Engine under cover structure for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a structure capable of easily positioning and temporarily holding an engine under cover to a lower part of an engine room without providing a complicated shape in the engine under cover and the lower part of the engine room.SOLUTION: The vehicle engine undercover structure includes an engine undercover 102, a front-side lower cross member 104, a rear-side suspension frame 106, two front locking portions 124, 126 that protrude forward from the engine undercover 102, are inserted into the lower cross member 104, lock the engine undercover 102 to the lower cross member 104, and are disposed apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, and a rear locking portion 128 that has a dimension wider than the two front locking portions 124, 126 in the vehicle width direction, protrudes rearward from the engine undercover 102, is held by the suspension frame 106, and locks the engine undercover 102 to the suspension frame 106.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an engine undercover structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a mounting structure for a vehicle undercover that covers a lower area of ​​an engine frame of a vehicle body with an undercover. It also describes a method of temporarily fastening the undercover by inserting a locking claw formed on the front end of the undercover into a through-hole in a radiator panel frame and inserting a locking claw formed on the rear end of the undercover into a through-hole in a jack-up plate. It also describes a method of then firmly fastening the undercover with bolts and clips. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-348833 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the structure described in Patent Document 1, the locking claws formed on the rear end of the undercover are bent upward by approximately 90 degrees before being inserted into the through-holes of the jack-up plate. This makes the undercover structure complex, and requires a complex structure to be provided on the vehicle body, which may reduce the efficiency of positioning the undercover (engine undercover) to the vehicle body.

[0005] In view of these problems, the present invention aims to provide an engine undercover structure for a vehicle that can easily position and temporarily hold the engine undercover relative to the lower part of the engine compartment without having to provide complex shapes to the engine undercover or vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a typical configuration of the present invention is characterized by comprising an engine undercover attached to the bottom of the vehicle's engine compartment, a lower cross member extending in the vehicle width direction in front of the engine undercover, a suspension frame erected in the vehicle width direction in the rear of the engine undercover, two front engagement portions spaced apart in the vehicle width direction that protrude forward from the engine undercover and are inserted into the lower cross member to engage the engine undercover to the lower cross member, and a rear engagement portion that has a wider dimension in the vehicle width direction than the two front engagement portions, protrudes rearward from the engine undercover, and is held by the suspension frame to engage the engine undercover to the suspension frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the engine under-cover can be easily positioned and temporarily held in place relative to the lower part of the engine compartment without providing a complex shape to the cover or vehicle body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a front portion of a vehicle to which an engine undercover structure for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of the engine undercover of FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the engine undercover of FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a part of the engine undercover and the lower cross member of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a partial end view of the engine undercover and lower cross member of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the engine undercover and the lower cross member of FIG. 1, viewed from above. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view of a part of the engine undercover and the lower cross member of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above. FIG. [Figure 8] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the engine undercover and the lower cross member of FIG. 1, viewed from above. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of the engine undercover of FIG. 1 as seen obliquely from above. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the engine undercover and suspension frame of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a partial end view of the engine undercover and suspension frame of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention is characterized by comprising an engine undercover attached to the bottom of a vehicle's engine compartment, a lower cross member extending in the vehicle width direction in front of the engine undercover, a suspension frame erected in the vehicle width direction behind the engine undercover, two front engagement portions spaced apart in the vehicle width direction that protrude forward from the engine undercover and are inserted into the lower cross member to engage the engine undercover to the lower cross member, and a rear engagement portion that has a wider dimension in the vehicle width direction than the two front engagement portions, protrudes rearward from the engine undercover, and is held by the suspension frame to engage the engine undercover to the suspension frame.

[0010] According to the present invention, the engine undercover can be assembled by engaging the engine undercover with both the lower cross member and the suspension frame. This makes it possible to easily position and temporarily hold the engine undercover relative to the lower part of the engine compartment without providing complex shapes to the engine undercover or the lower part of the engine compartment.

[0011] The above-mentioned lower cross member has a plurality of openings that are partitioned by a plurality of partitions so as to be aligned in the vehicle width direction and open to the rear of the vehicle, and the plurality of openings include a first opening that accommodates a first of the two front engagement portions, and the opening adjacent to the first opening has a vehicle width dimension that is incapable of accommodating the first front engagement portion.

