Arch garnish

Abstract

To provide a garnish capable of protecting a panel in the event of an accident.SOLUTION: An arch garnish 18 is a member that is disposed across a bumper 15 and a fender panel 16 and attached to the fender panel 16 by means of a clip 17. The arch garnish 18 includes a clip attachment portion 181 and an inclined portion 182. A fender panel 16 has a clip engagement portion 161. A fixation portion 171 of the clip 17 is fixed to a clip attachment portion 181 of the arch garnish 18. An engagement portion 172 of the clip 17 is engaged with a clip engaging portion 161 of the fender panel 16. An inclined portion 182 has a contact portion 183 facing the fender panel 16 in the vicinity of the clip engaging portion 161. The contact portion 183 is inclined such that a distance from the clip 17 increases toward the distal-end side of the inclined portion 182.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an arch garnish. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, an increasing number of vehicles have garnishes attached to the outer surfaces of their panels for the purpose of improving the exterior design. The garnish, which is a long member, is attached to the vehicle panel via clips arranged at equal intervals along its length. One side of the clip engages with the vehicle panel, and the other side is fixed to the garnish. An invention for attaching a garnish to a vehicle body panel using clips is described, for example, in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-70354 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the inventions described in the above-mentioned patent documents leave room for improvement in terms of protecting the vehicle panels in the event of a collision accident.

[0005] Specifically, in a configuration in which a garnish is disposed so as to straddle the bumper and the panel, when a vehicle collision occurs, the collision energy generated by the collision propagates via the garnish. Therefore, even if the vehicle collision is a minor collision, the collision energy generated by the minor collision propagates from the bumper to the panel via the garnish, causing damage to the panel. Therefore, when a minor collision occurs, a problem arises in which not only the bumper but also the panel needs to be repaired or replaced.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a garnish that can protect a panel in the event of an accident. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An arch garnish according to one embodiment of the present invention is an arch garnish that is positioned across a bumper and a fender panel and is attached to the fender panel by a clip, the clip having a fixing portion and an engagement portion, the arch garnish having a clip attachment portion to which the clip is fixed and an inclined portion that protrudes toward the fender panel, the fender panel having a clip engagement portion that corresponds to the clip attachment portion of the arch garnish, the fixing portion of the clip is fixed to the clip attachment portion of the arch garnish, the engagement portion of the clip engages with the clip engagement portion of the fender panel, the inclined portion having an abutment portion that faces the fender panel in the vicinity of the clip engagement portion, and the abutment portion inclined so that the distance from the clip increases toward the tip of the inclined portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the arch garnish of the embodiment of the present invention, when a minor collision occurs at the front of the vehicle, the abutment portion of the inclined portion comes into contact with the fender panel, causing the clip to be removed from the fender panel. Therefore, since the arch garnish is at least partially detached from the fender panel, deformation of the fender panel due to a minor collision can be suppressed. Furthermore, vehicle repairability after a minor collision can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a vehicle equipped with an arch garnish according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view showing an arch garnish and its mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an arch garnish mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a clip is removed in the arch garnish according to an embodiment of the present invention when a collision accident occurs. [Figure 4B] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a clip is removed in the arch garnish according to an embodiment of the present invention when a collision accident occurs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An arch garnish 18 and a vehicle 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the vehicle inner side and vehicle outer side may be simply referred to as the inner side and the outer side. Furthermore, in the following description, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle 10 equipped with an arch garnish 18. As shown in FIG.

[0012] The vehicle 10 is, for example, a passenger car. A tire well 12 is formed on the side of the front part of the vehicle 10, and a tire 13 is disposed inside the tire well 12.

[0013] A bumper 15 is provided at the front end of the vehicle body 11. The bumper 15 is a long member made of a synthetic resin plate, and extends in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle body 11.

[0014] The fender panel 16 is part of a body panel made of metal plate, and is disposed on the side of the vehicle body 11 behind the bumper 15. The front portion of the tire well 12 is surrounded by the bumper 15, and the rear portion of the tire well 12 is surrounded by the fender panel 16. A boundary 20 is the boundary between the bumper 15 and the fender panel 16. The door 14 is disposed behind the fender panel 16. Here, the boundary 20 of the portion covered by the arch garnish 18 is indicated by a dotted line.

[0015] The arch garnish 18 is disposed across the bumper 15 and the fender panel 16 so as to surround the tire housing 12. The arch garnish 18 is a long, plate-like member having a generally arch shape.

