Front structure of the vehicle body
By combining the sensor bracket with the bumper bracket through adhesive bonding and snap-fit, the problem of unstable sensor installation in electric vehicles is solved, achieving both high-strength installation and an aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
- Filing Date
- 2025-08-08
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-26
AI Technical Summary
In electric vehicles, cameras or other sensors cannot be securely mounted on the front bumper, are prone to falling off, and existing technology may result in an unsightly bumper.
The sensor bracket is attached to the back of the front bumper using both adhesive and snap-fit methods. The adhesive part is attached to the back of the front bumper, and the snap-fit part is snapped onto the bumper bracket, forming a stable installation structure.
This design achieves high-strength sensor mounting, preventing it from falling off during minor collisions, while also avoiding unsightly issues caused by resin shrinkage during bumper molding.
Smart Images
Figure CN224277085U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to a front structure of a vehicle body, and more particularly to a structure for mounting sensors on the front bumper. Background Technology
[0002] In the prior art, there are vehicles equipped with cameras that capture images of the front of the car. The images captured by the cameras are used as driver assistance information for implementing collision avoidance assistance, lane departure warning, and following the vehicle in front.
[0003] In automobiles driven by an engine, an external air intake (an opening that allows outside air to enter through the radiator) is located at the front of the vehicle, and a front grille is mounted on this air intake. Therefore, a camera can be securely fastened (using screws, etc.) to the front grille. In other words, the camera can be mounted with high strength.
[0004] However, many electric vehicles do not have external air intakes or a front grille at the front of the vehicle. Therefore, it is not possible to mount the camera to the front grille; the camera must be mounted on the front bumper instead.
[0005] In existing technologies, double-sided tape is mostly used to attach the camera to the back of the front bumper. Specifically, a small opening is formed in the front bumper, and with the camera lens aligned with this opening, the camera is attached to the back of the front bumper using double-sided tape.
[0006] However, in this structure, the camera may detach during a minor collision (a collision with a small load), thus failing to comply with the regulations related to the front of the vehicle, GB17354. To address this, one option is to directly screw the camera onto the front bumper. However, in this case, the screw-mounting portion for the camera must be molded into the front bumper (a thick-walled section with internal threaded holes for screw mounting). This could potentially cause resin shrinkage during the molding of the front bumper (resin injection molding), resulting in an unsightly appearance.
[0007] This technical problem is not limited to the case of installing a camera on the front bumper, but also exists in the case of installing other sensors on the front bumper. Utility Model Content
[0008] In view of the above situation, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a front vehicle structure that does not make the front bumper look bad, and allows the sensors to be installed on the front bumper with high installation strength.
[0009] As a technical solution to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides a front vehicle structure in which a sensor is installed on the front bumper. The structure is characterized by including a bumper bracket disposed on the back side of the front bumper and a sensor bracket for fixing the sensor. The sensor bracket has an adhesive portion extending along the back side of the front bumper and a first snap-fit portion extending toward the rear side of the vehicle. The adhesive portion is attached to the back side of the front bumper, and the first snap-fit portion is snapped onto the bumper bracket.
[0010] The advantages of the front vehicle structure of this utility model with the above-described structure are that it neither detracts from the appearance of the front bumper nor compromises the installation strength of the sensor. Specifically, the sensor bracket for fixing the sensor is configured such that not only is its adhesive part attached to the back of the front bumper, but its first snap-fit part also snaps into the bumper bracket. That is, while the sensor bracket is adhesively bonded to the front bumper, it is also snap-fitted into the bumper bracket. Through these two bonding methods, the sensor bracket for fixing the sensor is securely bonded to the front bumper and the bumper bracket, thus allowing the sensor to be installed on the front bumper with high installation strength. This prevents the sensor from detaching during minor collisions. Typically, in the prior art, the sensor is directly fixed to the front bumper with screws. In this case, resin shrinkage marks at the screw fixing part during the molding of the front bumper can lead to an unsightly appearance of the front bumper. In this invention, since the sensor bracket is installed on the front bumper by adhesive bonding, there is no need to form a thick-walled portion on the front bumper, thereby avoiding poor appearance caused by resin shrinkage during the molding of the front bumper.
