Fender cover structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a fender cover structure for a vehicle that is able to enhance soundproof performance against noise emitted outside the vehicle from an engine room, while securing the airtightness of a side part of the engine room using a seal member.SOLUTION: A fender cover structure for a vehicle, in a fender cover 20 disposed so as to cover a gap 14 above an apron upper-member 10, includes: a fender cover main body 21 having a vertical plate portion 21b covering the gap 14 from a vehicle-width-direction inner side, and a top plate portion 21a extending from an upper end of the vertical plate portion 21b to a vehicle-width-direction outer side; a sound absorbing material 30 provided along the vertical plate portion 21b and preventing noise from being emitted outside the vehicle; and a seal member 25 provided on the top plate portion 21a and elastically coming into contact with a vehicle-width-direction inner side of an upper end part of a front fender panel 5 to block an airflow ejected outside the vehicle. The fender cover main body 21 is formed of a material harder than the sound absorbing material 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle fender cover structure that covers a gap formed between a vehicle body frame member that forms an engine compartment and a front fender panel. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a pair of left and right apron upper members extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body as body frame members on the outer lateral sides of the engine compartment of an automobile, etc. Front fender panels are attached to the top of each apron upper member via brackets from the perspective of pedestrian protection.

[0003] Therefore, a gap equivalent to the height of the bracket is formed between the top surface of the apron upper member and the mounting portion of the front fender panel.

[0004] In order to cover such gaps from the inside in the vehicle width direction, fender covers are generally provided on the sides of the engine compartment.

[0005] BACKGROUND ART As disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-161141), for example, a fender cover (fender protector) is formed into a substantially L-shaped cross section.

[0006] Furthermore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a seal member is provided on the upper surface of the fender cover. Such a seal member elastically contacts the side edge of the engine hood, thereby suppressing the airflow that escapes from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion. Restricting the airflow to the outside of the vehicle by such a seal member improves aerodynamic performance.

[0007] The fender cover, which covers the gap on the side of the engine compartment, reduces the transmission of noise from the engine compartment to the front fender panel. This also contributes to reducing noise emitted to the outside of the vehicle via the front fender panel. Therefore, in order to improve soundproofing performance, it is conceivable to form the fender cover out of soundproofing material, for example. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-161141 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, if the fender cover is made of soundproofing material, the rigidity of the fender cover decreases, which can make it difficult to provide a seal member on the fender cover. In this case, it is not possible to ensure airtightness on the side of the engine compartment using a seal member, and there is a risk that the airflow expelled outside the vehicle will deteriorate the aerodynamic performance.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a vehicle fender cover structure that can improve soundproofing performance against noise emitted from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle while ensuring airtightness of the side of the engine compartment using a sealing member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention is a vehicle fender cover structure that is arranged to cover a gap above a body frame member on the vehicle width outer side of an engine compartment, and comprises a fender cover main body having a vertical plate portion that covers the gap from the vehicle width inner side and a top plate portion that extends from the upper end of the vertical plate portion to the vehicle width outer side, a soundproofing material that is provided along the plate surface of the vertical plate portion and prevents noise from being emitted from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle, and a sealing member that is provided on the top plate portion and elastically contacts the vehicle width inner side of the upper end of an exterior member to block the airflow that sprays from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle, and the fender cover main body is formed from a material that is harder than the soundproofing material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the vehicle fender cover structure of the present invention, it is possible to improve soundproofing performance against noise emitted from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle while ensuring airtightness of the side of the engine compartment using the sealing member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a state in which a fender cover is installed on the outer side of an engine compartment in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is an enlarged front perspective view showing a state in which a fender cover is installed on the outer side of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is an enlarged front perspective view showing the structure of the fender cover in an exploded state. [Figure 4] IV-IV cross section of Figure 2 [Figure 5] VV cross section of Figure 2 [Figure 6] VI-VI cross section of Figure 2 [Figure 7] 2 sectional view showing a state in which noise is prevented from escaping from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle and a state in which airflow blowing outward in the vehicle width direction from the engine compartment is blocked. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In the drawings used in the following description, the scales of the components are different so that each component can be recognized easily. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the number of components, the shapes of the components, the size ratios of the components, and the relative positions of the components shown in these drawings.

[0016] In the following description, when the term "joining" is used, the joining method is performed using joining means such as fusion joining or mechanical joining.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the front portion of a vehicle body 2 of a vehicle 1 is configured to include an engine hood 3, an engine compartment 4, and a pair of left and right front fender panels 5.

