Vehicle cowl grill structure

Abstract

To provide a cowl grille structure for a vehicle that is able to achieve both the waterproofing and the heat damage prevention of auxiliary equipment without complicating the structure of a cover portion.SOLUTION: A cowl grille 30 includes: a member portion 31 which extends in a vehicle width direction below a front windshield 11 and receives water dripping on the front windshield 11; a cover portion 33 which is positioned in front of the member portion 31 and covering an upper part of auxiliary equipment 27; a partition portion 35 extending downward from the cover portion 33 and partitioning a space 1 on an engine side and a space 34 on an auxiliary equipment side; and a cowl seal 37 extending in the vehicle width direction and contacting a bonnet 18 to seal between space outside the vehicle and an engine room 1. Therein, the cowl seal 37 is located at a front part of the member portion 31; the cover portion 33 is formed of a plate-like member and is provided so as to insulate a space 39 above the cover portion 33 and a space 34 below the cover portion 33 from heat.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cowl grill structure for a vehicle, and more particularly to a cowl grill structure for a vehicle comprising: a dash panel located at the lower end of a front windshield, extending in the vehicle width direction and separating an engine room and a passenger compartment in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; a pair of left and right front side frames extending forward of the vehicle from both ends of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction; a suspension tower section fixed to the front side frames, protruding upward and supporting an upper part of a damper of a suspension device; accessories provided between the suspension tower section and the dash panel in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; and a cowl grill structure for a vehicle comprising: a dash panel located at the lower end of the front windshield, extending in the vehicle width direction of the dash panel and separating an engine room and a passenger compartment in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle; [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, an example of the above-mentioned vehicle cowl grill structure is disclosed in Patent Document 1. That is, a structure is disclosed in which accessories such as a battery, which are vulnerable to heat damage, are arranged between the top portion of the suspension housing and the dash lower panel, and the above of the accessories is covered with a cover portion of a cowl grill, and a cowl seal is provided at the front end of the cover portion to seal between the bonnet and the cover portion, thereby protecting the accessories from heat damage caused by the engine.

[0003] In this conventional structure, a cowl seal is disposed at the front end of the cover portion, which has the advantage of effectively turning the space above the accessories, which are vulnerable to heat damage, into a cool zone. However, this structure has the following problems.

[0004] In other words, the cowl grill needs to be provided with a passage for the air drawn in from the outside air inlet, and a drainage passage. In order to prevent water from getting onto the auxiliary equipment and to prevent water from entering the air intake port at the downstream end of the air passage that communicates with the outside air inlet, the conventional structure forms a drainage duct and gives the air passage a labyrinth structure.

[0005] This makes it difficult to form the cowl grill, which not only increases the material cost but also increases the mass of the cowl grill. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-43602 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE An object of the present invention is to provide a cowl grill structure for a vehicle that can prevent both water damage and heat damage to the auxiliary equipment without complicating the structure of the cover portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] a cowl grill structure for a vehicle according to the present invention comprises: a dash panel located at a lower end of a front windshield, extending in a vehicle width direction and separating an engine room and a passenger compartment in a front-rear direction of the vehicle; a pair of left and right front side frames extending forward of the vehicle from both ends of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction; a suspension tower section fixed to the front side frames, protruding upward and supporting an upper part of a damper of a suspension device; accessories provided between the suspension tower section and the dash panel in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; and a cowl grill located below the front windshield and in front of the dash panel, wherein the cowl grill comprises: a member section extending in the vehicle width direction below the front windshield and receiving water dripping down the front windshield; a cover section located in front of the member section and covering an upper part of the accessories; a partition section extending downward from the cover section and separating a space on the engine side from a space on the accessory side; and a cowl seal extending in the vehicle width direction and in contact with a bonnet to seal between an exterior space of the vehicle and the engine room, the member portion includes an upper wall portion extending in a vehicle width direction and a vehicle front-rear direction and inclining upward from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle, a rear vertical wall portion extending downward from a rear end of the upper wall portion, and a side portion extending upward and rearward from the rear vertical wall portion, The cowl seal is located at the front of the member portion, the upper wall portion is provided with a cowl seal attachment portion extending from a front portion of the upper wall portion toward the bonnet side, the rear end of the upper wall portion is located at a position higher than the cowl seal attached to the cowl seal attachment portion, and is configured to be inclined continuously upward from the front portion to the rear end of the upper wall portion, and the member portion is integrally formed with the cowl seal attachment portion, The cover portion is made of a plate-like member and is provided to insulate the space above the cover portion from the space below the cover portion. The above-mentioned accessories may be attached to a battery, and a weather strip may be used as the cowl seal.

