Vehicle structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle structure which efficiently absorbs impact while performing protection of a sensor device.SOLUTION: A vehicle structure 2 comprises: an outer panel 4 which forms a design surface at an outside of a vehicle; a vehicle body structure 3 which supports the outer panel 4 from a rear surface side of the outer panel 4; a reinforcement member 5 which reinforces the outer panel 4 from the rear surface side of the outer panel 4; a sensor device 9 which is attached to the reinforcement member 5 to detect outside environment of the vehicle; and a low rigidity member 6 which has low rigidity relative to that of the vehicle body structure 3, and which is adjacently disposed to the reinforcement member 5 to be connected with the rear surface of the outer panel 4. The reinforcement member 5 includes a sensor peripheral part 20 that is a peripheral portion of the sensor device 9 in the reinforcement member 5 in which a tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral part 20 in an outer side of the vehicle, and a tip position 6x1 of the low rigidity member 6 in an outer side of the vehicle or a connection position 6x0 of the low rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 are positioned within a specified minute range in a vehicle longitudinal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2B

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure such as an automobile, and more particularly to a vehicle structure for the front or rear of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] One example of a vehicle body structure for this type of vehicle is the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1. The vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1 includes an upper bar and bumper beam provided at the front of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle width direction, a radar device that detects objects in front of the vehicle, and a bracket that extends across the upper bar and bumper beam and supports the radar device, with the bracket being provided with a deformation inducing portion that induces deformation due to an impact received in a frontal collision of the vehicle. When an impactor for a pedestrian protection test collides with the front of the vehicle, this vehicle structure deforms or breaks the deformation inducing portion and displaces the bracket rearward, thereby absorbing the impact and improving impact absorption performance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-215186 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the vehicle structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the bracket deforms and retreats locally around the deformation inducing portion, so much of the load that cannot be absorbed by the deformation energy or fracture energy of the bracket may be concentrated on the rigid bumper beam, leaving room for improvement in terms of distributing the load to the front of the vehicle and absorbing the impact.In addition, the vehicle structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 also leaves room for improvement in terms of protecting the radar device (sensor device) during a collision.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-described circumstances, and its object is to provide a vehicle structure that can efficiently absorb impact while protecting a sensor device during a collision. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle structure comprising an outer panel that constitutes a design surface on the outside of the vehicle at the front or rear of the vehicle, a body structure that supports the outer panel from the back side of the outer panel, a reinforcing member that reinforces the outer panel from the back side of the outer panel, and a sensor device attached to the reinforcing member that detects the external environment of the vehicle, wherein the vehicle structure comprises a low-rigidity member that has lower rigidity than the body structure and is arranged adjacent to the reinforcing member and connected to the back side of the outer panel, the reinforcing member has a sensor peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the sensor device of the reinforcing member, and in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the tip position on the outside of the sensor peripheral portion and a target position that is either the tip position on the outside of the low-rigidity member or the connection position between the low-rigidity member and the outer panel are located within a predetermined small range.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle structure comprising an outer panel that forms a design surface on the outside of the vehicle at the front or rear of the vehicle, a body structure that supports the outer panel from the back side of the outer panel, a reinforcing member that reinforces the outer panel from the back side of the outer panel, and a sensor device attached to the reinforcing member that detects the external environment of the vehicle, wherein the reinforcing member has a sensor peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the sensor device of the reinforcing member, and a protruding portion that protrudes from a lower portion of the reinforcing member toward the outside of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the protruding tip position of the protruding portion is located outside the vehicle relative to the outside tip position of the sensor peripheral portion in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect and another aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle structure that can efficiently absorb impact while protecting a sensor device during a collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front side; [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle structure from which the outer panel and the bumper face are removed, as viewed from the front side. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2 is a side view of the vehicle structure with the outer panel and bumper face removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the vehicle structure with the outer panel and bumper face removed. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a reinforcing member of a vehicle structure as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a low-rigidity member of a vehicle structure as viewed from the front side. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the vehicle structure at the center in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the rear side. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the left side in the vehicle width direction when the vehicle structure is viewed from the rear side. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 5. [Figure 11A] 1 is a diagram showing an initial state of a vehicle structure when an object collides with the vehicle from the front. FIG. [Figure 11B] FIG. 11B is a diagram showing a second state of the vehicle structure following FIG. 11A. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C is a diagram showing a third state of the vehicle structure following FIG. 11B. [Figure 11D] FIG. 11D shows a fourth state of the vehicle structure following FIG. 11C. [Figure 11E] FIG. 11D shows the fifth state of the vehicle structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle structure 2 of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front side; FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the vehicle structure 2, with an outer panel 4 and a bumper face 8 removed, viewed from the front side; and FIG. 2B is a side view of the vehicle structure 2, with the outer panel 4 and the bumper face 8 removed. In this embodiment, the vehicle structure 2 is applied as a structure for the front of the vehicle 1. In addition, in the drawings, the arrow Fr direction indicates the front in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as the fore-and-aft direction); the arrow L direction indicates the left in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle width direction) when viewed from the rear toward the front of the vehicle 1; and the arrow U direction indicates the upward in the up-down direction of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter referred to as the up-and-down direction). In the following description, in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle structure 2 for the front of the vehicle 1, the "outside" indicates the front side, the "rear side" indicates the rear side, the "outer surface" indicates the front surface, and the "rear surface" indicates the rear surface. The "outside" may be expressed as the "front side," the "outer surface" as the "front side," the "rear side" as the "inside," and the "rear surface" as the "inside." When showing a cross section, a cross section cut along a horizontal plane is referred to as a "transverse cross section," and a cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the horizontal direction is referred to as a "longitudinal cross section."

[0011] 1, 2A, and 2B, the vehicle structure 2 will be described. The vehicle structure 2 includes a body structural member 3 that constitutes a part of the body structure at the front of the vehicle 1, an outer panel 4 that constitutes the design surface on the outside of the vehicle at the front of the vehicle 1 and is supported by the body structural member 3, a reinforcing member 5 that reinforces the outer panel 4 from the back side of the outer panel 4, a sensor device 9 attached to the reinforcing member 5, and a low-rigidity member 6 that is arranged adjacent to the reinforcing member 5.

[0012] The body structure 3 supports the outer panel 4 from the rear side of the outer panel 4. The body structure 3 is made of steel and is a highly rigid member. The body structure 3 has a first body frame member 3a that extends in the vehicle width direction and is arranged on the upper side, and a second body frame member 3b that is arranged below the first body frame member 3a and extends in the vehicle width direction. The second body frame member 3b is arranged alongside the first body frame member 3a so as to be located forward of the first body frame member 3a in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0013] The vehicle body structure 3 supports the upper and lower parts of the outer panel 4. In the illustrated example, the upper part of the outer panel 4 is supported by a first vehicle body frame member 3a, and the lower part of the outer panel 4 is supported by a second vehicle body frame member 3b.

[0014] Specifically, the first body frame member 3a has a generally hat-shaped cross section and extends in the vehicle width direction. A side reinforcing portion upper wall 21a (described later) of the reinforcing member 5 is connected to the upper surface of a front flange 3a1 of the first body frame member 3a. The upper portion of the outer panel 4 is connected to the front portion of the side reinforcing portion upper wall 21a, so that the upper portion of the outer panel 4 is supported by the first body frame member 3a via the reinforcing member 5.

