Vehicle front structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle front structure, comprising: a hood for opening and closing an accommodation space in which at least a drive motor is disposed; the connecting rod mechanism is mounted on the vehicle cover; and a front spare box that is attached to the link mechanism and that is housed in the housing space in a state in which the hood is closed, in which the front spare box is configured so as to be movable at least in the front-rear direction by the operation of the link mechanism and so as to be movable forward in a state in which the hood is open at the same time. Therefore, when the vehicle cover is opened, the front spare box is configured to be capable of moving forwards, so that the storage objects can be taken out and put in after the front spare box is moved forwards, and the convenience related to taking out and putting in the storage objects in the front spare box can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a vehicle front structure that accommodates a front trunk in an accommodation space located at the front side of a vehicle compartment. Background Art

[0002] Vehicles such as automobiles include electric vehicles (electric vehicles), which accommodate a drive motor instead of an engine as a drive source in a storage space located at the front side of the vehicle compartment, and run on the power output by the drive motor. The drive motor is preferably located near the wheel (front wheel), so it is accommodated at the lower side of the inner side of the storage space.

[0003] Among such electric vehicles, there is one in which a front trunk capable of storing storage items is accommodated in a storage space for accommodating a drive motor (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5992974

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-146741 Summary of the invention

[0008] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0009] However, in a vehicle such as the above-mentioned one in which the front trunk is accommodated in the storage space located on the front side of the vehicle cabin, if the drive motor and accessories, which are high-voltage components, are subjected to impact from the front trunk in the event of a vehicle collision (head-on collision), there is a risk of secondary disasters such as electric shock endangering the safety of passengers and rescuers. Therefore, the front trunk is sometimes accommodated on the upper side of the drive motor.

[0010] However, when the front trunk is accommodated on the upper side of the drive motor, since the front trunk is located at the inner side of the accommodation space, the position of the front trunk becomes a position far away from the user, which may impair the convenience of taking out and putting the stored items into the front trunk.

[0011] On the other hand, even if the front trunk is accommodated on the front end side of the vehicle, if the bottom surface inside the front trunk is located at the lower side, the user may have to bend down when taking out and putting the storage items into the front trunk, which will still impair the convenience of taking out and putting the storage items into the front trunk.

[0012] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to improve the convenience associated with taking out and putting in stored items.

[0013] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0014] The vehicle front structure of the present invention includes: a hood that opens and closes a storage space in which at least a drive motor is disposed; a connecting rod mechanism that is mounted on the hood; and a front trunk that is mounted on the connecting rod mechanism and is stored in the storage space when the hood is closed, wherein the front trunk is configured to be able to move at least in the front-to-rear direction through the action of the connecting rod mechanism, and is also configured to be able to move forward when the hood is open.

[0015] Thus, the front trunk is configured to be movable forward in a state where the hood is opened.

[0016] Effects of the Invention

[0017] According to the present invention, the front trunk is configured to be movable forward when the hood is opened, so that the storage items can be taken out and put in after the front trunk is moved forward, thereby improving the convenience of taking out and putting in the storage items in the front trunk. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 and Figure 2-Figure 8 An embodiment of the vehicle front structure of the present invention is shown together. Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a schematic structure of a vehicle.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing a part of the vehicle front structure.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a top view showing a part of the vehicle front structure.

[0021] Figure 4 is a side view showing a part of the front structure of the vehicle.

[0022] Figure 5 It is a side view showing a part of the vehicle front structure in a state where the front trunk is moved to the operating position.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a side view showing a state in which the front trunk is locked to the hood by the front trunk lock when the hood is opened.

[0024] Figure 7 It is an exploded perspective view showing the adjustment structure provided on the link mechanism.

[0025] Figure 8 It is a side view showing a state in which the height of the front trunk is adjusted by the adjustment structure provided in the link mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Embodiments of the vehicle front structure for implementing the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] <Schematic Structure of Vehicle>

[0028] First, the schematic structure of the vehicle is described (see Figure 1 ).

[0029] The vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle that runs only with power from electricity, and includes a drive motor 110 , an accelerator opening sensor 120 , a speed sensor 130 , and a control unit 140 .

[0030] The drive motor 110 is accommodated in a space on the front side of the vehicle cabin and is used as a power source of the vehicle 100 .

