Vehicle front structure

Abstract

The present application relates to a vehicle front structure that improves the strength of the vehicle front structure in a vehicle that does not have a separate power unit room. The vehicle front structure includes left and right front pillars (50) disposed at the front of the vehicle body, an upper front cross beam (52) extending in the vehicle width direction and having both ends coupled to the left and right front pillars (50), a lower front cross beam (54) extending in the vehicle width direction and having both ends coupled to the left and right front pillars (50), and an exterior display (30) coupled to the upper front cross beam (52) and the lower front cross beam (54). The exterior display (30) is part of a strength member, and the strength of the vehicle front structure is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the front structure of a vehicle, and more particularly to a structure related to improving the strength of the vehicle body. Background Technology

[0002] Typical passenger cars have a separate prime mover compartment in front of the passenger compartment. In the event of a frontal collision, the prime mover compartment collapses to absorb the impact. On the other hand, in vehicles with a box-shaped body, where the engine compartment is not independently located in front, the space for installing impact-absorbing components is limited. Reference 1 shows a vehicle (10) with a box-shaped body (body 12) and an external display device (text display device 22) installed in front. It should be noted that the component names and reference numerals in parentheses above are the component names and reference numerals used in Patent Document 1 below, and are not related to the component names and reference numerals used in the description of the embodiments of this application.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-8135 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In vehicles such as box-shaped vehicles that do not have a separate prime mover compartment at the front, there is a pursuit of a high-strength front structure designed to withstand the impact of a frontal collision.

[0008] Methods for solving problems

[0009] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure comprising: left and right front pillars disposed on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle body; an upper front crossbeam extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle and joined at both ends to the left and right front pillars; a lower front crossbeam extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle and joined at both ends to the left and right front pillars, disposed below the upper front crossbeam; and an external display attached to the upper front crossbeam and the lower front crossbeam.

[0010] By integrating the exterior display with the upper and lower front crossbeams, the exterior display becomes a component that supports the strength of the vehicle body, thereby increasing the strength of the front structure of the vehicle.

[0011] It can be configured such that the aforementioned exterior displays are integrated with the upper and lower front crossbeams at their left and right end edges. By integrating the exterior displays with the upper and lower front crossbeams at two locations, the strength of the vehicle's front end is further enhanced.

[0012] The aforementioned exterior display can be configured to include: a display panel; a display housing, a display drive unit that supports the display panel and houses the display panel; and left and right display brackets, respectively arranged along the left and right edges of the display housing and attached to the left and right edges. The upper and lower ends of the display brackets are attached to the upper and lower front crossbeams.

[0013] Invention Effects

[0014] The exterior display becomes a component that supports the strength of the vehicle body, thus increasing the strength of the front structure of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a side view schematically showing the general structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0016] Figure 2 This is a perspective view schematically showing the frontal structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view showing the structure of the driver's cab.

[0018] Figure 4 It is a three-dimensional view showing the skeletal structure of the front of the vehicle body.

[0019] Figure 5 It is a perspective view showing the skeletal structure of the front of the vehicle body with the exterior displays removed.

[0020] Figure 6 This is a perspective view showing details of the mounting structure of the vehicle's external display. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating relative position and orientation, such as front, back, left, right, up, and down, refer to relative position and orientation related to the vehicle. In the figures, arrow FR points forward, arrow UP points upward, and arrow LH points to the left.

[0022] Figure 1 This diagram schematically illustrates the structure of the main components of vehicle 10. Vehicle 10 has a body 14 mounted on a trapezoidal frame 12. Vehicle 10 is a so-called flat-nose vehicle with a driver's cab 16 and a prime mover compartment 18 located at its front end. The prime mover compartment 18 houses the prime mover that drives the vehicle, such as an electric motor (not shown). A passenger compartment 20 is located behind the driver's cab 16. The driver's cab floor 22 of the driver's cab 16 is positioned higher than the passenger compartment floor 24 of the passenger compartment 20.

[0023] Figure 2This is a view showing the front of vehicle 10. Headlights 28 are positioned to the left and right below the windshield 26, and an exterior display 30 is positioned between them. The exterior display 30 provides information related to the status of vehicle 10 to the outside (pedestrians, oncoming vehicles, etc.). For example, it displays a message urging pedestrians about to cross the road to cross, and displays the destination for fixed-route buses. Additionally, if the vehicle is capable of autonomous driving, it displays whether it is in autonomous or manual driving mode.

[0024] A sensor unit 32 for acquiring information about the external environment is also disposed on the front of the vehicle 10, for example, below the exterior display 30. The external environment acquired by the sensor unit 32 is used as information for driving assistance or autonomous driving. The sensor unit 32 may include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) system for determining the distance to objects around the vehicle.

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic side view showing the general structure of the cab 16. The body 14, mounted on a trapezoidal frame 12, includes a front longitudinal beam 34 extending laterally in the front portion of the body 14 as a skeletal member. The front longitudinal beam 34 supports the floor panel 36 of the cab floor 22 at its front portion, slopes downwards towards the rear at its rear portion, and connects to a central longitudinal beam 38 supporting the passenger compartment floor 24 at its rear end. The skeletal structure includes a passenger compartment crossbeam 40 extending laterally along the front edge of the passenger compartment floor 24, which intersects and connects to the central longitudinal beam 38. Multiple supports 42, arranged along the extension direction of the passenger compartment crossbeam 40, are erected on the passenger compartment crossbeam 40. Partitions may be installed on the supports 42 to form a partition wall separating the cab 16 and the passenger compartment 20. The skeletal structure also includes a cab crossbeam 44 extending laterally along the rear edge of the cab floor 22, which intersects and connects to the front longitudinal beam 34. The support column 42 and the cab crossbeam 44 support the seat platform 46, on which the driver's seat 48 is mounted and fixed.