[0015] A support bracket 12 (see FIG. 5 described later) that protrudes upward from the second body frame member and supports the reinforcing member 5 from below is provided at the upper center in the vehicle width direction of the second body frame member 3b. A lower center portion of the reinforcing member 5 (in the illustrated example, a lower support portion 22 described later) is connected to the support bracket 12 and supported by the support bracket 12 from below. The lower portion of the outer panel 4 is connected to a front portion of the lower portion of the reinforcing member 5 (in the illustrated example, a protruding end wall 232 described later), so that the lower portion of the outer panel 4 is supported by the second body frame member 3b via the reinforcing member 5 and the support bracket 12.

[0016] Impact absorbing members 7 (see FIG. 2A) are attached to the front surfaces of both ends of the second body frame member 3b in the vehicle width direction, which are the surfaces facing the outside of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and protrude from the second body frame member 3b toward the outside of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The longitudinal cross section of the impact absorbing member 7 is formed into a roughly groove shape that is open to the rear. The impact absorbing member 7 is formed from a thin steel plate. The rigidity of the impact absorbing member 7 is lower than the rigidity of the body structure 3 (more specifically, the second body frame member 3b). The impact absorbing member 7 is a member that absorbs the impact caused by a collision when an object collides with the front of the vehicle 1. In addition, in the vehicle structure 2 at the front of the vehicle 1, the low-rigidity member 6 is an air guide that guides wind generated during driving to a predetermined location.

[0017] The sensor device 9 has a sensor 10 and a thin-plate-shaped sensor bracket 11 that supports the sensor 10 (see FIG. 10 ). The sensor 10 is a sensor body that detects the external environment of the vehicle, and emits (transmits) or receives detection waves that detect the external environment of the vehicle. Examples of the sensor 10 that can be used include millimeter-wave radar that uses electromagnetic waves in the millimeter wave band as detection waves, sonic sensors (ultrasonic sensors / sonar) that use sound waves as detection waves, and cameras (imaging devices) that use electromagnetic waves in the visible light band or infrared band as detection waves. Note that the detection waves are not limited to being transmitted from the sensor 10. Sunlight may be used as the detection wave, or the detection wave may be transmitted from a detection wave transmitting device that is provided separately from the sensor 10.

[0018] The outer panel 4 is a component that forms the exterior design surface at the front of the vehicle 1 and extends in the vehicle width direction. The outer panel 4 is a resin injection-molded component that is thin and large, extending over a wide area in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the rigidity of the outer panel 4 is lower than the rigidity of the vehicle body structure 3. A front grille 4a is provided in the center of the outer panel 4 in the vehicle width direction, and multiple air vents are provided in the front grille 4a. The upper side of the outer panel 4 is supported by the first vehicle body frame member 3a via a reinforcing member 5, and the lower side of the outer panel 4 is supported by the second vehicle body frame member 3b via an impact absorbing member 7. A bumper face 8 is provided on each end side of the outer panel 4 in the vehicle width direction. The bumper face 8 is provided with a front lamp (not shown) that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle 1. The bumper face 8 may be formed integrally with the outer panel 4 or may be formed separately from the outer panel 4. The bumper face 8 also constitutes an outer design surface at the front of the vehicle, and may be included as an element of the outer panel 4. In other words, the bumper face 8 may be a part of the outer panel 4.

[0019] Next, the reinforcing member 5 will be described with reference to Figures 2A, 2B, and 3. Figure 3 is a front view showing the arrangement of the reinforcing member 5 and the low-rigidity member 6 in a state where the outer panel 4 and the bumper face 8 are removed from the vehicle structure 2.

[0020] A reinforcing member 5 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided on the back side of the outer panel 4. The reinforcing member 5 reinforces the outer panel 4 from the back side of the outer panel 4. The reinforcing member 5 is an injection-molded resin product, and the rigidity of the reinforcing member 5 is lower than the rigidity of the body structure 3. A sensor peripheral portion 20 to which the sensor device 9 is attached is provided in the center of the reinforcing member 5. In other words, the reinforcing member 5 has the sensor peripheral portion 20 and side reinforcing portions 21. The sensor peripheral portion 20 is the portion of the reinforcing member 5 surrounding the sensor device 9. The side reinforcing portions 21 are arranged on both the left and right sides of the sensor peripheral portion 20 in the vehicle width direction, and extend in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] The reinforcing member 5 supports the outer panel 4 from below at the side reinforcing portions 21, and also supports the outer panel 4 from behind at the front side (front face side) of the reinforcing member 5, thereby reinforcing the outer panel 4 from the back face side.

[0022] The reinforcing member 5 further includes a lower support portion 22 and a protruding portion 23. The lower support portion 22 is provided below the sensor peripheral portion 20 and supports the sensor peripheral portion 20 from below. The lower support portion 22 is continuous with the lower portion of the sensor peripheral portion 20. The protruding portion 23 protrudes from the lower portion of the reinforcing member 5 toward the vehicle exterior (forward) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The protruding portion 23 includes a front-rear wall 231 extending forward from the lower end of the lower support portion 22, and a protruding end wall 232 extending downward from the front end of the front-rear wall 231 and constituting the front end of the protruding portion 23. A forward protruding tip position 23a of the protruding portion 23 is located in front of the protruding end wall 232. As shown in FIG. 3 , the reinforcing member 5 is formed in a T-shape when viewed from the front, and the sensor peripheral portion 20, the lower support portion 22, and the protruding portion 23 are disposed in the center of the reinforcing member 5 in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] 2B , in the front-rear direction, the vehicle-exterior-side tip position 22a of the lower support portion 22 is disposed more inward (rearward) than the vehicle-exterior-side tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20. That is, the protrusion 23 protrudes from a position inward (rearward) of the vehicle with respect to the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 toward the vehicle exterior (forward) in the vehicle-rear direction. The vehicle-exterior protrusion tip position 23a of the protrusion 23 in the vehicle-rear direction is located on the vehicle exterior side (frontward) of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle-exterior-side tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 in the front-rear direction. The protrusion tip position 23a is the position of the portion of the reinforcing member 5 that protrudes most toward the vehicle exterior (frontward) in the vehicle-rear direction. Therefore, the distance Δa in the front-rear direction between the protrusion tip position 23a of the protrusion 23 and the tip position 22a of the lower support portion 22 is longer than the distance Δb in the front-rear direction between the protrusion tip position 23a of the protrusion 23 and the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20. The protruding end wall 232 of the protruding portion 23 is provided with a panel fixing hole 233 for connecting and fixing the protruding portion 23 to the outer panel 4.

[0024] In the illustrated example, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the tip position 6x1 on the vehicle exterior side of the low-rigidity member 6 coincides or approximately coincides with the tip position 22a on the vehicle exterior side of the lower support portion 22 of the reinforcing member 5 (the following description will be given assuming that they coincide). Therefore, the distance Δa in the longitudinal direction between the protruding tip position 23a of the protruding portion 23 and the tip position 22a of the lower support portion 22 coincides with the distance in the longitudinal direction between the protruding tip position 23a of the protruding portion 23 and the tip position 6x1 of the low-rigidity member 6.

[0025] When an object strikes the vehicle 1 from the front, which is the exterior side, the protrusion 23 is likely to receive the impact of the collision before other portions of the reinforcing member 5. As a result, the protrusion 23 and the area around the protrusion 23 deform before an impact load is applied to the sensor peripheral portion 20. Therefore, the impact of the collision is absorbed, and deformation and displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20 can be suppressed.

[0026] Furthermore, the separation dimension Δa is longer than the separation dimension Δb. As a result, when an object collides with the front side, which is the exterior side of the vehicle 1, the deformation range (deformation stroke) of the protruding portion 23 is increased, and the protruding portion 23 and the periphery of the protruding portion 23 are deformed before an impact load is applied to the sensor peripheral portion 20. As a result, the impact of the collision is absorbed, and deformation and displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20 are effectively suppressed.