[0016] 2 is a side view showing the arch garnish 18 and its mounting structure. In FIG. 2, the portion of the arch garnish 18 corresponding to the boundary 20 is shown enlarged and enclosed in a dotted square.

[0017] The arch garnish 18 is made of a plate-shaped synthetic resin and is arranged to surround the wheel well 12. The front portion of the arch garnish 18 is attached to the bumper 15, and the rear portion of the arch garnish 18 is attached to the fender panel 16.

[0018] A plurality of clip attachment portions 181 are formed on the surface of the arch garnish 18 facing the bumper 15 and the fender panel 16, i.e., on the inner surface. The clip attachment portions 181 are portions that are fixed to the fender panel 16 or the bumper 15 by clips 17, which will be described later. A plurality of clip attachment portions 181 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the arch garnish 18. A front portion of the arch garnish 18 is fixed to the bumper 15 via the clip attachment portions 181. A rear portion of the arch garnish 18 is attached to the fender panel 16 via the clip attachment portions 181.

[0019] A clip attachment portion 1811 is formed in a portion corresponding to boundary 20. Clip attachment portion 1811 is disposed so as to straddle boundary 20. As will be described later, clip 17 fixed to clip attachment portion 1811 is removed from fender panel 16 in the event of a collision. This reduces the impact energy transmitted to fender panel 16 in the event of a minor collision at the front of vehicle 10, thereby suppressing deformation and damage to fender panel 16. Furthermore, clip attachment portion 1811 is partially cut out to form clip fixing portion 184. Clip fixing portion 184 is the portion into which clip 17, which will be described later, is inserted.

[0020] 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting structure of the arch garnish 18. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the AA section line in FIG.

[0021] The arch garnish 18 has a clip mounting portion 1811 to which the clip 17 is fixed, and an inclined portion 182 that protrudes toward the fender panel 16. The arch garnish 18, clip mounting portion 1811, and inclined portion 182 are made of an integrally molded synthetic resin.

[0022] The clip attachment portion 1811 is a portion for fixing the clip 17. The clip attachment portion 1811 has a cross section that extends from the inner surface of the arch garnish 18 toward the inside of the arch garnish 18 in a generally hook shape.

[0023] The inclined portion 182 is a generally plate-shaped portion that extends inward from the front end side of the clip attachment portion 1811. The inclined portion 182 has a contact portion 183.

[0024] The abutting portion 183 is disposed so as to face the fender panel 16 in the vicinity of the clip engaging portion 161, specifically the contact portion 162. The abutting portion 183 is inclined toward the tip of the inclined portion 182, i.e., toward the inside, so that the distance from the center line 173 of the clip 17 increases. In this example, the abutting portion 183 is an inclined portion that is inclined forward toward the inside.

[0025] The clip fixing portion 184 is a part that is a partial opening of the clip mounting portion 1811. As will be described later, the clip 17 is inserted into the clip fixing portion 184 and fixed thereto.

[0026] The fender panel 16 is formed with a clip engagement portion 161 and a contact portion 162 .

[0027] The clip engagement portion 161 is a partially opened portion of the fender panel 16, and is formed to correspond to the clip attachment portion 1811 of the arch garnish 18. As will be described later, the clip 17 is engaged with the clip engagement portion 161 in a removable state.

[0028] The contact portion 162 is a corner formed by bending the fender panel 16 inward at a substantially right angle at the boundary 20. As will be described later, in the event of a collision, the abutment portion 183 of the inclined portion 182 comes into contact with the contact portion 162.

[0029] The storage area 19 is a recessed area formed by bending the rear end of the bumper 15 inward. The storage area 19 is formed near the boundary 20 and the contact portion 162. The storage area 19 is an area for storing the inclined portion 182.

[0030] The clip 17 has a fixed portion 171 and an engaging portion 172. The clip 17 is an engaging member made of an integrally molded synthetic resin. The narrowed portion of the fixed portion 171 of the clip 17 is inserted into and fixed to the clip fixed portion 184 of the clip mounting portion 1811. As will be described later, in the event of a minor collision, the fixed portion 171 of the clip 17 does not come off the clip mounting portion 1811. The engaging portion 172 of the clip 17 is engaged with the clip engaging portion 161 of the fender panel 16. As will be described later, in the event of a minor collision, the engaging portion 172 of the clip 17 comes off the clip engaging portion 161.