[0011] In addition, in the above-described front structure of the vehicle body of this utility model, preferably, a first through hole is formed on the bumper bracket, extending along the length of the vehicle; a second through hole is formed on the first latching part of the sensor bracket, extending in a direction intersecting the length of the vehicle; with the first latching part inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole located on the back side of the bumper bracket, the clip is inserted into the second through hole to latch the sensor bracket onto the bumper bracket.
[0012] Based on this structure, a simple operation is required: insert the first latch of the sensor bracket into the first through hole of the bumper bracket, and then insert the clip into the second through hole of the first latch to fasten the sensor bracket onto the bumper bracket.
[0013] In addition, in the aforementioned front body structure of this utility model, preferably, a third through hole is formed on the bumper bracket, extending along the length of the vehicle; a second latching part is provided on the front bumper, extending toward the rear side of the vehicle body, and a fourth through hole is formed on the second latching part, extending in a direction intersecting the length of the vehicle. When the second latching part is inserted into the third through hole and the fourth through hole is located on the back side of the bumper bracket, the clip is inserted into the fourth through hole to latch the front bumper onto the bumper bracket.
[0014] Based on this structure, a simple operation is required: insert the second latch of the front bumper into the third through hole of the bumper bracket, and then insert the clip into the fourth through hole of the second latch to secure the front bumper to the bumper bracket. Furthermore, since the sensor bracket (the one attached to the back of the front bumper) is also mounted on the bumper bracket via the front bumper, this structure more effectively prevents the sensor from detaching in the event of a minor collision. Attached Figure Description
[0015] Figure 1 This is a front view of a car in an embodiment of this utility model.
[0016] Figure 2 This is a rear view of the camera mounting portion of a car in an embodiment of this utility model.
[0017] Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of section III-III in the diagram.
[0018] Figure 4 It is a 3D diagram showing the latching state between the clip and the camera bracket.
[0019] Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the V-V line section. Detailed Implementation
[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the front structure of the vehicle body in which a camera (front camera) serving as a sensor is mounted on the front bumper of an electric vehicle will be described as an example.
[0021] Figure 1 This is a front view of the car V in this embodiment. The front bumper 1 of the car V is made of resin, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the front bumper 1 is positioned at the front end of the vehicle body and extends along the vehicle width direction. On the rear side (rear side in the vehicle length direction) of the front bumper 1, there is a buffer material (not shown) and a front bumper reinforcement.
[0022] Buffer materials, such as polyurethane foam, are made of foamed materials with a specified hardness. When they collide with an object, they are compressed and deformed along the length of the vehicle to absorb the collision energy.
[0023] The front bumper reinforcement is located on the rear side of the bumper material and extends along the vehicle width. This front bumper reinforcement is constructed from a high-rigidity component with a rectangular cross-section, stamped from sheet steel. The front bumper reinforcement is joined directly or via other components (such as a crash box) to the front ends of a pair of left and right front side beams (not shown).
[0024] Figure 2 This is a rear view of the mounting portion of the camera 4 on the car V in this embodiment. Figure 3 It is along Figure 2 The cross-sectional view of section III-III in the diagram. Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the diagram, arrow LH indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction, and arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, Figure 2 In the diagram, the arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle height direction, and the arrow DW indicates the lower side in the vehicle height direction. Figure 3 In the diagram, arrow FR indicates the front side in the vehicle's length direction, and arrow RR indicates the rear side in the vehicle's length direction.
[0025] like Figure 3 As shown, a bumper bracket 2 is provided on the rear side of the front bumper 1. As described below, the bumper bracket 2 is assembled with the front bumper 1 as a single unit and is fastened to a radiator bracket (not shown). That is, as described above, the front bumper reinforcement is engaged with the front end of the front side beam, and the front bumper 1 is fixed to the radiator bracket via the bumper bracket 2.
[0026] In addition, such as Figure 1 As shown, a bumper cover 3 is provided between the upper edge of the front bumper 1 and the front edge of the hood BN to cover the gap between these two points. Because of this bumper cover 3, the powertrain compartment (the space that houses the electric motor for driving, etc.) is not visible from the outside, thereby improving the aesthetics of the car's appearance.
[0027] In automobiles driven by an engine, an external air intake is located at the front of the vehicle, and a front grille is mounted on this air intake. Therefore, a camera can be securely mounted to the front grille. That is, the camera can be mounted with high strength. However, as mentioned above, electric vehicles often do not have an external air intake or front grille at the front of the vehicle, making it impossible to secure the camera to the front grille. Therefore, as described below, it is necessary to mount the camera 4 on the front bumper 1. The structure for mounting the camera 4 on the front bumper 1 will be described below.
