Automobile engine compartment front cover with both rigidity and active pedestrian protection

Abstract

The present invention discloses a front hood of a car cabin that takes into account both rigidity and active pedestrian protection, including a front hood inner plate and a front hood outer plate arranged on the upper side of the front hood inner plate, a cavity is provided between the front hood inner plate and the front hood outer plate, and a plurality of variable rigidity support mechanisms are arranged in the cavity; the plurality of variable rigidity support mechanisms each include an elastic support member, a rigid support member, and a locking assembly; the lower end of the elastic support member is connected to the front hood inner plate, and the upper and lower ends of the rigid support member are respectively connected to the front hood outer plate and the elastic support member; the locking assembly has a normal working state and a pedestrian protection function state. The present invention can take into account both the rigidity of the front hood outer plate and active pedestrian protection, and can be restored to a normal use state again after the active pedestrian protection function is triggered, and can be used repeatedly, thereby reducing after-sales costs, and can also be applied to a variety of vehicle models, with high versatility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automobile body structure, and in particular to an automobile cabin front cover which takes both rigidity and active pedestrian protection into consideration. Background Art

[0002] The front hood of a car cabin is also called the car engine hood. It is used to cover the engine compartment. When a car collides with a pedestrian, it is easy for the pedestrian's head to hit the front hood of the car cabin, causing pedestrian head injuries. In the prior art, the front hood of the car cabin is usually designed to have a structure with a collapse support member. After the pedestrian's head hits, the collapse member can collapse and absorb energy to reduce the damage to the pedestrian. However, this structure is at the expense of reducing the rigidity of the front hood of the car cabin. The outer panel of the front hood does not have a high strength support. When the car is driving at high speed or the palm presses or opens and closes the front hood of the car cabin, it is easy to deform and make abnormal noises. Customers complain about the damage to the brand. When objects are thrown from high altitude or rocks fall from the mountain and impact the front hood of the car cabin, the safety of the engine compartment cannot be guaranteed. In addition, CNCAP's requirements for pedestrian protection are becoming more and more stringent. In 2025, CNCAP will require that pedestrian protection must meet the requirements in order to pass the regulations.

[0003] CN110077356A discloses a method, device, system, memory and terminal for actively protecting pedestrians. A method for actively protecting pedestrians is disclosed, the method is used to control the detonation of an ignition device, the ignition device is used to pop up the engine cover; the method includes: obtaining the front image collected by the camera; obtaining the collision distance between the obstacle and the vehicle collected by the radar; judging whether there is a pedestrian in the front image, and judging whether the collision distance is less than a first threshold; if there is a pedestrian in the front image, and the collision distance is less than the first threshold, sending a pre-detonation instruction to the ignition device to make the ignition device prepare for detonation. The invention has the advantages of identifying whether detonation is needed to avoid unnecessary waste; and detonating faster, thereby better protecting pedestrians. Undoubtedly, the technical solution disclosed in the above patent document is a beneficial attempt in the relevant technical field. However, the detonating device of the invention cannot be recycled. The front cover needs to be replaced after each detonation, which has high maintenance costs. Moreover, if the threshold of the system is set too low, it is easy to be triggered by mistake, resulting in inevitable maintenance costs. If the threshold is set too high, pedestrian protection cannot be achieved. Therefore, the system setting requirements are relatively high. Summary of the invention

[0004] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a car engine compartment front cover that takes into account both rigidity and active pedestrian protection, which can ensure both the rigidity of the front cover outer panel and active pedestrian protection. After triggering the active pedestrian protection function, it can be restored to a normal use state and can be used repeatedly, thereby reducing after-sales costs. At the same time, it can also be applied to a variety of vehicle models and has high versatility.

[0005] A front cover of a car engine room that takes both rigidity and active pedestrian protection into consideration in the present invention comprises a front cover inner plate and a front cover outer plate arranged on the upper side of the front cover inner plate, a cavity is provided between the front cover inner plate and the front cover outer plate, and a plurality of variable rigidity support mechanisms are arranged in the cavity;

[0006] The plurality of variable rigidity support mechanisms each include an elastic support member, a rigid support member and a locking assembly;

[0007] The lower end of the elastic support member is connected to the front cover inner plate, and the upper and lower ends of the rigid support member are respectively connected to the front cover outer plate and the elastic support member;

[0008] The locking assembly has a normal working state and a pedestrian protection function state; when the locking assembly is in the normal working state, the locking assembly prevents the rigid support member from moving downward; when the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the rigid support member can move in the up and down directions.

