Exterior components for vehicles

Abstract

To provide an exterior component for a vehicle that can drain water from the seat. [Solution] The vehicle exterior member 10 has a first panel 12 and a resin second panel 14 positioned below the first panel 12. The second panel 14 has a seat portion 40 formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward and has a gate mark 40a on its bottom surface, a drainage groove 50 formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward and connects to the seat portion 40, and drainage holes 36, 52 that discharge water guided from the seat portion 40 by the drainage groove 50.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] This invention relates to an exterior member for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] As a resin exterior member for a vehicle, there has been proposed one manufactured by an injection molding die of a direct gate method in which molten resin is directly poured from a valve gate (injection unit in Patent Document 1) disposed on the back surface.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0006] A first embodiment of the exterior component for a vehicle according to the present invention is: A vehicle exterior member having a first panel and a second resin panel positioned below the first panel, The second panel is, A seat portion formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward and has a gate mark on its bottom surface, A recessed shape is formed that protrudes downward, and a drainage groove is connected to the seat portion, The gist of the invention is that it is equipped with a drain hole for discharging water that has been guided from the seat portion by the drain channel.

[0007] A second embodiment of the vehicle exterior member according to the present invention is, in the first embodiment, The second panel has a mounting portion to which fastening members are attached, The aforementioned mounting portion is concave, protruding downwards. The drainage hole may be formed in the mounting portion.

[0008] A third aspect of the vehicle exterior member according to the present invention is, in the second aspect described above, The mounting portion has a bottom wall and a vertical wall extending upward from the bottom wall. The mounting portion has an opening for attaching the fastening member, extending from the bottom wall to the vertical wall. The drain channel may be connected to the mounting portion, and the opening may also serve as the drain hole.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the vehicle exterior member according to the present invention is, in the third aspect described above, The bottom wall may be positioned lower than the bottom surface of the seat when the exterior vehicle component is attached to the vehicle.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the vehicle exterior member according to the present invention is, in the third aspect described above, The opening may be located on the rear side of the mounting portion when the exterior member for the vehicle is attached to the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the vehicle exterior member of the present invention, water can be discharged from the seat portion where the resin is injected.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is a bottom view showing the vehicle exterior member according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a sectional view taken along line A-A of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 1 [[ID=...]] [Figure 4] It is a schematic perspective view showing the first drainage structure of the second panel. Note that the symbol X indicates the flow of water. [Figure 5] It is a schematic perspective view showing the first drainage structure of the second panel with the fastening member attached. [Figure 6] It is a schematic perspective view showing the state of the first drainage structure of the second panel as viewed from below. ... [Figure 7] It is a schematic perspective view showing the second drainage structure of the second panel. Note that the symbol X indicates the flow of water. [Figure 8] It is a sectional view showing the mold for molding the second panel. [Figure 9] It is a schematic perspective view showing the state of a modified example of the first drainage structure of the second panel as viewed from below.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Next, the vehicle exterior member according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings by giving preferred embodiments. Note that the embodiments and drawings described below illustrate a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and are not used for the purpose of limiting to these configurations, and can be appropriately changed within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. The vehicle exterior member of the present embodiment is a rear spoiler installed at the upper part of a backdoor (rear window) continuous with the roof portion of the vehicle, and the direction of the vehicle exterior member 10 is referred to based on the mounting state to the vehicle.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the vehicle exterior member 10 according to the present embodiment has a first panel 12 and a second panel 14 disposed below the first panel 12, and the first panel 12 and the second panel 14 are stacked vertically and assembled by adhesion, welding, screw fastening, or the like. The vehicle exterior member 10 of the embodiment has a shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-rear direction. The vehicle exterior member 10 is attached to the vehicle body by fastening a fastening member 20 (see FIG. 5) attached to an attachment portion 30 provided on the second panel 14 to the vehicle body. The first panel 12 and the second panel 14 are made of resin and are molded products obtained by injection molding a thermoplastic resin such as polypropylene or ABS resin.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 5, the fastening member 20 according to the present embodiment is a bolt having a shaft portion 22 having a screw groove (not shown) and a head portion 24 provided at one end of the shaft portion 22 and having an outer shape larger than that of the shaft portion 22. The head portion 24 of the fastening member 20 is attached to the attachment portion 30 of the second panel 14, and the shaft portion 22 extending downward from the second panel 14 is fastened to the vehicle body. Reference numeral 26 is an annular seal member that seals between the head portion 24 and the attachment portion 30.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the second panel 14 includes an attachment portion 30 to which the fastening member 20 is attached and a seat portion 40 that is a position where molten resin is injected when the second panel 14 is molded. In the second panel l4, a plurality of attachment portions 30 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction (the longitudinal direction of the vehicle exterior member 10). Also, in the second panel 14, a plurality of seat portions 40 are provided at intervals in the left-right direction (the longitudinal direction of the vehicle exterior member 10). The seat portion 40 is disposed at or near the center in the front-rear direction (the short side direction of the vehicle exterior member 10) of the second panel 14.

