Vehicle front part structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front part structure in which a heat exchanger is obliquely mounted on a front part of a vehicle, which can suppress the heat exchanger from being broken at the time of a front collision of the vehicle.SOLUTION: A vehicle front part structure 10 is provided with: a pair of front side members 20 extending along a vehicle longitudinal direction at both sides in a vehicle width direction of a front part of a vehicle; a radiator 30 arranged between the pair of front side members 20, in which an end part 30A at a lower side of the vehicle is arranged in an inclining posture to protrude to a side closer to a front side of the vehicle than an end part 30B at an upper side of the vehicle; support parts 40, respectively provided on an intermediate portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the pair of front side members 20 and at a rear side of the vehicle of the radiator 30, which support the radiator 30 rotatably with the vehicle width direction as an axial direction; and a fixing part 50 that fixes a site at the lower side of the vehicle of the radiator 30 to a vehicle body 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a radiator mounting structure in which the lower end of a radiator is supported on the front end of a side member at the front of the vehicle, and the upper end of the radiator is rotatably supported on a member on the vehicle body side. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, since the lower end of the radiator is supported on the front end of the side member, when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle, this impact load is input in the axial direction of the side member and is also input as a rearward load to the lower end of the radiator via a guide mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-362171 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, in order to improve the aerodynamic performance of vehicles, it has been considered to mount the radiator at an angle to reduce the height of the front hood of the vehicle. Meanwhile, in the event of a frontal collision, the front side member is compressed axially to absorb the impact, but if the radiator is mounted at an angle, the lower end of the radiator protrudes forward, making it more susceptible to the impact of the collision.

[0005] In the technology of Patent Document 1, the lower end of the radiator is supported by the front end of the front side member, which may result in damage to the radiator in a frontal collision. Also, if a rotation mechanism is attached to the top surface of the radiator, as in the technology of Patent Document 1, a load input to the lower end of the radiator may act on the rotation mechanism, pushing it upward, which may result in damage to the radiator and the rotation mechanism.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle front structure in which a heat exchanger is mounted at an angle in the front of the vehicle, which can suppress damage to the heat exchanger in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle front structure of the present invention described in claim 1 comprises a pair of front side members extending along the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction on both sides of the vehicle's front width direction, a heat exchanger arranged between the pair of front side members and arranged in an inclined position so that its lower end protrudes further forward than its upper end, support parts each provided in the middle of the pair of front side members in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction and on the vehicle rear side of the heat exchanger, supporting the heat exchanger rotatably with the vehicle's width direction as its axial direction, and a fixing part fixing the vehicle's lower portion of the heat exchanger to the vehicle body.

[0008] In the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, a heat exchanger is disposed between a pair of front side members. The heat exchanger is disposed in an inclined position so that the lower end of the heat exchanger protrudes further forward than the upper end of the heat exchanger. This reduces the height of the hood at the front of the vehicle, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0009] In this vehicle front structure, a support portion is provided in a vehicle longitudinal intermediate portion of the front side member for rotatably supporting the heat exchanger with the vehicle width direction as the axial direction, and a fixing portion is provided for fixing a vehicle lower portion of the heat exchanger to the vehicle body. Therefore, when an impact object comes into contact with the vehicle body while the front side member is absorbing impact by axial compression during a frontal collision, the fixing portion of the heat exchanger to the vehicle lower portion by the fixing portion is released, and the heat exchanger rotates. This allows the load applied to the heat exchanger to be released.

[0010] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure, the support portion is provided on the vehicle rear side of the heat exchanger, which prevents the load input to the heat exchanger from exerting an upward thrust on the support portion, and also prevents the support portion from being damaged during the process of absorbing an impact caused by axial compression of the front side member.

[0011] In this way, in a vehicle front structure in which the heat exchanger is mounted obliquely in the front of the vehicle, damage to the radiator can be suppressed in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0012] The vehicle front structure of the present invention described in claim 2 is configured in the configuration described in claim 1, wherein the fixing portion includes a protrusion protruding from the vehicle body side and a fitting recess provided on the heat exchanger side into which the protrusion fits.