[0028] like Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, a camera opening 11 extending through the vehicle length is provided in the middle portion of the front bumper 1 in the width direction. On the rear side of the front bumper 1, a camera 4 is mounted, fixed (supported) by a camera bracket 5 (the sensor bracket described later in this invention). The lens portion 41 of the camera 4 is aligned with the camera opening 11 (the lens portion 41 protrudes from the camera opening 11 outside the vehicle). Thus, the camera 4 can capture images of the area in front of the vehicle. The images captured by the camera 4 are used as driving assistance information for implementing collision avoidance assist, lane departure warning, and following the vehicle ahead. The structure of the camera bracket 5 mounted on the front bumper 1 and the bumper bracket 2 will be described later.
[0029] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the camera bracket 5, which fixes the camera 4, is attached to the back 12 of the front bumper 1 by double-sided tape 6, and is also snapped into the bumper bracket 2 (by the clip 7 described later). The following is a detailed explanation.
[0030] The camera bracket 5 has an adhesive part 51, two camera fastening parts 52, and a first buckle part 53.
[0031] The adhesive part 51 is a flat plate with an approximately rectangular shape when viewed from the front (as seen along the length of the vehicle). The front surface of the adhesive part 51 (the surface facing the back surface 12 of the front bumper 1) has the same shape as the back surface 12 of the front bumper 1. Specifically, the horizontal and vertical projection shapes of the portion of the back surface 12 of the front bumper 1 that is bonded to the adhesive part 51 are the same as the horizontal and vertical projection shapes of the adhesive part 51, respectively. Furthermore, a protrusion 51a is formed on the back surface of the adhesive part 51, protruding toward the rear of the vehicle body. The front end of this protrusion 51a abuts against the front surface of the bumper bracket 2, thereby creating a predetermined distance between the adhesive part 51 and the bumper bracket 2.
[0032] With the lens portion 41 of the camera 4, which is fixed by the camera bracket 5, aligned (embedded) with the camera opening 11, the front surface of the adhesive portion 51 of the camera bracket 5 is attached to the back 12 of the front bumper 1 by double-sided tape 6.
[0033] Additionally, camera 4 is secured by two camera fasteners 52. These two camera fasteners 52 are located on the left and right sides of camera opening 11, protruding from the back of adhesive part 51 toward the rear of the vehicle body. At the rear end of each camera fastener 52, a screw hole (not shown) for securing camera 4 is formed. The screw hole has an internal thread.
[0034] On the other hand, on the left and right sides of the camera 4, there are protrusions 42 extending in the horizontal direction. The left and right protrusions 42 overlap the rear end faces of the left and right camera fastening parts 52 respectively. By inserting the screw S into the screw hole formed on the protrusion 42 (not shown) and tightening it into the screw fixing hole of the camera fastening part 52, the camera 4 is fixed to the camera bracket 5 by the two camera fastening parts 52.
[0035] Thus, while the adhesive part 51 of the camera bracket 5 is attached to the back 12 of the front bumper 1 with double-sided tape 6, the camera 4 is fixed to the two camera fastening parts 52 of the camera bracket 5 by screws, so that the camera 4 is installed on the back 12 of the front bumper via the camera bracket 5.
[0036] Additionally, the first latching part 53 is used for latching with the bumper bracket 2, such as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first latching portion 53 extends from the left side of the back of the adhesive portion 51 in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle body. This first latching portion 53 is made of a sheet metal with its thickness in the vehicle width direction. A second through hole 53a is formed on the first latching portion 53, extending through the vehicle width direction. The distance between the base end of the first latching portion 53 (the portion connected to the adhesive portion 51) and the front edge of the second through hole 53a in the vehicle length direction is (…). Figure 3 The dimension t1 is approximately equal to the distance between the back of the adhesive part 51 and the back of the bumper bracket 2 when the front end of the protrusion 51a abuts against the front surface of the bumper bracket 2.
