Composite material automobile front cover

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the field of automobile industry, concretely relates to a kind of composite material automobile front cover, including front cover outer plate assembly and front cover inner plate assembly;Front cover outer plate assembly includes front cover outer plate and front cover air duct assembly, and front cover air duct assembly is adhered to the front end of front cover outer plate;Front cover inner plate assembly includes front cover inner plate and metal reinforcing part, and metal reinforcing part is respectively embedded and set in the lock hook installation area and the hinge installation area on front cover inner plate;Front cover inner plate is provided with first reinforcing rib, and first reinforcing rib adopts grid structure arrangement in lock hook installation area and hinge installation area;Front cover outer plate is adheredly connected between front cover inner plate.Compared with prior art, the utility model solves the defect that local structure strength is insufficient in prior art automobile front cover to meet lightweight, and the structure strength of automobile front cover can be reliably improved under the premise that the lightweight of automobile front cover is basically not influenced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model belongs to the automotive industry and specifically relates to a composite material automotive hood. Background Technology

[0002] In traditional vehicle design, both the inner and outer panels of the hood and load-bearing components are still connected using steel or aluminum alloy sheets through stamping and robotic edging. While steel sheets, made through sheet metal work, offer advantages like good toughness and high strength, their excessive weight poses difficulties for disassembly and assembly during future maintenance. Furthermore, the stamping material is mostly cold-rolled steel, but parts stamped from cold-rolled steel are prone to oxidation if frequently exposed to air. Additionally, the symmetrical design requires significant time for surface treatments such as electrophoresis and painting before use.

[0003] With the development of the automotive industry, the demand for lightweight vehicles is increasingly emphasized. Especially in the context of the widespread use of electric vehicles, future intelligent cars will incorporate more intelligent devices to further improve overall vehicle performance. Simultaneously, maintaining or increasing the driving range of electric vehicles is crucial, leading to increasingly stringent requirements for the total weight of vehicles. This makes traditional hood structures increasingly inadequate for current performance demands. The shortcomings of traditional hood structures include: First, traditional production processes require significant equipment investment, involve complex painting processes, and have long production lines, limiting production speed. Second, as buyers increasingly demand personalized designs, mass-produced products can no longer meet diverse customer needs. Furthermore, the limitations of traditional hood manufacturing processes restrict the shape and paint finish of hoods, severely restricting personalized design and making it difficult to meet customer requirements. Finally, in traffic accidents, the numerous hard points of traditional sheet metal hoods pose a significant risk of head injuries to pedestrians from impacts. Damage to a metal hood can easily cause secondary injuries to pedestrians. It is evident that the existing traditional car hood structure contradicts the current development direction of lightweighting, diversifying styling, simplifying assembly, and improving pedestrian safety.

[0004] CN115180026A discloses a composite material hood and its manufacturing method, which is disposed on the upper end face of a vehicle body and includes: an outer panel and an inner panel assembly are adhered together by an adhesive layer; wherein, the inner panel assembly is symmetrically connected to both ends by hinges connected to the vehicle body and latches connected to the vehicle body; the inner panel assembly includes an inner panel body, a central reinforcing part, a hinge reinforcing part, an inner panel built-in part, and reinforcing ribs, wherein the areas on the inner panel body corresponding to the hinges and the latches are the hinge reinforcing part and the latch reinforcing part, and the inner panel body also includes several metal buffer reinforcing parts; wherein, an opening is provided in the center of the inner panel body, and the inner panel built-in part is disposed in the opening; the outer panel and the inner panel assembly are made of continuous glass fiber. The solution involves setting a large opening in the middle of the inner panel of the hood to further reduce weight. However, this method will result in insufficient structural strength of the car hood as a whole, especially in the middle. Consequently, the hood will deform and break significantly during a collision, making it prone to breakage and secondary injuries. Furthermore, the overall processing technology of this solution is complex, which will increase production costs and make it difficult to produce directly using existing production lines.

[0005] CN107244355A discloses a lightweight automotive hood. The hood includes an outer panel and an inner panel. The inner panel has lock mounting holes, drainage holes, strut mounting holes, and hinge holes. The outer and inner panels are integrally formed and assembled using adhesive. The surface of the inner panel that contacts the outer panel also has several reinforcing ribs and multiple raised areas. The reinforcing ribs increase the overall deformation resistance of the inner panel. Each of the raised areas has several glue overflow grooves to prevent glue from overflowing into other areas during the assembly process. Although this design uses multiple reinforcing ribs to enhance the structural strength of the hood, it does not specifically reinforce areas with concentrated stress. This means that in a collision, these areas will bear the stress preferentially, leading to structural damage, and ultimately failing to meet the required structural strength.