[0018] The engine hood 3 is composed of an outer panel 3a and an inner panel 3b, which are made of, for example, steel plate. The outer periphery of the outer panel 3a is joined to the inner panel 3b by hemming. Both ends of the rear end of the engine hood 3 are swingably supported on the vehicle body 2 via a pair of left and right hinges 6.

[0019] The engine room 4 has an opening 7 that opens the interior of the engine room 4 upward.

[0020] The opening 7 can be opened and closed by the engine hood 3. The opening 7 is formed along a plurality of frames of the vehicle body 2 that surround the engine compartment 4.

[0021] The plurality of frames include, for example, body frame members such as a radiator core upper (not shown) extending in the vehicle width direction in front of the opening 7, a pair of left and right radiator core upper sides 9, and a pair of left and right apron upper members 10. These body frame members are formed by pressing sheet metal members made of high-strength steel plate or the like.

[0022] The pair of left and right radiator core upper sides 9 extend from both ends of the radiator core upper while curving toward the rear of the vehicle body.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a pair of left and right apron upper members 10 extend forward from both ends of a cowl top 11 extending in the vehicle width direction at the lower end of the windshield 8 on the vehicle outer side along the engine compartment 4. The front ends of each apron upper member 10 extending forward are connected to the rear ends of the radiator core upper sides 9. Note that a suspension tower 12 that supports the upper part of a suspension device (not shown), for example, is joined to the inner side of each apron upper member 10 in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of front and rear brackets 13 for attaching the front fender panel 5 are provided on the upper surface of each apron upper member 10.

[0025] The pair of front and rear brackets 13 are provided, for example, at a predetermined distance in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body. Each bracket 13 is formed by pressing a sheet metal member. This processing gives each bracket 13 a generally hat-shaped cross section when viewed from the side in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] Specifically, each bracket 13 is configured to have a top plate portion 13a and a pair of wall portions 13b.

[0027] The top plate portion 13a is provided at a predetermined distance from and in a position facing the upper surface of the apron upper member 10. A bolt hole 13c for attaching the front fender panel 5 is provided in approximately the center of the top plate portion 13a.

[0028] The pair of wall portions 13b extend downward from both ends of the top plate portion 13a in the vehicle front-rear direction. Each of the lower ends of the downwardly extending wall portions 13b is bent in the vehicle front-rear direction and joined to the upper surface of the apron upper member 10.

[0029] Each bracket 13 thus provided is capable of absorbing collision energy by crushing each wall portion 13b when, for example, a strong collision load of a predetermined magnitude or greater is input from above the front fender panel 5.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 3, the pair of left and right front fender panels 5 are provided on the outer sides in the vehicle width direction as exterior members of the vehicle body 2. Each front fender panel 5 is formed, for example, by pressing a sheet metal member made of a steel plate or the like.

[0031] Each front fender panel 5 has an inner wall portion 5a and a flange 5b.

[0032] 4, the inner wall portion 5a extends downward from, for example, the edge portion of the upper end of the front fender panel 5. The inner surface of the inner wall portion 5a in the vehicle width direction is substantially flat, which allows a sealing member 25 (described later) to elastically contact the inner surface of the inner wall portion 5a in the vehicle width direction from the inside.

[0033] The flange 5b extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the inner wall portion 5a. As shown in Fig. 3, the flange 5b has bolt holes 5c at positions corresponding to the bolt holes 13c. The flange 5b also has a pair of front and rear clip holes 5d for attaching a fender cover 20 (described later).

[0034] Flanges 5b are brought into contact with top plate portions 13a with bolt holes 5c positioned from above with respect to bolt holes 13c.

[0035] As a result, the front fender panel 5 is fastened from above with bolts (not shown) with the flanges 5b abutting against the brackets 13. In other words, the upper part of the front fender panel 5 is attached to the apron upper member 10 via the brackets 13.

[0036] In this configuration in which each bracket 13 is interposed between the front fender panel 5 and the apron upper member 10, a gap 14 corresponding to the height of each bracket 13 is formed between the upper surface of the apron upper member 10 and the flange 5b, as shown in Figure 3.

[0037] In order to cover such gap 14 from the inside in the vehicle width direction, a pair of left and right fender covers 20 are arranged on the sides of engine compartment 4.

[0038] The pair of left and right fender covers 20 and the basic structure around the pair of left and right fender covers 20 are symmetrical. Therefore, the left side of the vehicle body will be described below as an example.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, the fender cover 20 in this embodiment is configured to include a fender cover main body 21, a seal member 25, and a sound absorbing material 30.

[0040] Specifically, the fender cover main body 21 has a top plate portion 21a and a vertical plate portion 21b. The top plate portion 21a and the vertical plate portion 21b are integrally molded from a synthetic resin material such as PP (polypropylene) material.