[0037] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the bumper bracket 2 is positioned on the rear side of the front bumper 1 as described above. A camera mounting hole 21 and a first through hole 22 are formed on the bumper bracket 2. The camera mounting hole 21 is for the camera 4 and the two camera fastening parts 52 to pass through. The first through hole 22 is for the first snap-fit part 53 to pass through. That is, as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, with the camera bracket 5 positioned on the front side of the bumper bracket 2, most of the camera 4 and most of the two camera fastening parts 52 are located inside the camera mounting hole 21 (on the side closer to the rear of the vehicle), and most of the first latching part 53 is located inside the first through hole 22 (on the side closer to the rear of the vehicle). Furthermore, with the first latching part 53 inserted into the first through hole 22, the second through hole 53a is located on the rear side of the bumper bracket 2.
[0038] In this state, the clip 7 can be inserted into the second through hole 53a from the center side (the side where the camera 4 is mounted) in the vehicle width direction. In this way, the camera bracket 5 can be secured to the bumper bracket 2 by the clip 7.
[0039] The following describes the state in which the camera bracket 5 is fastened to the bumper bracket 2 by the clip 7. Figure 4 This is a 3D view showing the latching state between the clip 7 and the camera bracket 5. Figure 4 In the diagram, arrow LH indicates the left side in the vehicle width direction, arrow RH indicates the right side in the vehicle width direction, arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle height direction, and arrow DW indicates the lower side in the vehicle height direction.
[0040] like Figure 4 As shown, the clip 7 has a latching part 71 and a gripping part 72. The latching part 71 extends along the vehicle width direction when the camera bracket 5 and the bumper bracket 2 are latched together. The gripping part 72 is connected to the right end of the latching part 71 in the vehicle width direction and extends toward the rear side in the vehicle length direction.
[0041] A latching claw 71a is provided in the middle portion of the latching part 71. The latching claw 71a is configured to be inclined in shape, extending from the back of the latching part 71 toward the right side in the vehicle width direction and protruding rearward. Therefore, when the clip 7 is inserted into the second through hole 53a of the camera bracket 5 (see...), Figure 4 When arrow A is drawn, the latching claw 71a abuts against the opening edge of the second through hole 53a and undergoes elastic deformation. Then, the latching claw 71a passes over the opening edge of the second through hole 53a and engages with it (becoming...). Figure 4 (as shown in the diagram), thus the clip 7 is locked. Because the clip 7 is locked, the camera bracket 5 is snapped onto the bumper bracket 2.
[0042] In addition, the grip 72 is a part for the operator to hold for inserting the clip 7 as described above.
[0043] Thus, the first latching part 53 of the camera bracket 5 is latched onto the bumper bracket 2 by the clip 7, thereby mounting the camera 4 onto the bumper bracket 2 via the camera bracket 5. That is, as described above, the camera bracket 5 is bonded to the front bumper 1 by adhesive bonding, and the camera bracket 5 is bonded to the bumper bracket 2 by latching. Through these two bonding methods, the camera bracket 5, which fixes the camera 4, is securely fixed to the front bumper 1 and the bumper bracket 2, thereby allowing the camera 4 to be mounted on the front bumper 1 with high installation strength.
[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front bumper 1 is also secured by a clip 8 (see...). Figure 5The front bumper 1 is clipped onto the bumper bracket 2. The following describes the state in which the front bumper 1 is clipped onto the bumper bracket 2 by the clip 8. Figure 5 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the V-V line section. Figure 5 In the diagram, arrow FR indicates the front side in the vehicle length direction, arrow RR indicates the rear side in the vehicle length direction, arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle height direction, and arrow DW indicates the lower side in the vehicle height direction.
[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, a second latching part 13 is provided on one side of the front bumper 1 in the vehicle width direction. The second latching part 13 is the part that latches with the bumper bracket 2, as shown... Figure 5 It extends toward the rear of the vehicle body as shown. The second latching part 13 is made of a sheet metal with its thickness in the vehicle height direction. A fourth through hole 13a extending through in the vehicle height direction is formed on the second latching part 13.
[0046] A third through hole 23 is provided on the bumper bracket 2, extending along the length of the vehicle. The third through hole 23 is for the second latching part 13 to pass through. Figure 5 As shown, the second latch 13 is inserted into the inside of the third through hole 23 (the side closer to the rear of the vehicle). Furthermore, with the second latch 13 inserted into the third through hole 23, the fourth through hole 13a is located on the back side of the bumper bracket 2.
