Vehicle front part structure

Abstract

To improve the impact absorption by a fender bracket.SOLUTION: A vehicle front part structure 100 includes: a front hood 1; a vehicle-body structure member 4 extending in a vehicle fore-aft direction; a fender bracket 5 fixed to the vehicle-body structure member 4; and a fender panel 2 attached to the fender bracket 5. The fender bracket 5 includes: a lower bracket 6 fixed to the vehicle-body structure member 4; and an upper bracket 7 to which the fender panel 2 is attached. The lower bracket 6 includes: an inner lower flange 61 fixed to the vehicle-body structure member 4; an inclined wall 62 extending from a vehicle width direction outer-end of the inner lower flange 61 and inclined so as to approach a vehicle width direction inner-side-surface 2b of the fender panel 2 toward a vehicle upper-side; and a standing wall 63 extending from an upper end of the inclined wall 62. The upper bracket 7 includes: a vertical wall 71 joined to the standing wall 63 and extending toward the vehicle upper-side; and an upper wall 72 extending from the vertical wall 71 toward a vehicle width direction inner-side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The power compartment at the front of the vehicle, where the engine, electric motor, etc. are located, is covered from above by a front hood, and a fender panel is located on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the power compartment, constituting part of the vehicle body outer side. A vehicle body structural member extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is provided below the vehicle widthwise outer side of the front hood when it is closed, and the fender panel is supported by the vehicle body structural member by being attached to a fender bracket fixed to the vehicle body structural member.

[0003] One example of a vehicle front structure that includes a fender bracket is disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the structure of Patent Document 1, a fender bracket is mounted on an apron member serving as a vehicle body structural member, a reinforcing member is attached to the base of the fender bracket, a box is formed by the base of the fender bracket, the upper surface of the apron member, and the reinforcing member, and a rigidity breaking point is provided on the fender bracket located directly above the box. In the structure of Patent Document 1, by providing the box to increase the rigidity of the base of the fender bracket, the rigidity of the fender bracket is ensured during normal use, and when a collision load acts from above on the front hood, the fender bracket buckles, thereby reducing the impact on a colliding body such as a pedestrian. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-138222 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the structure of Patent Document 1, the box increases the rigidity of the upper part of the apron member too much, and the deformation stroke (crash stroke) is lost by the amount of space occupied by the box, so there is room for improvement in terms of absorbing collision energy.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle front structure that can improve the absorption of collision energy by a fender bracket. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle front structure including a front hood that covers from above a power compartment provided at the front of the vehicle, a body structural member that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle below the vehicle widthwise outer portion of the front hood, a fender bracket fixed to the body structural member, and a fender panel that is attached to the fender bracket and forms part of the vehicle outer portion. In this vehicle front structure, the fender bracket has a lower bracket fixed to the body structural member and an upper bracket joined to an upper part of the lower bracket and to which the fender panel is attached, the lower bracket has an inner lower flange extending in the vehicle width direction and fixed to the body structural member, an inclined wall extending from the outer end of the inner lower flange in the vehicle width direction and inclining so as to approach the inner side of the fender panel the further it extends upward in the vehicle, and an upright wall extending upward in the vehicle from the upper end of the inclined wall, and the upper bracket has a vertical wall joined to the upright wall and extending upward in the vehicle, and an upper wall extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the vertical wall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle front structure that can improve the impact absorption by the fender bracket. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]1 is a perspective view showing a schematic external appearance of a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle front structure and its surroundings. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of the vehicle front structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of the vehicle front structure. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a top view of a main part of the vehicle front structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exterior side view of a main portion of the vehicle front structure. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a deformation state of a vehicle front structure when a collision load acts; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating a vehicle front structure 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a general appearance of the vehicle front structure 100 as viewed obliquely from above the front side of the vehicle, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main portion of the vehicle front structure 100 and its surroundings as viewed obliquely from above the front side of the vehicle. In FIG. 2, a front bumper 3 (described later) has been removed, and the outline of a front hood 1 (described later) is shown by a two-dot chain line. In the drawing, the arrow Fr direction indicates the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the arrow O direction indicates the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and the arrow U direction indicates the upward direction in the vehicle vertical direction. In the following description, "front" and "rear" correspond to the front and rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction, "up" and "down" correspond to the up and down in the vehicle vertical direction, and "left" and "right" correspond to the left and right in the vehicle width direction when a vehicle occupant is facing forward of the vehicle.