[0031] Here, the fixing portion 171 of the clip 17 is spaced apart from the front end of the clip fixing portion 184. That is, a gap 23 is formed between the front end of the clip fixing portion 184 and the fixing portion 171. The gap 23 is a portion that allows relative movement between the clip 17 and the arch garnish 18 in the event of a minor collision, and protects the fender panel 16. In the fore-and-aft direction, the length of the gap 23 can be set to be equal to or greater than the distance between the contact portion 162 and the abutment portion 183. This can significantly enhance the effect of protecting the fender panel 16.

[0032] Here, the inward protrusion length of the inclined portion 182 is set to be longer than the inward protrusion length of the clip 17. Specifically, the length by which the inclined portion 182 protrudes from the inner surface of the clip mounting portion 1811 toward the fender panel 16 is set to be L1. Furthermore, the length by which the clip 17 protrudes from the inner surface of the clip mounting portion 181 toward the fender panel 16 is set to be L2. In this case, L1 is set to be longer than L2. By doing so, as will be described later, in the event of a minor collision, the inclined portion 182 can be made to move outward by a long distance when it comes into contact with the contact portion 162, and the engaging portion 172 of the clip 17 can be reliably removed from the clip engaging portion 161.

[0033] The rear end of the bumper 15 is bent so as to extend inward. Similarly, the front end of the fender panel 16 is bent so as to extend inward. The rear end of the bumper 15 and the front end of the fender panel 16 are fastened together by a fastening portion 22.

[0034] Here, clip mounting portion 1811, clip 17, inclined portion 182, contact portion 183, storage area 19, etc. can also be referred to as panel mounting structure 21. Having panel mounting structure 21 allows clip 17 to detach from fender panel 16 in the event of a minor collision, thereby making it possible to suppress damage and deformation of fender panel 16.

[0035] 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views showing in time sequence how the clip 17 in the arch garnish 18 is removed when a collision occurs.

[0036] 4A, when a minor collision occurs at the front of the vehicle 10, an impact is generated that tends to displace the bumper 15 and the arch garnish 18 rearward. As a result, the arch garnish 18 is displaced rearward. When the arch garnish 18 is displaced rearward, the abutment portion 183 of the inclined portion 182 abuts against the contact portion 162. As a result, the inclined portion 182 is guided by the contact portion 162 and moves rearward and outward. Accordingly, the clip mounting portion 1811 and the clip 17 also move rearward and outward.

[0037] Here, a gap 23 exists between the front ends of the fixing portions 171 and 184 of the clip 17. As a result, even if the arch garnish 18 moves rearward due to a minor collision, the impact is prevented from being transmitted to the fender panel 16 via the clip 17. This prevents damage and deformation of the fender panel 16 due to a minor collision.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 4B, when the arch garnish 18 moves further rearward and outward, the fixing portion 171 of the clip 17 moves to the front end of the clip fixing portion 184. As a result, the gap 23 shown in FIG. 4A and other figures does not exist. Furthermore, the engaging portion 172 of the clip 17 is removed from the clip engaging portion 161 of the fender panel 16. The inclined portion 182 is disposed outward from the fender panel 16. As shown in FIG. 3, the inward protruding length L1 of the inclined portion 182 is longer than the protruding length L2 (FIG. 4A) of the clip 17. Therefore, the inclined portion 182 abutting against the contact portion 162 displaces the clip 17 sufficiently outward, and the clip 17 can be reliably removed from the clip engaging portion 161.

[0039] In this embodiment, the clip 17 is removed from the fender panel 16 at the boundary 20 between the bumper 15 and the fender panel 16. This prevents the impact energy input to the bumper 15 from being input to the fender panel 16 via the arch garnish 18. This prevents deformation and damage to the fender panel 16 during a minor collision.

[0040] The technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment will be described below together with their effects.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, an arch garnish is disposed across a bumper and a fender panel and attached to the fender panel by a clip, the clip having a fixing portion and an engaging portion, the arch garnish having a clip mounting portion to which the clip is fixed and an inclined portion protruding toward the fender panel, the fender panel having a clip engaging portion corresponding to the clip mounting portion of the arch garnish, the fixing portion of the clip being fixed to the clip mounting portion of the arch garnish, the engaging portion of the clip engaging the clip engaging portion of the fender panel, the inclined portion having an abutment portion that faces the fender panel in the vicinity of the clip engaging portion, the abutment portion inclining toward the tip of the inclined portion so as to increase the distance from the clip to the tip of the inclined portion. According to the arch garnish of this embodiment, in the event of a minor collision at the front of the vehicle, the abutment portion of the inclined portion comes into contact with the fender panel, thereby removing the clip from the fender panel. Therefore, the arch garnish is at least partially detached from the fender panel, which prevents the fender panel from being deformed by a minor collision.

