Vehicle cover device

Abstract

The outer member includes: a folded portion formed by extending the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member toward the inner member and folding back toward the inner peripheral side; and a first flange erected from the folded portion toward the inner member at the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member. The outer bracket includes a second flange coupled to the first flange and is fixed to the outer member. The inner member includes a flange portion and is fixed to the outer bracket, the flange portion extending from the outer peripheral portion toward the outer member and covering at least the outer peripheral side of the coupling portion of the first flange and the second flange.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover device for covering a supply port of a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Many cover devices that cover supply ports such as a fuel filler port and a power supply port provided in a vehicle have a cover portion formed of the same sheet metal member as the outer panel.

[0003] For example, a vehicle equipped with a cover device described in Patent Document 1 has a recessed portion recessed toward the vehicle interior on an outer panel as a sheet metal component, and a power supply port is provided in the recessed portion. The cover device includes a cover portion (cover member) covering the recessed portion, and the cover portion is supported on the edge of the recessed portion via a hinge so as to be openable and closable.

[0004] The cover described in Patent Document 1 is composed of, for example, a thin plate-shaped outer member (main body) and a bracket (hinge base) to which one end of the hinge is fixed. The cover is configured by, for example, spot welding a flange formed by bending the outer peripheral end of the outer member and an end of the bracket bent to fit the flange.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-280243 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, as in Patent Document 1, the cover portion formed by welding two sheet metal members at the outer peripheral portion has a problem that the welded portion is exposed in the opened state, resulting in poor appearance.

[0010] However, in recent years, resin parts are increasingly used in vehicles for the purpose of reducing weight and improving appearance. In lid devices, lid devices including an outer member formed of a sheet metal member and a lid portion formed of a resin member that fits and is fixed to the inner side of the outer member are also increasing.

[0011] However, the outer member is composed of two members, namely, a thin plate-shaped outer member constituting a part of the outer panel and an outer bracket supporting the resin member. From the viewpoint of manufacturability, the outer member and the outer bracket are often fixed by spot welding.

[0012] Therefore, even if the cover is provided with a resin member, there is still a welded portion between the outer member and the outer bracket, and when the cover is opened, the welded portion is visible, which deteriorates the appearance.

[0013] Furthermore, when the lid is formed by welding two sheet metal members at the outer periphery, the ends of the sheet metal members may come into contact with each other when the lid is opened or closed, which may impair safety and comfort.

[0014] The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cover device having a cover portion that can cover a joint portion such as a welded portion to improve the appearance and can be opened and closed safely and comfortably.

[0015] Technical solutions to solve problems

[0016] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the cover device of the present invention is a cover device having a cover portion for opening and closing an opening portion provided in an outer panel of a vehicle, characterized in that the cover portion comprises: an outer member covering the opening portion and constituting a part of the outer panel; an inner member provided in a manner covering the back surface of the outer member and connected to the inner side of the opening portion via a hinge so as to be rotatable; and an outer bracket provided between the outer member and the inner member and fixing the outer member and the inner member, the outer member comprising: a folded portion formed by extending the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member toward the inner member side and folding back toward the inner peripheral side; and a first flange provided upright from the folded portion toward the inner member side at the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member, the outer bracket having a second flange coupled to the first flange and being fixed to the outer member, and the inner member having a flange portion and being fixed to the outer bracket, the flange portion extending from the outer peripheral portion of the inner member toward the outer member side and covering at least the outer peripheral side of the coupling portion of the first flange and the second flange.

[0017] Thus, in the cover device having a cover for opening and closing an opening, the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member of the cover is folded back toward the inner peripheral side to form a folded portion, thereby improving the safety and comfort of the operator when contacting the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member.

[0018] Furthermore, since the outer peripheral side of the joint portion between the first flange and the second flange is covered by the flange portion of the inner member, the joint portion cannot be seen even when the cover is opened, thereby improving the appearance of the cover.

[0019] Preferably, the inner member may be rotatably supported at one end of the cover via the hinge, and a joint between the first flange and the second flange may be arranged at least on the other end side opposite to the one end of the cover.

[0020] Thus, by opening and closing the cover with one end connected to the hinge as the rotation center, when the cover is in the open state, the other end of the cover on the opposite side of the hinge is easy to see, and the operator is likely to put his hand thereon. Therefore, when opening and closing the cover, the operator can easily put his hand thereon and the position that is easy to see can effectively achieve the improvement of safety, comfort and aesthetics.

