Vehicle front structure

Abstract

Vehicle front structure with: a longitudinal beam (20) running in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an upper cover (25) that covers an upper section of the longitudinal beam (20), and a firewall (10) which is connected to the longitudinal member (20) closer to the rear of the vehicle than the upper cover (25) and in which a sheet metal surface (13) facing the front of the vehicle is formed, characterized by that in the upper cover (25) a bending section (26) of the upper cover (25) is provided which is bent in a section that contacts the sheet metal surface (13), and wherein a sheet metal contact surface (28) is formed which contacts the sheet metal surface (13) and extends upwards from the bending section (26) of the upper cover (25), wherein the firewall (10) has a first bending section (11) of the sheet metal in which the sheet metal surface (13) is bent towards the rear of the vehicle, and a second bending section (12) in which the sheet metal surface (13) is bent towards the front of the vehicle, wherein the second bending section (12) is arranged below the first bending section (11), wherein an upper reinforcement (31) extending in the vehicle's vertical direction and along the first bending section (11) and the second bending section (12) of the sheet metal is arranged on the rear side of the firewall (10) of the vehicle and the sheet metal contact surface (28) is supported across the splash guard (10) by the upper reinforcement (31), and the sheet metal contact surface (28) extends to the second bending section (12) of the sheet metal.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure having a bulkhead.

[0002] Some vehicle front-end structures are designed with side members extended forward to absorb impact loads. The side members contact a firewall. The firewall is a component mounted behind the side members and divides the space in the front of the vehicle into a front and a rear compartment. When absorbing impact loads from the front of the vehicle, the impact is usually absorbed by the side members.

[0003] For example, a structure in which side members absorb impact is known from a technique disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this example, the impact energy absorption capacity of the vehicle body during a vehicle collision is increased by transferring the impact energy generated during a vehicle collision to the side members, effectively crushing and deforming the side members.

[0004] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Publication JP S63- 66 698 B2

[0005] DE 10 2004 012 804 A1 discloses a motor vehicle longitudinal member. A longitudinal member (1) is one of a pair arranged on each side of the body of a vehicle so that it extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, passing under an instrument panel (50) arranged in the front part of the vehicle's interior so that it crosses the vehicle body. The longitudinal member (1) has a front longitudinal member (2) and a rear longitudinal member (3). The front longitudinal member (2) extends rearward from the front of the vehicle body beyond an instrument panel level (D) that extends along a vertical wall (51) of the instrument panel level (50). The rear longitudinal member (3) extends forward from the rear of the vehicle body beyond the instrument panel level (D) and is connected to the front longitudinal member (2).

[0006] DE 10 2012 020 865 A1 discloses a motor vehicle body. The motor vehicle body comprises a passenger compartment (3), an engine compartment (1), a bulkhead (2) separating the passenger compartment (3) from the engine compartment (1), and two longitudinal members (4), front sections (8) of which extend on both sides of the engine compartment (1). Reinforcing sections (15) branching off from the front sections (8) extend on a side of the bulkhead (2) facing the passenger compartment (3) to lateral wall sections (24) arranged between lateral edges of the bulkhead (2) and lateral door openings (30) of the passenger compartment (3).

[0007] DE 10 147 870 B4 discloses a design of the front section of the body which can facilitate the attachment of a stiffening plate to a firewall of a motor vehicle and improve shock absorption and NVH characteristics without this being associated with an increase in the number of parts and an increased labor requirement during vehicle assembly.A stiffening plate 5 fastened to the firewall 1 has a first section 51 which is fastened to a connecting section 31 to which the firewall 1 is fastened to an inner panel 21a and an outer panel 21b of a front frame 21, a second section 52 which is fastened to a connecting section 32 to which the firewall 1 is fastened to the upright panel 22, a third section 53 which is fastened to a connecting section 33 to which an upper part 23 of the front wheel house of the firewall 1 is fastened to the stiffening plate 5, a fourth section 54 which is fastened to the circumference of an opening area 34 for a clutch master cylinder 45, a fifth section 55 which is fastened to the circumference of an opening area 35 for the shift cable 49, and a sixth section 56 which is fastened to the circumference of an opening area 36 for a heating line 46. Sections 51 to 56 may be made from one piece. Summary of the invention

