Vehicle structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle structure having a stay member attached to a vehicle body so as to be turnable and a holder member capable of easily holding the stay member.SOLUTION: A vehicle structure includes a stay member and a holder member. The stay member includes a tip part, a base end part, and an intermediate part. The base end part is attached to a vehicle such that the tip part draws a circular arc trajectory. The holder member includes a groove part into which the intermediate part is fit in a state where the stay member is turned toward the holder member. The groove part has a first portion on an opening part side in a depth direction, and a second portion on a bottom part side relative to the first portion. A width of the first portion increases from a center of the groove part in an extension direction as it goes toward the base end part of the stay member. A minimum width of the first portion is narrower than a width of the intermediate part, and a width of the second portion is equal to or larger than the width of the intermediate part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle structure including a stay member and a holder member. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a rod holder that holds a support rod for a rear shelf of a vehicle. The support rod is a type of stay member that maintains the position of some component in that it fixes the rear shelf to a predetermined position on the vehicle body. The rod holder includes a groove-shaped guide portion that opens upward and a clip portion formed below the guide portion. The guide portion gradually narrows toward the clip portion. The clip portion is wider than the lower portion of the guide portion. With this configuration, the support rod lowered from above the rod holder is easily guided to the clip portion via the guide portion. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 6-25612 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the configuration of Patent Document 1, depending on the width of the support rod, it may be difficult to push the support rod into the rod holder.

[0005] A vehicle may have a rod-shaped stay member that is rotatably attached to the vehicle. An example of such a stay member is a hood support rod that supports an engine hood. Such a stay member is normally held by a holder member and is removed from the holder member as needed. Since frequently used stay members are frequently attached to and detached from the holder member, it is desirable for them to be easily held by the holder member.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure including a stay member rotatably attached to a vehicle body and a holder member that can easily hold the stay member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a rod-shaped stay member rotatably attached to the vehicle; a holder member of an elastic body arranged within a rotation range of the stay member of the vehicle, The stay member has a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, and an intermediate portion, the base end portion is attached to the vehicle so that the tip end portion follows an arcuate trajectory, the holder member includes a groove portion into which the intermediate portion is fitted when the stay member is rotated toward the holder member, the groove portion includes a first portion on an opening side in a depth direction and a second portion on a bottom side of the first portion, the width of the first portion increases from the center in the extension direction of the groove toward the base end portion of the stay member, the minimum width of the first portion is smaller than the width of the intermediate portion; The width of the second portion is equal to or greater than the width of the intermediate portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In the above vehicle structure, the width of a first portion of the groove of the holder member on the opening side increases toward the base end of the stay member. That is, of both ends of the first portion in the extension direction, the first end portion located on the base end side of the stay member is wider. The first end portion is the portion that first contacts the middle portion of the stay member when the stay member is tilted toward the holder member. The wider first end portion makes it easier to push the stay member into the groove of the holder member. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a truck bed according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of a stay member and a holder member provided in the vehicle structure 1 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a holder member according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. 2. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vehicle structure according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the terms front, rear, left and right correspond to the front, rear, left and right of the vehicle.

[0011] <Embodiment 1> The vehicle 100 illustrated in the first embodiment is a truck. Fig. 1 shows only the side walls of the loading platform 9 when the vehicle 100 is viewed diagonally from the rear. The loading platform 9 in this example has a left side wall 91, a right side wall 92, and two rear doors 9L and 9R. The left rear door 9L is rotatably attached to the left side wall 91 via a hinge 95. The right rear door 9R is rotatably attached to the right side wall 92 via a hinge 96.

[0012] Each of the two rear doors 9L, 9R is provided with a vehicle structure 1 including a stay member 2 and a holder member 3. The two vehicle structures 1 have the same configuration. In the following explanation, the vehicle structure 1 provided on the rear door 9L will be explained. The stay member 2 is a member for maintaining the rear door 9L in an open state. The detailed function of the stay member 2 will be described later. The holder member 3 is a member for holding the stay member 2 on the rear door 9L when the stay member 2 is not in use. Each component of the vehicle structure 1 will be explained in detail below.