[0021] Preferably, the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion of the outer panel is bent toward the inner side of the opening portion and extends toward the inner side of the opening portion, and the vehicle cover device is provided with a bracket component, which is embedded in the opening portion and forms a cylindrical shape in which the first end portion on the opening portion side abuts the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion over the entire circumference, and a receiving portion is formed on the inner side of the opening portion, and the flange portion of the inner component is located on the inner side than the outer peripheral portion of the outer component, and is arranged in a manner opposite to the first end portion of the bracket component on the circumferential inner side.

[0022] Thus, by providing a cylindrical bracket member inside the opening, the aesthetics of the inside of the opening can be improved. In addition, by arranging the flange portion of the inner member so as to be circumferentially opposed to the first end portion of the bracket member, the thickness of the end portion of the cover can be suppressed to the thickness of the folded portion.

[0023] Preferably, a supporting panel is provided in the opening portion and is engaged with the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion to support the bracket component, the first end portion of the bracket component is provided in a manner covering the engaging portion between the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion and the supporting panel, and the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion of the outer panel is extended toward the inner side of the vehicle by a length corresponding to the thickness of the folded portion of the outer component.

[0024] Thus, the bracket member covers the joint between the inner periphery of the opening and the support panel, and the inner periphery of the opening of the outer panel is extended toward the vehicle interior by a length corresponding to the thickness of the folded back portion of the outer member, thereby reducing the thickness of the folded back portion of the outer member and shortening the folded back dimension of the inner periphery of the opening of the outer panel toward the vehicle interior. Thus, the aesthetics of the inner periphery of the opening of the outer panel can be improved.

[0025] Preferably, the outer member and the outer bracket are formed of sheet metal members, the first flange and the second flange are joined by welding, and the inner member is formed of a resin member and is provided on the back side of the outer member in a state of covering the periphery of the outer bracket.

[0026] Thus, the welded portion between the outer member formed of the sheet metal member and the outer bracket is concealed by the inner member, thereby improving the appearance.

[0027] Preferably, a fuel inlet or a power supply inlet of the vehicle may be accommodated inside the opening.

[0028] Thus, in a cover device having a cover portion for opening and closing an opening portion that accommodates a fuel supply port or a power supply port therein, the joint between the outer component of the cover portion and the outer bracket is shielded by the inner component to improve the aesthetics, and when opening and closing the cover portion, the safety and comfort of the operator when contacting the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the cover portion can be improved.

[0029] Effects of the Invention

[0030] According to the cover device of the present invention, the safety and comfort of the operator when opening and closing the cover and contacting the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the cover, that is, the folded portion of the outer component can be improved, and the aesthetics can be improved by shielding the joint between the first flange and the second flange through the flange portion of the inner component. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Figure 1 It is an external view of the cap device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 2 It is an assembly diagram showing the structure of the outer member and the inner member in the cap device of the present embodiment.

[0033] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the cover part showing the position of the welding part.

[0034] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the outer peripheral portion of the cover.

[0035] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the outer peripheral portion of the cover and the surrounding outer panels in a closed state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle structure in which the present invention is embodied will be described.

[0037] Figure 1 It is an external view of the cap device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is an assembly diagram showing the structure of the cap portion 2 in the cap device 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0038] In the following description, regarding the lid portion 2 that is opened and closed, the vehicle front-rear direction when the lid portion 2 is closed is referred to as the front-rear direction, and the vehicle width direction inner side and vehicle width direction outer side are referred to as the inner side and the outer side.

[0039] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown, a lid device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lid portion 2 that covers an opening 4 of an outer panel 3 of a vehicle, a hinge 5 , and a locking device 6 that holds the lid portion 2 in a closed state.

[0040] The opening 4 is provided in the outer panel 3 forming the outer side wall of the vehicle. A power supply port 7 of the vehicle is arranged inside the opening 4 in the vehicle width direction.

[0041] In addition, in the present embodiment, the cover device 1 is arranged at the right rear part of the vehicle. A hinge 5 is fixed to the vehicle front end (one end) of the cover portion 2 which is configured in a substantially rectangular shape. The vehicle rear end of the cover portion 2 is configured so that the vehicle front end is the rotation center and the vehicle rear end of the cover portion 2 is opened toward the outer side of the vehicle (the right side of the vehicle).

[0042] The locking device 6 is configured to lock a portion of the lid portion 2 on the rear side of the vehicle in a closed state, and to maintain the lid portion 2 in the closed state.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, the cover 2 is composed of an outer part 10 , an outer bracket 11 and an inner part 12 .