[0017] As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the mounting portion 30 is formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward. Specifically, the mounting portion 30 has a bottom wall 32, a vertical wall 34 extending upward from the bottom wall 32, and an opening 36 for attaching the fastening member 20. The bottom surface of the bottom wall 32 in the mounting portion 30 (referring to the lower surface of the bottom wall 32, while the upper surface of the bottom wall 32 is called the inner bottom surface) protrudes downward from the surrounding portion. The mounting portion 30 is also formed in a rectangular shape in plan view. The opening 36 is provided from the bottom wall 32 to the vertical wall 34 and penetrates the second panel 14. The opening 36 has an insertion / removal portion 36a that opens larger than the head 24 of the fastening member 20, and an axial passage portion 36b that opens smaller than the head 24 but larger than the shaft portion 22. In this embodiment, the insertion / removal portion 36a is formed across the vertical wall region between the opposing vertical walls 34, 34 and the peripheral portion (the surface above the bottom wall 32) that is outside the upper region of the bottom wall 32 (see Figure 6). The shaft-through portion 36b is formed in the bottom wall 32 as a notch, with one end connecting to the insertion / removal portion 36a and the other end closing off. The opening 36 of the mounting portion 30 is positioned on the rear side (opposite side of the drainage channel 50) of the mounting portion 30 when the vehicle exterior member 10 is attached to the vehicle. The fastening member 20 is attached to the mounting portion 30 with its head 24 passing through the insertion / removal portion 36a and positioned on the upper side of the bottom wall 32, and its shaft portion 22 passing through the shaft-through portion 36b protruding below the second panel 14.

[0018] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the seat portion 40 is formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward. Specifically, the seat portion 40 has a base plate 42 and a vertical plate 44 extending upward from the base plate 42. The bottom surface of the base plate 42 in the seat portion 40 (referring to the lower surface of the base plate 42, while the upper surface of the base plate 42 is called the inner bottom surface) protrudes downward from the surrounding portion. The seat portion 40 is concave so as to open upward. In addition, the seat portion 40 is formed in a substantially circular shape in plan view. Furthermore, the bottom surface of the seat portion 40 extends in a direction perpendicular to the mold opening direction of the mold 60 (see Figure 8) that forms the second panel 14. The seat portion 40 has a gate mark 40a (see Figure 1) on its bottom surface. Furthermore, when attaching the vehicle exterior component 10 to the vehicle, it is preferable to position the bottom surface of the mounting portion 30 below the bottom surface of the seat portion 40, so that the seat portion 40 does not interfere with the vehicle body.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle exterior member 10 has a first drainage structure 16 and a second drainage structure 18 as a structure for draining water from the inside to the outside.

