GB2530026A

GB2530026A - Vehicle bonnet

Info

Publication number: GB2530026A
Application number: GB1415719.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Chris Bonham; Nigel Bonas; Sudhindra Katagade; David Husson; John Perry; Stephen Deeming; Lee Pearce; Sivaprasad Mohankumar
Original assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Current assignee: Jaguar Land Rover Ltd
Priority date: 2014-09-05
Filing date: 2014-09-05
Publication date: 2016-03-16
Anticipated expiration: 2034-09-05
Also published as: GB201415719D0; GB2530026B

Abstract

A vehicle bonnet 10 comprises an outer panel (12, Figure 2) and an inner panel 14 having a hinge attachment region 28. A crush region (38, Figure 3) is defined between the outer panel and the hinge attachment region 28 of inner panel 14. A support 16 is attached to inner panel 14 at hinge attachment region 28, suitably using rivets, and extends away from inner panel 14 towards the outer panel so as to support the outer panel at a support region offset laterally from the hinge attachment region. A box section (72, Figure 4) may be defined between inner panel 14 and support 16. Suitably, the panels and support 16 may be made from the same material, preferably aluminium. The arrangement of the bonnet may benefit pedestrian impact performance near a hinge 26, typically provided at the rear of bonnet 10 to allow clamshell opening, while maintaining a high standard of geometrical conformance.

Description

VEHICLE BONNET

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle bonnet that incorporates a support structure that benefits pedestrian impact performance, particularly in the region of a hinge assembly by which the bonnet is attached to the vehicle.

BACKGROUND

A conventional automotive vehicle bonnet, or hood, typically comprises an outer panel and an inner panel, and is pivotally mounted to the main body of the vehicle by means of one or more hinges. In a common configuration, there is one hinge on either side of the bonnet at the same longitudinal position and these hinges attach Is the bonnet to the vehicle body at a point near to the engine bay bulkhead so that the front of the bonnet opens upwardly. Each hinge may be coupled to the inner panel by way of a hinge reinforcement plate, which locally thickens the region around the hinge and so provides a strong mounting point for the hinge.

In a front-end collision with a pedestrian, if the vehicle is travelling at sufficient speed, the body of the pedestrian will wrap around the vehicle bonnet. In this event, the head, or pedestrian headform, is likely to impact the outer panel of the bonnet.

Depending on the exact longitudinal positon of the hinges and hinge reinforcement plates, it is possible in the case of an adult pedestrian that the headform will contact the bonnet at a position laterally in line with the reinforcement plates.

In terms of the potential injury to the headform during a collision, the regions of the bonnet around the hinges and stiff hinge reinforcement plates are particularly significant. The outer panel and inner panel provide load paths to transfer the impact force from the headform to the reinforcement plates. It follows that the closer the point of impact is to a hinge, the less load transfer and shock absorbance is able to take place before the outer panel makes contact with the inner panel, where the stiff reinforcement plate prevents the inner panel from any significant deformation.

Therefore, in the event of an impact close to the hinge, there may be a rapid deceleration of the headform and a likelihood of injury to the pedestrian. The regions around the hinges often score particularly poorly in Euro NCAP (European New Car Assessment Programme) testing, and safety standards have become increasingly stringent around improving performance in the event of pedestrian impact.

In addition to the issue of pedestrian safety in the event of a collision, the hinge reinforcement plates may cause twisting of the inner panel, and a lack of geometrical conformance of the bonnet can result.

Related prior art documents include U.S. Patent No. US 6,371,231, entitled "Automotive Vehicle Bonnet Structure", issued 16 April 2002, which describes a reinforcement member incorporated within a bonnet for reinforcing a hook retaining portion to which the distal end of an opening stay is hooked up. UK Patent No. GB 2499035, entitled "Vehicle bonnet", issued 07 August 2013, describes a motor vehicle bonnet with a support panel at a front edge section of the bonnet. Patent No. FR2984268, entitled "Motor Vehicle Including a Means for Reinforcing the Front is Hood", issued 21 June 2013, describes a reinforcement means arranged between inner and outer walls of a front hood at a front end of a motor vehicle, which is capable of deforming in the event of an impact. While the latter two documents disclose panels for providing reinforcement to sections of a vehicle bonnet, none of the three documents address the issue of improving pedestrian impact performance in the region around the hinge.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a support structure for an automotive vehicle bonnet which substantially overcomes or mitigates the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehice bonnet so having a sandwich construction comprising an outer panel and an inner panel, including a hinge attachment region for the attachment of a hinge. The outer panel and the inner panel may be shaped so as to define a crush space between the outer panel and the hinge attachment region of the inner panel. The bonnet may further comprise a support structure that is attached to the inner panel at the hinge attachment region and extends away from the inner panel towards the outer panel so as to support the outer panel at a support region. The support region is offset laterally from the hinge attachment region.