[0006] It is evident that the existing technology still has the following shortcomings: 1. It does not comprehensively consider the performance of the entire front cover system; 2. It does not fully consider the design requirements for pedestrian head impact protection under regulations; 3. It cannot realize front cover systems with more complex shapes.

[0007] Therefore, further structural improvements are still needed for composite material car hoods to meet the requirements of lightweighting, simplified manufacturing, pedestrian safety, structural strength, and ease of personalization. Utility Model Content

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a composite material car hood to solve at least one of the aforementioned problems, thereby addressing the deficiency of insufficient local structural strength in existing car hoods designed to achieve lightweighting. This solution specifically strengthens the structural weaknesses of the composite material car hood and provides overall reinforcement. It also features a guiding design for the overall torsion and force transmission of the assembly components, enabling the composite material car hood to reliably improve its structural strength without significantly compromising its lightweight properties.

[0009] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0010] The first aspect of this utility model discloses a composite material automobile hood, including an outer hood panel assembly and an inner hood panel assembly;

[0011] The front cover outer panel assembly includes a front cover outer panel and a front cover air duct assembly, wherein the front cover air duct assembly is bonded to the front end of the front cover outer panel;

[0012] The front cover inner panel assembly includes a front cover inner panel and metal reinforcement members. The metal reinforcement members are respectively fitted into the lock hook mounting area and the hinge mounting area on the front cover inner panel. The front cover inner panel is provided with a first reinforcing rib, which is arranged in a grid structure in the lock hook mounting area and the hinge mounting area.

[0013] The outer front cover panel and the inner front cover panel are bonded together.

[0014] Preferably, the front cover air duct assembly includes an air duct frame and an air duct trim panel, and the air duct frame and the air duct trim panel are bonded together.

[0015] The air duct frame includes several support frames arranged along the length of the inner panel of the front cover, and adjacent support frames are connected by spaced second reinforcing ribs.

[0016] The air duct trim panel includes several decorative panels arranged along the length of the inner panel of the front cover, and adjacent decorative panels are connected by spaced vertical strips.

[0017] The decorative panels and the supporting frames are installed in a one-to-one correspondence, and each decorative panel and each supporting frame is bonded together by an air duct adhesive channel.

[0018] Preferably, the inner front cover includes a hook mounting area in the middle of the front end, a hollow area in the middle, and hinge mounting areas on both sides of the rear end.

[0019] The hollow area is provided with protrusions at intervals along the length of the inner front cover plate. The top surface of the protrusions is an open structure, and hollow holes are opened at intervals along the circumference at the junction of the bottom of the protrusions and the inner front cover plate.

[0020] The first reinforcing rib is arranged radially from the side of the protrusion, and the first reinforcing rib avoids the perforation; the radially arranged first reinforcing rib intersects with the first reinforcing rib of the grid structure located in the hook mounting area and the hinge mounting area.

[0021] Preferably, the protrusions are arranged in groups, and the protrusions in each group form a beam with a V-shaped structure.

[0022] The beam has first reinforcing ribs spaced apart on both sides, and at least one additional first reinforcing rib is provided at the corner of the beam.

[0023] Preferably, the beam is arranged in an axisymmetric structure.

[0024] Preferably, a fracture groove is formed on the first reinforcing rib located between the protrusion and the hook mounting area.

[0025] Preferably, the outer front cover plate is configured with an arc-shaped upward convex structure at the corresponding positions of the lock hook mounting area and the hinge mounting area.

[0026] Preferably, the metal reinforcing members are connected as a whole by fiberglass tape or steel wire rope.

[0027] Preferably, the composite material car hood also includes a soft-nose bumper;

[0028] The soft nose bumper is located at the front of the hood outer panel assembly, and the soft nose bumper covers the lock hook mounting area and the hinge mounting area.

[0029] Preferably, the soft nose bumper has a segmented structure, and there are cavities between each segment of the soft nose bumper.

[0030] The second aspect of this utility model discloses a method for manufacturing a composite material automobile hood as described in any of the above-mentioned methods, comprising the following steps:

[0031] First, the front cover inner panel with embedded metal reinforcement is prepared by insert injection molding to form the front cover inner panel assembly;

[0032] Then, the front hood air duct assembly is formed by bonding the membrane;

[0033] Next, the front hood air duct assembly is bonded to the front end of the front hood outer panel using a bonding membrane to form the front hood outer panel assembly;

[0034] Finally, the outer and inner panels of the hood are bonded together using a bonding membrane to form a composite material automotive hood.

