Vehicle front structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle front structure capable of reducing an obstacle value to a pedestrian when colliding with the pedestrian. The vehicle front structure comprises a vehicle cover (20) which covers the front part of a vehicle from above, and a concave accommodating part (30) which is configured below the vehicle cover (20). The vehicle front structure comprises a supporting part (50) which supports a bottom wall (31) of the accommodating part (30) from the lower side. The support section (50) extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the housing section (30) on the front side of the front-rear center of the housing section (30). When colliding with the pedestrian, the storage part (30) bends near the rear end of the support part (50) of the bottom wall (31) by input from the vehicle cover (20) so as to move downward behind the support part (50).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure in which a storage portion for storing luggage is arranged under a hood. Background Art

[0002] In a car, a storage section for storing luggage is sometimes arranged below the hood (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the storage section described in Patent Document 1, the cover is connected to a box-shaped shell body with an opening on the upper surface so that it can be opened and closed. The shell body is fixed to the vehicle at four locations, two locations on the side and two locations on the back. The fixing portion on the back is composed of a pair of bases arranged at the lower part of the rear wall, and the inner surface of the rear wall has a circular groove, which can accommodate the head of a bolt used for fixing to the vehicle side.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-146741 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] When a car collides with a pedestrian, the pedestrian contacts the hood, so that a force from the hood acts on the storage portion obliquely downward and rearward. At this time, in the vehicle front structure described in Patent Document 1, since the shell body is firmly fixed to the vehicle side at the lower part of the rear wall, the storage portion will not move downward or backward during the collision, and the obstacle value to the pedestrian may increase.

[0008] 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 obstacle value to pedestrians when colliding with the pedestrians.

[0009] Technical solutions for solving technical problems

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle front structure, comprising:

[0011] a hood, which covers the front of the vehicle from above;

[0012] a concave storage portion, which is arranged below the hood and has a bottom wall, a front wall and a rear wall; and,

[0013] a support portion that supports the bottom wall of the storage portion from a lower side,

[0014] The support portion extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the storage portion at the front side of the front and rear center of the storage portion.

[0015] When colliding with a pedestrian, the storage portion is bent near the rear end of the support portion of the bottom wall by input from the hood so that the rear side of the support portion moves downward.

[0016] According to the vehicle front structure, when storing luggage etc. in the storage portion, the user moves the front side of the hood upward to move the luggage etc. from the front of the vehicle into the storage portion. Since the storage portion is accessible from the front of the vehicle, the luggage etc. are mostly placed at the front side in the storage portion. In the present invention, since the support portion supports the storage portion at the front side of the front and rear center of the storage portion, the storage portion where the luggage etc. are stored at the front can be effectively supported.

[0017] In addition, when colliding with a pedestrian, the pedestrian contacts the hood, so that a force from the hood acts on the storage portion in the obliquely downward direction. At this time, the movement of the bottom wall of the storage portion in the obliquely downward direction is suppressed in the portion supported by the support portion, but the movement of the portion not supported by the support portion in the obliquely downward direction is not suppressed. As a result, the storage portion bends near the rear end of the support portion of the bottom wall, so that the rear side moves downward relative to the support portion. Therefore, when colliding with a pedestrian, regardless of whether there is luggage in the storage portion, the collision stroke can be ensured as a car vehicle, and the obstacle value to pedestrians can be reduced.

[0018] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, preferably, the storage portion has a bottom bending starting point portion, the bottom bending starting point portion is formed on the bottom wall and becomes a bending starting point of the bottom wall when colliding with a pedestrian.

[0019] In the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, preferably, the storage portion has a front bending starting point portion, the front bending starting point portion is formed on the front wall and becomes a bending starting point of the front wall when colliding with a pedestrian.

[0020] In addition, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, it is preferably included, which includes a front enclosure, which is arranged behind the storage section under the hood and covers the space under the hood from above, and the front enclosure has a front wall arranged along the rear wall of the storage section, and the rear wall of the storage section is installed on the front wall of the front enclosure, so that when a collision with a pedestrian occurs, the constraint on the front enclosure is released by input from the hood.

[0021] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned vehicle front structure, preferably, the storage portion has an opening formed at an upper portion, and has a sealing material, which is provided in the opening and contacts the hood when the hood is lowered.