[0013] <Stay member> The stay member 2 is a rod-shaped member rotatably attached to the rear door 9L of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the stay member 2 in this example is a long, thin plate-shaped member. The stay member 2 has a tip portion 20, a base portion 29, and an intermediate portion 25. The tip portion 20 constitutes one end of the stay member 2 in the extension direction. The tip portion 20 in this example is substantially T-shaped and protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the stay member 2.

[0014] The intermediate portion 25 is a straight plate-like piece that connects the distal end portion 20 and the proximal end portion 29, and is also the portion that is fitted into the holder member 3, which will be described later.

[0015] The base end portion 29 constitutes the end portion of the stay member 2 opposite to the tip end portion 20. In this example, the base end portion 29 is formed in an annular shape. More specifically, the base end portion 29 is composed of two branch portions 29L, 29R that branch off from the end portion of the intermediate portion 25, and a connecting portion 29C that connects the ends of the branch portions 29L, 29R. The connecting portion 29C extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the intermediate portion 25.

[0016] The base end 29 is attached to the rear door 9L so that the tip end 20 describes an arcuate trajectory generally in the thickness direction of the page in FIG. 2 . Specifically, the base end 29 is attached to the rear door 9L by a plate-shaped fixing member 5. The fixing member 5 includes a curved portion 50 and two flat portions 51 and 52 that sandwich the curved portion 50. The flat portions 51 and 52 are fixed to the rear door 9L by screws 53 and 54. As shown in FIG. 4 , the curved portion 50 is curved in a semicircular arc when the fixing member 5 is viewed from the side. A connecting portion 29C of the base end 29 is disposed in a space surrounded by the surface of the rear door 9L and the curved portion 50. Therefore, the tip end 20 can rotate about the axis of the connecting portion 29C so as to describe an arcuate trajectory.

[0017] The stay member 2 is made of a highly rigid material. In this example, the stay member 2 is made of a metal such as an aluminum alloy. Unlike this example, at least a portion of the stay member 2 may be provided with a resin coating. For example, a resin coating may be formed on at least one of the tip portion 20 and the middle portion 25.

[0018] The stay member 2 in this example is used to keep the rear door 9L in an open state. A usage mode of the stay member 2 will be explained. When the rear door 9L is opened, the stay member 2 is removed from the holder member 3. The rear door 9L is rotated until it is close to the left side wall 91, and the tip end 20 of the stay member 2 is hooked onto the locking portion 99. The locking portion 99 is fixed to the outer peripheral surface of the left side wall 91. The tip end 20 of the stay member 2 engages with the locking portion 99, thereby keeping the rear door 9L in an open state.

[0019] <Holder parts> The holder member 3 is fixed on the surface of the rear door 9L within the rotation range of the stay member 2. The holder member 3 is an elastic member that holds the stay member 2 when the stay member 2 is not in use. In this example, the holder member 3 is arranged lower in the vehicle than the base end portion 29 of the stay member 2, and the stay member 2 is fixed to the holder member 3 by rotating the stay member 2 from above the vehicle toward the holder member 3. Unlike this example, the holder member 3 may be arranged higher in the vehicle than the stay member 2. In the following description, the rear door 9L side of the holder member 3 is referred to as the bottom side, and the side opposite the rear door 9L is referred to as the opening side.

[0020] The overall shape of the holder member 3 is a substantially cylindrical shape having a groove portion 4. More specifically, the holder member 3 includes a disk-shaped base portion 30 and two wall portions 31, 32. The groove portion 4 is formed between the two wall portions 31, 32. Protruding portions 311, 321 are provided on the inner circumferential surfaces of the tip ends of the wall portions 31, 32. The inner circumferential surface of the wall portion 31 is the surface facing the wall portion 32. The inner circumferential surface of the wall portion 32 is the surface facing the wall portion 31. When the holder member 3 is viewed from above, the protruding portions 311, 321 have an arc shape that convex toward the center of the holder member 3. In other words, when the holder member 3 is viewed from above, the protruding portions 311 and 321 have arc shapes that are symmetrical across the central axis of the groove portion 4.

