Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front structure capable of reducing an obstacle value to a pedestrian when colliding with the pedestrian.SOLUTION: A vehicle front structure includes a hood 20 for covering a vehicle front from above, a storage portion 30 disposed below the hood 20 and having a shape of a recess, and a support portion 50 supporting a bottom wall 31 of the storage portion 30 from a low side, where the support portion 50 extends in a vehicle width direction and supports the storage portion 30 on a front side with respect to a center in a front-rear direction of the storage portion 30, and the storage portion 30 is bent in the vicinity of a rear end of the support portion 50 of the bottom wall 31 so that a rear side with respect to the support portion 50 moves downward by input from the hood 20 at the time of collision with a pedestrian.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure in which a storage compartment for storing luggage is arranged under a hood. [Background technology]

[0002] In some automobile vehicles, a storage section for storing luggage is disposed under the hood (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The storage section described in Patent Document 1 has a lid connected to a box-shaped case body with an open top so that it can be opened and closed. The case body is fixed to the vehicle at a total of four points, two on the sides and two on the back. The fixing section on the back is composed of a pair of pedestals located at the bottom of the rear wall, and the inner surface of the rear wall is provided with a circular recess capable of receiving the head of a bolt used to fix the case to the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2021-146741 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when an automobile vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the pedestrian comes into contact with the hood 20, and a force acts from the hood diagonally downward and rearward on the storage section. In this case, in the vehicle front structure described in Patent Document 1, the case body is firmly fixed to the vehicle side at the lower part of the rear wall, so that the storage section does not move downward or rearward during a collision, and there is a risk that the injury value to the pedestrian will be large.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure that can reduce the injury value to a pedestrian in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, A hood that covers the front part of the vehicle from above; a recessed storage space disposed below the hood and having a bottom wall, a front wall, and a rear wall; a support portion that supports the bottom wall of the storage portion from below, The support portion extends in a vehicle width direction and supports the storage portion forward of a front-rear center of the storage portion, The storage section is provided with a vehicle front structure in which, due to input from the hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, the storage section bends near the rear end of the support section of the bottom wall so that the rear side of the support section moves downward.

[0007] According to this vehicle front structure, when storing luggage or the like in the storage section, the user moves the front side of the hood upward and moves the luggage or the like into the storage section from the front of the vehicle. Because the storage section is accessed from the front of the vehicle, luggage or the like is often placed at the front side of the storage section. In the present invention, the support section supports the storage section forward of the center of the front-to-rear of the storage section, so that luggage or the like that is stored toward the front can be efficiently supported. Furthermore, in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, the pedestrian comes into contact with the hood, and a force acts from the hood diagonally downward and rearward on the storage section. At this time, the bottom wall of the storage section is restricted from moving diagonally downward and rearward in the portion supported by the support section, but is not restricted from moving diagonally downward and rearward in the portion not supported by the support section. As a result, the storage section bends near the rear end of the support section of the bottom wall so that the rear side of the support section moves downward. This allows the vehicle to ensure a collision stroke in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, regardless of the presence or absence of luggage or the like in the storage section, and reduces the injury value to the pedestrian.

[0008] In the above vehicle front structure, it is preferable that the storage section has a bottom bending starting point portion formed in the bottom wall, which becomes a starting point for bending the bottom wall in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

[0009] In the above vehicle front structure, it is preferable that the storage section has a front bending starting point portion formed in the front wall, which serves as a starting point for bending the front wall in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

[0010] In addition, in the above vehicle front structure, a cowl disposed behind the storage section under the hood and covering a space under the hood from above; The cowl has a front wall disposed along the rear wall of the storage portion, The rear wall of the storage section is preferably attached to the front wall of the cowl such that restraint on the cowl is released by input from the hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

