Vehicle front structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle front structure in which an opening (21) through which wind introduced from a front grille (90) can pass is provided in an integrally molded object (20), and the flow of wind from the front grille (90) to a cooling module (100) can be changed in accordance with whether the opening (21) is open or closed. Therefore, according to whether the opening (21) is open or closed, the air flow guided to the cooling module (100) can be made different between vehicles having different driving power sources, such as HEV and BEV. Therefore, an integrally formed object (20) formed by integrally forming the absorber part (30) and the air guide pipe part (40) can be universally used between vehicles with different driving power sources, such as HEV and BEV.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure, and in particular to a vehicle front structure having an integrally formed product formed by integrally forming an absorber portion and an air guide duct portion. Background Art

[0002] In the vehicle, the running wind is introduced into the front cabin through the front grille and blows toward the cooling module (radiator or condenser) provided in the front cabin, thereby cooling the cooling water or refrigerant flowing in the cooling module.

[0003] In addition, there are vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) and BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). Moreover, due to the difference in driving power sources, the cooling modules in HEV and BEV are different, and the cooling requirements are different, so the positions to which the wind for cooling is blown are also different.

[0004] use Fig.10 , Fig.11 For HEV, Fig.10 As shown, a HT radiator 1a and a LT radiator 1b are provided in the cooling module 1. The HT radiator 1a is provided in the cooling circuit of the internal combustion engine, and the LT radiator 1b is located on the lower side of the HT radiator 1a and is provided in the cooling circuit of the electric component which generates less heat than the internal combustion engine. Furthermore, in order to ensure the amount of wind introduced from the front grille 2 and blown toward the cooling module 1, the front grille 2 has a lower grille 2a and an upper grille (not shown) provided on the upper side of the vehicle of the lower grille 2a. Wind is introduced from both the lower grille 2a and the upper grille and guided to the cooling module 1 (both the HT radiator 1a and the LT radiator 1b) (arrows A, B1, B2). In contrast, for BEV, Fig.11 As shown, an internal combustion engine is not provided and a radiator equivalent to the HT radiator is not required. Therefore, for the sake of appearance and commercial properties (differentiation), there is a case where only a lower grille 2a is provided and an upper grille is not provided. In this case, the wind introduced from the lower grille 2a spreads over the entire front surface of the cooling module 1 (arrow B).

[0005] Therefore, since the airflow needs to be changed for HEV and BEV, the air guide duct 3 that guides the air introduced from the front grille to the cooling module 1 is not common to HEV and BEV but is set separately.

[0006] Therefore, two types of molds, one for HEV and one for BEV, are required to manufacture the air duct 3. In addition, the air duct 3 is relatively large in order to guide the wind introduced from the relatively large front grille 2. Therefore, two types of relatively large molds, one for HEV and one for BEV, are required, which requires mold costs.

[0007] Conventional technical documents (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-055700, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-171405, and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-236494) disclose a technique for reducing the number of relatively large molds by integrating relatively large molded parts.

[0008] Specifically, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-055700 discloses a technology for integrally forming a lower absorber and an air guide plate provided on the upper side of the lower absorber. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-171405 discloses a technology for integrally forming an upper absorber, an upper air guide duct, and a lower air guide duct. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-236494 discloses a technology for integrally forming an upper absorber and an air guide duct for guiding wind to a radiator.

[0009] However, the above-mentioned prior art documents do not record any content on making molded parts common for vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV. Therefore, when the flow path of the running air introduced from the front grille needs to be changed due to the different driving power sources, different relatively large molds are still required, which requires mold costs.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure capable of using common molded parts regardless of differences in driving power sources. Summary of the invention

[0011] The present invention which achieves the above-mentioned object is as follows.

[0012] A vehicle front structure comprises an integrally formed article, wherein the integrally formed article is formed by integrally forming an absorber portion and an air duct portion, wherein the absorber portion is arranged at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than a cooling module mounted at the front of the vehicle, and the air duct portion is arranged at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than the cooling module, so that wind introduced from a front grille can pass through an inner space and reach the cooling module, wherein an opening is provided on the integrally formed article through which wind introduced from the front grille can pass, and the flow of wind from the front grille to the cooling module can be changed according to whether the opening is open or closed.

