Rear structure of the vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle rear part structure which secures design in which a bumper face lower part inclines to the vehicle front progressively toward the lower side and inhibits a toe of a user from moving close to a heating element without increasing the costs and mass even if the heating element is provided close to a detection part.SOLUTION: A vehicle rear part structure includes: a heating element 26 provided below a rear floor panel 11 of a vehicle rear part; a bumper face 40 forming a vehicle rear surface; and a detection part 60 which detects movement of a leg part LE of a user US to the lower side of the bumper face 40 at the vehicle rear relative to the heating element 26. A lower part of the bumper face 40 is formed to come gradually closer to the vehicle front toward the lower side. At the lower part of the bumper face 40, a rear extension part 55 extending to the vehicle rear is provided at a position which vertically overlaps with the heating element 26 in a vehicle rear view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the rear structure of a vehicle in which a hands-free power liftgate system is adopted.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a vehicle in which a hands-free power liftgate system as described above is adopted, a rear structure of the vehicle is known in which a detection unit for detecting the movement of a user's leg is located at the lower part of the rear bumper face behind a heating element such as a silencer (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] In this rear structure of the vehicle, when the detection unit detects the movement of the user's leg downward to the rear bumper face, the latch of the liftgate can be released to automatically open the liftgate. When a heating element such as a silencer is arranged in proximity to the detection unit, when the user moves the leg and puts the toe under the rear bumper face, the user's toe approaches the silencer which is the heating element. Here, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a design is adopted in which the lower part of the rear bumper face is inclined more forward as it goes downward, the user's toe is more likely to approach the silencer which is the heating element.

[0004] In order to suppress the proximity of the user's toe to the heating element, covering the heating element with a heat insulating material such as an insulator can solve the problem, but in this case, not only the cost increases but also the mass increases.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a rear vehicle structure that achieves both a design aesthetic where the lower part of the bumper face slopes forward towards the vehicle as it goes down, even when the heating element is provided close to the detection unit, and a mechanism that prevents the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heating element, without increasing cost or mass. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention relates to a rear structure of a vehicle comprising: a heating element provided below the rear floor panel at the rear of the vehicle; a bumper face constituting the rear of the vehicle; and a detection unit located behind the heating element at the rear of the vehicle for detecting the movement of the user's legs downward toward the bumper face. The lower part of the bumper face is formed to extend toward the front of the vehicle as it goes downward, and the lower part of the bumper face has a rearward extension portion that extends toward the rear of the vehicle at a position that overlaps vertically with the heating element when viewed from the rear of the vehicle. The rearward extension portion has an inclined portion that extends toward the rear of the vehicle as it goes downward, and a lower surface portion that extends toward the front of the vehicle via a ridge portion from the lower end of the inclined portion, and the lower surface portion of the rearward extension portion extends to the vicinity of the rear surface portion of the heating element, and has a downward extension portion that extends downward along the rear surface portion of the heating element from the front end of the lower surface portion of the rearward extension portion. 。

[0008] above The lower part of the bumper face, as described above, is the area located below the liftgate. Furthermore, the aforementioned heat-generating element may be a silencer acting as a muffler, or an internal combustion engine in a range extender.

[0009] This invention prevents the user's legs from entering the front of the vehicle by allowing the rearward extension portion to contact or come into close proximity with the user's legs. Therefore, it is possible to maintain a design where the lower part of the bumper face slopes forward towards the vehicle as it goes downwards, while preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heating element. In short, this approach achieves both the aforementioned design aesthetics and the ability to prevent the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heating element, without increasing cost or mass.

[0010] Furthermore, as described above, the rearward extension portion has a sloping portion that is directed towards the rear of the vehicle as it is lower, and a lower surface portion that is directed towards the front of the vehicle via a ridge portion from the lower end of the sloping portion. As a result, the ridge is located between the inclined portion and the lower surface, which suppresses the formation of a surface extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle between the inclined portion and the lower surface, thereby ensuring a good design while preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heating element.