[0009] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the cowl seal that seals between the vehicle exterior space and the engine room is disposed in front of the member, so that the cover portion located in front of the member portion is not exposed to water. Since the cover portion is not exposed to water, it is possible to suppress the complication of the cover portion.

[0010] In addition, the cover portion insulates the space above the cover portion from the space below the cover portion, thereby protecting the auxiliary machinery from heat damage. In short, it is possible to achieve both the effect of preventing the auxiliary machinery from being exposed to water and the effect of preventing heat damage, without complicating the structure of the cover portion.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion is formed to have a non-porous structure. According to the above configuration, the cover portion has a non-perforated structure, which prevents air in the space above the cover portion from communicating with the space below the cover portion where the auxiliary equipment is located, thereby providing further protection against thermal damage to the auxiliary equipment.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion is made of talc reinforced resin or fiber reinforced resin. As the above-mentioned fiber reinforced resin, GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) is preferable. According to the above-described configuration, the heat resistance and heat insulation of the cover portion can be improved, and the auxiliary machinery can be further prevented from being damaged by heat.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, the end portion in the vehicle width direction of the cowl seal is located in the vicinity of a bonnet hinge that supports the bonnet. According to the above configuration, the bonnet supporting rigidity of the cowl seal can be improved.

[0014] More specifically, the bonnet is supported by the vehicle body at three points: a striker in the centre of the front end in the vehicle width direction and hinges on both left and right sides in the rear end in the vehicle width direction. When the bonnet is closed, the rear end of the bonnet is supported by the cowl seal. Therefore, if the cowl seal were located significantly further forward than the bonnet hinge position, the support rigidity of the bonnet provided by the cowl seal would decrease, causing the rear end of the bonnet to float and vibrate when the vehicle is traveling.

[0015] In conventional structures, the bonnet itself has been excessively reinforced with reinforcements and the like in order to suppress floating and shaking of the bonnet. However, in this embodiment, by specifying the position of the cowl seal, it is possible to improve the supporting rigidity of the bonnet without the need for excessive reinforcement of the bonnet.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle width direction central portion of the cowl seal is located rearward of a vehicle front-rear direction central portion of the cover portion. According to the above-described configuration, the bonnet supporting effect can be improved by the vehicle width direction central portion of the cowl seal.

[0017] Specifically, there is a demand to ensure a large opening area for maintenance when removing the above-mentioned cover portion for maintenance, and there is also a demand to ensure a large area for the outside air intake hole formed in the member portion of the cowl grill.

[0018] Therefore, by specifying the front and rear positions of the vehicle width central part of the cowl seal as described above, it is possible to ensure both the opening area for maintenance and the area of ​​the outside air intake hole, while also improving the bonnet support effect of the vehicle width central part of the cowl seal.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion is located below a vertical position of a cowl seal mounting portion to which the cowl seal is mounted. According to the above-mentioned configuration, a vertical space is formed between the cowl seal provided at the cowl seal attachment portion and the cover portion, in other words, between the underside of the bonnet and the cover portion, which is advantageous for protecting pedestrians. In short, it is possible to achieve both a heat insulating structure provided by the cover portion and pedestrian protection. In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion is disposed below the cowl seal, and a heat insulating sealant is interposed between the partition portion and the cover portion. Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent both water damage and heat damage to the auxiliary machinery without complicating the structure of the cover portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a main portion of a vehicle equipped with a cowl grill structure of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the main parts of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1 with the front windshield and cowl grill removed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line BB in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a member portion of the cowl grill. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cowl grill structure of a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The objective of preventing both water damage and heat damage to the auxiliary equipment without complicating the structure of the cover portion is achieved by a dash panel located at the lower end of the front windshield, extending in the vehicle width direction and separating the engine room and the passenger compartment in the vehicle front-rear direction, a pair of left and right front side frames extending forward of the vehicle from both ends of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction, a suspension tower portion fixed to the front side frames, protruding upward, and supporting an upper portion of a damper of a suspension device, and a suspension tower portion provided between the suspension tower portion and the dash panel in the vehicle front-rear direction. and a cowl grill located below the front windshield and in front of the dash panel, the cowl grill comprising: a member portion extending in a vehicle width direction below the front windshield to receive water dripping down the front windshield; a cover portion located in front of the member portion to cover above the accessories; a partition portion extending downward from the cover portion to separate a space on the engine side from a space on the accessories side; and a cowl seal extending in the vehicle width direction to come into contact with a bonnet and to seal between an exterior space and an engine compartment, the member portion includes an upper wall portion extending in a vehicle width direction and a vehicle front-rear direction and inclining upward from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle, a rear vertical wall portion extending downward from a rear end of the upper wall portion, and a side portion extending upward and rearward from the rear vertical wall portion, The cowl seal is located at the front of the member portion, the upper wall portion is provided with a cowl seal attachment portion extending from a front portion of the upper wall portion toward the bonnet side, the rear end of the upper wall portion is located at a position higher than the cowl seal attached to the cowl seal attachment portion, and is configured to be inclined continuously upward from the front portion to the rear end of the upper wall portion, and the member portion is integrally formed with the cowl seal attachment portion, The cover portion is constituted by a plate-like member and is provided so as to insulate the space above the cover portion from the space below the cover portion. EXAMPLES