[0041] The top plate portion 21a is provided at a position facing the upper surface of the flange 5b. Furthermore, the top plate portion 21a has an upward flange 21c and a pair of front and rear step portions 21d, as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

[0042] The upward flange 21c extends upward from the outer edge of the top plate portion 21a in the vehicle width direction.

[0043] The pair of front and rear step portions 21d are formed, for example, at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction of the top plate portion 21a. Each step portion 21d has a shape that protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the top plate portion 21a in a side view in the vehicle width direction. This allows the bottom surface of each step portion 21d to abut against the upper surface of the flange 5b.

[0044] Each step 21d thus formed functions as a fixing portion when attaching the fender cover main body 21 to the flange 5b. For this reason, each step 21d has a clip hole 21e.

[0045] Here, the amount of protrusion of each step portion 21d is set to a dimension equivalent to the thickness of sound-absorbing material 30, which will be described later. This makes it possible to sandwich sound-absorbing material 30 in the gap between top plate portion 21a and flange 5b when attaching fender cover main body 21 to flange 5b.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 3, each of the clip holes 21e is provided at a position facing a corresponding one of the clip holes 5d provided in the flange 5b. As shown in Fig. 5, each of the clip holes 21e can receive a clip 22 from above when positioned in the corresponding clip hole 5d.

[0047] Then, by inserting clips 22 into the clip holes 21e, the fender cover main body 21 is attached to the flange 5b.

[0048] 4 to 6, the vertical plate portion 21b is disposed at a position facing the gap 14 from the inner side in the vehicle width direction. This vertical plate portion 21b extends downward from the inner ends of the top plate portion 21a and each step portion 21d in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the vertical plate portion 21b is provided at a position that covers the gap 14 from the inner side in the vehicle width direction. The lower end of the vertical plate portion 21b provided in this manner is capable of abutting against the upper surface of the apron upper member 10 when bent inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the vertical plate portion 21b has a pair of front and rear welding regions 23 for fixing the sound absorbing material 30 by thermal welding, and a plurality of holes 24.

[0050] The plurality of holes 24 are provided, for example, on substantially the entire surface excluding each of the welded regions 23. The plurality of holes 24 are also provided at substantially equal intervals. Each of the plurality of holes 24 has a substantially circular shape. Each of the plurality of holes 24 functions as a hole for transmitting noise from the engine compartment 4 to the front fender panel 5.

[0051] 3 to 6, the seal member 25 is provided on the upper end of the upward flange 21c of the top plate portion 21a. This seal member 25 functions to seal a gap 26 between the upper end of the front fender panel 5 and the outer end of the engine hood 3 in the vehicle width direction.

[0052] The seal member 25 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, etc. The seal member 25 is integrally formed on the upper end of the upward flange 21c by, for example, two-shot molding.

[0053] The sealing member 25 thus formed is pressed in an elastically deformed state from the inside in the vehicle width direction against the upper end of the inner wall portion 5a of the front fender panel 5. In addition, when the engine hood 3 is closed, the sealing member 25 is pressed in an elastically deformed state against the outer end of the engine hood 3 in the vehicle width direction from the lower side in the vehicle up-down direction.

[0054] Such elastic contact allows the sealing member 25 to seal the gap 26. This allows the sealing member 25 to block the airflow A that is blown out from the engine compartment 4 (see FIG. 7). In order to ensure that the sealing member 25 properly seals the gap 26, various conditions for the sealing member 25, such as the shape and thickness, are determined in advance through experiments, simulations, etc.

[0055] The sound-absorbing material 30 is formed, for example, from a nonwoven fabric or the like that is capable of absorbing noise from the engine compartment 4. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the sound-absorbing material 30 is provided along the inside of the open cross section of the fender cover main body 21 before the fender cover main body 21 is attached to the front fender panel 5. In other words, the basic shape of the sound-absorbing material 30 is substantially the same as the shape of the fender cover main body 21, as shown in FIG.

[0056] The sound-absorbing material 30 has a top wall portion 30a corresponding to the top plate portion 21a and a vertical wall portion 30b corresponding to the vertical plate portion 21b. Furthermore, the top wall portion 30a has a pair of front and rear cutout portions 30c to avoid interference with each step portion 21d of the fender cover main body 21.

[0057] The wall surfaces of the top wall portion 30a and the vertical wall portion 30b of the sound absorbing material 30 are in surface contact with the plate surfaces of the top plate portion 21a and the vertical plate portion 21b of the fender cover main body 21, respectively.