[0031] The accelerator opening sensor 120 detects the accelerator opening corresponding to the driving force of the vehicle 100 requested by the driver, that is, the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal by the driver. The accelerator opening detected by the accelerator opening sensor 120 is output to the control unit 140 as a detection signal.

[0032] The speed sensor 130 detects the speed of the vehicle 100. The speed of the vehicle 100 detected by the speed sensor 130 is output to the control unit 140 as a detection signal.

[0033] The control unit 140 has a function of centrally controlling the operation of each unit in the vehicle 100 or performing various calculations. The control unit 140 includes a microprocessor 141 for performing calculations, a ROM (read only memory) 142 for storing programs for the microprocessor 141 to perform various processes, a RAM (random access memory) 143 for storing various data such as calculation results, and an interface for inputting or outputting data.

[0034] The control unit 140 includes a motor control unit 144 for controlling the drive motor 110. The motor control unit 144 has a function of controlling, for example, the driving operation of the wheels of the vehicle 100 by the drive motor 110, the regenerative operation in the drive motor 110, and the like.

[0035] In the vehicle 100, a battery 150 is housed in a luggage room or the like. The battery 150 has a battery module that stores power used in the vehicle 100, such as power used in the drive motor 110, as well as power used in the control unit 140, various parts of the vehicle 100 that are operated by power, various lighting devices provided on the vehicle 100, and the like. As the battery of the battery module, for example, a secondary battery such as a nickel-hydrogen battery or a lithium-ion battery is used. In addition to power (charged power) obtained by charging from outside the vehicle 100, the battery 150 also stores, for example, regenerative power supplied by the drive motor 110.

[0036] <Vehicle front structure, etc.>

[0037] Next, the front structure of the vehicle, etc. will be described (refer to Figures 2 to 6 ).

[0038] The vehicle front structure 1 includes a side frame 2, a bumper beam 3, a pillar tower 4, etc. (see Figures 2 to 4 ).

[0039] A pair of side frames 2 are provided separately on the left and right sides and are formed in a shape extending forward and backward. The bumper beam 3 is fastened to the front end of the side frame 2 and is formed in a shape extending left and right. The pillar tower 4 is fastened to the outer side of the rear end of the side frame 2 and is formed in a shape protruding upward from the side frame 2. The pillar tower 4 is a high-strength portion and has a function of protecting the vehicle cabin together with the side frame 2 in the event of a collision.

[0040] A plurality of support members 5 extending upward and downward are provided separately on the left and right sides of the rear side of the bumper beam 3. A lower beam 6 extending left and right is fastened to the lower ends of the plurality of support members 5, and an upper support 7 extending left and right is fastened to the upper ends of the plurality of support members 5. In addition, the left and right ends of the lower beam 6 may be fastened to the front part of the side frame 2, respectively, or may be fastened to the front part of the side frame 2 via other members.

[0041] Upper side frames 8 are fastened to both left and right ends of the upper support 7, and the upper side frames 8 are tilted so as to be displaced rearward as they go outward in the left and right directions. An upper frame 9 extending forward and backward is fastened to the rear end of the upper side frame 8. A connecting frame 10 extending forward and backward is fastened to the rear end of the upper frame 9, and the upper end of the support tower 4 is fastened to the inner side of the connecting frame 10.

[0042] The vehicle front structure 1 includes a storage space 11 surrounded by the side frames 2 and other components. The storage space 11 is a space below a hood 12, and a drive motor 110 is stored in the storage space 11 below the side frames 2. The drive motor 110 is stored in the storage space 11 near the rear.

[0043] A radiator (not shown) functioning as a heat exchanger is disposed at the front end of the storage space 11. The radiator is disposed between the lower beam 6 and the upper support 7, and is held by a plurality of support members 5.

[0044] A hood locker 13 is mounted on the upper support 7. The hood locker 13 has a function of locking the hood 12 in a closed state by engaging with a first locking engagement portion (not shown) provided on the hood 12.

