Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front structure capable of setting the temperature of a space (room) provided in a front compartment to a suitable temperature.SOLUTION: The vehicle front structure 10 includes the partition 30 that is provided in the front compartment S1 and defines the storage chamber S1 in a part of the front compartment S3, the air conditioner 40 that is provided in the front compartment S1 other than the storage chamber S3 and adjusts the temperature of the air in the vehicle cabin, and the duct 60 that connects the air conditioner 40 and the storage chamber S3 and guides the air whose temperature has been adjusted by the air conditioner 40 to the storage chamber S3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles with a trunk (front trunk) provided in the front of the vehicle are known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a vehicle front structure including a front compartment, a front trunk, and a water heater. In this structure, the front compartment is a space provided in front of the passenger compartment where the occupants are seated, and between the pair of left and right front wheels. The front trunk is housed within the front compartment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2024-060964 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Heat is transferred to the front compartment from sunlight and the drive source. However, the front compartment is sealed to prevent sand and water from getting in, making it difficult for the transferred heat to be dissipated. Therefore, when heat is transferred to the front compartment, it cannot dissipate the transferred heat efficiently, and the temperature may rise.

[0005] When the temperature in the front compartment rises, the temperature in the front trunk, a compartment that is part of the front compartment, also rises. Generally, the front trunk is used to store passengers' luggage, but if the temperature in the front trunk rises, the temperature of the luggage stored there may also rise. This makes it difficult to store luggage that is easily damaged by heat in the front trunk.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front structure that can maintain the temperature of a space partitioned as a part of a front compartment at an appropriate temperature. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle front structure of claim 1 comprises a partition provided within a front compartment that partitions a storage room in part of the front compartment, an air conditioning unit provided outside the storage room within the front compartment that adjusts the temperature of the air within the vehicle cabin, and a duct that connects the air conditioning unit to the storage room and guides the air conditioned by the air conditioning unit to the storage room.

[0008] The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 includes a duct that connects the air conditioning unit and the storage compartment and guides air conditioned by the air conditioning unit to the storage compartment. This allows the air conditioned by the air conditioning unit to be supplied to the storage compartment via the duct. This makes it possible to maintain the temperature of the storage compartment at a suitable temperature. This makes it possible to maintain the temperature of the items stored in the storage compartment at a suitable temperature.

[0009] An example of a storage compartment is a space (front trunk) that is connected to the space outside the front compartment when a component that partitions the upper part of the front compartment (e.g., a hood) is removed and that can store cargo, etc. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] As described above, the vehicle front structure according to the present invention has the excellent effect of being able to maintain the temperature of a space partitioned as a part of the front compartment at a suitable temperature. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing a main part of a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a main part of a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle front structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that the arrow FR shown as appropriate in each figure indicates the front of the vehicle, which is the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the arrow LH indicates the left side of the vehicle, which is the left side in the vehicle transverse direction when facing the vehicle forward, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, which is the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction. In the following description, the longitudinal direction, the transverse direction, and the vertical direction respectively indicate the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the vehicle transverse direction, and the vehicle vertical direction.

[0013] [vehicle] The vehicle 1 to which the vehicle front structure 10 according to this embodiment is applied is, for example, a battery electric vehicle (BEV). The vehicle 1 generates driving force by rotating a traction motor (not shown) using electric power supplied from a battery (not shown). The vehicle 1 travels by transmitting the driving force generated by the traction motor to front wheels 21.

[0014] [Vehicle front structure] Next, a vehicle front structure 10 applied to the front of a vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figures 1 and 3 show the vehicle front structure 10 with the hood 28 removed. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the vehicle front structure 10 includes a vehicle body 20 having a front compartment S1 at the front, a partition section 30 and an air conditioning unit 40 provided within the front compartment S1, and a passenger compartment duct 50 and a front trunk duct 60 extending from the air conditioning unit 40.