[0035] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0036] In this composite material car hood, by rationally arranging the first reinforcing rib on the inner panel of the hood, the overall torsion and force transmission of each part in the car hood can be controlled and guided, further realizing the reinforcement of the local structure (the hook mounting area with embedded metal reinforcing parts and the hinge mounting area) and the overall structure (the top surface opening and hollow holes of the protrusion); moreover, this structural design can basically not affect the lightweight of the composite material car hood.

[0037] In this composite material car hood, in addition to the fact that the composite material assembly can be modified in appearance through more processes to improve the convenience and range of options for personalization, the combination of the segmented soft nose bumper with the hood air duct assembly (air duct trim) and the outer hood panel can achieve a variety of personalized paint combinations; and because the whole is made of composite material that can be injection molded, compared with the traditional stamping + edge binding process, this solution can achieve more types of structural design while meeting the performance requirements of the car hood.

[0038] In this composite material car hood, the cavities (energy absorption) between the segmented soft-nose bumpers, the arc-shaped upward-convex structure in the hard-point area of ​​the hood outer panel (reducing impact distance and absorbing energy), the fracture grooves at specific locations (directional fracture and energy absorption), and the integrated metal reinforcement (preventing fragmentation) all contribute to reducing pedestrian injury after a collision and minimizing secondary debris damage caused by structural failure. Based on this, this invention, through cavity energy absorption and a guided crumple zone design for pedestrian protection and low-speed collisions, achieves pedestrian protection energy absorption design at the hard-point mounting points in the composite material hood assembly. Attached Figure Description

[0039] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the composite material vehicle hood: a) Model drawing, b) Perspective view;

[0040] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of the composite material hood of a car.

[0041] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a composite material hood assembled at the front of a vehicle.

[0042] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a metal reinforcement component inserted into the inner panel of the front cover by injection molding;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the front hood air duct assembly;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a structural assembly diagram of the front hood air duct assembly.

[0045] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the air duct frame;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a structural schematic diagram of the front hood outer panel assembly;

[0047] Figure 9 A structural diagram of a soft-nose bumper;

[0048] Figure 10 A front view schematic diagram of the structure of a composite material car hood;

[0049] Figure 11 This is a top view schematic diagram of the structure of a composite material car hood;

[0050] Figure 12 A bottom view of the structure of a composite material car hood;

[0051] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structural arrangement of the first reinforcing rib on the inner panel of the front cover;

[0052] Figure 14 for Figure 13 A schematic diagram of the BB section in the diagram;

[0053] Figure 15 for Figure 4 A magnified schematic diagram of the local structure of regions A and C in the diagram, where a is region A and b is region C;

[0054] Figure 16 for Figure 4 and Figure 14 A partially enlarged structural diagram of regions C and D where fracture grooves are set, a, region C, b, region D;

[0055] Figure 17 Here is a schematic diagram of the arc-shaped upward-convex structure on the outer panel of the front cover, a, top view, b, EE section in a;

[0056] In the diagram: 1-Soft nose bumper; 2-Air duct frame; 21-Support frame; 3-Air duct adhesive path; 4-Air duct trim panel; 41-Decorative panel; 42-Vertical strip; 5-Outer front hood panel; 6-Outer front hood adhesive path; 7-Inner front hood panel; 71-Hook mounting area; 72-Hollow area; 721-Protrusion; 722-Beam; 73-Hinge mounting area; 8-Metal reinforcement; 91-First reinforcing rib; 911-Fracture groove; 92-Second reinforcing rib. Detailed Implementation

[0057] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0058] Example 1

[0059] A composite material car hood, such as Figure 1-17 As shown, it includes the outer front cover assembly and the inner front cover assembly;

[0060] The front cover outer panel assembly includes a front cover outer panel 5 and a front cover air duct assembly, wherein the front cover air duct assembly is bonded to the front end of the front cover outer panel 5.

[0061] The front cover inner panel assembly includes a front cover inner panel 7 and a metal reinforcement 8. The metal reinforcement 8 is respectively fitted into the lock hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73 on the front cover inner panel 7. The front cover inner panel 7 is provided with a first reinforcing rib 91, which is arranged in a grid structure in the lock hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73.

[0062] The outer front cover panel 5 and the inner front cover panel 7 are bonded together.

[0063] A method for manufacturing a composite material automobile hood as described above includes the following steps:

[0064] First, the front cover inner panel 7, incorporating the metal reinforcement 8, is prepared by insert injection molding to form the front cover inner panel assembly.

[0065] Then, the front hood air duct assembly is formed by bonding the membrane;

[0066] Then, the front cover air duct assembly is bonded to the front end of the front cover outer panel 5 using a bonding membrane to form the front cover outer panel assembly;

[0067] Finally, the outer front cover panel 5 and the inner front cover panel 7 are bonded together using a bonding membrane to form a composite material car front cover.

