STRUCTURE OF A VEHICLE FRONT

Abstract

Structure of a vehicle front, comprising: a front hood panel (2) arranged in an upper portion of a vehicle front (1); a fender panel (3) arranged on an outer side of the front hood panel in a vehicle transverse direction; and an upper sheet metal cowl panel (4) arranged on a side of the front hood panel (2) facing the rear of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein: a side cowl panel (7) is arranged in an area (R) surrounded by the front hood panel (2), the fender panel (3) and the upper cowl panel (4); an L-shaped absorber (8) having a horizontal surface part (81) on its upper side is arranged below the side cowl panel (7) and the upper cowl panel (4), wherein the absorber (8) is fastened to a vehicle frame element (11) at a position below the horizontal surface part (81) and a bracket (40) connecting the side cowl panel (7) and the upper cowl panel (4) is arranged above the horizontal surface part (81) of the absorber.

Description

[Field of technology]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure of a vehicle front. [State of the art]

[0002] A vehicle front end structure is known, for example, from JP 2010-149547 A. The vehicle front end disclosed therein includes a front hood panel, fender panels, and an upper cowl panel, which are main elements of an outer panel, and includes removable cover members each covering a portion surrounded by the panels. The cover member is provided to improve the shock-absorbing performance of peripheral parts of the upper cowl panel when an impact load is applied to the peripheral parts of the upper cowl panel from the upper surface of the vehicle body, or to facilitate the manufacturing of the peripheral parts of the upper cowl panel.

[0003] Another vehicle front end structure, which is in particular a frontal collision-proof vehicle body reinforcement structure, is described in DE 10 2015 115 622 A1. The vehicle front end structure described therein may include a front hood panel, fender panels, and an upper cowl panel referred to as a cowl panel. The cowl panel extends in a width direction of a vehicle. In addition, cowl side upper elements, which are coupled to the cowl panel, extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0004] Structures of a vehicle front are also disclosed in DE 10 2016 106 720 A1, in JP 2017-081396 A, and in DE 11 2015 000 052 T5. [Summary of the invention][Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the conventional vehicle front end structure disclosed in JP 2010-149547 A, the cover member is composed of an outer member on the upper side of the vehicle body having a design surface continuous with the front hood panel, the fender panel, and the cowl upper panel, and an inner member on the vehicle lower side having a plurality of fastening parts attachable to a vehicle body structure. The fastening parts of the inner member are arranged such that a straight line connecting the fastening parts is parallel to a vehicle centerline or a parting line between the outer member and the cowl upper panel, and are positioned in an intermediate part of the outer member in the vehicle transverse direction.Therefore, a problem existed in that the cover element could not be easily displaced when an impact load from the top of the vehicle body was applied to the cover element and its edge parts. Because the cover element could not adequately absorb the impact load, the shock-absorbing performance could not be improved.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and aims to provide a structure of a vehicle front end which can improve the shock absorbing performance when an impact load is applied from the upper surface of a vehicle body to a side cowl panel and an upper cowl panel by allowing slight displacement of an absorber positioned below the panels and effective absorption of the impact load by the absorber. [Means of solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the problem of the prior art, the present invention provides a vehicle front end structure comprising: a front hood panel disposed in an upper portion of a vehicle front end; a fender panel disposed on an outer side of the front hood panel in a vehicle width direction; and a sheet metal upper cowl panel disposed on a vehicle rear side of the front hood panel and extending in the vehicle width direction. A side cowl panel is disposed in a region surrounded by the front hood panel, the fender panel, and the upper cowl panel, and an L-shaped absorber having a horizontal surface portion on its upper side is disposed below the side cowl panel and the upper cowl panel, the absorber being fixed to a vehicle frame member at a position below the horizontal surface portion.In addition, a bracket connecting the side cowl panel and the upper cowl panel is arranged above the horizontal surface part of the absorber. [Advantageous effect of the invention]

[0008] As described, the structure of a vehicle front end of the present invention includes: a front hood panel disposed in an upper portion of the vehicle front end; a fender panel disposed on the outer side of the front hood panel in a vehicle width direction; and a sheet metal upper cowl panel disposed on a vehicle rear side of the front hood panel and extending in the vehicle width direction. A side cowl panel is disposed in a region surrounded by the front hood panel, the fender panel, and the upper cowl panel, and an L-shaped absorber having a horizontal surface portion on its upper side is disposed below the side cowl panel and the upper cowl panel, the absorber being fixed to a vehicle frame member at a position below the horizontal surface portion.In addition, a bracket connecting the side cowl panel and the upper cowl panel is arranged above the horizontal surface part of the absorber.