[0021] The holder member 3 is made of, for example, natural rubber or synthetic rubber. In this example, the holder member 3 is made of ethylene propylene diene rubber. The holder member 3 in this example further includes a collar 35 that receives pressure from a screw 36 that secures the holder member 3 to the rear door 9L. The collar 35 is a cylindrical member that includes an annular flange at the end of the cylinder. The collar 35 is made of a rigid body such as metal or hard plastic. In this example, the material of the collar 35 is free-cutting steel.

[0022] The intermediate portion 25 of the stay member 2 is fitted into the groove portion 4 formed between the two wall portions 31, 32 when the stay member 2 is rotated toward the holder member 3. In other words, the groove portion 4 is a groove extending in a direction along the extension direction of the intermediate portion 25 of the stay member 2.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 5, the groove portion 4 is divided into a first portion 41 and a second portion 42. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the holder member 3 taken along a cross section including the center of the extension direction of the groove portion 4 and perpendicular to the extension direction. The first portion 41 is a portion of the groove portion 4 that is sandwiched between the two protruding portions 311, 321. In other words, the first portion 41 is a portion of the groove portion 4 that is closer to the opening in the depth direction. The second portion 42 is a portion of the groove portion 4 that is sandwiched between the inner circumferential surfaces of the wall portion 31 and the wall portion 32. In other words, the second portion 42 is a portion that is closer to the bottom than the first portion 41.

[0024] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , the first portion 41 is sandwiched between the arc-shaped protrusions 311 and 321 facing each other. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the width of the first portion 41 increases from the center of the groove 4 in the extension direction toward the first and second ends. The first end is the end toward the base end 29 of the stay member 2, i.e., the upward direction in the drawing. The second end is the end toward the tip end 20 of the stay member 2, i.e., the end opposite the first end. The holder member 3 in this example has a shape symmetrical above and below the center of the extension direction of the groove 4. Therefore, it does not matter whether one end or the other end of the groove 4 is attached facing upward toward the vehicle. In other words, the holder member 3 can be attached regardless of the up or down orientation of the extension direction of the groove 4. Unlike this example, the width of the first portion 41 may be constant from the center to the second end.

[0025] 5, the width of the first portion 41 in this example gradually narrows in the depth direction of the groove portion 4. That is, the width of the first portion 41 is wider on the opening side and narrower on the bottom side. With this configuration, it is easy to fit the stay member 2 into the groove portion 4.

[0026] The width of the first portion 41 having the above-described shape is smallest at the center of the groove 4 in the extension direction and at the deepest part in the depth direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the minimum width D1 of the first portion 41 is smaller than the width W of the intermediate portion 25 of the stay member 2. On the other hand, the maximum width D12 of the first portion 41 at the deepest part in the depth direction of the first portion 41 may be larger, smaller, or the same as the width W of the intermediate portion 25. The maximum width D12 affects the ease of attaching the stay member 2 to the groove 4, so it is preferably equal to or larger than the width W. In this example, the maximum width D12 is larger than the width W.

[0027] The width of the second portion 42 increases from the center in the extension direction of the groove portion 4 toward the first end and the second end. As shown in FIG. 5, the width of the second portion 42 is uniform in the depth direction of the second portion 42. Therefore, the minimum width D2 of the second portion 42 is the width of the second portion 42 at the center in the extension direction of the groove portion 4. This width D2 is equal to or greater than the width W (FIG. 2) of the intermediate portion 25. In this example, the width D2 is the same as the width W. Unlike this example, if the width D2 is less than the width W, the intermediate portion 25 will press the two wall portions 31, 32 in directions away from each other, which could cause the first portion 41 of the groove portion 4 to open.

[0028] The dimensions of the groove 4 described above satisfy the following relationship. The minimum width D1 of the first portion 41 < the width W of the intermediate portion 25 ≦ the minimum width D2 of the second portion 42 By having the dimensions of each part satisfy the above inequality relationship, when the stay member 2 is tilted and pushed into the holder member 3, the stay member 2 can be easily pushed into the groove portion 4 of the holder member 3. This is because the side of the groove portion 4 onto which the stay member 2 falls is wider. Furthermore, once the stay member 2 is pushed into the second portion 42 of the groove portion 4, the stay member 2 will not come off the holder member 3 due to vibrations of the vehicle 100. This is because the minimum width D1 of the first portion 41 is narrower than the width of the middle portion 25 of the stay member 2, and therefore the middle portion 25 gets caught on the step between the first portion 41 and the second portion 42.