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show a cowl grill structure of a vehicle, with Fig. 1 being a plan view of the essential parts of a vehicle equipped with the cowl grill structure, Fig. 2 being a plan view of the essential parts of the vehicle shown in a state in which the front windshield and cowl grill have been removed from Fig. 1, Fig. 3 being a cross-sectional view of the essential parts taken along line AA in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 being a cross-sectional view of the essential parts taken along line BB in Fig. 1. 5 is a perspective view showing a cover portion, FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a member portion of the cowl grill, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a cowl grill structure of a vehicle.

[0024] Prior to describing the cowl grill structure of the vehicle, the front vehicle body structure will first be described. 3, 4 and 7, a dash lower panel 3 is provided as a dash panel that separates an engine room 1 from a passenger compartment 2 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The dash lower panel 3 extends in the vehicle width direction, and both left and right ends of the dash lower panel 3 in the vehicle width direction are connected to hinge pillars (not shown).

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, a tunnel portion 3a that is continuous with a floor tunnel 5 of the front floor panel 4 is formed in the lower center of the dash lower panel 3 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 2, a floor frame 6 is joined and fixed to the upper surface of the front floor panel 4 in the middle in the vehicle width direction between the floor tunnel 5 and a side sill 8 described later, and a closed cross section of the floor frame extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is formed between the floor frame 6 and the front floor panel 4, thereby improving the rigidity of the lower body.

[0026] In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a tunnel reinforcement 7 is joined and fixed to the upper surface of the floor tunnel 5, and a closed cross section extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is formed between the tunnel reinforcement 7 and the floor tunnel 5, thereby improving the rigidity of the floor tunnel 5.

[0027] Left and right hinge pillars extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle are provided on both left and right sides in the vehicle width direction of the above-mentioned dash lower panel 3. The hinge pillar is a vehicle body strength member having a closed cross section extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle by joining and fixing a hinge pillar inner and a hinge pillar outer.

[0028] A side sill 8 is provided at the lower end of the hinge pillar, extending rearward from the lower end, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The side sill 8 is a vehicle body strength member having a closed cross section extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, with a side sill inner and a side sill outer joined and fixed together.

[0029] 1 and 2, a front pillar 9 is provided at the upper end of the hinge pillar, which extends obliquely rearward and upward from the upper end. The front pillar 9 is a vehicle body strength member that is formed by joining and fixing a front pillar inner and a front pillar outer together and has a front pillar closed cross section that extends obliquely rearward and upward of the vehicle.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, a front windshield 11 (so-called front windshield glass) is provided in an opening 10 for arranging a front windshield, which is surrounded by a pair of left and right front pillars 9, 9, a front header located at the upper front side of the vehicle, and a cowl panel 23 described later.

[0031] Here, the dash lower panel 3 is a panel member located at the lower end of the front windshield 11, extending in the vehicle width direction and separating the engine room 1 and the passenger compartment 2 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0032] On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 7, an apron reinforcement 12 is provided at the front upper end portion of the hinge pillar so as to extend from the front upper end portion toward the front of the vehicle. 1, 2 and 7, a pair of left and right front side frames 13 are provided extending forward of the vehicle from both ends in the vehicle width direction of the dash lower panel 3. The front side frames 13 are located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the above-mentioned apron reinforcement 12 and below in the vehicle up-down direction.

[0033] The front side frame 13 described above is a vehicle body strength member having a front side frame inner and a front side frame outer joined and fixed together, and having a front side frame closed cross section extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 7, a suspension tower section 14 is provided which is fixed to the front side frame 13, protrudes upward, and supports an upper portion of a damper of a front suspension device (not shown). As shown in the figure, this suspension tower section 14 is attached so as to straddle between a side panel 15 which constitutes the inner surface of the apron reinforcement 12 and the front side frame 13. Here, a strut tower section may be used as the suspension tower section 14.