[0009] Therefore, in the vehicle front end structure of the present invention, when an impact load is applied to the side cowl panel and the upper cowl panel from the upper side of the vehicle body, the boundary between one end part of the side cowl panel and one end part of the upper cowl panel deforms and moves toward the lower side of the vehicle body, pressing the horizontal surface part of the L-shaped absorber positioned below the panels, so that the entire absorber is easily displaced. According to the vehicle front end structure of the present invention, an impact load can be sufficiently and effectively absorbed by the absorber, and the impact absorbing performance can be improved compared with the conventional structure. [Brief description of the drawings] [ Fig. 1] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the right side of a vehicle front end using a structure of a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above the vehicle front end. [ Fig. 2] Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a side cowl panel, an upper cowl panel, and an absorber used in the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the top of the vehicle front side. [ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the absorber used in the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the top of the vehicle front. [ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a positional relationship between the absorber and a bracket used in the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the top of the vehicle front side. [ Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an absorber applied to a structure of a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from the top of the vehicle front. [Mode of carrying out the invention]

[0010] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

[0011] The Fig. 1 to 5 illustrate vehicle front end structures of embodiments of the present invention. Note that, in the drawings, an arrow in the Fr direction indicates the vehicle front end, an arrow in the O direction indicates the outer side of the vehicle body, and an arrow in the U direction indicates the upper side of the vehicle body. Furthermore, an arrow in the X direction indicates the vehicle transverse direction, and an arrow in the Y direction indicates the vehicle longitudinal direction. [First embodiment]

[0012] The Fig. 1 to 4 illustrate a structure of a vehicle front end of a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a vehicle front end 1 of the structure of the first embodiment of the present invention includes, as main elements of an outer panel, a front hood panel (outer hood panel) 2 disposed in an upper portion of the vehicle front end 1 and constituting a front-opening front hood covering an upper portion of an engine compartment; fender panels 3 of front fenders disposed on both the right and left sides on the outer side in the vehicle transverse direction of the front hood panel 2; a sheet metal upper cowl panel (outer upper cowl panel) 4 disposed on the vehicle rear-facing side of the front hood panel 2 and extending in the vehicle transverse direction; and a side outer body panel (front outer pillar panel) 5.which is arranged on the vehicle rear-facing side of the fender panel 3 and the upper cowl panel 4 and extends in the vehicle vertical direction, and a front door end part 6A of a front door 6, which is arranged along the vehicle rear-facing side of the fender panel 3 and the side outer body panel 5.

[0013] As in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, a sheet metal cowl panel 7 is arranged in a region R in a space surrounded by the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, the cowl upper panel 4, the side outer body panel 5, and the front door end portion 6A. The edge portion of the side cowl panel 7 is adjacent to the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, and the cowl upper panel 4, and is also adjacent to the side outer body panel 5 and / or the front door end portion 6A (both in the embodiment). That is, the edge portion of the side cowl panel 7 is arranged parallel to an end portion of each of peripheral portions located in front, rear, right, and left of the side cowl panel 7, leaving a small gap between the side cowl panel 7 and the edge portion.

[0014] The reasons for disposing the side cowl panel 7 are as follows. In particular, because the side cowl panel 7 does not have an inner panel, unlike the front hood, cost savings and weight reduction can be achieved. Furthermore, the side cowl panel 7 is detachable from the vehicle front 1 in view of maintainability regarding windshield replacement, but does not detach when an impact load is applied from the top of the vehicle body and can securely absorb the impact energy. Furthermore, because the side cowl panel 7 is disposed separately from the fender panel 3, the panel thickness can be individually increased. This can further increase the absorption of impact energy, and the formation of the fender panel 3 can be facilitated, thereby improving the formability of the fender panel 3.In addition, because the side cowl panel 7 is made of a metal sheet part and can be color-coordinated with the peripheral parts, an excellent quality of the external appearance of the vehicle front 1 can be ensured.