[0012] With this configuration, even if an attempt is made to insert the first front locking portion into an opening adjacent to it by mistake, the first front locking portion cannot be inserted correctly into the first opening. Therefore, even if the opening of the lower cross member cannot be directly seen, it is possible to prevent mistakes in the assembly position of the engine under-cover relative to the lower cross member.

[0013] Of the two front retaining portions, the second front retaining portion may preferably have a smaller dimension in the vehicle width direction than the first front retaining portion.

[0014] This configuration allows the worker to easily visually distinguish the dimensions of the first and second front retaining portions on the left and right sides of the engine under-cover, thereby preventing the engine under-cover from being attached upside down to the lower cross member.

[0015] It is preferable that the multiple openings of the above-mentioned lower cross member include a second opening that accommodates the second front engagement portion, and that the difference in dimension between the second opening and the second front engagement portion in the vehicle width direction is greater than the difference in dimension between the first opening and the first front engagement portion in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] If the second opening has a large amount of "play" in the vehicle width direction relative to the second front locking portion it accommodates, when the first front locking portion is accommodated in the first opening, the second front locking portion can also be accommodated without problem in the wider second opening. In other words, even if there is manufacturing variation in the positions of the first opening, second opening, first front locking portion, or second front locking portion, assembly errors can be absorbed, improving the efficiency of installation work by workers.

[0017] Preferably, the lower cross member further has a first protrusion and a second protrusion protruding inward in the vehicle width direction from the bulkheads on the outer sides of the first and second openings, respectively.

[0018] With this configuration, when the first and second front retaining portions of the engine undercover are inserted deep into the first and second openings of the lower cross member, they are pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by the first and second protrusions, respectively, which allows for more accurate left and right positioning of the engine undercover. [Example]

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0020] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the front of a vehicle to which a vehicle engine undercover structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the periphery of the engine undercover 102 shown in Fig. 1, viewed obliquely from above. In Fig. 1 and all other drawings, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

[0021] 1 and 2, the vehicle engine undercover structure 100 includes an engine undercover 102 attached to the bottom of an engine compartment (not shown). The engine undercover 102 is located below an area surrounded by a right side member 192, a left side member 194, and a dash panel 196.

[0022] The vehicle engine undercover structure 100 also includes a lower cross member 104 extending across the vehicle width in front of the engine undercover 102, and a suspension frame 106 installed across the vehicle width in rear of the engine undercover 102. The lower cross member 104 holds a radiator at the bottom of the front end of the vehicle. The lower cross member 104 is molded from resin. The suspension frame 106 is disposed below the dash panel 196 and holds a front suspension arm.

[0023] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the engine undercover 102 of Figure 1, seen obliquely from above. As shown in Figure 3, the engine undercover 102 has two front engaging portions, namely a first front engaging portion 124 and a second front engaging portion 126. The first front engaging portion 124 and the second front engaging portion 126 protrude forward from the engine undercover 102.

[0024] The first front locking portion 124 protrudes from the right side in the vehicle width direction. The second front locking portion 126 protrudes from the left side in the vehicle width direction. The first front locking portion 124 and the second front locking portion 126 are arranged side by side and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 2 , the first front locking portion 124 and the second front locking portion 126 are inserted into the lower cross member 104 to lock the engine undercover 102 to the lower cross member 104.

[0025] Of the two front locking portions 124, 126, the second front locking portion 126 is formed to have a smaller dimension in the vehicle width direction than the first front locking portion 124. In this embodiment, the width W2 of the second front locking portion 126 in the vehicle width direction is set to 2 / 3 of the width W1 of the first front locking portion 124 in the vehicle width direction.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the vehicle engine undercover structure 100 also includes a rear locking portion 128. The rear locking portion 128 protrudes rearward from the engine undercover 102. As shown in Fig. 2, the rear locking portion 128 is held by the front end of the suspension frame 106, thereby locking the engine undercover 102 to the suspension frame 106. The rear locking portion 128 is disposed between the first front locking portion 124 and the second front locking portion 126 in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] The rear locking portion 128 is formed with a width W3 in the vehicle width direction that is wider than the width W1 of the front locking portion 124 and the width W2 of the front locking portion 126 in the vehicle width direction (W3>W1, W3>W2).