[0015] 3, the vehicle body 20 has side outer panels 23 that function as an outer shell, a pair of left and right front side members 24 that extend along the front-to-rear direction, and a dash panel 25 that is provided in front of a passenger compartment 27 and separates the passenger compartment 27 from a front compartment S1. In addition, a pair of left and right front wheels 21 are provided on the outer sides of the pair of front side members 24 in the vehicle width direction. In addition, a radiator 22 is provided in front of and between the pair of front side members 24.

[0016] 2 and 3, a front compartment S1 is provided in the front portion of the vehicle body 20. The front compartment S1 is a space provided in front of a vehicle interior 27 where passengers are seated, and is separated from the vehicle interior 27 by a dash panel 25. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the front compartment S1 is partitioned above by a hood 28. The hood 28 covers the front compartment S1 from above.

[0017] 2, the partition 30 is provided at the front and upper part of the front compartment S1. The partition 30 divides the front compartment S1 into a space inside the partition 30 (front trunk S3) and a space outside the partition 30 (equipment storage space S2). In other words, the partition 30 defines the front trunk S3 in one part of the front compartment S1, and defines the equipment storage space S2 in the other part (the part other than the front trunk S3).

[0018] The front trunk S3 is a space that communicates with the space outside the front compartment 26 when the hood 28 is open, and is a space that can accommodate cargo, etc. The front trunk S3 is located approximately in the center in the width direction. The front trunk S3 is also located forward of the center in the fore-and-aft direction. The equipment storage space S2 includes a space behind and below the front trunk S3. The equipment storage space S2 stores various devices such as an air conditioning unit 40 (described later) and a driving motor (not shown).

[0019] The partition section 30 integrally comprises a front trunk section 31 which is box-shaped and opens upward, and in which a front trunk S3 is provided, and a plate-shaped flange section 32 which extends in the front-to-rear and width directions from almost the entire circumferential area of ​​the upper end of the front trunk section 31.

[0020] The front trunk section 31 integrally comprises a front wall 31a defining the front of the front trunk S3, a pair of left and right side walls 31b defining the sides of the front trunk S3, a rear wall 31c defining the rear of the front trunk S3, and a bottom surface 31d defining the lower part of the front trunk S3. The front wall 31a is curved so that the center portion in the width direction protrudes forward in a plan view.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the rear wall 31c of the front trunk section 31 is formed with an inlet 33 that opens into the front trunk S3. Specifically, the inlet 33 is formed at the right end in the width direction of the rear wall 31c. Additionally, the front wall 31a of the front trunk section 31 is formed with an exhaust port 34 that opens into the front trunk S3. Specifically, the exhaust port 34 is formed at the left end in the width direction of the front wall 31a. The inlet 33 and the exhaust port 34 are positioned approximately diagonally opposite each other in a plan view.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the air conditioner 40 is provided at the rear of the front compartment S1. More specifically, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the air conditioner 40 is provided behind the front trunk S2. The air conditioner 40 is fixed to the front surface of the dash panel 25.

[0023] 1 , air conditioner 40 has a housing 41 that serves as an outer shell, a heater 42 housed inside housing 41, an evaporator 43 housed inside housing 41, and a control unit (not shown) that adjusts the temperature of the air in response to operations by an occupant in passenger compartment 27. Air conditioner 40 adjusts the temperature of air introduced into housing 41 using heater 42 and evaporator 43 that constitutes part of a refrigeration cycle, and then discharges the air from housing 41. The method by which air conditioner 40 adjusts the temperature of the air is not limited to a specific method, and may be, for example, a method of adjusting the temperature of the air by adjusting the amount of air sent to heater 42 and the amount of air sent to evaporator 43.

[0024] The heater 42 is provided in an air flow path within the housing 41 and heats the air introduced into the housing 41. The heater 42 may be any device that heats air, and may be, for example, a device that generates heat electrically, such as a PTC heater, or a device that exchanges heat between air and a refrigerant, such as a heat pump heater. The evaporator 43 is provided in the air flow path within the housing 41 and cools the air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant circulating therein and the air introduced into the housing 41. The control unit adjusts the temperature of the air discharged from the air conditioner 40 in response to, for example, an operation on an operation panel (not shown) provided in the passenger compartment 27.

