Front structure of the vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a front vehicle structure that can reduce the weight of the main body while maintaining the rigidity and strength necessary to withstand the load applied by the actuator of the pop-up hood device. [Solution] The front structure 13 of the vehicle comprises a main body 30 and a pop-up hood device 20. The main body 30 has a resin part 30A and a metal reinforcing plate 50. The resin part 30A is formed from a resin material and mainly constitutes the main body 30. The reinforcing plate 50 is embedded in the resin part 30A and reinforces the resin part 30A. The pop-up hood device 20 has an actuator 21 and a bracket 24. In the main body 30, fastening holes are provided in the resin part 30A where the reinforcing plate 50 is embedded, through which the bracket 24 is fastened via bolts 61 and blind nuts.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a radiator support to which a pop-up hood device for lifting the front end portion of the hood of a vehicle is fixed when colliding with a collision object such as a pedestrian. The radiator support includes a pair of radiator support sides, a radiator support upper, and a radiator support lower. The pair of radiator support sides constitute both end portions in the vehicle width direction. The radiator support upper is spanned along the vehicle width direction at the upper end portions of the pair of radiator support sides to constitute the upper end portion of the radiator support. The radiator support lower is spanned along the vehicle width direction at the lower end portions of the pair of radiator support sides to constitute the lower end portion of the radiator support. [[ID=…]]

[0003] [[ID=…]] The pop-up hood device has a pair of actuators that operate when colliding with a collision object and a pair of brackets. Each actuator is fixed in the vicinity of each of the pair of radiator support sides via a bracket.

[0004] Conventionally, such a radiator support is formed of a metal material, so that rigidity and strength capable of withstanding the load acting on the radiator support during the operation of the actuator are ensured.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, in such radiator supports, it is desirable to reduce weight while maintaining the rigidity and strength necessary to withstand the aforementioned loads. It should be noted that this challenge is not limited to radiator supports for supporting the radiator; it can similarly occur in any front structure comprising a main body that constitutes part of the vehicle body at the front of the vehicle, and a pop-up hood device fixed to the main body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The following describes various aspects of the front structure of a vehicle that address the above-mentioned problems. [Aspect 1] A front structure of a vehicle comprising a main body portion that constitutes a part of the vehicle body at the front of the vehicle, and a pop-up hood device attached to the main body portion, wherein the main body portion is formed of a resin material and has a resin portion that mainly constitutes the main body portion and a metal reinforcing plate embedded in the resin portion to reinforce the resin portion, the pop-up hood device has an actuator that lifts the front of the vehicle's hood when operated and a bracket for fixing the actuator to the main body portion, and fastening holes are formed in the resin portion of the main body portion where the reinforcing plate is embedded, through which the bracket is fastened via a fastening member, the front structure of a vehicle.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the actuator of the pop-up hood device is fixed to the main body by fastening the bracket to the fastening hole in the main body via the fastening member. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the main body is primarily composed of resin. Therefore, compared to conventional front structures that have a metal main body, the weight of the main body, and consequently the front structure, can be reduced.

[0009] In this case, if the main body is simply formed from a resin material, the main body will be more prone to bending due to the load acting on it through the fastening holes when the actuator is operating, compared to a conventional front structure. As a result, the hood may not be lifted sufficiently by the actuator. In this regard, according to the above configuration, reinforcing plates are embedded in the main body where the fastening holes are formed. Therefore, these areas are reinforced by the reinforcing plates. As a result, even when the above load is applied to the main body, it becomes less prone to bending.

[0010] Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the main body while maintaining the rigidity and strength necessary to withstand the load applied by the actuator of the pop-up hood device. [Aspect 2] When the width direction and vertical direction of the vehicle are defined as the vehicle width direction and the vertical direction, the resin portion includes a pair of side portions that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vertical direction, and an upper portion that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the upper ends of the pair of side portions in the vertical direction, and the fastening holes are formed at each of the locations where the pair of side portions and the upper portion are connected, the front structure of the vehicle according to [Aspect 1].

[0011] According to the above configuration, a bracket is fastened via a fastening member to fastening holes formed at each of the points where the pair of side sections and the upper section are connected, thereby fixing one actuator to each side of the main body in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where only one actuator is fixed to the center of the upper section in the vehicle width direction, it becomes possible to lift the hood more stably.