[0068] More specifically, in this embodiment:

[0069] Please see Figures 1-17 The composite material car hood is specifically composed of an outer hood panel assembly, an inner hood panel assembly, and a soft nose bumper 1. The outer hood panel 5 of the outer hood panel assembly and the inner hood panel 7 of the inner hood panel assembly are bonded together via adhesive channels 6. The soft nose bumper 1 is located at the front of the outer hood panel assembly (depending on the actual car structure design, it can be mounted on the car body or on the outer hood panel 5).

[0070] The front cover outer panel assembly specifically includes: the front cover outer panel 5 and the front cover air duct assembly, which is bonded to the front end of the front cover outer panel 5, specifically located in the middle position.

[0071] The outer panel 5 of the front cover features a streamlined design, such as Figure 3 , 8 As shown in Figures 10-12.

[0072] The front hood air duct assembly is specifically constructed by bonding the air duct frame 2 and the air duct trim 4 together via air duct adhesive 3. The air duct frame 2 includes three parallel support frames 21 arranged along the length of the inner front hood panel 7. Adjacent support frames 21 are connected and fixed by spaced, parallel second reinforcing ribs 92. Figure 5 , 7 As shown; the second reinforcing rib 92 can improve the structural strength of the front hood air duct assembly and meet the requirements for resisting wind resistance during vehicle operation. The air duct trim panel 4 includes three parallel decorative panels 41 arranged along the length of the inner front hood panel 7. Adjacent decorative panels 41 are connected by spaced vertical strips 42, such as... Figure 5 , 6 As shown; the vertical strip 42 specifically includes support strips at both ends and two equally spaced air guide strips in the middle, which have a V-shaped or U-shaped structure, such as... Figure 10 As shown, it provides good aerodynamic performance. For example... Figure 6 As shown, the decorative panels 41 and the supporting frames 21 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. Subsequently, each decorative panel 41 and each supporting frame 21 are bonded and fixed through the air duct adhesive channel 3 to form the front hood air duct assembly. This front hood air duct assembly provides an absolute enhancement to the overall torsional rigidity, lateral stiffness, lifting, and puffer performance requirements of composite material automotive hoods, especially the outer hood panel assembly.

[0073] The front cover inner panel assembly specifically includes: the front cover inner panel 7 and the metal reinforcement 8, wherein the metal reinforcement 8 is directly integrally formed on the front cover inner panel 7 by insert injection molding.

[0074] The inner front cover 7 can be specifically divided into a lock hook mounting area 71 located in the middle of the front end, a hollowed-out area 72 located in the middle, and hinge mounting areas 73 located on both sides of the rear end. Metal reinforcing members 8 are respectively injection-molded into the lock hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73, such as... Figure 1 , 4As shown in Figure 13; furthermore, a first reinforcing rib 91 is arranged on the surface of the inner front cover plate 7. The first reinforcing rib 91 adopts a grid structure (the grid structure can be set as hexagonal, triangular, circular, square, oblique rhombus, etc.) in the lock hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73. The first reinforcing rib 91 is also set to surround the lock hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73. The first reinforcing rib 91 can be arranged into different grid structures according to different areas, thereby better ensuring the connection between the metal reinforcing member 8 and the inner front cover plate 7, thus constructing a front cover plate assembly with high strength, high rigidity and meeting the connection requirements. The metal reinforcing member 8 in the inner front cover plate 7 can provide the mounting point stiffness, locking force, angular stiffness and other properties that meet the strength requirements for the hinge system (located in the hinge mounting area 73) and the front cover lock system (located in the lock hook mounting area 71) that need to be installed.

[0075] Six protrusions 721 are spaced apart along the length of the inner front cover plate 7 within the hollow area 72. The top surface of each protrusion 721 is designed as an open structure, and circumferentially spaced perforations are formed at the junction of the bottom of the protrusion 721 and the inner front cover plate 7 to improve lightweight performance without compromising structural strength. The first reinforcing ribs 91 within the hollow area 72 are arranged radially from the sides of the protrusions 721, and the first reinforcing ribs 91 must avoid the perforations. Figure 13 As shown, reinforcing ribs are also provided between adjacent protrusions 721 to improve structural strength; in the hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73, the first reinforcing ribs 91 of the grid structure independently provided therein and the first reinforcing ribs 91 of the radial structure extending from the protrusions 721 intersect each other. In addition, first reinforcing ribs 91 are also provided at the corners of the hollow area 72, the extended portions of the gaps between adjacent protrusions 721, and the two corners of the rear end of the inner front cover 7, spanning the hinge mounting area 73 in an approximately inscribed circle, to further enhance structural strength.