[0011] 1 and 2, a vehicle front structure 100 includes a front hood 1, a fender panel 2, a front bumper 3, a vehicle body structural member 4, and a fender bracket 5.

[0012] The front hood 1 is a member that covers from above a power chamber P provided at the front of the vehicle. The front hood 1 is mainly made of thin metal plate material. A power source for running the vehicle is disposed in the power chamber P. The power source is at least one of an engine and an electric motor.

[0013] The fender panel 2 is a component that forms part of the vehicle's outer side at the front of the vehicle. The fender panel 2 is made primarily of thin metal plate material and extends in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the vehicle. The fender panel 2 is provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. The outer surface of the fender panel 2 forms the vehicle's decorative surface.

[0014] The front bumper 3 extends generally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in front of the power chamber P, constituting the front end of the vehicle. Both sides of the front bumper 3 in the vehicle width direction bend toward the rear of the vehicle and extend to the front end of the fender panel 2, and together with the fender panel 2 form the design surface of the side of the vehicle.

[0015] The body structural member 4 is a member extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle below the vehicle widthwise outer portion of the front hood 1 in the closed state, and is part of a high-strength body frame member. The body structural member 4 is, for example, a dash side member (also referred to as a dash side front member or dash side frame) that extends forward from the vehicle widthwise outer portion of a dash panel (not shown) that separates the power compartment P from the passenger compartment. The body structural member 4 has, for example, a generally rectangular tubular cross section, and the front side of the body structural member 4 is inclined downward toward the front. The body structural member 4 extends along the upper part of the fender panel 2, on the vehicle widthwise inner side. The body structural member 4 is also located on the upper opening side of the power compartment P, in other words, on the side of the front hood 1 in the closed state.

[0016] Fender bracket 5 is a member fixed to body structural member 4, and its main function is to connect fender panel 2 to body structural member 4 and support fender panel 2 from the power compartment P side. Fender panel 2 is attached to and supported by fender bracket 5. Fender bracket 5 is fixed to the upper surface 4a of body structural member 4. Fender bracket 5 is positioned so that it protrudes upward from the upper surface 4a of body structural member 4 as a whole.

[0017] Next, the main components of the vehicle front structure 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIGS. 3 to 6 are diagrams for explaining the main components of the vehicle front structure 100, with FIG. 3 being a front view, FIG. 4 being a perspective view, FIG. 5 being a top view, and FIG. 6 being an exterior side view. Note that FIGS. 2 to 6 show the main components including the fender bracket 5 on the right side of the vehicle, and the main components on the left side of the vehicle are omitted. The main components on the left side of the vehicle have the same structure as the main components on the right side, except that they are bilaterally symmetrical to the main components shown in FIGS. 2 to 6. In FIG. 3, the front bumper 3 is removed, and the front hood 1 and fender panel 2 are shown in cross section, with the respective outlines of the front hood 1 and fender panel 2 indicated by two-dot chain lines. In FIGS. 4 to 6 and FIG. 7, which will be described later, the front hood 1 and fender panel 2 are omitted. Furthermore, in FIG. 6, the fender upper support plate 8, which will be described later, is omitted.

[0018] Referring to Figure 3, the front hood 1 has a double structure made up of, for example, an outer panel 1a and an inner panel 1b. The outer portion of the outer panel 1a in the vehicle width direction curves downward so as to smoothly connect to the contour of the fender panel 2. The inner panel 1b is connected to the periphery of the outer panel 1a. In the illustrated example, the outer portion of the inner panel 1b in the vehicle width direction is formed with a contact bulge 1c against which a cushioning member C, described below, comes into contact. The contact bulge 1c bulges outward from the vehicle at a position directly above the fender bracket 5 on the inner panel 1b.

[0019] A panel flange 2a extending inward in the vehicle width direction and in the vehicle longitudinal direction is formed on the vehicle front side portion of the upper part of the fender panel 2. The upper part of the fender panel 2 is bent downward, and the panel flange 2a is shifted slightly downward with respect to the upper end of the fender panel 2.

[0020] Fender bracket 5 has a lower bracket 6 that is fixed to vehicle body structural member 4, and an upper bracket 7 that is joined to the top of lower bracket 6 and to which fender panel 2 is attached. Lower bracket 6 and upper bracket 7 are each formed by performing press work, hole drilling, etc. on thin metal plate material.