[0008] As in the previous example, the firewall is deformed by the impact load when the side members absorb the impact. Furthermore, this firewall is deformed in a rotational direction starting from a portion of the firewall as the starting point, with a contact portion in contact with a side member as the action point. In this context, if the starting point of the firewall's deformation is set higher, the degree of deflection of the firewall in response to the twisting is large. If the degree of deflection becomes large, the firewall is likely to retreat.

[0009] Furthermore, when a side member extending toward the front receives an impact load, the side member is deformed in such a way that it springs upward, starting from a connecting surface of the side panel and the firewall. This springing movement causes the upper cover of the side member to detach from the firewall.

[0010] The present invention has been developed to solve the above-described problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure capable of reducing the amount of retreat of a dash panel when an impact load is applied from the vehicle front.

[0011] To achieve the above object, a vehicle front structure according to claim 1 is proposed. Advantageous embodiments are defined in dependent claims.

[0012] Thus, a vehicle front structure comprises: a longitudinal member extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction; an upper cover covering an upper portion of the longitudinal member; and a firewall connected to the longitudinal member closer to the vehicle rear than the upper cover and in which a sheet metal surface facing the vehicle front is formed, and in the upper cover, a bent portion of the upper cover is provided which is bent at a portion contacting the sheet metal surface, and a sheet metal contact surface is formed which contacts the sheet metal surface and extends upward from the bent portion of the upper cover, the firewall is provided with a bent portion of the sheet metal at which the sheet metal surface is bent in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a vehicle front end of the upper cover extends closer to the vehicle front than the bent portion of the sheet metal.

[0013] In addition, in the vehicle front structure, an upper reinforcement extending in the vehicle vertical direction and along the bending section of the sheet metal is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the firewall, and the sheet metal contact surface is supported by the upper reinforcement across the firewall.

[0014] Furthermore, in the vehicle front structure, the sheet metal contact surface extends to the bending section of the sheet metal.

[0015] In addition, in the vehicle front structure, a lower reinforcement is arranged at the rear of the vehicle of the bending section of the upper cover and below the upper reinforcement, and the lower reinforcement supports the sheet metal contact surface across the bulkhead.

[0016] Further, in the vehicle front structure, the bent portion of the sheet is bent toward the vehicle rear, and the sheet surface located under the bent portion of the sheet is inclined in the vehicle upright direction, a support portion is provided to connect the inclined sheet surface and the upper cover closer to the vehicle front than the bent portion of the upper cover, and the support portion extends vertically to a tilting direction of the sheet surface.

[0017] In addition, in the vehicle front structure, the side member is provided with a flange that projects outward in the vehicle transverse direction and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the upper cover is provided with a contact portion contacting the flange.

[0018] In addition, in the vehicle front structure, the sheet metal surface above the bending section of the sheet metal is equipped with an absorber, and the vehicle front end of the absorber is arranged closer to the vehicle rear than the vehicle front end of the upper cover. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0019] The vehicle front structure comprises: a longitudinal member extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction; an upper cover covering an upper portion of the longitudinal member; and a firewall connected to the longitudinal member closer to the vehicle rear than the upper cover, and in which a sheet metal surface facing the vehicle front is formed, and wherein a bent portion of the upper cover is provided in the upper cover, which is bent at a portion contacting the sheet metal surface, and wherein a sheet metal contact surface is formed that is in contact with the sheet metal surface and extends upward from the bent portion of the upper cover, wherein the firewall is provided with a bent portion of the sheet metal at which the sheet metal surface is bent in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and wherein a vehicle-front end of the upper cover extends closer to the vehicle front than the bent portion of the sheet metal,This allows the bulkhead to be deformed in a rotational direction, starting from the sheet metal bending section as the starting point, when an impact load is applied from the front of the vehicle. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of deformation in the rotational direction and the amount of recoil of the bulkhead compared to a structure without the sheet metal bending section. Furthermore, the upper cover can be prevented from detaching from the bulkhead.