[0022] Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to the vehicle front structure of the present invention, when a collision with a pedestrian occurs, the obstacle value to the pedestrian can be reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the front structure of a vehicle with the hood removed;

[0026] Figure 3 is a partial front view of the rear wall of the storage portion;

[0027] Figure 4 It is a schematic side explanatory view of the vehicle front structure showing the behavior of the storage portion when colliding with a pedestrian.

[0028] Explanation of symbols

[0029] 10 Cars and Vehicles

[0030] 20 Car hood

[0031] 30 Storage Department

[0032] 30a flange

[0033] 31 bottom wall

[0034] 32 Modeling pieces

[0035] 33 First Ripple

[0036] 34 front wall

[0037] 35 The Second Ripple

[0038] 36 Back wall

[0039] 37 Insertion hole

[0040] 38 ordinary diameter part

[0041] 39 Expanded diameter

[0042] 40 front

[0043] 41 Anterior wall

[0044] 50 Support

[0045] 60 side frame

[0046] 70 fixing clips. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Figures 1 to 4 One embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the front structure of the vehicle; Figure 2 is a plan view illustrating the front structure of a vehicle with the hood removed; Figure 3is a partial front view of the rear wall of the storage portion; Figure 4 It is a schematic side explanatory view of the vehicle front structure showing the behavior of the storage portion when colliding with a pedestrian.

[0048] like Figure 1 As shown, the automobile 10 includes a hood 20 that covers the front of the vehicle from above, and a concave storage portion 30 that is arranged below the hood 20 and has an upper opening. Figure 1 The figures are merely illustrative, and parts that are not necessary for the description of the present embodiment are omitted as appropriate. The material of the hood 20 is arbitrary, and for example, metal materials such as steel and aluminum can be used. In addition, the material of the storage section 30 is arbitrary, and for example, resin materials such as polypropylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene can be used. The front side of the hood 20 can be moved up and down, and the storage section 30 can be entered by moving the hood 20 upward. In addition, the automobile vehicle 10 includes a front panel 40, which is arranged behind the storage section 30 below the hood 20 and covers the space below the hood 20 from above. The material of the front panel 40 is arbitrary, and for example, resin materials such as polypropylene and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene can be used. The automobile vehicle 10 of the present embodiment is an electric car, and an electric motor (not shown) is arranged below the front panel 40 as a power source.

[0049] like Figure 1 As shown, the automobile vehicle 10 has a support portion 50 that supports the bottom wall 31 of the storage portion 30 from the lower side. The support portion 50 extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the storage portion 30 at the front side of the front and rear center of the storage portion 30. The material of the support portion 50 is arbitrary, and for example, a metal material such as steel or aluminum can be used. In the present embodiment, the width dimension (front and rear dimension) of the support portion 50 is smaller than the front and rear dimension of the storage portion 30. The position of the front end of the support portion 50 coincides with the position of the front end of the storage portion 30, and the position of the rear end of the support portion 50 is located in front of the front and rear center of the storage portion 30. In addition, the automobile vehicle 10 has a pair of left and right side frames 60 extending in the front and rear directions, and the support portion 50 is connected to each side frame 60. The material of each side frame 60 is arbitrary, and for example, a metal material such as steel or aluminum can be used.

[0050] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the storage portion 30 has a molding 32 as a sealing material at the upper end. Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 1 , the molding 32 is formed in an annular shape along the opening shape of the storage portion 30. The molding 32 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and contacts the lower surface of the hood 20 when the front side of the hood 20 is lowered. Figure 2 As shown, the storage portion 30 has a flange 30a extending outward in the horizontal direction from the opening and covering the space below.

[0051] In addition, the storage portion 30 has a bottom bending starting point portion, which is formed on the bottom wall 31 and becomes the bending starting point of the bottom wall 31 when colliding with a pedestrian. In the present embodiment, the bottom bending starting point portion is a first corrugation 33 formed on the bottom wall 31 in the vehicle width direction. The first corrugation 33 is formed to protrude upward and is arranged near the rear end of the support portion 50. In the present embodiment, the front end of the first corrugation 33 is arranged to overlap with the rear end of the support portion 50 in a plan view.