[0012] Furthermore, with the above configuration, each of the points where the pair of side sections and the upper section are connected is reinforced by a reinforcing plate. Therefore, the main body can be made rigid and strong enough to withstand the loads acting from each of the actuators of the pair of pop-up hood devices.

[0013] [Aspect 3] The front structure of the vehicle according to [Aspect 2], wherein the reinforcing plate includes a portion embedded in the side portion, and the portion extends over the entire pair of side portions in the vertical direction.

[0014] When fastening holes are formed at the location where the side portion and the upper portion are connected, the load acting from the actuator through the fastening holes also acts on the side portion that extends vertically from that location. Therefore, if reinforcing plates are embedded only at the location where the fastening holes are formed in the main body, the side portion connected to that location may bend due to the above load. In this respect, with the above configuration, the side portion is reinforced by reinforcing plates over its entire vertical length. Therefore, even when the above load acts on the main body, the side portion becomes less likely to bend. As a result, the main body becomes even less prone to bending. Thus, the rigidity and strength of the main body can be increased.

[0015] [Aspect 4] When the front-rear direction of the vehicle is the front-rear direction, the bracket is fastened to the fastening hole from one side in the front-rear direction, the resin portion protrudes toward one side in the front-rear direction and has a convex portion that is inserted into a hole formed in the bracket, the hole is configured such that the convex portion moves relative to the hole, guiding the bracket to a position where it can be fastened to the fastening hole. The front structure of a vehicle according to any one of [Aspect 1] to [Aspect 3].

[0016] According to the above configuration, the protrusion moves relative to the hole in the bracket, guiding the bracket to the position where it is fastened to the fastening hole. Therefore, the bracket can be fastened to the fastening hole efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the weight of the main body while maintaining the rigidity and strength necessary to withstand the load applied from the actuator of the pop-up hood device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the front part of a vehicle equipped with a front structure of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a rear view partially showing the front structure of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a view showing a front structure of a vehicle according to the second embodiment, and is a cross-sectional view shown centering on a fastening hole. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process of assembling a bracket to a main body portion. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process of assembling a bracket to a main body portion. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view for explaining a process of assembling a bracket to a main body portion.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the front structure of the vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8. Hereinafter, the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 will be referred to as the front-rear direction, and the front side and the rear side in the front-rear direction will be simply described as the front side and the rear side. Further, the width direction of the vehicle 10 will be described as the vehicle width direction. Further, when the vehicle 10 is located on a horizontal plane, the up-down direction of the vehicle 10 will be referred to as the up-down direction, and the upper side and the lower side in the up-down direction will be simply described as the upper side and the lower side.

[0020] <First Embodiment> First, a first embodiment of the front structure of the vehicle will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. As shown in Figure 1, the front part 11 of the vehicle 10 is provided with a hood 12 and a front structure 13. The hood 12 covers the engine room ER from above. The rear ends of the hood 12, both in the vehicle width direction, are connected to the vehicle body 10A via a pair of hood hinges (not shown). The hood 12 is supported by the pair of hood hinges so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the vehicle width direction. The hood 12 is also configured to be lockable by a hood locking device (not shown) in the position that closes the engine room ER as shown in Figure 1 (hereinafter referred to as the closed position).

[0021] The front structure 13 is located below the front end of the hood 12. The front structure 13 comprises a pop-up hood device 20 and a main body 30 to which the pop-up hood device 20 is attached. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0022] (Pop-up hood device) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the pop-up hood device 20 has an actuator 21 for lifting the hood 12 and a bracket 24 for fixing the actuator 21 to the main body 30. In Figure 1, for the sake of explanation, only the actuator 21 of the pop-up hood device 20 is shown in a simplified manner, and the bracket 24 is not shown.

[0023] The actuator 21 is cylindrical in shape and extends vertically as a whole, and has a piston portion 22 and a cylinder portion 23. Inside the piston portion 22 is a gas generator (neither of which is shown) that is electrically connected to the ECU via a wire harness. The ECU is electrically connected to a sensor (not shown) that detects or predicts when a pedestrian or the like collides with the vehicle 10. The ECU makes a decision on whether or not to activate the gas generator of the actuator 21 based on the signal input from the sensor. The cylinder portion 23 is cylindrical in shape. The piston portion 22 is inserted inside the cylinder portion 23. When the gas generator is activated by the control of the ECU, the cylinder portion 23 is configured to move relative to the piston portion 22 upward due to the gas pressure supplied into the piston portion 22. The actuator 21 is configured to lift the front end of the hood 12 from the closed position to the raised position shown by the dashed line in Figure 1 by rising due to the gas pressure while the cylinder portion 23 is in contact with the hood 12.