[0020] Furthermore, an upper reinforcement extending in the vehicle vertical direction and along the bending portion of the sheet metal is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the bulkhead, and the sheet metal contact surface is supported by the upper reinforcement across the bulkhead, so that the strength for reinforcing the sheet metal surface can be increased.

[0021] Furthermore, the sheet metal contact surface extends to the bending portion of the sheet metal, so that tilting of the upper end of the sheet metal contact surface of the upper cover can be prevented.

[0022] Further, a lower reinforcement is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the bending portion of the upper cover and below the upper reinforcement, and the lower reinforcement supports the sheet metal contact surface across the bulkhead, so that the lower reinforcement is stretched when the bulkhead receives an impact load, and consequently, retreat of the bulkhead can be prevented.

[0023] Furthermore, the sheet surface arranged under the bending portion of the sheet is formed inclined in the vehicle vertical direction, a support portion is provided to connect the inclined sheet surface and the cover closer to the vehicle front than the bending portion of the cover, and the support portion extends vertically to a tilting direction of the sheet surface, so that when an impact load is applied, the upper cover can be prevented from being further bent at the bending portion of the upper cover.

[0024] Furthermore, a flange is provided which projects outward in the vehicle transverse direction and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the upper cover is provided with a contact portion contacting the flange, so that the upper cover can be prevented from detaching from the side member.

[0025] Furthermore, the sheet metal surface above the bending portion of the sheet metal is provided with an absorber, and the vehicle front end of the absorber is arranged closer to the vehicle rear than the vehicle front end of the upper cover, so that the absorber at the upper portion of the bulkhead can absorb a load even if the load cannot be absorbed by the bending portion of the sheet metal alone. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle front structure according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a cross section at AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of the components in Fig. 2 shows schematically. Fig. 4 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle front structure according to a second embodiment. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a vehicle front structure according to a third embodiment.

[0026] Embodiments of a vehicle front structure will be described below with reference to the drawings. First embodiment

[0027] A first embodiment is described below with reference to the Fig. 1 to 3. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle front structure according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 shows a cross section at AA in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an outline of the components in Fig. 2 shows schematically.

[0028] The vehicle front structure according to the present embodiment has a side member 20, an upper cover 25, and a bulkhead 10. In addition, the vehicle front structure has two reinforcements, namely an upper reinforcement 31 and a lower reinforcement 32.

[0029] The side member 20 is a metal component arranged transversely on both sides of a vehicle front end. This side member 20 extends longitudinally along the vehicle's length and has a nearly square cross-section and an open top. In this example, the longitudinal cross-section is shaped like an upwardly opening "U." The top cover 25 is arranged to block the opening. Details of the top cover 25 are described below.

[0030] The firewall 10 is a component that is connected to the side member 20 closer to the rear of the vehicle than the upper cover 25. A sheet metal surface 13 facing the front of the vehicle is formed in this firewall 10. The firewall 10 has a bent section of the sheet metal in which the sheet metal surface 13 is bent. In this example, the bent section of the sheet metal comprises two bent sections, namely a first bent section 11 and a second bent section 12. The first bent section 11 is provided such that the sheet metal surface 13 is bent towards the rear of the vehicle, and the second bent section 12 is the sheet metal surface 13 below the first bent section 11 and is bent towards the front of the vehicle. The sheet metal surface 13 between the first bent section 11 and the second bent section 12 in the vehicle vertical direction is an inclined section 14 that is inclined in the vehicle vertical direction and faces downwards towards the vehicle front.