[0013] In the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, a protrusion protruding from the vehicle body of the fixing part fits into a fitting recess provided on the heat exchanger side. Therefore, when a colliding object comes into contact with the vehicle body during the impact absorption caused by axial compression of the front side member during a frontal collision, the protrusion protruding from the vehicle body side is broken, and the fixing of the heat exchanger at the lower side of the vehicle by the fixing part can be released.

[0014] A vehicle front structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 3 is the configuration as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fixing portion further includes an elastic portion interposed between the protrusion and the fitting recess.

[0015] In the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, the fixing portion has an elastic portion interposed between the protrusion and the fitting recess, so that vibrations of the vehicle body during driving can be absorbed by the elastic portion and prevented from being transmitted to the heat exchanger.

[0016] The vehicle front structure of the present invention described in claim 4 is the configuration described in claim 1, in which the lower portion of the heat exchanger is fixed to a lower absorber extending in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, and at least a portion of the side surface of the lower absorber on the front side of the vehicle is positioned further forward of the pair of front side members.

[0017] In the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, a lower portion of the heat exchanger is fixed to a lower absorber extending in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, and at least a portion of a front side surface of the lower absorber is disposed further forward than the pair of front side members. Therefore, in the early stage of a frontal collision, a collision load is transmitted to the lower absorber, and the fixed portion can quickly release the lower portion of the heat exchanger from the fixed portion.

[0018] A vehicle front structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 5 is the structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the support portion is configured to support an end portion of the heat exchanger on the vehicle upper side.

[0019] In the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, the support portion is configured to support the end portion of the heat exchanger on the vehicle upper side. Therefore, the height of the radiator in the power unit compartment can be further reduced compared to when the support portion supports the middle portion of the radiator in the vehicle up-down direction. As a result, the height of the hood at the front of the vehicle can be more effectively reduced.

[0020] The vehicle front structure of the present invention as described in claim 6 is the configuration as described in claim 1, further comprising a hood that covers the power unit room at the front of the vehicle from above the vehicle, and a box-shaped storage section provided on the vehicle above the heat exchanger and on the vehicle below the hood, wherein the support section is configured to support a middle section of the heat exchanger in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and when the heat exchanger rotates due to being released from its fixation by the fixing section, the vehicle above-side portion of the heat exchanger abuts the storage section.

[0021] In the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, the support portion is configured to support a middle portion of the heat exchanger in the vehicle vertical direction. During a frontal collision, when the lower portion of the heat exchanger is released from the fixing portion, the heat exchanger rotates, causing the upper portion to move toward the front of the vehicle and come into contact with a box-shaped housing portion provided on the lower side of the hood. This allows the lower portion of the heat exchanger to retreat toward the rear of the vehicle during a frontal collision, and then stops the rotation of the heat exchanger. Furthermore, if a further collision load is input, the upper portion of the heat exchanger crushes the housing portion, making it possible to absorb part of the collision load. [Effects of the Invention]

[0022] As described above, the vehicle front structure according to the present invention, in a structure in which a heat exchanger is obliquely mounted in the front of the vehicle, can suppress damage to the heat exchanger in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a left side view schematically showing an example of a vehicle front structure according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing an example of the vehicle front structure of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a left-side cross-sectional view schematically showing the vicinity of the fixing portion, partially cut along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a left side view schematically showing an example of a vehicle front structure according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0024] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that the arrow FR shown as appropriate in each figure indicates the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction. The arrow IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction. Hereinafter, when the directions of front / rear, up / down, and left / right are simply used in the description, they refer to front / rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction, up / down in the vehicle vertical direction, and left / right in the vehicle horizontal direction (vehicle width direction), unless otherwise specified.

[0025] Furthermore, unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one, and may be present in plural. Furthermore, in the drawings, substantially identical elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations in the specification will be omitted.