[0011] Furthermore, as described above, the lower surface of the rearward extension extends to the vicinity of the rear surface of the heating element and has a downward extension that extends downward from the front end of the lower surface of the rearward extension along the rear surface of the heating element.

[0012] As a result, even when the heating element is located close to the detection unit, the downward extension prevents the user's toes from coming into close contact with the heating element. Furthermore, the downward extension reduces the space in the vehicle's longitudinal direction between the rear surface of the heating element and the downward extension, allowing the underbody airflow to be guided more effectively to the underside of the rearward extension, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0013] In one aspect of this invention, the rearward extension may be located at the lower end of the bumper face. This invention ensures that the rearward extension is positioned at the lower end of the bumper face, thereby reliably maintaining a design where the lower part of the bumper face slopes forward as it goes down, while also preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heating element.

[0014] In one aspect of this invention, the lower portion of the rearward extension may extend along the bottom portion of the heating element. According to the present invention, after the underfloor running air flows through the bottom surface portion of the heating element and then flows rearward of the vehicle, it flows along the lower surface portion of the rearward extending portion. Thereby, the underfloor running air is rectified, and the aerodynamic performance can be improved. That is, it is possible to achieve both the securing of the designability in which the lower part of the bumper face is inclined more forward as it goes downward, and the improvement of the aerodynamic performance.

[0015] As an aspect of the present invention, the ridge line portion of the rearward extending portion may be located above the lower surface portion of the rearward extending portion and in front of the vehicle with respect to the most rear end portion of the rear bumper face portion located below the lift gate.

[0016] According to the present invention, due to the above-described position of the ridge line portion, while reliably realizing the designability in which the lower part of the bumper face is inclined more forward as it goes downward, it is possible to suppress the user's toes from approaching the heating element.

[0017] As an aspect of the present invention, both end portions in the vehicle width direction of the rearward extending portion may be located at the same position as both end portions in the vehicle width direction of the heating element, or may be located outside in the vehicle width direction. According to the present invention, it is possible to reliably suppress the user's toes from approaching the heating element.

Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present invention, even when the heating element is provided in proximity to the detection portion, it is possible to achieve both the securing of the designability in which the lower part of the bumper face is inclined more forward as it goes downward, and suppressing the user's toes from approaching the heating element without increasing the cost and mass.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] Perspective view showing the rear structure of the vehicle in a state where the movement of the user's leg is detected. [Figure 2] Rear perspective view showing the rear structure of the vehicle as viewed from the rear and below. [Figure 3] Bottom perspective view showing the rear structure of the vehicle as viewed from the left front and below. [Figure 4] A longitudinal sectional view showing the rear structure of the vehicle sectioned at the center in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 5] An enlarged sectional view of the main part of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] An enlarged sectional view of the main part showing another embodiment of the rear structure of the vehicle.

Embodiment for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Even when the heating element is provided close to the detection unit, while ensuring the designability that the lower part of the bumper face is inclined forward of the vehicle downward, and without increasing the cost and mass, it is aimed to achieve both suppressing the user's toes from approaching the heating element. A heating element provided below the rear floor panel at the rear of the vehicle, a bumper face constituting the rear surface of the vehicle, and a detection unit for detecting the movement of the user's leg downward below the bumper face behind the heating element in the vehicle are provided. The lower part of the bumper face is formed so as to be inclined forward of the vehicle downward. At the lower part of the bumper face, a rearward extending portion extending rearward of the vehicle is provided at a position overlapping the heating element in the vertical direction when viewed from the rear surface of the vehicle. The rearward extending portion has an inclined portion inclined rearward of the vehicle downward and a lower surface portion extending forward of the vehicle via a ridge line portion from the lower end of the inclined portion. The lower surface portion of the rearward extending portion extends to the vicinity of the rear surface portion of the heating element and has a downward extending portion extending downward along the rear surface portion of the heating element from the front end portion of the lower surface portion of the rearward extending portion. This is realized by such a configuration. <Example>

[0021] One embodiment of this invention will be described in detail below based on the drawings. The drawings show the rear structure of the vehicle. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the rear structure of the vehicle in a state where the movement of the leg LE of the user US is detected. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the rear structure of the vehicle as viewed from the rear and downward. FIG. 3 is a bottom perspective view showing the rear structure of the vehicle as viewed from the left front and downward.