[0026] Figure 4 , 5 The diagram shows the frame structure of the front of the vehicle body 14 from a slightly lower frontal view. Figure 4 The image shows the status of the vehicle exterior display 30 being installed. Figure 5The image shows the exterior display 30 removed. Front pillars 50 extending vertically are located on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle body 14. An upper front crossbeam 52 and a lower front crossbeam 54 are connected to the left and right front pillars 50, with the lower front crossbeam 54 positioned below the upper front crossbeam 52. The lower front crossbeam 54 extends horizontally and its ends are attached to the lower ends of the front pillars 50. Additionally, the aforementioned front longitudinal beam 34 is attached to the lower front crossbeam 54 at its front end. The upper front crossbeam 52 also extends horizontally and its ends are attached to the front pillars 50 at a position higher than the lower front crossbeam 54. A cowl panel 56 is located above the upper front crossbeam 52, with its ends attached to the left and right front pillars 50 respectively.

[0027] A second pillar 58 is located near the junction of the driver's cab 16 and the passenger cabin 20 on the side of the vehicle body 14. The second pillar 58 is erected on the sills 60 extending longitudinally along the left and right sides of the passenger cabin floor 24. The front pillar 50 and the second pillar 58 are joined at their upper ends to the roof 62 (see reference). Figure 1 , 2 The roof 62 is supported by roof side beams (not shown) extending laterally along the left and right sides of the vehicle body 14. Upper sidewall beams 64 and lower sidewall beams 66 are arranged on the sides of the vehicle body 14, connecting the front pillar 50 and the second pillar 58. The lower sidewall beam 66 is attached to the lower end of the front pillar 50. Exterior displays 30 are attached to the upper front crossbeam 52 and lower front crossbeam 54 on their left and right sides.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing details of the portion of the exterior display 30 that connects with the upper front crossbeam 52 and the lower front crossbeam 54 (especially the connection portion on the left side).

[0029] The exterior display 30 has a display panel 68 for displaying information based on light-emitting elements such as LEDs and a display housing 70 supporting the display panel 68. The display housing 70 is a cuboid (especially a flat cuboid) with an opening on one side, and the display panel 68 is arranged to cover the opening, forming a box shape as a whole. The display housing 70 houses a display driving device (not shown) that drives the display panel. The display housing 70 can be made of sheet steel. Furthermore, the exterior display 30 has a display bracket 72 that is fixed to the left and right sides of the display housing 70 by means of threaded fastening or the like. The display bracket 72 has a main body 72a that extends along the side of the display housing 70 and is fixed to that side, an upper leg 72b that extends from the upper end of the main body 72a in a direction away from the display housing 70, and a lower leg 72c that is provided to wrap around to the rear side of the display housing 70 from the lower end of the main body 72a. Furthermore, the display bracket 72 has a front arm 72d that extends from the lower end of the main body 72a around the front of the display housing 70 and faces the front, and is fixed to the front of the display housing 70.

[0030] An upper mounting base 74 for fixing the external display 30 is provided on the upper front crossbeam 52 (see reference). Figure 5 Additionally, a lower mounting bracket 76 for fixing the exterior display 30 is also provided on the lower front crossbeam 54 (see reference). Figure 5 The upper leg 72b of the monitor bracket is secured to the upper mounting base 74 using bolts, nuts, or other fastening components. The lower leg 72c of the monitor bracket is secured to the lower mounting base 76 using bolts, nuts, or other fastening components. The lower leg 72c is located below the lower edge of the monitor housing 70 so that it can be fastened from the front.

[0031] By fixing the exterior display 30 to the upper front crossbeam 52 and the lower front crossbeam 54, the exterior display 30 is used as a component to improve the strength of the vehicle body's frame structure, thereby increasing the strength of the front structure of the vehicle.

[0032] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0033] 10 Vehicle, 14 Body, 16 Cab, 26 Windshield, 30 Exterior Display, 34 Front Longitudinal Beam, 38 Central Longitudinal Beam, 50 Front Pillar, 52 Upper Front Crossbeam, 54 Lower Front Crossbeam, 56 Front Cover, 58 Second Pillar, 60 Sill, 62 Roof, 64 Upper Side Wall Beam, 66 Lower Side Wall Beam, 68 Display Panel, 70 Display Housing, 72 Display Bracket, 74 Upper Mounting Stand, 76 Lower Mounting Stand.

Claims

1. A front structure of a vehicle, comprising: The left and right front pillars are located on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle body; The upper front crossbeam extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle and its two ends are connected to the left and right front pillars; The lower front crossbeam extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle and is joined at both ends to the left and right front pillars, and is positioned below the upper front crossbeam; and The exterior display is integrated with the upper front crossbeam and the lower front crossbeam. The exterior display is attached to the upper front crossbeam and the lower front crossbeam at the left and right end edges. The external display has: Display panel; A display housing that supports the display panel and houses a display driving device that drives the display panel; and The monitor brackets are left and right monitor brackets respectively disposed along and attached to the left and right edges of the monitor housing, and are attached to the upper front crossbeam and the lower front crossbeam at the upper and lower ends, respectively. Headlights are positioned on the left and right sides below the windshield, and the exterior display is positioned between the headlights. The exterior display urges pedestrians about to cross the road to cross. The exterior display is used as a component to enhance the strength of the vehicle body's skeletal structure, thereby increasing the strength of the vehicle's front structure.

Images