[0035] As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a connecting member 16 is provided at the front end of the front side frame 13, which connects the front end and a front portion of the apron reinforcement 12 in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0036] 1 and 2, both left and right sides of the engine room 1 in the vehicle width direction are covered by a front fender panel 17. In addition, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upper part of the engine room 1 is covered by a bonnet 18 which can be opened and closed.

[0037] The bonnet 18 described above includes a bonnet outer panel 19 and a bonnet inner panel 20, and the bonnet outer panel 19 and the bonnet inner panel 20 are integrated together by hemming the peripheral edge of the bonnet outer panel 19.

[0038] When the bonnet 18 is closed, the center of the front end in the vehicle width direction is supported on the vehicle body by a striker and a latch, and both left and right sides of the rear end of the bonnet in the vehicle width direction are supported by bonnet hinges provided on bonnet hinge brackets 21 shown in Figure 1.

[0039] 3, 4 and 7, a cowl panel 23 having a generally hat-shaped cross section is provided on the upper end bent portion 3b of the dash lower panel 3, via a dash upper panel 22. A cowl closed cross section 24 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the cowl panel 23 and the dash upper panel 22, so as to improve the rigidity of the cowl portion.

[0040] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the front windshield 11 is attached via an adhesive 25 to an upper wall portion 23a of the cowl panel 23, which is inclined in a front-low, rear-high shape. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the front wall portion 23b of the cowl panel 23 is provided with a cowl center 26 as a rain gutter member extending from the front wall portion 23b toward the front of the vehicle.

[0041] 2, 3, and 4, in the vehicle front-rear direction, a battery 27 serving as an auxiliary device is provided between the suspension tower portion 14 and the dash lower panel 3. In other words, the positional relationship of these elements 14, 3, and 27 is as follows, from the front of the vehicle: the suspension tower portion 14, the battery 27 serving as an auxiliary device, and the dash lower panel 3. In addition, in Figs. 3 and 4, reference numeral 28 denotes a battery tray that receives the battery 27, and reference numeral 29 denotes a battery stay bracket.

[0042] Next, the cowl grill structure will be described in detail. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, below the front windshield 11 (in this embodiment, below the inclined front windshield 11), a cowl grill 30 is provided which is located at the front of the dash lower panel 3 with respect to the vehicle.

[0043] This cowl grill 30 comprises a member portion 31 which extends in the vehicle width direction below the front windshield 11 and receives water dripping down the front windshield 11, and left and right cover portions 32, 33 which are located in front of the member portion 31 and cover the upper part of the auxiliary equipment.

[0044] Here, the cover part 32 on the left side of the vehicle covers the top of the reservoir tank as an auxiliary device arranged below it, and the cover part 33 on the right side of the vehicle covers the top of the battery 27 as an auxiliary device arranged below it.

[0045] The cowl grill structure of the vehicle in this embodiment is formed substantially symmetrically on the left and right sides, but the following description will focus on the structure related to the cover portion 33 on the right side of the vehicle, i.e., the cowl grill structure on the right side of the vehicle.

[0046] As shown in Figures 4 and 7, the above-mentioned cowl grill 30 comprises the member portion 31, the cover portion 33, a front partition portion 35 and a side partition portion 36 extending downward from the cover portion 33 to separate the engine room 1, which is the space on the engine side, from the battery arrangement space 34, which is the space on the auxiliary equipment side, and a cowl seal 37 extending in the vehicle width direction and contacting the bonnet 18 (more specifically, the bonnet inner panel 20) to seal between the space outside the vehicle and the engine room 1.

[0047] As shown in the enlarged cross-sectional view of Figure 6, the member portion 31 has an upper wall portion 31a extending in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and a front vertical wall portion 31d and a rear vertical wall portion 31e extending downward from the front and rear ends of the upper wall portion 31a via front corner portions 31b and rear corner portions 31c.

[0048] Furthermore, the member portion 31 described above has a front edge portion 31g that is further forward of the intermediate step portion 31f of the upper wall portion 31a in the vehicle, and a rear edge portion 31h that is further rearward of the intermediate step portion 31f in the vehicle. In addition, the above-mentioned member portion 31 includes a flange portion 31i extending from the lower end of the front vertical wall portion 31d toward the front of the vehicle, a mounting seat 31j extending from the intermediate step portion 31f toward the bonnet 18 for mounting the cowl seal 37, and an abutment edge portion 31k extending further rearward from the rear vertical wall portion 31e and abutting against the upper surface of the inclined lower end of the front windshield 11.