[0076] The six protrusions 721 can be divided into two axially symmetrical groups. Each group of protrusions 721 constitutes a beam 722 with a V-shaped structure (the cross-section of the beam 722 is U-shaped). First reinforcing ribs 91 are spaced apart on both sides of the V-shaped beam 722, and an additional first reinforcing rib 91 is provided at the bend of the V-shaped beam 722. Specifically, the V-shaped beam 722 in this embodiment is also axially symmetrical, with four first reinforcing ribs 91 on both its left and right sides, and an additional first reinforcing rib 91 at the bend to "seale" the V-shaped structure. Figure 13 The specific layout is shown in the figure.

[0077] By arranging the first reinforcing rib 91 on the inner panel 7 of the front cover, force guidance can be effectively achieved, and the overall and local structural strength of the inner panel 7 of the front cover can be improved. This not only ensures the torsional stiffness of the composite material car front cover during the opening and closing process, but also improves the mechanical properties of the composite material car front cover in terms of lateral and angular stiffness.

[0078] Soft nose bumper 1, such as Figure 9-11 As shown, the three-section structure design corresponds to the locking hook mounting area 71 located in the middle of the front end of the inner front panel 7 and the hinge mounting areas 73 located on both sides of the rear end. This soft-nose bumper 1, through its segmented structure, not only expands the possibilities for personalized customization but also creates cavities at the junction gaps and inside to provide energy-absorbing deformation during a collision, thus improving the performance of pedestrian head impact protection.

[0079] To further improve pedestrian protection in the event of a collision:

[0080] like Figure 14-16 As shown, V-shaped fracture grooves 911 are also provided on the first reinforcing rib 91 located between the protrusion 721 and the hook mounting area 71 in the hollow area 72. The specific position of the fracture groove 911 is optimized and determined according to the simulation design. Under the premise of ensuring that the structural strength is not affected during normal use, it can achieve fracture energy absorption in the event of a frontal collision, thereby achieving controllable damage to the structure of the inner panel 7 of the front cover.

[0081] like Figure 17 As shown, the outer panel 5 of the front cover is also provided with an arc-shaped upward convex (ridge protrusion) structure corresponding to the lock hook mounting area 71 and the hinge mounting area 73, which can increase the collapse space of the energy absorption cavity, and at the same time reduce the distance and time from the pedestrian's head to the contact point when a collision occurs, thereby reducing the impact force and injury to a certain extent.

[0082] In addition, the various metal reinforcements 8 in the composite material car hood can be connected as one unit by fiberglass tape or steel wire rope, thereby minimizing secondary damage caused by the large amount of assembly breakage and splashing after a collision.

[0083] The composite material car hood in this embodiment is manufactured through the following steps:

[0084] First, the front cover inner panel 7, incorporating the metal reinforcement 8, is prepared by insert injection molding to form the front cover inner panel assembly.

[0085] Then, the air duct frame 2 and the air duct trim 4 are bonded and fixed together using the Bonding membrane to form the front cover air duct assembly;

[0086] Then, the front cover air duct assembly is bonded to the front end of the front cover outer panel 5 using a bonding membrane to form the front cover outer panel assembly;

[0087] Finally, the outer front cover panel 5 and the inner front cover panel 7 are bonded together using a bonding membrane to form a composite material car front cover.

[0088] Example 2

[0089] The following is in accordance with... Figures 1 to 13 As shown, the present solution will be further explained in detail through the description of the embodiments.

[0090] like Figure 1 The diagram shows an overall schematic of the composite material car hood. By making the outer panel 5 of the hood transparent, the internal structure and arrangement of the main components of the composite material car hood can be clearly seen. The following is a detailed description of the various details of the composite material hood system:

[0091] like Figure 2 The image shown is an exploded view of a composite material car hood. It clearly illustrates the disassembly steps and hierarchical structure of the main composite material system; the structure can be divided into the outer hood assembly and the inner hood assembly.

[0092] Figure 3 The diagram shows the layout of the composite material hood in the vehicle. This design features a novel shape that distinguishes it from the monotonous, flat appearance of traditional metal hoods. The diagram illustrates that the composite material hood can be designed with a more dynamic, streamlined shape. Furthermore, this design incorporates three segmented soft noses at the front edge of the hood above the bumper, above the headlights, and at the hood's hinge area. This layout not only achieves a unique styling but also meets the current performance requirements for pedestrian head impact protection, as is common with traditional metal hoods.