[0047] Furthermore, a fifth through hole 31 extending along the length of the vehicle is provided on the bumper cover 3. The fifth through hole 31 is located opposite the third through hole 23 of the bumper bracket 2. Like the third through hole 23, the fifth through hole 31 is a hole for the second latching part 13 to pass through. Figure 5 As shown, the second latching part 13 passes through the fifth through hole 31 of the bumper cover 3 and the third through hole 23 of the bumper bracket 2. Furthermore, with the second latching part 13 passing through the fifth through hole 31 and the third through hole 23, the fourth through hole 13a is located on the back side of the bumper bracket 2.
[0048] Then, the clip 8 can be inserted into the fourth through hole 13a from the top. Thus, the front bumper 1 is secured to the bumper bracket 2 by the clip 8.
[0049] The clip 8 has the same shape as the clip 7, and includes a latching portion 81 with a latching claw 81a and a gripping portion 82. When the clip 8 is inserted into the fourth through hole 13a of the front bumper 1, the latching claw 81a passes over the opening edge of the fourth through hole 13a and latches against the opening edge of the fourth through hole 13a, thereby locking the clip 8. Because the clip 8 is locked, the bumper bracket 2 is latched onto the front bumper 1.
[0050] In addition, the grip part 82 is the part that the operator grips when performing the insertion operation of the aforementioned clip 8.
[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the adhesive portion 51 of the camera bracket 5 is adhered to the back surface 12 of the front bumper 1 using double-sided adhesive tape 6, while the first snap-fit portion 53 of the camera bracket 5 is snapped onto the bumper bracket 2 using clips 7. This prevents the camera 4 from detaching during minor collisions. Furthermore, since the camera bracket 5 is mounted to the front bumper 1 using adhesive, there is no need to form a thick-walled portion on the front bumper 1, thus avoiding resin shrinkage during the front bumper molding process that could cause unsightly defects.
[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a simple operation is required: insert the first latching part 53 of the camera bracket 5 into the first through hole 22 of the bumper bracket 2, and then insert the clip 7 into the second through hole 53a of the first latching part 53, so that the camera bracket 5 can be latched onto the bumper bracket 2.
[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a simple operation is required: insert the second latching part 13 of the front bumper 1 into the third through hole 23 of the bumper bracket 2, and then insert the clip 8 into the fourth through hole 13a of the second latching part 13 to latch the front bumper 1 onto the bumper bracket 2. In addition, since the camera bracket 5 for fixing the camera 4 is mounted on the bumper bracket 2 via the front bumper 1, it more effectively prevents the camera 4 from detaching during minor collisions.
[0054] The above embodiments are described using an example of a front structure of an electric vehicle with a camera 4 mounted on the front bumper 1. However, this invention is not limited to this and is also applicable to situations where other sensors are mounted on the front bumper 1. Furthermore, when the sensor uses millimeter-wave radar or other light-transmitting materials, it is not necessary to provide an opening on the front bumper 1 (equivalent to the opening of the camera opening 11 described above).
[0055] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the second through hole 53a is a hole that penetrates along the vehicle width direction and the fourth through hole 13a is a hole that penetrates along the vehicle height direction, but it is not limited to this. Alternatively, the second through hole 53a can be a hole that penetrates along the vehicle height direction and the fourth through hole 13a can be a hole that penetrates along the vehicle width direction.
Claims
1. A front structure of a vehicle body, wherein a sensor is mounted on the front bumper, characterized in that: This includes a bumper bracket mounted on the rear side of the front bumper and a sensor bracket for fixing the sensor. The sensor bracket has an adhesive portion extending along the back of the front bumper and a first clip portion extending toward the rear of the vehicle body. The adhesive part is attached to the back of the front bumper, and the first clip part is clipped onto the bumper bracket.
2. The front structure of the vehicle body as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A first through hole is formed on the bumper bracket, extending along the length of the vehicle; A second through hole is formed on the first latching part of the sensor bracket, extending in a direction intersecting the vehicle length direction; With the first buckle inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole located on the back side of the bumper bracket, the clip is inserted into the second through hole to fasten the sensor bracket onto the bumper bracket.
3. The front structure of the vehicle body as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A third through hole is formed on the bumper bracket, extending along the length of the vehicle; The front bumper has a second latching part extending toward the rear of the vehicle body, and a fourth through hole is formed in the second latching part in a direction intersecting the length direction of the vehicle. With the second buckle inserted into the third through hole and the fourth through hole located on the back side of the bumper bracket, the clip is inserted into the fourth through hole to fasten the front bumper onto the bumper bracket.