[0027] In the illustrated example, the front and rear walls 231 are inclined downward from the lower support portion 22 toward the protruding end wall 232. However, the inclination direction of the front and rear walls 231 is not limited to this. The front and rear walls 231 may be inclined upward from the lower support portion 22 toward the protruding end wall 232.

[0028] Since the front and rear walls 231 are inclined downward or upward from the lower support portion 22 toward the protruding portion 23, when an object strikes the front side, which is the exterior side of the vehicle 1, the deformation of the protruding portion 23 is easily promoted before an impact load is applied to the sensor peripheral portion 20. As a result, the impact of the collision is absorbed, and the deformation and displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20 are further suppressed.

[0029] The side reinforcement 21 has a side reinforcement upper wall 21a supported by the first body frame member 3a, and a side reinforcement front wall 21b extending downward from an outer edge (front edge) of the side reinforcement upper wall 21a, which is the edge on the outer side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The side reinforcement 21 has an L-shaped vertical cross section. In the illustrated example, the side reinforcement front wall 21b has multiple (three in the illustrated example) through holes 21b1 that are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. The multiple through holes 21b1 promote deformation of the side reinforcement 21 during a collision.

[0030] Next, the sensor periphery 20 will be described with reference to Figures 2A, 2B, 3 and 4. Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the center of the reinforcing member 5 in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the rear side.

[0031] The sensor peripheral portion 20 has two pairs of opposing portions. More specifically, the sensor peripheral portion 20 has an upper wall 30, a lower wall 31, a first side portion 32A, a second side portion 32B, and a sensor mounting wall 33.

[0032] A sensor accommodating space 24 in which the sensor device 9 is accommodated is formed inside the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5. The upper wall 30 is disposed above the sensor accommodating space 24, the lower wall 31 is disposed below the sensor accommodating space 24, the first side portion 32A is disposed to the left of the sensor accommodating space 24, the second side portion 32B is disposed to the right of the sensor accommodating space 24, and the sensor mounting wall 33 is disposed on the outer side (front side) of the sensor accommodating space 24 that faces the outer panel 4. The sensor peripheral portion 20 is open to the rear.

[0033] A sensor device 9 (more specifically, a sensor bracket 11) is attached to the rear surface of the sensor mounting wall 33, which is the surface facing the interior of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (see FIG. 10 , which will be described later). The sensor device 9 is disposed between the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31 in the vertical direction, and between the first side portion 32A and the second side portion 32B in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5 is configured to surround the sensor device 9 by the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31, which are disposed opposite each other in the vertical direction, the first side portion 32A and the second side portion 32B, which are disposed opposite each other in the vehicle width direction, and the sensor mounting wall 33, which is disposed on the exterior side of the sensor accommodating space 24, which is the exterior side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This prevents deformation of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and prevents displacement of the sensor device 9 under normal circumstances, and deforms the sensor peripheral portion 20 during a collision to absorb impact energy.

[0034] A pair of upper connection portions 30a spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and a positioning guide 30b located between the pair of upper connection portions 30a spaced apart in the vehicle width direction are provided on the rear end surface of the upper wall 30, which is the end surface facing the vehicle interior in the vehicle longitudinal direction. A pair of lower connection portions 31a spaced apart in the vehicle width direction are provided on the rear end surface of the lower wall 31, which is the end surface facing the vehicle interior in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Each of the pair of upper connection portions 30a and the pair of lower connection portions 31a has a hole formed therein for screw fastening. The pair of upper connection portions 30a and the pair of lower connection portions 31a are portions for connection to connecting portions 53, which will be described later and are provided on the low-rigidity member 6, and the positioning guide 30b is a guide for determining the position of the connecting portions 53 relative to the sensor peripheral portion 20.

[0035] The sensor mounting wall 33 has openings 34 formed on the left, right, and upper sides in the vehicle width direction so that parts of the sensor mounting wall 33 remain. On each of the left and right sides of the opening 34 on the rear surface of the sensor mounting wall 33, sensor fixing portions 35 to which a sensor device 9 (sensor bracket 11) is fixed are provided. The sensor bracket 11 is attached to the rear surface of the sensor mounting wall 33 via the pair of sensor fixing portions 35, and all or part of the opening 34 is covered by the sensor bracket 11. The sensor 10 of the sensor device 9 emits or receives a detection wave through the opening 34 to detect the external environment of the vehicle.

[0036] The sensor peripheral portion 20 has an adjacent portion 32 that is adjacent to the sensor fixing portion 35 and extends in the front-to-rear direction from the rear surface of the sensor mounting wall 33. In the illustrated example, the sensor peripheral portion 20 has a left adjacent portion 32 that is adjacent to the sensor fixing portion 35 provided on the left side and extends rearward, and a right adjacent portion 32 that is adjacent to the sensor fixing portion 35 provided on the right side and extends rearward. In the illustrated example, the first side portion 32A on the left side constitutes the left adjacent portion 32, and the second side portion 32B on the right side constitutes the right adjacent portion 32. In the illustrated example, the adjacent portions 32 are arranged on the left and right sides of the sensor device.

[0037] The adjacent portions 32 (32A, 32B) bulge in the front-to-rear direction. The adjacent portions 32 have a cylindrical peripheral wall portion 32a and an end wall portion 32b located at the rear end, which is the end of the peripheral wall portion 32a on the vehicle interior side in the front-to-rear direction. The adjacent portions 32 are formed concavely on the outer surface, which is the surface of the sensor mounting wall 33 on the vehicle exterior side in the front-to-rear direction. A plate-shaped connecting piece 32c extending horizontally is provided on the end wall portion 32b. The peripheral wall portion 32a has an upper peripheral wall portion 32d at an upper portion, a lower peripheral wall portion 32e at a lower portion, and left and right vertical peripheral wall portions 32f located between the upper peripheral wall portion 32d and the lower peripheral wall portion 32e. The upper peripheral wall portion 32d slopes downward from the back surface of the sensor mounting wall 33 toward the end wall portion 32b, and the lower peripheral wall portion 32e slopes upward from the back surface of the sensor mounting wall 33 toward the end wall portion 32b. Since the adjacent portion 32 has a bulging structure that bulges in the front-rear direction, the rigidity of the adjacent portion 32 is improved, and deformation and displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20 are more effectively suppressed.

[0038] The sensor peripheral portion 20 has a connecting wall 36 that connects the lower wall 31, the adjacent portion 32, and the sensor mounting wall 33. Specifically, the connecting wall 36 is located at a corner where the lower wall 31, the adjacent portion 32 (first side portion 32A, second side portion 32B), and the sensor mounting wall 33 intersect, and connects the elements (31, 32, 33) at the corner. As a result, the rigidity around both lower corners of the sensor peripheral portion 20 is improved.

[0039] 2A and 3, the lower support portion 22 is provided with a recess 25 formed in a concave shape that is open toward the outer panel 4. The upper side wall of the recess 25 is formed by the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20. In other words, referring to FIG. 4, the recess 25 is formed in a bulging shape that bulges rearward, and can also be said to be a bulging portion.