[0024] Here, the side closer to the center of the vehicle 10 in the vehicle width direction is defined as the inside, and the side further away from the center of the vehicle 10 in the vehicle width direction is defined as the outside. As shown in Figure 2, the bracket 24 is formed by sheet metal processing of a metal plate and has a base portion 25, a first fixing portion 26, and a second fixing portion 27. The base portion 25 covers the lower end of the piston portion 22 from the rear. The piston portion 22 is joined to the inner surface of the base portion 25 by welding or any other method. The first fixing portion 26 extends inward from the base portion 25. The second fixing portion 27 extends outward from the base portion 25.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, each of the first fixing portion 26 and the second fixing portion 27 has a fastening hole 28 through which a bolt 61, which serves as a fastening member, is inserted. In this embodiment, one fastening hole 28 is formed in the first fixing portion 26 and two fastening holes 28 are formed in the second fixing portion 27.

[0026] (Main body) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body portion 30 constitutes a part of the vehicle body 10A at the front portion 11 of the vehicle 10 (see Figure 1). In this embodiment, the main body portion 30 passes through the center of the main body portion 30 in the vehicle width direction and has a shape symmetrical with respect to a virtual plane V (see Figure 2) perpendicular to the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in the following, the description of the right portion of the main body portion 30 in the vehicle width direction may be described, and the description of the left portion may be omitted.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, the main body 30 has a resin part 30A that mainly constitutes the main body 30 and a reinforcing plate 50 for reinforcing the resin part 30A. The main body 30 is integrally molded, for example, by injection molding the resin part 30A with the reinforcing plate 50 as an insert member. Any thermoplastic resin can be used as the resin material for forming the resin part 30A. In this embodiment, the resin part 30A is formed of a glass fiber reinforced resin obtained by mixing glass fibers with polypropylene resin. The resin part 30A has a pair of side parts 31, an upper part 32, and a pair of stay parts 33. The pair of side parts 31 are provided spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction and are parts that extend in the vertical direction. The upper part 32 is a part that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the upper ends of the pair of side parts 31. The pair of stay parts 33 are parts that extend inward from the lower ends of the pair of side parts 31 and are connected to the upper part 32. A hood lock device (not shown), for example, is attached to the center of the upper portion 32 in the vehicle width direction. Each of the pair of stay portions 33 is inclined upwards as it moves inward. The pair of stay portions 33 together form an arch portion 34 that extends in a curved shape so that the central part in the vehicle width direction protrudes upwards. The upper edge 34a of the arch portion 34 is connected to the lower edge 32a of the upper portion 32 at the center of the upper portion 32 in the vehicle width direction. The lower edge 34b of the arch portion 34 forms part of the outer peripheral edge 30a of the resin portion 30A.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the resin portion 30A has a pair of side wall portions 41 and a bottom wall portion 42. The pair of side wall portions 41 extend in the front-rear direction and are spaced apart from each other. The bottom wall portion 42 connects the rear ends of the pair of side wall portions 41. The bottom wall portion 42 is provided with a protruding ridge portion 43 that projects forward. In addition, on the side of the bottom wall portion 42 opposite the protruding ridge portion 43 in the front-rear direction, there is a groove portion 44 that opens to the rear. The protruding ridge portion 43 and the groove portion 44 constitute the bead shape 45.

[0029] As shown in Figure 2, the bead shape 45 is provided on each part of the resin portion 30A. The bead shape 45 extends throughout each part in the direction in which each part of the main body portion 30 extends. In this embodiment, the bead shape 45 extends continuously throughout the entire main body portion 30.

[0030] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, at each of the points (hereinafter referred to as connecting parts 35) where a pair of side parts 31 of the main body 30 and the upper part 32 are connected, one actuator 21 is fixed via a bracket 24. Multiple fastening holes 46 are formed in the bottom wall 42 of each connecting part 35 through which bolts 61 are inserted. In this embodiment, three fastening holes 46 are provided in each connecting part 35, corresponding to the number of fastening holes 28.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, blind nuts 62 are attached to each fastening hole 46 as fastening members. With the bracket 24 superimposed on the rear side of the connecting portion 35, the bolt 61 is inserted through the fastening hole 28 and the tip of the bolt 61 is screwed into the blind nut 62, thereby fastening the actuator 21 to the main body 30 from the rear side via the bracket 24.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, fastening holes 47 are formed in each of the points (hereinafter referred to as connecting parts 36) where a pair of side parts 31 of the main body 30 and the arch part 34 are connected. A pair of front side members, which constitute a part of the vehicle body 10A, are fastened to the pair of fastening holes 47 via fastening members such as bolts (neither of which are shown).