[0013] According to the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, an opening is provided on the one-piece molded product through which the wind introduced from the front grille can pass, and the flow of wind from the front grille to the cooling module can be changed according to whether the opening is open or closed. Therefore, depending on whether the opening is open or closed, the wind flow guided to the cooling module can be different between vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV. Therefore, between vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV, the one-piece molded product formed by integrally molding the absorber part and the air guide duct part can be made universal, which can reduce the mold cost compared to the case where different large molds are required for each vehicle with different driving power sources. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a cross-sectional view of a case where the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a HEV.

[0015] Figure 2 It is a cross-sectional view of a case where the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a BEV.

[0016] Figure 3 It is a perspective view of an integrally formed article in a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 4 It is a perspective view of a plate-shaped member in the vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a state in which an opening of an integrally molded product in the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment of the present invention is closed by a plate-like member.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a state in which an opening of an integrally molded product is closed by a plate-like member in a modified example of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a state in which an opening of an integrally molded product is closed by a plate-like member in another modified example of the embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 8 It is a partial stereoscopic view and a partial enlarged view of an integrally formed object in a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Fig. 9 It is a perspective view and a partially enlarged view of the integrally molded article in the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the back side.

[0023] Fig.10 It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle front structure of a conventional HEV.

[0024] Fig.11 It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle front structure of a conventional BEV. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, a vehicle front structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, UP indicates an upper side of the vehicle, and FR indicates a front side of the vehicle.

[0026] like Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle front structure 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an integrally formed article 20 and a plate-like member 60 .

[0027] The integrally molded article 20 and the plate-shaped member 60 are arranged in a front cabin V1 of the vehicle. The front cabin V1 is a space located at the rear side of the vehicle than the bumper cover 70 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and at the front side of the vehicle than an instrument panel (not shown) separated from the vehicle cabin, and at the lower side of the vehicle than a hood (not shown) in the upper-lower direction of the vehicle, and at the upper side of the vehicle than an undercover 80 that covers at least a part of the front part of the vehicle from the lower side of the vehicle.

[0028] The bumper cover 70 is made of resin, for example, and is arranged to extend in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The center portion of the bumper cover 70 in the left-right direction of the vehicle is located closer to the front side of the vehicle than the two ends in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the center portion is convex to the front side of the vehicle in a top view. In the center portion of the bumper cover 70 in the left-right direction of the vehicle, an opening 71 through which wind (travel wind, air) of the outer space S on the front side of the vehicle can pass is extended in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and a front grille 90 made of resin, for example, is arranged in the opening 71. Only one opening 71 is provided in the up-down direction, or two openings 71 are provided in the up-down direction. (i) When only one opening 71 is provided in the up-down direction, the front grille 90 is composed of only the lower grille 91, and the lower grille 91 is provided between the bumper cover lower portion 72 located at the lower end portion of the bumper cover 70 and the bumper cover upper portion 73 located on the upper side of the vehicle than the bumper cover lower portion 72. (ii) When two openings 71 are provided in the up-down direction, the front grille 90 is composed of the lower grille 91 and an upper grille (not shown), and the upper grille is provided on the upper side of the vehicle than the lower grille 91 and on the upper side of the vehicle of the bumper cover upper portion 73.

[0029] The undercover 80 is provided to reduce the air resistance flowing under the floor of the vehicle and to protect the vehicle from contact with the road surface or the influence of boulder bumps, etc. The undercover 80 is a plate-shaped member, and is made of, for example, resin.

[0030] In the front compartment V1, a cooling module 100 serving as a heat exchanger is mounted. The cooling module 100 is composed of a radiator or a condenser, and through the blowing of the driving wind, the cooling water or refrigerant flowing inside undergoes heat exchange and is cooled. When observed in the vehicle front-rear direction, the cooling module 100 is supported by a radiator support member 110 in a substantially rectangular frame shape that surrounds the cooling module 100. In addition, in the illustrated example, only the lower member 111 of the radiator support member 110 that supports the cooling module 100 from the lower side is shown.