[0040] 2A and 3, the lower support portion 22 is provided with a recess 25 formed in a concave shape on the outer surface of the lower support portion 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction. An upper side wall of the recess 25 forms the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 3 , the recess 25 is formed by a lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20, a rear wall 25a that is the rear wall of the recess 25, side walls 25b that are the left and right walls of the recess 25, and a recess-shaped lower wall 25c that is the lower wall of the recess 25. The recess 25 is provided with a plurality of vertical ribs 26 (two in the illustrated example) that are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and extend in the up-down direction. The vertical ribs 26 extend downward from the lower wall 31 along the rear wall 25a. The two vertical ribs 26 support the lower wall 31 from below. The rear wall 25a of the recess 25 extends downward from the rear end of the lower wall 31, and a pair of lower connection portions 31a are continuous with the rear wall 25a. At least one of the two vertical ribs 26 is arranged to overlap the lower connection portion 31a in the vehicle width direction and the up-down direction. That is, at least one of the two vertical ribs 26 supports the lower connecting portion 31a from behind. Furthermore, since the two vertical ribs 26 support the lower wall 31 from below, deformation of the sensor peripheral portion 20 that would cause the sensor 10 to tilt forward or backward can be suppressed.

[0042] 4, the portion of the lower support portion 22 that is positioned below the recess 25 also bulges rearward, forming a lower bulging portion 27. In other words, the lower support portion 22 bulges rearward in two stages. The left and right side walls 25b of the recess 25 are connected by the lower bulging portion 27, which improves the rigidity of the recess 25. Furthermore, the lower portion of the vertical rib 26 extends to the upper portion of the lower bulging portion 27, which improves the rigidity of the connection between the recess 25 and the lower bulging portion 27.

[0043] Next, the low-rigidity member 6 will be described with reference to Figures 2A, 2B, 3, 5, and 6. Figure 5 is a rear view of the vehicle structure 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the low-rigidity member 6 as viewed from the front side. As shown in Figures 3, 5, and 6, the low-rigidity member 6 extends in the vehicle width direction and reinforces the reinforcing member 5 from the back side of the reinforcing member 5. The low-rigidity member 6 is an injection-molded resin product. The low-rigidity member 6 has lower rigidity than the rigidity of the vehicle body structure 3. The low-rigidity member 6 is connected to the back side of the outer panel 4 and is connected to the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5. In other words, the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the outer panel 4 are connected to the low-rigidity member 6.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 6 , the low-rigidity member 6 includes an upper lateral extension portion 50 extending in the vehicle width direction and located at the top, a lower lateral extension portion 51 located below the upper lateral extension portion 50 and extending in the vehicle width direction, and left and right vertical extension portions 52 connecting both ends of the upper lateral extension portion 50 and the lower lateral extension portion 51 in the vehicle width direction. The low-rigidity member 6 is formed into a shape with an opening in the center when viewed from the front. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2B , the low-rigidity member 6 is provided with a base portion 4b for connecting the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4. When the base portion 4b is provided, a connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 is set at the end surface (front end surface) of the base portion 4b on the vehicle exterior side in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0045] A connecting portion 53 is provided at the center of the upper lateral extension 50 in the vehicle width direction. The connecting portion 53 is connected to (connected to) the sensor peripheral portion 20 provided on the reinforcing member 5. The upper lateral extension 50 also has vertical wall portions 55 that rise up in the vertical direction from the edge of the upper lateral extension 50 on the side opposite the vehicle exterior side in the front-to-rear direction, extending from each end of the connecting portion 53 in the vehicle width direction to each end of the upper lateral extension 50 in the vehicle width direction. The upper lateral extension 50 has a notch 57 cut out at the front end side, which is the exterior side in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, at the center of the vehicle width direction, and side portions (upper portions) 58 located on each end side of the notch 57 in the vehicle width direction. The connecting portion 53 and the lower lateral extension 51 are not connected. As shown in FIG. 2B , the vertical wall portions 55 are located below the side reinforcing portion upper wall 21 a of the reinforcing member 5 and behind the side reinforcing portion front wall 21 b of the reinforcing member 5.

[0046] As shown in FIGS. 2A and 3 , the side portions 58 of the upper lateral extension portion 50 are disposed below the side reinforcement portions 21 of the reinforcement member 5. That is, the low-rigidity member 6 has side portions 58 disposed on both sides in the vehicle width direction, the side portions 58 being disposed below the side reinforcement portions 21. As a result, the upper load of the impact load during an offset collision can be received by the side reinforcement portions 21, and the lower load of the impact load during an offset collision can be received by the side portions 58, thereby distributing the load and absorbing the impact. Furthermore, the side portions 58, which are part of the low-rigidity member 6, are disposed so as not to overlap in the vertical direction with the sensor peripheral portion 20 provided at the center of the reinforcement member 5 in the vehicle width direction. That is, the side portions 58, which are part of the low-rigidity member 6, are disposed at a position offset in the vertical direction from the sensor peripheral portion 20 provided at the center of the reinforcement member 5 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the upper load of the impact load during a collision can be received by the sensor peripheral portion 20, and the lower load of the impact load during a collision can be received by the side portions 58, thereby distributing the load and absorbing the impact. Additionally, the side portion 58 is disposed between the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5 and the impact absorbing member 7 in the vehicle width direction. This allows the impact load during a collision to be received and distributed in the vehicle width direction by the sensor peripheral portion 20, the side portion 58, and the impact absorbing member 7.

[0047] Furthermore, the side reinforcement portion 21 is disposed on the vehicle interior side (rear side) of the vehicle exterior tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcement member 5 and the vehicle exterior tip position 6x1 of the low-rigidity member 6. In the illustrated example, the side reinforcement portion 21 is also disposed on the vehicle interior side of the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel (in the illustrated example, the front end surface of the pedestal portion 4b). In other words, the side reinforcement portion 21 may be disposed on the vehicle interior side of the vehicle exterior tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0048] Furthermore, the side reinforcement portion 21 is arranged on the inner side (rear side) of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, relative to the outer side (front side) of the sensor peripheral portion 20, which is the portion on the outer side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the outer side (front side) of the side portion 58, which is the portion on the outer side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. As a result, during a collision, after the impact load is received by the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the side portion 58, the impact can be absorbed by deformation of the outer side (front side) of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the outer side (front side) of the side portion 58 until the object of collision hits the surface (front side) of the side reinforcement portion 21 on the outer side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0049] 2B , in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a leading end position 20a on the vehicle exterior side of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and a leading end position 6x1 on the vehicle exterior side of the low-rigidity member 6 (in the illustrated example, leading end position 6x1 = leading end position 22a) are located within a predetermined small range (i.e., close to or coincident with each other). Alternatively, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, leading end position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and a connecting position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 (the front end surface of the pedestal portion 4b) may be located within a predetermined small range. Here, the distance in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the protruding leading end position 23a of the protruding portion 23 and the leading end position 6x1 (= leading end position 22a) of the low-rigidity member 6 is defined as Δa, and the distance in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the protruding leading end position 23a of the protruding portion 23 and the leading end position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5 is defined as Δb. In this case, the front-to-rear width of the "predetermined small range" for the tip position 20a, the tip position 6x1, and the connection position 6x0 is, for example, the larger of the separation dimension Δa or the separation dimension Δb, and is Δa in the illustrated example. That is, in the illustrated example, the tip position 20a and the tip position 6x1 are located within the predetermined small range having a front-to-rear width Δa, and are close to or coincident with each other. Note that in the illustrated example, the tip position 20a and the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 can also be said to be located within the predetermined small range having a front-to-rear width Δa. This allows both the reinforcing member 5 and the low-rigidity member 6 to bear the impact load in the event of a collision. Note that in the illustrated example, the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 (the front end surface of the base portion 4b) coincide or approximately coincide in the front-to-rear direction.

