Vehicle front structure

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle front structure which can reduce the vertical size required for arranging a heat exchanger in a motor chamber and can prevent the heat exchanger from being in contact with a motor when the vehicle is in a head-on collision. In a vehicle front structure in which a heat exchanger (30) is disposed in front of an electric motor (20) within an electric motor chamber (10), the heat exchanger (30) is disposed in a posture that is low in front and high in rear, a support frame (50) that supports the heat exchanger (30) during a head-on collision protrudes upward at a front bent portion (56) and protrudes downward at a rear bent portion (57), and when the support frame (50) is bent, the heat exchanger (30) is disposed in the front of the electric motor (20). In a side view, the heat exchanger (30) is close to a vertical posture from a front-low rear-high posture.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure in which a heat exchanger is arranged in a motor room. Background Art

[0002] Electric vehicles such as electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles equipped with electric motors as a driving power source are becoming popular (for example, Patent Document 1). In an electric vehicle, a motor and a heat exchanger for cooling various devices such as the motor are arranged in a motor room at the front of the vehicle. In the electric vehicle of Patent Document 1, the heat exchanger is supported in a vertical position in front of the motor in a side view.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-193651 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, in the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 1, the heat exchanger is arranged in a vertical position, so it is necessary to ensure a large vertical dimension required for arranging the heat exchanger in the motor room. Therefore, it is difficult to reduce the vertical dimension of the motor room or to leave a space above the heat exchanger in the motor room for arranging other devices.

[0008] Here, although it is possible to mount the heat exchanger at an angle in the side view, in this case, since the rear end of the heat exchanger is close to the motor, the heat exchanger may come into contact with the motor when the vehicle is involved in a head-on collision. Since the heat exchanger is made of a conductor, it needs to be designed so that it does not come into contact with the motor during a collision.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure that can reduce the vertical dimension required for arranging a heat exchanger in a motor room and can prevent the heat exchanger from contacting the motor during a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0010] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0011] According to the present invention, a vehicle front structure is provided, in which a heat exchanger is arranged in front of the motor in the motor room, and the vehicle front structure includes: a pair of left and right support frames, which extend in the front-to-back direction and respectively support the left and right ends of the heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is arranged in a posture with a low front and a high rear in a side view, and has a front supported portion and a rear supported portion formed at the left and right ends and supported by the support frames, the support frame has a front support body and a rear support body that support the front supported portion and the rear supported portion of the heat exchanger, and the support frame has a front The front side bending portion and the rear side bending portion, when a compressive load in the front-to-rear direction acts on the support frame, the front side bending portion bends in an upward protruding mode, and the rear side bending portion bends in a downward protruding mode, the front side support body is arranged in front of the front side bending portion, and the rear side support body is configured so that when the front side bending portion and the rear side bending portion of the support frame are bent, the rear supported portion is separated from the rear side support body, and when the front side bending portion and the rear side bending portion of the support frame are bent, the heat exchanger approaches a vertical posture from the front low and rear high posture in a side view.

[0012] According to the vehicle front structure, the heat exchanger is arranged obliquely in a side view, so that the vertical dimension required for arranging the heat exchanger in the motor room can be reduced. As a result, the vertical dimension of the motor room can be reduced or a space for arranging other devices can be reserved above the heat exchanger in the motor room.

[0013] Furthermore, when a frontal collision occurs to the vehicle, when a compressive load in the front-to-rear direction acts on each support frame, the front side curved portion bends upwardly and the rear side curved portion bends downwardly, so that each support frame absorbs the energy of the collision. At this time, the rear side supported portion of the heat exchanger is separated from the rear side support body of the support frame, so that the rear end side of the heat exchanger becomes movable relative to the support frame. Furthermore, since the front side curved portion of the support frame rises, the rear end side of the more front section of the front side curved portion of each support frame rises, and the rear end side of the heat exchanger also rises accordingly. As a result, in a side view, the heat exchanger can approach a vertical posture from the initial front low and rear high posture, ensuring the distance between the heat exchanger and the motor in the front-to-rear direction during a frontal collision, thereby avoiding contact between them.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, preferably, the rear support body is arranged between the front curved portion and the rear curved portion.

