Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front structure that can reduce the impact on a pedestrian's head. [Solution] The vehicle front structure 10 includes a hood provided above the front compartment S1, a fender panel 30 provided to the side of the front compartment S1, an apron portion 40 provided below the fender panel 30, and an apron seal 50 provided below the hood, which covers the gap between the fender panel 30 and the apron portion 40 and separates the front compartment S1 from the outer space S2 of the front compartment S1. The apron seal 50 has a first through hole that penetrates in a predetermined direction and a second through hole that penetrates in a predetermined direction and is provided above the first through hole and communicates with the upper end of the first through hole. It is fixed to the apron portion 40 by a fastener 60 that passes through the first through hole, and the second through hole is covered by a cover portion 57 from a predetermined direction.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In order not to discharge the hot air and noise in the engine room to the outside, there is known a vehicle provided with a member (hereinafter referred to as a "sealing member") that closes a gap provided between a fender panel and an apron portion. For example, in Patent Document 1, as a countermeasure against NV (noise / vibration) in the front fender portion, a vehicle is disclosed in which a fender apron protector (sealing member) extending from the upper end portion of the fender panel downward toward the vehicle and reaching near the apron is provided on the lower side of the hood of the vehicle. In this vehicle, the fender apron protector closes the gap between the fender panel and the apron, thereby suppressing the noise from the engine room and the surrounding area of the feet.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, for example, when a pedestrian's head collides with the hood, a load is input from above the vehicle to the sealing member (in Patent Document 1, the fender apron protector) through the hood. At this time, for example, when the sealing member and the vehicle body side (for example, the apron, etc.) are fixed, the downward movement of the sealing member is restricted at the fixed portion. As a result, a large load is generated at the fixed portion, and accordingly, the input load to the pedestrian's head may increase.

[0005] In consideration of the above facts, the present invention aims to provide a front vehicle structure that can reduce the impact received by a pedestrian's head. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 comprises a hood covering the upper side of the front compartment; a fender panel provided on the outer side of the front compartment in the vehicle width direction; an apron portion provided on the lower side of the fender panel so as to be spaced apart from the fender panel in the vehicle width direction; and a seal portion provided on the lower side of the hood, covering the gap between the fender panel and the apron portion, and separating the inside of the front compartment from the outside of the front compartment, wherein the seal portion is provided with a first through-hole penetrating in a predetermined direction, and a second through-hole penetrating in the predetermined direction and provided on the upper side of the first through-hole in the vehicle width direction, and communicating with the upper part of the first through-hole, and is fixed to the apron portion by a fastener inserted through the first through-hole, and the second through-hole is covered by a cover portion from the predetermined direction.

[0007] The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 has a first through-hole through which a fastener is inserted, and a second through-hole connected to the upper part of the first through-hole. For example, when a pedestrian's head collides with the hood, the load applied to the hood is transmitted to a seal portion provided on the lower side of the vehicle of the hood. Specifically, at this time, the load is transmitted to the seal portion from the upper side of the vehicle via the hood. When a load is applied to the seal portion from above, the seal portion deforms and moves downward. The seal portion according to claim 1 is fixed to the apron portion by a fastener that passes through the first through-hole, but as described above, a second through-hole is provided that connects to the upper part of the first through-hole through which the fastener is inserted. Therefore, when the seal portion moves downward, the fastener moves relatively from the first through-hole to the second through-hole. In this way, at least while the fastener is moving relatively from the first through-hole to the second through-hole, the fastener does not restrict the movement of the seal portion. Therefore, the generation of load near the fastener in the seal portion can be suppressed. Therefore, the impact on a pedestrian's head can be reduced.

[0008] The vehicle front structure according to claim 2 is the fastener according to claim 1, wherein the fastener has a shaft portion extending in the predetermined direction and inserting through the first through hole, and a head portion provided at one end of the shaft portion in the predetermined direction, the length in the intersecting direction which is a direction intersecting the predetermined direction is longer than the length of the shaft portion in the intersecting direction, and the length of the second through hole in the intersecting direction is longer than the length of the head portion in the intersecting direction.

