Fender liner and vehicle front part structure

Abstract

To prevent or restrict deterioration of appearance caused by muddy water, etc. adhering to an upper surface of a front fender liner, without adding a sealing material or the like.SOLUTION: A fender liner 30 includes a front fender liner 30 which is disposed on a vehicle front side of a wheel house metal plate having a suspension tower, and a rear edge 32A of which is disposed to overlap a vehicle lower side of a front edge portion of the wheel house metal plate. A bead 40 is formed at the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner on a vehicle front side of the suspension tower, the bead protruding toward a vehicle upper side, extending in a vehicle width direction, and curving so as to protrude toward a vehicle rear side in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a front structure of a vehicle, and more particularly to a fender liner. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle front structure disclosed in the following Patent Document 1 includes a front fender liner that covers the front wheels arranged in the circumferential direction of the front wheels, and a splash shield that covers the front part of the front wheels from the inside in the vehicle width direction and abuts against the inside bent part of the front fender liner from the outside in the vehicle width direction. The splash shield includes a rib that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle adjacent to the abutment point where the inside bent part of the front fender liner abuts. This prevents water splashes from entering the engine room even if the splash shield is pressed inward in the vehicle width direction by water pressure. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-172126 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] A wheelhouse sheet metal having, for example, a suspension tower is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front fender liner. The rear edge of the front fender liner is disposed so as to overlap the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal on the vehicle lower side. Since a gap exists between the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal and the rear edge of the front fender liner, muddy water, etc., stirred up by the rotation of the front wheels may infiltrate into a front compartment such as an engine room through the gap. If dirt such as muddy water that has infiltrated into the front compartment adheres to the upper surface of the front fender liner, the dirt is visible when a user opens the front hood, resulting in a poor appearance. In particular, in an electric vehicle (Battery Electric Vehicle) in which the inside of the front compartment is simplified compared to an internal combustion engine vehicle, dirt adhered to the upper surface of the front fender liner is difficult to hide by harnesses and tanks, and therefore the appearance is likely to deteriorate. In order to prevent this, for example, a sealant is added between the front fender liner and the wheelhouse sheet metal, or a cover is added to hide the dirt, which causes an increase in costs.

[0005] In consideration of the above, the present invention has an object to provide a fender liner and a front vehicle structure that can prevent or suppress the deterioration of appearance caused by muddy water or the like adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner without the need to add sealants or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The fender liner of the first embodiment comprises a front fender liner that is positioned on the vehicle front side of a wheelhouse sheet metal having a suspension tower, with its rear edge overlapping the vehicle underside of the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal, and a bead is formed at the rear edge of the front fender liner on the vehicle front side of the suspension tower that protrudes upwardly of the vehicle, extends in the vehicle width direction, and is curved in a convex shape toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view.

[0007] According to the fender liner of the first aspect, the front fender liner is disposed on the vehicle front side of the wheel house sheet metal having the suspension tower. The rear edge portion of this front fender liner is disposed so as to overlap the vehicle lower side of the front edge portion of the wheel house sheet metal. A bead is formed on the rear edge portion of this front fender liner on the vehicle front side of the suspension tower. This bead protrudes toward the vehicle upper side, extends in the vehicle width direction, and is curved to form a convex toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view. Therefore, when muddy water or the like that is stirred up by the rotation of the wheel in the wheel house enters the gap between the front edge portion of the wheel house sheet metal and the rear edge portion of the front fender liner, the muddy water or the like flows along the bead to both sides in the vehicle width direction. This makes it possible to prevent or suppress the adhesion of muddy water or the like to the upper surface of the front fender liner on the vehicle front side of the bead. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress the deterioration of the appearance caused by the adhesion of muddy water or the like to the upper surface of the front fender liner without adding a sealant or the like.

