Panel fixing structure

Abstract

To provide a panel fixing structure capable of preventing a coupling member, which is directed opposite to a correct direction, from being attached to two panels.SOLUTION: A panel fixing structure includes: a first panel and second panel constituting a vehicle; and a coupling member that fixes the first panel and the second panel. The coupling member includes: a main body inserted into a through hole formed in an area where the first panel and second panel overlapping each other; a flange that is provided at a first end of the main body and abuts against a perimeter of the through hole of the first panel; an engagement part that projects only from one surface in the middle of the main body and is engaged with the perimeter of the through hole of the second panel; and a curved part that is formed at a second end of the main body so that the curved part curves toward a direction which is in common with a direction in which the engagement part projects. A portion where the flange projects most largely from the main body projects in the direction which is in common with the direction in which the engagement part projects.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a panel fixing structure in which a plurality of panels are fixed together by connecting members. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle spoiler mounting structure of Patent Document 1 includes a bumper, a spoiler, and a connecting member. The bumper is provided on the lower part of the front part of the vehicle body. The spoiler is disposed so as to partially overlap the lower part of the bumper. The connecting member fixes the bumper and the spoiler.

[0003] The bumper has an opening penetrating from front to rear. The spoiler has a first mounting portion, a second mounting portion, and a boss portion. The first mounting portion is provided so as to protrude rearward from an upper end of the spoiler. The first mounting portion is inserted from front to rear through the opening. An assembly hole penetrating vertically is provided at an end of the first mounting portion rearward of the opening. The second mounting portion is provided so as to protrude upward from a lower end of the spoiler. The boss portion is provided at an upper end of the second mounting portion. The boss portion is formed in a cylindrical shape. The boss portion is inserted between the first mounting portion and the opening from rear to front. The rear surface of the boss portion is located forward of the assembly hole.

[0004] The connecting member includes a main body, a claw, a first head, and a second head. The main body is disposed inside the mounting hole. The front surface of the main body is in contact with the rear surface of the boss. The claw prevents the main body from slipping out of the mounting hole. The claw is provided so as to protrude in both left and right directions from the middle of the main body. The claw engages with the upper surface of the first mounting portion. The first head prevents the main body from slipping out of the mounting hole. The first head is provided so as to protrude rearward from the lower end of the main body. The first head is abutted against the lower surface of the first mounting portion. The second head prevents the boss from slipping out from between the first mounting portion and the opening. The second head is provided so as to protrude downward from the front end of the first head. The second head is in contact with the rear surface of the boss. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-67308 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The claw portion of the connecting member may be provided so as to protrude in the same direction as the protruding direction of the first head. For example, an operator may make a mistake and insert a connecting member with the front and rear facing in the opposite direction, i.e., a connecting member with the first head and claw portion facing forward, into the assembly hole. If a connecting member facing the opposite direction is inserted into the assembly hole, it becomes difficult to remove the connecting member from the assembly hole when replacing the bumper or spoiler. The claw portion protruding forward faces the rear surface of the boss portion. If the gap between the claw portion and the rear surface of the boss portion is small, there is no space to insert a tool to press the claw portion. Therefore, it becomes difficult to release the engagement between the claw portion and the first mounting portion.

[0007] One object of the present invention is to provide a panel fixing structure that can prevent a connecting member from being attached to two panels in a direction opposite to the correct direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The panel fixing structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes: A first panel and a second panel that constitute a vehicle; a connecting member fixing the first panel and the second panel, The connecting member is a main body portion inserted into a through hole provided in an area where the first panel and the second panel overlap each other; a flange portion provided at a first end of the main body portion so as to abut against a periphery of the through hole of the first panel; an engaging portion protruding only from one surface of the main body portion and provided to engage with a periphery of the through hole of the second panel; a curved portion provided at a second end of the main body portion so as to curve in a direction common to the direction in which the engaging portion protrudes, The flange portion protrudes furthest from the main body portion in the same direction as the engagement portion. Effect of the Invention