[0021] In the illustrated example, the fender bracket 5 further has a fender upper support plate 8. The fender upper support plate 8 is joined to the upper bracket 7 so that an upper portion of the fender upper support plate 8 (in the illustrated example, a plate upper wall 8a described later) protrudes upward relative to the upper bracket 7. In this embodiment, the fender panel 2 is attached to the upper bracket 7 via the fender upper support plate 8 by fastening it to the fender upper support plate 8 joined to the upper bracket 7 with bolts B and nuts N. In the illustrated example, the fender upper support plate 8 is made up of a plate upper wall 8a that faces upward in the vehicle and abuts against the underside of the panel flange 2a of the fender panel 2, and a plate side wall 8b that extends downward from the inner end of the plate upper wall 8a in the vehicle width direction and is joined to the outer surface of the upper bracket 7 (the outer surface in the vehicle width direction of a vertical wall 71 described later) by spot welding or the like, and is formed in an L shape when viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0022] In this embodiment, the fender panel 2 is attached not only to the upper bracket 7 (fender upper support plate 8) but also to the lower bracket 6. In the illustrated example, the fender bracket 5 further has a fender front support plate 9. The fender front support plate 9 is joined to the lower bracket 6 so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from a front portion of the lower bracket 6 (a front wall 64 in the illustrated example, which will be described later). In this embodiment, the fender panel 2 is also attached to the lower bracket 6 via the fender front support plate 9 by being fastened to the fender front support plate 9 joined to the lower bracket 6 with bolts B and nuts N. In the illustrated example, the fender front support plate 9 is made up of a trapezoidal plate leg portion 9a that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from a vehicle width direction outer portion of the front portion of the lower bracket 6 (the front wall 64 in the illustrated example) and is joined to the lower bracket 6 by spot welding or the like, and a plate flange portion 9b that extends forward from the end of the plate leg portion 9a and abuts against the front portion of the fender panel 2 from the inside. As shown in Fig. 3, the fender front support plate 9 is located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction relative to the outer surface in the vehicle width direction of the body structural member 4. The portion of the front of the fender panel 2 that is attached to the plate flange portion 9b bulges outward in the vehicle width direction (see Fig. 3), and is covered and concealed by the front bumper 3 (not shown) so as not to be visible from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] Lower bracket 6 constitutes the lower part of fender bracket 5. In the illustrated example, the portion of upper surface 4a of body structural member 4 to which lower bracket 6 of fender bracket 5 is fixed is inclined downward toward the front in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0024] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the lower bracket 6 has an inner lower flange 61, an inclined wall 62, and an upright wall 63.

[0025] The inner lower flange 61 is fixed to the body structural member 4 and extends in the vehicle width direction. In the illustrated example, the inner lower flange 61 is fixed to the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4 along the upper surface 4a. When viewed in a plan view facing the upper surface 4a, the inner lower flange 61 is formed in a generally rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The inner lower flange 61 forms the inner end of the fender bracket 5 in the vehicle width direction at the bottom of the fender bracket 5, and the inner end of the inner lower flange 61 in the vehicle width direction forms the inner end of the fender bracket 5 in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] The inner lower flange 61 is formed with a plurality of (three in the illustrated example) lower bulging portions 61a spaced apart from each other in the fore-and-aft direction. The lower bulging portions 61a bulge downward, with the bottom surfaces of the lower bulging portions 61a abutting against the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4. The lower bulging portions 61a are joined to the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4 by spot welding or the like, thereby fixing the lower bracket 6 to the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4. In the illustrated example, the portion of the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4 to which the inner lower flange 61 of the fender bracket 5 is fixed is inclined downward toward the front in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0027] The inclined wall 62 extends from the outer end of the inner lower flange 61 in the vehicle width direction and is inclined so that the further it extends upward in the vehicle, the closer it approaches the inner side surface 2b in the vehicle width direction of the fender panel 2. In the illustrated example, the inclined wall 62 has, for example, a circular through-hole 62a opened in its central portion.

[0028] The upright wall 63 extends upward from the upper end of the inclined wall 62. In the illustrated example, the upright wall 63 extends upward in the generally vertical direction continuously from the entire upper end of the inclined wall 62, and has the same width as the inclined wall 62 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0029] Upper bracket 7 is joined to the upper part of lower bracket 6 and forms part of the upper part of fender bracket 5. In the illustrated example, the upper end of fender bracket 5 is formed by plate upper wall 8a of fender upper support plate 8 that protrudes above upper bracket 7.