[0026] (Vehicle front structure configuration) First, a configuration of a vehicle front structure 10 will be described as an example of a vehicle front structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a side view schematically showing the example of the vehicle front structure 10, and Fig. 2 is a front view schematically showing the example of the vehicle front structure 10 of Fig. 1.

[0027] 1 and 2 schematically show a vehicle front structure 10 of a vehicle 12. In this embodiment, the vehicle 12 is, for example, a battery-powered electric vehicle or the like that includes a battery and a motor as a drive source.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 , a power unit room 14 is disposed on the rear side of the bumper 2 at the front of the vehicle 12. A power unit 16 is housed inside the power unit room 14. In this embodiment, since the vehicle 12 is an electric vehicle, the power unit 16 is a drive unit and incorporates an electric motor that generates driving force for rotating the drive wheels (not shown) of the vehicle. A battery stack 18 serving as a battery is disposed directly above the power unit 16. The battery stack 18 is formed by stacking a large number of battery cells (not shown) in a predetermined direction. Each battery cell stores electric power for rotating the electric motor of the power unit 16.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a vehicle front structure 10 includes a pair of left and right front side members 20, which are front frame members of a vehicle body 11 of a vehicle 12 and are arranged on both sides of the front of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. The front side members 20 are vehicle body frame members that extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction and are formed, for example, with a closed cross-sectional structure. The front end portions of the front side members 20 are connected to a front bumper reinforcement 22 (hereinafter referred to as "bumper reinforcement 22") that is arranged along the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, as an example, the front side members 20 have crash boxes 24 as energy absorbing members at their front end portions connected to the bumper reinforcement 22. The front side members 20 are fixed coaxially to the crash boxes 24 so as to reduce a collision load from the front of the vehicle body 11. Note that in this embodiment, the crash boxes 24 are described as separate parts from the bumper reinforcement 22, but the two may be configured as an integrated structure.

[0030] A hood 28 constituting an outer plate of the vehicle body 11 is disposed above the pair of left and right front side members 20. The hood 28 is a plate-like member that is substantially rectangular in plan view, and is configured to cover the power unit compartment 14 from above the vehicle. As an example, the hood 28 is configured so that an end portion on the vehicle rear side is supported by a hinge mechanism (not shown), thereby allowing the opening of the power unit compartment 14 to be opened and closed.

[0031] A radiator 30 serving as a heat exchanger is disposed inside the power unit compartment 14, further forward of the power unit 16. The radiator 30 is disposed between a pair of front side members 20. As shown in Fig. 1, the radiator 30 of this embodiment is mounted in an inclined position such that an end 30A on the lower side of the vehicle protrudes further forward of the vehicle than an end 30B on the upper side of the vehicle. Although not shown, a cylindrical fan shroud, an electric fan, and the like are disposed behind the radiator 30 to guide air introduced from the radiator 30 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0032] The radiator 30 is, for example, formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and is a flat structure in the vehicle longitudinal direction. For example, the radiator 30 is provided with a refrigerant pipe (not shown) that snakes back and forth multiple times in the vehicle width direction. The refrigerant pipe is equipped with a large number of fins (not shown). While the vehicle 12 is traveling, air is introduced into the power unit compartment 14 through the front grille (not shown) and passes between the fins to cool the refrigerant inside the refrigerant pipe. The refrigerant pipe circulates with a flow path inside the battery stack 18, and refrigerant pumped by a pump (not shown) circulates through the refrigerant pipe inside the battery stack 18 and exchanges heat. This cools the battery stack 18. The refrigerant pipe may also be configured to circulate with a flow path inside the power unit 16.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, the radiator 30 is supported on the vehicle body 11 by radiator supports 32 fixed to both ends in the vehicle width direction. The radiator support 32 is a hollow member formed to have a substantially rectangular horizontal cross section, and is configured by side members extending longitudinally in the vehicle up-down direction. The radiator support 32 may further include an upper support member (not shown) and a lower support member (not shown) that each extend in the vehicle width direction in the up-down direction of the radiator 30. In this embodiment, the radiator support 32 is supported by front side members 20 that constitute a part of the vehicle body 11 and cross members 26 that also constitute a part of the vehicle body 11.