[0009] In the above panel fixing structure, the flange portion and the engagement portion of the connecting member that fixes the first panel and the second panel face the first direction, which is the correct direction. Although details will be described later, the above panel fixing structure is manufactured as follows. The connecting member with the flange portion facing the first direction is tilted at a predetermined angle toward the first direction with respect to the axis of the through hole. With the curved portion of the tilted connecting member inserted inside the through hole, the flange portion is rotated toward a second direction opposite to the first direction so that the main body portion of the tilted connecting member is aligned with the axis, while the connecting member is moved along the axis. The above movement causes the curved portion and the engagement portion to pass through the inside of the through hole in order.

[0010] For example, it is conceivable that an operator may make a mistake and tilt a connecting member having a flange portion facing a second direction opposite to the first direction toward the second direction with respect to the axis line, and attempt to insert the curved portion into the inside of the through hole. However, since the connecting member has the flange portion and the curved portion, the most protruding portion from the main body of the tilted connecting member interferes with an area other than the area where the first panel and the second panel overlap each other, and the curved portion interferes with the inner surface of the through hole. Therefore, the connecting member having the flange portion facing the second direction cannot be tilted at the predetermined angle toward the second direction with respect to the axis line. Therefore, it is possible to mechanically prevent the curved portion of the connecting member facing the opposite direction from passing through the inside of the through hole. In other words, it is possible to prevent the connecting member facing the opposite direction from being attached to the first panel and the second panel.

[0011] By providing the flange portion and the curved portion, it is possible to prevent the connecting member from being attached to the first panel and the second panel in the opposite direction, so there is no need to increase the protruding length of the flange portion to make the correct orientation of the connecting member easier to understand. Also, for example, a connecting member without a curved portion is inserted into the through hole in a state where the main body portion is aligned along the axis without tilting. In contrast, a connecting member with a curved portion is inserted into the through hole by rotating it as described above. Therefore, if the length of the connecting member along the main body portion is constant, the connecting member with a curved portion is easier to insert even in a smaller working space than a connecting member without a curved portion. The working space refers to the space that the first panel faces in the overlapping area. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a vehicle equipped with a panel fixing structure according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a process in which a connecting member in a correct orientation is inserted into a first through hole and a second through hole. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating that a connecting member with its front and rear facing inverted cannot be inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of the panel fixing structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 2 shows the first panel 2 and the second panel 3 of the vehicle 100 cut along the II-II cutting line in Fig. 1. For convenience of explanation, Fig. 2 shows a side view of the connecting member 4 rather than a cross section. This is also true for Figs. 3 and 4. The same symbols in the figures indicate the same objects. In the figures, "UP" indicates the upper side of the vehicle 100, "LWR" indicates the lower side, "FR" indicates the front, and "RR" indicates the rear. In the following explanation, "upper", "lower", "front", and "rear" respectively correspond to "upper", "lower", "front", and "rear" of the vehicle 100.

[0014] <<Embodiment>> [Panel fixing structure] As shown in Fig. 2, the panel fixing structure 1 of the embodiment includes a first panel 2, a second panel 3, and a connecting member 4. The first panel 2 and the second panel 3 have through holes provided in the area where they overlap each other. The through holes include a first through hole 25 provided in the first panel 2 and a second through hole 35 provided in the second panel 3. The connecting member 4 is inserted into the through holes, i.e., the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35, to fix the first panel 2 and the second panel 3 together. One of the features of the panel fixing structure 1 of the embodiment is that the connecting member 4 has a specific flange portion 42 and curved portion 44.