[0044] The outer member 10 is a thin plate member having a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, and is formed of the same sheet metal member as the outer panel 3 .

[0045] The outer bracket 11 is formed of a sheet metal member and is fixed to the inner side of the outer member 10, thereby having a function of supporting the outer member 10. In order to ensure strength, the outer bracket 11 is provided with a plurality of ribs 13 having a height of about several mm. In addition, the outer bracket 11 is provided with a plurality of holes 14 for engaging with claws (not shown) provided on the inner member 12. The outer bracket 11 is sandwiched between the outer member 10 and the inner member 12 and has a function of fixing the outer member 10 and the inner member 12. In addition, the outer bracket 11 and the inner member 12 are fixed to each other by inserting the claws of the inner member 12 into the holes 14 and sliding the outer bracket 11 forward relative to the inner member 12.

[0046] The inner member 12 is formed of a resin member and is arranged to cover the inner side (inner side in the vehicle width direction) of the outer member 10, that is, the back side of the outer member 10. A hinge fixing portion 15 is provided at the front end of the inner member 12 to fix one end of the hinge 5. The inner member 12 is connected to the inner side of the opening 4 via the hinge 5 so as to be rotatable.

[0047] The outer member 10 and the outer bracket 11 are fixed to each other by spot welding at two locations on the outer peripheral portion, specifically, at welded portions 16 (joint portions) at the center in the up-down direction of both end portions in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0048] Figure 3 It is a cross-sectional view of the structure of the cover portion 2 showing the position of the welding portion 16 . Figure 4 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the outer peripheral portion of the cover 2. Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the AA portion described in FIG. Figure 4 yes Figure 2 Cross-sectional view of the BB portion recorded in

[0049] like Figure 2 , 3As shown in FIG. 1 , a first flange 20 protruding inward (inward in the vehicle width direction) is provided at the center portion in the vertical direction of the end portion of the outer member 10 that is the rear end of the vehicle. In addition, second flanges 21 protruding inward (inward in the vehicle width direction) are provided at both ends of the outer bracket 11 to cooperate with the first flange 20 of the outer member 10. The welded portion 16 between the outer member 10 and the outer bracket 11 is located at the first flange 20 and the second flange 21.

[0050] The rear end of the outer member 10 is folded back toward the inner circumference to form a folded portion 22 , and the first flange 20 is located forward (inner circumference) of the rear end of the outer member 10 , for example, by about 1 cm.

[0051] The outer peripheral portion of the inner member 12 is bent outward (outward in the vehicle width direction) toward the outer member 10, and a flange portion 25 extending toward the outer member 10 is formed. The flange portion 25 is located adjacent to the rear (outer peripheral side) of the first flange 20 of the outer member 10, and is provided so as to cover the welded portion 16. Therefore, the welded portion 16 is not visible from the rear through the flange portion 25 of the inner member 12.

[0052] The structure of the vicinity of the welded portion 16 at the end portion of the cover portion 2 at the vehicle front side is also configured in the same manner as the structure of the end portion at the vehicle rear side described above.

[0053] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , at the outer periphery of the cover 2 except for the welded portion 16, the outer periphery end of the outer member 10 is bent inward (inward in the vehicle width direction) to form an edge 30. The flange portion 25 of the inner member 12 is bent outward toward the outer member 10, and further bent backward (outer periphery) at its front end. The outer periphery end 31 of the inner member 12 is located near the front end of the edge 30 of the outer member 10. In addition, at Figure 4 In the embodiment, the front end of the edge 30 of the outer member 10 slightly protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the outer peripheral end 31 of the inner member 12 , but preferably does not protrude inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the outer peripheral end 31 .

[0054] Figure 5 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the outer peripheral portion of the lid 2 and the outer plate 3 around it in the closed state. Figure 5 yes Figure 1 Cross-sectional view of the CC portion recorded in .

[0055] like Figure 1 , 5As shown, a power supply port door bracket 40 (bracket member) is provided on the inner side of the opening portion 4 of the outer panel 3 of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. The power supply port door bracket 40 is formed of resin, has a cylindrical portion and a bottom plate, and is formed into a box shape that opens to the outside. A power supply port 7 is fixed to the bottom plate of the power supply port door bracket 40, and the power supply port 7 is provided in a storage portion formed in the power supply port door bracket 40.