[0030] 3 to 6, the upper bracket 7 has a vertical wall 71 and an upper wall 72. The upper bracket 7 is formed in a shape that is bent into a substantially L-shape when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0031] The vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 is joined to the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and extends upward in the vehicle. The vertical wall 71 is joined to an upper portion of the vehicle width direction outer surface of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6. In the illustrated example, the lower portion of the vertical wall 71 overlaps the upper portion of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and is joined to the upright wall 63 by spot welding or the like.

[0032] The upper wall 72 of the upper bracket 7 extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the vertical wall 71. In other words, the upper portion of the upper bracket 7 is bent inward in the vehicle width direction. The upper wall 72 is located directly above the inclined wall 62 of the lower bracket 6.

[0033] In this embodiment, a shock absorbing member C that comes into contact with the underside of the front hood 1 when the hood is closed is attached to the upper wall 72. In the illustrated example, the shock absorbing member C is attached to an upper bulge 72a formed in the middle of the upper wall 72 in the vehicle front-rear direction. Note that the shock absorbing member C has been removed in Figures 5, 6, and 7, which will be described later.

[0034] The buffer member C attached to the upper wall 72 is a member for mitigating the force that may be applied to the vehicle body when the hood is closed, and is made of, for example, an elastic rubber or resin member. When the hood is closed, most of the load of the front hood 1 is applied to a striker portion (not shown) provided at the front end of the vehicle body. In this embodiment, when the hood is closed, the front hood 1 is supported mainly by the striker portion, and is also supported by the fender bracket 5 via the buffer member C.

[0035] The upper bulge 72a of the upper wall 72 bulges slightly upward toward the vehicle, and the shock absorber C is fastened to the top of the upper bulge 72a using bolt insertion holes 72a1 opened at the top of the upper bulge 72a and bolts (not shown). The contact bulge 1c of the inner panel 1b of the front hood 1 is positioned to overlap the shock absorber C when the hood is closed. When the front hood 1 is closed, the contact bulge 1c contacts the upper surface of the shock absorber C and presses the shock absorber C downward, causing the shock absorber C to elastically deform. When the hood is closed, a portion of the impact that would otherwise be transmitted to the vehicle body (i.e., a portion of the impact input to the vehicle body when the hood is closed during normal use) is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the shock absorber C, thereby mitigating the input of the impact to the vehicle body. Although a portion of the impact when the hood is closed is transmitted to the fender bracket 5, the rigidity of the fender bracket 5 is set so that the fender bracket 5 is slightly elastically deformed within the range of elastic deformation due to the impact force after mitigation. Specifically, the elastic deformation allowance of the buffer member C and the fender bracket 5 when the hood is closed is set, for example, so that a gap is maintained between the front hood 1 and the fender panel 2, and between the front hood 1 and the bolt B of the panel flange 2a, when the buffer member C and the fender bracket 5 are elastically deformed.

[0036] In the illustrated example, in the upper bracket 7, the front and rear edges of the vertical wall 71 are each bent inward in the vehicle width direction, and the front, rear and inner edges of the upper wall 72 are each bent downward in the vehicle width direction, thereby improving the rigidity of the upper bracket 7.

[0037] In this embodiment, the lower bracket 6 further includes a front wall 64 and a front lower flange 65 in addition to the above-described elements (the inner lower flange 61, the inclined wall 62, and the upright wall 63). That is, in this embodiment, the lower bracket 6 is made up of the inner lower flange 61, the inclined wall 62, the upright wall 63, the front wall 64, and the front lower flange 65. The elements (61, 62, 63, 64, 65) of the lower bracket 6 are integrally formed by performing press work, hole drilling, etc. on a single sheet of metal thin plate material.

[0038] The front wall 64 of the lower bracket 6 extends outward in the vehicle width direction from a bent edge portion 6a, which is a portion that spans from the front end of the inclined wall 62 to the front end of the upright wall 63. In other words, the bent edge portion 6a is a front corner portion (more specifically, a ridge portion) of the lower bracket 6 where the inclined wall 62 and the upright wall 63 intersect with the front wall 64 that faces forward of the vehicle. The bent edge portion 6a is bent at an angle corresponding to the intersection angle between the inclined wall 62 and the upright wall 63. Specifically, the bent edge portion 6a is bent in a mountain shape that protrudes outward and diagonally downward in the vehicle width direction.