[0058] The top wall portion 30a and the vertical wall portion 30b are fixed to the top plate portion 21a and each welding region 23 by thermal welding in a state of surface contact.

[0059] As a result, the wall surface of vertical wall portion 30b is fixed along the plate surface of vertical plate portion 21b in the region where multiple holes 24 are formed. Furthermore, by attaching fender cover main body 21 to front fender panel 5, top wall portion 30a is positioned in a sandwiched state between top plate portion 21a and flange 5b (see FIG. 6).

[0060] Each of the cutouts 30c also functions as a positioning portion when attaching the sound-absorbing material 30 to the fender cover main body 21. For this reason, the dimensions of each of the cutouts 30c are set slightly larger than the dimensions of each of the stepped portions 21d. This allows each of the cutouts 30c to be accurately positioned relative to each of the stepped portions 21d without interfering with each other.

[0061] The sound absorbing material 30 fixed in this manner is capable of absorbing noise N that passes through the plurality of holes 24 from the engine compartment 4 (see FIG. 7).

[0062] In order to accurately absorb the noise N from the engine room 4, various conditions such as the thickness of the sound-absorbing material 30, the density of the sound-absorbing material 30, the size of the multiple holes 24, and the pitch of the multiple holes 24 are determined in advance through experiments, simulations, etc.

[0063] Thus, in this embodiment, the sound absorbing material 30 corresponds to a specific example of a soundproofing material.

[0064] According to this embodiment, the vehicle fender cover structure includes a fender cover 20 disposed on the vehicle width directional outer side of the engine compartment so as to cover gap 14 above apron upper member 10, a fender cover main body 21 having a vertical plate portion 21b that covers gap 14 from the vehicle width directional inner side and a top plate portion 21a that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of vertical plate portion 21b, sound-absorbing material 30 provided along the plate surface of vertical plate portion 21b to prevent noise from escaping from the engine compartment 4 to the vehicle exterior, and a seal member 25 provided on top plate portion 21a that elastically contacts the vehicle width directional inner side of the upper end of front fender panel 5 to block airflow from the engine compartment 4 to the vehicle exterior, the fender cover main body 21 being formed of a material harder than the sound-absorbing material 30. With this configuration, the vehicle fender cover structure can improve soundproofing performance against noise escaping from the engine compartment 4 to the vehicle exterior while ensuring airtightness of the side portions of the engine compartment 4 using seal member 25.

[0065] That is, the fender cover main body 21 covering the gap 14 above the apron upper member 10 is provided with a sound absorbing material 30 along the plate surface of the fender cover main body 21.

[0066] As a result, fender cover 20 can suppress noise emitted from engine compartment 4 toward front fender panel 5 using sound-absorbing material 30. Therefore, fender cover 20 can achieve high soundproofing against noise emitted from engine compartment 4 to the outside of the vehicle.

[0067] Additionally, a seal member 25 is provided on the top panel 21a, which elastically contacts the inside of the upper end of the front fender panel 5 in the vehicle width direction, blocking the airflow that is blown out from the engine compartment 4 to the outside of the vehicle. Here, the top panel 21a on which the seal member is provided is made of a material that is harder than the sound-absorbing material 30.

[0068] As a result, as shown in Figure 7, the fender cover 20 can use the sealing member 25 to accurately prevent airflow A from spraying out of the vehicle through the gap 26 while the vehicle is in motion. In other words, the sealing member 25 is supported on the top plate 21a of the fender cover main body 21, which is harder than the sound-absorbing material 30. This type of support structure allows the sealing member 25 to be pressed against the front fender panel 5 and the engine hood 3 more accurately than a configuration in which the sealing member 25 is supported on the top wall 30a of the sound-absorbing material 30, for example.

[0069] Therefore, sealing member 25 effectively prevents airflow A from escaping outside the vehicle through gap 26 while the vehicle is traveling. As a result, fender cover 20 can suppress turbulence of the wind while vehicle 1 is traveling, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0070] Here, by forming the fender cover main body 21 from a synthetic resin material such as PP, the fender cover main body 21 can be made a member that is harder than the sound-absorbing material 30 and that can be crushed by a collision load equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Therefore, when a pedestrian's head or the like collides with the front fender panel 5 during a collision of the vehicle 1, the fender cover 20 can be deformed (crushed) together with the front fender panel 5. As a result, the fender cover 20 can ensure the safety of the pedestrian in the event of a collision of the vehicle 1.

[0071] In addition, the vertical plate portion 21b has a plurality of holes 24 formed in positions facing the sound-absorbing material 30. With these plurality of holes 24, the vertical plate portion 21b can transmit the noise N from the engine compartment 4 to the sound-absorbing material 30 without blocking the noise N, as shown in FIG.