[0015] As in the Fig. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4, below the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4 of the embodiment, an L-shaped absorber 8 is fixed to a cowl side member 11, which is a vehicle frame member. The absorber 8 is added to an edge structure of the side cowl panel 7, on which the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, the upper cowl panel 4, and other parts are arranged, in order to further improve the shock absorbing performance. For this reason, the absorber 8 is formed into an L-shape having a substantially right angle in the front view of the vehicle by bending, with an upper portion of a rectangular sheet metal plate body having a predetermined width in the vehicle longitudinal direction.The absorber 8 includes a horizontal surface portion 81 located at the top in the vehicle vertical direction, and a vertical surface portion 82 located at the bottom of the horizontal surface portion 81 and having a lower end portion connected to the cowl side member 11 by welding. Furthermore, a bead 82a extending in the vehicle vertical direction is protrudingly formed at the center in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the vertical surface portion 82. The rigidity of the absorber 8 depends on the height of the bead 82a. Furthermore, the protrusion height of the bead 82a decreases toward a lower end portion of the bead 82a, which is a welding surface of the vertical surface portion 82. This configuration enables the absorber 8 to break away from its lower portion when the horizontal surface portion 81 receives an impact load.

[0016] As in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2 and Fig. As illustrated in Fig. 4, the side cowl panel 7 of the embodiment has a side surface 71 and an upper surface 72 facing the side of the vehicle body and the upper surface of the vehicle body, respectively. The side surface 71 and the upper surface 72 are formed by bending a central part of the side cowl panel 7 in the vehicle width direction into an L-shape in the front view of the vehicle. The side surface 71 and the upper surface 72 are arranged at a certain height position where they are continuous with surfaces of the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, the upper cowl panel 4, the side outer body panel 5, and the front door end part 6A. Moreover, the side cowl panel 7 is arranged such that a lower edge portion 7A of the side surface 71 is adjacent to the fender panel 3, and a side edge portion 7B of the upper surface 72 is adjacent to the upper cowl panel 4.It should be noted that the side cowl panel 7 is arranged such that an edge portion 7C extending in the vehicle up-and-down direction and the vehicle width-wise direction is adjacent to the front hood panel 2, an edge portion 7D extending in the vehicle width-wise direction is adjacent to the side outer body panel 5, and an edge portion 7E extending along the front door end part 6A is adjacent to the front door end part 6A. .

[0017] Accordingly, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment having the side cowl panel 7 as a single member, level differences at the parting lines with the edge portions 7A to 7E can be adjusted in various directions, and it can eliminate the need for directly adjusting parts for forming the parting lines with the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, the upper cowl panel 4, the side outer body panel 5, and the front door end part 6A. Therefore, the adjustment of level differences at the parting lines can be simplified.In addition, when an impact load is applied from the upper side of the vehicle body to the side cowl panel 7 formed into an L-shape in the front view of the vehicle, the impact load can be effectively absorbed because the side cowl panel 7 deforms to bend around a boundary between the side surface 71 and the upper surface 72 so as to be folded.

[0018] As in Fig. 3, in the fender panel 3 of the embodiment, a first bracket 9 having a front and rear pair of projecting engagement claws 91, 92 projecting toward the upper side of the vehicle body is arranged along the vehicle longitudinal direction. The projecting engagement claws 91, 92 in a lower portion of the first bracket 9 face upward at positions close to the vehicle front and rear. The first bracket 9 is formed into a rectangular frame body in a side view of the vehicle and is fixed to an upper surface 3a and an upper vertical wall surface 3b of the fender panel 3 near the vehicle rear to hold the side cowl panel 7. Moreover, because the first bracket 9 is a resin part and is fixed to the fender panel 3 with screws, clamps, or the like, fine adjustments can be made according to the manufacturing accuracy of the fender panel 3.Thus, the positional relationship between the first holder 9 and the side cowl panel 7 is adjustable.