[0031] At a position in front of the vehicle relative to the cooling module 100, a metal bumper reinforcement member 120 extending in the vehicle left-right direction is provided. Similar to the bumper cover 70, the central portion of the bumper reinforcement member 120 in the vehicle left-right direction is located in front of the vehicle relative to the both end portions in the vehicle left-right direction, and in a top-down view, the central portion protrudes forward of the vehicle. In the illustrated example, the cross-sectional shape (transverse cross-sectional shape) of the bumper reinforcement member 120 orthogonal to the extending direction is in the shape of a Chinese character 'Ri' (日), and it can also be in the shape of a Chinese character 'Kou' (口), or in the shape of a Chinese character 'Mu' (目), or in the shape of a 'Ko' (コ) or hat shape that is open at the front or rear of the vehicle. The bumper reinforcement member 120 is located above the lower grille 91 and at the rear side of the vehicle relative to the upper portion 73 of the bumper cover. In the case where an upper grille is provided, it is located below the upper grille relative to the vehicle. That is, the entire bumper reinforcement member 120 is located at the rear side of the vehicle relative to the upper portion 73 of the bumper cover.

[0032] In addition, below the vehicle of the bumper reinforcement member 120, a lower bumper reinforcement member 130 is provided at an interval from the bumper reinforcement member 120. The lower bumper reinforcement member 130 is a metal member extending in the vehicle left-right direction. Similar to the bumper cover 70 and the bumper reinforcement member 120, the central portion of the vehicle left-right direction is located in front of the vehicle relative to the both end portions in the vehicle left-right direction, and in a top-down view, the central portion protrudes forward of the vehicle. In the illustrated example, the cross-sectional shape (transverse cross-sectional shape) of the lower bumper reinforcement member 130 orthogonal to the extending direction is in the shape of a Chinese character 'Kou' (口), and it can also be in the shape of a Chinese character 'Ri' (日), or in the shape of a Chinese character 'Mu' (目), or in the shape of a 'Ko' (コ) or hat shape that is open at the front or rear of the vehicle. The upper end portion of the lower bumper reinforcement member 130 is located at the same position as the middle portion in the up-down direction of the lower grille 91. The lower end portion of the lower bumper reinforcement member 130 is located at approximately the same up-down position of the vehicle as the lower end portion of the lower grille 91. That is, the entire or substantially the entire lower bumper reinforcement member 130 is located at the rear side of the vehicle relative to the lower grille 91.

[0033] A grill shutter actuator 140 is provided between the bumper reinforcement 120 and the lower bumper reinforcement 130 in the vehicle vertical direction. The grill shutter actuator 140 is provided to control the amount of air passing through the grill shutter actuator 140 and flowing to the cooling module 100. The grill shutter actuator 140 has a plurality of fins 141 that move synchronously, and the amount of air passing through the grill shutter actuator 140 can be controlled by electrically driving the fins 141 to open and close. A sponge 142 as a sealing material may be provided between the grill shutter actuator 140 and the bumper reinforcement 120 and / or between the grill shutter actuator 140 and the lower bumper reinforcement 130 to suppress the passage of air.

[0034] In the front compartment V1, the integral molded article 20 is provided at a position closer to the vehicle front side than the cooling module 100. The integral molded article 20 is a molded part made of resin. The integral molded article 20 is a component different from the bumper cover 70 and the undercover 80, and is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the bumper cover 70 and the vehicle upper side of the undercover 80.

[0035] The integrally molded object 20 includes an absorber portion 30 and an air duct portion 40. The absorber portion 30 is disposed at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than the cooling module 100. The air duct portion 40 is disposed at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than the cooling module 100. The wind introduced from the lower grille 91 of the front grille 90 passes through the inner space 43 of the air duct portion and can reach the cooling module 100. The integrally molded object 20 is formed by integrally molding the absorber portion 30 and the air duct portion 40. Therefore, the integrally molded object 20 may also be called an air duct absorber.

[0036] The absorber portion 30 is disposed at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than the grille actuator 140. The absorber portion 30 is generally plate-shaped with the left-right direction of the vehicle as the length direction, the front-rear direction of the vehicle as the width direction, and the top-bottom direction of the vehicle as the thickness direction. The absorber portion 30 is mounted on the lower bumper reinforcement 130 from the front side of the vehicle. The vehicle front side end portion 31 of the absorber portion 30 enters from the rear side of the vehicle into the lower portion 72 of the bumper cover whose cross-sectional shape is convex toward the front side of the vehicle. The absorber portion 30 can function as a so-called lower energy absorber, and when a pedestrian collides with a vehicle, it not only has the main function of causing the pedestrian to bounce up, but also has the function of absorbing the impact by plastic deformation itself.

