Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front part structure capable of suppressing a sound pressure drop of a sound generated from a horn, and also capable of suppressing occurrence of a failure in the horn.SOLUTION: A vehicle front part structure 10 includes: a bumper reinforcement 26 extending substantially in a vehicle width direction at a front part side of a vehicle 12; an absorber 30 that is provided at a vehicle front side relative to the bumper reinforcement 26 and includes a notch part 32 forming, together with a front wall 26F of the bumper reinforcement 26, a through hole H penetrating in a vehicle vertical direction; a lower grille 16 provided on a bumper cover 14 at a vehicle lower side relative to the absorber 30, in a front view; and a horn 40 that is supported on an upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 and is disposed in such a manner as to allow a resonance part 42 to face the through hole H from a vehicle upper side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure.

Background Art

[0002] In order to ensure the sound pressure performance of the horn (suppress the decrease in sound pressure), a structure in which a first horn and a second horn are arranged directly below a bumper reinforcement has been conventionally known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, with such a structure, there is a risk that the horn may malfunction due to road surface interference and entry of foreign substances such as mud and water. [[ID=3⑥]]

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle front structure that can suppress a decrease in the sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn and also suppress the occurrence of failures in the horn.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the front vehicle structure of the first embodiment of the present invention comprises: a bumper reinforcement extending substantially in the vehicle width direction on the front side of the vehicle; an absorber provided on the vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a notch that forms a through hole that penetrates in the vehicle vertical direction with the front wall of the bumper reinforcement; a lower grille provided on the bumper cover on the vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view; and a horn supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and positioned so that its resonant portion faces the through hole from the vehicle upper side.

[0007] According to the first embodiment of the invention, the absorber provided on the front side of the bumper reinforcement has a notch that forms a through hole that penetrates through the front wall of the bumper reinforcement in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A lower grille is provided on the bumper cover on the lower side of the absorber in a front view, and the horn supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement is positioned so that its resonant portion faces the through hole from the upper side of the vehicle.

[0008] In other words, the sound generated from the horn is transmitted through the aforementioned through-hole to the front of the vehicle via the lower grille. Therefore, the decrease in sound pressure generated from the horn is suppressed. Furthermore, since the horn is supported by the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, there is no risk of failure due to road contact or the entry of foreign objects such as mud and water. This also suppresses the occurrence of horn failures.

[0009] Furthermore, the front vehicle structure of the second embodiment of the present invention comprises: a bumper reinforcement extending substantially in the vehicle width direction on the front side of the vehicle; an absorber provided on the vehicle front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a notch that forms a through hole that penetrates the vehicle vertically with the bumper cover; a lower grille provided on the bumper cover on the vehicle lower side of the absorber in a front view; and a horn supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and positioned so that its resonant portion faces the through hole from the vehicle upper side.

[0010] According to the second embodiment of the invention, the absorber provided on the front side of the bumper reinforcement has a notch that forms a through-hole that penetrates the bumper cover in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A lower grille is provided on the bumper cover on the lower side of the absorber in a front view, and the horn supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement is positioned so that its resonant portion faces the through-hole from the upper side of the vehicle.

[0011] In other words, the sound generated from the horn is transmitted through the aforementioned through-hole to the front of the vehicle via the lower grille. Therefore, the decrease in sound pressure generated from the horn is suppressed. Furthermore, since the horn is supported by the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, there is no risk of failure due to road contact or the entry of foreign objects such as mud and water. This also suppresses the occurrence of horn failures.

[0012] Furthermore, a third embodiment of the vehicle front structure according to the present invention is a vehicle front structure according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the horn is supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement so as to be movable toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is applied from the front of the vehicle.

[0013] According to the third embodiment of the invention, the horn is supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement so as to be movable toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is applied from the front of the vehicle. Therefore, there is no risk that the horn will obstruct energy absorption by the absorber during a frontal collision of the vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, a fourth aspect of the vehicle front structure according to the present invention is a vehicle front structure according to the third aspect, wherein a shielding plate is provided on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement that prevents the horn from moving toward the rear of the vehicle under normal circumstances, and the horn is configured to break through the shielding plate and move toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is applied from the front of the vehicle.