[0029] Here, if the thickness of the stay member 2 is thin, rattle may occur between the second portion 42 of the groove portion 4 and the stay member 2. In this case, due to vibration of the vehicle 100, etc., the intermediate portion 25 of the stay member 2 and the curved portion 50 of the fixing member 5 (see FIG. 4 ) may intermittently come into contact, easily generating abnormal noise. To solve this problem, the holder member 3 of this example further includes protrusions 33 and 34 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The protrusion 33 is provided at a first end of the bottom surface of the groove portion 4. The protrusion 34 is provided at a second end of the bottom surface of the groove portion 4. The protrusions 33 and 34 are plate-shaped members that protrude upward from the base portion 30 of the holder member 3. The protrusions 33 and 34 are formed integrally with the holder member 3 and are made of an elastic body. When the intermediate portion 25 of the stay member 2 is placed in the second portion 42 of the groove portion 4, the protrusions 33 and 34 elastically deform and press the intermediate portion 25 upward. The intermediate portion 25 is sandwiched between the protrusions 33, 34 and the undersides of the overhanging portions 311, 321. As a result, vibration of the stay member 2 is suppressed, and the generation of the above-mentioned abnormal noise is suppressed. In consideration of the role of the protrusions 33, 34, it is preferable that the distance between the tip of the protrusions 33, 34 and the undersides of the overhanging portions 311, 321 is equal to or less than the thickness of the intermediate portion 25.

[0030] Unlike this example, the holder member 3 may include only one of the protrusions 33 and 34.

[0031] <Other embodiments> The vehicle 100 equipped with the vehicle structure 1 is not limited to a truck. The vehicle 100 may be a bus or a passenger car.

[0032] The stay member 2 constituting the vehicle structure 1 is not limited to a configuration that maintains a door in an open state. For example, the stay member 2 may be a hood support rod that maintains an engine hood in an open state.

[0033] The tip end portion 20 of the stay member 2 may be attached to the vehicle 100 so as to trace an orbit along a part of a spherical surface. In this case, the base end portion 29 is rotatably attached to the vehicle 100 by a universal joint such as a ball and socket. The cross-sectional shape of the middle portion 25 of the stay member 2 may be circular, for example. The width of the middle portion 25 having a circular cross-sectional shape is the same as the diameter of the circle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1 Vehicle structure 2 Stay member 20 tip, 25 middle, 29 proximal 29C connecting section, 29L, 29R branch section W width 3 Holder member 30 Base 31,32 wall, 311,321 overhang 33,34 Protrusion 35 Color 36 screws 4 Groove 41 First part, D1 minimum width, D12 maximum width 42 Second part, D2 minimum width 5 Fixing member 50 curved surface portion, 51, 52 flat surface portion, 53, 54 screw 9 Cargo bed 9L, 9R rear door 91 Left side wall, 92 Right side wall, 95,96 Hinge, 99 Locking part 100 vehicles

Claims

[Claim 1] a rod-shaped stay member rotatably attached to the vehicle; a holder member of an elastic body arranged within a rotation range of the stay member of the vehicle, the stay member is a plate-like member having a distal end portion, a proximal end portion, and an intermediate portion, the base end portion is attached to the vehicle so that the tip end portion follows an arcuate trajectory, the holder member includes two wall portions and a groove portion formed between the two wall portions and into which the intermediate portion is fitted when the stay member is rotated toward the holder member, an arc-shaped protrusion that is convex toward the central axis of the groove when the holder member is viewed from the front is provided on an inner peripheral surface of each of the two wall portions at a tip end thereof, the groove portion includes a first portion on an opening side in a depth direction and a second portion on a bottom side of the first portion, the first portion is a portion sandwiched between the two arc-shaped protruding portions facing each other, the width of the first portion increases from the center in the extension direction of the groove toward the base end portion and the tip end portion of the stay member, the minimum width of the first portion is smaller than the width of the intermediate portion; The vehicle structure, wherein the width of the second portion is equal to or greater than the width of the intermediate portion.

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