[0093] Figure 4 The diagram shows a separate hood inner panel assembly formed by injection molding the inner panel 7 and the metal reinforcement 8 into a single insert. One advantage of this newly constructed hood inner panel assembly is that, unlike sheet metal or aluminum alloy hoods, the exposed surface of the inner panel 7 is not limited to the vehicle's overall color. In this design, the inner panel 7 can be painted independently of the vehicle's overall painting process, allowing for customization of the color and surface treatment of the exposed inner panel surface. For example, it can be customized with a high-end color different from the body color, a leather-textured paint, or a laser-etched carbon fiber effect surface treatment. Another advantage is that it significantly improves the corrosion resistance of the inner panel 7 caused by welding or paint cracking.

[0094] Figure 5The schematic diagram of the front cover air duct assembly shown in the figure is as follows: the front cover air duct assembly is formed by the air duct trim panel 4 and the air duct frame 2 by an adhesive connection scheme.

[0095] Figure 6 The diagram illustrates the specific structure of the front hood air duct assembly. The air duct trim panel 4 within this assembly balances aerodynamic design requirements with a dynamic and stylish aesthetic, reducing wind resistance at the front of the vehicle and meeting aerodynamic performance requirements during driving. The specific construction for these aerodynamic design requirements is determined based on aerodynamic simulation design.

[0096] Figure 7 The diagram shows the air duct frame 2 in the front hood air duct assembly and the second reinforcing rib 92 designed on the air duct frame 2, which can improve the rigidity of the front hood air duct assembly, meet the requirements of the vehicle's ability to resist wind resistance during driving, and also meet the subsystem performance requirements of the front hood outer panel assembly.

[0097] Figure 8 The diagram shows the composition of the front hood outer panel assembly, which consists of... Figure 5 Besides the front cover air duct assembly, it also includes other main components such as the front cover outer panel 5, making it a total of two parts.

[0098] Figure 9 The diagram shows a soft nose structure located at the front edge of the front cover outer panel assembly. The soft nose consists of a three-part segmented structure. The middle segment is located on the upper side of the front cover air duct assembly, while the two side segments cover the upper area of ​​the hinge mounting area 73 corresponding to the inner front cover panel 7. The segmented structure of the three soft noses not only provides end users with more options for personalized colors and special customized surface treatments, but also allows for the design of a certain cavity energy-absorbing structure in this area, providing greater design freedom to meet the performance requirements for pedestrian head impact protection.

[0099] Figure 10 The diagram shows a schematic view of the composite material car hood from the front of the vehicle. From the front view, the hidden aerodynamic hood air duct assembly of the composite material car hood in this design can be clearly seen. The air duct trim 4 contains two vertical strips 42 as structural reinforcement. It is arranged on the front edge of the hood outer panel assembly on the upper side of the car's front bumper system. It not only meets the optimal path for wind resistance guidance during the car's driving process, but also improves the car's front styling, especially increasing the styling freedom of the hood area.

[0100] Figure 11The top-side view shows that the appearance of the composite material car hood consists of two parts: the main body of the outer hood panel 5 and the soft nose part located at the leading edge of the outer hood panel 5; the two parts can provide customers with a configuration option of at least two appearance paints that can be freely combined. Figure 11 The streamlined aerodynamic trend of the composite material car hood can also be seen from the top, and the outer panel 5 of the hood has a raised shape in the hard point area for pedestrian head impact protection to meet the appearance requirements of pedestrian protection.

[0101] Figure 12 and Figure 4 The diagram illustrates the structural arrangement of the inner hood panel assembly and its first reinforcing rib 91. Based on the performance requirements of different areas of the composite material automotive hood, the connection scheme of the first reinforcing rib 91 in the inner hood panel 7 can be designed with different structural arrangements. This allows for a stronger structure to press down on the metal reinforcing member 8 embedded in the inner hood panel 7, ensuring better integration of the metal reinforcing member 8 with the inner hood panel 7 and preventing detachment under any working conditions. For example, different grid-like structures of the first reinforcing rib 91 can be designed for areas with high rigidity requirements, such as the hinge mounting area 73 and the lock hook mounting area 71, to better press down on the metal reinforcing member 8 (sheet metal insert) and the inner hood panel 7, combining them into a high-strength, rigid, and well-bonded inner hood panel assembly, thus meeting the customer's key concerns.

[0102] Figure 13 This diagram illustrates the specific planar structure of the inner panel 7 of the composite material automotive hood in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This planar structure diagram visually demonstrates the structural design of the inner panel 7 and the considerations for the performance-oriented structural arrangement of the automotive hood. By constructing a reinforced structure forming a double "V"-shaped beam 722 (with a "U"-shaped cross-section) and arranging first reinforcing ribs 91 in a radial, grid-like pattern with guiding direction, the forces in the inner panel 7 of the hood, from the hinges on both sides of the rear end of the hood (located in the hinge mounting area 73) to the locking hook in the middle of the front end of the hood (located in the locking hook mounting area 71), are rationally guided and directional performance transmission is achieved. This structural design ensures the torsional stiffness of the composite material automotive hood during opening and closing, and also improves the performance of the composite material automotive hood in terms of lateral and angular stiffness.

