Vehicle front part structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front part structure capable of suppressing a sound pressure drop of a sound generated from a horn, and also capable of suppressing occurrence of a failure in the horn.SOLUTION: A vehicle front part structure 10 includes: a bumper reinforcement 26 extending substantially in a vehicle width direction at a front part side of a vehicle 12; an absorber 30 that is provided at a vehicle front side relative to the bumper reinforcement 26 and includes a notch part 32 forming, together with a front wall 26F of the bumper reinforcement 26, a through hole H penetrating in a vehicle vertical direction; a lower grille 16 provided on a bumper cover 14 at a vehicle lower side relative to the absorber 30, in a front view; and a horn 40 that is supported on an upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 and is disposed in such a manner as to allow a resonance part 42 to face the through hole H from a vehicle upper side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A structure in which a first horn and a second horn are disposed directly below a bumper reinforcement in order to ensure the sound pressure performance of the horn (suppress a decrease in sound pressure) has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-166803 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with such a structure, there is a risk that the horn may break down due to interference with the road surface or entry of foreign matter such as muddy water.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure that can suppress a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn and also suppress the occurrence of malfunctions in the horn. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a vehicle front structure of a first aspect of the present invention includes a bumper reinforcement extending approximately in the vehicle width direction at the front side of the vehicle, an absorber provided on the vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a cutout portion that forms a through hole penetrating in the vehicle up-down direction with a front wall of the bumper reinforcement, a lower grille provided on a bumper cover on the vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view, and a horn supported by an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and positioned so that a resonating portion faces the through hole from above the vehicle.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the invention, an absorber provided on the vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement has a cutout portion that forms a through hole penetrating in the vehicle up-down direction together with a front wall of the bumper reinforcement. A lower grill is provided on the bumper cover on the vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view, and a horn supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement is disposed so that a resonance portion faces the through hole from above the vehicle.

[0008] In other words, the sound generated from the horn is transmitted from the lower grille to the front side of the vehicle through the through hole. Therefore, the reduction in the sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn is suppressed. In addition, since the horn is supported by the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, there is no risk of the horn breaking down due to interference with the road surface or the intrusion of foreign matter such as muddy water. This also suppresses the occurrence of breakdowns in the horn.

[0009] Furthermore, a vehicle front structure of a second aspect of the present invention includes a bumper reinforcement extending approximately in the vehicle width direction at the front side of the vehicle, an absorber provided on the vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a cutout portion that forms a through hole that penetrates in the vehicle up-down direction together with a bumper cover, a lower grill provided on the bumper cover on the vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view, and a horn supported by an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and positioned so that a resonating portion faces the through hole from above the vehicle.

[0010] According to the second aspect of the invention, an absorber provided on the vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement has a cutout portion that forms a through hole penetrating in the vehicle up-down direction together with the bumper cover. A lower grill is provided on the bumper cover on the vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view, and a horn supported on an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement is disposed so that a resonance portion faces the through hole from above the vehicle.

[0011] In other words, the sound generated from the horn is transmitted from the lower grille to the front side of the vehicle through the through hole. Therefore, the reduction in the sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn is suppressed. In addition, since the horn is supported by the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, there is no risk of the horn breaking down due to interference with the road surface or the intrusion of foreign matter such as muddy water. This also suppresses the occurrence of breakdowns in the horn.

[0012] Furthermore, a third aspect of the vehicle front structure according to the present invention is the vehicle front structure of the first or second aspect, wherein the horn is supported by an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement so as to be movable toward the rear side of the vehicle when a load is input from the front side of the vehicle.

[0013] According to the third aspect of the invention, the horn is supported by the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement so as to be movable toward the rear side of the vehicle when a load is input from the front side of the vehicle. Therefore, there is no risk that the horn will hinder the energy absorption by the absorber in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the vehicle front structure according to the present invention is the vehicle front structure of the third aspect, wherein a shielding plate that prevents the horn from moving toward the rear of the vehicle under normal circumstances is provided on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, and the horn is configured to break through the shielding plate and move toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is input from the front of the vehicle.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, a shielding plate that prevents the horn from moving toward the rear of the vehicle under normal conditions is provided on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement. When a load is input from the front of the vehicle, the horn breaks through the shielding plate and moves toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, the horn can be moved toward the rear of the vehicle with a simple configuration when a load is input from the front of the vehicle.