[0031] The sheet metal surface 13 is provided with an absorber 35 above the first bending portion 11. A vehicle front end (front end) of the absorber 35 is positioned closer to the vehicle rear than the vehicle front end of the upper cover 25. Although not shown in detail, this absorber 35 has a shape formed by joining a plurality of ridges and recesses, which causes the dash panel 10 to be crushed and is likely to be crushed in a collision even in any deformation mode.

[0032] The upper cover 25 is a flat component that blocks the opening in the upper surface of the side member 20. A top cover bending portion 26 is formed in this cover 25. The top cover bending portion 26 is bent upward along the sheet metal surface 13. That is, the top cover 25 has an upwardly facing upper surface 27 and a sheet metal contact surface 28. The sheet metal contact surface extends from the top cover bending portion 26 along the sheet metal surface 13 and includes a portion that extends nearly vertically with respect to the upper surface 27 and that is in contact with the sheet metal surface 13.

[0033] The upper surface 27 is a portion that blocks the opening of the side member 20, and the front end of the upper surface 27 extends closer to the vehicle front than the first bending portion 11. The front end of the above-mentioned absorber 35 is arranged closer to the vehicle rear than the front end of the upper surface 27. An upper end of the sheet contact surface 28 extends to the second bending portion 12, and the upper end is bent toward the vehicle front.

[0034] The upper reinforcement 31 is attached to the bulkhead 10 at the rear of the vehicle and extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle along the first bending section 11. The sheet metal contact surface 28 is supported by the upper reinforcement 31 transversely across the bulkhead 10.

[0035] The lower reinforcement 32 is arranged at the rear of the vehicle, adjacent to the bending section 26 of the upper cover. This lower reinforcement 32 is attached to the bulkhead 10 at the rear of the vehicle and below the upper reinforcement 31. The lower reinforcement 32 supports the sheet metal contact surface 28 transversely across the bulkhead 10.

[0036] If the first bending section 11 and the second bending section 12 are not provided, the splashboard 10 is Fig. 3 deforms in a clockwise rotational direction in response to an impact load absorbed by the side member 20, starting from the upper portion of the bulkhead 10 as the starting point (rotation center). If this starting point is set higher, the amount of deformation of a lower portion of the bulkhead 10 in the rotational direction is greater.

[0037] In contrast, according to the present embodiment, the starting point of the deformation in the rotational direction can be set at the first bending portion 11. That is, in this configuration, it is possible to set the starting point near a connecting portion of the bulkhead 10 with the side member 20, that is, lower in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0038] By setting the starting point lower, the deflection range of the deformation in the rotational direction can be reduced. By reducing the deflection range of the deformation in the rotational direction, the firewall 10 can be prevented from recoiling toward an occupant when the firewall 10 receives an impact load.

[0039] When the forwardly extending longitudinal member 20 receives an impact load, it is deformed from the joint surface of the longitudinal member 20 with the bulkhead 10 as the starting point in such a way that it springs upwards. In this example, the longitudinal member 20 is Fig. 3 is deformed counterclockwise around the bending section 26 of the upper cover as the center of rotation. The longitudinal member 20 has an upwardly open shape and is very likely to be deformed upward. This spring movement causes the cover 25 to detach from the bulkhead 10.

[0040] In contrast, according to the present embodiment, when the dash panel 10 receives an impact load, it is deformed in the rotational direction starting from the first bending section 11 as the starting point, as described above, and can therefore be deformed within a narrow range. Thus, deformation caused by the impact load can be confined within a rotational area in the narrow range whose starting point is the first bending section 11.

[0041] The splash guard 10 is Fig. 3 is deformed clockwise from the first bending section 11 as the starting point. This deformation occurs in a direction opposite to a direction in which the side member 20 is deformed to crack. The dash panel 10 is thus deformed in a direction that cancels any cracking of the side member 20. This cancellation can prevent the top cover 25 from detaching from the dash panel 10. Consequently, it is possible to guide the side member 20 in a rotation direction in which the side member 20 is brought downward.