[0019] Then, in a lower portion of the side surface 71 of the side cowl panel 7, a front and a rear pair of holes (not shown) are provided at positions corresponding to the protruding engagement claws 91, 92, which engage with the protruding engagement claws 91, 92. The side cowl panel 7 is held and positioned by the first bracket 9 by hooking and engaging the holes with the protruding engagement claws 91, 92, thereby aligning the position of the side cowl panel 7 in the vehicle width direction with respect to the fender panel 3. This allows a level difference of the parting line between the side cowl panel 7 and the fender panels 3 to be adjusted, and the side cowl panel 7 can be easily mounted on the fender panel 3 with the first bracket 9 interposed therebetween.Furthermore, the projecting engagement claws 91, 92 have a specific shape that suppresses movement of the side cowl panel 7 toward the underside of the vehicle body when an impact load is applied to the side cowl panel 7 from the upper side of the vehicle body, thereby increasing the indetachability of the projecting engagement claws 91, 92 from the holes (not shown) when the projecting engagement claws 91, 92 are pressed thereagainst, and preventing the projecting engagement claws 91, 92 from disengaging when the side cowl panel 7 is bent and deformed. Accordingly, the side cowl panel 7 can continuously absorb the impact load.It should be noted that the projecting engagement claws 91, 92 are set in positions higher than the holes by a predetermined projection length in order to prevent the side cowl panel 7 from displacing toward the underside of the vehicle body and separating it from the projecting engagement claws 91, 92 when an impact load is applied from the upper surface of the vehicle body to the upper surface 72 of the side cowl panel 7.

[0020] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, a sheet metal bracket 40 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and having a downward locking claw 41 is disposed at an end portion 4a of the upper cowl panel 4 of the embodiment in the vehicle transverse direction. The bracket 40 includes a vertical piece 40a whose upper portion is welded to the downwardly bent end portion 4a of the upper cowl panel 4 in the vehicle transverse direction, and a horizontal piece 40b is fixed to an upper flange portion 72a of the side cowl panel 7 by means of a clamp or the like.The upper flange part 72a is formed in an upper portion of the side cowl panel 7, extends inward in the vehicle width direction from a downwardly bent inner end part 7a of the upper plane 72, and has a free end part fixed to a side cowl bracket 12, the position of which is adjustable in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction by a screw 13, a clamp 14, and the like.

[0021] In addition, as in Fig. 5, a second resin holder 10, whose longitudinal length is longer than that of the locking claw 41, is disposed in an upper portion of the side cowl panel 7, and the second holder 10 is fixed to an upper surface of the upper flange part 72a of the side cowl panel 7 at a position corresponding to the locking claw 41. The side cowl panel 7 is held on the bracket 40 by inserting and locking the locking claw 41 onto the second holder 10.

[0022] As a result, the end portion 4a of the upper cowl panel 4 in the vehicle transverse direction is stably restrained by the bracket 40 along the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the level difference of the parting line between the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4 can be easily adjusted. Furthermore, when the side cowl panel 7 bends and deforms, an impact load from the upper side of the vehicle body further secures the locking between the side cowl panel 7 and the bracket 40, so that the side cowl panel 7 does not detach from the bracket 40 and continues to absorb the impact load.

[0023] As in the Fig. 2 to 4, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, the bracket 40 connecting the inner end portion 7a of the side cowl panel 7 and the end portion 4a of the upper cowl panel 4 in the vehicle width direction is arranged above the horizontal surface portion 81 of the absorber 8 along the vehicle longitudinal direction. Moreover, the bracket 40 has an extension portion 40c which is closer to the vehicle front end than the upper flange portion 72a of the side cowl panel 7. Therefore, when the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4 receive an impact load, the bracket 40 moves toward the vehicle lower side and reliably presses the horizontal surface portion 81 of the absorber 8 with the rigidity of the bracket 40. Then, the absorber 8 receives the impact load while inclining toward the inside of the vehicle body.