[0028] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the engine undercover 102 and the lower cross member 104 of Fig. 1, seen obliquely from above. Fig. 5 is a partial end view of the engine undercover 102 and the lower cross member 104 of Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the front engaging portion 124 has an extension plate 124a extending forward and upward from the engine undercover 102, and a forward protruding plate 124b protruding forward from the tip of the extension plate 124a.

[0029] 4, the lower cross member 104 has a plurality of openings 104a to 104f. The openings 104a to 104f are partitioned by a plurality of partition walls 114a to 114e so as to be aligned in the vehicle width direction and open toward the rear of the vehicle. The openings 104a to 104f are aligned unevenly in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] The plurality of openings 104a to 104f includes a first opening 104a that accommodates the first front locking portion 124 of the front locking portions 124, 126. The plurality of openings 104a to 104f also includes openings 104b to 104f that are adjacent to the first opening 104a. The openings 104b to 104f have a dimension in the vehicle width direction that is incapable of accommodating the front locking portion 124. In other words, the width of the openings 104b to 104f in the vehicle width direction is set to be narrower than the width that can accommodate the front locking portion 124.

[0031] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view seen from above of a portion of the engine undercover 102 and the lower cross member 104 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the opening 104a is defined in the vehicle width direction by a partition wall 114a and a partition wall 114c.

[0032] The lower cross member 104 also has a first protrusion 114c1 at the rear side of the first opening 104a, which protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle width direction bulkhead 114c of the first opening 104a. Therefore, the vehicle width direction dimension V10 at the rear side of the opening 104a is set narrower than the vehicle width direction dimension V1 at the front side of the opening 104a. The first protrusion 114c1 is part of the bulkhead 114c. This first protrusion 114c1 restricts the forward protruding plate 124b from moving in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, when the forward protruding plate 124b moves forward of the vehicle and hits something, the first protrusion 114c1 guides the forward protruding plate 124b to move in the vehicle width direction.

[0033] The forward protruding plate 124b has a widthwise dimension that decreases toward the tip. The widthwise dimension W10 of the forward protruding plate 124b at the tip end is narrower than the width W1 of the forward protruding plate 124b at the front end. The forward protruding plate 124b has lateral edges 124b1 and 124b2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, arc-shaped edges 124b3 and 124b4 that are continuous with the lateral edges 124b1 and 124b2 toward the front of the vehicle, and a tip edge 124b5 that connects the tips of the arc-shaped edges 124b3 and 124b4. The arc-shaped edge 124b4 faces the first protrusion 114c1 described above.

[0034] The width W10 of the tip of the forward protruding plate 124b in the vehicle width direction is set to be narrower than the width V10 of the back of the first opening 104a in the vehicle width direction. The width W1 of the forward protruding plate 124b in the vehicle width direction is set to be narrower than the width V1 of the first opening 104a in the vehicle width direction.

[0035] Figure 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the engine undercover 102 and the lower cross member 104 of Figure 1, viewed obliquely from above. As shown in Figure 7, the second front engaging portion 126 has an extension plate 126a that extends forward and upward from the engine undercover 102, and a forward protruding plate 126b that protrudes forward from the tip of the extension plate 126a. The cross-sectional shapes of the extension plate 126a and the forward protruding plate 126b are the same as the cross-sectional shapes of the extension plate 124a and the forward protruding plate 124b of Figure 5.

[0036] 7, the lower cross member 104 has a plurality of openings 104p to 104t. The plurality of openings 104p to 114t are partitioned by a plurality of partition walls 114p to 114s so as to be aligned in the vehicle width direction and open toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0037] The plurality of openings 104p to 114s includes a second opening 104p that accommodates the second front locking portion 126 of the front locking portions 124, 126.

[0038] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view seen from above of a portion of the engine undercover 102 and the lower cross member 104 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 8, the opening 104p is defined in the vehicle width direction by a partition wall 114p and a partition wall 114q.