[0042] Furthermore, the upper part of the bending section 26 of the upper cover, i.e., the sheet metal contact surface 28, is supported by the upper reinforcement 31 across the bulkhead 10, making it possible to reinforce the bulkhead 10 against deformation of the bulkhead 10 in the rotational direction and preventing the phenomenon from occurring with a different location as the starting point. Furthermore, the sheet metal contact surface 28 of the upper cover 25 extends to the second bending section 12, making it possible to prevent the upper end of the sheet metal contact surface 28 from tilting.

[0043] Further, the lower reinforcement 32 supports the upper cover 25 from the vehicle rear side of the upper cover bending portion 26 and across the dash panel 10 by playing the role of a mandrel acting in response to retreat of the lower end of the dash panel 10 from a rear surface (rear side), so that it is possible to improve a reinforcing effect and enhance an effect of preventing the retreat of the dash panel 10.

[0044] Furthermore, the vehicle front end of the absorber 35 is arranged closer to the vehicle rear than the vehicle front end of the cover 25, so that the absorber 35 at the upper portion of the bulkhead 10 can absorb a load even if the load cannot be absorbed by the first bending portion 11 and the second bending portion 12 alone.

[0045] As apparent from the above description, according to the present embodiment, the dash panel 10 can be prevented from deforming in the rotational direction and the top cover 25 can be prevented from peeling off from the dash panel 10. Second embodiment

[0046] A second embodiment is described below with reference to the Fig. 1 to 4 described. Fig. 4 is a schematic side view of a vehicle front structure according to the present embodiment. Furthermore, the present embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment ( Fig. 1 to 3), and the same or similar portions as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be explained.

[0047] In the present embodiment, a support portion 30 is provided that connects a sheet metal surface 13 and a top surface 27 of a top cover 25. This support portion 30 extends vertically in a tilt direction of an inclined portion 14.

[0048] In the case of the device described in the first embodiment and in Fig. 1, a flat portion is formed on both sides of the upper surface 27 in the vehicle transverse direction, which flat portion protrudes in the vehicle transverse direction. This flat portion has a function for fixing wires and the like. The support portion 30 according to the present embodiment is formed by extending this flat portion to a sheet metal contact surface 28 of the upper cover 25. Here, an outline of the support portion 30 on the outer side in the vehicle transverse direction is defined such that it extends as shown in Fig. 4, extends perpendicular to the inclined section 14 of the sheet surface 13. In addition, Fig. 4 no shaping near the upper surface 27 of the upper cover 25.

[0049] In this way, the same effect as in the first embodiment can be achieved and the upper cover 25 can be prevented from being bent in a direction in which the upper cover 25 is closed by the upper cover bending portion 26. Third embodiment

[0050] A third embodiment is described with reference to Fig. 5 described. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a vehicle front structure according to the present embodiment. Furthermore, the present embodiment is a modified example of the first embodiment ( Fig. 1 to 3), and the same or similar portions as in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be explained.

[0051] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, a side member 20 according to the present embodiment is provided with flanges 21 at an upper portion of the side member 20. In this example, the flanges 21 protrude outward on both sides in the vehicle transverse direction and are formed to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0052] Furthermore, contact portions 29 are formed on both sides of the upper surface 27 in the vehicle transverse direction, which contact portions are in contact with the flanges 21. These contact portions 29 have a flat shape and protrude from a vehicle transverse end of the upper surface 27 toward the outside and upward in the vehicle transverse direction. These contact portions 29 are provided on both sides of the upper surface 27 in the vehicle transverse direction.

[0053] The contact portions 29 of the top cover 25 are in contact with the flanges 21. Accordingly, the contact portions come into contact with the flanges 21 in a shear direction in response to deformation in a direction in which the side member 20 and the top cover 25 detach upon application of an impact load. Consequently, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent deformation in a direction in which the top cover 25 detaches. Other embodiments

[0054] The description of the above embodiments is merely exemplary of the present invention and in no way limits the invention claimed in the claims. Furthermore, the individual components of the present invention are not limited to those in the above embodiments and can be variously modified based on the technical idea claimed in the claims.