[0008] The fender liner of the second aspect is the first aspect, and is formed such that at the rear edge of the front fender liner rear of the bead, a rib faces a vertical wall provided at the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal from the rear of the vehicle, and a flange extends toward the rear of the vehicle from an upper end of the rib and faces, from below the vehicle, an upper wall that extends toward the rear of the vehicle from the upper end of the vertical wall of the wheelhouse sheet metal.

[0009] According to the fender liner of the second aspect, a rib is formed on the rear edge of the front fender liner on the vehicle rear side of the bead. This rib faces a vertical wall provided on the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal from the vehicle rear side. A flange extends from the upper end of this rib toward the vehicle rear side. This flange faces an upper wall extending from the upper end of the vertical wall of the wheelhouse sheet metal to the vehicle rear side from the vehicle lower side. These ribs and flanges can directly prevent muddy water and the like from entering the gap between the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal and the rear edge of the front fender liner. Even if muddy water and the like does enter the gap, the muddy water and the like flows between the upper wall and the vertical wall and the flange and the rib, so that the flow speed of the muddy water and the like is slowed. As a result, it becomes difficult for the muddy water and the like to go over the bead, so that it is possible to further prevent or suppress the muddy water and the like from adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner on the vehicle front side of the bead.

[0010] The vehicle front structure of the third aspect includes a wheelhouse sheet metal having a suspension tower, and a fender liner of the first or second aspect in which the rear edge portion of the front fender liner is positioned overlapping the front edge portion of the wheelhouse sheet metal on the vehicle underside.

[0011] In the third aspect, the rear edge of the front fender liner is arranged to overlap the vehicle underside of the front edge of the wheelhouse sheet metal having the suspension tower. This front fender liner is the one in the first or second aspect, and therefore the above-mentioned effects can be obtained. Effect of the Invention

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent or suppress deterioration of the appearance caused by muddy water or the like adhering to the upper surface of the front fender liner without the need for adding a sealant or the like. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1 is a plan view showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a portion of the fender liner according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to line F4-F4 in FIG. 3, showing a part of the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 4 for explaining the flow of muddy water and the like. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a vehicle front structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5. In each drawing, some reference numerals may be omitted in order to make the drawings easier to see. Also, the arrows FR, UP, IN, and OUT shown in each drawing indicate the front direction (direction of travel), the upward direction, the inner side in the width direction (left and right direction), and the outer side in the width direction, respectively. Hereinafter, when the directions of front and rear, left and right, and up and down are simply used in the description, they indicate the directions relative to the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0015] 1 and 2, a vehicle front structure 10 according to this embodiment constitutes, as an example, a wheel house 12 at the front right of a vehicle, and includes a wheel house sheet metal 18 having a suspension tower 20, and a fender liner 30. This vehicle front structure 10 is disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (here, on the right side) of a front compartment 14 (reference numerals omitted in FIG. 1) of the vehicle. An engine and a motor (not shown) that serve as the driving source of the vehicle are housed in this front compartment 14. Note that when the vehicle front structure 10 constitutes a wheel house on the left side of the vehicle, the configuration is symmetrical to that of this embodiment.

[0016] The wheelhouse metal sheet 18 is made of, for example, a press-formed steel plate, and together with the apron upper member 28, constitutes a part of the front fender 16 on the right side of the vehicle. The apron upper member 28 is a skeletal member with a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is formed by joining together a plurality of members made of, for example, press-formed steel plates. A suspension tower 20 to which an upper end of a front suspension (not shown) is fixed is provided in the center of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18. In addition, in Figs. 1 and 2, 29 denotes a reinforcing panel joined across the front part of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18 and the apron upper member 28.

[0017] The fender liner 30 is a member for preventing muddy water and the like kicked up by the front wheels of the vehicle (not shown) from entering the wheel house, and is disposed below the wheel house metal sheet 18 and the apron upper member 28. The fender liner 30 is, for example, a molded product made of synthetic resin, and is formed in an arch shape. The fender liner 30 is fixed to the wheel house metal sheet 18 and the apron upper member 28 using clips or the like. The inner end of the fender liner 30 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to a fender apron (not shown) using clips or the like. The outer end of the fender liner 30 in the vehicle width direction is fixed to a fender panel (not shown) using clips or the like.