[0049] That is, the above-mentioned member portion 31 is formed by integrally forming the elements 31a to 31k from synthetic resin. As shown in FIG. 6, the upper wall portion 31a consisting of the front edge portion 31g and the rear edge portion 31h, and the abutment edge portion 31k are inclined in a front-low-rear-high shape, with the front of the vehicle being lower and the rear of the vehicle being higher, while the front vertical wall portion 31d and the rear vertical wall portion 31e are inclined in a front-high-rear-low shape, with the front of the vehicle being higher and the rear of the vehicle being lower.

[0050] As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, a plurality of outside air introduction holes 38 having a mesh structure are formed in the rear side portion 31h of the upper wall portion 31a. 3 and 4, the cowl seal 37 is disposed at the vehicle front portion of the member portion 31, more specifically, at a mounting seat 31j located at the front portion of the member portion 31. The cover portion 33 is formed of a plate-shaped member, and is provided so as to insulate the space 39 above the cover portion 33 from the battery arrangement space 34, which is the space below the cover portion 33.

[0051] In this way, by providing a cowl seal 37 for sealing between the space outside the vehicle and the engine room 1 in front of the member part 31, the cover part 33 located in front of the member part 31 is configured to be protected from water, thereby suppressing the complexity of the cover part 33. Also, the cover part 33 is configured to insulate the space 39 above the cover part 33 from the battery arrangement space 34 below, thereby protecting the battery 27 as an auxiliary device from heat damage. In other words, the cover part 33 is configured to achieve both the effect of preventing water from entering the battery 27 as an auxiliary device and the effect of preventing heat damage therefrom, without complicating the structure of the cover part 33.

[0052] The cowl seal 37 described above is formed of a weather strip, and as shown in Fig. 7, the end portion in the vehicle width direction of the cowl seal 37 is attached to the apron reinforcement 12 via an end member 40. The end member 40 may be integral with the cowl seal 37 or may be a separate member.

[0053] 1, the end portion in the vehicle width direction of the cowl seal 37 is located near a bonnet hinge (see bonnet hinge bracket 21) that supports the bonnet 18. This allows the cowl seal 37 to improve the supporting rigidity of the bonnet 18.

[0054] In detail, if the cowl seal is positioned far forward of the bonnet hinge, the supporting rigidity of the bonnet 18 provided by the cowl seal decreases and the rear end of the bonnet 18 vibrates when the vehicle is moving. However, by locating the vehicle width direction end of the cowl seal 37 in the vicinity of the bonnet hinge as described above, the supporting rigidity of the bonnet 18 provided by the cowl seal 37 is improved.

[0055] 1, the center portion of the cowl seal 37 in the vehicle width direction is disposed to be located rearward of the center portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of the above-mentioned cover portion 33. This ensures that the bonnet support effect is also achieved in the center portion of the cowl seal 37 in the vehicle width direction.

[0056] In detail, when the cover portion 33 is removed for maintenance, a large opening area for maintenance is required, and at the same time, a large area is also required for the outside air introduction hole 38 formed in the member portion 31. Therefore, by specifying the front-rear position of the vehicle width direction center of the cowl seal 37 as described above, it is possible to secure both the opening area for maintenance and the area of ​​the outside air introduction hole 38, while improving the bonnet support effect at the vehicle width direction center of the cowl seal 37.

[0057] As shown in Figure 5, the above-mentioned cover portion 33 includes an outer edge portion 33a located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, a front edge portion 33b located at the front of the vehicle, a front inclined edge portion 33c extending from the inner end of the front edge portion 33b in the vehicle width direction at an angle inward in the vehicle width direction and toward the rear of the vehicle, an inner edge portion 33d located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a rear edge portion 33e located at the rear of the vehicle.

[0058] The cover portion 33 includes a cover body 33f that is formed continuously with the side portions 33a to 33e and covers the upper part of the battery arrangement space . A flange portion 33h is integrally formed with the front portion of the cover body 33f corresponding to the above-mentioned front edge portion 33b via a skirt portion 33g, and a flange portion 33j is integrally formed with the front portion of the cover body 33f corresponding to the above-mentioned front inclined edge portion 33c via a skirt portion 33i.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the cover body 33f in the above-mentioned cover portion 33 has a non-porous structure in which no holes exist, and the upper surface of the cover body 33f is configured to have a smooth, approximately flat shape. This prevents air in the space above 39 of the cover portion 33 from communicating with the space below the cover portion 33 (battery arrangement space 34) in which the battery 27, an auxiliary device, is located, thereby further enhancing the effect of preventing thermal damage to the battery 27.

