Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To improve an impact absorption structure of a vehicle front structure with a grille seal.SOLUTION: A grille seal 32 is arranged between a front grille 14 and a bumper reinforcement 28. The grille seal 32 includes: a body front plate 38 which is arranged along the front grille; and a body front plate 40 which extends backward from an upper edge of the body front plate 38 and is positioned to cover the upper part of the bumper reinforcement 28. A space is formed between the body front plate 38 and a front surface of the bumper reinforcement 28. In the body front plate 40, a front edge 40a joined to an upper edge of the body front plate 38 is positioned to be lower than a front surface upper edge 28a of the bumper reinforcement 28 and is inclined so that a rear side becomes higher. In a head-on collision, the body upper plate 40 rotates so that a rear edge is lifted while retreating, thereby avoiding contact with a cleaning unit 22 of the grille seal 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the front structure of a vehicle, and particularly to an impact absorption structure around a front grille and a bumper in reinforcement.

Background Art

[0002] During a collision, impact absorption at the front of the vehicle is mainly borne by a bumper in reinforcement arranged to extend in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the vehicle and a front side member extending in the longitudinal direction on the left and right of the front of the vehicle when the collision object is a heavy object such as a vehicle. For a relatively lightweight object such as a pedestrian, the structure in front of the bumper in reinforcement is responsible.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 shows a bumper in reinforcement (14), a bumper cover (16) covering the bumper in reinforcement (14) from the front, and an absorber (30) made of foamed resin disposed therebetween. Further, the following Patent Document 2 shows a bumper in reinforcement (40), a bumper cover (21) and a bumper grille (23), and a bumper absorber (30) disposed therebetween. Furthermore, a filler (22) is disposed between the bumper cover (21) and the bumper grille (23) and the bumper absorber (30). Note that the reference numerals in the above ( ) are the reference numerals used in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2, and are not related to the reference numerals used in the description of the embodiments of the present application.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In vehicles with a large front grille design, the internal structure of the front of the vehicle may be visible from the front or diagonally above through the grille. To conceal this internal structure, such as the bumper reinforcement, a grille seal may be placed on the rear of the front grille. There is room for improvement in impact absorption during collisions with respect to this front vehicle structure, including the grille seal. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle front structure according to the present invention comprises a vehicle front grille, a bumper reinforcement located behind the front grille, and a grille seal fixed to the rear surface of the front grille and covering the bumper reinforcement. The grille seal includes a main front plate positioned along the front grille and a main upper plate extending rearward from the upper edge of the main front plate and positioned to cover the upper part of the bumper reinforcement. The main front plate is positioned such that a space is formed between it and the front surface of the bumper reinforcement. The main upper plate has a front edge that joins with the upper edge of the main front plate, which is lower than the front upper edge of the bumper reinforcement, and is inclined so that the rear is higher.

[0007] The front edge of the main body's top plate is lower than the front upper edge of the bump reinforcement, and it is sloped so that the rear is higher. As a result, during a frontal collision, the top plate rotates so that its rear edge lifts up as the grill seal retracts. This rotation of the top plate prevents the grill seal from reaching components located behind the bump reinforcement, such as the cooling unit.

[0008] In the above-described front vehicle structure, the grille seal may include a mounting base to which equipment is attached. The mounting base is provided so as to protrude upward from the main body top plate. The mounting base includes a mounting base front plate and a pair of mounting base side plates that extend rearward from the left and right side edges of the mounting base front plate and join with the main body top plate. Furthermore, a fragile structure such as an elongated hole is provided at or near the boundary between the main body front plate and the mounting base front plate. The central part in the left-right direction where the mounting base is provided facilitates bending of the grille seal.

[0009] In the above-described front vehicle structure, the mounting base side plate may be provided with a weakened structure extending along the front edge near the front edge that joins to the mounting base front plate. This facilitates bending of the mounting base side plate.