[0039] The lower cross member 104 also has a second protrusion 114p1 on the rear side of the second opening 104p, which protrudes in an arc shape from the vehicle width direction bulkhead 114p of the second opening 104p toward the vehicle width direction inward. Therefore, the vehicle width direction dimension V20 of the rear side of the opening 104p is set narrower than the vehicle width direction width V2 of the front side of the opening 104p. The second protrusion 114p1 is part of the bulkhead 114p. This second protrusion 114p1 restricts the forward protruding plate 126b from moving in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the second protrusion 114p1 guides the forward protruding plate 126b to move in the vehicle width direction when the forward protruding plate 126b moves forward of the vehicle and hits something.

[0040] The forward protruding plate 126b has a widthwise dimension that gradually decreases toward its tip. The widthwise dimension W20 of the forward protruding plate 126b at its tip is narrower than the width W2 of the forward protruding plate 126b at its near side. The forward protruding plate 126b has lateral edges 126b1 and 126b2 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, an inclined edge 126b3 and an arc-shaped edge 124b4 that are continuous with the lateral edges 126b1 and 126b2 toward the front of the vehicle, and a tip edge 126b5 that connects the tips of the inclined edge 126b3 and the arc-shaped edge 124b4. The inclined edge 126b3 faces the second protrusion 114p1.

[0041] The width W20 of the tip of the forward protruding plate 126b in the vehicle width direction is set to be narrower than the width V20 of the back of the second opening 104p in the vehicle width direction. The width W2 of the forward protruding plate 126b in the vehicle width direction is set to be narrower than the width V2 of the second opening 104p in the vehicle width direction. Let's say.

[0042] The difference in size between the second opening 104p and the second front retaining portion 126 in the vehicle width direction (width S3+width S4) is greater than the difference in size between the first opening 104a and the first front retaining portion 124 in the vehicle width direction (width S1+width S2).

[0043] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the periphery of the engine undercover 102 in Fig. 1, as seen obliquely from above. Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the engine undercover 102 and suspension frame 106 in Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is a partial end view of the engine undercover 102 and suspension frame 106 in Fig. 9.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 9, the rear engaging portion 128 is fixed to the engine under-cover 102. As shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, the rear engaging portion 128 has an extension plate 128a that bends upward from the engine under-cover 102, and a rearward protruding plate 128b that protrudes rearward from the rear end of the extension plate 128a.

[0045] 10 and 11, the suspension frame 106 has a horizontal plate 106a that extends forward of the vehicle and an inclined plate 106b that slopes rearward and upward. The horizontal plate 106a is a plate onto which the rearward protruding plate 128b is hooked.

[0046] Next, we will explain the process by which a worker assembles the engine undercover 102 to the lower cross member 104 and the suspension frame 106. The worker raises the position of the vehicle body, lifts the engine undercover 102 from below the vehicle body, and places and holds the rearward protruding plate 128b on the horizontal plate 106a. Then, the forward protruding plates 124b and 126b are placed in the openings 104a and 104p.

[0047] In this way, the worker temporarily holds the engine undercover 102 between the lower cross member 104 and the suspension frame 106. After this, the worker fixes the engine undercover 102 between the lower cross member 104 and the suspension frame 106 without supporting the engine undercover 102.

[0048] According to the configuration of this embodiment described above, the engine undercover 102 can be easily positioned and temporarily held relative to the lower part of the engine compartment without providing complex shapes to the engine undercover 102 or the lower part of the engine compartment. Furthermore, the worker can fix the engine undercover 102 after temporarily holding it, thereby reducing the workload.

[0049] The position of the engine under-cover 102 in the vehicle width direction is determined by engaging the two front locking portions 124, 126, which are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, with the lower cross member 104. This prevents the worker from making an assembly mistake. Even if the worker mixes up the front and rear locking portions 124, 126 and the rear locking portion 128, the worker will know that they are mixed up because the numbers are different.

[0050] Even if the first front engaging portion 124 is mistakenly inserted into an opening adjacent thereto, it cannot be inserted, and therefore the first front engaging portion 124 can be correctly inserted into the first opening 104a. Therefore, even if the opening of the lower cross member 104 cannot be directly seen, it is possible to prevent the engine under-cover 102 from being assembled in a wrong position relative to the lower cross member 104.