A vehicle bonnet has been developed which improves pedestrian impact performance in a region around the hinge, while maintaining a high standard of geometrical conformance. In the event of an impact with a pedestrian, the crush space provides a region into which the outer panel may deform, guarding against the possibility of a pedestrian headform from making contact with the rigid hinge attachment region. The outer panel provides a load path from the point of impact of the pedestrian headform, transferring a component of the impact load to the support structure, which is able to deform. Deformation of the support structure absorbs energy from the impact, reducing the rate at which the headform decelerates and reducing the likelihood of injury to the pedestrian.

The support structure may support the outer panel at one or more resilient supporting points. Such a measure helps to attenuate the high frequency vibrations or flutter' of IS the outer panel in a central region of the vehicle bonnet.

The support structure may further define a box section with the inner panel at the support region, in one example. The box section defines a void between the support structure and the inner panel at the support region, providing greater structural rigidity to the bonnet and assisting in maintaining geometrical conformance of the bonnet. In the event that a headform impacts the bonnet in the region around the hinge, the support structure is able to deform into the void, thus absorbing a component of the energy from the impact.

In an embodiment, the support structure comprises a first section attached to the hinge attachment region; a second section, which supports the outer panel at the support region; and a transition section that extends between the first section and the second section.

so The support structure may also define a stepped configuration, such that the first and second sections are generally in parallel with one another.

In one example, the second section is generally in parallel with the outer panel at the support region.

The transition section may define a sloping transition between the first and second sections in an embodiment. The sloping transition provides a lateral offset between the first section and the second section. In the event of an impact directly above the hinge attachment region, this arrangement prevents a load-bearing path from forming between the outer panel at the point of impact and the rigid hinge attachment region directly below the point of impact. The sloping transition also assists in improving the ability of the support structure to deform while providing the support structure with sufficient stiffness to support the inner panel and the outer panel.

In an embodiment, the second section of the support structure is attached to the inner panel. The support structure being fixed in position relative to the inner panel guards against relative movement between the two panels in the event of an impact in the region around the hinge. This may allow the arrangement to absorb a larger component of the energy from an impact through deformation of the support structure, relative to an arrangement where the support structure is able to slide over the inner panel. Is

Further, the second section may include one or more tabs that fix that secUon to the inner panel.

The one or more tabs are out-of-plane with the remainder of the second section of the support structure in one embodiment. This arrangement may provide the support structure with a degree of vibration damping for the outer panel.

In one example, the support structure is attached to the inner panel by mechanical fastening means.

In an embodiment, the support panel is attached to the inner panel by way of rivets.

The support structure is a sheet-like structure in one example.

so The outer panel, the inner panel and the support panel are manufactured from the same material in an embodiment. The outer panel, inner panel and the support panel being manufactured from the same material guards against undesirable relative movement between the parts which may occur between panels constructed from materials with varying coefficients of thermal expansion. The panels being manufactured from the same material may also guard against galvanic corrosion which may occur between dissimilar metals.

Further, the outer panel, the inner panel and the support panel may be manufactured from aluminium in one example.

In one embodiment there may be provided a vehicle comprising the vehicle bonnet as described previously.

In one embodiment, the vehicle bonnet is hinged at its rear to open like a clamshell.