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, a metal reinforcing plate 50 is embedded in the resin portion 30A. In this embodiment, the reinforcing plate 50 extends from the connecting portion 35 along the side portion 31 to the connecting portion 36. That is, the reinforcing plate 50 is embedded in the connecting portions 35 and 36, and is also embedded throughout the entire side portion 31 in the vertical direction. Holes 51 are formed in the reinforcing plate 50 at positions that overlap with the fastening holes 46 in the front-rear direction (see Figure 4). In addition, holes (not shown) are formed in the reinforcing plate 50 at positions that overlap with the fastening holes 47 in the front-rear direction.

[0034] <Operation of the First Embodiment> The actuator 21 of the pop-up hood device 20 is fixed to the main body 30 by fastening the bracket 24 to the fastening hole 46 of the main body 30 via bolts 61 and blind nuts 62, which serve as fastening members.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the configuration of the front structure 13 of this embodiment, the main body 30 is mainly composed of a resin part 30A. Therefore, compared to conventional front structures having a metal main body, the weight of the main body 30, and consequently the front structure 13, can be reduced.

[0036] In this case, if the main body 30 is simply formed from a resin material, the main body 30 will be more prone to bending due to the load acting on it through the fastening holes 46 when the actuator 21 is operating, compared to a conventional front structure. As a result, the lifting of the hood 12 by the actuator 21 may be insufficient. In this regard, according to the configuration of the front structure 13 of this embodiment, reinforcing plates 50 are embedded in the connecting portion 35, where the fastening holes 46 are formed, and in the side portions 31 and 36 connected to the connecting portion 35. Therefore, the connecting portion 35, the side portions 31 and 36 are reinforced by the reinforcing plates 50. As a result, even when the above load is applied to the main body 30, the main body 30 will be less prone to bending.

[0037] <Effects of the First Embodiment> (1-1) The front structure 13 of the vehicle 10 comprises a main body 30 and a pop-up hood device 20. The main body 30 has a resin part 30A and a metal reinforcing plate 50. The resin part 30A is formed of a resin material and mainly constitutes the main body 30. The reinforcing plate 50 is embedded in the resin part 30A and reinforces the resin part 30A. In the connecting part 35 of the main body 30, where the reinforcing plate 50 is embedded in the resin part 30A, fastening holes 46 are formed, through which the bracket 24 of the pop-up hood device 20 is fastened via bolts 61 and blind nuts 62 as fastening members.

[0038] This configuration provides the effects described above. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the main body 30 while maintaining the rigidity and strength to withstand the load applied from the actuator 21 of the pop-up hood device 20.

[0039] (1-2) The resin part 30A includes a pair of side parts 31 and an upper part 32. Fastening holes 46 are formed in each of the pair of connecting parts 35. With this configuration, the bracket 24 is fastened to the fastening holes 46 formed in each of the pair of connecting parts 35 via bolts 61 and blind nuts 62, thereby fixing one actuator 21 to each side of the main body 30 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, compared to, for example, a case where only one actuator 21 is fixed to the center of the upper part 32 in the vehicle width direction, it becomes possible to lift the hood 12 more stably.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, each of the pair of connecting parts 35 is reinforced by the reinforcing plate 50. Therefore, the main body 30 can be made rigid and strong enough to withstand the loads acting from each of the actuators 21 of the pair of pop-up hood devices 20.

[0041] (1-3) The reinforcing plate 50 extends from each of the pair of connecting portions 35 along the side portion 31 to the connecting portion 36. When fastening holes 46 are formed in the connecting portion 35, the load acting from the actuator 21 through the fastening holes 46 also acts on the side portions 31 that extend vertically from the connecting portion 35. Therefore, if the reinforcing plate 50 is embedded only in the connecting portion 35, the side portions 31 connected to the connecting portion 35 may bend due to the load. In this respect, with the above configuration, in addition to the connecting portion 35, a pair of side portions 31 are reinforced by the reinforcing plate 50 over their entire vertical length. Also, a pair of connecting portions 36 are reinforced by the reinforcing plate 50. Therefore, even when the above load acts on the main body portion 30, the side portions 31 and the connecting portions 36 connected to the side portions 31 become less likely to bend. As a result, the main body portion 30 becomes even less likely to bend. Thus, the rigidity and strength of the main body portion 30 can be increased.