[0015] According to the fourth embodiment of the invention, a shielding plate is provided on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement, which normally prevents the horn from moving toward the rear of the vehicle. When a load is applied from the front of the vehicle, the horn breaks through the shielding plate and moves toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, moving the horn toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is applied from the front of the vehicle can be achieved with a simple configuration.

[0016] Furthermore, the vehicle front structure according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle front structure according to any one of the first to fourth embodiments, wherein the notches that form the through holes are formed in a plurality of portions spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and the horns are provided for each of the through holes.

[0017] According to the fifth embodiment of the invention, multiple notches forming through holes are formed spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and a horn is provided in each of these through holes. Therefore, compared to the case where a single horn is provided, the reduction in sound pressure of the sound transmitted from the lower grille to the front of the vehicle is suppressed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the decrease in sound pressure of the sound generated from the horn, and also to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions in the horn. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing the front structure of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view showing the front structure of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] (A) A schematic side view showing the state of the horn in the front structure of the vehicle according to the first embodiment during a frontal collision. (B) A schematic top view showing the state of the horn in the front structure of the vehicle according to the first embodiment during a frontal collision. [Figure 4] This is a schematic side view showing the front structure of a vehicle according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5]It is a schematic plan view showing the vehicle front structure according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] (A) It is a schematic side view showing the state of the horn at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle front structure according to the second embodiment. (B) It is a schematic plan view showing the state of the horn at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle front structure according to the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. For convenience of explanation, in each figure, the arrow UP shown as appropriate is the upward direction of the vehicle, the arrow FR is the forward direction of the vehicle, and the arrow RH is the rightward direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in the following description, when the directions of up and down, front and back, and left and right are described without special mention, it shall indicate up and down in the vehicle up and down direction, front and back in the vehicle front and back direction, and left and right in the vehicle left and right direction (vehicle width direction).

[0021] <First Embodiment> First, the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, at the front end of a vehicle 12 to which a vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment is applied, a bumper cover 14 that constitutes the design at the front end thereof is provided. A lower grill 16 is provided at the lower part of this bumper cover 14 (below the absorber 30 to be described later in a front view), and a plurality of openings 16A having the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction are formed side by side in the vertical direction in the lower grill 16.

[0022] A power unit room 18 is provided on the rear side of the bumper cover 14, and a driving device such as an engine or a motor (not shown) is installed inside the power unit room 18. A radiator 20 is provided on the front side of the driving device. A radiator support upper 22 is provided above the radiator 20, and a radiator support lower 24 is provided below the radiator 20. The radiator 20 is fixed by the radiator support upper 22 and the radiator support lower 24.

[0023] In the power unit room 18, a pair of left and right front side members (not shown) extend outward in the vehicle width direction, respectively, along the longitudinal direction. A bumper reinforcement 26, extending approximately along the vehicle width direction, is spanned across the front ends of the pair of left and right front side members located on the front side of the vehicle 12.

[0024] The radiator 20 is located behind the bumper reinforcement 26, and a duct 28 is provided between the radiator 20 and the bumper reinforcement 26. Outside air introduced from the lower grille 16 flows into the power unit room 18 through this duct 28 to cool the drive unit.

[0025] An absorber 30 is provided between the bumper cover 14 and the bumper reinforcement 26 (on the rear side of the bumper cover 14 and the front side of the bumper reinforcement 26). This absorber 30 is configured to absorb the energy of the collision load input from the front side during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12. Specifically, this absorber 30 is made of a foam material such as polypropylene. However, the absorber 30 is not particularly limited to materials that have high impact absorption properties.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the absorber 30 is formed in a roughly rectangular prism shape with the vehicle width direction as its longitudinal direction. The vertical dimension of the absorber 30 is set to match the dimensions of the bumper reinforcement 26, and is set to be the same as or slightly shorter than the bumper reinforcement 26, taking into account manufacturing tolerances. In addition, the vehicle width dimension of the absorber 30 is set within the range of the length in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the bumper cover 14, which is arranged roughly parallel to the bumper reinforcement 26, and the one shown is approximately the same length as that.