Within the scope of this application it is expressly intended that the various aspects, embodiments, examples and alternatives set out in the preceding paragraphs, in the claims and/or in the following description and drawings, and in particular the individual features thereof, may be taken ndependently or in any combination. That is, all embodiments and/or features of any embodiment can be combined in any way IS and/or combination, unless such features are incompatible. The applicant reserves the right to change any originally filed claim or file any new claim accordingly, including the right to amend any originally filed claim to depend from and/or incorporate any feature of any other claim although not originally claimed in that manner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a perspective top view of a vehicle bonnet of the present invention, in which an outer panel is hidden to show a support structure; Figure 2 shows a cross section of the vehicle bonnet of Figure 1 with the outer panel visible, looking outboard through the left-hand side of the bonnet, where the left-hand side refers to the left of the vehicle bonnet when looking from the front of the bonnet towards the rear of the bonnet; Figure 3 shows a cross section of the vehicle bonnet of Figure 2, looking towards a rear end of the left-hand side of the bonnet; Figure 4 shows a magnified cross section of the vehicle bonnet of Figure 2, looking outboard through the left-hand side of the bonnet in the region of the hinge and depicting a pedestrian headform; Figure 5 shows a line drawing of the vehicle bonnet of Figure 4, prior to the pedestrian headform impacting the bonnet, whilst Figure 6 illustrates the bonnet being impacted by the headform; and Figure 7 shows a line drawing of the vehicle bonnet like that of Figure 5, but from a viewpoint at the front of the vehicle, prior to the pedestrian headform impacting the bonnet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Is An embodiment of a bonnet structure 10 in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 7. The bonnet 10 is of a clamshell arrangement and covers an engine bay (not shown) of an automotive vehicle when the bonnet 10 is in a closed position. The bonnet 10 comprises a number of components in a sandwich construction, including: an outer panel 12 (shown in Figure 2), which is positioned so as to be the uppermost panel, or A-surface', and which is visible when the bonnet 10 is closed; an inner panel 14, which is positoned so as to be the lowermost panel and which is visible only when the bonnet 10 is open; and, at least one support structurel6, wherein each support structure is positioned between the outer panel 12 and the inner panel 14.

In this particular embodiment there are two support structures in the form of sheet-like support panels 16, one on either side of the bonnet, although it should be noted that only the support panel 16 on the left-hand side is shown in the drawings for brevity. The terms left-hand' and right-hand' are used herein to refer to a side on the so left or the right of the vehicle respectively, when viewed from a position at the front of the vehice towards a position at the rear of the vehicle. The support panels 16 are of reduced size compared to both the outer panel 12 and the inner panel 14. Each of the outer panel 12, the inner panel 14 and the support panels 16 may be manufactured from aluminium, or any other such suitable material such as steel, or a composite such as carbon fibre, by way of non-limiting example. It is currently envisaged that the outer panel 12, the inner panel 14 and the support panel 16 are all made from aluminium for weight considerations, and because forming those panels from materials having the same or similar coefficients of thermal expansion may guard against undesirable relative movement between those parts. Forming each of the inner panel 14, the outer panel 12 and the support panels 16 from the same material also guards against galvanic corrosion, which may occur between dissimilar metals. The panels may each be manufactured from steel, in another example.

Alternatively, a combination of aluminium and steel panels may be used, provided galvanic corrosion prevention measures are taken.

The bonnet 10 has a rear end 18 adjacent to a windscreen, and a front end (not shown) at the front of the vehicle. The front end of the bonnet 10 may comprise a latch or related mechanism (not shown) which can engage or disengage with a corresponding mechanism on the vehicle, such that the bonnet 10 may be prevented from opening, or permitted to open, respectively.

Is Referring to Figure 1, showing the left-hard side of a portion of the bonnet, a pair of hinges 20 is provided at the rear end 18 of the bonnet 10, arranged with one hinge on each of a right-hand side (not shown) and a left-hand side 22 of the bonnet 10 at the same longitudinal position. In Figure 1, only the lefthand hinge 20 is shown although it will be appreciated that a substantially identical hinge (not shown) will also be provided on the other side. For simplicity, reference will now be made to a single hinge 20 and the associated parts of the bonnet 10. The hinge 20 connects the bonnet 10 to the main body of the vehicle, such that fhe bonnet 10 may pivot at the hinge 20 in the event that the bonnet 10 is opened. The hinge 20 is connected to at least one reinforcement plate-like reinforcing structure 24 (shown most clearly in Figure 3, but also indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1) which connects the hinge 20 to a respective side 22 of the inner panel 14. The hinge 20 and the hinge reinforcement structure 24 together form a hinge assembly 26. The hinge assembly 26 defines a hinge attachmenf region 28 where it connects to the inner panel 20.

The outer panel 12 is generally planar, as is the inner panel 14 which is substantially parallel to and spaced apart from the outer panel 12. However, the inner panel 14 is provided with a number of structural features such as raised sections 30, depressions 32 and cut out portions 34 arranged across the inner panel 14, to provide it with rigidity and low weight. The raised sections 30 define regions where the inner panel 14 and the outer panel 12 are adjacent, such that the inner panel 14 supports the outer panel 14, and the depressions 32 define regions of separation between the inner panel 14 and outer panel 12. Both the inner panel 14 and the outer panel 12 may provide load paths to the hinges 20 and latch mechanism.