[0009] In the vehicle front structure according to claim 2, the length of the second through-hole in the intersecting direction is longer than the length of the head of the fastener in the intersecting direction. Thus, since the second through-hole is larger than the head of the fastener, the engagement between the fastener and the seal portion is released at the second through-hole. Therefore, when a load is applied to the seal portion from the upper side of the vehicle and the fastener moves relatively from the first through-hole to the second through-hole, the engagement between the fastener and the seal portion is released at the second through-hole. By releasing the engagement between the seal portion and the fastener, the seal portion and the fastener become less likely to interfere with each other. Therefore, the generation of load near the fastener can be suppressed more effectively. Therefore, the impact received by the head of a pedestrian can be reduced more effectively.

[0010] The vehicle front structure according to claim 3 is as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the inner surface of the seal portion of the front compartment is provided with a recess that is recessed toward the outer side of the front compartment, the second through hole is provided in the recess, and the cover portion covers the second through hole from the inner side of the front compartment.

[0011] In the vehicle front structure according to claim 3, the cover portion covers the second through-hole from the inside of the front compartment. Therefore, the cover portion is provided to protrude into the inside of the front compartment. On the other hand, in the vehicle front structure according to claim 3, the second through-hole is provided in a recess that is recessed toward the outside of the front compartment. As a result, the position of the second through-hole is on the outside of the front compartment than the other parts of the seal portion (the parts where the recess is not provided). In this way, by positioning the second through-hole, which is the object that the cover portion covers, on the outside of the front compartment, the cover portion is also located on the outside of the front compartment. Therefore, the length of the cover portion that protrudes into the inside of the front compartment can be shortened. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] As described above, the vehicle front structure according to the present invention has the excellent effect of reducing the impact on a pedestrian's head. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the main parts of the front vehicle structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a magnified perspective view of the main part (part B) in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a schematic side view showing the main parts of the apron seal. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In each figure, arrows FR indicate the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction, arrows IN indicate the inside in the vehicle width direction, and arrows UP indicate the top of the vehicle in the vertical direction. In the following description, the longitudinal direction, width direction, and vertical direction refer to the longitudinal direction, width direction, and vertical direction of the vehicle, respectively. The left-right direction refers to the left-right direction when the vehicle is facing forward.

[0015] Vehicle 100 is provided with a front compartment S1. The front compartment S1 is a space located in front of the passenger compartment (not shown) of vehicle 100, and houses the vehicle 100's power source (e.g., engine and traction motor).

[0016] [Vehicle front structure] A front vehicle structure 10 is provided at the front of the vehicle 100. Since the front vehicle structure 10 is symmetrically configured, the following description will primarily focus on the right side, omitting a detailed explanation of the left side.

[0017] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle front structure 10 includes a hood 20 that covers the upper surface side of the front compartment S1, a fender panel 30 provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the front compartment S1, a fender apron (apron portion) 40 provided on the lower side of the vehicle of the fender panel 30 so as to be spaced apart from the fender panel 30 in the vehicle width direction, and an apron seal (seal portion) 50 that covers a gap provided between the fender panel 30 and the fender apron 40. Note that FIG. 1 shows the vehicle front structure 10 in a state where the hood 20 is removed.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the hood 20 covers the front compartment S1 so as to be openable and closable from the upper side of the vehicle. The hood 20 is provided inside the fender panel 30 in the vehicle width direction. The hood 20 and the fender panel 30 are spaced apart. Further, the hood 20 is provided above the vehicle of the apron seal 50.

[0019] The fender panel 30 is provided outside the hood 20 in the vehicle width direction. The fender panel 30 constitutes a side surface of the front portion of the vehicle 100. The fender panel 30 has an outer wall portion 31 that constitutes a part of the design surface of the vehicle 100, and an inner wall portion 32 that extends downward by bending from the upper end and the inner end of the outer wall portion 31.