[0050] 2A and 2B, the impact absorbing member 7 is disposed below the low-rigidity member 6. The vehicle-exterior protruding tip position 7x of the impact absorbing member 7 and the vehicle-exterior protruding tip position 6x1 of the low-rigidity member 6 are located within a predetermined small range in the vehicle longitudinal direction (i.e., are close to or coincident with each other). Alternatively, the vehicle-exterior protruding tip position 7x of the impact absorbing member 7 and the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 (the front end surface of the base portion 4b) may be located within a predetermined small range in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Here, the front-rear width of the "predetermined small range" for the protruding tip position 7x, the tip position 6x1, and the connection position 6x0 is, for example, the larger of the separation dimension Δa or the separation dimension Δb, which is Δa in the illustrated example. In other words, in the illustrated example, the protruding tip position 7x and the tip position 6x1 are located within a predetermined small range having a front-rear width Δa, and are close to each other. In the illustrated example, it can also be said that the projection tip position 7x and the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 are located within a predetermined minute range whose front-to-rear width is Δa.

[0051] Furthermore, in the longitudinal direction, the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the protruding tip position 7x of the impact absorbing member 7 are located within a predetermined small range (i.e., close to or coincident with each other). The longitudinal width of the predetermined small range is also the larger of the separation dimension Δa or the separation dimension Δb, which is Δa in the illustrated example. As a result, the upper side of the impact load during a collision is received by the sensor peripheral portion 20, and the lower side of the impact load during a collision is received by the impact absorbing member 7, thereby distributing the load and absorbing the impact. Furthermore, in the vehicle width direction, the impact absorbing member 7 is disposed at both ends of the second vehicle body frame member 3b in the vehicle width direction, and the protruding portion 23 is disposed in the vehicle width center so as not to overlap with the impact absorbing member 7 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the protruding portion 23 is disposed at a position offset in the vehicle width direction from the impact absorbing member 7 provided on the second vehicle body frame member 3b. This prevents the protruding portion 23 and the impact absorbing member 7 from interfering with each other and hindering their deformation due to the impact load during a collision.

[0052] A slot hole 54 is provided on the vehicle width direction outer side of the connecting portion 53 in the upper lateral extension portion 50. That is, the connecting portion 53 is disposed between two slot holes 54. The slot hole 54 is a slot-shaped through-hole extending in the horizontal direction. A connecting piece 32c formed on the end wall portion 32b of the adjacent portion 32 (first side portion 32A, second side portion 32B) of the sensor peripheral portion 20 is connected to the slot hole 54 of the low-rigidity member 6. In other words, the low-rigidity member 6 is connected to the adjacent portion 32 of the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5.

[0053] Three panel fixing portions 6a are provided on each of both sides in the vehicle width direction of the low-rigidity member 6. In the illustrated example, the panel fixing portions 6a are provided near the cutout portions 57 of the side portions 58, at the vehicle width direction ends of the lower horizontal extending portions 51, and at the lower end portions of the vertical extending portions 52. Through holes are formed in the panel fixing portions 6a for fixing the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 with fastening members such as screws, and each of both sides in the vehicle width direction of the low-rigidity member 6 is connected to the outer panel 4. As shown in FIG. 2B , the panel fixing portions 6a provided near the cutout portions 57 of the side portions 58 are provided with base portions 4b for connecting the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4.

[0054] Next, the connecting portion 53 provided at the center of the upper lateral extension portion 50 in the vehicle width direction will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view, viewed from the rear side, showing the positional relationship between the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5 and the connecting portion 53. The connecting portion 53 is arranged on the rear side of the sensor peripheral portion 20, which is on the vehicle interior side in the vehicle front-to-rear direction, and connects the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20 that are arranged opposite each other in the up-down direction.

[0055] The connecting portion 53 has a connecting surface portion 60 extending in the vertical direction and side wall surface portions 61 bending from both ends of the connecting surface portion 60 in the vehicle width direction toward the back surface side. The connecting surface portion 60 has a hat-shaped cross section that is convex toward the outer side (front side) of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and extends in the vertical direction. The connecting surface portion 60 has a first surface portion 60a located in the center in the vehicle width direction, first connection surface portions 60b bending from both ends of the first surface portion 60a in the vehicle width direction toward the back surface side, a second surface portion 60c bending from an upper side of the rear end of the first connection surface portion 60b toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and a third surface portion 60d bending from a lower side of the rear end of the first connection surface portion 60b toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The second surface portion 60c is located closer to the vehicle exterior (front) than the third surface portion 60d in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the second surface portion 60c and the pair of third surface portions 60d are connected by the second connecting surface portion 60e. That is, the connecting surface portion 60 has a first step portion 62, which is a step portion formed in a stepped shape in the longitudinal direction by the first surface portion 60a, the first connecting surface portion 60b, the second surface portion 60c, and the third surface portion 60d and extending in the vertical direction. The width of the first surface portion 60a in the vehicle width direction is not uniform in the vertical direction, and the width of the lower portion of the first surface portion 60a in the vehicle width direction is narrower than the width of the upper portion of the first surface portion 60a in the vehicle width direction. The connecting surface portion 60 also has a second step portion 63, which is a step portion formed in a stepped shape in the longitudinal direction by the second surface portion 60c, the second connecting surface portion 60e, and the third surface portion 60d and extending in the vehicle width direction. The lower part of the connecting surface portion 60 also has a hat-shaped cross section that is convex toward the outside (front) of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and extends in the up-down direction. The dimension in the vehicle width direction of the convex portion 64, which is the rearward protruding portion of the hat-shaped cross section of the lower part of the connecting surface portion 60, is narrower than the other parts (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0056] An upper connection hole 53a is provided in the upper part of the second surface 60c for connecting the connecting portion 53 to the upper wall 30 of the sensor peripheral portion 20. An upper positioning hole 53c is provided in the upper part of the first surface 60a for determining the position of the connecting portion 53 relative to the sensor peripheral portion 20. The positioning hole 53c is disposed between the two upper connection holes 53a. A lower part of the third surface 60d is provided with a lower connection hole 53b for connecting the connecting portion 53 to the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20.

[0057] The upper connection hole 53a provided in the upper part of the second surface 60c corresponds to the upper connection portion 30a provided on the rear end surface of the upper wall 30 of the sensor peripheral portion 20. The positioning hole 53c provided in the upper part of the first surface 60a corresponds to the positioning guide 30b provided on the rear end surface of the upper wall 30 of the sensor peripheral portion 20. The lower connection hole 53b provided in the lower part of the third surface 60d corresponds to the lower connection portion 31a provided on the rear end surface of the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20.

[0058] The connecting portion 53 is connected to the upper connecting portion 30a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 by a screw through the upper connecting hole 53a, and is connected to the lower connecting portion 31a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 by a screw through the lower connecting hole 53b. As a result, the rear end surface of the upper wall 30 of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the rear end surface of the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20 are connected by the connecting portion 53. In other words, the connecting portion 53 connects the pair of upper wall 30 and lower wall 31 arranged opposite each other in the up-down direction of the sensor peripheral portion 20.

[0059] The connecting portion 53 of the low-rigidity member 6 connects the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5, thereby increasing the rigidity of the sensor peripheral portion 20. In the present embodiment, the connecting portion 53 connects the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31 that are arranged opposite each other in the up-down direction, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the connecting portion 53 may connect the first side portion 32A and the second side portion 32B that are arranged opposite each other in the vehicle width direction of the sensor peripheral portion 20. Even in this case, the first side portion 32A and the second side portion 32B are connected to each other by the connecting portion 53, thereby increasing the rigidity of the sensor peripheral portion 20.