[0010] In the above-described front vehicle structure, the main front plate of the grill seal may have front fixing pieces on both the left and right edges that extend upward above the front edge of the main upper plate and are fixed to the front grille. Furthermore, the main upper plate may have side edge support pieces that extend upward from both the left and right edges and are joined to the front fixing pieces at their front edges. The joint between the front fixing piece and the side edge support piece may form a ridge. This ridge serves as the starting point for bending, facilitating deformation of the grill seal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] During a frontal collision, the upper plate of the grille seal rotates so that its rear edge lifts, creating distance between the grille seal and rear components such as the cooling unit, thereby suppressing damage to the rear components. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a side view of the front of the vehicle. [Figure 2] This is a side cross-sectional view showing the configuration around the front grille and bumper reinforcement. [Figure 3] This is a front perspective view of the grille seal. [Figure 4] This is a rearward perspective view of the grille seal. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the deformation of the grille seal during a frontal collision, and depicts the state before the collision. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the deformation of the grille seal during a frontal collision, specifically the initial state of the collision. [Figure 7] This diagram shows the deformation of the grille seal during a frontal collision, specifically the state of the grille seal at the point when it comes into contact with the bumper reinforcement assembly. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms expressing relative positions and orientations such as front, back, left, right, up, down, high, and low refer to relative positions and orientations with respect to the vehicle. In each figure, the direction of arrow FR is forward, the direction of arrow UP is upward, and the direction of arrow LH is left.

[0014] Figure 1 is a side view of the front of the vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 has a front structure 12 in front of the passenger compartment, and the front structure 12 defines an engine compartment that houses the prime mover, such as the engine that drives the vehicle. At the front end of the front structure 12, in the center in the left-right direction of the vehicle, there is an opening where a front grille 14 is located to introduce outside air into the engine compartment.

[0015] Figure 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the front end of the front structure 12. The front grille 14 includes horizontal grille bars 16 and vertical grille bars (not shown) arranged in a grid pattern, and outside air is introduced into the engine compartment through the gaps between the vertical and horizontal grille bars. The front grille 14 is not limited to having grille bars arranged vertically and horizontally, but may have only vertical or horizontal arrangements, or a honeycomb or other shape.

[0016] Behind the front grille 14, a cooling unit 22 is arranged, which combines a radiator 18 for cooling the engine coolant and a condenser 20 for liquefying the refrigerant of the air conditioning device mounted on the vehicle 10. The cooling unit 22 further includes a cooling fan unit 24 that generates an air flow passing through the radiator 18 and the condenser 20.

[0017] Behind the front grille 14 and in front of the cooling unit 22, a bumper in hose reinforcement assembly 26 is arranged. The bumper in hose reinforcement assembly 26 includes a bumper in hose reinforcement 28 that extends in the left - right direction and is fixed to the front ends of the left and right front side members (not shown) at its left and right ends, and a bumper absorber 30 fixed to the front surface of the bumper in hose reinforcement 28. The bumper in hose reinforcement 28 is made of metal, particularly steel plate, and is produced by bending a steel plate so that, for example, its cross - section has a shape in which a plurality of crank shapes are arranged in series. The bumper absorber 30 may be made of foamed resin and is a shock - absorbing member that deforms and absorbs shock by being crushed during a collision.

[0018] A grille seal 32 is arranged between the front grille 14 and the bumper in hose reinforcement assembly 26. When looking at the front structure 12 from the front or from the front - diagonal - upper direction, the internal structure of the front structure 12 may be visible through the front grille 14. The grille seal 32 covers and hides the bumper in hose reinforcement assembly 26, which is this internal structure, so that it is not conspicuous when seen through the front grille 14, improving the appearance of the vehicle 10. The grille seal 32 may be made of synthetic resin and may be produced particularly by integral molding.