[0027] Furthermore, the absorber 30 has a notch 32 that forms a through hole H that penetrates vertically through the front wall 26F of the bump reinforcement 26. Specifically, the notch 32 is formed in a roughly "U" shape in plan view with the open side facing the rear, and multiple notches (two in the illustration) are formed at predetermined distances in the vehicle width direction. The depth of the notch 32 (length along the front-rear direction) is set to approximately 1 / 3 of the thickness of the absorber 30 along the front-rear direction, for example, so as not to impair the function of the absorber 30.

[0028] Furthermore, the horn 40 is supported on the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 via a support mechanism 36 that allows it to move to the rear. The support mechanism 36 and the horn 40 are provided for each through-hole H, and are positioned so that the resonant part 42 at the tip faces the through-hole H from above. In other words, each horn 40 is positioned with its resonant part 42 facing downwards, and is designed to generate sound directed into the interior of each through-hole H.

[0029] The sound generated inward from each through-hole H is then transmitted forward through the opening 16A of the lower grille 16. In Figures 1 and 2, the sound transmission paths from each horn 40 are indicated by arrows P. The horns 40 shown in the figures are arranged symmetrically, but are not limited to this arrangement.

[0030] The support mechanism 36 includes a sliding member 38 that is slidable to the rear and has a roughly "L" shape in side view, and a shielding plate 37 that normally prevents the sliding member 38 from moving to the rear. The horn 40 is attached to the front wall 38F of the sliding member 38. A needle-shaped member 39 that tapers towards the rear is provided on the upper surface of the lower wall 38D of the sliding member 38, and the shielding plate 37 is positioned opposite the tapered rear end of the needle-shaped member 39.

[0031] Therefore, as shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B), when a load (indicated by arrow G in Figure 3(B)) is applied to the horn 40 from the front during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, the tapered rear end of the needle-shaped member 39 penetrates the shielding plate 37, and the horn 40 becomes able to move to the rear together with the sliding member 38.

[0032] The operation of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the first embodiment, which has the configuration described above, will now be explained.

[0033] As described above, the absorber 30 provided on the front side of the bumper reinforcement 26 has a notch 32 that forms a through hole H that penetrates vertically through the front wall 26F of the bumper reinforcement 26. A lower grille 16 is provided on the bumper cover 14 below the absorber 30 in a front view, and the horn 40 supported on the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 is positioned so that its resonant portion 42 faces the through hole H from above.

[0034] In other words, the sound generated from the horn 40 is transmitted forward from the lower grille 16 through the through-hole H. Therefore, even in vehicles 12 that do not have an upper grille, the decrease in sound pressure generated from the horn 40 can be suppressed. Moreover, since multiple (two) notches 32 forming the through-hole H are formed spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and a horn 40 is provided for each of these through-holes H, the decrease in sound pressure transmitted forward from the lower grille 16 can be suppressed more effectively than when a single horn 40 is provided.

[0035] Furthermore, the horn 40 is supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 and is positioned above the lower grille 16. This means that a large distance can be maintained between the horn 40 and the road surface. Therefore, there is no risk of the horn 40 malfunctioning due to road surface interference or the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and water. In other words, according to this first embodiment, the occurrence of malfunctions in the horn 40 can be suppressed, and the reliability of the horn 40 can be improved.

[0036] Furthermore, the horn 40 is supported on the upper wall 26U of the bump reinforcement 26 so that it can move to the rear when a load is applied from the front. Specifically, the upper wall 26U of the bump reinforcement 26 is provided with a shielding plate 37 that normally prevents the horn 40 from moving to the rear, and the sliding member 38 to which the horn 40 is attached is provided with a needle-shaped member 39 that faces the shielding plate 37.

[0037] Therefore, when a load is applied from the front during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, the needle-shaped member 39 provided on the sliding member 38 penetrates the shielding plate 37 and moves to the rearward side together with the sliding member 38, as shown in Figures 3(A) and 3(B). As a result, there is no risk that the energy absorption by the absorber 30 (deformation of the absorber 30) will be hindered by the horn 40 during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, since moving the horn 40 to the rearward side can be achieved with such a simple configuration, an increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed.

[0038] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. Note that parts equivalent to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed descriptions (including common functions) will be omitted as appropriate.

[0039] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, this second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the absorber 30 has a notch 34 that forms a through hole H that penetrates vertically through the bumper cover 14, and the slide member 38 is provided so as to protrude a predetermined length toward the upper surface (front side) of the absorber 30.