[0042] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the vehicle's front structure will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8. The front structure 113 of the second embodiment differs from the front structure 13 of the first embodiment mainly in that, instead of multiple fastening holes 46, it is provided with holes 151 exposed outward from the resin part 130A as fastening holes.

[0043] The following explanation will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, for configurations that are the same as or corresponding to those in the first embodiment, the reference numeral "1**" is added to each reference numeral "**" in the first embodiment, thereby omitting redundant explanations.

[0044] (Main body) As shown in Figure 5, the main body 130 has a resin part 130A and a reinforcing plate 150. A window 148 is formed in the connecting part 135 of the resin part 130A, which exposes a part of the embedded reinforcing plate 150 (hereinafter referred to as the exposed part 152). A first locking projection 171 and a second locking projection 173 are formed on the opening edge of the window 148, arranged vertically on either side of the exposed part 152. The first locking projection 171 and the second locking projection 173 are molded integrally with the resin part 130A. In this embodiment, the first locking projection 171 corresponds to the projection described in the [Means for Solving the Problem] section.

[0045] The first locking projection 171 is located above the exposed portion 152. The first locking projection 171 has a base portion 171a that protrudes rearward from the opening edge of the window portion 148, and a claw portion 172 that bends upward from the rear end of the base portion 171a. The base portion 171a is inserted through a hole portion 129 formed in the bracket 124. The claw portion 172 is locked to the opening edge portion 129a of the hole portion 129 by abutting against the opening edge portion 129a from the rear.

[0046] The second locking projection 173 is located below the exposed portion 152. The second locking projection 173 has a base portion 173a that protrudes rearward from the opening edge of the window portion 148, and a claw portion 174 that bends upward from the rear end of the base portion 173a. The base portion 173a abuts against the lower end portion 124b of the bracket 124 from below. The claw portion 174 is locked to the lower end portion 124b by abutting against the lower end portion 124b from the rear.

[0047] As shown in Figure 5, the main body portion 130 has a support projection 175 formed above the first locking projection 171 with a gap in between. The support projection 175 is molded integrally with the resin portion 130A. The support projection 175 protrudes toward the rear. The support projection 175 abuts against the upper end portion 124a of the bracket 124 from the front and supports the upper end portion 124a.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, the exposed portion 152 has a hole 151 formed therein, which serves as a fastening hole through which a bolt 161 is inserted. The fastening portion 153, which is the part of the exposed portion 152 in which the hole 151 is formed, bulges out to the rear and abuts against the bracket 124. A blind nut 162 is joined to the front surface of the fastening portion 153 by welding or the like.

[0049] (Bracket assembly) The assembly process for bracket 124 will be described below with reference to Figures 6 to 8. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, when fastening the bracket 124 to the main body 130, the first locking projection 171 is inserted into the hole 129 by first bringing the bracket 124 closer to the connecting portion 135 from the rear.

[0050] Here, the hole 129 is configured to restrict the relative movement of the first locking projection 171 in the vehicle width direction, while allowing the relative movement of the first locking projection 171 in the vertical direction. Therefore, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, when the first locking projection 171 moves upward along the hole 129, the bracket 124 slides downward relative to the main body 130.

[0051] As shown in Figure 8, when the first locking projection 171 is moved relative to the upper end of the hole 129, the bracket 124 is guided to a position where it can be fastened to the hole 151, that is, a position where the fastening hole 128 communicates with the entire hole 151 in the front-rear direction. At this time, the base 173a of the second locking projection 173 abuts against the lower end 124b of the bracket 124. Therefore, the bracket 124 is restricted from sliding further downward from the position shown in Figure 8. Also at this time, the support projection 175 and the fastening part 153 abut against the bracket 124 from the front. The claws 172 and 174 are locked to the opening edge 129a and the lower end 124b from the rear, respectively. In other words, the bracket 124 is clamped in the front-rear direction by the claws 172 and 174 and the support projection 175 and the fastening part 153. As a result, the bracket 124 is held in a position where it can be fastened to the hole 151.