[0037] like Figure 3 As shown, the absorber portion 30, like the bumper cover 70, the bumper reinforcement 120 and the lower bumper reinforcement 130, has a center portion 32 in the vehicle left-right direction located closer to the vehicle front side than both end portions 33, 33 in the vehicle left-right direction, and the center portion 32 is convex toward the vehicle front side in a plan view.

[0038] The air duct portion 40 includes a pair of air duct side wall portions 41, 41, which are arranged to be spaced apart in the vehicle left-right direction and extend upward from the upper surface portion 34 of the absorber portion 30, and an air duct upper wall portion 42, which extends in the vehicle left-right direction and connects the upper ends of the pair of air duct side wall portions 41, 41 to each other. Therefore, when viewed in the vehicle front-back direction, the air duct portion 40 is a "コ" shape (including a substantially "コ" shape) open downward, and the inner space 43 of the air duct portion through which the wind introduced from the lower grille 91 of the front grille 90 passes is formed in cooperation with the upper surface portion 34 of the absorber portion 30. The air duct portion 40 is provided in the central portion 32 of the absorber portion 30, and is provided in a portion excluding the two end portions 33, 33 of the absorber portion 30. The wind introduced from the lower grille 91 and flowing in the inner space 43 of the air guide duct portion 40 passes through the inner space 43 of the air guide duct portion 40 , and then flows toward the cooling module 100 through the air intake grille actuator 140 .

[0039] The lengths of the air duct side walls 41, 41 and the upper end 42 of the air duct portion 40 in the vehicle front-rear direction are not particularly limited, and various lengths can be adopted. Figure 5 As shown, the vehicle front side end may be located closer to the vehicle rear side than the vehicle front side end of the absorber portion 30, as shown in FIG. Figure 6 As shown, the vehicle front side end may be located closer to the vehicle front side than the vehicle front side end of the absorber portion 30 .

[0040] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , an opening 21 is provided on the integrally molded article 20. When the opening 21 is open, the wind introduced from the lower grille 91 of the front grille 90 can pass through. The opening 21 can be closed using a plate-shaped member 60. As shown in wind flows W1, W2, etc., the flow of wind from the lower grille 91 to the cooling module 100 can be changed according to whether the opening 21 is open or closed. In detail, as shown in FIG. Figure 1 As shown, when the opening 21 is open, part of the wind introduced from the lower grille 91 can pass through the opening 21 and reach the cooling module 100 (wind flow W1) without passing through the route (wind flow W2) from the inner space 43 of the air duct portion 40 through the air intake grille actuator 140 and then flowing to the cooling module 100. That is, when the opening 21 is open, the wind introduced from the lower grille 91 passes through two routes: the route (wind flow W2) from the inner space 43 of the air duct portion 40 through the air intake grille actuator 140 and then flowing to the cooling module 100, and the route (wind flow W1) through the opening 21 and flowing to the cooling module 100. In contrast, when the opening 21 is closed, as shown in FIG. Figure 2As shown, the wind introduced from the lower grille 91 only passes through the route (wind flow W2) from the inner space 43 of the air guide duct 40 through the air intake grille actuator 140 and then flows to the cooling module 100. In addition, Figure 1 The wind flow W3 in FIG. 1 is a route (wind flow) from an upper grille (not shown) to the cooling module 100 .

[0041] Whether the opening 21 is closed using the plate-shaped member 60 is determined based on the difference in cooling module 100 generated by the different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV (in the case of HEV, both LT radiator 101 and HT radiator 102 are provided, but in the case of BEV, no radiator equivalent to the HT radiator is provided). That is, the position where the wind blows to the cooling module 100 is different due to the difference in driving power sources, so the decision is made accordingly. In addition, in the case of HEV, in order to ensure the amount of wind blowing to the LT radiator 101, the opening 21 is opened and the wind flow W1 ( Figure 1 ), while in the case of BEV, the opening 21 is closed so that no wind flow W1 is generated ( Figure 2 ).