[0019] Figs. 3 and 4 are schematic perspective views showing the grill seal 32 alone, with Fig. 3 being a perspective view from the front and Fig. 4 being a perspective view from the rear. The grill seal 32 is arranged to extend in the left - right direction along the bumper in - hose grommet assembly 26 and includes a grill seal body 34 that covers the bumper in - hose grommet assembly 26, and a mounting base 36 provided to project upward from the grill seal body 34. The mounting base 36 serves as a base for mounting other devices. The devices to be mounted are, for example, front monitoring devices such as millimeter - wave radars, especially their transmit - receivers.

[0020] The grill seal body 34 includes a main body front plate 38 arranged along the rear surface of the front grill 14, a main body upper plate 40 extending rearward from the upper edge of the main body front plate 38, and a main body lower plate 42 extending rearward from the lower edge of the main body front plate 38. The main body front plate 38 is located in front of the bumper in - hose grommet assembly 26 and is positioned so that a space 44 (see Fig. 2) where no other components exist is formed between the main body front plate 38 and the bumper in - hose grommet assembly 26. The main body upper plate 40 is arranged on the left and right sides of the mounting base 36, and the respective rear ends cover the bumper in - hose grommet assembly 26 from above. The main body front plate 38 has grill seal fixing portions 46 at its left and right edges for fixing the grill seal 32 to the rear surface of the front grill 14. At the upper end of the grill seal fixing portion 46, a front fixing piece 48 having a through - hole through which a bolt or clip for fixing the grill seal 32 passes is provided. The grill seal fixing portion 46 extends above the upper edge of the main body front plate 38, and the front fixing piece 48 is provided at a position higher than the upper edge of the main body front plate 38. The rear end of the main body lower plate 42 does not reach the bumper in - hose grommet assembly 26. By providing the main body lower plate 42, the rigidity of the main body front plate 38, especially the rigidity of the lower edge portion, can be increased.

[0021] The mounting base 36 is provided above the grill seal body 34 so as to protrude from the grill seal body, and as a result, the grill seal 32 has a roughly convex outer shape when viewed from the front. The mounting base 36 includes a mounting base front plate 50 facing forward and mounting base side plates 52 extending rearward from the left and right side edges of the mounting base front plate 50. When viewed from above, the mounting base 36 has a U-shape that opens to the rear, and equipment such as a millimeter-wave radar transceiver is arranged and fixed inside the U-shape.

[0022] The mounting base front plate 50 is positioned at approximately the same location as the main body front plate 38 in the front-to-back direction. An opening 54 is formed in the center of the mounting base front plate 50, particularly in the center and slightly above in the left-to-right direction, and radio waves for forward monitoring, such as millimeter-wave radar, are transmitted and received through the opening 54. The mounting base side plate 52 has its front edge joined to the mounting base front plate 50 and its lower edge joined to the main body upper plate 40, extending rearward to the same position as the rear edge of the main body upper plate 40. The mounting base side plate 52 supports the mounting base front plate 50 from the rear.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the main body top plate 40 is inclined so that the front is lower, and its front edge 40a is positioned lower than the front upper edge 28a of the bump reinforcement 28. The main body top plate 40 extends rearward and diagonally upward from its front edge 40a, and its rear edge reaches above the bump reinforcement assembly 26. The inclination of the main body top plate 40 is, for example, 20° with respect to the horizontal. The upper surface 30a of the bumper absorber 30 is inclined to be parallel to the main body top plate 40, and the height of the rear edge of the upper surface 30a is aligned with the height of the front upper edge 28a of the bump reinforcement 28. The main body top plate 40 may be separated from or in contact with the upper surface 30a of the bumper absorber 30. Furthermore, the upper surface 30a of the bumper absorber 30 may be horizontal, in which case the upper surface 30a may be positioned lower than the front upper edge 28a of the bumper reinforcement 28, and may be in contact with the main body upper plate 40 at a position lower than the front upper edge 28a.

