Vehicles with fender structure assemblies and deforming fender attachment brackets

摘要

A vehicle includes a fender panel support assembly including a hood that at least partially covers an engine compartment. A front fender structure includes a connecting wall portion located at least partially below the hood in a vehicle vertical direction. A side structural member extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction. A deforming fender attachment bracket mounts the front fender structure to the side structural member. The deforming fender attachment bracket includes a fender attachment portion connected to the connecting wall portion of the front fender structure at a connecting location. A support leg is connected to the side structural member. The support leg extends toward the side structural member from a lateral edge of the fender attachment portion. The support leg has a width in a vehicle lateral direction that is defined by flexure and shear formulas in response to a target vehicle lateral force applied to the fender attachment portion. The support leg having increasing width from an apex portion connected to the fender attachment portion to a base portion removed from the fender attachment portion.

主权项

1. A vehicle including a fender panel support assembly, comprising:
a hood that at least partially covers an engine compartment; a front fender structure comprising a connecting wall portion located at least partially below the hood in a vehicle vertical direction; a side structural member that extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction; and a deforming fender attachment bracket that mounts the front fender structure to the side structural member, the deforming fender attachment bracket comprising: a fender attachment portion connected to the connecting wall portion of the front fender structure at a connecting location; a first support leg connected to the side structural member, the first support leg extending toward the side structural member from a lateral edge of the fender attachment portion, the first support leg having increasing width from an apex portion connected to the fender attachment portion to a base portion removed from the fender attachment portion; and a second support leg connected to the side structural member, the second support leg extending toward the structural member from an opposite lateral edge of the fender attachment portion, the apex portion of the first support leg is located nearer to an inner edge of the fender attachment portion than an apex portion of the second support leg.