[0052] In addition, the storage portion 30 has a front bending starting point portion, which is formed on the front wall 34 and becomes the bending starting point of the front wall 34 when colliding with a pedestrian. In the present embodiment, the front bending starting point portion is a second corrugation 35 formed in the vehicle width direction on the front wall 34. The second corrugation 35 is formed to protrude rearward and is formed at the upper and lower center of the front wall 34.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 1 , the cowl 40 has a front wall 41 arranged along the rear wall 36 of the storage portion 30. The rear wall 36 of the storage portion 30 is mounted on the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 so that when a collision with a pedestrian occurs, the cowl 40 is released from the input from the hood 20. Figure 1 As shown, the rear wall 36 of the storage portion 30 is mounted on the front wall 41 of the front enclosure 40 by means of a fixing clip 70. Figure 3 As shown, the fixing clip 70 is inserted through the insertion hole 37 formed on the rear wall 36 of the storage part 30 and the insertion hole (not shown) formed on the front wall 41 of the front enclosure 40. The insertion hole of the front enclosure 40 is circular, and its diameter corresponds to the shaft portion of the fixing clip 70. On the other hand, the insertion hole 37 of the storage part 30 has a normal diameter portion 38 having a diameter corresponding to the shaft portion of the fixing clip 70 and an enlarged diameter portion 39 having a diameter larger than the normal diameter portion 38, and has a shape in which the upper side of the normal diameter portion 38 and the lower side of the enlarged diameter portion 39 partially overlap. When the storage part 30 is mounted on the front enclosure 40, the normal diameter portion 38 is used. When a collision occurs with a pedestrian, the shaft portion of the fixing clip 70 moves toward the enlarged diameter portion 39 by the input from the bonnet 20, thereby releasing the constraint of the storage part 30 on the front enclosure 40.

[0054] In the front structure of the automobile vehicle 10 constructed as above, when the front side of the hood 20 is lowered to close the storage portion 30, the molding 32 contacts the hood 20, sealing the storage portion 30, thereby preventing rainwater, dust, etc. from entering the storage portion 30. By making the molding 32 contact the hood 20 in this way, the capacity of the storage portion 30 can be ensured to be larger than in the case where a cover for closing the opening is provided at the upper part.

[0055] When storing luggage etc. in the storage section 30, the user moves the front side of the hood 20 upward to move the luggage etc. from the front of the vehicle into the storage section 30. Since the storage section 30 is accessible from the front of the vehicle, the luggage etc. are often placed at the front side in the storage section 30. This tendency becomes apparent when storing heavier items in particular. In the present embodiment, since the support portion 50 supports the storage section 30 at the front side of the front and rear center of the storage section 30, the storage section 30 where the luggage etc. are stored at the front can be effectively supported.

[0056] In the front structure of the automobile vehicle 10, when colliding with a pedestrian, Figure 4 As shown, the pedestrian contacts the hood 20, so that a force from the hood 20 toward the oblique lower side and rear is applied to the storage portion 30. At this time, the bottom wall 31 of the storage portion 30 is suppressed from moving toward the oblique lower side and rear in the portion supported by the support portion 50, but the movement toward the oblique lower side and rear in the portion not supported by the support portion 50 is not suppressed. As a result, the storage portion 30 is bent near the rear end of the support portion 50 of the bottom wall 31, so that the rear side of the support portion 50 moves downward. In this embodiment, the first corrugation 33 as the bending starting point is formed on the bottom wall 31, so that the bottom wall 31 can be reliably bent at a desired position. As a result, when a collision occurs with a pedestrian, regardless of whether there is luggage or the like in the storage portion 30, the collision stroke can be ensured as the automobile vehicle 10, and the obstacle value to the pedestrian can be reduced. For example, in the case where a relatively hard object is stored in the storage portion 30, even if the pedestrian's head contacts the vicinity of the storage portion 30 of the hood 20, the obstacle value of the pedestrian can be reduced. In particular, as in the present embodiment, in the case of a structure in which the molding 32 of the storage portion 30 contacts the hood 20, the obstacle value for pedestrians tends to increase. However, by bending the bottom wall 31, it moves downward relative to the rear side of the support portion 50 during a collision, thereby ensuring the capacity of the storage portion 30 and reducing the obstacle value.

[0057] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, when colliding with a pedestrian, the storage portion 30 bends so that the upper side of the front wall 34 moves obliquely to the rear and lower side. In this embodiment, the second corrugation 35 as the bending starting point is formed on the front wall 34 of the storage portion 30, so that the front wall 34 can be reliably bent at a desired position, and the deformation mode of the front wall 34 of the storage portion 30 can be accurately controlled when colliding with a pedestrian.