[0024] As in the Fig. 3 and Fig. For this reason, as illustrated in Fig. 4, the horizontal surface part 81 of the absorber 8 extends for a predetermined length toward the inside of the vehicle body and is arranged to overlap with the horizontal piece 40b of the bracket 40 in the plan view of the vehicle at a position of the extension part 40c of the bracket 40 where the upper flange part 72a of the side cowl panel 7 is not arranged, and can thereby absorb an impact load from the upper surface of the vehicle body in a wide range.

[0025] As in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, a resin cowl cover 42 is disposed on the vehicle-down side of the upper cowl panel 4. The cowl cover 42 has a vertical wall 42a facing the vehicle body side and adjacent to the horizontal surface part 81 of the absorber 8. A free end part of the horizontal surface part 81 and the vertical wall 42a are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. When the absorber 8 deforms, the free end part of the horizontal surface part 81 comes into contact with the vertical wall 42a of the cowl cover 42.

[0026] Thus, when an impact load is applied to the absorber 8 from the upper side of the vehicle body, it absorbs the impact load while inclining toward the inside of the vehicle body, and the free end part of the horizontal surface part 81 comes into contact with the vertical wall 42a of the cowl cover 42, whereby the vertical wall 42a breaks, and the impact load is absorbed in the course of this breakage.

[0027] As described, the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention includes: the front hood panel 2 disposed in an upper portion of the vehicle front end 1; the fender panel 3 disposed on the outer side of the front hood panel 2 in the vehicle width direction; and the upper cowl panel 4 disposed on a vehicle rear side of the front hood panel 2 and extending in the vehicle width direction. The side cowl panel 7 is disposed in the region R surrounded by the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, and the upper cowl panel 4. The L-shaped absorber 8, which is fixed to the side cowl member 11, which is a vehicle frame member, is disposed below the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4, and the absorber 8 has the horizontal surface portion 81 on its upper surface.

[0028] In the vehicle front end structure 1 of the present invention, when an impact load is applied to the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4 from the upper side of the vehicle body, in particular, the boundary between the inner end part 7a of the side cowl panel 7 and the end part 4a of the upper cowl panel 4 in the vehicle width direction deforms and moves toward the lower side of the vehicle body, and the horizontal surface part 81 of the L-shaped absorber 8 positioned below the panels 7, 4 is pressed, so that the absorber 8 inclines from the lower portion of the vertical surface part 82 toward the inner side of the vehicle body. Therefore, the entire absorber 8 can be safely displaced.According to the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the present invention, the impact load during the displacement of the absorber 8 can be sufficiently and effectively absorbed, and the impact absorption performance can be improved compared to the conventional structure. Furthermore, because the absorber 8 is arranged on the vehicle-lower side of the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4, an excellent structure of the vehicle front end 1 can be ensured.

[0029] Furthermore, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, the side cowl panel 7 has the side surface 71 and the upper surface 72 facing the vehicle body side and the vehicle body top, respectively, and are formed by bending a central part of the side cowl panel 7 in the vehicle transverse direction. Furthermore, the side cowl panel 7 is arranged such that the lower edge portion 7A of the side surface 71 abuts the fender panel 3, and the side edge portion 7B of the upper surface 72 abuts the upper cowl panel 4. The bracket 40 connecting the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4 is then arranged above the horizontal surface portion 81 of the absorber 8.

[0030] In the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, particularly, when the side cowl panel 7 and the upper cowl panel 4 receive an impact load, the bracket 40 moves specifically toward the vehicle lower side and reliably presses the horizontal surface part 81 of the absorber 8 with the rigidity of the bracket 40. Therefore, the absorber 8 can reliably absorb the impact load while inclining toward the inside of the vehicle body.In particular, when the horizontal surface portion 81 of the absorber 8 extends toward the inside of the vehicle body for a predetermined length and is arranged to overlap the horizontal piece 40b of the bracket 40 in a top view of the vehicle at a position of the extension portion 40c of the bracket 40 where the upper flange portion 72a of the side cowl panel 7 is not located, the absorber 8 can absorb an impact load from the upper surface of the vehicle body in a wide range. Furthermore, in the vehicle front end structure 1 of the embodiment, when an impact load from the upper surface of the vehicle body is applied to the side cowl panel 7, which is formed into an L-shape in the front view of the vehicle, the side cowl panel 7 deforms to bend around a boundary between the side surface 71 and the upper surface 72, thereby becoming folded.At this time, the absorber 8 also deforms synchronously, and the combined effect enables even more effective absorption of the shock load.