[0042] like Figure 3 As shown, the opening 21 is formed to penetrate the central portion 32 of the absorber portion 30 in the vehicle vertical direction and the middle portion in the vehicle front-rear direction. The opening 21 is formed with the vehicle left-right direction as the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the central portion 32 of the absorber portion 30 has the opening 21, the absorber front portion 32a located at the vehicle front side of the opening 21, and the absorber rear portion 32b located at the vehicle rear side of the opening 21.

[0043] At least one rib 22 extending from the absorber front portion 32a to the absorber rear portion 32b in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided on the opening 21. In the case where a plurality of ribs 22 are provided, the plurality of ribs 22 are provided intermittently in the vehicle left-right direction. The rib 22 is in the shape of a plate extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle up-down direction. Figure 8 As shown, a portion of the rib 22 in the vehicle vertical direction has a widened portion 22a continuously in the entire area in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the width of the widened portion 22a in the vehicle left-right direction is stepped larger than the width of the other portions of the rib 22 in the vehicle vertical direction. The widened portion 22a is provided, for example, at the upper end of the rib 22, in which case the cross-sectional shape of the rib 22 perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction is a T-shape. However, the widened portion 22a may also be provided at the lower end or the middle portion in the vertical direction of the rib 22, in which case the cross-sectional shape of the rib becomes an inverted T-shape or a cross-shape.

[0044] like Fig. 9As shown in the figure, the rear rib 32c for improving the rigidity of the load in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is provided in the absorber rear portion 32b so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. At least one rear rib 32c is provided, and when a plurality of rear ribs 32c are provided, a plurality of rear ribs 32c are provided intermittently in the left-right direction of the vehicle. As a result, the rigidity of the absorber rear portion 32b for the load in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is higher than the rigidity of the opening 21 and the absorber front portion 32a for the load in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0045] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the integrally molded article 20 is mounted on the lower bumper reinforcement 130 from the vehicle front side through the absorber rear portion 32b. In addition, when the opening 21 is open, the wind introduced from the lower grille 91 can flow through the opening 21 without passing through the intake grille actuator 140, but can flow through the space S1 on the vehicle upper side of the bottom cover 80 on the vehicle lower side of the lower bumper reinforcement 130 and reach the cooling module 100 ( Figure 1 In addition, in order to allow the wind to flow smoothly from the space S1 to the cooling module 100, a wind guide 81 may be provided on the bottom cover 80, extending from a portion of the bottom cover 80 located closer to the front side of the vehicle than the cooling module 100 (for example, a portion of the bottom cover 80 located directly below the lower bumper reinforcement 130) toward the rear side of the vehicle and the upper side of the vehicle and toward the cooling module 100. The wind guide 81 may be formed separately from the bottom cover 80 and fixedly mounted on the bottom cover 80, but in order to reduce the number of components, it is preferably formed integrally with the bottom cover 80.

[0046] The cross-sectional shape of the absorber rear portion 32b perpendicular to the left-right direction of the vehicle is formed into a V-shape (taper) whose vertical spacing becomes narrower toward the front side of the vehicle. This is to smoothly separate the wind flowing in the part where the absorber rear portion 32b is located vertically through the absorber rear portion 32b, and to suppress the flow resistance from increasing due to the absorber rear portion 32b.

[0047] like Figure 7 As shown, the integrally molded article 20 can also be integrally molded with a second absorber portion 50 disposed on the upper side of the vehicle of the absorber portion 30 and the air guide duct portion 40. The second absorber portion 50 is disposed with the left-right direction of the vehicle as the length direction. The second absorber portion 50 is disposed at a position on the front side of the vehicle of the bumper reinforcement 120 and is mounted on the bumper reinforcement 120 from the front side of the vehicle. The second absorber portion 50 is similar to the absorber portion 30, and the central portion 51 in the left-right direction of the vehicle is located closer to the front side of the vehicle than the two end portions 52, 52 in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and the central portion 51 is convex toward the front side of the vehicle in a top view. The second absorber portion 50 is disposed so that at least a portion is located between the upper portion 73 of the bumper cover and the bumper reinforcement 120, and can function as a so-called upper energy absorber. Therefore, it has the function of plastically deforming itself and absorbing the impact when a pedestrian collides with a vehicle.