[0051] Because the second front engaging portion 126 has a smaller dimension in the vehicle width direction than the first front engaging portion 124, the worker can easily visually distinguish the size of the dimensions of the first and second front engaging portions 124, 126 on the left and right sides of the engine undercover 102. This makes it possible to prevent the engine undercover 102 from being attached upside down to the lower cross member 104.

[0052] If the second opening 104p has a large amount of "play" in the vehicle width direction relative to the second front locking portion 126 that it accommodates, when the first front locking portion 124 is accommodated in the first opening 104a, the second front locking portion 126 can also be accommodated without problem in the wider second opening 104p. In other words, even if there is manufacturing variation in the positions of the first opening 104a, the second opening 104p, the first front locking portion 124, or the second front locking portion 126, assembly errors can be absorbed, improving the efficiency of the installation work by the worker.

[0053] When the first front engagement portion 124 of the engine undercover 102 is inserted deep into the first opening 104a of the lower cross member 104, the first front engagement portion 124 is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by the first protrusion 114c1 of the outer partition wall 114c in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, when the second front engagement portion 126 of the engine undercover 102 is inserted deep into the second opening 104p of the lower cross member 104, the second front engagement portion 126 is pushed inward in the vehicle width direction by the second protrusion 114p1 of the outer partition wall 114p in the vehicle width direction. This allows the left and right positions of the engine undercover 102 to be positioned more accurately.

[0054] 5, the forward movement of the first front engaging portion 124 and the second front engaging portion 126 is restricted by the partition walls 114a-114e and 114p-114t. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 11, the rear engaging portion 128 is restricted by the inclined plate 106b. Therefore, the engine undercover 102 can be easily positioned in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0055] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0056] Furthermore, the present invention can be practiced by freely combining inventions described in claims and examples, regardless of the dependent relationships of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] The present invention can be used in an engine undercover structure for a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 100... Vehicle engine undercover structure, 102... Engine undercover, 104... Lower cross member, 104a... First opening, 104b to 104f... Openings, 104p... Second opening, 104q to 104t... Openings, 106... Suspension frame, 106a... Horizontal plate, 106b... Inclined plate, 114a to 114e, 114p to 114t... Partitions Wall, 114c1...first protrusion, 114p1...second protrusion, 124...first front engaging portion, 124a...extension plate, 124b...forward protruding plate, 126...second front engaging portion, 126a...extension plate, 126b...forward protruding plate, 128...rear engaging portion, 128a...extension plate, 128b...rear protruding plate, 192...right side member, 194...left side member, 196...dash panel

Claims

1. an engine undercover attached to the bottom of the engine compartment of the vehicle; a lower cross member extending in a vehicle width direction in front of the engine undercover; a suspension frame installed behind the engine undercover in the vehicle width direction; two front engaging portions arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction and projecting forward from the engine undercover and inserted into the lower cross member to engage the engine undercover with the lower cross member; a rear engagement portion that has a dimension wider in the vehicle width direction than the two front engagement portions, protrudes rearward from the engine undercover, and is held by the suspension frame to engage the engine undercover to the suspension frame.

2. the lower cross member has a plurality of openings that are partitioned by a plurality of partition walls and aligned in the vehicle width direction and open toward the rear of the vehicle, the plurality of openings includes a first opening that accommodates a first front locking portion of the two front locking portions; 2. The engine undercover structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the opening adjacent to the first opening has a dimension in the vehicle width direction that is insufficient to accommodate the first front engaging portion.

3. 3. The engine undercover structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the second of the two front retaining portions has a smaller dimension in the vehicle width direction than the first front retaining portion.

4. the plurality of openings of the lower cross member include a second opening that accommodates the second front engagement portion; 4. The vehicle engine undercover structure according to claim 3, wherein a difference in vehicle width between the second opening and the second front engaging portion is greater than a difference in vehicle width between the first opening and the first front engaging portion.

5. The vehicle engine undercover structure according to claim 4, characterized in that the lower cross member further has a first convex portion and a second convex portion that protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from the partition walls on the outer side of the first and second openings, respectively.

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