[0060] The connecting surface portion 60 also has a first step portion 62 extending in the vertical direction, connecting the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20, which are arranged opposite each other in the vertical direction. This increases the vertical rigidity of the connecting portion 53, suppressing vertical deformation of the connecting portion 53 and suppressing displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20, such as vertical displacement of the sensor device 9 attached to the sensor peripheral portion 20. This is particularly effective because the vehicle 1 vibrates in the vertical direction while traveling. Note that the lower lateral extension portion 51, which is arranged at the lower part of the low-rigidity member 6, is not connected to the connecting portion 53, but is connected to the outer panel 4 via a panel fixing portion 6a provided at the vehicle width direction end of the lower lateral extension portion 51. As a result, the lower lateral extension portion 51 can be easily deformed during a collision, thereby absorbing the impact of the collision.

[0061] Next, the positional relationship between the reinforcing member 5, the low-rigidity member 6, and the support bracket 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 5, 8, and 9. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view (longitudinal cross-sectional view) taken along line AA in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is an enlarged perspective view of the left side in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle structure 2 according to this embodiment, as viewed from the rear side. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 8, and 9, the vehicle width center of the lower lateral extension 51 is disposed, in the front-rear direction, between the support bracket 12 attached to the vehicle width center of the second body frame member 3b and the lower support portion 22 provided below the sensor peripheral portion 20 provided at the vehicle width center of the reinforcing member 5. In other words, the vehicle width center of the lower lateral extension 51, which is the lower part of the low-rigidity member 6, is disposed on the vehicle outer side of the support bracket 12 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is disposed so as to overlap the support bracket 12 in the vehicle width direction and the up-down direction. Furthermore, the lower center of the low-rigidity member 6 in the vehicle width direction is located on the vehicle outer side of the target portion in the vehicle front-rear direction, at a height position corresponding to the target portion, which is either the support bracket 12 or the second vehicle-body frame member 3b (support bracket 12 in the illustrated example). Portions on both sides of the lower lateral extension 51 in the vehicle width direction are located so as not to overlap the support bracket 12. Furthermore, the lower lateral extension 51 is not connected to the connecting portion 53. Therefore, deformation of the low-rigidity member 6 is promoted during an offset collision. In this embodiment, the center of the lower lateral extension 51 in the vehicle width direction is located between the support bracket 12 and the lower support portion 22 in the front-rear direction, but is not limited to this, and may be located between the second vehicle-body frame member 3b and the lower support portion 22.

[0062] 8, the lower surface of the lower support portion 22 located below the lower wall 31 of the sensor peripheral portion 20 is supported by the upper surface of the support bracket 12, and the reinforcing member 5 is supported by the second vehicle body frame member 3b via the support bracket 12. The protruding portion 23 is disposed on the vehicle outer side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle than the support bracket 12 attached to the second vehicle body frame member 3b and so as to overlap with the support bracket 12 in the vertical direction. In other words, the protruding portion 23 is disposed on the vehicle outer side of the support bracket 12 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, at a height position corresponding to the support bracket 12. This makes it easier for the impact load transmitted to the protruding portion 23 during a collision to be dissipated toward the support bracket 12.

[0063] Next, the connection structure between the reinforcing member 5 and the low-rigidity member 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 10 is a view (cross-sectional view) taken along the arrow B-B in FIG. 5. The outer panel 4 and the second vehicle body frame member 3b are not shown in FIG. 10. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the connecting pieces 32c provided on both sides of the sensor peripheral portion 20 in the reinforcing member 5 in the vehicle width direction are simply inserted into a pair of slot holes 54 provided in the low-rigidity member 6. The side reinforcing portions 21 on both the left and right sides of the reinforcing member 5 are supported by the first vehicle body frame member 3a (see FIG. 2A). The side portions 58 on both sides of the low-rigidity member 6 in the vehicle width direction are connected to the outer panel 4 via the panel fixing portions 6a. Therefore, during an offset collision, the connecting pieces 32c provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction can easily come off the pair of slot holes 54 provided in the low-rigidity member 6. Therefore, during an offset collision, deformation of the low-rigidity member 6 on both sides in the vehicle width direction is easily promoted, and the impact during the collision is absorbed by the deformation of the low-rigidity member 6. Furthermore, since the connecting portions 53 of the low-rigidity member 6 connect the upper wall 30 and the lower wall 31 that are arranged opposite each other in the up-down direction of the sensor peripheral portion 20, the impact load received by the low-rigidity member 6 during the collision is received by the first body frame member 3a via the reinforcing member 5.

[0064] 5 and 9, the connecting surface portion 60 of the connecting portion 53 has a pair of first step portions 62 that are step portions extending in the up-down direction, and the pair of first step portions 62 are located outward in the vehicle width direction from the center in the vehicle width direction of the connecting surface portion 60. Therefore, during an offset collision, when the connecting pieces 32c provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction come out of the pair of slot holes 54 provided in the low-rigidity member 6, deformation of the connecting surface portion 60 in the vehicle width direction is promoted.

[0065] Next, with reference to Fig. 11A to Fig. 11E, the state of the vehicle structure 2 when hit by a collision object S from the front will be described. Fig. 11A is a diagram showing the initial state of the vehicle structure 2 at the time of collision, and Fig. 11B to Fig. 11E show states in which the main input points of the impact load to the vehicle structure 2 change sequentially. In Fig. 11A to Fig. 11E, the main input points and input directions of the impact load are indicated by outline arrows, and the outer panel 4 is not shown.

[0066] 11A, the protruding portion 23 is the portion of the reinforcing member 5 that protrudes furthest toward the vehicle exterior (front side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and therefore the impact load of the colliding object S is received first by the protruding portion 23. As a result, the protruding portion 23 and the periphery of the protruding portion 23 deform before the load is transmitted to the sensor peripheral portion 20, thereby absorbing the impact. Next, in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the tip position 20a on the vehicle exterior side of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the connection position 6x0 (the front end surface of the pedestal portion 4b) of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 are located within a predetermined small range, as described above. As a result, the impact load of the colliding object S is received by the sensor peripheral portion 20 of the reinforcing member 5 and the side portion 58 of the low-rigidity member 6. As a result, the load received by the sensor peripheral portion 20 is transmitted to the first vehicle-body frame member 3a, and the load received by the side portion 58 is transmitted to the second vehicle-body frame member 3b, thereby dispersing the impact load. Next, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the object S to be hit approaches the interior of the vehicle, the lower part of the reinforcing member 5 and the low-rigidity member 6 are deformed, and the impact energy is absorbed as deformation or breakage energy thereof.

[0067] Furthermore, as the impact object S approaches the vehicle interior, it comes into contact with the impact absorbing member 7, as shown in FIG. 11C. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11D, in the case of an offset collision, as the impact object S approaches the vehicle interior, deformation of the lower lateral extension portion 51 of the low-rigidity member 6 and the impact absorbing member 7 is promoted. Furthermore, because the portion of the sensor peripheral portion 20 located in the center of the reinforcement member 5 in the vehicle width direction is not directly connected to the first body frame member 3a, the sensor peripheral portion 20 is more likely to deform and absorb the impact. Furthermore, as the impact object S approaches the vehicle interior, it can also be received by the side reinforcement portions 21 provided on both sides of the reinforcement member 5 in the vehicle width direction, as shown in FIG. 11E.