[0048] However, the second absorber portion 50 may not be integrally formed with the integrally formed article 20. In this case, Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the upper energy absorber 150 , which is a component different from the integrally molded object 20 , is disposed so that at least a portion thereof is located between the bumper cover upper portion 73 and the bumper reinforcement 120 .

[0049] The plate-like component 60 is in the shape of a thin plate, and is a component different from the integrally molded object 20, and is significantly smaller than the integrally molded object 20. The plate-like component 60 is a molded part made of resin. The plate-like component 60 can cover and seal the opening 21 provided in the absorber portion 30 from the upper side of the vehicle. For example, the plate-like component 60 can be mounted on the integrally molded object 20 using an adhesive, or can be mounted using thermal welding, or can be mounted using claw fitting, or can be mounted using other methods. When the plate-like component 60 is mounted on the integrally molded object 20, in order to suppress the leakage and flow of wind from between the plate-like component 60 and the integrally molded object 20, a sealing material (not shown) can be provided between the plate-like component 60 and the integrally molded object 20.

[0050] The size of the plate-like member 60 may be a size capable of closing the entire opening 21, or a size capable of closing only a portion of the opening 21. In the case where the plate-like member 60 is a size capable of closing only a portion of the opening 21, a plurality of types of plate-like members 60 having different areas for closing the opening 21 may be provided. In the case where a plurality of types of plate-like members 60 are provided, the plurality of types of plate-like members 60 may be selectively mounted on the integrally molded object 20.

[0051] Next, the functions and effects of the embodiments of the present invention are described.

[0052] (A) The one-piece molded article 20 is provided with an opening 21 through which the wind introduced from the front grille 90 can pass. The flow of wind from the front grille 90 to the cooling module 100 can be changed depending on whether the opening 21 is open or closed. Therefore, the wind flow guided to the cooling module 100 can be made different between vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV, depending on whether the opening 21 is open or closed. Therefore, the one-piece molded article 20 formed by integrally molding the absorber part 30 and the air guide duct part 40 can be made common between vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV, and the mold cost can be reduced compared to the case where different large molds are required for each vehicle with different driving power sources.

[0053] (B) The opening 21 can be closed using the plate-like member 6 which is a member different from the integrally molded object 20 and smaller than the integrally molded object 20. Therefore, the opening 21 can be closed using the plate-like member 60 which is a member different from the integrally molded object 20. In addition, since the plate-like member 60 is smaller than the integrally molded object 20, the mold for molding the plate-like member 60 can be smaller than the mold for molding the integrally molded object 20, which is advantageous in terms of cost.

[0054] (C) There are multiple types of plate-like components 60, and multiple types of plate-like components 60 can be selectively installed on the integral molded article 20. Therefore, the opening area can be made different not only according to the case where only a part of the opening 21 is closed and the case where the entire opening 21 is closed, but also when only a part of the opening 21 is closed. Therefore, it is possible to cope with various cooling modules 100 having different cooling demand performance and cooling positions. As a result, the integral molded article 20 can be made common not only between vehicles with different driving power sources such as HEV and BEV, but also between vehicles with the same type of driving power source.

[0055] (D) The absorber portion 30 functions as a lower energy absorber, and therefore, the pedestrian protection performance of the lower energy absorber can be ensured by the absorber portion 30 .

[0056] (E) The integrally molded article 20 is a component different from the undercover 80 that covers at least a portion of the front portion of the vehicle from the lower side of the vehicle, and is disposed on the upper side of the undercover 80. Therefore, the integrally molded article 20 and the undercover 80 can be made into different components, and the integrally molded article 20 can be manufactured without being affected by the underfloor airflow rectification function required by the undercover 80. In addition, the front surface projection area of ​​the vehicle does not change when the opening 21 is opened or closed. Therefore, unlike the case where the opening is provided in the undercover 80 and the opening is opened and closed, the influence of the vehicle as a whole on the air resistance can be suppressed.