[0058] In addition, the rear wall 36 of the storage portion 30 is mounted on the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 so that when a collision with a pedestrian occurs, the cowl 40 is released from the input from the hood 20. Figure 4 As shown, when colliding with a pedestrian, the movement of the rear wall 36 of the storage portion 30 is not hindered by the front wall 41 of the front wall 40, so the deformation mode of the storage portion 30 can be accurately controlled.

[0059] It should be noted that, in the above embodiment, the molding 32 of the storage portion 30 is shown to be in contact with the hood 20, but a cover for closing the opening may be provided on the upper portion of the storage portion 30. That is, if the storage portion is bent near the rear end of the support portion of the bottom wall by the input from the hood when colliding with a pedestrian, thereby moving downward relative to the rear side of the support portion, the shape and structure of the storage portion may be appropriately changed.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the rear wall 36 of the storage portion 30 is mounted on the front wall 41 of the front enclosure 40 using the fixing clip 70, but other components or mechanisms may be used for mounting. In this case, preferably, the restraint of the storage portion on the front enclosure is released by input from the hood when colliding with a pedestrian. For example, a claw portion may be formed in one of the storage portion 30 and the front enclosure 40, and a hole portion into which the claw portion is embedded may be formed in the other of the storage portion 30 and the front enclosure 40, so that the claw portion is broken by input during a collision. It should be noted that, for example, when the obstacle value to pedestrians has been sufficiently reduced by deformation of the bottom wall of the storage portion during a collision, the mechanism for releasing the restraint of the storage portion on the front enclosure may be omitted.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the second corrugation 35 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed on the front wall 34 as the starting point of the front bending, but, for example, the changed portion may be used as the starting point of the front bending by changing the plate thickness or material of the front wall 34. Furthermore, for example, the rigidity may be changed by forming ribs on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the front wall 34, and the changed portion may be used as the starting point of the front bending. Furthermore, the upper and lower positions of the starting point of the front bending may be appropriately changed according to the required deformation mode. It should be noted that, for example, when the obstacle value to pedestrians has been sufficiently reduced by the deformation of the bottom wall of the storage portion during a collision, the starting point of the front bending may be omitted.

[0062] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the first corrugation 33 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed on the bottom wall 31 as the bottom bending starting point, but for example, the changed portion can also be used as the bottom bending starting point by changing the plate thickness or material of the bottom wall 31. In addition, for example, the rigidity can be changed by forming ribs on at least one side of the front side and the rear side of the bottom wall 31, and the changed portion can be used as the bottom bending starting point. In addition, the front and rear positions of the bottom bending starting point can be appropriately changed according to the required deformation mode. It should be noted that even if there is only the support portion 50, the bottom bending starting point can be omitted as long as the bottom wall 31 of the storage portion 30 bends at the desired position when a pedestrian collides.

[0063] In addition, in the above embodiment, the position of the front end of the support portion 50 is shown to be consistent with the position of the front end of the storage portion 30, but as long as the storage portion 30 is supported on the front side of the front and rear center of the storage portion 30, the front and rear position of the support portion 50 can be appropriately changed.

[0064] 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, comprising: a hood, which covers the front of the vehicle from above; A concave storage portion, which is arranged below the hood and has a bottom wall, a front wall and a rear wall; as well as, a support portion that supports the bottom wall of the storage portion from a lower side, The support portion extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the storage portion at the front side of the front and rear center of the storage portion. When colliding with a pedestrian, the storage portion is bent near the rear end of the support portion of the bottom wall by input from the hood so that the rear side of the support portion moves downward.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein: The storage portion has a bottom bending starting point portion, which is formed on the bottom wall and serves as a bending starting point of the bottom wall when colliding with a pedestrian.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, wherein: The storage portion has a front bending starting point portion, which is formed on the front wall and serves as a bending starting point of the front wall when colliding with a pedestrian.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, comprising a front cowl, the front cowl being arranged behind the storage portion under the hood and covering the space under the hood from above, The front enclosure has a front wall arranged along the rear wall of the storage portion, The rear wall of the storage portion is attached to the front wall of the cowl so that when a collision with a pedestrian occurs, the cowl is released from restraint by input from the bonnet.

5. The vehicle front structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The storage portion has an opening formed at an upper portion and includes a sealing material that is provided in the opening and contacts the hood when the hood is lowered.

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