[0034] As an example, the outer end in the vehicle width direction of each radiator support 32, which is a side member, is supported by a front side member 20, which is a skeleton frame of the body 11 of the vehicle 12. Here, a support portion 40 provided on the front side member 20 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the radiator 30 when viewed from the side in the vehicle width direction.

[0035] Specifically, each radiator support 32 has a cylindrical rotating shaft 34 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from a side surface 32A on the vehicle rear side. As shown in FIG. 2, the rotating shaft 34 is provided at an end portion 30B on the vehicle upper side. Note that the vehicle upper end portion 30B of the radiator 30 is, for example, a range that occupies approximately one-fifth of the upper side of the vehicle's vertical dimension. For example, the rotating shaft 34 is formed from resin.

[0036] For example, the rotating shaft 34 may be inserted into a shaft hole (not shown) provided in the side surface 32A of the radiator support 32 and fixed thereto with a screw or the like, or a flange may be provided on one end of the rotating shaft 34 and attached to the side surface 32A with a screw or the like. Any known fixing technique may be used. It is not essential to fix one axial end of the rotating shaft 34 to the side surface 32A of the radiator support 32 on the vehicle rear side, as in the present embodiment. For example, the rotating shaft 34 may be configured to extend from the side surface of the radiator support 32 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the rotating shaft may be configured to be bent in a crank shape, with one end in the extending direction fixed to the radiator support 32 and the other end in the extending direction supported by a support portion 40 (described later) of the front side member.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, the rotating shaft 34 is supported rotatably with the vehicle width direction as its axial direction by support portions 40 provided at the vehicle fore-and-aft middle portions of the pair of left and right front side members 20 within the power unit room 14.

[0038] 1 and 2, the support portion 40 includes a support base 42 and a bearing portion 44. The support base 42 and the bearing portion 44 may be formed integrally or separately. The support base 42 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the top and bottom, and is fastened to the upper surface of the front side member 20 by, for example, bolts or the like at two locations on the vehicle front side and vehicle rear side of the bearing portion 44, for example.

[0039] The bearing portion 44 is generally cylindrical and is disposed on the upper surface 42A of the support base 42 so that its axial direction is in the vehicle width direction. The bearing portion 44 rotatably supports the rotating shaft 34 with the vehicle width direction as its axis. That is, the support portion 40 supports the rotating shaft 34 from the vehicle width direction side. As shown in FIG. 1 , the bearing portion 44 has an opening 46 formed by cutting out a part of the cylinder at an upper portion in the vehicle up-down direction. This opening 46 functions as a drop-out structure that allows the rotating shaft 34 to drop out of the bearing portion 44 after the rotating shaft 34, i.e., the radiator 30, has rotated. Note that it is not essential to provide the opening 46 in the bearing portion 44, and the opening 46 may be omitted.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vehicle front structure 10 includes a cross member 26 that is disposed forward of the radiator 30 and extends in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the cross member 26 is, for example, a lower absorber. The lower absorber has the function of absorbing and reducing impact energy in the event of a frontal collision with a pedestrian, and is formed from a foamed resin material, a plastic resin material, or the like. As an example, a portion of the cross member 26 on the front side of the vehicle is fixed to the bottom of the front bumper cover 21 by a fixing means such as bolt fastening. In this state, at least a portion of the side surface on the front side of the vehicle of the cross member 26 is disposed further forward of the pair of left and right front side members 20.

[0041] In this embodiment, as an example, an end portion 30A of the radiator 30 that is a portion on the vehicle lower side is fixed to a cross member 26 that is the vehicle body 11 via a fixing portion 50.

