Vehicle front frame assembly, and methods of use and manufacture thereof

A vehicle having a front body portion including a windshield, the vehicle comprising:

• a suspension component;
• and
• a frame assembly configured to connect the suspension component to the front body portion of the vehicle, the frame assembly including:
• a windshield lower beam that extends along a lower edge of the windshield;
• a damper mount that is disposed on the front body portion at a location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion, the damper mount being configured to deform when being subjected to an impact energy;
• an A-pillar including an upper pillar portion and a lower pillar portion, the upper pillar portion having a lower end disposed adjacent the windshield lower beam, and the lower pillar portion having an upper end disposed adjacent to the windshield lower beam;
• and
• a joint including a first joint member and a second joint member, the first joint member connecting the windshield lower beam to each of the lower pillar portion and the upper pillar portion, the first joint member connected to the damper mount, the second joint member contained within the first joint member and connected to each of the windshield lower beam, upper pillar portion and lower pillar portion, and the joint being configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy such that the damper mount deforms and dissipates the impact energy transmitted to the joint and the A-pillar.

A method of manufacturing a frame assembly of a front body portion of a vehicle, the vehicle including a windshield connected to the front body portion, and at least one suspension component connected to the front body, the method comprising:

• forming a windshield lower beam that extends along a lower edge of the windshield;
• disposing a damper mount on the front body portion at a location where the suspension component is connected to the front body portion, the damper mount being configured to deform when being subjected to an impact energy;
• defining an A-pillar including an upper pillar portion and a lower pillar portion, the upper pillar portion having a lower end disposed adjacent the windshield lower beam, and the lower pillar portion having an upper end disposed adjacent to the windshield lower beam;
• and
• connecting a joint including a first joint member and a second joint member, the first joint member connecting the windshield lower beam to each of the lower pillar portion and the upper pillar portion, the first joint member connected to the damper mount, the second joint member contained within the first joint member and connected to each of the windshield lower beam, upper pillar portion and lower pillar portion, and the joint being configured to resist deformation due to the impact energy such that the damper mount deforms and dissipates the impact energy transmitted to the joint and the A-pillar.