[0011] In the above vehicle front structure, it is preferable that the storage section has an opening formed at an upper portion and a sealant provided at the opening and coming into contact with the hood when the hood is lowered. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the vehicle front structure of the present invention, the injury value to a pedestrian in the event of a collision with a pedestrian can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory plan view of the vehicle front structure with the hood removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a partial front view of the rear wall of the storage section. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic side view of a vehicle front structure showing movement of a storage section when colliding with a pedestrian; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Figures 1 to 4 show one embodiment of the present invention, where Figure 1 is a schematic side view of the vehicle front structure, Figure 2 is a plan view of the vehicle front structure with the hood removed, Figure 3 is a partial front view of the rear wall of the storage section, and Figure 4 is a schematic side view of the vehicle front structure showing the movement of the storage section when a collision occurs with a pedestrian.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the automobile vehicle 10 includes a hood 20 that covers the front part of the vehicle from above, and a concave storage section 30 that is disposed below the hood 20 and has an open upper part. Note that FIG. 1 is merely an explanatory diagram, and parts and the like that are not necessary for the description of this embodiment are omitted as appropriate. The material of the hood 20 is arbitrary, and for example, a metal material such as steel or aluminum can be used. The material of the storage section 30 is arbitrary, and for example, a resin material such as polypropylene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene can be used. The front side of the hood 20 can move up and down, and access to the storage section 30 is possible by moving the hood 20 upward. The automobile vehicle 10 also includes a cowl 40 that is disposed behind the storage section 30 below the hood 20 and covers the space below the hood 20 from above. The material of the cowl 40 is arbitrary, and for example, a resin material such as polypropylene or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene can be used. The automobile vehicle 10 of this embodiment is an electric vehicle, and a motor (not shown) is disposed below the cowl 40 as a power source.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the automobile vehicle 10 has a support part 50 that supports the bottom wall 31 of the storage part 30 from below. The support part 50 extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the storage part 30 forward of the center of the storage part 30. The material of the support part 50 is arbitrary, and for example, a metal material such as steel or aluminum can be used. In this embodiment, the width dimension (front-rear dimension) of the support part 50 is smaller than the front-rear dimension of the storage part 30. The position of the front end of the support part 50 coincides with the position of the front end of the storage part 30, and the position of the rear end of the support part 50 is forward of the center of the storage part 30. In addition, the automobile vehicle 10 has a pair of left and right side frames 60 that extend in the front-rear direction, and the support part 50 is connected to each side frame 60. The material of each side frame 60 is arbitrary, and for example, a metal material such as steel or aluminum can be used.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 1, the storage section 30 has a molding 32 as a sealing material at its upper end. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the molding 32 is formed in a ring shape along the shape of the opening of the storage section 30. The molding 32 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and contacts the lower surface of the hood 20 when the front side of the hood 20 is in the lowered state. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the storage section 30 has a flange 30a that extends horizontally outward from the opening and covers the space below.

[0018] The storage section 30 also has a bottom bending starting point formed on the bottom wall 31, which serves as a starting point for bending the bottom wall 31 in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. In this embodiment, the bottom bending starting point is a first bead 33 formed on the bottom wall 31 across the vehicle width direction. The first bead 33 is formed to protrude upward and is disposed near the rear end of the support section 50. In this embodiment, the front end of the first bead 33 is disposed so as to overlap the rear end of the support section 50 in a plan view.

[0019] The storage section 30 also has a front bending starting point formed in the front wall 34, which becomes the starting point for bending the front wall 34 in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. In this embodiment, the front bending starting point is a second bead 35 formed in the front wall 34 across the vehicle width direction. The second bead 35 is formed to protrude rearward, and is formed in the vertical center position of the front wall 34.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, the cowl 40 has a front wall 41 disposed along the rear wall 36 of the storage section 30. The rear wall 36 of the storage section 30 is attached to the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 so that restraint on the cowl 40 is released by input from the hood 2 in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the rear wall 36 of the storage section 30 is attached to the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 by a clip 70. As shown in FIG. 3, the clip 70 is inserted through an insertion hole 37 formed in the rear wall 36 of the storage section 30 and an insertion hole (not shown) formed in the front wall 41 of the cowl 40. The insertion hole of the cowl 40 is circular, and its diameter is set to a size corresponding to the shaft portion of the clip 70. Meanwhile, the insertion hole 37 of the storage section 30 has a general diameter section 38 having a diameter corresponding to the shank of the clip 70, and an enlarged diameter section 39 having a diameter larger than that of the general diameter section 38, and is shaped so that the upper side of the general diameter section 38 partially overlaps the lower side of the enlarged diameter section 39. When the storage section 30 is attached to the cowl 40, the general diameter section 38 is used, and when an input from the hood 2 occurs during a collision with a pedestrian, the shank of the clip 70 moves to the enlarged diameter section 39, thereby releasing the restraint of the storage section 30 on the cowl 40.