[0015] [First Panel] The first panel 2 of this embodiment is a front bumper of a vehicle 100 as shown in Fig. 1. The first panel 2 is not limited to a front bumper. The first panel 2 has a first region 21 and a first protruding piece 22 as shown in Fig. 2. The first panel 2 of this embodiment is a resin molded body in which the first region 21 and the first protruding piece 22 are integrated. Unlike this embodiment, the first panel 2 may be a continuous metal plate in which the first region 21 and the first protruding piece 22 are formed.

[0016] The first area 21 is disposed in front of the vehicle 100. The first area 21 is configured in a plate shape extending substantially vertically. Although details of the first area 21 will be described later, the first area 21 is provided at a position where the maximum angle θmax between the axis L1 and the imaginary line L2 shown in Fig. 4 is less than the angle θ1 between the axis L1 and the imaginary line L2 shown in Fig. 3.

[0017] The first protruding piece 22 protrudes from the first region 21 in a first direction so as to intersect with the first region 21. The first direction in this embodiment is the rear. The first protruding piece 22 in this embodiment is configured as a plate-like piece protruding rearward from the lower end of the first region 21. The first protruding piece 22 has a front surface, which is a surface facing a second protruding piece 32 described later among the outer surfaces of the first protruding piece 22, and a back surface, which is a surface opposite to the front surface. The front surface of the first protruding piece 22 in this embodiment is the lower surface 23, and the back surface is the upper surface 24. The first protruding piece 22 has a first through hole 25 penetrating the lower surface 23 and the upper surface 24. The contour shape of the first through hole 25 in this embodiment is rectangular. The length along the rear of the first through hole 25 is smaller than the length Lc along the rear of the curved portion 44. That is, the curved portion 44 cannot be inserted into the inside of the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 while the virtual line L2 described later is aligned with the axis L1.

[0018] Although described in more detail below, behind the first protrusion 22 of the first panel 2, there is no area that prevents the connecting member 4 from being tilted within the range of the angle θ1 between the axis L1 and the imaginary line L2 shown in Figure 3.

[0019] [Second Panel] The second panel 3 of this embodiment is a front spoiler of a vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. 1. The second panel 3 is not limited to a front spoiler. The front spoiler is disposed below a front bumper. The second panel 3 has a second region 31 and a second protruding piece 32 as shown in FIG. 2. The second panel 3 of this embodiment is a resin molded body in which the second region 31 and the second protruding piece 32 are integrated. Unlike this embodiment, the second panel 3 may be a continuous metal plate in which the second region 31 and the second protruding piece 32 are integrated.

[0020] The second area 31 is disposed in the front of the vehicle 100. The second area 31 is disposed below the first area 21. The second area 31 is configured in the shape of a plate that extends substantially vertically.

[0021] The second protruding piece 32 protrudes rearward from the second region 31 so as to intersect with the second region 31. That is, the second protruding piece 32 protrudes in the same direction as the protruding direction of the first protruding piece 22. In this embodiment, the second protruding piece 32 is configured in a plate shape protruding rearward from the upper end of the second region 31. The second protruding piece 32 has a front surface which is a surface facing the first protruding piece 22 among the outer surfaces of the second protruding piece 32, and a back surface which is a surface opposite to the front surface. In this embodiment, the front surface of the second protruding piece 32 is an upper surface 33, and the back surface is a lower surface 34. The second protruding piece 32 has a second through hole 35 penetrating the upper surface 33 and the lower surface 34. In this embodiment, the upper surface 33 of the second protruding piece 32 and the lower surface 23 of the first protruding piece 22 are in contact with each other. The first protruding piece 22 overlaps the second protruding piece 32 so that the second through hole 35 faces the first through hole 25. The contour shape of the second through hole 35 in this embodiment is a rectangle, the same as that of the first through hole 25. The length along the rear of the second through hole 35 is the same as that of the first through hole 25 and is shorter than the length Lc along the rear of the curved portion 44.

