Vehicle side part structure

Abstract

To make it possible to avert interference of a rear end of a front fender with a front door at a time of a front crash of a vehicle.SOLUTION: In a vehicle side part structure, a front fender 1 of a vehicle is supported by a body 2 of the vehicle via a fender bracket 3. The fender bracket 3 includes an inside attachment part 31 fixed to the body 2, an extension part 32 extending from the inside attachment part 31 in a vehicle lateral direction outside in the vehicle lateral direction, an inclined part 33 extending obliquely outward from an end of the extension part 32 forward in the vehicle, and an outside attachment part 34 extended in a vehicle fore-and-aft direction from an end of the inclined part 33 forward in the vehicle, and fixed to an internal surface of the front fender 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 states that "When a force is applied from above to the fender joint 4, a force moment is generated around the flange 2a of the apron joint 2, which is joined to the apron portion 101. At this time, stress is concentrated around the areas where bending points 1d and 8a are formed. When the stress exceeds a certain value, deformation occurs starting from bending point 1d or 8a." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6791582 (JP 2018-090080) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, if a vehicle is pushed rearward by the force of the front fender in a front collision, the rear end of the front fender may interfere with the front door, causing the front door to deform, which may increase the possibility of an increase in vehicle repair costs.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle side structure that can prevent the rear end of the front fender from interfering with the front door in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a vehicle side structure in which a front fender of a vehicle is supported on the body of the vehicle via a fender bracket, wherein the fender bracket comprises an inner mounting portion fixed to the body, an extension portion extending from the inner mounting portion outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle in the left-right direction of the vehicle, an inclined portion extending diagonally outward from the end of the extension portion toward the front of the vehicle, and an outer mounting portion extending from the end of the inclined portion toward the front of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and fixed to the inner surface of the front fender.

[0007] With this configuration, when the front fender is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle due to a frontal collision of the vehicle, the inclined portion is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle with the joint between the inclined portion and the extension portion of the fender bracket as a fulcrum, causing the inclined portion to deform into a position along the left-right direction of the vehicle, and in the process, the front fender is pushed outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle, so that the rear end of the front fender is displaced outward from the outer surface of the front door. This prevents the rear end of the front fender from interfering with the front door.

[0008] In the vehicle side structure, the fender brackets may be arranged at a plurality of locations on the front fender at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0009] According to this configuration, when the vehicle crashes head-on, the entire front fender is pushed straight toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0010] This prevents the rear end of the front fender from colliding with the front door over the entire area in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0011] In the vehicle side structure, the fender bracket may be a member formed by bending a metal strip plate. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] In the present invention, the deformation of the front fender is controlled in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, so that it is possible to prevent the rear end of the front fender from interfering with the front door. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a left side view showing an embodiment of a vehicle side structure according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line (2)-(2) in FIG. 1, viewed from the direction of the arrow. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle in FIG. 2 has crashed head-on. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the fender bracket of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 and showing another embodiment of the vehicle side structure according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a view corresponding to FIG. 2 showing yet another embodiment of the vehicle side structure according to the present invention. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] 1 to 4 show one embodiment of the present invention. These figures show a vehicle side structure in which a front fender 1 of a vehicle is supported on a vehicle body 2 via a fender bracket 3.

[0016] The front door 4 of the vehicle is configured by combining an inner panel 11 and an outer panel 12, and is opened, for example, via a hinge (not shown) as shown by the two-dot chain lines in FIGS.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fender bracket 3 is a member made by bending a metal strip, and includes an inner mounting portion 31, an extension portion 32, an inclined portion 33, and an outer mounting portion 34.

[0018] In FIG. 1, the overall length of the fender bracket 3 located in the center of the vehicle in the vertical direction is set to be larger than the fender brackets 3 located at the top and bottom positions in the vertical direction of the vehicle, but it is possible to make the overall length of all fender brackets 3 the same.

[0019] The inner mounting portion 31 is fixed to the body 2. The extension portion 32 extends from the inner mounting portion 31 outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle along the left-right direction of the vehicle.

[0020] The inclined portion 33 extends obliquely outward from the end of the extension portion 32 toward the front of the vehicle. The two long sides of this inclined portion 33 are provided with flanges 35, 35 that are bent perpendicularly. By providing these flanges 35, 35, the cross section of the inclined portion 33 is U-shaped, thereby increasing the rigidity of the inclined portion 33. This makes it possible to prevent the inclined portion 33 from buckling into a V-shape even when an excessive load acts on the inclined portion 33 during a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0021] The outer attachment portion 34 extends from the end of the inclined portion 33 toward the front of the vehicle along the vehicle longitudinal direction, and is fixed to the inner surface of the front fender 1.

[0022] The fender brackets 3 are installed at a plurality of locations (for example, three locations) at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the front fender 1.