[0009] further,

[0010] The rigid support member is a rack; the locking assembly includes a mounting bracket, a one-way clutch member and a drive assembly;

[0011] The one-way clutch component comprises a one-way clutch inner ring and a one-way clutch outer ring, wherein the one-way clutch inner ring is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket, the one-way clutch outer ring is rotatably arranged outside the one-way clutch inner ring, and the one-way clutch outer ring is provided with a gear structure for meshing with the rack;

[0012] When the locking assembly is in a normal working state, the driving assembly prevents the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the gear structure from rotating counterclockwise, thereby preventing the rack from moving downward;

[0013] When the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the driving assembly enables the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the gear structure to rotate freely, thereby allowing the rack to move in the up and down directions.

[0014] Further, the driving assembly includes a wedge block and a micro motor for driving the wedge block to rotate, and the wedge block is arranged between the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the inner ring of the one-way clutch;

[0015] When the locking assembly is in a normal working state, the micromotor causes the two ends of the wedge to respectively abut against the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the inner ring of the one-way clutch, so that the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the gear structure cannot rotate counterclockwise, and further the rack cannot move downward;

[0016] When the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the micromotor makes the two ends of the wedge block not contact the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the inner ring of the one-way clutch, so that the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the gear structure can rotate freely, so that the rack can move in the up and down directions.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes a collision sensor and a controller, and the collision sensor, the controller and the driving component are connected in sequence by signals.

[0018] Furthermore, the one-way clutch component also includes a plurality of bearing rollers, which are circumferentially spaced apart and arranged between the one-way clutch inner ring and the one-way clutch outer ring, and the one-way clutch inner ring and the one-way clutch outer ring are both in contact with the bearing rollers.

[0019] Furthermore, the plurality of variable stiffness support mechanisms also include a guide mounting member, a slide groove and a mounting cavity are provided on the guide mounting member, the rack includes a sliding portion, a supporting portion and a toothed portion, the sliding portion is slidably matched with the slide groove, the upper end of the supporting portion is connected to the front cover outer panel, the lower end of the supporting portion is connected to the upper end of the elastic support member, the elastic support member is located in the mounting cavity, and the toothed portion is exposed from the guide mounting member.

[0020] Furthermore, the outer ring of the one-way clutch and the gear structure are integrally formed.

[0021] Furthermore, a plurality of the variable stiffness support mechanisms are arranged in an array distribution form at intervals within the cavity.

[0022] Furthermore, it also includes a front cover hinge connected to the front cover inner plate.

[0023] Furthermore, the upper end surface of the rigid support member is connected to the front cover outer panel via structural adhesive.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] 1. Under normal circumstances, the variable stiffness support mechanism of the present invention can provide high-strength support for the front cover outer panel, ensure the stiffness of the front cover outer panel, prevent the front cover outer panel from deformation and abnormal noise when the car is driving at high speed or when the front cover of the car is pressed or opened and closed by the palm, and ensure the safety of the cabin when objects thrown from high altitude or rocks falling from the mountain impact the front cover of the car; when the collision sensor detects that it is about to collide with a pedestrian, the present invention can buffer and absorb energy, providing active pedestrian protection function;

[0026] 2. The automobile engine compartment front hood of the present invention ensures both the rigidity of the front hood outer panel and active pedestrian protection. After the active pedestrian protection function is triggered, it can be restored to a normal use state and can be used repeatedly. It is not disposable, which can reduce after-sales costs. At the same time, the variable stiffness support mechanism can be produced separately in modular form and applied to a variety of vehicle models. It has high versatility and can be flexibly arranged according to the shape of the vehicle. There are not many restrictions on the structure of the front hood inner panel and the front hood outer panel, which reduces the difficulty of vehicle design, shortens the development cycle, and reduces R&D costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention provides the following drawings for illustration:

[0028] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention (at this time the locking assembly is in a normal working state);

[0029] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention (at this time, the locking assembly is in a pedestrian protection function state);

[0030] Figure 3 It is a structural schematic diagram of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure behind the front cover outer panel;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged schematic diagram of

[0033] Figure 6 It is a structural schematic diagram of the variable stiffness support mechanism of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the variable stiffness support mechanism of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of the rigid support member of the present invention;

[0036] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the one-way clutch component and the wedge block of the present invention;

[0037] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of the guide mounting member of the present invention;

[0038] Fig.11 It is a schematic structural diagram of the elastic support member of the present invention;

[0039] Fig.12 It is a schematic structural diagram of the micromotor of the present invention.