[0039] When the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 is used as a reference in the vehicle width direction, the front wall 64 is divided into an inner front wall portion 64a and an outer front wall portion 64b in the vehicle width direction. The inner front wall portion 64a is located inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the vertical wall 71, and the outer front wall portion 64b is located outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the vertical wall 71. An end of a plate leg portion 9a of the fender front support plate 9 is joined to the outer front wall portion 64b. The inner front wall portion 64a is continuous with the inclined wall 62 and is formed in a generally triangular shape in a plan view seen from the front of the vehicle, and is located directly below the upper wall 72 of the upper bracket 7. The outer front wall portion 64b is continuous with the upright wall 63 and the inner front wall portion 64a and is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape sloping upward in a plan view seen from the front of the vehicle, and is located directly below the fender upper support plate 8. Additionally, the outer front wall portion 64b is disposed so as to protrude in the vehicle width direction relative to the outer surface of the body structural member 4. The upper edge of the plate leg portion 9a of the fender front support plate 9 is positioned approximately on an extension of the upper part of the upper edge of the outer front wall portion 64b.

[0040] The front lower flange 65 of the lower bracket 6 extends from the lower end of the front wall 64 toward the front of the vehicle along the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4 and is fixed to the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4. The front lower flange 65 forms the front portion of the fender bracket 5 at the lower part of the fender bracket 5, and the front end of the front lower flange 65 forms the front end of the fender bracket 5. Like the inner lower flange 61, the front lower flange 65 is formed in a generally rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction aligned with the vehicle fore-and-aft direction in a plan view facing the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4. In the illustrated example, most of the front lower flange 65 extends from the inner front wall portion 64a of the front wall 64. The front lower flange 65 is joined to the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4 by spot welding or the like. In the illustrated example, the portion of the upper surface 4a of the body structural member 4 to which the front lower flange 65 of the fender bracket 5 is joined and fixed is also inclined downward toward the front in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0041] The front lower flange 65 forms the lower end of the front support leg of the fender bracket 5 that is joined to the vehicle body structural member 4, and the inner lower flange 61 forms the lower end of the support leg of the fender bracket 5 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the vehicle body structural member 4. In this embodiment, the rear portion of the lower part of the fender bracket 5 and the outer side of the lower part of the fender bracket 5 in the vehicle width direction are not provided with elements equivalent to the flanges (inner lower flange 61, front lower flange 65) that are joined to the vehicle body structural member 4, and are free from the vehicle body structural member 4. In other words, in the fender bracket 5, the flanges (support legs) that are joined to the vehicle body structural member 4 are provided only on the front side of the vehicle in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and only on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.

[0042] The front lower flange 65 protrudes forward relative to the front wall 64 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, is located directly below the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle up-down direction, and is mainly disposed in a region having a width generally corresponding to the bent edge portion 6a in the vehicle width direction. Referring to Figure 3, when viewed from one side in the vehicle longitudinal direction (the front in the figure), from top to bottom, the abutment bulge 1c, the buffer member C, the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7, the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6, the inner front wall portion 64a of the front wall 64 of the lower bracket 6, and the front lower flange 65 are aligned generally in this order.

[0043] 3 and 4 , in this embodiment, a gap G is provided between a lower end 6a1 of the bent edge portion 6a of the lower bracket 6 and the upper surface 4a of the vehicle body structural member 4. Specifically, a portion of the lower portion of the lower bracket 6 including the bent edge portion 6a is cut out. In other words, a portion of the lower portion of the lower bracket 6 between the inner lower flange 61 and the front lower flange 65 is cut out in a trapezoidal shape that is open downward. More specifically, the lower front end of the inclined wall 62 is cut out and not connected to the inner lower flange 61, and the lower portion of the front wall 64 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is cut out and not connected to the front lower flange 65. Therefore, the inner lower flange 61 is formed with a width shorter than the width of the inclined wall 62 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction and is formed close to the rear end of the inclined wall 62. The front lower flange 65 is formed with a width shorter than the width of the front wall 64 in the vehicle width direction and is continuous with the lower front wall 64 at approximately the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] In this embodiment, a bead 6b extending in the vehicle up-down direction is formed in a vehicle rear portion of the portion of the lower bracket 6 made up of the inclined wall 62 and the upright wall 63. A joint W between the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 is set in a position forward of the vehicle with respect to a center line X of the bead 6b in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0045] In the illustrated example, the bead 6b has a cross section that bulges inward in the vehicle width direction, extends from the inner lower flange 61 to the rear lower part of the upright wall 63, and forms a portion that includes the rear end of the lower bracket 6.