[0016] Furthermore, a fifth aspect of the vehicle front structure according to the present invention is a vehicle front structure of any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the cutout portions forming the through holes are formed at intervals in the vehicle width direction, and the horn is provided for each of the through holes.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect of the invention, a plurality of cutouts forming through holes are formed at intervals in the vehicle width direction, and a horn is provided for each through hole. Therefore, compared to the case where a single horn is provided, a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound transmitted from the lower grille to the front side of the vehicle is suppressed. Effect of the Invention

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn, and also to suppress the occurrence of breakdowns in the horn. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle front structure relating to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle front structure relating to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1A is a schematic side view showing a state of a horn during a frontal collision of the vehicle front structure according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view showing a state of the horn during a frontal collision of the vehicle front structure according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a schematic side view showing a vehicle front structure relating to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a vehicle front structure relating to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 1A is a schematic side view showing a state of a horn during a frontal collision of the vehicle front structure according to the second embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view showing a state of the horn during a frontal collision of the vehicle front structure according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, the arrow UP shown in each drawing indicates the vehicle upward direction, the arrow FR indicates the vehicle forward direction, and the arrow RH indicates the vehicle rightward direction. Therefore, in the following explanation, when the directions of up / down, front / rear, and left / right are described without special mention, they refer to up / down in the vehicle up / down direction, front / rear in the vehicle front / rear direction, and left / right in the vehicle left / right direction (vehicle width direction).

[0021] First Embodiment First, the first embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, a bumper cover 14 that constitutes the design of a front end of a vehicle 12 to which a vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment is applied is provided at the front end of the vehicle. A lower grille 16 is provided at the lower part of the bumper cover 14 (below an absorber 30, described later, when viewed from the front), and a plurality of openings 16A are formed in the lower grille 16 aligned in the vertical direction with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction.

[0022] A power unit room 18 is provided behind the bumper cover 14, and drive devices such as an engine and a motor (not shown) are installed inside the power unit room 18. A radiator 20 is provided in front of the drive devices. An upper radiator support 22 is provided above the radiator 20, and a lower radiator support 24 is provided below the radiator 20. The radiator 20 is fixed by the upper radiator support 22 and the lower radiator support 24.

[0023] A pair of left and right front side members (not shown) extend along the front-rear direction on the vehicle width outer sides of the power unit room 18. A bumper reinforcement 26 extending substantially along the vehicle width direction is bridged across front ends of the pair of left and right front side members disposed on the front side of the vehicle 12.

[0024] The radiator 20 is disposed on the rear side of the bumper reinforcement 26, and a duct 28 is provided between the radiator 20 and the bumper reinforcement 26. Outside air introduced from the lower grille 16 flows into the power unit room 18 through this duct 28 to cool the drive unit.

[0025] An absorber 30 is provided between the bumper cover 14 and the bumper reinforcement 26 (rear side of the bumper cover 14 and forward side of the bumper reinforcement 26). This absorber 30 is configured to be able to absorb the energy of a collision load input from the front side during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, etc. Specifically, this absorber 30 is configured from a foam such as polypropylene. Note that the absorber 30 may be configured from a material with high impact absorption properties, and the material is not particularly limited.

[0026] 1 and 2, the absorber 30 is formed in a substantially rectangular column shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction. The vertical dimension of the absorber 30 is set according to the dimension of the bumper reinforcement 26, and is set to be the same as or slightly shorter than the bumper reinforcement 26, taking into account manufacturing dimensional tolerances. The vehicle width dimension of the absorber 30 is set within the range of the vehicle width length of the front end of the bumper cover 14, which is disposed substantially parallel to the bumper reinforcement 26, and the illustrated dimension is substantially the same as that length.