[0052] Then, as shown in Figure 8, the bolt 161 is inserted into the fastening hole 128 and the hole 151, and the tip of the bolt 161 is screwed into the blind nut 162. This fastens the actuator (not shown) to the main body 130 from the rear via the bracket 124. At each connecting portion 135, the actuator is fixed via the bracket 124 by fastening one fastening hole 128 and one hole 151.

[0053] <Effects of the second embodiment> According to this embodiment, in addition to the effects (1-1) to (1-3) of the first embodiment, the following additional effects can be achieved.

[0054] (2-1) The bracket 124 is fastened to the hole 151 from the rear. The resin portion 130A has a first locking projection 171 that is inserted into the hole 129 formed in the bracket 124. The hole 129 is configured such that the first locking projection 171 moves relative to the hole 129 upward, guiding the bracket 124 to a position where it can be fastened to the hole 151.

[0055] With this configuration, the first locking projection 171 moves relative to the bracket 124 upward along the hole 129, guiding the bracket 124 to the position where it is fastened to the hole 151. Therefore, the bracket 124 can be fastened to the hole 151 efficiently.

[0056] (2-2) The first locking projection 171 has a claw portion 172 that locks onto the opening edge 129a of the hole 129 formed in the bracket 124. With this configuration, the claw portion 172 of the first locking projection 171 engages with the opening edge 129a of the hole 129, thereby holding the bracket 124 in the position where it is fastened to the hole 151. Therefore, fastening the bracket 124 to the hole 151 can be easily performed.

[0057] (2-3) The resin portion 130A further has a second locking projection 173. The second locking projection 173 is locked to the lower end portion 124b of the bracket 124. With this configuration, the bracket 124 is firmly held by the main body 130 in a position where it can be fastened to the hole 151 through the cooperation of the first locking projection 171 and the second locking projection 173. Therefore, fastening the bracket 124 to the hole 151 can be made easier.

[0058] (2-4) The actuator is fixed to the connecting portion 135 via the bracket 124 by fastening one fastening hole 128 and one hole portion 151 together. In order to increase the rigidity and strength of the main body in order to withstand the load acting from the actuator, it is conceivable to provide multiple fastening holes in the main body and fasten the bracket 124 to these fastening holes via multiple fastening members. However, in this case, the number of parts may increase due to the provision of multiple fastening members.

[0059] In this respect, with the above configuration, the connecting portion 135 is reinforced by the reinforcing plate 150, and the bracket 124 is firmly held in place at the fastening position by a pair of locking projections 171 and 173 molded integrally with the resin portion 130A. Therefore, when fastening the bracket 124 to the connecting portion 135, it is not necessary to fasten it at multiple fastening points. In other words, it is not necessary to provide fastening holes in the main body portion 130 other than the fastening hole portion 151. This reduces the number of fastening members. Consequently, the number of parts in the main body portion 130 can be reduced.

[0060] <Example of changes> The above embodiment can be implemented with the following modifications. The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that they do not contradict each other technically.

[0061] In the first embodiment, the number of fastening holes 46 formed in each connecting portion 35 of the main body 30 is not limited to three, but may be four or more. In this case, the number of fastening holes 28 formed in each fixing portion 26, 27 of the bracket 24 may also be changed to match the number of fastening holes 46.

[0062] The bead shape 45 is not limited to being provided continuously across the entire body portion 30, as illustrated in the first embodiment. For example, multiple bead shapes 45 may be arranged across the entire body portion 30 at intervals from one another.

[0063] The groove 44 may be omitted from the bottom wall 42. That is, the surface of the bottom wall 42 opposite to the protruding portion 43 in the front-rear direction may be made a smooth surface. The main body portion 30 does not necessarily have a bead shape 45. That is, both the protruding portion 43 and the groove portion 44 may be omitted from the bottom wall portion 42. In this case, ribs for reinforcing the main body portion 30 should be appropriately provided on each part of the main body portion 30.

[0064] The front structure 13 is not limited to one in which the actuator 21 is fixed to the main body 30 from the rear. The actuator 21 may be fixed to the main body 30 from the front. Accordingly, the bottom wall 42 is not limited to connecting the rear ends of a pair of side wall sections 41, but may connect the front ends of a pair of side wall sections 41. In the above modified example, "front side" corresponds to "one side in the front-rear direction" described in the [Means for Solving the Problem] column, and "rear side" corresponds to "the other side in the front-rear direction" described in the [Means for Solving the Problem] column.