[0015] In addition, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, preferably, when the front side curved portion and the rear side curved portion are bent, the front side support body allows the heat exchanger to rotate around the left and right directions of the front side supported portion, and when the front side curved portion and the rear side curved portion are bent, the rear side support body allows the rear side supported portion of the heat exchanger to move upward.

[0016] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, preferably, the front curved portion and the rear curved portion each include a fragile portion formed on the support frame.

[0017] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, it is preferable to include a member which is arranged between the heat exchanger and the electric motor and is made of a non-conductive material.

[0018] Effects of the Invention

[0019] According to the vehicle front structure of the present invention, the vertical dimension required for arranging the heat exchanger in the motor room can be reduced, and the heat exchanger can be prevented from contacting the motor during a frontal collision of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 It is the front view of the heat exchanger;

[0022] Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the front support body;

[0023] Figure 4 is a back cross-sectional view of the rear support body;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic side view showing the movement of the subframe and heat exchanger during a frontal collision;

[0025] Figure 6 is a schematic side view showing a modified example of a vehicle front structure;

[0026] Figure 7 It is a schematic side view showing a vehicle front structure according to a modified example.

[0027] Explanation of symbols

[0028] 10 Motor room

[0029] 20 Electric motors

[0030] 30Heat exchanger

[0031] 31 front side supported portion

[0032] 32 rear side supported portion

[0033] 33 Outer extension

[0034] 34 rear extension

[0035] 40 side frame

[0036] 50 pairs of frames

[0037] 50a first horizontal interval

[0038] 50b tilt range

[0039] 50c Second level zone

[0040] 51 front support

[0041] 52 rear support

[0042] 53 receiving hole

[0043] 54 receiving slots

[0044] 55 Pressing parts

[0045] 60 Storage Department

[0046] 70 reserve tanks

[0047] PF front support position

[0048] PR rear support position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Figures 1 to 5 It represents one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the front structure of the vehicle; Figure 2 It is the front view of the heat exchanger; Figure 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the front support body; Figure 4 is a back cross-sectional view of the rear support body; Figure 5 It is a schematic side view showing the movement of the subframe and the heat exchanger during a frontal collision.

[0050] The motor vehicle is an electric vehicle, such as Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , a driving motor 20 is arranged in a motor room 10 at the front of the vehicle. In addition, a heat exchanger 30 for cooling the motor 20 is arranged in front of the motor 20 in the motor room 10. The heat exchanger 30 is arranged in a posture with the front lower and the rear higher in a side view. The automobile vehicle has a pair of left and right side frames 40 extending in the front-to-back direction and forming a vehicle frame, and a pair of left and right sub-frames 50 extending in the front-to-back direction and mounted with suspensions, auxiliary equipment, etc. In the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 30 is supported by each sub-frame 50, and each sub-frame 50 functions as a support frame for the heat exchanger.

[0051] like Figure 2 As shown, the heat exchanger 30 is formed in a horizontally long rectangle in the front view, and performs heat exchange between air and cooling water. For the convenience of explanation, the details of the heat exchanger 30 such as the pipe part through which the cooling water flows and the fins connected to the pipe part are omitted in each figure. The heat exchanger 30 has a front supported part 31 and a rear supported part 32 at the left and right ends, respectively. Each front supported part 31 and each rear supported part 32 are supported by a front support body 51 and a rear support body 52 of each sub-frame 50.

[0052] Each front supported portion 31 extends from the left and right ends of the front side to the left and right outer sides. In this embodiment, each front supported portion 31 is formed into a cylindrical shape with the left and right directions as the axis. Figure 3 As shown, each front supported portion 31 is received in the receiving hole 53 of the front supporting body 51 of each sub-frame 50. Thus, each front supported portion 31 can rotate relative to the front supporting body 51 with the left-right direction as an axis.

[0053] In this embodiment, each rear supported portion 32 has an outer extension portion 33 extending from the left and right ends of the rear side to the left and right outer sides, and a rear extension portion 34 extending from the outer end of the outer extension portion 33 to the rear. The outer extension portion 33 and the rear extension portion 34 are formed into a circular cross section. Figure 4 As shown, the rear extension portion 34 of each rear supported portion 32 is received in the receiving groove 54 of the rear support body 52 of each sub-frame 50 .