[0020] The fender apron 40 constitutes a part of the wheelhouse. The cross-sectional shape of the fender apron 40 is substantially L-shaped. The fender apron 40 has a fender apron outer 41 provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and extending in the lateral direction, and a fender apron inner 42 that extends downward by bending from the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the fender apron outer 41.

[0021] The fender apron 40 is provided on the lower side of the vehicle of the fender panel 30. The fender apron 40 and the fender panel 30 are separated in the vehicle vertical direction and the vehicle width direction, and a gap is provided between the fender apron 40 and the fender panel 30. The gap communicates the inside of the front compartment S1 and the outside of the front compartment S1 (hereinafter referred to as the "outer space S2").

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the apron seal 50 is provided inside the fender panel 30 in the vehicle width direction and extends along the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the apron seal 50 is provided on the lower side of the vehicle of the hood 20. Further, the apron seal 50 covers the gap provided between the fender panel 30 and the fender apron 40 from the vehicle width direction (predetermined direction). The apron seal 50 partitions the front compartment S1 and the outer space S2 of the front compartment S1.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, the apron seal 50 includes a front wall portion 51 provided at the front portion, a rear wall portion 52 located on the rear side and inside the vehicle width direction of the front wall portion 51, and an inclined portion 53 connecting the rear end of the front wall portion 51 and the front end of the rear wall portion 52. The inclined portion 53 is inclined with respect to the front wall portion 51 and the rear wall portion 52 so as to be located inside the vehicle width direction as it goes rearward.

[0024] The front wall portion 51 includes a horizontal wall portion 51A extending along the horizontal direction at the upper end portion, an upper vertical wall portion 51B bent from the inner end of the horizontal wall portion 51A and extending downward of the vehicle, a step portion 51C bent from the lower end portion of the upper vertical wall portion 51B and extending outward and downward of the vehicle width direction, and a lower vertical wall portion 51D bent from the lower end portion of the step portion 51C and extending downward of the vehicle.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear wall portion 52 has a horizontal wall portion 52A that extends substantially horizontally at its upper end, an upper vertical wall portion 52B that bends from the inner end of the horizontal wall portion 52A and extends downward toward the vehicle, a stepped portion 52C that bends from the lower end of the upper vertical wall portion 52B and extends outward in the vehicle width direction and downward toward the vehicle, and a lower vertical wall portion 52D that bends from the lower end of the stepped portion 52C and extends downward toward the vehicle.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a recess 58 is provided in the lower vertical wall portion 52D of the apron seal 50. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, a first through hole 55 and a second through hole 56 are formed in the recess 58. The apron seal 50 is fixed to the fender apron 40 by a bolt (fastener) 60 inserted through the first through hole 55. The apron seal 50 also has a cover portion 57 that covers the second through hole 56.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the recess 58 is provided so as to be recessed from the inner surface of the lower vertical wall portion 52D in the vehicle width direction (the surface exposed to the front compartment S1; hereinafter referred to as the "inner surface") toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction (in other words, the outer side). When viewed from the vehicle width direction, the recess 58 is formed in an oval shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction.