[0045] The hood lock catch 13 has a double locking mechanism and is connected to a release lever (not shown) provided in the vehicle compartment via a hood wire 13a. Therefore, when the release lever is operated, the hood lock catch 13 is actuated via the hood wire 13a to release the first locking state of the hood 12 by the hood lock catch 13. In addition, when the first locking state is released, the hood lock catch 13 can be operated by inserting a finger into the gap existing at the lower side of the hood 12 to release the second locking state of the hood 12 by the hood lock catch 13, so that the hood 12 can be lifted to be opened.

[0046] The storage space 11 is configured to accommodate a front trunk 15 mounted on the link mechanism 14. The front trunk 15 may be configured by, for example, only a storage box opened upward, or may be configured by having a lid for opening and closing the opening of the storage box in addition to the storage box.

[0047] The link mechanism 14 is mounted on the lower surface of the hood 12 , and the front trunk 15 mounted on the link mechanism 14 is configured to be accommodated on the upper side of the drive motor 110 at the inner side of the accommodation space 11 .

[0048] The link mechanism 14 includes a pair of left and right trunk mounting portions 16 , a pair of left and right mounted portions 17 , and a plurality of arm portions 18 .

[0049] The front trunk mounting portion 16 is formed in a shape extending forward and backward. The side surface of the front trunk 15 is mounted on the front trunk mounting portion 16.

[0050] The mounted portion 17 is formed in a shape extending forward and backward and is mounted on the lower surface of the hood 12 .

[0051] Two arms 18 are connected to the front trunk mounting portion 16 and the mounted portion 17. Therefore, the link mechanism 14 is provided as a parallel link by one front trunk mounting portion 16, one mounted portion 17 and two arms 18, and is configured to have a pair of parallel link structures located on the left and right.

[0052] The arm 18 is connected in a state where the first link 19 and the second link 20 can rotate relative to each other in the upper and lower directions, and the lower end of the first link 19 is connected to the upper end of the second link 20. The upper end of the first link 19 of the arm 18 is rotatably connected to the mounted portion 17, and the lower end of the second link 20 is rotatably connected to the front trunk mounting portion 16.

[0053] The front trunk 15 is connected to the hood 12 via the shock absorber 21. The shock absorber 21 is configured to be inclined forward and downward, and has a sealing portion 21a in which a fluid such as oil is sealed, a front end portion rotatably connected to the rear portion of the front trunk 15, and a rear end portion rotatably connected to the lower portion of the front trunk 15. Since the front trunk 15 is connected to the hood 12 via the shock absorber 21, there is a force applied from the shock absorber 21 to the front trunk 15 in the direction of moving forward.

[0054] The front trunk 15 has a handle 15a at the front end, and is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction and the up-down direction in a horizontal state by the action of the link mechanism 14. The front trunk 15 is configured to be movable in the rearmost storage position (see Figure 4 ) and the front working position (refer to Figure 5 The working position is a position above the storage position.

[0055] When the hood 12 is opened, the front trunk 15 moves from the storage position to the working position. When the front trunk 15 moves to the working position as the front end of the moving range, the front end is located behind the front end of the hood 12 in the fully opened state, and the entire trunk 15 is located behind the front end of the hood 12.

[0056] A front trunk locker 22 is attached to the upper end of the front end of the front trunk 15. The front trunk locker 22 has a function of locking the front trunk 15 to the hood 12 by engaging with a second locking engagement portion (not shown) provided on the hood 12.

[0057] When the front trunk 15 is locked, the front trunk 15 is in the state closest to the hood 12, and the upper surface of the front trunk 15 is opposite to the lower surface of the hood 12 (refer to Figure 4 The front trunk 15 is stored in the storage position in a state locked by the front trunk lock 22 .

[0058] The front trunk lock catch 22 is connected to the hood lock catch 13 or the hood wire 13a through the front trunk wire 22a, and when the hood lock catch 13 is manually operated in a state where the first locking state of the hood 12 by the hood lock catch 13 is released, the front trunk lock catch 22 moves along with the movement of the hood lock catch 13. When the front trunk lock catch 22 moves along with the movement of the hood lock catch 13, the locking state of the front trunk 15 locked on the hood 12 by the front trunk lock catch 22 is released.

[0059] Therefore, when a finger is inserted into the gap existing on the lower side of the hood 12 to release the second locked state of the hood 12 by the hood lock 13 , the locked state of the front trunk 15 on the hood 12 by the front trunk lock 22 is simultaneously released.