[0046] An upper portion 63a of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and a lower portion of the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 overlap each other, and a joint W between the upright wall 63 and the vertical wall 71 is set as a spot-welded joint at the overlapping portion of the upright wall 63 and the vertical wall 71. In the illustrated example, a shoulder portion 63b is formed at the front upper portion and the rear upper portion of the upright wall 63, and is recessed downward from the upper end of the upright wall 63. Therefore, the upper portion 63a of the upright wall 63, which is the portion above the shoulder portion 63b of the upright wall 63, has a width in the vehicle front-rear direction that is shorter than the width of the portion below the shoulder portion 63b of the upright wall 63. In the illustrated example, the upper portion 63a of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 that overlaps the vertical wall 71 has a plurality of (two in the illustrated example) outward bulges 63c that are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction. The outer bulging portion 63c bulges outward in the vehicle width direction, and the outer end surface of the outer bulging portion 63c abuts against the inner surface of the vertical wall 71 in the vehicle width direction. The outer bulging portion 63c is joined at joining points W by spot welding or the like, thereby joining the lower bracket 6 and the upper bracket 7. In the illustrated example, the outer bulging portion 63c is provided at the front end and the rear end of the upright wall 63, and the respective welding points of the front outer bulging portion 63c and the rear outer bulging portion 63c are set in positions forward of the vehicle with respect to the center line X of the bead 6b in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0047] In this embodiment, when the lower bracket 6 is fixed to the vehicle body structural member 4, the front wall 64 of the lower bracket 6 is located below the joint W between the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7. Specifically, with reference to Figures 4 and 6, the front wall 64 of the lower bracket 6 is located at a position spaced below the joint W between the upper part 63a of the upright wall 63 and the lower part of the vertical wall 71 in the vehicle up-down direction. The upper part 63a of the upright wall 63 extends above the shoulder 63b and the joint W.

[0048] 4 and 6, in the illustrated example, the upper bracket 7 has a width in the vehicle longitudinal direction that is shorter than the width of the inclined wall 62 of the lower bracket 6 and slightly longer than the width of the upper portion 63a of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6. In other words, the upper portion 63a of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 is completely covered by the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7.

[0049] In the illustrated example, the vehicle front-rear direction central portion of the lower edge of the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 extends to a portion of the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 that is below the shoulder 63b. However, there is a gap between the front lower portion of the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 and the front shoulder 63b of the lower bracket 6, and there is also a gap between the rear lower portion of the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 and the rear shoulder 63b of the lower bracket 6. The front wall 64 of the lower bracket 6 is not directly connected to the upper bracket 7.

[0050] Next, an example of a deformation state of vehicle front structure 100 when a collision load acts on front hood 1 from the front of the vehicle and diagonally above will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining an example of the deformation state of vehicle front structure 100. Fig. 7 shows an example of deformation of fender bracket 5 when a colliding object Z collides from diagonally above the front with a portion of front hood 1 that includes the portion directly above fender bracket 5. By having the above-described structure including fender bracket 5, vehicle front structure 100 aims to reduce the impact on a colliding object Z, such as a pedestrian.

[0051] Specifically, a collision load from a colliding object Z may act on a portion of the front hood 1, including the area directly above the fender bracket 5, from the front of the vehicle and diagonally upward (in the direction indicated by the white arrow in FIG. 4 ). At this time, the front hood 1 is deformed downward by the collision load from the colliding object Z. Part of the collision energy from the collision load is absorbed as deformation energy of the front hood 1 and the buffer member C, and most of the remaining collision energy may be input to the fender bracket 5. When the collision load is transmitted to the fender bracket 5, a first deformation (deformation in the direction indicated by arrow D1 in FIG. 7 ) toward the inside in the vehicle width direction may occur at the upper part of the fender bracket 5, and a second deformation (deformation in the direction indicated by arrow D2 in FIG. 7 ) toward the outside in the vehicle width direction may occur at the lower part of the fender bracket 5. In this way, when a collision load is applied, deformations in different directions in the vehicle width direction may occur at the upper and lower parts of the fender bracket 5. In other words, the fender bracket 5 may deform in at least two deformation modes (first deformation and second deformation).

[0052] More specifically, a collision load input from the front and diagonally above the vehicle acts on an upper wall 72 of upper bracket 7 of fender bracket 5. The upper wall 72, on which the collision load acts, extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of vertical wall 71 of upper bracket 7, which is joined to upright wall 63 that extends upward in the vehicle direction from the upper end of inclined wall 62 of lower bracket 6. In other words, the upper wall 72, on which the collision load acts on fender bracket 5, is disposed inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to other elements in the upper part of fender bracket 5, including upper bracket 7. Therefore, a deformation mode (the first deformation in the direction of arrow D1) mainly occurs in the upper part of fender bracket 5, in which the entire upper part of fender bracket 5, including upper bracket 7, collapses generally inward in the vehicle width direction starting from the boundary (bent portion) between inclined wall 62 and upright wall 63.