[0042] 3 is a left side view schematically showing the vicinity of the fixing portion 50. As shown in FIG. 3, as an example, the fixing portion 50 is configured to include a protrusion 52 protruding from the cross member 26 side, a fitting recess 54 provided on the radiator 30 side, and an elastic portion 56 arranged on the inner surface of the fitting recess 54.

[0043] The protrusion 52 is provided on the rear end of the cross member 26 and protrudes obliquely toward the rear and upper side of the vehicle. The protrusion 52 may be formed integrally with the cross member 26 or may be formed separately.

[0044] The fitting recess 54 is provided in the vehicle-lower side surface 32B of the radiator support 32 and is a cylindrical hole that is recessed. The fitting recess 54 may be formed integrally with the radiator support 32 or may be formed separately. The vehicle-lower end of the radiator 30 is fixed to the cross member 26 by inserting and fitting the protrusion 52 that protrudes from the cross member 26 into the fitting recess 54.

[0045] 3, since the front portion of the cross member 26 is located further forward than the radiator support 32, a load is applied to the cross member 26 before the radiator support 32 during a frontal collision. When a load is applied to the cross member 26 from the front of the vehicle, the protrusion 52 is pressed toward the rear of the vehicle together with the cross member 26. In this embodiment, the strength of the protrusion 52 is such that it breaks when pressed toward the rear of the vehicle by the load during a frontal collision. Therefore, the fixation of the cross member 26 and the radiator support 32 by the fixing portion 50 is released during a frontal collision.

[0046] Here, an elastic portion 56 made of rubber or the like is provided on the inner surface of the fitting recess 54. Therefore, when the protrusion 52 is fitted into the fitting recess 54, the elastic portion 56 is interposed between the protrusion 52 and the fitting recess 54. As a result, vibrations during driving that are transmitted via the cross member 26 are absorbed by the elastic portion 56. This prevents vibrations during driving from being transmitted to the radiator 30, and reduces wear on the fixing portion 50 and the generation of abnormal noise.

[0047] (Action and effect) Next, the operation and effects of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment will be described.

[0048] The vehicle front structure 10 has a radiator 30 as a heat exchanger disposed between a pair of front side members 20. The radiator 30 is disposed at an angle such that an end 30A on the vehicle lower side protrudes further forward than an end 30B on the vehicle upper side. This allows the height of a hood 28 at the front of the vehicle to be reduced, improving aerodynamic performance. Furthermore, as shown by arrow D in FIG. 1 , a vacant space for pedestrian protection can be easily secured between the vehicle body 11 and the radiator 30.

[0049] Here, in the vehicle front structure 10, a support portion 40 that rotatably supports the radiator 30 is provided in the middle portion of the front side member 20 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction. Also provided is a fixing portion 50 that fixes a portion of the radiator 30 on the vehicle lower side to the vehicle body 11. Therefore, when a colliding object comes into contact with the vehicle body 11 while the front side member 20 is absorbing impact through axial compression during a front collision, the fixing of the portion of the radiator 30 on the vehicle lower side by the fixing portion 50 is released, and the radiator 30 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1 . As a result, the end portion 30A of the radiator 30 on the vehicle lower side retracts toward the rear of the vehicle, allowing the load applied to the radiator 30 to be released.

[0050] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure 10, the support portion 40 is provided on the vehicle rear side of the radiator 30, which prevents the load input to the radiator 30 from exerting an upward thrust load on the support portion 40. Also, damage to the support portion 40 during the process of absorbing an impact due to axial compression of the front side member 20 is avoided.

[0051] In this way, in the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment, in a structure in which the radiator 30 is mounted obliquely in the front of the vehicle, damage to the radiator 30 can be suppressed in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle 12.

[0052] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, in the fixing portion 50, the protrusion 52 protruding from the cross member 26 side constituting the vehicle body 11 fits into the fitting recess 54 provided on the radiator 30 side. Therefore, when a colliding object comes into contact with the cross member 26 while absorbing the impact caused by the axial compression of the front side member 20 during a frontal collision, the protrusion 52 protruding from the cross member 26 side is broken, and the fixing of the portion of the radiator 30 on the vehicle lower side by the fixing portion 50 can be released.