[0018] This fender liner 30 integrally comprises a front fender liner 32 arranged forward of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18, a rear fender liner 34 arranged rearward of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18, and an outer fender liner 36 arranged outboard in the vehicle width direction of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18. The front fender liner 32 and the rear fender liner 34 are connected together by the outer fender liner 36.

[0019] A visible area V is provided on the upper surface of the front fender liner 32, forward of the wheel house metal sheet 18 and on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the apron upper member 28. This visible area V is an area that is not covered by the harnesses and tanks arranged in the front compartment 14, and is an area that is visible to the user of the vehicle when the front hood of the vehicle is opened.

[0020] On the rear side of the visible area V, the rear edge portion 32A (see Figs. 3 to 5) of the front fender liner 32 is disposed so as to overlap the lower side of the front edge portion 18A (see Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5) of the wheel house metal sheet 18. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, a bead 40 is formed on the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32. This bead 40 is formed by a part of the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32 protruding upward and extending in the vehicle width direction. This bead 40 is curved (bent here) so as to convex toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view, and has a generally inverted V-shaped cross section as viewed in the vehicle width direction. This bead 40 is covered from above by the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal sheet 18.

[0021] In this bead 40, a portion 40B on the outer side in the vehicle width direction than a bent portion 40A provided in the center in the vehicle width direction is inclined or curved toward the vehicle front side as it moves outward in the vehicle width direction, and a portion 40C on the inner side in the vehicle width direction than the bent portion 40A is inclined or curved toward the vehicle front side as it moves inward in the vehicle width direction. On the outer side in the vehicle width direction than the bent portion 40A, the upper surface of the front fender liner 32 is inclined or curved downwardly toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle front side, and on the inner side in the vehicle width direction than the bent portion 40A, the upper surface of the front fender liner 32 is inclined or curved downwardly toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle front side.

[0022] A rib 42 and a flange 44 are formed on the rear edge 32A of the front fender liner 32 rearward of the bead 40. The rib 42 is formed by integrally extending (extending) a portion of the rear edge 32A of the front fender liner 32 upward, and is a plate-like member with its thickness direction extending substantially in the front-to-rear direction. The rib 42 is slightly inclined toward the rear as it extends upward. The flange 44 is integrally extended rearward from the upper end of the rib 42, and is a plate-like member with its thickness direction extending substantially in the up-down direction. The flange 44 is slightly inclined upward as it extends rearward.

[0023] The rib 42 and the flange 44 face the vertical wall 22 and the upper wall 24 provided on the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house sheet metal 18. The vertical wall 22, like the rib 42, is plate-shaped with its thickness direction in the approximately front-rear direction, and is slightly inclined toward the rear as it approaches the upper side. The rib 42 faces the vertical wall 22 closely from the rear side of the vehicle. The upper wall 24 extends rearward from the upper end of the vertical wall 22. The upper wall 24, like the flange 44, is plate-shaped with its thickness direction in the approximately up-down direction, and is slightly inclined toward the upper side as it approaches the rear side. The flange 44 faces the upper wall 24 closely from the lower side.

[0024] There are small gaps between the upper wall 24 and the flange 44, and between the vertical wall 22 and the rib 42. A lower wall 26 extends forward from the lower end of the vertical wall 22. The lower wall 26 is plate-shaped with its thickness direction generally in the vertical direction, and is slightly inclined downward as it extends forward. The bead 40 described above is covered from above by this lower wall 26. There are small gaps between the bead 40 and the lower wall 26.

[0025] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described. According to the vehicle front structure 10 configured as described above, the front fender liner 32 of the fender liner 30 is disposed forward of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18 which has the suspension tower 20. The rear edge portion 32A of this front fender liner 32 is disposed overlapping the lower side of the front edge portion 18A of the wheelhouse metal sheet 18. A bead 40 is formed at the rear edge portion 32A of this front fender liner 32, forward of the suspension tower 20. This bead 40 protrudes upward and extends in the vehicle width direction, and is bent so as to convexly protrude rearward in a plan view.