[0028] The recess 58 has a reduced diameter portion 58A that decreases in diameter as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and a bottom surface portion 58B connected to the outer end of the reduced diameter portion 58A in the vehicle width direction. The bottom surface portion 58B is similar in shape to the outer shape of the recess 58 when viewed from the vehicle width direction. That is, the bottom surface portion 58B is formed in an oval shape with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, the bottom portion 58B has a first through hole 55 and a second through hole 56. The first through hole 55 and the second through hole 56 penetrate the bottom portion 58B in the vehicle width direction (a predetermined direction). Since the bottom portion 58B of the recess 58 is part of the apron seal 50, it can be said that the first through hole 55 and the second through hole 56 penetrate the apron seal 50. As described above, the apron seal 50 separates the front compartment S1 from the outer space S2 of the front compartment S1. Therefore, the first through hole 55 and the second through hole 56 that penetrate the apron seal 50 connect the front compartment S1 and the outer space S2 of the front compartment S1.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the first through-hole 55 is formed in a rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction in the vertical direction. The upper end of the first through-hole 55 is in communication with the lower end of the second through-hole 56. The length of the first through-hole 55 in the front-to-back direction is set to be slightly longer than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 61 of the bolt 60 and shorter than the outer diameter L1 of the head portion 62 of the bolt 60. Also, as shown in Figure 4, the first through-hole 55 is positioned to overlap with the through-hole 42A provided in the fender apron inner 42. The fender apron 40 and the apron seal 50 are fastened and fixed together by bolts 60 that pass through the first through-hole 55 and the through-hole 42A.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the second through-hole 56 is located on the vehicle-upper side of the first through-hole 55. The second through-hole 56 is rectangular in shape. The approximate center of the lower end of the second through-hole 56 in the front-rear direction is connected to the upper end of the first through-hole 55. The length L2 of the second through-hole 56 in the front-rear direction (crossing direction) is longer than the outer diameter L1 of the bolt head 62 of the bolt 60. Also, the length L3 of the second through-hole 56 in the vertical direction (crossing direction) is longer than the outer diameter L1 of the bolt head 62 of the bolt 60. The second through-hole 56 is covered from the inside in the width direction by the cover portion 57.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the bolt 60 has a shaft portion 61 that extends in the vehicle width direction (a predetermined direction) and passes through the first through hole 55, and a head portion 62 provided at one end of the shaft portion 61 in the vehicle width direction. The shaft portion 61 is cylindrical and passes through the first through hole 55 and the through hole 42A. The head portion 62 is cylindrical and has an outer diameter L1 (see Figure 5) that is larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 61. The outer surface of the head portion 62 in the vehicle width direction is in surface contact with the bottom surface portion 58B of the recess 58.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the cover portion 57 is provided on the inner surface of the apron seal 50 in the vehicle width direction. The cover portion 57 is provided so as to protrude from the inner surface. The cover portion 57 covers the second through hole 56 from the front compartment S1 side (in other words, the inner side in the vehicle width direction). The cover portion 57 covers the entire second through hole 56. That is, when viewed from the vehicle width direction, the cover portion 57 is provided so as to overlap the entire second through hole 56.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, the cover portion 57 has a horizontal plate portion 57A extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner surface of the apron seal 50 (specifically, the lower vertical wall portion 51D), an inclined plate portion 57B that bends and extends diagonally from the inner end of the horizontal plate portion 57A in the vehicle width direction, and a vertical plate portion 57C that bends from the inner end of the inclined plate portion 57B in the vehicle width direction and extends substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion 58B. The cover portion 57 is provided so as to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from the second through hole 56.