[0022] [Connecting parts] The connecting member 4 has a main body portion 41, a flange portion 42, an engaging portion 43, and a curved portion 44. The connecting member 4 of this embodiment further has a protrusion 45, which will be described later. Unlike this embodiment, the connecting member 4 does not have to have the protrusion 45. The connecting member 4 of this embodiment is a resin molded body in which the main body portion 41, the flange portion 42, the engaging portion 43, the curved portion 44, and the protrusion 45 are integrated.

[0023] (Main body) The main body portion 41 is inserted into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The main body portion 41 in this embodiment is formed of a rectangular plate piece.

[0024] (Flange part) The flange portion 42 prevents the main body portion 41 from slipping out of the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The flange portion 42 also serves as a mark for the orientation of the connecting member 4 when the connecting member 4 is inserted into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The flange portion 42 is provided at a first end of the main body portion 41 so as to abut against the periphery of the first through hole 25. In this embodiment, the first end of the main body portion 41 is the upper end, and the periphery of the first through hole 25 is the upper surface 24. The flange portion 42 abutting against the upper surface 24 prevents the main body portion 41 from slipping out downward from the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The flange portion 42 in this embodiment is configured in a plate shape.

[0025] The flange portion 42 has a portion that protrudes from the upper end of the main body portion 41 at least toward the rear. The flange portion 42 of this embodiment further has portions that protrude from the upper end of the main body portion 41 in each of the forward, left, and right directions other than the rear. The portion of the flange portion 42 that protrudes most from the main body portion 41 is a portion that protrudes in a direction common to the direction in which the engaging portion 43 described later protrudes. In this embodiment, the common direction is the rear. That is, the length of the portion of the flange portion 42 that protrudes rearward from the main body portion 41 along the protruding direction is longer than the length of each of the portions that protrude in directions other than the rear along the protruding direction. The protruding direction of the portion of the flange portion 42 that protrudes most from the main body portion 41 is the correct orientation of the connecting member 4.

[0026] (Engagement part) The engagement portion 43 prevents the main body portion 41 from slipping out of the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The engagement portion 43 is provided only on one surface midway through the main body portion 41. In this embodiment, the one surface is the rear surface. By providing the engagement portion 43 only on the one surface, the engagement portion 43 can also be used as a marker for the orientation of the connecting member 4 when inserting the connecting member 4 into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The engagement portion 43 protrudes only from the rear surface of the main body portion 41. The engagement portion 43 is provided so as to engage with the periphery of the second through hole 35. In this embodiment, the periphery of the second through hole 35 is the bottom surface 34.

[0027] The engagement portion 43 in this embodiment is configured in a claw shape that can freely protrude and retract from the main body portion 41 within a range between a protruding position protruding backward from the middle of the main body portion 41 when not pressed and under load, and a stored position stored inside the main body portion 41 when pressed and under load. The engagement portion 43 in the protruding position is provided so as to hook onto the lower surface 34 of the second protruding piece 32. The engagement portion 43 in the protruding position in this embodiment prevents the main body portion 41 from slipping out upward from the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The engagement portion 43 in the stored position is provided so as to insert the main body portion 41 into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35.

[0028] In this embodiment, the upper end of the engagement portion 43 has a flat surface that is approximately perpendicular to the side surface of the main body portion 41, and the lower end has an inclined surface that protrudes more from the main body portion 41 the further from the curved portion 44 toward the flange portion 42. The inclined surface makes it easy to pass the engagement portion 43 through the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. When the engagement portion 43 passes through the second through hole 35, the flat surface faces the lower surface 34 of the second protruding piece 32, preventing the main body portion 41 from slipping out upward.