[0056] like Figure 5 As shown, the edge 41 as the inner peripheral edge of the opening 4 of the outer panel 3 is bent inward in the vehicle width direction (inside the vehicle) over the entire circumference of the opening 4 by a length (e.g., about 5 mm) of the thickness of the folded portion 22 of the outer member 10. In addition, a vehicle body panel 42 (supporting panel) supporting the power port door bracket 40 is fixed to the edge 41 of the opening 4 of the outer panel 3, for example, by welding. The vehicle body panel 42 supports the outer peripheral portion of the power port door bracket 40.

[0057] The edge 43 (first end) of the cylindrical portion of the power supply port door bracket 40 is embedded in the opening 4 of the outer panel 3 and is arranged in contact with or close to the edge 41 of the outer panel 3. A gap is filled between the edge 43 of the power supply port door bracket 40 and the edge 41 of the outer panel 3 by a seal or the like.

[0058] As described above, the cover device 1 of the present embodiment has a cover portion 2 covering the opening portion 4 of the outer panel 3 having the power supply port 7 inside, and the cover portion 2 has: an outer member 10 of a sheet metal component constituting a portion of the outer panel 3; an outer bracket 11 formed by a sheet metal component and supporting the outer member 10; and an inner member 12 formed by a resin component, which are overlapped to form a structure.

[0059] Thus, the inner side of the cover portion 2 is formed of the inner material 12 of the resin member, and thus the aesthetic appearance of the inner side of the cover portion 2 can be improved.

[0060] The outer member 10 and the outer bracket 11 are fixed to each other by spot welding at both ends in the front-rear direction of the cover 2 (both ends in the front-rear direction of the cover 2 in the closed state). Since the first flange 20 erected toward the inner side (the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the cover 2 in the closed state) of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member 10 and the second flange 21 erected toward the inner side (the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the cover 2 in the closed state) of the outer peripheral portion of the outer bracket 11 are welded, the first flange 20 and the second flange 21 can be easily fixed by spot welding.

[0061] In the outer member 10 of the present embodiment, since the outer peripheral portion is folded back toward the inner peripheral side to form the folded back portion 22, it is possible to improve the safety and comfort of the operator when contacting the outer peripheral portion of the outer member 10. Therefore, when the operator wants to contact the end of the cover 2 in order to open and close the cover 2, since the operator contacts the folded back portion 22 of the outer member 10, safety and comfort can be ensured.

[0062] In addition, the flange portion 25 formed by bending the outer periphery of the inner component 12 toward the outer component 10 covers the outer periphery of the welding portion 16 between the first flange 20 and the second flange 21. Therefore, even if the cover 2 is in the open state, the welding portion 16 cannot be seen, which can improve the aesthetics of the cover 2.

[0063] In particular, since the welding portion 16 between the outer component 10 and the outer bracket 11 is arranged on the rear side (the other end) of the cover 2 opposite to the hinge 5, it is a portion that is easy for the operator to put his hands on and easy to see when opening and closing the cover 2, which can effectively achieve improved safety, comfort and aesthetics.

[0064] In addition, the edge 41 of the opening portion 4 of the outer panel 3 is bent toward the inside of the vehicle at a length corresponding to the thickness of the folded portion 22 on the outer peripheral side of the first flange 20 of the outer member 10, forming a structure in which the end of the resin box-shaped power supply port door bracket 40 abuts against the front end of the edge 41.

[0065] In the present embodiment, the first flange 20 and the second flange 21 are arranged on the inner side of the outer peripheral end of the cover 2, and the outer peripheral end is formed by the folded portion 22 of the outer member 10, so that the thickness of the outer peripheral end of the cover 2 can be suppressed to the thickness of the folded portion 22. Therefore, the edge 41 of the opening 4 of the outer panel 3 can be shortened in accordance with the thickness of the folded portion 22. The edge 41 of the outer panel 3 and the power supply port door bracket 40 are different components, and the edge 41 of the outer panel 3 is shortened by filling the gap of the abutment portion thereof with a seal or the like, thereby improving the aesthetics of the edge 41 of the opening 4 of the outer panel 3 when the cover 2 is opened.

[0066] The above is the end of the description of the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the welding portion 16 is provided at two locations at both ends of the cover 2 in the front-rear direction, but it can also be provided at other peripheral portions such as the ends in the upper and lower directions. In addition, the inner member 12 is formed of resin, but it can also be formed of other materials. The shapes of the outer member 10, the inner member 12, and the outer bracket 11 can be appropriately changed, and the detailed parts of the cover device 1 can also be appropriately changed.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first flange 20 of the outer member 10 and the second flange 21 of the outer bracket 11 are joined by welding at the welded portion 16 , but they may be joined by a method other than welding.