[0060] Moreover, the above-mentioned cover portion 33 is made of talc-reinforced resin or fiber-reinforced resin, which improves the heat resistance and heat shielding properties of the cover portion 33 and further enhances the effect of preventing heat damage to the auxiliary battery 27. As the above-mentioned fiber-reinforced resin, GFRP (Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics) is preferable.

[0061] Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the above-mentioned cover portion 33 is located below the vertical position of the mounting seat 31j of the member portion 31 serving as a cowl seal mounting portion for mounting the cowl seal 37.

[0062] As a result, a vertical space is formed between the cowl seal 37 provided on the mounting seat 31j and the cover portion 33, in other words, between the lower surface of the bonnet inner panel 20 of the bonnet 18 and the upper surface of the cover portion 33, which is advantageous for protecting pedestrians. In other words, the cover portion 33 is configured to ensure a heat insulating structure while also protecting pedestrians.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3, a support piece 33k extending rearward from the rear lower surface of the cover body 33f is integrally formed on the rear edge portion 33e of the cover portion 33, and the flange portion 31i of the member portion 31 is sandwiched and supported between this support piece 33k and the rear end portion of the cover body 33f. At the position where the flange portion 31i is sandwiched, a heat insulating seal material 41 is interposed between the lower surface of the rear end portion of the cover body 33f of the cover portion 33 and the upper surface of the flange portion 31i.

[0064] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the front partition 35 extends downward from the flanges 33h, 33j of the cover portion 33 to separate the engine room 1 from the battery arrangement space 34. 4, an upper flange 35a and a lower flange 35b are integrally formed above and below the front partition 35. A heat insulating seal material 42 is interposed between the upper flange 35a of the front partition 35 and the flange portions 33h, 33j of the cover portion 33. As shown in FIG. 4, a heat insulating seal material 43 is also interposed between the lower flange 35b of the front partition portion 35 and the suspension tower portion 14.

[0065] 7 extends downward from the flange portion 33j of the cover portion 33 to separate the engine room 1 from the battery arrangement space 34. A hanging front portion 36a of the side partition portion 36 abuts against the suspension housing 44 via a heat insulating sealant (not shown). Further, the downwardly extending end portion 36b of the side partition portion 36 abuts against the upper portion of the front side frame 13 via a heat insulating seal material (not shown).

[0066] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , there is provided an upper end partition portion 45 that covers the entire underside of the member portion 31 of the cowl grill 30 and extends in the fore-and-aft direction and the vehicle width direction, a rear partition portion 46 that is spaced forward from the dash lower panel 3 and covers the front of the dash lower panel 3, and an upper partition portion 47 that extends in the vehicle width direction and covers the area between the front underside of the above-mentioned upper end partition portion 45 and the front upper surface of the upper end bent portion 46a of the rear partition portion 46.

[0067] The above-mentioned front partition 35, side partition 36 and upper end partition 45 are made of insulators made of polypropylene material containing 30% glass fiber as a reinforcing material, and the above-mentioned rear partition 46 and upper partition 47 are made of insulators made of glass wool.

[0068] In addition to its excellent heat insulation properties, glass wool also has excellent sound absorption properties, so by using glass wool for the rear partition 46 and upper partition 47, the transmission of engine noise into the passenger compartment 2 is suppressed and the sound absorption effect is also ensured.

[0069] In the drawings, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle, arrow OUT indicates the outward direction in the vehicle width direction, and arrow UP indicates the upward direction of the vehicle.

[0070] As described above, the cowl grill structure of the vehicle in the above embodiment comprises a dash panel (dash lower panel 3) located at the lower end of the front windshield 11, extending in the vehicle width direction and dividing the engine room 1 and the passenger compartment 2 in the vehicle front-rear direction, a pair of left and right front side frames 13 extending forward of the vehicle from both ends of the dash panel (dash lower panel 3) in the vehicle width direction, a suspension tower portion 14 fixed to the front side frames 13, protruding upward and supporting an upper portion of a damper of a suspension device, accessories (battery 27) provided between the suspension tower portion 14 and the dash panel (dash lower panel 3) in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a cowl grill 30 located below the front windshield 11 and in front of the dash panel (dash lower panel 3). The cowl grill 30 is configured to be The vehicle is equipped with a member portion 31 extending in the vehicle width direction below the front windshield 11 and receiving water dripping down the front windshield 11, a cover portion 33 located in front of the member portion 31 and covering the upper part of the auxiliary equipment (battery 27), partition portions (front partition portion 35, side partition portion 36) extending downward from the cover portion 33 and separating the space on the engine side (engine room 1) from the space on the auxiliary equipment (battery 27) side (battery arrangement space 34), and a cowl seal 37 extending in the vehicle width direction, contacting the bonnet 18, and sealing between the space outside the vehicle and the engine room 1, the cowl seal 37 being located in front of the member portion 31, and the cover portion 33 being made of a plate-shaped member and provided to provide thermal insulation between the space above the cover portion 33 (upper space 39) and the space below the cover portion 33 (battery arrangement space 34) (see Figures 1, 3 and 4).