[0026] Here, when the vehicle travels in a harsh environment, such as a flooded road, muddy water, etc., stirred up by the rotation of the front wheels in the wheel house 12 may infiltrate into the gap between the leading edge 18A of the wheel house metal sheet 18 and the trailing edge 32A of the front fender liner 32. In such a case, the muddy water, etc. that has infiltrated into the gap flows along the bead 40 to both sides in the vehicle width direction (see arrows W1 and W2 in FIG. 3), thereby preventing or suppressing the adhesion of muddy water, etc. to the visible area V on the upper surface of the front fender liner 32. As a result, it is possible to prevent or suppress the deterioration of the appearance caused by the adhesion of muddy water, etc. to the visible area V without adding a sealant, cover, etc., and to avoid an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0027] Moreover, in this embodiment, a rib 42 is formed on the rear edge portion 32A of the front fender liner 32 rearward of the bead 40. This rib 42 faces the vertical wall 22 provided on the front edge portion 18A of the wheel house metal sheet 18 from the rear side. A flange 44 extends rearward from the upper end of this rib 42. This flange 44 faces the upper wall 24 extending rearward from the upper end of the vertical wall 22 of the wheel house metal sheet 18 from below.

[0028] The rib 42 and flange 44 described above can directly prevent muddy water and the like from entering the gap between the leading edge 18A of the wheel house metal sheet 18 and the trailing edge 32A of the front fender liner 32 (see arrows W3 and W4 in FIG. 5). Even if muddy water and the like does enter the gap, the muddy water and the like flows between the upper wall 24 and the flange 44 and between the vertical wall 22 and the rib 42, slowing down the flow rate of the muddy water and the like (see arrow W5 in FIG. 5). As a result, it becomes difficult for the muddy water and the like to overcome the bead 40, so that it is possible to further prevent or suppress the adhesion of the muddy water and the like to the visible area V.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the fender liner 30 is configured to have the front fender liner 32, the rear fender liner 34, and the outer fender liner 36 integrated together, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the fender liner may be configured to be divided into a front fender liner and a rear fender liner.

[0030] In addition, in the above embodiment, the bead 40 is configured to be bent and convex toward the rear side when viewed in a plan view, but this is not limited to the above, and the bead may be configured to be curved and convex toward the rear side when viewed in a plan view.

[0031] In addition, the present invention can be implemented in various modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10 Vehicle front structure 18 Wheelhouse sheet metal 18A Leading Edge 20 Suspension Tower 22 Vertical Wall 24 Upper Wall 30 Fender liner 32 Front fender liner 32A Trailing edge 40 Beads 42 Ribs 44 Flange

Claims

1. a front fender liner that is disposed on a vehicle front side of a wheel house sheet metal having a suspension tower, the rear edge portion of the front fender liner being disposed to overlap a vehicle underside of a front edge portion of the wheel house sheet metal, A fender liner having a bead formed at the rear edge of the front fender liner on the vehicle front side of the suspension tower, which protrudes toward the upper side of the vehicle, extends in the vehicle width direction, and is curved in a convex manner toward the rear of the vehicle in a plan view.

2. At the rear edge portion of the front fender liner on the vehicle rear side of the bead, a rib that faces a vertical wall provided at a front edge portion of the wheel house sheet metal from a rear side of the vehicle; a flange extending from an upper end of the rib toward the vehicle rear side and facing an upper wall extending from an upper end of the vertical wall of the wheel house sheet metal toward the vehicle rear side from a vehicle lower side; 2. The fender liner according to claim 1, wherein:

3. a wheel house sheet metal having a suspension tower; 3. The fender liner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a rear edge portion of the front fender liner is arranged to overlap a front edge portion of the wheel house sheet metal on a vehicle lower side thereof; A vehicle front structure comprising:

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