[0053] Additionally, at the lower part of fender bracket 5, the collision load acts on inclined wall 62 via upper wall 72 and vertical wall 71. Inclined wall 62 extends from the vehicle width direction outer end of inner lower flange 61, which is fixed to upper surface 4a, along upper surface 4a of vehicle body structural member 4, and is inclined so that the further upward in the vehicle it moves, the closer it is to the vehicle width direction inner surface 2b of fender panel 2. Therefore, at the lower part of fender bracket 5, a vehicle width direction outward deformation mode (the second deformation in the direction of arrow D2) can mainly occur, in which inclined wall 62 collapses generally outward in the vehicle width direction starting from the boundary portion (bent portion) between inner lower flange 61 and inclined wall 62.

[0054] In this way, when a collision load from a colliding object Z acts on the fender bracket 5, a portion of the collision energy is effectively absorbed by the fender bracket 5 as energy for the first and second deformations. Therefore, compared to simple buckling deformation in conventional structures, the collision energy from the collision load is absorbed more effectively by the deformation of the fender bracket 5. This reduces the reaction force from the vehicle body that may be applied to a colliding object Z, such as a pedestrian, and the deceleration of the colliding object Z is gentler, thereby reducing the impact on the colliding object Z. Furthermore, because deformations occur in two different directions in the vehicle width direction (the first and second deformations), the fender bracket 5 can effectively distribute the collision load in the vehicle width direction. This further promotes deformation of the fender bracket 5 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, because two deformation modes are primarily generated in the fender bracket 5, the impact on the colliding object Z can be effectively reduced even if the fender bracket 5 is short in the vehicle up-down direction and has a short crash stroke.

[0055] As described above, the vehicle front structure 100 of this embodiment has a structure that can improve the impact absorption by the fender bracket 5.

[0056] In this embodiment, lower bracket 6 further has a front wall 64 that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from bent edge portion 6a, which is the portion that spans from the front end of inclined wall 62 to the front end of upright wall 63, and a front lower flange 65 that extends from the lower end of front wall 64 toward the front of the vehicle along upper surface 4a of body structural member 4 and is fixed to upper surface 4a. In other words, in fender bracket 5, the flange (support leg) that is joined to body structural member 4 is provided as front lower flange 65 only on the front side of the vehicle in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and the wall that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the portion that spans from inclined wall 62 to upright wall 63 is provided as front wall 64 only on the front side of the vehicle. For this reason, the rigidity of fender bracket 5 at the front side of the vehicle against loads from above the vehicle is higher than the rigidity of fender bracket 5 at the rear side of the vehicle against loads from above the vehicle. Therefore, the durability of fender bracket 5 against the hood load that is input from generally above the vehicle via buffer member C when the hood is closed during normal use can be easily ensured by front wall 64 and front lower flange 65. And, because no members equivalent to front wall 64 and front lower flange 65 are provided on the vehicle rear side of fender bracket 5, fender bracket 5 is prone to deformation in the input direction of a collision load that is input to fender bracket 5 from the front of the vehicle and diagonally above when colliding with collision object Z. In other words, the rigidity of fender bracket 5 is set so that the high rigidity of the vehicle front side of fender bracket 5 does not hinder the intended desired deformation of fender bracket 5 in a collision with collision object Z.

[0057] In this embodiment, a gap G is provided between the lower end 6a1 of the bent edge portion 6a of the fender bracket 5 and the upper surface 4a of the vehicle body structural member 4, which makes it easier for the inclined wall 62 to collapse outward in the vehicle width direction when a collision load is input. This promotes deformation of the inclined wall 62 at the lower part of the fender bracket 5 when a collision load is input, making it easier for the collision energy to be absorbed more effectively as deformation energy of the fender bracket 5. For example, compared to when the bent edge portion 6a (in other words, the front corner or ridge portion of the lower bracket 6) extends to the upper surface 4a of the vehicle body structural member 4, the second deformation of the inclined wall 62 in this embodiment is promoted more effectively.