[0031] Furthermore, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, the horizontal surface portion 81 of the absorber 8 extends toward the inside of the vehicle body. Furthermore, the resin cowl cover 42 is disposed below the upper cowl panel 4, and the cowl cover 42 has the vertical wall 42a facing the vehicle body side and adjacent to the horizontal surface portion 81.

[0032] Therefore, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, when the L-shaped absorber 8 having the horizontal surface portion 81 on its upper side receives an impact load from the upper side of the vehicle body, the absorber 8 is displaced while inclining toward the inner side of the vehicle body. Thus, the impact load can be absorbed in the process of displacing the absorber 8. Moreover, because the free end portion of the horizontal surface portion 81 comes into contact with the vertical wall 42a of the cowl cover 42 and the vertical wall 42a breaks, the impact load can be absorbed in the process of breaking. Accordingly, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the embodiment, the impact load from the upper side of the vehicle body is absorbed not only by the absorber 8 but by a combined action of the absorber 8 and the cowl cover 42. Therefore, the impact-absorbing performance can be improved. [Second embodiment]

[0033] Fig. 5 illustrates a vehicle front end structure of a second embodiment of the present invention. Note that parts that are the same as those described in the first embodiment are assigned the same reference numerals, and overlapping descriptions are omitted.

[0034] As in Fig.5, in the structure of a vehicle front end 1 of the second embodiment, an L-shaped outer absorber 8A is additionally disposed on the side of the absorber 8 facing the outside of the vehicle body. The overall size of the outer absorber 8A is smaller than that of the absorber 8 of the first embodiment, but it has generally the same shape as the absorber 8 of the first embodiment. That is, the outer absorber 8A includes a flat part 81A arranged on the upper side in the vehicle upright direction and a vertical surface part 82A arranged on the lower side of the flat part 81A and having a lower end part connected by welding to a vertical surface part 82 of an absorber 8.However, the flat part 81A of the outer absorber 8A extends toward the outside of the vehicle body at a position higher than the horizontal surface part 81 of the absorber 8 and faces the outside in the vehicle transverse direction. Furthermore, the flat part 81A of the outer absorber 8A is inclined downward toward the front of the vehicle.

[0035] As described, in the structure of the vehicle front end 1 of the second embodiment, the L-shaped outer absorber 8A is added to the side of the absorber 8 facing the vehicle outer side, and the flat part 81A on the upper side of the outer absorber 8A faces the outside in the vehicle transverse direction. Therefore, the absorption of an impact load from the upper side of the vehicle body can be enhanced. Furthermore, because the flat part 81A of the outer absorber 8A of the second embodiment is inclined downward toward the vehicle front, the flat part 81A can be oriented in the direction of the impact load. Also, because the inner absorber 8 faces the downward direction of the bracket 40, in combination with the orientation of the flat part 81A toward the direction of the impact load, the applied impact load can be absorbed in its incident direction. Other effects are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0036] Embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment, and various modifications and changes may be made based on the technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0037] For example, in the embodiments, the side cowl panel 7 is arranged in the area R, which is a space surrounded by the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, the upper cowl panel 4, the side outer body panel 5, and the front door end part 6A. However, the side cowl panel 7 may be arranged in a space area surrounded by at least the front hood panel 2, the fender panel 3, and the upper cowl panel 4. [List of reference symbols] 1 vehicle front 2 front hood plate 3 fender plate 4 upper cowl panel 4a End section in the transverse direction of the vehicle 5 side body outer panel 6 Front door 6A front door end section 7 side cowl panel 7a inner end part 7A lower edge area of ​​the side surface 7B Side edge area of ​​the upper surface 8 absorbers 8A outer absorber 9 first holder 10 second holder 11 Cowl side element (vehicle frame element) 12 side cowl bracket 13 Screw 14 Terminal 40 bracket 40a vertical piece 40b horizontal piece 40c extension part 41 locking claw 42 cowl cover 42a vertical wall 71 side surface 72 upper surface 72a upper flange part 81 horizontal surface part 81A flat part 82 vertical surface part 82a bead 82A vertical surface part 91, 92 protruding engagement claw R area