[0035] [Effects and Effects] According to this embodiment, the following effects and advantages are achieved. In this embodiment, a first through-hole 55 through which a bolt 60 is inserted, and a second through-hole 56 connected to the upper edge of the first through-hole 55 are formed. For example, if a pedestrian's head 62 collides with the hood 20, the load applied to the hood 20 is transmitted to the apron seal 50 located on the lower side of the vehicle of the hood 20. Specifically, at this time, the load is transmitted to the apron seal 50 from the upper side of the vehicle via the hood 20. When a load is applied to the apron seal 50 from the upper side of the vehicle, the apron seal 50 deforms and moves toward the lower side of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the apron seal 50 is fixed to the fender apron 40 by a bolt 60 that passes through the first through-hole 55, but a second through-hole 56 is provided on the upper side of the vehicle of the first through-hole 55 through which the bolt 60 is inserted. Therefore, when the apron seal 50 moves downward towards the vehicle, the bolt 60 slides relative to it from the first through hole 55 to the second through hole 56 (see arrow in Figure 5). In this way, as long as the bolt 60 is moving relative to it from the first through hole 55 to the second through hole 56, the bolt 60 does not restrict the movement of the apron seal 50, so the generation of load near the bolt 60 can be suppressed. Thus, the impact on the pedestrian's head 62 can be reduced.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second through-hole 56 is covered by the cover portion 57 from the width direction. As a result, noise and heat passing through the second through-hole 56 from the front compartment S1 to the outer space S2 of the front compartment S1 are blocked by the cover portion 57. Therefore, noise and heat discharged from the front compartment S1 to the outer space S2 of the front compartment S1 can be reduced.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length L2 in the front-rear direction and the length L3 in the vertical direction of the second through-hole 56 are longer than the outer diameter L1 of the head 62 of the bolt 60. Thus, since the second through-hole 56 is larger than the head 62 of the bolt 60, the engagement between the bolt 60 and the apron seal 50 is released at the second through-hole 56. Therefore, as described above, when a load is applied to the apron seal 50 from the upper side of the vehicle, the bolt 60 moves relatively from the first through-hole 55 to the second through-hole 56, but once the bolt 60 has moved to the second through-hole 56, the engagement between the bolt 60 and the apron seal 50 is released at the second through-hole 56. By releasing the engagement between the apron seal 50 and the bolt 60, the apron seal 50 and the bolt 60 become less likely to interfere with each other. Therefore, the generation of load near the bolt 60 can be suppressed more effectively. Thus, the impact received by the pedestrian's head 62 can be reduced more effectively.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the cover portion 57 covers the second through-hole 56 from the front compartment S1 side. The cover portion 57 is provided so as to protrude toward the front compartment S1 side. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the second through-hole 56 is provided in a recess 58 that is recessed toward the outer space S2. As a result, the position of the second through-hole 56 is on the outer space S2 side than the other parts of the apron seal 50 (the parts where the recess 58 is not provided). In this way, by positioning the second through-hole 56, which is the object covered by the cover portion 57, toward the outer space S2 side of the front compartment S1, the cover portion 57 is also positioned toward the outer space S2 side of the front compartment S1. Therefore, the length of the cover portion 57 that protrudes toward the front compartment S1 side can be shortened.

[0039] [Differentiation] Although the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment has been described above, the present invention can be modified as appropriate without departing from its essence. For example, the above embodiment describes an example in which the apron seal 50 is fixed to the fender apron 40, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The member to which the apron seal 40 is fixed may be, for example, an apron upper member.

[0040] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the first through-hole 55 and the second through-hole 56 are rectangular in shape, the shape of the first through-hole 55 and the second through-hole 56 according to the present invention is not limited to this. The first through-hole 55 and the second through-hole 56 may be polygonal or circular in shape, for example. Also, the second through-hole 56 may be a notch extending upward from the upper end of the first through-hole 55. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 10. Front structure of the vehicle 20 Food 30 Fender Panel 40 Fender Apron (Apron part) 50 Apron seal (seal part) 55 First through hole 56 Second through hole 57 Cover section 58 recess 60 bolts (fasteners) 61 Shaft 62 Head 100 vehicles S1 Front Compartment S2 outer space

Claims

1. A hood that covers the top of the front compartment, The fender panel provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the front compartment, An apron portion is provided on the lower side of the fender panel of the vehicle, spaced apart from the fender panel in the vehicle width direction, The hood is provided on the lower side of the vehicle and includes a sealing portion that covers the gap between the fender panel and the apron portion, and separates the inside of the front compartment from the outside of the front compartment. The sealing portion is provided with a first through-hole that penetrates in a predetermined direction, and a second through-hole that penetrates in the predetermined direction and is located on the vehicle-upper side of the first through-hole, and communicates with the upper part of the first through-hole, and is fixed to the apron portion by a fastener that passes through the first through-hole. The second through hole is covered by the cover portion from the predetermined direction. Vehicle front structure.

2. The fastener has a shaft portion that extends in the predetermined direction and passes through the first through hole, and a head portion provided at one end of the shaft portion in the predetermined direction, the length of which in the intersecting direction is longer than the length of which in the intersecting direction of the shaft portion. The length of the second through-hole in the intersecting direction is longer than the length of the head in the intersecting direction. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1.

3. The inner surface of the seal portion of the front compartment is provided with a recess that is recessed toward the outer side of the front compartment. The second through hole is provided in the recess, The cover portion covers the second through-hole from the inside of the front compartment. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or claim 2.

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