[0055] Although in the above embodiments, a first bending portion 11 and a second bending portion 12 are provided to bend a bending portion of the panel into two portions, the bending portion of the panel is not limited to this. Only the first bending portion 11 may be provided. In this case, a side member 20 is fixed in a state where a panel surface 13 is inclined in the vehicle up-down direction. When only the first bending portion 11 is provided, the first bending portion 11 may be bent toward the vehicle front. Furthermore, the first bending portion 11 may be bent toward the vehicle front, and the second bending portion 12 may be bent toward the vehicle rear.

[0056] Furthermore, although an upper end of a sheet contact surface 28 extends toward the second bending portion 12, the upper end is not limited thereto and may extend toward the first bending portion 11. Furthermore, a support portion according to the second embodiment may be provided as a rod member perpendicular to an inclination. List of reference symbols 10 Partition 11 FIRST BENDING SECTION 12 SECOND BENDING SECTION 13 SHEET METAL SURFACE 14 INCLINED SECTION 20 LONGITUDINAL MEMBERS 21 FLANGE 25 TOP COVER 26 BEND SECTION OF THE TOP COVER 27 TOP SURFACE 28 SHEET METAL CONTACT SURFACE 29 CONTACT SECTION 30 SUPPORT SECTION 31 UPPER REINFORCEMENT 32 LOWER GAIN 35 absorbers

Claims

[1] Vehicle front structure with: a longitudinal member (20) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; an upper cover (25) covering an upper portion of the longitudinal member (20), and a bulkhead (10) which is connected to the longitudinal member (20) closer to the rear of the vehicle than the upper cover (25) and in which a sheet metal surface (13) facing the front of the vehicle is formed, characterized by , that in the upper cover (25) a bending section (26) of the upper cover (25) is provided, which is bent in a section that contacts the sheet metal surface (13), and wherein a sheet metal contact surface (28) is formed, which contacts the sheet metal surface (13) and extends upwards from the bending section (26) of the upper cover (25), wherein the bulkhead (10) has a first bending section (11) of the sheet metal, in which the sheet metal surface (13) is bent towards the rear of the vehicle, and a second bending section (12) in which the sheet surface (13) is bent towards the front of the vehicle, the second bending section (12) being arranged below the first bending section (11), wherein an upper reinforcement (31) extending in the vehicle vertical direction and along the first bending section (11) and the second bending section (12) of the sheet metal is arranged on the vehicle rear side of the bulkhead (10) and the sheet metal contact surface (28) is supported transversely across the bulkhead (10) by the upper reinforcement (31), and in which the sheet metal contact surface (28) extends to the second bending section (12) of the sheet metal. [2] Vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein a lower reinforcement (32) is arranged at the rear of the vehicle of the second bending section (12), the upper cover (25) and below the upper reinforcement (31) and the lower reinforcement (32) supports the sheet metal contact surface (28) across the bulkhead (10). [3] Vehicle front structure according to one of claims 1 or 2, in which the first bending section (11) of the sheet metal is bent towards the rear of the vehicle and the sheet metal surface (13) arranged below the first bending section (11) of the sheet metal is inclined in the vertical direction of the vehicle, wherein a support portion is provided to connect the inclined sheet surface (13) and the upper cover (25) closer to the vehicle front than the bending portion (26) of the upper cover (25) and the support section extends vertically to a direction of inclination of the sheet surface (13). [4] Vehicle front structure according to one of claims 1 to 3, in which the longitudinal member (20) is provided with a flange (21) which projects outwards in the transverse direction of the vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and the upper cover (25) is provided with a contact section (29) contacting the flange (21). [5] Vehicle front structure according to one of claims 1 to 4, in which the sheet surface (13) above the first bending section (11) of the sheet is equipped with an absorber (35) and the vehicle front end of the absorber (35) is positioned closer to the rear of the vehicle than the vehicle front end of the upper cover (25).

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