[0071] According to this configuration, the cowl seal 37 that seals between the space outside the vehicle and the engine room 1 is disposed in front of the member part 31, so that the cover part 33 located in front of the member part 31 is not exposed to water. Since the cover part 33 is not exposed to water, it is possible to suppress the cover part 33 from becoming complicated.

[0072] Furthermore, the cover portion 33 insulates the space above the cover portion 33 (upper space 39) from the space below the cover portion 33, thereby protecting the auxiliary machinery (battery 27) from heat damage. In short, it is possible to achieve both the effect of preventing the auxiliary machinery (battery 27) from being wetted and the effect of preventing heat damage, without complicating the structure of the cover portion 33.

[0073] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion 33 is formed to have a non-porous structure (see Figs. 3, 4 and 5). According to this configuration, since the cover portion 33 has a non-porous structure, the air in the upper space 39 of the cover portion 33 is prevented from communicating with the lower space (battery arrangement space 34) of the cover portion 33 in which the auxiliary equipment (battery 27) is located, thereby achieving further prevention of thermal damage to the auxiliary equipment (battery 27).

[0074] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion 33 is made of talc reinforced resin or fiber reinforced resin (see Figs. 3 and 4). According to this configuration, the heat resistance and heat insulation of the cover portion 33 can be improved, and the auxiliary machinery (battery 27) can be further effectively prevented from being damaged by heat.

[0075] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the end portion in the vehicle width direction of the cowl seal 37 is located near a bonnet hinge (see bonnet hinge bracket 21) that supports the bonnet 18 (see FIG. 1). According to this configuration, the cowl seal 37 can improve the bonnet supporting rigidity.

[0076] In detail, when bonnet 18 is closed, it is supported by the vehicle body at three points: a striker in the center of the front end in the vehicle width direction and hinges on both the left and right sides of the rear end in the vehicle width direction, and when bonnet 18 is closed, the rear end of bonnet 18 is supported by cowl seal 37.

[0077] Therefore, if the cowl seal were positioned significantly forward of the bonnet hinge position, the support rigidity of the cowl seal for the bonnet 18 would decrease, causing the rear end of the bonnet 18 to shake when the vehicle is traveling.

[0078] In conventional structures, the bonnet itself has been excessively reinforced with reinforcements and the like in order to suppress floating and shaking of the bonnet. However, in this embodiment, by specifying the position of the cowl seal 37, it is possible to improve the supporting rigidity of the bonnet 18 without the need for excessive reinforcement of the bonnet 18.

[0079] Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle width direction central portion of the cowl seal 37 is located rearward of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction central portion of the cover portion 33 (see FIG. 1). According to this configuration, the bonnet support effect can be improved by the central portion of the cowl seal 37 in the vehicle width direction.

[0080] In detail, there is a demand to secure a large opening area for maintenance when the above-mentioned cover portion 33 is removed to perform maintenance on the auxiliary equipment, and there is also a demand to secure a large area for the outside air introduction hole 38 formed in the member portion 31 of the cowl grill 30.

[0081] Therefore, by specifying the front and rear positions of the vehicle width direction central part of the cowl seal 37 as described above, it is possible to ensure both the opening area for maintenance and the area of ​​the outside air introduction hole 38, while also improving the bonnet support effect of the vehicle width direction central part of the cowl seal 37.

[0082] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the cover portion 33 is located below the vertical position of the cowl seal mounting portion (mounting seat 31j of the member portion 31) to which the cowl seal 37 is attached (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0083] According to this configuration, a vertical space is formed between the cowl seal 37 provided at the cowl seal mounting portion (mounting seat 31j) and the cover portion 33, in other words, between the underside of the bonnet 18 and the cover portion 33, which is advantageous for protecting pedestrians. In short, it is possible to achieve both the heat shielding structure provided by the cover portion 33 and pedestrian protection.