[0057] (F) The opening 21 is formed to penetrate the absorber portion 30 in the vehicle vertical direction. Therefore, the flow of wind from the front grille 90 to the cooling module 100 in the vehicle vertical direction can be changed depending on whether the opening 21 is opened or closed.

[0058] (G) At least one rib 22 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle up-down direction is provided on the opening 21. Therefore, even if the opening 21 is provided, the rigidity of the absorber portion 30 against the load in the vehicle front-rear direction can be suppressed from decreasing, and the pedestrian protection performance of the absorber portion 30 can be ensured. In addition, the wind flowing through the opening 21 can be rectified.

[0059] (H) The rib 22 has a widened portion 22a at a portion in the vehicle vertical direction, and the width of the widened portion 22a in the vehicle horizontal direction is larger than the width of the other portions of the rib in the vehicle vertical direction. Therefore, the rigidity of the absorber portion 30 against the load in the vehicle front-rear direction can be effectively suppressed from decreasing, and the pedestrian protection performance of the absorber portion 30 can be effectively ensured. In addition, the rib 22 has a widened portion 22a at a portion in the vehicle vertical direction. Therefore, compared with the case where the rib 22 has a widened portion 22a at the entire vehicle vertical direction (the case where the rib 22 has a large width at the entire vehicle vertical direction), the resistance of the airflow flowing through the opening 21 can be suppressed from increasing due to the rib 22.

[0060] (I) The rear rib 32c that increases the rigidity against the load in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is provided in the absorber rear portion 32b in a manner extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and in the vertical direction. Therefore, the rigidity of the absorber rear portion 32b can be made higher than that of the absorber front portion 32a and the opening 21. When colliding with a pedestrian, the absorber front portion 32a and the opening 21 can be plastically deformed to absorb the impact. Therefore, the impact can be absorbed in a relatively shorter range of the absorber front portion 32a and the opening 21 that are closer to the front side of the vehicle than the absorber rear portion 32b, which is advantageous in terms of the space in the front cabin V1. In addition, since the impact can be absorbed in a relatively shorter range of the absorber front portion 32a and the opening 21 that are closer to the front side of the vehicle than the absorber rear portion 32b, when the absorber portion 30 functions as a lower energy absorber, two pedestrian protection performances can be ensured, namely, the performance of plastically deforming itself to absorb the impact and the performance of bouncing the pedestrian's feet.

[0061] (J) The integral molded article 20 is attached to the lower bumper reinforcement 130 from the vehicle front side via the absorber rear portion 32b. Therefore, unlike the case where the absorber portion 30 extends through the vehicle lower side of the lower bumper reinforcement 130 to the radiator support 110 located on the vehicle rear side of the lower bumper reinforcement 130 and is attached to the radiator support 110, it is possible to prevent the absorber portion 30 from being arranged to pass through the space S1 on the vehicle lower side of the lower bumper reinforcement 130, and prevent the integral molded article 20 from narrowing the space S1 on the vehicle lower side of the lower bumper reinforcement 130. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the integral molded article 20 from narrowing the flow path (wind flow W1) of the wind that passes through the opening 21 and flows in the space S1 on the vehicle lower side of the lower bumper reinforcement 130 and blows toward the cooling module 100.

[0062] (K) The absorber rear portion 32b is formed into a V-shape with a vertical spacing that becomes narrower toward the front of the vehicle, so that the wind flowing through the absorber rear portion 32b is smoothly divided vertically by the absorber rear portion 32b. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the wind flow resistance from increasing due to the absorber rear portion 32b.

[0063] (L) The integrally molded article 20 is formed by integrally molding the absorber portion 30 and the air duct portion 40, so the number of parts can be reduced compared to a case where the absorber portion 30 and the air duct portion 40 are formed as separate parts, and the mold cost can be reduced. In addition, the man-hours for mounting on a vehicle can be reduced.

[0064] (M) When the integrally molded article 20 is also integrally molded with the second absorber section 50 provided on the upper side of the vehicle of the absorber section 30, the number of parts can be reduced and the mold cost can be reduced compared to the case where the integrally molded article 20 is not integrally molded with the second absorber section 50. In addition, the man-hours for mounting to the vehicle can also be reduced. In addition, the second absorber section 50 functions as an upper energy absorber, and therefore, the pedestrian protection performance of the upper energy absorber can be ensured by the second absorber section 50.

