Patent 9714053 was granted and assigned to Toyota on July, 2017 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A front end portion of a connecting member is fixed to a front apron, and a rear end portion of the connecting member is located vertically higher than the front end portion, and is fixed to a rear portion of a cowl. Therefore, when a rear portion of the front apron is elastically deformed rearward, the front end portion of the connecting member is moved rearward. As a result, upward force is applied obliquely upward, to the front end portion of the connecting member, via the connecting member, and a so-called cancelling moment is applied to the rear portion of the cowl. Thus, rotation of the cowl is curbed, and movement of a suspension tower plate in the vertical direction is curbed.