[0021] In the front structure of the automobile vehicle 10 configured as above, when the front side of the hood 20 is lowered to close the storage section 30, the molding 32 comes into contact with the hood 20, sealing the storage section 30 and preventing rainwater, dust, etc. from entering the storage section 30. By bringing the molding 32 into contact with the hood 20 in this manner, it is possible to ensure a larger capacity for the storage section 30 compared to a storage section having a lid at the top that closes the opening.

[0022] When storing luggage or the like in the storage section 30, the user moves the front side of the hood 20 upward and moves the luggage or the like into the storage section 30 from the front of the vehicle. Since the storage section 30 is accessed from the front of the vehicle, luggage or the like is often placed on the front side of the storage section 30. This tendency is particularly noticeable when storing relatively heavy items. In this embodiment, the support section 50 supports the storage section 30 forward of the center of the front-rear direction of the storage section 30, so that the storage items 30, which are stored toward the front, can be efficiently supported.

[0023] In the front structure of the automobile vehicle 10, when a collision occurs with a pedestrian, as shown in FIG. 4, the pedestrian comes into contact with the hood 20, and a force acts from the hood 20 to the storage section 30 in a diagonally downward and rearward direction. At this time, the bottom wall 31 of the storage section 30 is prevented from moving diagonally downward and rearward in the portion supported by the support section 50, but is not prevented from moving diagonally downward and rearward in the portion not supported by the support section 50. As a result, the storage section 30 is bent in the vicinity of the rear end of the support section 50 of the bottom wall 31 so that the rear side of the support section 50 moves downward. In this embodiment, the first bead 35, which is the starting point of the bending, is formed in the bottom wall 31, so that the bottom wall 31 can be reliably bent at a desired position. As a result, when a collision occurs with a pedestrian, regardless of the presence or absence of luggage or the like in the storage section 30, the automobile vehicle 10 can ensure a collision stroke, and the injury value to the pedestrian can be reduced. For example, when a relatively hard object is stored in the storage section 30, the injury value for the pedestrian can be reduced even if the pedestrian's head comes into contact with the vicinity of the storage section 30 in the hood 20. In particular, in a structure in which the molding 32 of the storage section 30 comes into contact with the hood 20 as in this embodiment, the injury value for the pedestrian is likely to be large, but by bending the bottom wall 31 so that the rear side of the support portion 50 moves downward during a collision, it is possible to ensure the capacity of the storage section 30 and reduce the injury value at the same time.

[0024] 4, the storage section 30 bends so that the upper side of the front wall 34 moves diagonally downward and rearward upon collision with a pedestrian. In this embodiment, the front wall 34 of the storage section 30 is formed with the second bead 35, which serves as a starting point for bending, so that the front wall 34 can be reliably bent at a desired position, and the deformation mode of the front wall 34 of the storage section 30 upon collision with a pedestrian can be accurately controlled.

[0025] In addition, the rear wall 36 of the storage section 30 is attached to the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 so that the constraint on the cowl 40 is released by input from the hood 20 in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. As a result, as shown in Fig. 4, movement of the rear wall 36 of the storage section 30 is not hindered by the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, which also makes it possible to accurately control the deformation mode of the storage section 30.