[0065] (N) The integrally molded article 20 has an absorber portion 30 and an air duct portion 40. The opening 21 can be closed using a plate-like member 60 that is different from the integrally molded article 20 and smaller than the integrally molded article 20. Moreover, the absorber portion 30 functions as a lower energy absorber. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, even if the driving power source is different (for example, HEV and BEV), when manufacturing the lower energy absorber, the air duct for HEV, and the air duct for BEV, it is sufficient to use two components, namely, the relatively large integrally molded article 20 and the relatively small plate-like member 60. In contrast, in the past, three relatively large components, namely, the lower energy absorber, the air duct for HEV, and the air duct for BEV, were required. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the number of relatively large molds can be reduced from three to one compared to the past. In addition, the component placement space in the production plant or the vehicle assembly plant can be reduced. In addition, when transporting from the production plant to the vehicle assembly plant, the amount that can be transported at one time can be increased.

[0066] In the above, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is explained that even between vehicles such as HEV and BEV, which want to change the flow of the running wind introduced from the front grille due to different running power sources, the absorber and the air guide duct can be integrated (the common integral molding 20 can be used), but the difference in running power sources is not limited to HEV and BEV, and it can also be any combination of an engine vehicle whose running power source is only an internal combustion engine, HEV, BEV, PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle). In addition, it can also be a combination of vehicles with different specifications of the same running power source.

[0067] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, it is described that the opening 21 provided on the integrally molded object 20 can be closed using a plate-like component 60 which is a component different from the integrally molded object 20, but the plate-like component 60 can also be integrally molded with the integrally molded object 20 via a thin-walled hinge portion. By bending the thin-walled hinge portion, the plate-like component 60 can be selectively fixed in a position where the opening 21 is closed and a position where the opening 21 is opened. When the opening 21 is opened, the thin-walled hinge portion can also be cut off to separate the plate-like component 60 from the integrally molded object 20.

Claims

1. A vehicle front structure, comprising an integrally formed article, wherein the integrally formed article is formed by integrally forming an absorber portion and an air duct portion, wherein the absorber portion is disposed at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than a cooling module mounted at the front of the vehicle, and the air duct portion is disposed at a position closer to the front side of the vehicle than the cooling module, so that wind introduced from a front grille can pass through an inner space and reach the cooling module, wherein the vehicle front structure is characterized in that: The integrally molded product is provided with an opening through which the wind introduced from the front grille can pass. The flow of the wind from the front grille to the cooling module can be changed according to whether the opening is opened or closed.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening can be closed by using a plate-like member that is a member different from the integrally molded object and smaller than the integrally molded object.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The absorber portion functions as a lower energy absorber.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The integrally molded product is a member different from an undercover that covers at least a portion of the front portion of the vehicle from a lower side of the vehicle, and is disposed on an upper side of the undercover on the vehicle.

5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The opening is formed so as to penetrate the absorber portion in the vehicle up-down direction.

6. The vehicle front structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The opening is provided with at least one rib extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and in the up-down direction of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle front structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rib has a widened portion at a portion in the vehicle up-down direction, and a width of the widened portion in the vehicle left-right direction is greater than a width of another portion of the rib in the vehicle up-down direction.

8. The vehicle front structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The absorber portion has an absorber front portion located on the vehicle front side of the opening and an absorber rear portion located on the vehicle rear side of the opening, A rear rib for improving rigidity against a load in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided at a rear portion of the absorber so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction.

9. The vehicle front structure according to claim 8, characterized in that: The integrally molded article is mounted to a lower bumper reinforcement from the front side of the vehicle through the rear portion of the absorber, the lower bumper reinforcement being located on the lower side of the vehicle of the bumper reinforcement disposed on the front side of the vehicle relative to the cooling module and extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle. In a case where the opening is open, a portion of wind introduced from the front grille can pass through the opening, flow through a space on the vehicle lower side of the lower bumper reinforcement, and reach the cooling module.

10. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The integrally molded article is also integrally molded with a second absorber portion provided on the vehicle upper side of the absorber portion, The second absorber portion functions as an upper energy absorber.

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