[0054] like Figure 1 As shown, the sub-frame 50 has a front curved portion 56 and a rear curved portion 57. When a compressive load in the front-to-back direction acts on the sub-frame 50, the front curved portion 56 is bent in an upward protruding mode, and the rear curved portion 57 is bent in a downward protruding mode. The sub-frame 50 has a horizontal first horizontal section 50a, a front high and rear low inclined section 50b, and a horizontal second horizontal section 50c in order from the front end to the rear. In this embodiment, the boundary portion of the first horizontal section 50a and the inclined section 50b forms the front curved portion 56, and the boundary portion of the inclined section 50b and the second horizontal section 50c forms the rear curved portion 57. In addition, the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 have a first groove portion 56a and a second groove portion 57a ​​as fragile portions that promote bending, respectively. The first groove portion 56a is formed to extend in the left-right direction on the lower surface of the main body of the sub-frame 50, and the second groove portion 57a ​​is formed to extend in the left-right direction on the upper surface of the main body of the sub-frame 50.

[0055] The front support body 51 of the sub-frame 50 is arranged at the front support position PF further forward of the front curved portion 56. In the present embodiment, the front support body 51 is fixed to the upper surface of the main body of the sub-frame 50. As described above, the front support body 51 has the receiving hole 53 for accommodating the front supported portion 31, and when the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 are bent, the front supported portion 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is allowed to rotate about the left-right direction.

[0056] The rear support body 52 of the sub-frame 50 is arranged at the rear support position PR between the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57. In the present embodiment, the rear support body 52 is fixed to the upper surface of the main body of the sub-frame 50 and extends upward from the sub-frame 50. As described above, the rear support body 52 has a receiving groove 54 for accommodating the rear supported portion 32 on the upper surface, and allows the rear supported portion 32 of the heat exchanger 30 to move upward when the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 are bent. That is, the rear support body 52 is arranged so that when the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 of the sub-frame 50 are bent, the rear supported portion 32 is separated from the rear support body 52. ​​In the present embodiment, a pressing member 55 is provided at the upper part of the receiving groove 54 to generally prevent the rear supported portion 32 from being separated from the rear support body 52. ​​It should be noted that the pressing member 55 can be appropriately omitted.

[0057] In the vehicle front structure configured as described above, the heat exchanger 30 is arranged obliquely in a side view, thereby reducing the vertical dimension required for arranging the heat exchanger 30 in the motor room 20. As a result, it is possible to reduce the vertical dimension of the motor room 20 or to reserve a space for arranging other devices above the heat exchanger 30 in the motor room 20. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in vehicle design and improve the commercial appeal of the vehicle.

[0058] Furthermore, when a frontal collision occurs on the vehicle, when a compressive load in the front-rear direction acts on each sub-frame 50, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, the front side curved portion 56 is curved upward and the rear side curved portion 57 is curved downward, so that each sub-frame 50 absorbs the energy during the collision. At this time, the rear side supported portion 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is separated from the rear side support body 52 of the sub-frame 50, so that the rear end side of the heat exchanger 30 becomes movable relative to the sub-frame 50. In addition, since the front side curved portion 56 of the sub-frame 50 rises, the rear end side of the first horizontal section 50a of each sub-frame 50 rises, and the rear end side of the heat exchanger 30 also rises accordingly. As a result, in a side view, the heat exchanger 30 can approach a vertical posture from the initial front low rear high posture, and the distance between the heat exchanger 30 and the motor 20 in the front-to-back direction is ensured during a frontal collision, thereby avoiding contact between them.

[0059] In addition, in the present embodiment, since the rear support body 52 is disposed between the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57, when each sub-frame 50 is bent, the rear support body 52 is easily changed to a mode of moving downward. When the rear support body 52 is changed to a mode of moving downward at the time of a frontal collision, the rear supported portion 32 of the heat exchanger 30 accommodated in the receiving groove 54 can be reliably moved upward and separated from the rear support body 52. ​​Since the front support body 51 is allowed to rotate about the left-right direction of the front supported portion 31 when the rear supported portion 32 is separated from the rear support body 52, the heat exchanger 30 can freely rotate about the front supported portion 31, and the posture of the heat exchanger 30 can be smoothly changed at the time of a frontal collision.