[0029] (Bend) The curved portion 44, which will be described in detail later, makes it impossible to insert the connecting member 4 in the opposite direction to the correct direction into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 as shown in FIG. 4. The curved portion 44 is provided at the second end of the main body portion 41 as shown in FIG. 2. The second end of the main body portion 41 in this embodiment is the lower end. That is, the curved portion 44 is provided below the engaging portion 43 in the main body portion 41. The curved portion 44 is curved in the same direction as the protruding direction of the engaging portion 43, that is, toward the rear. The bending radius of the curved portion 44, which will be described in detail later, can be appropriately selected within a length range in which the maximum angle θmax between the axis L1 and the virtual line L2 shown in FIG. 4 is less than the angle θ1 between the axis L1 and the virtual line L2 shown in FIG. 3.

[0030] Unlike this embodiment, the connecting member 4 not having the curved portion 44 is inserted into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 with the main body portion 41 aligned along the axis L1 without being tilted. In contrast, the connecting member 4 having the curved portion 44 as in this embodiment is rotated and inserted into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 as described later in detail. Therefore, the connecting member 4 having the curved portion 44 is easier to insert into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 even if the working space is small, as long as the length of the connecting member 4 along the main body portion 41 is constant, compared to the connecting member 4 not having the curved portion 44. The working space refers to the space facing the first projecting piece 22, i.e., the space above the first projecting piece 22.

[0031] In this embodiment, the tip of the curved portion 44 has a hook portion 441 that protrudes toward the inside of the curved portion 44. When inserting the connecting member 4 in the correct orientation into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 as shown in FIG. 3, even if the connecting member 4 falls out of the operator's hand, the hook portion 441 can be caught on the inner surface of the first through hole 25 or the inner surface of the second through hole 35 to prevent the connecting member 4 from falling off the first protruding piece 22.

[0032] (protrusion) The protrusion 45 is a handle that is grasped by an operator when inserting the connecting member 4 into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. The protrusion 45, which will be described in detail later, facilitates the connecting member 4 to interfere with the first region 21 when inserting the connecting member 4 in the opposite direction into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the protrusion 45 is provided so as to protrude upward from the rear end of the flange portion 42. The cross-sectional shape of the protrusion 45, cut along a vertical plane along the front-rear direction, is L-shaped. The vertical piece of the protrusion 45 extends upward from the rear end of the flange portion 42. The horizontal piece of the protrusion 45 extends rearward from the upper end of the vertical piece.

[0033] [Connecting parts in the correct orientation] 3, a process of inserting the connecting member 4 in the correct orientation into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 will be described. In this embodiment, the correct orientation means that the flange portion 42 faces rearward.

[0034] Since the connecting member 4 has a curved portion 44, the connecting member 4 with the flange portion 42 facing backward is tilted backward with respect to the axis L1 of the first through hole 25 so that the tip of the curved portion 44 can be inserted into the first through hole 25. As shown by the solid line, with the main body portion 41 tilted backward, the curved portion 44 is inserted from above the first protruding piece 22 into the inside of the first through hole 25 and the inside of the second through hole 35 in this order. Although it depends on various factors, for example, the angle θ1 between the imaginary line L2 along the main body portion 41 of the connecting member 4 tilted backward and the axis L1 of the first through hole 25 is 30° or more and 50° or less, further 35° or more and 45° or less, particularly 40° or more and 45° or less. The various factors are, for example, the position of the first region 21, the length of the main body portion 41, the protruding length of the flange portion 42, the formation location of the protrusion 45, the shape of the protrusion 45, the protruding length of the protrusion 45, and the bending radius of the curved portion 44.

[0035] As indicated by the two-dot chain line, by moving the connecting member 4 downward while rotating the flange portion 42 forward so that the imaginary line L2 approaches the axis L1, the tip of the curved portion 44 falls downward through the second through hole 35. When the engagement portion 43 comes into contact with the opening edge of the first through hole 25 due to the forward rotation of the flange portion 42 and the downward movement of the connecting member 4, a pressing force is applied to the engagement portion 43 from the opening edge, and the engagement portion 43 moves from the protruding position to the stored position, although this is not shown in the figure.