[0020] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first drainage structure 16 is formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward and has a drainage groove 50 connected to the seat portion 40, and an opening 36 of the mounting portion 30 which also serves as a drain hole for discharging water guided from the seat portion 40 by the drainage groove 50. The drainage groove 50 is a groove that is narrower than the seat portion 40 and is provided on the rear side of the seat portion 40, which is the inclined lower end when the vehicle exterior member 10 is attached to the vehicle. The drainage groove 50 is also provided between the seat portion 40 and the mounting portion 30 located on the rear side of the seat portion 40, and its rear end is connected to the mounting portion 30. The inner bottom surface of the drainage groove 50 is a flat surface that is aligned with the inner bottom surface of the seat portion 40, and when the vehicle exterior member 10 is attached to the vehicle, it slopes downward from the front end connected to the seat portion 40 to the rear end connected to the mounting portion 30. The bottom wall 32 of the mounting portion 30 protrudes below the drainage channel 50, and the inner bottom surface of the mounting portion 30 is one step lower than the inner bottom surface of the drainage channel 50. By creating this step between the drainage channel 50 and the mounting portion 30, the rigidity of the second panel 14 can be improved. The inner bottom surface of the bottom wall 32 of the mounting portion 30 is positioned lower than the inner bottom surface of the seat portion 40 when the vehicle exterior member 10 is attached to the vehicle. The first drainage structure 16 drains water from the seat portion 40 through the drainage channel 50 to the outside through the opening 36 of the mounting portion 30, which is positioned lower than the seat portion 40.

[0021] As shown in Figure 7, the second drainage structure 18 is formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward and has a drainage groove 50 connected to the seat portion 40 and a drainage hole 52 for draining water guided from the seat portion 40 by the drainage groove 50. The second drainage structure 18 also has a first groove 54 that protrudes downward from the drainage groove 50 and a second groove 56 that protrudes downward from the first groove 54 and is provided with the drainage hole 52. The drainage groove 50 is provided between the seat portion 40 and the first groove 54 located behind the seat portion 40, and its rear end is connected to the first groove 54. The inner bottom surface of the drainage groove 50 is a flat surface aligned with the inner bottom surface of the seat portion 40, and when the vehicle exterior member 10 is attached to the vehicle, it slopes downward from the front end connected to the seat portion 40 to the rear end connected to the first groove 54. The inner bottom surface of the first groove 54 is lower than the inner bottom surface of the drain groove 50 and slopes downward towards the second groove 56. The inner bottom surface of the second groove 56 is lower than the inner bottom surface of the first groove 54. The drain hole 52 opens at the lowest position in the second groove 56. In this way, the second drain structure 18 drains water through a series of grooves 50, 54, and 56 that progressively get lower from the seat portion 40, and drains to the outside through the drain hole 52 formed in the lowest second groove 56.

[0022] As shown in Figure 8, the second panel 14 is molded by injecting resin into the cavity 60a from the gate 64 of a hot runner (valve gate) 62, which is located in the mold 60 at a position corresponding to the seat portion 40 of the cavity 60a. Such a mold 60 is called a direct gate structure, and because there is no cold runner, the amount of resin used can be reduced, thereby lowering material costs. Also, since resin can be poured into the central part of the molded product, it is suitable for molding relatively large products such as vehicle exterior components 10. In the resulting second panel 14, a small gate mark 40a remains on the bottom surface of the seat portion 40 due to the gate 64. Here, since the shape of the bottom surface of the seat portion 40, which becomes the seating surface 62a of the hot runner 62, is formed as a flat surface perpendicular to the mold opening direction of the mold 60, the seating surface 62a of the hot runner 62 can be made flat, and the hot runner 62 can be made into a simple and strong structure. This improves the lifespan of the hot runner 62.

[0023] When water such as washing water during car washing or rainwater enters the interior of the vehicle exterior member 10, it tends to collect in the seat portion 40, which is formed in a concave shape and protrudes downwards. The vehicle exterior member 10 can discharge the water that has entered the seat portion 40 to the outside through the drainage groove 50 and the opening 36 or drain hole 52. Therefore, even if a seat portion 40 with a shape suitable for the hot runner 62 is formed in the second panel 14, it is possible to prevent water from accumulating in the seat portion 40.

[0024] If drainage holes were formed in the seat portion 40, the hole-forming portion for forming the drainage holes would be located near the resin injection position corresponding to the seat portion 40 in the mold 60, and the fluidity of the resin injected from the resin injection position would be hindered by the hole-forming portion. If the fluidity of the resin is hindered in the cavity 60a, it will lead to a decrease in the rigidity of the resulting second panel 14. In addition, the resin may wrap around the hole-forming portion and merge, causing weld lines to form, which will worsen the appearance of the second panel 14. Furthermore, if drainage holes are formed near the resin injection position, there is a drawback that burrs are likely to form in the drainage holes due to the pressure of the injected resin. The vehicle exterior member 10 does not have openings 36 and drainage holes 52 formed in the seat portion 40, and water is guided to the openings 36 and drainage holes 52 located away from the seat portion 40 by drainage channels 50. Therefore, the vehicle exterior member 10 can suppress the aforementioned problems such as a decrease in rigidity, the occurrence of weld lines, and the occurrence of burrs.

