US Patent 9428129 Front structure of a vehicle

A front structure of a vehicle comprises a pair of side members arranged in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a pair of crash boxes arranged at front ends of the side members, and a body back-up structure located at a rear end of the front portion. The front structure is adapted to give an impact response curve with deceleration versus time, when subjected to a full frontal barrier impact at 35 mph according to USNCAP. The impact response curve comprises in sequence:a first phase during which deceleration increases,a second phase forming a first peak level of the deceleration,a third phase during which the deceleration is less than during the second phase, anda fourth phase forming a second peak level of the deceleration, during which fourth phase the deceleration is greater than during the third phase.