[0036] Although not shown in the figure, the flange portion 42 is rotated forward and the connecting member 4 is moved downward until the imaginary line L2 is aligned with the axis L1. The engaging portion 43 moves sequentially into the inside of the first through hole 25 and the inside of the second through hole 35. Inside the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35, a pressing force from the inner surface of the first through hole 25 and a pressing force from the inner surface of the second through hole 35 act, so that the engaging portion 43 is maintained in the stored position.

[0037] The connecting member 4 is moved downward until the engaging portion 43 comes out of the second through hole 35 downward. When the engaging portion 43 comes out of the second through hole 35, the pressing force from the inner surface of the second through hole 35 no longer acts, so the engaging portion 43 in the stored position moves to the protruding position. As shown in FIG. 2, the first projecting piece 22 and the second projecting piece 32 are sandwiched between the flange portion 42 and the engaging portion 43. The flange portion 42 prevents the connecting member 4 from coming out of the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 downward, and the engaging portion 43 prevents the connecting member 4 from coming out of the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35 upward. The first projecting piece 22 and the second projecting piece 32 are fixed by the connecting member 4.

[0038] [Connecting member in the opposite direction] 4, it will be described that a connecting member 4 having a front-to-back orientation opposite to that of the connecting member 4 shown in Fig. 3 cannot be inserted into the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. In this embodiment, the front-to-back orientation means that the flange portion 42 faces forward.

[0039] Since the connecting member 4 has a curved portion 44, the connecting member 4 with the flange portion 42 facing forward is tilted forward with respect to the axis L1 of the first through hole 25 in order to insert the tip of the curved portion 44 into the first through hole 25. The first region 21 is disposed forward of the first protruding piece 22. Therefore, the maximum angle θmax between the imaginary line L2 along the main body portion 41 of the connecting member 4 tilted forward and the axis L1 of the first through hole 25 is the angle between the imaginary line L2 and the axis L1 at the position where at least one of the flange portion 42 and the protrusion 45 of the connecting member 4 contacts with the first region 21. In this embodiment, the maximum angle θmax is less than the angle θ1 described above. When the curved portion 44 of the connecting member 4 tilted forward to be the maximum angle θmax is inserted into the first through hole 25, the curved portion 44 interferes with the inner surface of the first through hole 25. Due to interference between the curved portion 44 and the inner surface of the first through hole 25, the curved portion 44 cannot pass through the inside of the first through hole 25 and the second through hole 35. Therefore, the connecting member 4 facing in the opposite direction is prevented from being attached to the first panel 2 and the second panel 3.

[0040] The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0041] For example, the panel fixing structure may further include one or more additional panels in addition to the first and second panels. Each additional panel includes a protruding piece disposed between the first protruding piece of the first panel and the second protruding piece of the second panel. Each of the protruding pieces has a through hole facing the first through hole and the second through hole. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Panel fixing structure 2 First Panel 21 First area 22 First protrusion 23 Bottom surface 24 Top side 25 First through hole 3 Second Panel 31 Second area 32 Second protrusion 33 Top surface 34 Bottom side 35 Second through hole 4 Connecting members 41 Main body 42 Flange part 43 Engagement part 44 Curved section 441 Hook part 45 Protrusion 100 vehicles L1 axis L2 Virtual Line Lc length θ1 angle θmax maximum angle

Claims

[Claim 1] A first panel and a second panel that constitute a vehicle; a connecting member fixing the first panel and the second panel, The connecting member is a main body portion inserted into a through hole provided in an area where the first panel and the second panel overlap each other; a flange portion provided at a first end of the main body portion so as to abut against a periphery of the through hole of the first panel; an engaging portion protruding only from one surface of the main body portion and provided to engage with a periphery of the through hole of the second panel; a curved portion provided at a second end of the main body portion so as to curve in a direction common to the direction in which the engaging portion protrudes, The flange portion protrudes most from the main body portion in a direction common to the direction in which the engagement portion protrudes. Panel fixing structure.

Images