[0068] As described above, in this embodiment, the vehicle structure 2 includes the outer panel 4 that constitutes a design surface on the outside of the vehicle in the front part of the vehicle, the body structural body 3 that supports the outer panel 4 from the back side of the outer panel 4, the reinforcing member 5 that reinforces the outer panel 4 from the back side of the outer panel 4, the sensor device 9 that detects the external environment of the vehicle and is attached to the reinforcing member 5, and the low-rigidity member 6 that has lower rigidity than the rigidity of the body structural body 3 and is disposed adjacent to the reinforcing member 5 and connected to the back side of the outer panel 4. The reinforcing member 5 has a sensor peripheral portion 20 that is a peripheral portion of the sensor device 9 of the reinforcing member 5, and in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the tip position 20a on the outside of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the tip position 6x1 on the outside of the low-rigidity member 6 or the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 are located within a predetermined small range.

[0069] With this configuration, when an object collides from the front, the impact load can be received by both the reinforcing member 5 and the low-rigidity member 6. As a result, the impact load during a collision is dispersed over a relatively wide area in the front part of the vehicle, and the impact energy is efficiently absorbed as deformation energy in the reinforcing member 5 and the low-rigidity member 6. Furthermore, by dispersing the impact load over a wide area in the front part of the vehicle, the impact load is prevented from concentrating on the sensor periphery 20, and the sensor device 9 can be protected. In this way, the vehicle structure 2 is a vehicle structure that can efficiently absorb impact while protecting the sensor device 9 during a collision.

[0070] In this embodiment, at least a portion of the low-rigidity member 6 is disposed at a position offset from the sensor periphery 20 in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0071] With this configuration, the vehicle structure 2 can receive the upper load of the impact load during a collision at the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the lower load of the impact load during a collision at the low-rigidity member 6, thereby distributing the load and absorbing the impact more effectively.

[0072] In addition, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 5 has side reinforcing portions 21 that are arranged on both sides of the sensor peripheral portion 20 in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle width direction, and the low-rigidity member 6 has side portions 58 that are arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction and are arranged below the side reinforcing portions 21.

[0073] With this configuration, the vehicle structure 2 can receive the upper load of the impact load during an offset collision at the side reinforcement portion 21 and the lower load of the impact load during an offset collision at the side portion 58, thereby achieving even more effective load distribution and impact absorption.

[0074] In this embodiment, the side reinforcing portion 21 is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the tip position 6x1 or the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0075] With this configuration, during a collision, the vehicle structure 2 can efficiently absorb the impact due to deformation of the outer portions (front portions) of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the outer portions (front portions) of the side portions 58 from the time when an impact load is received by the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the side portions 58 until the colliding object hits the surface (front surface) of the side reinforcement portion 21 facing the outer panel 4. Furthermore, particularly during an offset collision, deformation of the side portions 58 of the low-rigidity member 6 is promoted, and the deformation range (crash stroke) of the side portions 58 can be reliably secured.

[0076] In addition, in this embodiment, the body structure 3 has a first body skeletal member 3a extending in the vehicle width direction, and a second body skeletal member 3b arranged lower than the first body skeletal member 3a and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a support bracket 12 protruding upward from the second body skeletal member 3b and supporting the reinforcing member 5 from below is provided at the center of the vehicle width direction of the second body skeletal member 3b, and the lower part of the center of the vehicle width direction of the low-rigidity member 6 is arranged on the outer side of the target portion in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, at a height position corresponding to the target portion (here, support bracket 12), which is either the support bracket 12 or the second body skeletal member 3b.

[0077] With this configuration, in the event of a collision, rearward movement of the low-rigidity member 6 is restricted by the support bracket 12 or the second body frame member 3b, promoting deformation of the low-rigidity member 6. In other words, in the event of a collision, for example, if the connection between the low-rigidity member 6 and the reinforcing member 5 is released by impact, the entire low-rigidity member 6 is prevented from simply moving rearward, and deformation of the low-rigidity member 6 is promoted.

[0078] In addition, in this embodiment, the second body frame member 3b is provided with an impact absorbing member 7 that protrudes from the second body frame member 3b toward the outside of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the impact absorbing member 7 is arranged below the low-rigidity member 6, and the protruding tip position 7x of the impact absorbing member 7 and the tip position 6x1 or connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 are located within a predetermined small range in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0079] With this configuration, the vehicle structure 2 can receive the upper load of the impact load during a collision with the low-rigidity member 6 and the lower load of the impact load during a collision with the impact-absorbing member 7, thereby achieving even more effective load distribution and impact absorption.

[0080] In addition, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 5 has a protrusion 23 that protrudes from the lower part of the reinforcing member 5 toward the outside of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the protrusion 23 is positioned at a height position corresponding to the support bracket 12 and toward the outside of the vehicle relative to the support bracket 12 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0081] This configuration makes it easier for the impact load transmitted to the protrusion 23 during a collision to be dissipated toward the support bracket 12. As a result, deformation of the support bracket 12 is promoted, the impact is absorbed, and further, the transmission of the impact load to the sensor periphery 20 during a collision is suppressed, thereby protecting the sensor device 9.

[0082] In addition, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 5 has a protruding portion 23 that protrudes from the lower part of the reinforcing member 5 toward the outside of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the protruding tip position 23a of the protruding portion 23 is located toward the outside of the vehicle relative to the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0083] With this configuration, the protrusion 23 and the area around the protrusion 23 deform before an impact load is applied to the sensor peripheral portion 20, thereby suppressing deformation and displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20 to which the sensor device 9 is attached, and protecting the sensor device 9.

[0084] In this embodiment, the protruding portion 23 protrudes from a position on the vehicle interior side relative to the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 toward the vehicle exterior side in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0085] This configuration increases the deformation range (crash stroke) of protrusion 23 during a collision, and protrusion 23 deforms before an impact load is applied to sensor peripheral portion 20. In other words, because the base end of protrusion 23 (the base end of front and rear wall 231) is located rearward of tip end position 20a of sensor peripheral portion 20, the protrusion amount of protrusion 23 increases, which promotes deformation around the base end of protrusion 23. As a result, the impact of the collision is absorbed by the deformation of protrusion 23, which suppresses deformation of sensor peripheral portion 20, and improves the protection performance of sensor device 9.

[0086] The above describes the embodiments of the present invention and their modifications. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and their modifications, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0087] For example, in the above embodiment, the vehicle structure 2 is applied as a structure for the front of the vehicle 1, but is not limited to this and may be applied as a structure for the rear of the vehicle 1. In this case, in the above description, "front side" is replaced with "rear side", "outside" in the front-to-rear direction indicates the rear side, "rear side" indicates the front side, "outer surface" indicates the rear surface, and "rear surface" indicates the front surface.