[0065] The reinforcing plate 50 is not limited to extending from each of the pair of connecting portions 35 along the side portion 31 to the connecting portion 36, as illustrated in the first embodiment. For example, reinforcing plates may be embedded independently in each of the connecting portion 35, the side portion 31, and the connecting portion 36. Alternatively, the reinforcing plate 50 may be omitted from the side portion 31 and the connecting portion 36.

[0066] The front structure 13 is not limited to the configuration exemplified in the first embodiment, in which one pop-up hood device 20 is attached to each side of the main body 30 in the vehicle width direction. For example, it may be a configuration in which only one pop-up hood device 20 is attached to the center of the upper part 32 in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the reinforcing plate 50 is not limited to the configuration embedded in the connecting part 35 as exemplified in the first embodiment, but may be embedded in the center portion.

[0067] The shape of the locking projections 171 and 173 does not have to be such that the claw portions 172 and 174 bend and extend from the respective rear ends of the base portions 171a and 173a, as illustrated in the second embodiment. For example, the claw portions 172 and 174 can be omitted from at least one of the locking projections 171 and 173.

[0068] The locking projections 171 and 173 are not limited to those applicable only to the front structure 113 as illustrated in the second embodiment, but can also be applied to the front structure 13 of the first embodiment. In this case, the locking projections 171 and 173 should be appropriately positioned in the resin portion 30A near the fastening holes 46.

[0069] In the second embodiment, the second locking projection 173 may be omitted from the resin portion 130A. In the second embodiment, the first locking projection 171 may be omitted from the resin portion 130A. In this case, in addition to the hole portion 151, further fastening holes may be provided so that the bracket 124 can be fastened to multiple fastening holes via multiple fastening members.

[0070] The front structure of the vehicle according to the present invention can also be embodied as a so-called radiator support that supports the radiator. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0071] ER...Engine Room V...Virtual plane 10... Vehicles 10A... Vehicle body 11...Front part 12…Food 13,113...Front structure 20,120… Pop-up hood device 21… Actuator 22... Piston section 23...Cylinder section 24,124… bracket 124a...Top end 124b…lower end 25...Base 26…First fixed part 27…Second fixed part 28,128…Fastening hole 30,130...Main unit 30A, 130A…Resin part 30a...Outer edge 31... Side section 32... Upper Department 32a...Edge 33...Stay section 34…Arch section 34a, 34b...Edge 35,135...Connection part 36...Connection part 41... Side wall section 42...Bottom wall 43...Protrusion part 44… Groove 45...Bead shape 46…Fastening hole 47…Fastening hole 50,150…reinforcement plate 51,151...hole 61,161… Bolts 62,162... Blind nuts 129...hole 129a...Aperture edge 148... Window section 152...Exposed part 153... Fastening part 171...First locking convex part 171a...Base 172... Nail area 173...Second locking protrusion 173a...Base 174... Nail area 175...Support protrusion

Claims

1. A front structure of a vehicle comprising a main body that constitutes part of the vehicle body at the front of the vehicle, and a pop-up hood device attached to the main body, The main body is formed of a resin material and comprises a resin part that mainly constitutes the main body and a metal reinforcing plate embedded in the resin part to reinforce the resin part. The pop-up hood device includes an actuator that lifts the front part of the vehicle's hood when operated, and a bracket for fixing the actuator to the main body. In the main body portion, in the area where the reinforcing plate is embedded in the resin portion, fastening holes are formed in which the bracket is fastened via a fastening member. The front structure of the vehicle.

2. When the width direction and vertical direction of the vehicle are defined as the vehicle width direction and the vertical direction, The resin portion includes a pair of side portions that are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vertical direction, and an upper portion that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the upper ends of the pair of side portions in the vertical direction. The fastening holes are formed at each of the locations where the pair of side portions and the upper portion are connected. The front structure of the vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The reinforcing plate includes a portion embedded in the side portion, and this portion extends over the entire side portion in the vertical direction. The front structure of the vehicle according to claim 2.

4. When the longitudinal direction of the aforementioned vehicle is defined as the longitudinal direction, The bracket is fastened to the fastening hole from one side in the front-rear direction, The resin portion has a projection that protrudes toward one side in the front-rear direction and is inserted into a hole formed in the bracket. The hole is configured such that the protrusion moves relative to the hole, guiding the bracket to a position where it can be fastened to the fastening hole. The front structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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