[0024] A fragile structure extending in the left-right direction is provided at or near the boundary between the main body front plate 38 and the mounting base front plate 50. In this grill seal 32, the fragile structure is an elongated hole 56 extending along the left-right direction. The elongated hole 56 is formed as two separate holes on the left and right, but it may also be a single continuous hole, or three or more elongated holes may be arranged along the left-right direction. The elongated hole 56 may also be positioned higher than the front edge 40a of the main body upper plate 40. The form of the fragile structure is not limited to the elongated hole shape, but may also be a groove shape extending along the left-right direction, similar to the elongated hole 56. This groove may have a triangular cross-sectional shape. The bottom portion of the groove becomes thinner and becomes a fragile part.

[0025] A fragile structure extending vertically is provided near the front edge of the mounting base side plate 52. The fragile structure is a notched groove 58 formed on the outer surface of the mounting base side plate 52, that is, on the U-shaped surface of the mounting base 36 facing outwards. The notched groove 58 may have a triangular cross-sectional shape. The bottom portion of the notched groove 58 becomes thinner and is a fragile part. Furthermore, the form of the fragile structure is not limited to a groove shape, but may also be one or more elongated holes extending vertically.

[0026] The left and right edges of the main body top plate 40 have side edge support pieces 60 that extend upward from each of the left and right edges. The side edge support pieces 60 are joined to the front fixing piece 48 at their front edge 60a and support the front fixing piece 48. A ridge line 62 is formed at the boundary between the front fixing piece 48 and the side edge support piece 60.

[0027] Figures 5-7 schematically show the deformation of the grill seal 32 during a frontal collision (collision from the direction of arrow C). Figures 5-7, (a) is a plan view, and (b) is a lateral cross-sectional view taken along the SS line shown in (a). Figure 5 shows the state before the collision, Figure 7 shows the state in which the main front plate 38 of the grill seal 32 is in contact with the bump reinforcement assembly 26 at the center in the left-right direction, and Figure 6 shows an intermediate state between Figures 5 and 7.

[0028] In the pre-collision state shown in Figure 5, a gap 44 is formed between the bumper reinforcement assembly 26 and the main front plate 38 of the grill seal 32. The object to be struck (not shown) has a curved front surface in plan view, and initially contacts the central part of the vehicle 10, with the contact area spreading to the left and right as the collision progresses.

[0029] Figure 6 shows the initial state of a collision, where the object being hit is in contact with the central part where the mounting base 36 is located in the left-right direction. Initially, the central part 38a of the mounting base front plate 50 and the main body front plate 38 located below it deforms. Due to the presence of the elongated hole 56, the central part of the grill seal 32 deforms significantly, becoming bent in the central part when viewed from above. This deformation induces bending of the mounting base side plate 52. At this time, the mounting base side plate 52 bends easily due to the presence of the notched groove 58. This bending deformation of the grill seal 32 can mitigate the impact of a collision, for example, if a pedestrian collides with the central part of the vehicle.

[0030] Furthermore, as the grill seal 32 retracts, the main body upper plate 40 comes into contact with the upper surface 30a of the bumper absorber 30, and then comes into contact with the front upper edge 28a of the bump reinforcement 28. The main body upper plate 40 receives an upward force from the bumper absorber 30 and the bump reinforcement 28, and rotates so that its rear edge is lifted around its front edge 40a, as indicated by arrow A.

[0031] In the state shown in Figure 7, the main body upper plate 40 rotates further upward due to the force from the bump reinforcement assembly 26 (see arrow B). This ensures that the grill seal 32 has a greater distance to reach the cooling unit 22 compared to when it retracts without rotating, thereby suppressing damage to the cooling unit 22 by the grill seal 32. A space 44 is provided between the main body front plate 38, particularly the lateral portion 38b located in front of the main body upper plate 40, and the bump reinforcement assembly 26, allowing the main body front plate 38 to move. This allows the rear edge of the main body upper plate 40 to be flipped up during the movement of the main body front plate 38. A pair of side edge support pieces 60 provided at both the left and right ends of the grill seal 32 rotate so that their rear ends move away from each other. At this time, the ridge line 62 at the joint between the side edge support piece 60 and the front fixing piece 48 becomes the starting point for bending, allowing the side edge support piece 60 to rotate easily and facilitating the upward rotation of the main body upper plate 40.

