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle front structure, comprising:
a pair of left and right suspension support members used to support a suspension device of a vehicle;
a side frame connected to the suspension support members and extended toward a front of the vehicle;
a cross beam connected to the pair of left and right suspension support members in a vehicle width direction, and the cross beam is disposed separately from the side frame above the side frame; and
a driving source fixing part used to fix a driving source for driving the vehicle and disposed on the cross beam.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle front structure of claim 1, wherein,
the driving source fixing part comprises a first fixing part disposed on the cross beam and a second fixing part disposed on the suspension support members,
when viewed from a side of the vehicle, the driving source is disposed on a reference line connected to the first fixing part and the second fixing part.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The vehicle front structure of claim 1, further comprising:
an upper frame connected to the suspension support members and extended toward the front of the vehicle; and
a vertical connecting member connected to a front end of the upper frame and a front end of the side frame,
when viewed from a side of the vehicle, the cross beam is disposed in an area defined by the upper frame and the side frame in a vehicle height direction and disposed separately from the upper frame.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vehicle front structure of claim 3, further comprising:
a cross beam connecting part connecting the suspension support members to a cross beam rear end part disposed at a rear end of the cross beam;
a side frame connecting part connecting the suspension support members to a side frame rear end part disposed at a rear end of the side frame; and
an upper frame connecting part connecting the suspension support members to an upper frame rear end part disposed at a rear end of the upper frame,
the cross beam connecting part is disposed further forward of the vehicle than the side frame connecting part and/or the upper frame connecting part.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle front structure of claim 4, further comprising:
a connecting frame extended from a lower surface of the side frame toward a bottom of the vehicle; and
a lower cross beam connected to the pair of left and right connecting frames in a vehicle width direction,
a front end of the lower cross beam and a front end of the connecting frame are disposed at a same position in a vehicle length direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle front structure of claim 5, further comprising:
a lower frame connected to the lower cross beam and extended toward the front of the vehicle,
the lower frame is extended parallel to the side frame and disposed at an inside of the connecting frame in the vehicle width direction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vehicle front structure of claim 1, further comprising:
a side frame connecting part connecting the suspension support members to a side frame rear end part disposed at a rear end of the side frame,
the suspension support members comprising:
a rear end fixing part connecting a rear end of the suspension support members to a front pillar and/or a side beam of the vehicle; and
a plate member connected to the side frame connecting part and the rear end fixing part and extended in a vehicle length direction.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle front structure of claim 7, wherein the suspension support members have an upper support part supporting an upper arm of the suspension device,
when viewed from a side of the vehicle, the upper support part is disposed in a rear end area of the side frame, the rear end area of the side frame is defined by a reference line extended along a vehicle length direction from a rear end of an upper surface of the side frame and a reference line extended along the vehicle length direction from a rear end of a lower surface of the side frame.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The vehicle front structure of claim 6, wherein the suspension support members have a lower support part supporting a lower arm of the suspension device,
when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the lower support part is disposed in a rear end area of the lower frame, the rear end area of the lower frame is defined by a reference line extended along a vehicle length direction from a rear end of an upper surface of the lower frame and a reference line extended along the vehicle length direction from a rear end of a lower surface of the lower frame.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The vehicle front structure of claim 8, wherein the side frame comprises an upper surface, a lower surface, an inner surface at an inside of the vehicle width direction, and an outer surface at an outside of the vehicle width direction,
when viewed from the side of the vehicle, the plate member has an upper rib extended toward a rear of the vehicle from between the cross beam connecting part and the side frame connecting part, and a lower rib extended toward the rear of the vehicle from below the side frame connecting part,
inner parts of the upper rib and the lower rib in the vehicle width direction are disposed in the same vehicle width direction as an inner surface of the side frame near the side frame connecting part,
outer parts of the upper rib and the lower rib in the vehicle width direction are disposed in the same vehicle width direction as an outer surface of the side frame near the side frame connecting part.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle front structure of claim 10, wherein a distance of the upper rib in the suspension support members in the vehicle width direction is decreased toward a direction of the plate member toward the rear of the vehicle.