[0023] Next, the operation at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0024] When the front fender 1 is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle due to a frontal collision of the vehicle, the inclined portion 33 of the fender bracket 3 is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle with the connecting portion 36 between the inclined portion 33 and the extension portion 32 as a fulcrum, causing the posture of the inclined portion 33 to change from the state shown by the dashed line in Figure 2 or 3 to a state along the left-right direction of the vehicle as shown by the solid line in Figure 3, and in the process, the front fender 1 is pushed outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle, so that the rear end of the front fender 1 is displaced outward from the outer surface of the front door 4. This prevents the rear end of the front fender 1 from interfering with the front door 4.

[0025] In order to push the entire front fender 1 outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle during a frontal collision, it is preferable to install fender brackets 3 in three locations, as shown in Figure 1. Also, in order to make it easier to deform inclined portion 33 as described above during a frontal collision, it is preferable to set the inclination angle θ (see Figure 2) of inclined portion 33 with respect to front fender 1 to, for example, 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees.

[0026] As described above, in the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, the deformation of the front fender 1 is controlled in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, thereby making it possible to prevent the rear end of the front fender 1 from interfering with the front door 4.

[0027] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and the equivalents thereof.

[0028] (1) In the above embodiment, the fender bracket 3 can have a two-piece structure in which first and second members 3A and 3B are combined as shown in FIG.

[0029] The first member 3A has a bent shape and includes an inner mounting portion 31 and an extending portion 32A. The inner mounting portion 31 is fixed to the body 2. The extending portion 32A extends from the inner mounting portion 31 outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle along the left-right direction of the vehicle.

[0030] The second member 3B has a curved shape and includes an extending portion 32B, an inclined portion 33, and an outer mounting portion 34. The extending portion 32B extends from the inside to the outside in the left-right direction of the vehicle. The inclined portion 33 extends diagonally outward from an end of the extending portion 32B toward the front of the vehicle. The outer mounting portion 34 extends from an end of the inclined portion 33 toward the front of the vehicle along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and is fixed to the inner surface of the front fender 1. Note that the inclined portion 33 is provided with flanges 35 (not shown in FIG. 5) on two long sides, similar to FIG. 4 of the above embodiment, to increase its rigidity.

[0031] In this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, when the front fender 1 is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle in a frontal collision of the vehicle, the inclined portion 33 of the second member 3B is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle with the connecting portion 36 between the inclined portion 33 and the extending portion 32B as a fulcrum, causing the posture of the inclined portion 33 to change to a state along the left-right direction of the vehicle, and in the process, the front fender 1 is pushed outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle, so that the rear end of the front fender 1 is displaced outward from the outer surface of the front door 4. This makes it possible to prevent the rear end of the front fender 1 from interfering with the front door 4 in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0032] (2) In the above embodiment, the fender bracket 3 can be formed into a bent shape, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the fender bracket 3 is a member made by bending a metal strip, and has an inner mounting portion 31, an inclined portion 33, and an outer mounting portion 34.

[0034] The inner mounting portion 31 is fixed to the body 2. The inclined portion 33 extends obliquely outward from the front end of the inner mounting portion 31 toward the front of the vehicle. The outer mounting portion 34 extends from the end of the inclined portion 33 toward the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is fixed to the inner surface of the front fender 1. Note that the inclined portion 33 is made highly rigid by providing flanges 35 (not shown in FIG. 6) on its two long sides, similar to FIG. 4 of the above embodiment.

[0035] In this embodiment, as in the above embodiment, when the front fender 1 is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle in a frontal collision of the vehicle, the inclined portion 33 is pushed toward the rear of the vehicle with the connecting portion 36 between the inner mounting portion 31 of the fender bracket 3 and the inclined portion 33 as a fulcrum, causing the posture of the inclined portion 33 to change to a state along the left-right direction of the vehicle, and in the process, the front fender 1 is pushed outward in the left-right direction of the vehicle, so that the rear end of the front fender 1 is displaced outward from the outer surface of the front door 4. This makes it possible to prevent the rear end of the front fender 1 from colliding with the front door 4 in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0036] (3) In the above embodiment, the number of fender brackets 3 can be appropriately changed to two or more depending on the rigidity of the front fender 1. In such an embodiment, the same functions and effects as those of the above embodiment can be obtained. [Industrial Applicability]

[0037] The present invention can be suitably used in a vehicle side structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Front fender 11 Inner panel 12 Outer panel 2 Body 3 Fender bracket 31 Inner mounting part 32 Extension 33 Slope 34 Outside mounting part 35 Tsuba 36 Connecting part 4 Front Door

Claims

1. A vehicle side structure in which a front fender of a vehicle is supported on a body of the vehicle via a fender bracket, The fender bracket is an inner mounting portion fixed to the body; an extension portion extending from the inner mounting portion to an outer side in the left-right direction of the vehicle along the left-right direction of the vehicle; an inclined portion extending obliquely outward from an end of the extension portion toward the front of the vehicle; an outer mounting portion extending from an end of the inclined portion toward the front of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and fixed to the inner surface of the front fender.

2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, The vehicle side structure is characterized in that the fender brackets are installed at a plurality of locations on the front fender at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1 or 2, The vehicle side structure is characterized in that the fender bracket is a member formed by bending a metal strip plate.

Images