[0027] The absorber 30 also has a cutout 32 that forms a through hole H that penetrates in the up-down direction with the front wall 26F of the bumper reinforcement 26. That is, the cutout 32 is formed in a generally "U" shape in a plan view with the open side facing the rear side, and a plurality of cutouts (two cutouts are shown) are formed at a predetermined distance apart in the vehicle width direction. The depth (length along the front-rear direction) of the cutout 32 is set to an extent that does not impair the function of the absorber 30, for example, approximately 1 / 3 of the thickness of the absorber 30 along the front-rear direction.

[0028] Additionally, a horn 40 is supported on the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 via a support mechanism 36 that enables movement rearward. The support mechanism 36 and the horn 40 are provided for each through hole H, and are arranged so that a resonating portion 42 at the tip faces the through hole H from above. In other words, each horn 40 is arranged with the resonating portion 42 facing downward, and is configured to generate sound toward the inside of each through hole H.

[0029] The sound generated toward the inside of each through hole H is transmitted forward through opening 16A of lower grill 16. In Figures 1 and 2, the transmission path of the sound generated from each horn 40 is indicated by arrow P. Also, although the illustrated horns 40 are arranged symmetrically, this is not limiting.

[0030] The support mechanism 36 includes a slide member 38 that is generally "L" shaped in a side view and that is configured to be able to slide rearward, and a shielding plate 37 that normally prevents the slide member 38 from moving rearward, and the horn 40 is attached to a front wall 38F of the slide member 38. A needle-shaped member 39 that is tapered toward the rear side is provided on the upper surface of a lower wall 38D of the slide member 38, and the shielding plate 37 is disposed opposite the tapered rear end of the needle-shaped member 39.

[0031] Therefore, as shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B), when a load (indicated by arrow G in Figure 3(B)) is input to horn 40 from the front side during a frontal collision of vehicle 12, the tapered rear end of needle-shaped member 39 breaks through shielding plate 37, and horn 40 becomes able to move rearward together with slide member 38.

[0032] Next, the operation of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment configured as above will be described.

[0033] As described above, the absorber 30 provided on the front side of the bumper reinforcement 26 has the cutout portion 32 that forms a through hole H that penetrates in the up-down direction with the front wall 26F of the bumper reinforcement 26. The lower grille 16 is provided on the bumper cover 14 below the absorber 30 in a front view, and the horn 40 supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 is disposed so that the resonating portion 42 faces the through hole H from above.

[0034] That is, the sound generated from the horn 40 is transmitted from the lower grill 16 to the front side through the through hole H. Therefore, even in a vehicle 12 that is not provided with an upper grill, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn 40. Moreover, since a plurality (two) of the notches 32 that form the through holes H are formed at intervals in the vehicle width direction and a horn 40 is provided for each of the through holes H, it is possible to more effectively suppress a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound transmitted from the lower grill 16 to the front side compared to the case where a single horn 40 is provided.

[0035] Moreover, the horn 40 is supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 and is disposed above the lower grille 16. That is, a large distance can be secured between the horn 40 and the road surface. Therefore, there is no risk of the horn 40 breaking down due to interference with the road surface or entry of foreign matter such as muddy water. In other words, according to the first embodiment, the occurrence of breakdowns in the horn 40 can be suppressed, and the reliability of the horn 40 can be improved.

[0036] Moreover, the horn 40 is supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 so as to be movable rearward when a load is input from the front side. More specifically, a shielding plate 37 that prevents the horn 40 from moving rearward under normal circumstances is provided on the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26, and a needle-shaped member 39 that faces the shielding plate 37 is provided on the slide member 38 to which the horn 40 is attached.

[0037] Therefore, when a load is input from the front side during a frontal collision of vehicle 12, needle-shaped member 39 provided on slide member 38 breaks through shielding plate 37 and moves rearward together with slide member 38, as shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B). Therefore, there is no risk that energy absorption by absorber 30 (deformation of absorber 30) will be hindered by horn 40 during a frontal collision of vehicle 12. In addition, because the horn 40 can be moved rearward with such a simple configuration, an increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0038] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as those in the first embodiment, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0039] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the absorber 30 has a cutout portion 34 that forms a through hole H that penetrates in the vertical direction with the bumper cover 14, and that the slide member 38 is arranged to extend a predetermined length toward the upper surface side (front side) of the absorber 30.