Claims

[1] Structure of a vehicle front, comprising: a front hood panel (2) arranged in an upper portion of a vehicle front (1); a fender panel (3) arranged on an outer side of the front hood panel in a vehicle transverse direction; and an upper sheet metal cowl panel (4) arranged on a side of the front hood panel (2) facing the rear of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein: a side cowl panel (7) is arranged in an area (R) surrounded by the front hood panel (2), the fender panel (3) and the upper cowl panel (4); an L-shaped absorber (8) having a horizontal surface part (81) on its upper side is arranged below the side cowl panel (7) and the upper cowl panel (4), wherein the absorber (8) is fastened to a vehicle frame element (11) at a position below the horizontal surface part (81) and a bracket (40) connecting the side cowl panel (7) and the upper cowl panel (4) is arranged above the horizontal surface part (81) of the absorber. [2] A vehicle front structure comprising a front hood panel (2) arranged in an upper portion of a vehicle front (1), a fender panel (3) arranged on an outer side of the front hood panel in a vehicle transverse direction, and an upper sheet metal cowl panel (4) arranged on a side of the front hood panel (2) facing the vehicle rear and extending in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein: an L-shaped side cowl panel (7) is arranged in an area (R) surrounded by the front hood panel (2), the fender panel (3) and the upper cowl panel (4); the side cowl panel (7) has a side surface (71) facing the side of the vehicle body and an upper surface (72) extending inwardly from an upper surface of the side plane (71) in the direction of the vehicle width; an L-shaped absorber (8) having a horizontal surface part (81) on its upper side is arranged below an inner end part (7a) of the upper surface (72) and an end part (4a) of the upper cowl panel (4), the absorber (8) being fastened to a vehicle frame member (11) at a position below the horizontal surface part (81). [3] A structure of a vehicle front comprising a front hood panel (2) arranged in an upper portion of a vehicle front (1), a fender panel (3) arranged on an outer side of the front hood panel in a vehicle transverse direction, and an upper sheet metal cowl panel (4) arranged on a side of the front hood panel (2) facing the vehicle rear and extending in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein: a side cowl panel (7) is arranged in an area (R) surrounded by the front hood panel (2), the fender panel (3) and the upper cowl panel (4); an L-shaped absorber (8) having a horizontal surface part (81) on its upper side is arranged below an inner end part (7a) of the side cowl panel (7) and an end part (4a) of the upper cowl panel (4), the absorber (8) being fixed to a vehicle frame member (11) at a position below the horizontal surface part (81); the horizontal surface part (81) of the absorber (8) extends towards the inside of the vehicle body; a resin cowl cover (42) is arranged below the upper cowl panel (4); and the cowl cover (42) has a vertical wall (42a) which faces the side of the vehicle body and is adjacent to the horizontal surface part (81). [4] A structure of a vehicle front comprising a front hood panel (2) arranged in an upper portion of a vehicle front (1), a fender panel (3) arranged in a vehicle transverse direction on an outer side of the front hood panel (2) and an upper sheet metal cowl panel (4) arranged on a side of the front hood panel (2) facing the vehicle rear and extending in the vehicle transverse direction, wherein a side cowl panel (7) is arranged in an area (R) surrounded by the front hood panel (2), the fender panel (3) and the upper cowl panel (4); an L-shaped absorber (8) which is fastened to a vehicle frame element (11) and is arranged below the side cowl panel (7) and the upper cowl panel (4), the absorber (8) having a horizontal surface part (81) on its upper side; the absorber (8) is attached to a vehicle frame member (11) at a position below the horizontal surface part (81); an L-shaped outer absorber (8A) is added to the side of the absorber facing the vehicle exterior; and a flat part (81A) on the upper side of the outer absorber (8A) faces the outside in the vehicle transverse direction. [5] A vehicle front structure according to claim 4, wherein the flat part (81A) of the outer absorber (8A) is inclined downwards towards the front of the vehicle.

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