[0053] Furthermore, the fixing portion 50 has an elastic portion 56 interposed between the protrusion 52 and the fitting recess 54. Therefore, vibrations of the vehicle body 11 during driving can be absorbed by the elastic portion 56, and transmission of the vibrations to the radiator 30 can be suppressed.

[0054] Furthermore, the cross member 26 is configured as a lower absorber extending in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the vehicle lower portion of the radiator 30 is fixed to the lower absorber. Therefore, at least a portion of the vehicle front side surface of the cross member 26 is disposed further forward than the pair of left and right front side members 20. As a result, the collision load is transmitted to the cross member 26 in the early stage of a frontal collision, and the vehicle lower portion of the radiator 30 can be quickly released from the fixing portion 50.

[0055] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the support portion 40 is configured to support the end portion 30B of the radiator 30 on the vehicle upper side. Therefore, compared to a case where the support portion 40 supports the middle portion of the radiator 30 in the vehicle up-down direction, the height of the radiator 30 in the power unit compartment 14 can be further reduced. As a result, the height of the hood at the front of the vehicle can be more effectively reduced.

[0056] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment, the support portion 40 includes a bearing portion 44 that supports the rotating shaft 34 of the radiator 30, and an opening 46 provided in an upper portion of the bearing portion 44 in the vehicle vertical direction constitutes a detachment structure. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision, the rotating shaft 34 supported by the bearing portion 44 rotates, causing the radiator 30 to rotate, and if further collision load is input to the radiator 30, the rotating shaft 34 will come off the opening 46, causing the radiator 30 to fall off.

[0057] Second Embodiment A vehicle front structure 100 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 4. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 4, in the vehicle front structure 100 according to the second embodiment, a box-shaped housing portion 60 is provided on the vehicle lower side of the hood 28 that covers the power unit compartment 14 from above the vehicle. The support portion 40 is configured to support a middle portion in the vehicle vertical direction of a radiator 30 that serves as a heat exchanger. Other than this, the configuration is the same as that of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment. Note that the middle portion in the vehicle vertical direction of the radiator 30 refers to, for example, a range excluding a range that occupies approximately one-fifth of the upper side of the vehicle vertical dimension (the end portion 30B on the vehicle upper side) and a range that occupies approximately one-fifth of the lower side (the end portion 30A on the vehicle lower side).

[0059] The storage compartment 60 is a box-shaped member made of resin or the like, and is, for example, bathtub-shaped with an opening that opens toward the upper side of the vehicle. The storage compartment 60 forms a luggage compartment R1 in the front of the vehicle between the storage compartment 60 and the hood 28. The storage compartment 60 has, for example, an outer end in the vehicle width direction supported by an apron upper member 17 disposed on the outer side of the front side member 20 in the vehicle width direction and on the upper side of the front side member 20. The apron upper member 17 is a framework member that forms the upper side of the front of the vehicle body 11. The apron upper member 17 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle along the front side member 20, and a portion of the apron upper member 17 on the front side of the vehicle is supported by the front side member 20 from below. The rear end of the apron upper member 17 is coupled to a front pillar (not shown). Here, the apron upper member 17 is formed separately from the front side member 20, but they may be formed integrally.

[0060] The accommodation section 60 is disposed above the radiator 30. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 4 , when the radiator 30 is in an inclined position, the rear end of the accommodation section 60 is disposed forward of the upper end 30B of the radiator 30, and is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle from the end 30B of the radiator 30. In the event of a frontal collision, when a colliding body collides with the vehicle body 11 and the lower portion of the radiator 30 is released from the fixing portion 50, the upper portion of the radiator 30 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 4 . As shown by the dashed-dot line in FIG. 4 , the upper portion of the radiator 30 moves toward the front of the vehicle and comes into contact with the rear end of the accommodation section 60.

[0061] (Action and effect) The vehicle front structure 100 according to the second embodiment basically follows the configuration of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment, and therefore can achieve the same actions and effects.