[0040] The following are marked in the accompanying drawings:

[0041] 1-front cover inner panel;

[0042] 2-variable stiffness support mechanism, 21-elastic support member, 22-rigid support member, 221-sliding portion, 222-support portion, 223-toothed portion, 23-mounting bracket, 241-one-way clutch inner ring, 242-one-way clutch outer ring, 243-gear structure, 244-bearing roller, 251-wedge block, 252-micro motor, 26-structural adhesive, 27-guide mounting member, 271-slide groove, 272-mounting cavity;

[0043] 3-front cover outer panel; 4-collision sensor; 5-controller; 6-front cover hinge. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The technical solution of the present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0045] like Figure 1-Figure 12 As shown, in this embodiment, a front cover of a car engine room that takes into account both rigidity and active pedestrian protection comprises a front cover inner panel 1 and a front cover outer panel 3 arranged on the upper side of the front cover inner panel 1, a cavity is provided between the front cover inner panel 1 and the front cover outer panel 3, and a plurality of variable rigidity support mechanisms 2 are arranged in the cavity;

[0046] The plurality of variable stiffness support mechanisms 2 each include an elastic support member 21, a rigid support member 22 and a locking assembly; the elastic support member 21 may be a spring;

[0047] The lower end of the elastic support member 21 is connected to the front cover inner plate 1, and the upper and lower ends of the rigid support member 22 are respectively connected to the front cover outer plate 3 and the elastic support member 21;

[0048] The locking assembly has a normal working state and a pedestrian protection function state; when the locking assembly is in the normal working state, the locking assembly prevents the rigid support member 22 from moving downward; when the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the rigid support member 22 can move in the up and down directions.

[0049] In this embodiment, the rigid support member 22 is a rack; the locking assembly includes a mounting bracket 23, a one-way clutch member and a driving assembly;

[0050] The one-way clutch component includes a one-way clutch inner ring 241 and a one-way clutch outer ring 242, wherein the one-way clutch inner ring 241 is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket 23, and the one-way clutch outer ring 242 is rotatably arranged outside the one-way clutch inner ring 241, and a gear structure 243 for meshing with the rack is arranged on the one-way clutch outer ring 242;

[0051] When the locking assembly is in a normal working state, the driving assembly prevents the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the gear structure 243 from rotating counterclockwise, thereby preventing the rack from moving downward;

[0052] When the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the driving assembly enables the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the gear structure 243 to rotate freely, so that the rack can move in the up and down directions.

[0053] In this embodiment, the driving assembly includes a wedge block 251 and a micro motor 252 for driving the wedge block 251 to rotate, and the wedge block 251 is arranged between the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241;

[0054] When the locking assembly is in a normal working state, the micromotor 252 causes the two ends of the wedge block 251 to respectively abut against the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241, so that the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the gear structure 243 cannot rotate counterclockwise, and further the rack cannot move downward;

[0055] When the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the micromotor 252 makes the two ends of the wedge block 251 not contact the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241, so that the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the gear structure 243 can rotate freely, so that the rack can move in the up and down directions.

[0056] In this embodiment, a collision sensor 4 and a controller 5 are also included, and the collision sensor 4, the controller 5 and the driving component are signal-connected in sequence.

[0057] The output shaft of the micro motor 252 is drivingly connected to the middle part of the wedge block 251 , and the rotation of the output shaft of the micro motor 252 can drive the wedge block 251 to rotate.

