Motor vehicle front end
AssigneeFiat Group Automobiles S.p.A.
InventorRosario Iania
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A motor vehicle front end has a frame, which supports a heat exchanger and has an upper horizontal crosspiece connected to two uprights by means of connection elements, which are plastically deformable so as to allow the upper horizontal crosspiece to be lowered in the event of an accident; the upper horizontal crosspiece comprises a rigid rear portion and a plastically deformable, front portion which is made of plastic material and is fixed to the rigid rear portion.
Claims9
A motor vehicle front end comprising a heat exchanger unit and a frame, which supports said heat exchanger unit and comprises:
- two uprights fixed, in use, to respective struts of the motor vehicle;
- an upper horizontal crosspiece;
- and
- two connection elements, which connect said uprights to lateral ends of said upper horizontal crosspiece and are plastically deformable so as to allow said upper horizontal crosspiece to be lowered in the event of collision with a pedestrian;
- wherein said upper horizontal crosspiece comprises:
- a rear portion, which is relatively rigid and is fixed, at the lateral ends thereof, to said connection elements;
- and
- a front portion, which is plastically deformable, covers said rear portion and supports, in use, a bumper of the motor vehicle, and
- wherein said frame defines a substantially rectangular opening that houses at least part of the heat exchanger unit and the front portion is fixed to the rear portion.
A motor vehicle front end comprising a heat exchanger unit and a frame, which supports said heat exchanger unit and comprises:
- two uprights fixed, in use, to respective struts of the motor vehicle;
- an upper horizontal crosspiece;
- and
- two connection elements, which connect said uprights to lateral ends of said upper horizontal crosspiece and are plastically deformable so as to allow said upper horizontal crosspiece to be lowered in the event of collision with a pedestrian;
- wherein said upper horizontal crosspiece comprises:
- a rear portion, which is relatively rigid and is fixed, at the lateral ends thereof, to said connection elements;
- and
- a front portion, which is plastically deformable, covers said rear portion and supports, in use, a bumper of the motor vehicle, and
- wherein said front portion has a compression strength lower than that of said connection elements, so as to plastically deform before said connection elements in the event of an accident.
A motor vehicle front end comprising a heat exchanger unit and a frame, which supports said heat exchanger unit and comprises:
- two uprights fixed, in use, to respective struts of the motor vehicle;
- an upper horizontal crosspiece;
- and
- two connection elements, which connect said uprights to lateral ends of said upper horizontal crosspiece and are plastically deformable so as to allow said upper horizontal crosspiece to be lowered in the event of collision with a pedestrian;
- wherein said upper horizontal crosspiece comprises:
- a rear portion, which is relatively rigid and is fixed, at the lateral ends thereof, to said connection elements;
- and
- a front portion, which is plastically deformable, covers said rear portion and supports, in use, a bumper of the motor vehicle, and
- wherein said front portion defines an additional body fixed to said rear portion.
A motor vehicle front end comprising a heat exchanger unit and a frame, which supports said heat exchanger unit and comprises:
- two uprights fixed, in use, to respective struts of the motor vehicle;
- an upper horizontal crosspiece;
- and
- two connection elements, which connect said uprights to lateral ends of said upper horizontal crosspiece and are plastically deformable so as to allow said upper horizontal crosspiece to be lowered in the event of collision with a pedestrian;
- wherein said upper horizontal crosspiece comprises:
- a rear portion, which is relatively rigid and is fixed, at the lateral ends thereof, to said connection elements;
- and
- a front portion, which is plastically deformable, covers said rear portion and supports, in use, a bumper of the motor vehicle, and
- wherein said connection elements define a virtual hinge about a horizontal axis arranged beneath said upper horizontal crosspiece.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.