[0103] Figure 14 Showing Figure 13The structural cross-section at position BB on the longitudinal plane of the car body shows the cavity depth of the inner hood panel 7 and the depth of the first reinforcing rib 91. It also shows the energy-absorbing buffer weakening fracture opening structure (fracture groove 911, located in region D) on the inner hood panel 7, which is designed and arranged in the simulation of the whole vehicle. This allows the collision energy to be effectively absorbed through the weakening fracture inside the inner hood panel 7 when the actual car collides with a pedestrian.

[0104] Figure 15 The text shows that in Figure 4 The first reinforcing ribs 91 are arranged in two key areas on the inner front cover panel 7. Areas A and C show enlarged details of the first reinforcing ribs 91 in the lock hook mounting area 71 and hinge mounting area 73, respectively, demonstrating the connection structure of the first reinforcing ribs 91 on the inner front cover panel 7. Different and stronger first reinforcing ribs 91 are designed to hold down the metal reinforcing member 8, allowing it to better integrate with the inner front cover panel 7. The grid structure shown in this solution is only a preferred example given in this embodiment, but the grid structure is not limited to this form. Other grid shapes can also be used, such as hexagons, triangles, circles, squares, rhombuses, etc.

[0105] Figure 16 It further pointed out Figure 14 , Figure 15 The enlarged detail in the image clearly shows the structural arrangement of the guided energy-absorbing crumple-reduction weakening feature on the inner front cover 7, designed for pedestrian protection (the fracture groove 911 located on the first reinforcing rib 91 between the protrusion 721 and the hook mounting area 71); combined with Figure 15 Detailed magnified images and Figure 4 and Figure 13 This allows for a more detailed explanation of the optimized design of this composite material car hood in reducing pedestrian collision injuries, thus addressing the pain point of collision energy absorption in pedestrian protection.

[0106] Figure 17 The hard point areas corresponding to the hinge mounting areas 73 on both sides of the composite material car hood are shown. This solution addresses the hard points of the mounting points such as hinges and latches in the inner panel assembly of the hood, and adopts a specially designed ridge protrusion shape (arc-shaped upward convex structure) to meet the head impact requirements of automobile pedestrian protection regulations. This allows for a buffered cavity arrangement design, increasing the collapsible space for energy absorption in the head impact of pedestrians in the hinge area of ​​the hood, reducing the distance and collision time of the pedestrian's head directly contacting the hard points, and thus reducing the injury to pedestrians at the hinge mounting areas 73 on both sides of the car hood.

[0107] In this embodiment, the car hood also features fiberglass strips or steel wire ropes on the inner panel 7. These strips and ropes are attached to the metal reinforcement 8 of the hinge mounting area 73 and the hook mounting area 71 of the inner panel 7 via screws, rivets, or fasteners. This prevents the car hood from breaking into large fragments and flying around when it collides with other parts. In this way, even after a collision, the car hood remains bound together by the fiberglass strips or steel wire ropes, providing protection and safety for pedestrians outside the vehicle.

[0108] The assembly process in this embodiment is as follows:

[0109] First, the metal reinforcing members 8 located in the three areas of the inner front cover panel 7 are integrally injection molded with the inner front cover panel 7 to form a brand new single part (inner front cover panel assembly).

[0110] Then, the air duct trim 4 in the front cover air duct assembly is placed into the Bonding film, and glue is applied to the corresponding position (air duct glue path 3). After that, the air duct frame 2 in the front cover air duct assembly is bonded to it to complete the molding of the front cover air duct assembly.

[0111] Next, place the outer front cover panel 5 into the Bonding membrane and apply adhesive at the location where the front cover air duct assembly is installed to bond the front cover air duct assembly to the outer front cover panel 5, thus forming the outer front cover panel assembly.

[0112] Finally, the inner front cover panel 7 is placed into the film, and adhesive is applied to the corresponding position (or adhesive is applied to the outer front cover panel 5) to bond the outer front cover panel assembly, thereby realizing the product assembly of the composite material automotive front cover and forming a complete product that is assembled with the front cover area of ​​the whole vehicle.