[0058] Under normal driving conditions, the controller 5 causes the micromotor 252 to drive the wedge block 251 to rotate clockwise until the two ends of the wedge block 251 respectively abut against the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241, and then the micromotor 252 stops rotating and maintains the current state. At this time, the locking assembly is in a normal working state. Under the action of friction, the one-way clutch outer ring 242, the wedge block 251 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241 cannot rotate counterclockwise, and the gear structure 243 on the one-way clutch outer ring 242 is meshed with the rack, so that the rack cannot move downward; the rack cannot move downward, so that the rack can provide a high-strength support for the front cover outer plate 3, ensure the rigidity of the front cover outer plate 3, prevent the front cover outer plate 3 from deformation and abnormal noise when the car is driving at high speed or when the palm presses or opens and closes the car front cover, and ensure the safety of the cabin when objects are thrown from high altitude or rocks fall from a mountain impact the car front cover;

[0059] When the collision sensor 4 detects that a collision with a pedestrian is about to occur, the controller 5 causes the micromotor 252 to drive the wedge block 251 to rotate counterclockwise until the two ends of the wedge block 251 are respectively away from the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241, and then the micromotor 252 stops rotating and maintains the current state. At this time, the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, and the two ends of the wedge block 251 are not in contact with the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the one-way clutch inner ring 241. The one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the gear structure 243 can rotate freely, so that the rack can move in the up and down directions, thereby achieving buffering and energy absorption, and providing active pedestrian protection function; when the pedestrian protection structure is behind the pedestrian, after the pedestrian leaves the front cover outer panel 3, the elastic support member 21 restores its shape, and the rack moves upward back to the initial position.

[0060] To sum up, the automobile engine compartment front hood in the present embodiment ensures both the rigidity of the front hood outer panel 3 and active pedestrian protection. After the active pedestrian protection function is triggered, it can be restored to a normal use state and can be used repeatedly. It is not disposable, which can reduce after-sales costs. At the same time, the variable stiffness support mechanism 2 can be produced separately in a modular manner and applied to a variety of vehicle models. It has high versatility and can be flexibly arranged according to the shape of the vehicle. There are not too many restrictions on the structure of the front hood inner panel 1 and the front hood outer panel 3, which reduces the difficulty of vehicle design, shortens the development cycle, and reduces R&D costs.

[0061] In this embodiment, the one-way clutch component further includes a plurality of bearing rollers 244, which are arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction between the one-way clutch inner ring 241 and the one-way clutch outer ring 242, and the one-way clutch inner ring 241 and the one-way clutch outer ring 242 are both in contact with the bearing rollers 244. The bearing rollers 244 are self-rotating, which can ensure the spacing between the one-way clutch inner ring 241 and the one-way clutch outer ring 242, and ensure that the one-way clutch outer ring 242 can rotate. The mounting bracket 23, the bearing rollers 244 and other structures can all be made of plastic materials to reduce weight, which is conducive to lightweighting of the vehicle. The number of the bearing rollers 244 is multiple, for example, the number of the bearing rollers 244 can be three or five.

[0062] In this embodiment, the plurality of variable stiffness support mechanisms 2 further include a guide mounting member 27, on which a slide groove 271 and a mounting cavity 272 are provided, and the rack includes a sliding portion 221, a supporting portion 222 and a toothed portion 223, wherein the sliding portion 221 is slidably matched with the slide groove 271, the upper end of the supporting portion 222 is connected to the front cover outer panel 3, the lower end of the supporting portion 222 is connected to the upper end of the elastic support member 21, the elastic support member 21 is located in the mounting cavity 272, and the toothed portion 223 is exposed from the guide mounting member 27. The slide groove 271 of the guide mounting member 27 cooperates with the sliding portion 221 of the rack, which can ensure that the rack moves in the up and down directions according to the trajectory required by the design, and can prevent the rack from falling out; the mounting cavity 272 of the guide mounting member 27 can provide a mounting position for the elastic support member 21, and prevent the elastic support member 21 from falling out.

[0063] In this embodiment, the one-way clutch outer ring 242 and the gear structure 243 are integrally formed.

[0064] In this embodiment, a plurality of the variable stiffness support mechanisms 2 are arranged in the cavity at intervals in an array distribution form.

[0065] In this embodiment, a front cover hinge 6 connected to the front cover inner panel 1 is also included, and the front cover inner panel 1 is connected to the vehicle body through the front cover hinge 6.

[0066] In this embodiment, the upper end surface of the rigid support member 22 is connected to the front cover outer panel 3 via a structural adhesive 26. The structural adhesive 26 can ensure the connection strength. At the same time, this connection method can reduce the shape matching requirements between the upper end surface of the rack and the front cover outer panel 3, thereby reducing the shape restrictions on the front cover outer panel 3 and further improving the versatility of the variable stiffness support mechanism 2.