[0025] 1 to 3, the compartment duct 50 connects the housing 41 of the air conditioner 40 to the compartment 27. The compartment duct 50 extends in the front-to-rear direction and penetrates the dash panel 25. When air whose temperature has been adjusted by the air conditioner 40 is introduced into the compartment 27, the air is guided from the air conditioner 40 to the compartment 27 via the compartment duct 50 (see arrow A3 in FIG. 1).

[0026] The front trunk duct (duct) 60 connects the air conditioner 40 and the front trunk S3. Specifically, the front trunk duct 60 connects the housing 41 of the air conditioner 40 and the air inlet 33 formed in the rear wall 31c of the front trunk section 31. As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, the air conditioner 40 and the air inlet 33 are misaligned in the width direction, so the front trunk duct 60 connecting them is curved or bent in a plan view.

[0027] When air temperature-adjusted by air conditioner 40 is introduced into front trunk S3, the air is guided from air conditioner 40 to front trunk S3 via front trunk duct 60. The air that flows into front trunk S3 circulates within front trunk S3 (see arrow A1 in FIG. 1) and adjusts the temperature of front trunk S3. The air that has circulated through front trunk S3 is discharged to the outside of front trunk S3 through exhaust port 34 (see arrow A2).

[0028] [Actions and Effects] According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects are achieved. In this embodiment, a front trunk duct 60 is provided that connects the air conditioner 40 and the front trunk S3 and directs air conditioned by the air conditioner 40 to the front trunk S3. This allows air conditioned by the air conditioner 40 to be supplied to the front trunk S3 via the front trunk duct 60. This allows the temperature of the front trunk S3 to be maintained at a suitable temperature. This allows the temperature of items stored in the front trunk S3 to be maintained at a suitable temperature.

[0029] In this embodiment, the temperature of the air discharged from the air conditioner 40 can be adjusted using an operation panel (not shown) provided in the passenger compartment 27. Therefore, the temperature of the front trunk S3 can be adjusted from the passenger compartment 27.

[0030] In this embodiment, the air conditioner 40 and the front trunk S3 are both provided in the front compartment S1. This shortens the distance between the air conditioner 40 and the front trunk S3 compared to when the air conditioner 40 and the front trunk S3 are provided in separate spaces. This allows the length of the front trunk duct 60 connecting the air conditioner 40 and the front trunk S3 to be shortened.

[0031] In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit 40 is provided behind the front trunk S3, and the air inlet 33 is formed in the rear wall 31c of the front trunk section 31. This allows the length of the front trunk duct 60 to be further shortened.

[0032] In this embodiment, the air inlet 33 and the air outlet 34 are positioned approximately diagonally opposite each other in a plan view. This allows the air flowing from the air inlet 33 to the air outlet 34 to flow not only in the front-to-rear direction but also in the width direction. This makes it easier for the air that flows into the front trunk S3 to flow throughout the entire front trunk S3. This allows for more optimal temperature regulation of the front trunk S3.

[0033] [Variations] Although the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment has been described above, the present invention can be modified in design as appropriate within the scope of the gist thereof. For example, in the above embodiment, an example of applying the vehicle front structure 10 to a battery-powered electric vehicle has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The vehicle front structure 10 according to the present invention can be applied to any vehicle that has a storage space such as a front trunk in the front compartment, and may be applied to, for example, a fuel cell vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Vehicle front structure 30 Compartment 40 Air conditioner 60 Front trunk duct (duct) S1 Front Compartment S3 Front Trunk (Containment Room)

Claims

[Claim 1] a partition provided in the front compartment and partitioning a storage chamber in a part of the front compartment; an air conditioning device provided in a space other than the storage chamber in the front compartment, for adjusting the temperature of air in the vehicle interior; a duct that connects the air conditioning device and the accommodation compartment and guides air whose temperature has been adjusted by the air conditioning device to the accommodation compartment.

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