The support panel 16, is located in the region of the hinge assembly 26 and serves to provide a bridge or structural support between the inner panel 14 in the regon of the hinge assembly 26, and the outer panel 12. The support panel 16 provides the outer panel 12 with greaTer rigidiTy at the rear end 18 of the bonnet 10, assisting in maintaining geometrical conformance of the bonnet 10. In addition, the support panel 16 supports the outer panel 12 to be separated from the inner panel 14 in the region around the hinge assembly 26, such that a crush space 38 is provided above the hinge assembly 26. This crush space 38 is most clearly seen in Figure 3 and Figure 7.

Focussing on the left-hand side, as shown in Figure 3, in overview the support panel is 16 includes a first section 40 and a second section 42 that are joined by a sloping transition section 44. It therefore has a stepped configuration.

The first section 40 of the support panel 16 follows the profile of a first joining section 46 of the inner panel 14 in the hinge attachment region 28, and is positioned so as to be adjacent to the inner panel 14 in the hinge attachment region 28. The first section of the support panel 16 is connected to the hinge attachment region 28 of the inner panel 14 by way of a mechanical fastening means, such as rivets 48. The first section 40 of the support panel 16 may also be connected to the inner panel 14 by way of other mechanical fastening techniques, spot weld fasteners, bonding or any other such suitable fastening means.

The first section 40 of the support panel 16 is spaced from the outer panel 12, and blends into the sloping transition section 44 of the support panel 16. The transition section 44 extends both inboard, towards the centre of the bonnet 10, and upward, away from the hinge attachment region 28 and towards the outer panel 12. Referring to Figure 1, the diagonally sloping transition section 44 is bounded by the substantially horizontal first section 40 of the support panel 16 along a left-hand fold region or edge 49 and the substantially horizontal second section 42 of the support panel 16 along a right-hand fold region or edge 50. A number of raised inverted channels 52 extend across the first and sloping transition sections 40, 44 of the support panel 16 in order to provide the support panel 16 with greater bending stiffness. The sloping transition section 40 is at an angle of approximately 45 to the horizontal. The angle of the sloping transition section 40 has an impact on the stiffness of the support panel 16 and the amount of energy the support panel 16 may absorb in deformation. It is envisaged that the sloping transition section 40 is at an angle between approximately 30 and 6O to the horizontal, between approximately 352 and 552 to the horizontal, or between approximately 4O and 502 to the horizontal, and that the precise angle is selected to tune the stiffness characteristic of the support panel and the energy absorption, as will become apparent later in the

description.

The second section 42 of the support panel 16 sits against the outer panel 12 in a support region 36, in which the support panel 16 is adjacent to the outer panel 12. It will therefore be appreciated that the support panel 16 provides structural support to the region of the outer panel 12 that sits against it. Notably, the support region 36 is laterally offset from the hinge attachment region 28 relative to the longitudinal direction of the bonnet. This lateral offset is illustrated in Figure 7 with reference L'.

is In the illustrated embodiment, the lateral offset is approximately 65 mm, although this is given by way of example only. It is envisaged that the lateral offset may be between approximately 50 mm and 80 mm, between approximately 55 mm and 75 mm, or between approximately 60 mm and 70 mm.

Shown most clearly in Figure 1, an upper surface 54 of the second section 42 of the support panel 16 is provided with a number of resilient supporting features in the form of vbration damping rods 58. The outer panel 12 contacts these rods 58 such that the rods 58 attenuate the high frequency vibrations of the outer panel 12 which occur in the central region of the bonnet 10. Similar resilient features may also be provided on the inner panel 14, as shown on the upper surface 59 of the inner panel 14 in Figure 1. The rods 58 may be in the form of mastic that is applied in appropriate places by a suitable tool, discrete pieces of polymeric material that are bonded onto the panel at suitable points, or even resilient tape, for example.