[0088] Furthermore, the vehicle structure 2 has a positional relationship between the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the low-rigidity member 6 such that, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the tip position 20a on the vehicle exterior side of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and the tip position 6x1 on the vehicle exterior side of the low-rigidity member 6 or the connection position 6x0 of the low-rigidity member 6 to the outer panel 4 are located within a predetermined small range, but the vehicle structure 2 does not have to have this positional relationship. In this case, it is sufficient for the vehicle structure 2 to have a configuration regarding the longitudinal relationship between the protruding tip position 23a of the protrusion 23 and the tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20. That is, the vehicle structure 2 may be any vehicle structure including an outer panel 4, a vehicle body structural body 3, a reinforcing member 5, and a sensor device 9, wherein the reinforcing member 5 has a sensor peripheral portion 20, which is a peripheral portion of the sensor device 9 within the reinforcing member 5, and a protruding portion 23 that protrudes from a lower portion of the reinforcing member 5 toward the vehicle exterior in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the protruding tip position 23a of the protruding portion 23 is located on the vehicle exterior side relative to the vehicle exterior tip position 20a of the sensor peripheral portion 20 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. With this configuration, the protruding portion 23 and the periphery of the protruding portion 23 deform before an impact load is applied to the sensor peripheral portion 20, thereby suppressing deformation and displacement of the sensor peripheral portion 20 and protecting the sensor device 9. Therefore, the vehicle structure 2 according to this modification is also a vehicle structure that can efficiently absorb impact while protecting the sensor device 9 during a collision. Note that the various configurations applied to the vehicle structure 2 according to this embodiment may also be applied to the vehicle structure 2 according to the above-described modification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1 vehicle 2 Vehicle structure 3 Body structure 3a First body frame member 3a1 Front flange 3b Second body frame member 4 Outer panel 4a Front Grille 4b Base 5 Reinforcing members 6 Low-rigidity members 6a Panel fixing part 6x0 Connection position of low stiffness member to outer panel 6x1 Low-rigidity member outer edge position 7. Shock absorbing material 7x Impact absorbing member protrusion tip position 8 Bumper Face 9 Sensor Device 10 sensors 11 Sensor bracket 12 Support bracket 20 Sensor periphery 20a Tip position of the sensor periphery on the outside of the vehicle 21 Side reinforcement 21a Side reinforcement upper wall 21b Front wall of side reinforcement 21b1 Through hole 22 Lower support part 22a Position of the outer end of the lower support part 23 Protrusion 23a Protrusion tip position of protrusion 231 Front and rear walls 232 Projecting end wall 24 Sensor housing space 25 recess 25a Back wall 25b side wall 25c Concave shape bottom wall 26 Vertical ribs 27 Lower bulge 30 Upper Wall 30a Upper connection part 30b Upper positioning guide 31 Lower Wall 31a Lower connection part 32A First Side 32B Second side 32 Adjacent area 32a Peripheral wall part 32b End wall 32c connection piece 32d Upper peripheral wall 32e Lower peripheral wall 32f Vertical wall 33 Sensor mounting wall 34 Opening 35 Sensor fixing part 36 pick up the wall 50 Upper horizontal extension 51 Lower horizontal extension 52 extension 53 Connection 53a upper side connection hole 53b Lower side connection hole 53c position decision hole 54 スロットhole 55 vertebral wall 57 owed to you 58 Side 60 Connect Face 60a First face 60b 1st contact face 60c Second face 60d third face 60e 2nd face 61 Sidewall face 62 Section 1 63 Section 2 64 bulge S Conflict Object

Claims

1. an outer panel that constitutes a design surface on the outside of the vehicle at the front or rear of the vehicle; a vehicle body structure that supports the outer panel from a rear surface side of the outer panel; a reinforcing member that reinforces the outer panel from the back surface side of the outer panel; a sensor device attached to the reinforcing member for detecting an external environment of the vehicle; A vehicle structure comprising: a low-rigidity member having a rigidity lower than that of the vehicle body structure, disposed adjacent to the reinforcing member, and connected to a rear surface of the outer panel; the reinforcing member has a sensor peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the reinforcing member of the sensor device, A vehicle structure characterized in that, in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the vehicle-exterior tip position of the sensor periphery and the vehicle-exterior tip position of the low-rigidity member or the connection position of the low-rigidity member to the outer panel are located within a predetermined small range.

2. 2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the low-rigidity member is disposed at a position offset from the periphery of the sensor in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

3. the reinforcing member has side reinforcing portions that are arranged on both sides of the sensor periphery in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle width direction, 3. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, wherein the low-rigidity member has side portions disposed on both sides in the vehicle width direction, the side portions being disposed below the side reinforcement portions.

4. 4. The vehicle structure according to claim 3, wherein the side reinforcement portion is arranged on the vehicle interior side relative to the tip position of the sensor peripheral portion and the tip position or the connection position of the low-rigidity member in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

5. the vehicle body structure includes a first vehicle body frame member extending in a vehicle width direction, and a second vehicle body frame member disposed below the first vehicle body frame member and extending in the vehicle width direction, a support bracket is provided at a center of the second vehicle body frame member in a vehicle width direction, the support bracket protruding upward from the second vehicle body frame member and supporting the reinforcing member from below; 5. The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein a lower portion of the center of the low-rigidity member in the vehicle width direction is positioned on the vehicle outer side relative to the target portion in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, at a height position corresponding to the target portion, which is either the support bracket or the second body frame member.

6. the second vehicle body frame member is provided with an impact absorbing member that protrudes from the second vehicle body frame member toward the vehicle outer side in the vehicle front-rear direction, the impact absorbing member is disposed below the low-rigidity member, 6. The vehicle structure according to claim 5, wherein the protruding tip position of the impact absorbing member and the tip position or the connection position of the low-rigidity member are located within a predetermined small range in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

7. the vehicle body structure includes a first vehicle body frame member extending in a vehicle width direction, and a second vehicle body frame member disposed below the first vehicle body frame member and extending in the vehicle width direction, the second vehicle body frame member is provided with an impact absorbing member that protrudes from the second vehicle body frame member toward the vehicle outer side in the vehicle front-rear direction, the impact absorbing member is disposed below the low-rigidity member, 2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the protruding tip position of the impact absorbing member and the tip position or the connection position of the low-rigidity member are located within a predetermined small range in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

8. the vehicle body structure includes a first vehicle body frame member extending in a vehicle width direction, and a second vehicle body frame member disposed below the first vehicle body frame member and extending in the vehicle width direction, a support bracket is provided at a center of the second vehicle body frame member in a vehicle width direction, the support bracket protruding upward from the second vehicle body frame member and supporting the reinforcing member from below; the reinforcing member has a protruding portion that protrudes from a lower portion of the reinforcing member toward the vehicle exterior in the vehicle front-rear direction, The vehicle structure according to claim 1 , wherein the protrusion is disposed on the vehicle outer side relative to the support bracket in the vehicle longitudinal direction at a height position corresponding to the support bracket.

9. the reinforcing member has a protruding portion that protrudes from a lower portion of the reinforcing member toward the vehicle exterior in the vehicle front-rear direction, 2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein a protruding tip position of the protruding portion is located on the vehicle outer side with respect to the tip position of the sensor peripheral portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

10. an outer panel that constitutes a design surface on the outside of the vehicle at the front or rear of the vehicle; a vehicle body structure that supports the outer panel from a rear surface side of the outer panel; a reinforcing member that reinforces the outer panel from the back surface side of the outer panel; a sensor device attached to the reinforcing member for detecting an external environment of the vehicle; A vehicle structure comprising: the reinforcing member has a sensor peripheral portion that is a peripheral portion of the reinforcing member of the sensor device, and a protruding portion that protrudes from a lower portion of the reinforcing member toward an outer side of the vehicle in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, A vehicle structure characterized in that a protruding tip position of the protruding portion is located on the vehicle outer side relative to a vehicle outer side tip position of the sensor periphery in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

11. 11. The vehicle structure according to claim 9, wherein the protruding portion protrudes from a position on the vehicle interior side relative to the tip position of the sensor peripheral portion toward the vehicle exterior side in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

12. the vehicle body structure includes a first vehicle body frame member extending in a vehicle width direction, and a second vehicle body frame member disposed below the first vehicle body frame member and extending in the vehicle width direction, a support bracket is provided at a center of the second vehicle body frame member in a vehicle width direction, the support bracket protruding upward from the second vehicle body frame member and supporting the reinforcing member from below; The vehicle structure according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the protrusion is disposed on the vehicle outer side relative to the support bracket in the vehicle front-rear direction at a height position corresponding to the support bracket.

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