[0040] That is, the notch 34 is formed in a generally "U" shape in a plan view with the open side facing forward, and a plurality of notches (two in the figure) are formed at a predetermined distance apart in the vehicle width direction. The depth of the notch 34 is set to be equal to the depth of the notch 32 in the first embodiment. Also, each horn 40 provided for each through hole H is arranged by having the slide member 38 extend a predetermined length toward the upper surface side of the absorber 30 so that the resonating portion 42 at the tip faces the through hole H from above.

[0041] That is, each horn 40 is disposed with resonating portion 42 facing downward, and is configured to generate sound toward the inside of each through-hole H. The sound generated toward the inside of each through-hole H is then transmitted forward through opening 16A of lower grill 16. Therefore, even in a vehicle 12 that is not particularly provided with an upper grill, a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound generated from horn 40 can be suppressed.

[0042] Moreover, the horn 40 is supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 and is disposed above the lower grille 16. Therefore, there is no risk of the horn 40 breaking down due to interference with the road surface or entry of foreign matter such as muddy water. In other words, according to the second embodiment, the occurrence of breakdowns in the horn 40 can be suppressed, and the reliability of the horn 40 can be improved.

[0043] Moreover, the horn 40 is supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 so as to be movable rearward when a load is input from the front side. More specifically, a shielding plate 37 that prevents the horn 40 from moving rearward under normal circumstances is provided on the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26, and a needle-shaped member 39 that faces the shielding plate 37 is provided on the slide member 38 to which the horn 40 is attached.

[0044] Therefore, when a load is input from the front side during a frontal collision of vehicle 12, needle-shaped members 39 provided on slide member 38 break through shielding plate 37 and move rearward together with slide member 38, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B). Therefore, there is no risk that energy absorption by absorber 30 (deformation of absorber 30) will be hindered by horn 40 during a frontal collision of vehicle 12.

[0045] The vehicle front structure 10 according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the vehicle front structure 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the one shown in the drawings, and can be appropriately modified in design within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0046] For example, the support mechanism 36 that supports the horn 40 so that it can move rearward is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure. Although not shown, the support mechanism 36 may be configured so that the horn 40 can move rearward (retract) when a load is input from the front side by providing a weak part or hinge part or the like in the member to which the horn 40 is attached. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Vehicle front structure 12 Vehicles 14 Bumper Cover 16 Lower Grill 26 Bumper Reinforcement 26F front wall 26U top wall 30 Absorber 32 Notch 34 Notch 37 Shielding plate 40 Horn 42 Resonance section H through hole

Claims

1. A bumper reinforcement extending in a substantially vehicle width direction at a front side of the vehicle; an absorber provided on a vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a cutout portion that forms a through hole penetrating in the vehicle up-down direction with a front wall of the bumper reinforcement; a lower grill provided on a bumper cover below the shock absorber when viewed from the front; a horn supported by an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and arranged so that a resonance portion faces the through hole from above the vehicle; A vehicle front structure comprising:

2. A bumper reinforcement extending in a substantially vehicle width direction at a front side of the vehicle; an absorber provided on a vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a cutout portion that forms a through hole penetrating in the vehicle up-down direction together with a bumper cover; a lower grill provided on the bumper cover on a vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view; a horn supported by an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and arranged so that a resonance portion faces the through hole from above the vehicle; A vehicle front structure comprising:

3. 3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the horn is supported by an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement so as to be movable toward the rear side of the vehicle when a load is input from the front side of the vehicle.

4. A shielding plate that normally prevents the horn from moving toward the rear of the vehicle is provided on an upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, 4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein the horn breaks through the shielding plate and moves toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is input from the front side of the vehicle.

5. The cutout portion forming the through hole is formed in a plurality of positions spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, 3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the horn is provided for each of the through holes.

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