[0060] The front trunk 15 is locked to the hood 12 by the front trunk lock 22 , and this is performed by engaging the front trunk lock 22 with the second locking engagement portion when the front trunk 15 is manually lifted up and brought close to the hood 12 with the hood 12 opened.

[0061] In the vehicle 100, when the hood 12 is locked in the closed state by the hood lock 13, the front trunk 15 is locked to the hood 12 by the front trunk lock 22 and is held in the storage position (see FIG. Figure 4 ). When the trunk 15 is held at the storage position, the first link 19 and the second link 20 of the arm 18 are configured to be bent at a predetermined angle with the connection portion thereof as a fulcrum.

[0062] When the operator (passenger) operates the release lever to release the first locking state of the hood 12, and then manually operates the hood lock 13 to release the second locking state locked on the hood 12 by the hood lock 13, the locking state of the front trunk 15 locked on the hood 12 by the front trunk lock 22 is simultaneously released.

[0063] Next, when the operator opens the hood 12, the link mechanism 14 and the front trunk 15 move upward along with the hood 12, and since the locking state of the front trunk 15 on the hood 12 is released, the weight of the link mechanism 14 and the front trunk 15 causes the arm 18 of the link mechanism 14 to rotate, and the front trunk 15 moves downward relative to the hood 12, for example, in a parallel state. When the front trunk 15 moves downward relative to the hood 12, the front trunk 15 is pushed forward by the shock absorber 21.

[0064] Therefore, although the front trunk 15 moves downward relative to the hood 12, it moves upward along with the hood 12 and is pushed forward by the shock absorber 21, so it moves forward and upward relative to the storage position to the working position (see Figure 5 ). In the working position, the link mechanism 14 and the shock absorber 21 are configured to be in a balanced state, and the front trunk 15 is maintained in the working position in a stable state.

[0065] Alternatively, the vehicle front structure 1 may be configured without the shock absorber 21. In this case, when the hood 12 is opened, the operator can operate the link mechanism 14 by holding the handle 15a of the front trunk 15 that moves upward along with the hood 12 and pulling it forward, thereby moving the front trunk 15 to the working position.

[0066] In the working position, since the front trunk 15 is located close to the upper body of the operator, the operator can easily take out and put the stored items into the front trunk 15 without bending down. As described above, when the hood 12 is fully opened, since the front end of the front trunk 15 is located at a position rearward of the front end of the hood 12, when the hood 12 is opened, the entire front trunk 15 is covered by the hood 12 from above, which can prevent rainwater from intruding into the interior of the front trunk 15.

[0067] On the other hand, when the hood 12 is opened (fully opened) or is in the process of closing the hood 12 from the fully opened state, manually lifting the front trunk 15 will cause the front trunk 15 to be locked to the hood 12 by the front trunk lock 22 (see FIG. Figure 6 In a state where the front trunk 15 is locked on the hood 12 , closing the hood 2 will cause the front trunk 15 to move to the accommodation position and be accommodated in the accommodation space 11 .

[0068] In addition, the above example shows that the working position is above and in front of the storage position, but in the vehicle front structure 1, the working position only needs to be at least in front of the storage position. For example, the working position and the storage position can also be at the same height.

[0069] In the above-mentioned link mechanism 14, an adjustment structure as follows may also be provided (see Figure 7 and Figure 8 ).

[0070] The adjustment structure is formed by, for example, forming a screw hole 19a at the lower end of the first link 19 of the arm 18 and forming a plurality of adjustment holes 20a separately along the length direction on the second link 20 (see Figure 7 ).

[0071] The adjustment is performed, for example, by inserting the adjustment bolt 30 into any adjustment hole 20a and screwing it into the screw hole 19a to connect the first link 19 and the second link 20. By adjusting, the length L from the lower end of the second link 20 to the connection portion with the first link 19 is changed (see Figure 7 and Figure 8 ). Therefore, the height of the working position of the front trunk 15 installed on the link mechanism 14 is adjusted, and the operator can take out and put the storage items into the front trunk 15 at a desired height.

[0072] By providing the above-mentioned adjustment structure on the link mechanism 14, the height of the front trunk 15 at the working position can be adjusted to a desired position according to the height of the operator and the size of the storage items, thereby improving the working efficiency when taking out and putting the storage items into the front trunk 15.