[0025] The exterior component 10 for the vehicle has a recessed mounting portion 30 that protrudes downward from the second panel 14, and an opening 36 is formed in the mounting portion 30 to serve as a drain hole, allowing water guided from the seat portion 40 by the drainage channel 50 to be discharged through the opening 36. By using the opening 36 of the mounting portion 30 to which the fastening member 20 is attached as a drain hole, the number of drain holes can be reduced, and the occurrence of the aforementioned problems associated with the formation of drain holes can be suppressed. Here, the bottom wall 32 of the mounting portion 30 is positioned lower than the bottom surface of the seat portion 40 when the exterior component 10 for the vehicle is attached to the vehicle, so that water guided from the seat portion 40 by the drainage channel 50 can flow smoothly into the mounting portion 30. In addition, since the opening 36 of the mounting portion 30 is positioned on the rear side of the mounting portion 30 when the exterior component 10 for the vehicle is attached to the vehicle, water can be discharged smoothly from the opening 36. In particular, when the vehicle exterior member 10 is a rear spoiler, the mounting portion 30 is set so that the rear side is lower when the vehicle exterior member 10 is mounted, so it is preferable that the opening 36 is positioned on the rear side of the mounting portion 30.

[0026] The thickness of the drainage channel 50 is preferably set to be the same as or approximately the same as the thickness of the seat portion 40. By doing so, the influence of the formation of the drainage channel 50 on the flow of the resin can be suppressed.

[0027] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the aforementioned matters, but may also be applied as follows, for example. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and the following specific examples of modifications. (1) In the embodiment, a rear spoiler was given as an example of an exterior component for a vehicle, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to other components attached to the outside of a vehicle, such as a roof end garnish or a rear wing. (2) The fastening member is not limited to bolts; other fastening means such as clips or rivets may also be used. (3) In this embodiment, the opening of the mounting portion was used as a drain hole, but a drain hole may be formed in the mounting portion. (4) In this embodiment, the insertion / removal portion 36a of the opening 36 in the mounting portion 30 is formed to extend from the vertical wall region between the opposing vertical walls 34, 34 to the peripheral portion (the surface above the bottom wall 32) that is outside the upper region of the bottom wall 32, thereby making the insertion portion 36a larger. However, it is not limited to this, and as shown in Figure 9, it may also be formed only in the vertical wall region between the opposing vertical walls 34, 34. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 10 Exterior components for vehicles, 12 First panel, 14 Second panel, 20 Fastening members, 30 Mounting part, 32 Bottom wall, 34 Vertical wall, 36 Opening, 40 Seat part, 40a Gate mark, 50 Drainage channels, 52 Drainage holes

Claims

1. A vehicle exterior member having a first panel and a second resin panel positioned below the first panel, The second panel is, A seat portion formed in a concave shape that protrudes downward and has a gate mark on its bottom surface, A recessed shape is formed that protrudes downward, and a drainage groove is connected to the seat portion, An exterior component for a vehicle, comprising: a drain hole for discharging water guided from the seat portion by the drain channel.

2. The second panel has a mounting portion to which a fastening member is attached, The aforementioned mounting portion is concave, protruding downwards. The drainage hole is formed in the mounting portion, as described in claim 1 for the exterior member for a vehicle.

3. The mounting portion has a bottom wall and a vertical wall extending upward from the bottom wall. The mounting portion has an opening for attaching the fastening member, extending from the bottom wall to the vertical wall. The exterior member for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the drainage channel is connected to the mounting portion and the opening also serves as the drainage hole.

4. The exterior vehicle member according to claim 3, wherein the bottom wall is positioned lower than the bottom surface of the seat when the exterior vehicle member is attached to the vehicle.

5. The vehicle exterior member according to claim 3, wherein the opening is positioned on the rear side of the mounting portion when the vehicle exterior member is attached to the vehicle.

Images