[0058] In this embodiment, a bead 6b extending in the vehicle up-down direction is formed in a vehicle rearward portion of the portion consisting of the inclined wall 62 and the upright wall 63, and a joint W between the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 is set in a position forward of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction center line X of the bead 6b formed on the lower bracket 6. This allows stress to be concentrated in the vehicle frontward portion of the portion consisting of the inclined wall 62 and the upright wall 63, and deformation starting from the vehicle frontward portion of the lower part of the lower bracket 6 can be promoted.

[0059] In this embodiment, a buffer member C is attached to the upper wall 72 of the upper bracket 7, which contacts the underside of the front hood 1 when the hood is closed. The hood load when the hood is closed during normal use can be received by the fender bracket 5. In this embodiment, the front wall 64, the front lower flange 65, and other components ensure durability against the hood load when the hood is closed during normal use, thereby suppressing elastic deformation of the fender bracket 5 when the hood is closed. This eliminates the need to widen the gap between the front hood 1 and the fender panel 2 in advance to prevent the front hood 1 from contacting the fender panel 2 when the hood is closed. This allows the gap between the front hood 1 and the fender panel 2 to be appropriately narrowed, improving the appearance quality of the front part of the vehicle.

[0060] In this embodiment, when the lower bracket 6 is fixed to the vehicle body structural member 4, the front wall 64 of the lower bracket 6 is disposed at a position spaced downward from the joint W between the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7. Therefore, the joint W between the upright wall 63 of the lower bracket 6 and the vertical wall 71 of the upper bracket 7 is spaced upward from the portion of the lower bracket 6 that includes the inclined wall 62 and the front wall 64, which is a highly rigid portion of the lower bracket 6. Therefore, deformation is promoted also at the joint W during a collision with the colliding object Z, and impact absorption by the fender bracket 5 is more effectively improved.

[0061] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and changes can be made based on the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1...Front hood 2...Fender panel 2b...Inner surface of fender panel in the vehicle width direction 3...Front bumper 4... Body structural members 4a…Top surface 5...Fender bracket 6...Lower bracket 6a...Bent edge 6a1...Lower end of bent edge 6b...Bead 61...Inner lower flange 62…Slanted wall 63…Standing wall 64...Front wall 65...Front lower flange 7...Upper bracket 71...Vertical wall 72...Upper wall 8...Fender upper support plate 9...Front fender support plate 100...Vehicle front structure C...Buffer member G...gap P…power room X: Center line of the bead in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle Z…Collision body W: Joint between vertical wall and upright wall

Claims

1. A vehicle front structure including: a front hood that covers from above a power compartment provided in a front portion of a vehicle; a vehicle body structural member that extends in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle below an outer portion of the front hood in a vehicle width direction; a fender bracket fixed to the vehicle body structural member; and a fender panel that is attached to the fender bracket and forms a part of an outer portion of the vehicle, the fender bracket includes a lower bracket fixed to the vehicle body structural member and an upper bracket joined to an upper portion of the lower bracket and to which the fender panel is attached, the lower bracket has an inner lower flange extending in the vehicle width direction and fixed to the vehicle body structural member, an inclined wall extending from an outer end of the inner lower flange in the vehicle width direction and inclined so as to approach the inner surface of the fender panel in the vehicle width direction as it extends upwardly of the vehicle, and an upright wall extending upwardly of the vehicle from an upper end of the inclined wall, The vehicle front structure, characterized in that the upper bracket has a vertical wall joined to the upright wall and extending upwardly of the vehicle, and an upper wall extending inward in the vehicle width direction from an upper end of the vertical wall.

2. 2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower bracket further includes a front wall extending outward in the vehicle width direction from a bent edge portion that is a portion extending from a front end of the inclined wall to a front end of the upright wall, and a front lower flange that extends from a lower end of the front wall toward the front of the vehicle along the upper surface of the vehicle body structural member and is fixed to the upper surface.

3. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2 , wherein a gap is provided between a lower end of the bent edge portion and the upper surface of the vehicle body structural member.

4. a bead extending in the vehicle up-down direction is formed in a vehicle rear side portion of the portion consisting of the inclined wall and the upright wall, 4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein a joint between the upright wall of the lower bracket and the vertical wall of the upper bracket is set at a position forward of the vehicle with respect to a center line of the bead in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

5. 2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein a buffer member is attached to the upper wall of the upper bracket, the buffer member contacting a lower surface of the front hood when the hood is closed.

6. 6. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, wherein, when the lower bracket is fixed to the vehicle body structural member, the front wall of the lower bracket is disposed at a position spaced downward from a joint between the upright wall of the lower bracket and the vertical wall of the upper bracket.

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