[0062] On the other hand, in the vehicle front structure 100 according to the second embodiment, the support portion 40 is configured to support a middle portion of the radiator 30 in the vehicle up-down direction. During a frontal collision, when the lower portion of the radiator 30 is released from the fixing portion 50, the rotation of the radiator 30 causes the upper portion of the radiator 30 to move toward the front of the vehicle and come into contact with a box-shaped housing portion 60 provided on the lower side of the hood 28. This allows the lower portion of the radiator 30 to be retracted toward the rear of the vehicle during a frontal collision, and then the rotation of the radiator 30 can be stopped. Furthermore, if a further collision load is input, the upper portion of the radiator 30 crushes the housing portion 60, thereby enabling the radiator 30 to absorb a portion of the collision load.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the housing 60 is configured to be separate from the hood 28, but this is not limiting and the housing 60 may be configured to be provided on the back surface of the hood 28. In this case, the housing 60 may be configured as a cable housing that accommodates a charging cable (not shown) for supplying power from an external power source to the vehicle 12. [supplementary explanation]

[0064] In the first and second embodiments, the cross member 26 is a lower absorber, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be any member that is pushed when a collision load is applied from the front. Furthermore, the fixing portion 50 may fix the radiator 30 to the vehicle body 11 other than the cross member 26 using, for example, a bracket, instead of fixing the radiator 30 to the cross member 26. In this case, the vehicle body 11 used for fixing is a member that is pushed when a collision load is applied from the front.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, a radiator has been described as an example of a heat exchanger, but the heat exchanger of the present invention is not limited to a radiator. The heat exchanger may be, for example, a condenser or a heat exchanger for vehicle air conditioning.

[0066] Furthermore, the configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the configuration can be changed as appropriate as long as the problem can be solved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10, 100 Vehicle front structure 11 Body 12 vehicles 14 Power unit room 20 Front side member 26 Cross member (lower absorber) 28 Food 30 Radiator (heat exchanger) 30A end (end of heat exchanger on the lower side of the vehicle) 30B end (end of heat exchanger on the upper side of the vehicle) 34 Rotation axis 40 Support part 50 Fixed part 52 Projection (fixed part) 54 Fitting recess (fixing part) 56 Elastic part 60 Storage section

Claims

1. a pair of front side members extending along a vehicle front-rear direction on both sides in a vehicle width direction of a front portion of the vehicle; a heat exchanger disposed between the pair of front side members and disposed in an inclined position such that an end portion on a vehicle lower side protrudes further toward the vehicle front side than an end portion on a vehicle upper side; a support portion provided in an intermediate portion of each of the pair of front side members in the vehicle longitudinal direction and on the vehicle rear side of the heat exchanger, the support portion supporting the heat exchanger rotatably with the vehicle width direction as its axial direction; a fixing portion that fixes a portion of the heat exchanger on a lower side of the vehicle to a vehicle body; A vehicle front structure comprising:

2. The fixing portion includes a protruding portion protruding from the vehicle body side and a fitting recess provided on the heat exchanger side into which the protruding portion fits. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 .

3. The fixing portion further includes an elastic portion interposed between the protrusion and the fitting recess. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2 .

4. a lower portion of the heat exchanger is fixed to a lower absorber extending in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle body, and at least a portion of a side surface of the lower absorber on a front side of the vehicle is disposed further forward than the pair of front side members; The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The support portion is configured to support an end portion of the heat exchanger on an upper side of the vehicle. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or 2.

6. a hood that covers a power unit room at the front of the vehicle from above the vehicle; a box-shaped housing portion provided on the vehicle upper side of the heat exchanger and the vehicle lower side of the hood, The support portion is configured to support a middle portion of the heat exchanger in the vehicle up-down direction, The heat exchanger is configured so that, when the heat exchanger is rotated by being released from the fixing portion, a portion of the heat exchanger on an upper side of the vehicle comes into contact with the accommodation portion. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 .

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