[0068] In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the cover device 1 for opening and closing the power supply port 7 of the vehicle, but the present invention can also be applied to the cover device for opening and closing the fuel supply port of the vehicle or other cover devices. The present invention can be widely applied to the cover device having a cover portion for opening and closing the opening of the vehicle.

[0069] This application is based on Japanese patent application No. 2020-170388 filed on October 8, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0070] Description of Reference Numerals

[0071] 1 Cover device

[0072] 2 cover

[0073] 3 outer panels

[0074] 4 Opening

[0075] 5. Hinge

[0076] 10 External parts

[0077] 11 External bracket

[0078] 12 Internal parts

[0079] 16 Welding part (joint part)

[0080] 20 First flange

[0081] 21 Second flange

[0082] 22 Turnback

[0083] 25 Flange

[0084] 40 power supply port door bracket (bracket component)

[0085] 42 Body panel (support panel).

Claims

1. A vehicle cover device, comprising a cover portion for opening and closing an opening provided on an outer panel of the vehicle, wherein: The cover has: an outer member covering the opening and constituting a part of the outer panel; an inner member provided so as to cover the back surface of the outer member and rotatably connected to the inner side of the opening via a hinge; and an outer bracket, disposed between the outer member and the inner member, and fixing the outer member and the inner member, The outer member comprises: a folded portion formed by extending the edge of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member toward the inner member and folding back toward the inner peripheral side; and a first flange erected from the folded portion toward the inner member at the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member. The outer bracket has a second flange coupled to the first flange and is fixed to the outer member. The inner member has a flange portion and is fixed to the outer bracket. The flange portion extends from an outer peripheral portion of the inner member toward the outer member and covers at least an outer peripheral side of a joint portion between the first flange and the second flange.

2. The vehicle cover device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner member is rotatably supported at one end of the cover via the hinge. The joint portion between the first flange and the second flange is arranged at least on the other end side facing the one end of the cover.

3. The vehicle cover device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner peripheral edge of the opening of the outer plate is bent toward the inside of the opening and extends toward the inside of the opening. The vehicle cover device is provided with a bracket member, which is embedded in the opening portion and formed into a cylindrical shape with a first end portion on the opening portion side abutting the entire circumference of the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion, and a receiving portion is formed inside the opening portion. The flange portion of the inner member is located on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member, and is arranged to face the first end portion of the bracket member on the inner side in the circumferential direction.

4. The vehicle cover device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner peripheral edge of the opening of the outer plate is bent toward the inside of the opening and extends toward the inside of the opening. The vehicle cover device is provided with a bracket member, which is embedded in the opening portion and formed into a cylindrical shape with a first end portion on the opening portion side abutting the entire circumference of the inner peripheral edge of the opening portion, and a receiving portion is formed inside the opening portion. The flange portion of the inner member is located on the inner peripheral side of the outer peripheral portion of the outer member, and is arranged to face the first end portion of the bracket member on the inner side in the circumferential direction.

5. The vehicle cover device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A support panel is provided in the opening and is engaged with the inner peripheral edge of the opening to support the bracket member. The first end portion of the bracket member is provided so as to cover a joint between an inner peripheral edge of the opening and the support panel. The inner peripheral edge of the opening of the outer panel is extended toward the vehicle interior by a length corresponding to the thickness of the folded portion of the outer member.

6. The vehicle cover device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A support panel is provided in the opening and is engaged with the inner peripheral edge of the opening to support the bracket member. The first end portion of the bracket member is provided so as to cover a joint between an inner peripheral edge of the opening and the support panel. The inner peripheral edge of the opening of the outer panel is extended toward the vehicle interior by a length corresponding to the thickness of the folded portion of the outer member.

7. The vehicle cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The outer member and the outer bracket are formed of sheet metal members, and the first flange and the second flange are joined by welding. The inner member is formed of a resin member and is provided on the back side of the outer member in a state of covering the periphery of the outer bracket.

8. The vehicle cover device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: A fuel inlet or a power supply inlet of the vehicle is accommodated inside the opening.

9. The vehicle cover device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A fuel inlet or a power supply inlet of the vehicle is accommodated inside the opening.

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