[0032] The upper plate 40 of the grill seal 32 extends rearward to cover the bump reinforcement assembly 26 from above, so that the bump reinforcement assembly 26 is not visible through the front grille 14. In addition, although the upper plate 40 extends rearward, in the event of a frontal collision, the upper plate 40 rotates so that its rear edge lifts upward, thereby reducing damage to the cooling unit 22. Furthermore, if a pedestrian or the like collides with the central part in the left-right direction, the central part of the grill seal 32 is designed to deform easily, which mitigates the impact on the pedestrian or the like.

[0033] The grill seal may not have an upwardly protruding mounting base and may be approximately rectangular when viewed from the front. In this case, the main body top plate may not be divided at the mounting base portion, but may extend across the entire grill seal in the left-right direction. Furthermore, a fragile structure such as an elongated hole may be provided at or near the boundary between the main body front plate and the main body top plate in the central part in the left-right direction. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 10 Vehicle, 12 Front structure, 14 Front grille, 22 Cooling unit, 26 Bumper reinforcement assembly, 28 Bumper reinforcement, 28a Front upper edge (of bumper reinforcement), 30 Bumper absorber, 32 Grill seal, 34 Grill seal body, 36 Mounting base, 38 Body front plate, 40 Body top plate, 40a Front edge (of body top plate), 44 Space, 46 Grill seal fixing part, 48 Front fixing piece, 50 Mounting base front plate, 52 Mounting base side plate, 56 Slotted hole (weak structure), 58 Notched groove (weak structure), 60 Side edge support piece, 60a Front edge (of side edge support piece), 62 Ridge.

Claims

1. The vehicle's front grille, The bumper reinforcement located behind the front grille, A grille seal fixed to the rear surface of the front grille and covering the bumper reinforcement, Equipped with, The aforementioned grill seal is The main body front panel is positioned along the front grille and has a space formed between it and the front of the bumper reinforcement, A main body upper plate extending rearward from the upper edge of the main body front plate and positioned to cover the upper part of the bump reinforcement, wherein the front edge that joins with the upper edge of the main body front plate is lower than the front upper edge of the bump reinforcement and is inclined so that the rear is higher, A mounting base on which equipment is attached, comprising a mounting base provided so as to protrude upward from the upper plate of the main body, Includes, The mounting base includes a mounting base front plate and a pair of mounting base side plates that extend rearward from the left and right side edges of the mounting base front plate and join to the main body upper plate. A fragile structure is provided at or near the boundary between the main body front plate and the mounting base front plate. Vehicle front structure.

2. A vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein a fragile structure extending along the front edge is provided near the front edge of the mounting base side plate that is joined to the mounting base front plate.

3. The vehicle's front grille, The bumper reinforcement located behind the front grille, A grille seal fixed to the rear surface of the front grille and covering the bumper reinforcement, Equipped with, The aforementioned grill seal is The main body front panel is positioned along the front grille and has a space formed between it and the front of the bumper reinforcement, A main body upper plate extending rearward from the upper edge of the main body front plate and positioned to cover the upper part of the bump reinforcement, wherein the front edge that joins with the upper edge of the main body front plate is lower than the front upper edge of the bump reinforcement and is inclined so that the rear is higher, Includes, The front panel of the main body of the grill seal has front fixing pieces on the left and right edges, each extending upward from the front edge of the upper panel of the main body and fixed to the front grill. The main body upper plate has side edge support pieces that extend upward from the left and right edges and are joined to the front fixing piece at the front edge. The joint between the front fixing piece and the side edge support piece forms a ridge. Vehicle front structure.

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