[0113] In summary, this utility model addresses the numerous demands of automobiles, such as lightweight design and aesthetic styling, that traditional sheet metal hoods cannot meet. It develops a novel composite material hood assembly solution, distinct from traditional sheet metal stamping hoods, and is more suitable for future applications in new energy electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. This hood meets the requirements for automotive lightweighting, improves the driving range of electric vehicles, and also supports the important development trends of diversified styling, modularity, and front-mounted multi-transparency sensor modules (set between the inner hood panel 7 and the outer hood panel 5 and mounted on the inner hood panel 7; the specific location is determined according to actual structural design requirements).

[0114] Compared with existing technical solutions, this utility model has the following advantages: 1. It can realize the design of more complex composite material car hoods; 2. Based on the complex shape of the car hood, it can still meet the lightweight design requirements of the system; 3. It focuses on comprehensively considering the performance requirements of each subsystem (assembly) in the composite material car hood; 4. It can meet the head impact requirements for pedestrian protection in relevant regulations.

[0115] The above description of the embodiments is provided to enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the utility model. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be easily made to these embodiments, and the general principles described herein can be applied to other embodiments without inventive effort. Therefore, the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments, and any improvements and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on the disclosure of the present utility model without departing from its scope should be within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A composite material car hood, characterized in that, Including the outer hood assembly and the inner hood assembly; The front cover outer panel assembly includes a front cover outer panel (5) and a front cover air duct assembly, wherein the front cover air duct assembly is bonded to the front end of the front cover outer panel (5); The front cover inner panel assembly includes a front cover inner panel (7) and a metal reinforcement (8). The metal reinforcement (8) is respectively fitted into the lock hook mounting area (71) and the hinge mounting area (73) on the front cover inner panel (7). The front cover inner panel (7) is provided with a first reinforcing rib (91). The first reinforcing rib (91) is arranged in a grid structure in the lock hook mounting area (71) and the hinge mounting area (73). The outer front cover panel (5) and the inner front cover panel (7) are bonded together.

2. The composite material car hood according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front cover air duct assembly includes an air duct frame (2) and an air duct trim panel (4), and the air duct frame (2) and the air duct trim panel (4) are bonded together. The air duct frame (2) includes several support frames (21) arranged along the length of the inner plate (7) of the front cover, and adjacent support frames (21) are connected by second reinforcing ribs (92) arranged at intervals. The air duct trim panel (4) includes several trim panels (41) arranged along the length of the inner panel (7) of the front cover, and adjacent trim panels (41) are connected by vertical strips (42) arranged at intervals. The decorative panels (41) and the supporting frames (21) are set one-to-one, and each decorative panel (41) and each supporting frame (21) are bonded together by the air duct adhesive channel (3).

3. The composite material car hood according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front cover inner panel (7) includes a hook mounting area (71) located in the middle of the front end, a hollow area (72) located in the middle, and hinge mounting areas (73) located on both sides of the rear end; The hollow area (72) is provided with protrusions (721) at intervals along the length of the inner plate of the front cover (7). The top surface of the protrusions (721) is an open structure, and hollow holes are opened at intervals along the circumference at the junction of the bottom of the protrusions (721) and the inner plate of the front cover (7). The first reinforcing rib (91) is arranged radially from the side of the protrusion (721), and the first reinforcing rib (91) avoids the perforation; the radially arranged first reinforcing rib (91) intersects with the grid-shaped first reinforcing rib (91) located in the hook mounting area (71) and the hinge mounting area (73).

4. A composite material car hood according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protrusions (721) are arranged in groups, and the protrusions (721) in each group form a beam (722) with a V-shaped structure. The beam (722) is provided with first reinforcing ribs (91) at intervals on both sides, and at least one additional first reinforcing rib (91) is provided at the corner of the beam (722).

5. A composite material car hood according to claim 4, characterized in that, The beam (722) is arranged in an axisymmetric structure.

6. A composite material car hood according to claim 3, characterized in that, A fracture groove (911) is provided on the first reinforcing rib (91) located between the protrusion (721) and the hook mounting area (71).

7. A composite material car hood according to claim 1, characterized in that, The front cover outer plate (5) is configured with an arc-shaped upward convex structure at the corresponding positions of the lock hook mounting area (71) and the hinge mounting area (73).

8. A composite material car hood according to claim 1, characterized in that, The metal reinforcing members (8) are connected as one unit by fiberglass tape or steel wire rope.

9. A composite material car hood according to claim 1, characterized in that, The composite material car hood also includes a soft nose bumper (1); The soft nose bumper (1) is located in front of the front cover outer panel assembly, and the soft nose bumper (1) covers the lock hook mounting area (71) and the hinge mounting area (73).

10. A composite material car hood according to claim 9, characterized in that, The soft nose bumper (1) is a segmented structure, and there are cavities between each segment of the soft nose bumper (1).

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