The second section 42 of the support panel iSis provided with a number of mounting tabs, which couple the support panel 16 to the inner panel 14 and, more specifically, to raised sections 30 of the inner panel 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the support panel 16 has a first mounting tab 60 and a second mounting tab 62 at a front edge 64 and a rear edge 66 of the support panel 16 respectively. The two tabs 60, 62 are longitudinally, but not laterally, spaced. The first mounting tab 60 is coupled to a second joining section 68 (shown in Figure 4) of the inner panel 14 and the second mounting tab 62 is coupled to a third joining section 70 (shown in Figure 4) of the inner panel 14, such that the inner panel 14, the support panel 16 and the outer panel 12 are positioned so as to be adjacent to one another in the region of the first mounting tab 60 and the second mounting tab 62. As will be noted in Figure 1, the mounting tabs 60, 62 are bent out of the plane of the second section 42 of the support panel 16 to form a dog-leg shape. This configuration of the tabs 60, 62 also provides the support structure with a degree of vibration damping for the outer panel 12 and enhances the rigidity characteristics of the panel The second section 42 of the support panel 16 is provided with an additional feature in the form of a semi-circular recess 71. The semi-circular recess 71 is positioned halfway between the first mounting tab 60 and the second mounting tab 62, with a straight edge 73 of the semi-circular recess 71 aligned to a right-hand edge 75 of the support panel 16. The presence of the semi-circular recess 71 influences the rigidity of the second section 42 of the support panel 16 and the geometry of the semi-Is circular recess 71 can be varied to vary the rigidity of the support panel 16.

Referring to Figure 4, the inner panel 14 steps downwardly in the region between the mounting tabs 60, 62, such that the inner panel 14 is recessed between the two tabs 60, 62. When viewed from a position inboard of the support panel 16, looking outboard of the bonnet 10, a box section 72 is defined between the support panel 16 and the inner panel 14 between the two mounting tabs, 60, 62 such that there is a void 74 between the support panel 16 and the inner panel 14.

In the event of an impact with a pedestrian, a head, or pedestrian headform 76, may come into contact with the bonnet 10. Figures 5 and 6 depict the sequence of events in the case that the headform 76 contacts the outer panel 12 of the bonnet 10 in the area surrounding either of the hinges 20 (shown in Figure 1). The outer panel 12 dissipates the impact load from the headform 76 over a greater area than the area of contact between the headform 76 and the bonnet 10, and transfers a portion of the impact load to the support panel 16. The support panel 16 is able to deform into the void 74 between the support panel 16 and the inner panel 14, and the deformation of the support panel 16 absorbs some of the energy of the impact and thus decelerates the headform 76. At the same time, the outer panel 12 is able to deform into the crush space 38 above the hinge attachment region 28. The presence of the crush space 38 guards against the possibility of the headform 76 making contact with the rigid hinge attachment region 28. The deceleration of the headform 76 is at a reduced rate, relative to an impact where no support panel 16 is provided in the bonnet 10, and the support panel 16 may therefore reduce the severity of injury caused to the pedestrian.

The crush space 38 is enabled by the shape of the support panel 16, such that the support panel 16 is connected to the inner panel 14 at the hinge attachment region 28, but supports the outer panel 14 at the support region 36 that is laterally offset from the hinge attachment region 28. Put another way, the hinge attachment region 28 is spaced from the support region 36 in a direction across the width of the bonnet 10. This configuration avoids a direct load bearing path between the outer panel 14 and the hinge attachment region 28 immediately below it.

Since the outer panel 12 dissipates the impact load, deformation by the support panel 16 absorbs energy from an impact even when the headform 76 does not strike the bonnet 10 directly over the support region 16. Therefore, in the event that the Is headform 76 strikes the bonnet 10 at a position directly over the hard point of the hinge assembly 26 in the hinge attachment region 28, deformation of the support panel 16 into the void 74 reduces the deceleration experienced by the headform 76 and thus improves pedestrian impact performance by, in effect, softening the impact.

In addition to defining a void 74 into which the support panel 16 is able to deform, the box section 72 between the support pane 16 and the inner panel 14 in the support region 36 provides greater structural rigidity to the bonnet 10, and improved geometrical conformance. The support panel 16 improves pedestrian impact performance in the region around the hinge assembly 26 without compromising the stiffness and quality of the bonnet 10.

For the avoidance of doubt, relative terms such as "vertical", "horizontal', "upper" and lower" are used herein for convenience and relate to the orientation of features as shown in the accompanying figures. These terms should not be interpreted in a way so as to unduly limit the scope of the invention.

It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the invention could be modified to take many alternative forms to that described herein, without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

For example, although the support panel has been described above as being sheet-like in form, for example made from a sheet of stamped aluminium, it should be

II

appreciated that other structures would aso be acceptable such as honeycomb or Ian ice-work structures.