[0084] In the configuration of the present invention and the above-mentioned embodiment, The engine side space of the present invention corresponds to the engine room 1 of the embodiment. Similarly, The bonnet hinge is compatible with the bonnet hinge bracket 21. The auxiliary equipment corresponds to battery 27, The cowl seal mounting portion corresponds to the mounting seat 31j of the member portion 31. The side portion corresponds to the abutting side portion 31k, The space on the auxiliary equipment side and the space below the cover correspond to the battery arrangement space 34. The partitions correspond to a front partition 35 and a side partition 36. The space above the cover corresponds to the upper space 39. The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-mentioned embodiments, but may be practiced in many different ways. [Industrial Applicability]

[0085] As described above, the present invention is useful for a cowl grill structure for a vehicle including a dash panel located at the lower end of the front windshield, extending in the vehicle width direction and separating an engine room and a passenger compartment in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, a pair of left and right front side frames extending forward of the vehicle from both ends of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction, a suspension tower section fixed to the front side frames, protruding upward and supporting an upper part of a damper of a suspension device, accessories provided between the suspension tower section and the dash panel in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, and a cowl grill structure located below the front windshield and forward of the dash panel. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1. Engine room (space on the engine side) 2…Vehicle compartment 3...Dash lower panel (dash panel) 11…Front windshield 13…Front side frame 14…Suspension tower section 18…Bonnet 21...Hood hinge bracket (Hood hinge) 27…Battery (auxiliary equipment) 30…Cowl grill 31…Members section 31a...Top wall part 31e…Rear vertical wall 31f...Intermediate step 31j...Mounting seat (cowl seal mounting part) 31k…Abutting side (side) 33…Cover part 34...Battery arrangement space (space on the auxiliary equipment side, space below the cover) 35…Front partition (partition) 36...Side partition (partition) 37…Cowl seal 39...Upper space (space above the cover) 42...Heat-shielding sealant

Claims

1. a dash panel that is located at a lower end of the front windshield and extends in a vehicle width direction to separate an engine room and a passenger compartment in a vehicle front-rear direction; a pair of left and right front side frames extending forward from both ends of the dash panel in a vehicle width direction; a suspension tower portion fixed to the front side frame, protruding upward, and supporting an upper portion of a damper of a suspension device; Auxiliaries provided between the suspension tower portion and the dash panel in the vehicle front-rear direction; a cowl grill located below the front windshield and in front of the dash panel, The cowl grille shown above is a member portion extending in a vehicle width direction below the front windshield and configured to receive water dripping down the front windshield; a cover portion located in front of the member portion and covering an upper portion of the auxiliary machinery; a partition portion extending downward from the cover portion and separating a space on the engine side from a space on the auxiliary machinery side; a cowl seal extending in a vehicle width direction and contacting the bonnet to seal between an exterior space of the vehicle and an engine compartment; the member portion includes an upper wall portion extending in a vehicle width direction and a vehicle front-rear direction and inclining upward from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle, a rear vertical wall portion extending downward from a rear end of the upper wall portion, and a side portion extending upward and rearward from the rear vertical wall portion, The cowl seal is located at the front of the member portion, a cowl seal attachment portion extending from a front portion of the upper wall portion toward the bonnet side, a rear end of the upper wall portion is located at a position higher than the cowl seal attached to the cowl seal attachment portion, The upper wall portion is configured to be continuously inclined upward from the front end to the rear end, The member portion is integrally formed with the cowl seal mounting portion, The cover portion is made of a plate-like member and is provided to insulate a space above the cover portion from a space below the cover portion. Vehicle cowl grill structure.

2. The cover portion is formed in a non-porous structure. The vehicle cowl grill structure according to claim 1.

3. The cover portion is made of talc-reinforced resin or fiber-reinforced resin.

3. A cowl grill structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The end of the cowl seal in the vehicle width direction is located near a bonnet hinge that supports the bonnet. The vehicle cowl grill structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The vehicle width direction center portion of the cowl seal is located rearward of the vehicle with respect to the vehicle front-rear direction center portion of the cover portion.

5. A vehicle cowl grill structure according to claim 1.

6. The cover portion is located below a vertical position of a cowl seal mounting portion to which the cowl seal is mounted.

6. A vehicle cowl grill structure according to claim 1.

7. The cover portion is disposed below the cowl seal, A heat insulating seal material is interposed between the partition and the cover. The vehicle cowl grill structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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