[0060] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 have the first groove portion 56a and the second groove portion 57a ​​as fragile portions, respectively, each sub-frame 50 can be reliably bent by the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 during a frontal collision. Thus, during a frontal collision, deformation and posture changes of each sub-frame 50 and the heat exchanger 30 are stable.

[0061] It should be noted that, although the space between the heat exchanger 30 and the motor 20 is shown in the above embodiment, Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, for example, by disposing a member composed of a non-conductive material between the heat exchanger 30 and the motor 20, the motor 20 can be protected from the heat exchanger 30 during a frontal collision, while the posture of the heat exchanger 30 can be changed more stably. Figure 6 The example in which a part of the storage portion 60 disposed above the heat exchanger 30 is formed to protrude between the heat exchanger 30 and the motor 20 is shown. Figure 7 An example is shown in which a reserve tank 70 for cooling water flowing through the motor 20 and the heat exchanger 30 is arranged between the heat exchanger 30 and the motor 20 .

[0062] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example is shown in which only the electric motor 20 is arranged in the motor room 10 as a driving source of the vehicle, but a hybrid vehicle may be provided with an engine in addition to the electric motor 20 .

[0063] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the cylindrical front supported portion 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is shown to be accommodated in the receiving hole 53 of the front support body 51 of the sub-frame 50, but, for example, a bolt screwed with the front support body 51 and protruding toward the heat exchanger 30 side may be provided, and a receiving hole for the bolt may be formed on the heat exchanger 30. In this case, the receiving hole of the heat exchanger 30 forms the front supported portion, and in this case, the front supported portion may also rotate relative to the front support body with the left and right directions as the axis. The front supported portion 31 of the heat exchanger 30 is preferably supported by the front support body 51 of the sub-frame 50 so as to be freely rotatable, but it may also be set not to be freely rotatable as long as the posture change of the heat exchanger 30 is sufficiently achieved by the deformation of the sub-frame 50, etc. at the time of a frontal collision. In addition, as for the rear support body 52, as long as it is set so that when the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 of the sub-frame 50 are bent, the rear supported portion 32 is separated from the rear support body 52, the detailed structure may be changed arbitrarily.

[0064] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the heat exchanger 30 is shown to be supported by the sub-frame 50, but a support frame for the heat exchanger may be provided separately from the sub-frame 50. In addition, although the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 of the sub-frame 50 are shown to have the first groove portion 56a and the second groove portion 57a, the fragile portion may be formed by a weld bead, a long hole, etc. In addition, even if the fragile portion is not provided, if the front curved portion 56 and the rear curved portion 57 located at the boundary of the horizontal section and the inclined section are reliably bent in a frontal collision, the fragile portion may be omitted.

[0065] The embodiments of the present invention are described above, but the embodiments described above do not limit the invention of the claims. In addition, it should be noted that all combinations of features described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the technical solution for solving the problem of the invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle front structure, wherein a heat exchanger is arranged in front of a motor in a motor room, the vehicle front structure comprising: A pair of left and right support frames extend in the front-rear direction and respectively support the left and right ends of the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is arranged in a posture with the front lower and the rear higher in a side view, and has a front supported portion and a rear supported portion formed at the left and right ends and supported by the support frame. The support frame includes a front support body and a rear support body that support the front supported portion and the rear supported portion of the heat exchanger. The support frame has a front curved portion and a rear curved portion, and when a compressive load in a front-rear direction acts on the support frame, the front curved portion is curved in an upward protruding mode, and the rear curved portion is curved in a downward protruding mode, The front support body is arranged forward of the front curved portion. The rear support body is configured so that when the front curved portion and the rear curved portion of the support frame are curved, the rear supported portion is separated from the rear support body. When the front curved portion and the rear curved portion of the support frame are curved, the heat exchanger approaches a vertical posture from the front-low-rear-high posture in a side view.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein: The rear support body is arranged between the front curved portion and the rear curved portion.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, wherein: When the front curved portion and the rear curved portion are curved, the front supporting body allows the heat exchanger to rotate about the left-right direction of the front supported portion as an axis. The rear support body allows the rear supported portion of the heat exchanger to move upward when the front curved portion and the rear curved portion are curved.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein: The front curved portion and the rear curved portion each include a fragile portion formed on the supporting frame. 5 . The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , comprising a member disposed between the heat exchanger and the electric motor and made of a non-conductive material.

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