[0042] In addition, in an arch garnish according to one embodiment of the present invention, the length by which the inclined portion protrudes from the clip attachment portion toward the fender panel is longer than the length by which the clip protrudes from the clip attachment portion toward the fender panel. With the arch garnish according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the event of a collision, the abutment portion of the inclined portion is guided by the fender panel by a sufficient length, allowing the engaging portion of the clip to be reliably removed from the fender panel.

[0043] In addition, in an arch garnish according to one embodiment of the present invention, a contact portion is formed on the fender panel of the clip engagement portion so as to face the abutment portion of the inclined portion. According to the arch garnish according to the embodiment of the present invention, in the event of a collision, the contact portion of the fender panel can effectively guide the abutment portion of the inclined portion.

[0044] In addition, the arch garnish according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a storage area for storing the inclined portion is formed near the contact portion. According to the arch garnish according to the embodiment of the present invention, a storage area for storing the inclined portion protruding toward the fender panel side can be secured.

[0045] In addition, in the arch garnish according to one embodiment of the present invention, the fixing portion of the clip is inserted into a clip fixing portion formed on the clip mounting portion, and a gap is formed between the front end of the clip fixing portion and the fixing portion. According to the arch garnish according to the embodiment of the present invention, by forming a gap between the front end of the clip fixing portion and the fixing portion, in the event of a minor collision, the transmission of impact to the fender panel 16 via the clip is suppressed, thereby suppressing deformation and damage to the fender panel 16.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and can be modified within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0047] For example, referring to Fig. 2, in this embodiment, when a minor collision occurs, the clip 17 is configured to be removed only from the clip mounting portion 1811, and the clips 17 are not removed from the other clip mounting portions 181. However, this configuration can be changed. Specifically, the clips 17 can be removed from a plurality of clip mounting portions 181, i.e., the above-described panel mounting structure 21 can be used. As an example, the clips 17 of the plurality of clip mounting portions 181 can be configured to be removed in the front portion of the arch garnish 18 in the event of a minor collision, and the clips 17 of the rear portion of the arch garnish 18 can be configured not to be removed even in the event of a minor collision. This can significantly reduce deformation of the fender panel 16 during a minor collision. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 vehicles 11 Body 12 Tire house 13 Tires 14 doors 15 Bumper 16 Fender panel 161 Clip engagement part 162 Contact part 17 clips 171 Fixed part 172 Engagement part 173 Center line 18 Arch garnish 181 Clip attachment part 1811 Clip attachment part 182 Slope 183 Contact part 184 Clip fixing part 19 Storage Area 20 boundaries 21 Panel mounting structure 22 Fastening part

Claims

1. An arch garnish that is disposed across a bumper and a fender panel and is attached to the fender panel by a clip, The clip has a fixing portion and an engaging portion, The arch garnish has a clip mounting portion to which the clip is fixed and an inclined portion that protrudes toward the fender panel, the fender panel has a clip engaging portion corresponding to the clip attaching portion of the arch garnish, The fixing portion of the clip is fixed to the clip mounting portion of the arch garnish, The engaging portion of the clip engages with the clip engaging portion of the fender panel, the inclined portion has an abutment portion that faces the fender panel in the vicinity of the clip engagement portion, The arch garnish is characterized in that the abutment portion is inclined so that the distance between the abutment portion and the clip increases toward the tip side of the inclined portion.

2. The length by which the inclined portion protrudes from the clip attachment portion toward the fender panel is 2. The arch garnish according to claim 1, wherein the length of the clip is longer than the length of the clip that protrudes from the clip attachment portion toward the fender panel.

3. 2. The arch garnish according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion is formed on the fender panel of the clip engagement portion so as to face the abutting portion of the inclined portion.

4. The arch garnish according to claim 3, wherein a storage area for storing the inclined portion is formed near the contact portion.

5. The arch garnish according to claim 4, wherein the storage area is formed at a boundary between the fender panel and the bumper.

6. The fixing portion of the clip is inserted into a clip fixing portion formed on the clip attachment portion, The arch garnish according to claim 1, wherein a gap is formed between a front end of the clip fixing portion and the fixing portion.

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