[0040] In other words, the notches 34 are formed in a roughly "U" shape in plan view with the open side facing forward, and multiple notches (two in the illustration) are formed at predetermined distances apart in the vehicle width direction. The depth of the notches 34 is the same as the depth of the notches 32 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, each horn 40 provided for each through hole H is positioned such that the resonant part 42 at the tip faces the through hole H from above, with the slide member 38 extending a predetermined length toward the upper surface of the absorber 30.

[0041] In other words, each horn 40 is positioned with its resonant section 42 facing downwards, and is designed to generate sound directed into each through-hole H. The sound generated into each through-hole H is then transmitted forward through the opening 16A of the lower grille 16. Therefore, even in vehicles 12 that do not have an upper grille, the decrease in sound pressure generated from the horns 40 can be suppressed.

[0042] Furthermore, the horn 40 is supported by the upper wall 26U of the bumper reinforcement 26 and is positioned above the lower grille 16. Therefore, there is no risk of the horn 40 malfunctioning due to road surface interference or the ingress of foreign matter such as mud and water. In other words, according to this second embodiment, the occurrence of malfunctions in the horn 40 can be suppressed, and the reliability of the horn 40 can be improved.

[0043] Furthermore, the horn 40 is supported on the upper wall 26U of the bump reinforcement 26 so that it can move to the rear when a load is applied from the front. Specifically, the upper wall 26U of the bump reinforcement 26 is provided with a shielding plate 37 that normally prevents the horn 40 from moving to the rear, and the sliding member 38 to which the horn 40 is attached is provided with a needle-shaped member 39 that faces the shielding plate 37.

[0044] Therefore, when a load is applied from the front during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12, the needle-shaped member 39 provided on the sliding member 38 penetrates the shielding plate 37 and moves to the rearward side together with the sliding member 38, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B). As a result, there is no risk that the energy absorption by the absorber 30 (deformation of the absorber 30) will be hindered by the horn 40 during a frontal collision of the vehicle 12.

[0045] The vehicle front structure 10 according to this embodiment has been described above based on the drawings. However, the vehicle front structure 10 according to this embodiment is not limited to the illustrated version, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0046] For example, the support mechanism 36 that supports the horn 40 so that it can move to the rear is not limited to the configuration shown. Although not shown in the illustration, the support mechanism 36 may be configured such that when a load is applied from the front, the horn 40 can move (retract) to the rear by providing a weak point or a hinge point on the member to which the horn 40 is attached. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 10. Front structure of the vehicle 12 vehicles 14 Bumper Cover 16 Lower Grille 26. Bumper Inforcement 26F front wall 26U top wall 30 Absorbers 32 Notch 34 Notch 37 Shielding plate 40 horns 42 Resonance section H through hole

Claims

1. A bumper reinforcement extending approximately in the width direction at the front of the vehicle, An absorber provided on the front side of the bump reinforcement and having a notch that forms a through hole that penetrates in the vertical direction of the vehicle with the front wall of the bump reinforcement, In a front view, the lower grille is provided on the bumper cover on the lower side of the vehicle below the absorber, A horn is supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and positioned so that its resonant portion faces the through-hole from the vehicle's upper side, A vehicle front structure equipped with [a specific feature].

2. A bumper reinforcement extending approximately in the width direction at the front of the vehicle, An absorber provided on the front side of the bumper reinforcement and having a notch that forms a through hole that penetrates the vehicle vertically with the bumper cover, In a front view, the lower grille is provided on the bumper cover on the lower side of the vehicle below the absorber, A horn is supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement and positioned so that its resonant portion faces the through-hole from the vehicle's upper side, A vehicle front structure equipped with [a specific feature].

3. The front vehicle structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the horn is supported on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement so as to be movable toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is applied toward the front of the vehicle.

4. A shielding plate is provided on the upper wall of the bumper reinforcement to prevent the horn from moving toward the rear of the vehicle under normal circumstances. The front vehicle structure according to claim 3, wherein the horn is configured to break through the shielding plate and move toward the rear of the vehicle when a load is applied from the front of the vehicle.

5. The notches that form the through holes are formed in multiple locations spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the horn is provided for each of the through holes.

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