[0073] In addition, in the above, an example is shown in which the screw hole 19a is formed on the first connecting rod 19 and a plurality of adjustment holes 20a are formed on the second connecting rod 20, but conversely, a plurality of adjustment holes may be formed on the first connecting rod and a screw hole may be formed on the second connecting rod. In addition, in the adjustment structure, it is not necessary to form a screw hole on the first connecting rod 19 or the second connecting rod 20, and any structure may be used as long as the position of the connecting portion of the first connecting rod 19 and the second connecting rod 20 can be changed.

[0074] <Conclusion>

[0075] As described above, the vehicle front structure 1 includes: a link mechanism 14, which is installed on the hood 12; and a front trunk 15, which is installed on the link mechanism 14 and is accommodated in the accommodation space 11 when the hood 12 is closed, wherein the front trunk 15 is configured to be able to move at least in the front and rear directions through the action of the link mechanism 14, and is also configured to be able to move forward when the hood 12 is opened.

[0076] Therefore, when the hood 12 is opened, the front trunk 15 is configured to be movable forward, so that the storage items can be taken out and put in after the front trunk 15 is moved forward, and the convenience of taking out and putting in the front trunk 15 can be improved.

[0077] Furthermore, since the front trunk 15 is stored above the drive motor 110 when in the storage position, there is no impact from the front trunk 15 to the drive motor 110 in the event of a collision of the vehicle 100 , thereby ensuring the safety of the vehicle 100 .

[0078] Furthermore, when the hood 12 is opened, the front trunk 15 is configured to be movable upward.

[0079] Therefore, when the hood 12 is opened, since the front trunk 15 is configured to be movable forward and upward, the storage items can be easily taken out and put into the front trunk 15 without bending down, and the usability can be improved.

[0080] In addition, a hood lock 13 for keeping the hood 12 in a closed state and a front trunk lock 22 for locking the front trunk 15 to the hood 12 are provided. When the hood lock 13 is released from locking the hood 12, the front trunk lock 22 is released from locking the front trunk 15.

[0081] Therefore, when the hood 12 is opened to use the front trunk 15, the lock of the front trunk 15 on the hood 12 is simultaneously released, so there is no need to release the lock of the hood lock 13, and the stored items can be quickly taken out and put into the front trunk 15, which can improve the convenience of use.

[0082] The front trunk 15 is connected to the bonnet 12 via the shock absorber 21 , and when the bonnet 12 is opened, a force in a direction of moving forward is applied to the front trunk 15 by the shock absorber 21 .

[0083] Therefore, when the hood 12 is opened, the front trunk 15 is pushed forward by the force applied by the shock absorber 21. Therefore, when the hood 12 is opened, the front trunk 15 does not need to be moved forward manually, which can improve the work efficiency related to taking out and putting the stored items into the front trunk 15 and realize rapid work.

[0084] Explanation of symbols

[0085] 110 drive motor

[0086] 1Vehicle front structure

[0087] 11Accommodation space

[0088] 12 Car hood

[0089] 13 Car hood lock

[0090] 14-link mechanism

[0091] 15Front trunk

[0092] 20 Front trunk lock

[0093] 21 shock absorbers.

Claims

1. A vehicle front structure, comprising: A hood that opens and closes a storage space in which at least a drive motor is disposed; A connecting rod mechanism, which is mounted on the vehicle cover; as well as a front trunk, which is mounted on the link mechanism and is accommodated in the accommodation space when the hood is closed, The front trunk is configured to be movable at least in the front-rear direction by the operation of the link mechanism, and is also configured to be movable forward in a state where the hood is opened.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein: The front trunk is configured to be movable upward when the hood is opened.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein: A hood lock is provided to keep the hood in a closed state. A front trunk lock is provided for locking the front trunk to the vehicle cover, wherein: When the locking of the vehicle hood by the vehicle hood lock buckle is released, the locking of the front trunk by the front trunk lock buckle is released.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein: The front trunk is connected to the hood via a shock absorber. When the hood is opened, a force in a direction of moving forward is applied to the front trunk by the shock absorber.

5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4, wherein: When the hood is fully opened, the front end of the front trunk is located rearward of the front end of the hood.

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