[0072] That is, the sound-absorbing material 30 is provided along the plate surface on the outside of the engine compartment 4, at least in the region where the plurality of holes 24 is provided. As a result, the sound-absorbing material 30 can have a higher effect of absorbing the noise N transmitted from the engine compartment 4 than the vertical plate portion 21b that does not have the plurality of holes 24. Therefore, the fender cover 20 can achieve higher soundproofing against the noise N emitted from the engine compartment 4 to the outside of the vehicle.

[0073] Here, the multiple holes 24 also function as weakened portions of the vertical plate portion 21b. Therefore, when a collision load of a predetermined amount or more is input from above the fender cover 20, the multiple holes 24 function as starting points for crushing (deforming) the vertical plate portion 21b on which the collision load is concentrated. This allows the fender cover 20 to further improve its absorption of collision energy when a collision load of a predetermined amount or more is input from above.

[0074] Furthermore, the vertical plate portion 21b, which is deformable starting from the multiple holes 24, can reduce the reaction force that occurs when the engine hood 3 and the seal member 25 are pressed together when the engine hood 3 is used to close the opening 7. This allows the fender cover 20 to suppress resistance caused by the reaction force when the engine hood 3 is closed. Therefore, the fender cover 20 having the seal member 25 can ensure good closing performance of the engine hood 3.

[0075] Furthermore, by forming the fender cover main body 21 from a synthetic resin material such as PP, the sound-absorbing material 30, which is made of a nonwoven fabric or the like, can be fixed by heat welding in a state of surface contact. This eliminates the need to fix the sound-absorbing material 30 to the fender cover 20 with rivets or the like. Therefore, the sound-absorbing material 30 can be fixed to the fender cover main body 21 without affecting the appearance of the fender cover 20.

[0076] Additionally, top panel portion 21a has a pair of front and rear stepped portions 21d. The amount of protrusion of each stepped portion 21d is set to a dimension equivalent to the thickness of sound-absorbing material 30. This allows top wall portion 30a of sound-absorbing material 30 to be sandwiched between top panel portion 21a and flange 5b. Therefore, when fender cover main body 21 is attached to front fender panel 5, fender cover 20 can more accurately fix sound-absorbing material 30 interposed between top panel portion 21a and flange 5b.

[0077] In this embodiment, the sound absorbing material 30 has been used as an example of a soundproofing material, but it is also possible to provide a soundproofing material such as a sound insulating material along the fender cover main body 21.

[0078] The invention described in the above embodiments is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the gist of the invention. Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements.

[0079] Furthermore, even if some of the constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the above embodiment, if the stated problem can be solved and the stated effect can be obtained, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Vehicle 2. Body 3. Engine hood 3a···Outer panel 3b... Inner panel 4. Engine Room 5. Front fender panel 5a...Inner wall part 5b···Flange 5c Bolt hole 5d Clip hole 6. Hinge 7. Opening 8. Windshield 9 Radiator core upper side 10 Apron upper member 11···Cowl top 12. Suspension tower 13 Bracket 13a Top plate 13b...Wall part 13c Bolt hole 14. Gap 20···Fender cover 21 Fender cover body 21a Top plate 21b...Vertical plate part 21c···Upward flange 21d...Stepped part 21e Clip hole 22... Clip 23...Welding area 24...hole 25. Sealing member 26. Gap 30···Sound-absorbing material (soundproofing material) 30a...Ceiling wall part 30b...Vertical wall part 30c···Notch

Claims

1. A vehicle fender cover structure that is arranged to cover a gap above a vehicle body frame member on the outer side of an engine compartment in a vehicle width direction, a fender cover body including a vertical plate portion that covers the gap from the inside in the vehicle width direction and a top plate portion that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from an upper end of the vertical plate portion; a soundproofing material provided along a plate surface of the vertical plate portion to prevent noise from escaping from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle; a seal member that is provided on the top plate portion and elastically contacts an inner side of an upper end portion of the exterior member in the vehicle width direction to block airflow that is ejected from the engine compartment to the outside of the vehicle, The fender cover structure for a vehicle is characterized in that the fender cover body is formed of a material harder than the soundproofing material.

2. 2. The vehicle fender cover structure according to claim 1, wherein the vertical plate portion has a plurality of holes at a position facing the soundproofing material, and the soundproofing material is a sound-absorbing material that absorbs noise from the engine compartment.

3. 3. The vehicle fender cover structure according to claim 2, wherein the sound absorbing material is provided along the plate surface on the outside of the engine compartment at least in the region where the plurality of holes are provided.

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