[0067] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that the technical solution of the present invention can be modified or replaced by equivalents without departing from the purpose and scope of the technical solution of the present invention, which should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A front cover for a car engine compartment that takes into account both rigidity and active pedestrian protection, comprising a front cover inner panel (1) and a front cover outer panel (3) arranged on the upper side of the front cover inner panel (1), characterized in that: A cavity is provided between the front cover inner plate (1) and the front cover outer plate (3), and a plurality of variable stiffness support mechanisms (2) are arranged in the cavity; The plurality of variable rigidity support mechanisms (2) each comprise an elastic support member (21), a rigid support member (22) and a locking assembly; The lower end of the elastic support member (21) is connected to the front cover inner plate (1), and the upper and lower ends of the rigid support member (22) are respectively connected to the front cover outer plate (3) and the elastic support member (21); The locking assembly has a normal working state and a pedestrian protection function state; when the locking assembly is in the normal working state, the locking assembly prevents the rigid support member (22) from moving downward; when the locking assembly is in the pedestrian protection function state, the rigid support member (22) can move in an upward and downward direction; The rigid support member (22) is a rack; the locking assembly comprises a mounting bracket (23), a one-way clutch component and a drive assembly; The one-way clutch component comprises a one-way clutch inner ring (241) and a one-way clutch outer ring (242); the one-way clutch inner ring (241) is fixedly connected to the mounting bracket (23); the one-way clutch outer ring (242) is rotatably arranged outside the one-way clutch inner ring (241); and the one-way clutch outer ring (242) is provided with a gear structure (243) for meshing with the rack; When the locking assembly is in a normal working state, the driving assembly prevents the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the gear structure (243) from rotating counterclockwise, thereby preventing the rack from moving downward; When the locking assembly is in a pedestrian protection function state, the driving assembly enables the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the gear structure (243) to rotate freely, thereby enabling the rack to move in an up-and-down direction.

2. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assembly comprises a wedge block (251) and a micro motor (252) for driving the wedge block (251) to rotate, and the wedge block (251) is arranged between the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the one-way clutch inner ring (241); When the locking assembly is in a normal working state, the micromotor (252) causes the two ends of the wedge block (251) to respectively abut against the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the one-way clutch inner ring (241), thereby preventing the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the gear structure (243) from rotating counterclockwise, thereby preventing the rack from moving downward; When the locking assembly is in a pedestrian protection function state, the micromotor (252) causes both ends of the wedge block (251) to be out of contact with the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the one-way clutch inner ring (241), thereby allowing the one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the gear structure (243) to rotate freely, thereby allowing the rack to move in an up-and-down direction.

3. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a collision sensor (4) and a controller (5), wherein the collision sensor (4), the controller (5) and the drive assembly are sequentially signal-connected.

4. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one-way clutch component further comprises a plurality of bearing rollers (244), the plurality of bearing rollers (244) being arranged at intervals along the circumferential direction between the one-way clutch inner ring (241) and the one-way clutch outer ring (242), and the one-way clutch inner ring (241) and the one-way clutch outer ring (242) are both in contact with the bearing rollers (244).

5. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The plurality of variable stiffness support mechanisms (2) also include a guide mounting member (27), the guide mounting member (27) being provided with a slide groove (271) and a mounting cavity (272), the rack comprising a sliding portion (221), a supporting portion (222) and a toothed portion (223), the sliding portion (221) being slidably matched with the slide groove (271), the upper end of the supporting portion (222) being connected to the front cover outer panel (3), the lower end of the supporting portion (222) being connected to the upper end of the elastic support member (21), the elastic support member (21) being located in the mounting cavity (272), and the toothed portion (223) being exposed from the guide mounting member (27).

6. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one-way clutch outer ring (242) and the gear structure (243) are integrally formed.

7. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: A plurality of the variable stiffness support mechanisms (2) are arranged in the cavity at intervals in an array distribution form.

8. The automobile cabin front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a front cover hinge (6) connected to the front cover inner panel (1).

9. The automobile engine compartment front cover having both rigidity and active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end surface of the rigid support member (22) is connected to the front cover outer panel (3) via structural adhesive (26).

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