[0026] In the above embodiment, the molding 32 of the storage section 30 comes into contact with the hood 20, but a lid that closes the opening may be provided on the upper part of the storage section 30. In other words, the shape, structure, etc. of the storage section can be appropriately changed as long as the storage section is structured so that the rear side of the support section moves downward near the rear end of the support section of the bottom wall due to input from the hood during a collision with a pedestrian.

[0027] In the above embodiment, the rear wall 36 of the storage section 30 is attached to the front wall 41 of the cowl 40 using the clip 70, but other parts or mechanisms may be used for attachment. In this case, too, it is preferable that the restraint of the storage section on the cowl is released by input from the hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. For example, a claw portion may be formed on one of the storage section 30 and the cowl 40, and a hole into which the claw portion is fitted may be formed on the other, so that the claw portion is broken by input in the event of a collision. Note that, for example, if the deformation of the bottom wall of the storage section in the event of a collision has already sufficiently reduced the injury value to the pedestrian, the mechanism for releasing the restraint of the storage section on the cowl may be omitted.

[0028] In the above embodiment, the second bead 35 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed on the front wall 34 as the front bending starting point, but for example, the thickness or material of the front wall 34 may be changed, and this changed part may be used as the front bending starting point. Also, for example, the rigidity may be changed by forming a rib or the like on at least one of the upper and lower sides of the front wall 34, and this changed part may be used as the front bending starting point. Furthermore, the vertical position of the front bending starting point may be appropriately changed according to the target deformation mode. For example, if the deformation of the bottom wall of the storage section at the time of a collision has already sufficiently reduced the value of the injury to pedestrians, the front bending starting point may be omitted.

[0029] In the above embodiment, the first bead 33 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed on the front wall 31 as the bottom bending starting point, but for example, the plate thickness or material of the bottom wall 31 may be changed, and this changed part may be used as the bottom bending starting point. For example, the rigidity may be changed by forming a rib or the like on at least one of the front and rear sides of the bottom wall 31, and this changed part may be used as the bottom bending starting point. Furthermore, the front and rear positions of the bottom bending starting point may be appropriately changed according to the target deformation mode. Note that the bottom bending starting point may be omitted if the bottom wall 31 of the storage section 30 can be folded at a desired position when a pedestrian hits it even with only the support part 50.

[0030] In addition, in the above embodiment, the position of the front end of the support portion 50 is shown to coincide with the position of the front end of the storage portion 30, but the front-to-rear position of the support portion 50 can be changed as appropriate as long as the storage portion 30 is supported forward of the center of the front-to-rear of the storage portion 30.

[0031] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0032] 10 Automobiles 20. Food 30 Storage area 30a flange 31 Bottom wall 32 Mall 33 First bead 34 Front wall 35 2nd bead 36 Back wall 37 Insertion hole 38 General diameter section 39 Enlarged diameter section 40 Cowl 41 Front wall 50 Support part 60 Side Frame 70 clips

Claims

1. A hood that covers the front part of the vehicle from above; a recessed storage space disposed below the hood and having a bottom wall, a front wall, and a rear wall; a support portion that supports the bottom wall of the storage portion from below, The support portion extends in a vehicle width direction and supports the storage portion forward of a front-rear center of the storage portion, The storage section is a vehicle front structure in which, due to input from the hood during a collision with a pedestrian, the storage section bends near the rear end of the support section of the bottom wall so that the rear side of the support section moves downward.

2. 2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the storage section has a bottom bending starting point portion formed in the bottom wall, the bottom wall being a starting point for bending the bottom wall in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2 , wherein the storage portion has a front bending starting point portion formed in the front wall, the front wall being a starting point for bending the front wall in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

4. a cowl disposed behind the storage section under the hood and covering a space under the hood from above; The cowl has a front wall disposed along the rear wall of the storage portion, 4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein the rear wall of the storage section is attached to the front wall of the cowl such that restraint on the cowl is released by an input from the hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

5. 5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the storage section has an opening formed at an upper portion, and a seal material is provided at the opening and comes into contact with the hood when the hood is lowered.

Images