Further aspects of the present invention are set out in the following numbered Clauses: Clause 1. A vehicle bonnet having a sandwich construction comprising an outer panel and an inner panel including a hinge attachment region for the attachment of a hinge; wherein the outer panel and the inner panel are shaped so as to define a crush space between the outer panel and the hinge attachment region of the inner panel, and wherein the bonnet further comprises a support structure that is attached to the inner panel at the hinge attachment region and extends away from the inner panel towards the outer panel so as to support the outer panel at a support region, wherein the support region is offset laterally from the hinge attachment region.

Clause 2. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1, wherein the support structure supports the outer panel at one or more resilient supporting points.

Clause 3. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1, wherein the support structure defines a box section with the inner panel at the support region.

Clause 4. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1, wherein the support structure comprises a first section attached to the hinge attachment region; a second section, which supports the outer panel at the support region, and a transition section that extends between the first section and the second section.

Clause 5. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 4, wherein the support structure defines a stepped configuration, such that the first and second sections are generally in parallel with one another.

Clause 6. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 4, wherein the second section is generally in parallel with the outer panel at the support region.

Clause 7. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 5, wherein the transition section defines a sloping transition between the first and second section.

Clause 8. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 4, wherein the second secton of the support structure is attached to the inner panel.

Clause 9. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 8, wherein the second section of the support structure includes one or more tabs that fix that section to the inner panel.

Clause 10. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 9, wherein the one or more tabs are out-of-plane with the remainder of the second section of the support structure.

Clause 11. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1, wherein the support structure is attached to the inner panel by at least one mechanical fastener.

Clause 12. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 11, wherein the support panel is attached to the inner panel by way of rivets.

Clause 13. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1, wherein the support structure is a sheet-like structure.

Clause 14. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1, wherein the outer panel, the inner panel and the support panel are manufactured from the same material.

Clause 15. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 14, wherein the outer panel, the inner panel and the support panel are manufactured from aluminium.

Clause 16. A vehicle including the vehicle bonnet according to Clause 1.

Clause 17. A vehicle bonnet according to Clause 16, wherein the vehicle bonnet is hinged at its rear to open like a clamshell.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A vehicle bonnet having a sandwich construction comprising an outer panel and an inner panel including a hinge attachment region for the attachment of a hinge; wherein the outer panel and the inner panel are shaped so as to define a crush space between the outer panel and the hinge attachment region of the inner panel, and wherein the bonnet further comprises a support structure that is attached to the inner panel at the hinge attachment region and extends away from the inner panel towards the outer panel so as to support the outer panel at a support region, wherein the support region is offset laterally from the hinge attachment region.
2. The vehicle bonnet of claim 1, wherein the support structure supports the outer panel at one or more resilient supporting points. Is
3. The vehicle bonnet of claims 1 or 2, wherein the support structure defines a box section with the inner panel at the support region.
4. The vehicle bonnet of any previous claim, wherein the support structure comprises a first section attached to the hinge attachment region; a second section, which supports the outer panel at the support region; and a transition section that extends between the first section and the second section.
5. The vehicle bonnet of claim 4, wherein the support structure defines a stepped configuration, such that the first and second sections are generally in parallel with one another.
6. The vehicle bonnet of claims 4 or 5, wherein the second section is generally in parallel with the outer panel at the support region.
7. The vehicle bonnet of claims 5 or 6, wherein the transition section defines a sloping transition between the first and second section.
8. The vehicle bonnet of claims 4 to 7, wherein the second section of the support structure is attached to the inner panel.
9. The vehicle bonnet of claim 8, wherein the second section of the support structure includes one or more tabs that fix that section to the inner panel.
10. The vehicle bonnet of claim 9, wherein the one or more tabs are out-of-plane with the remainder of the second section of the support structure.
11. The vehicle bonnet of any previous claim, wherein the support structure is attached to the inner panel by mechanical fastening means.
12. The vehicle bonnet of claim 11, wherein the support panel is attached to the inner panel by way of rivets.
13. The vehicle bonnet of any preceding claim, wherein the support structure is a sheet-like structure.
14. The vehicle bonnet of any previous claim, wherein the outer panel, the inner Is panel and the support panel are manufactured from the same material.
15. The vehicle bonnet of claim 14, wherein the outer panel, the inner panel and the support panel are manufactured from aluminium.
16. A vehicle including the vehicle bonnet of any preceding claim.
17. The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the vehicle bonnet is hinged at its rear to open like a clamshell. Is