[0022] Also, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the rear structure of the vehicle sectioned in the vertical direction at the center in the vehicle width direction, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the main part of FIG. 4. In the diagram, arrow F indicates the front of the vehicle, arrow R indicates the rear of the vehicle, and arrow UP indicates the top of the vehicle.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, a rear floor panel 11 is provided that forms the floor surface of the rear cargo area 10. At a position corresponding to the front of the silencer 26, which will be described later, a cross member upper 12 extending in the vehicle width direction is joined and fixed to the upper part of the rear floor panel 11, and a closed cross section 13 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the cross member upper 12 and the rear floor panel 11.

[0024] At a position corresponding to the front of the aforementioned cross member upper 12, a cross member lower 14 extending in the vehicle width direction is joined and fixed to the lower part of the aforementioned rear floor panel 11, and a closed cross section 15 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the cross member lower 14 and the rear floor panel 11.

[0025] The rigidity of the rear floor panel 11 is improved by providing the front and rear cross member upper 12 and cross member lower 14 that form the closed cross sections 13 and 15 described above. Furthermore, the rear side frame upper 16 and rear side frame lower 17, which serve as vehicle body strength members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, are joined and fixed to both the left and right sides of the aforementioned rear floor panel 11 (however, only the right side of the vehicle is shown in the drawing).

[0026] Furthermore, a closed rear side section 18 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is formed between the rear side frame upper 16 and the rear floor panel 11, between the rear side frame lower 17 and the rear floor panel 11, or between the rear side frame upper 16 and the rear side frame lower 17, thereby improving the rigidity of the lower body.

[0027] The rear cargo area 10 described above is surrounded by a rear floor panel 11, a roof panel 19 as shown in Figure 1, and left and right rear side panels 20, and the rear cargo area 10 has a cargo opening 21 that opens to the rear.

[0028] The cargo compartment opening 21 is reinforced by a rear header located at the top of the opening, a rear end member located at the bottom of the opening, and a rear pillar located on the side of the opening. Roof reinforcements (not shown) extending in the vehicle's longitudinal direction are provided on both the left and right sides in the vehicle's width direction of the roof panel 19, and a rear header (not shown) extending in the vehicle's width direction is provided at the rear end of the roof panel 19.

[0029] As shown in Figure 1, a liftgate 22 is provided to cover the aforementioned cargo compartment opening 21 in an openable and closable manner. The liftgate 22 is attached to a liftgate hinge at a hinge mounting portion of a roof panel 19 that is formed in a stepped shape immediately behind the rear header, and the upper end of the liftgate 22 is pivotally supported by this liftgate hinge so that it can be opened and closed.

[0030] The aforementioned liftgate 22 comprises a liftgate body 23 having a liftgate outer panel and a liftgate inner panel, and a rear windshield (so-called rear window glass) 24. In this embodiment, a hands-free power liftgate system is employed.

[0031] In this embodiment, the engine is mounted in the engine compartment at the front of the vehicle, and the exhaust pipe 25 (see Figures 2 to 4) is connected to the exhaust port in the cylinder head of the engine via an exhaust manifold.

[0032] The exhaust pipe 25 described above extends from the engine compartment through the tunnel section of the front floor panel on the outside of the vehicle and down to the rear floor panel 11, and a catalytic converter (not shown) is interposed in the middle of the exhaust pipe 25 in the longitudinal direction.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the rear end of the exhaust pipe 25 is connected in communication with the front end of the inlet pipe 27 of the silencer 26, which acts as a heat-generating element. A flange 25F is provided on the outer circumference of the rear end of the exhaust pipe 25, and a flange 27F is also provided on the outer circumference of the front end of the inlet pipe 27. By fastening these two flanges 25F and 27F together, the rear end of the exhaust pipe 25 and the front end of the inlet pipe 27 are connected.

[0034] The silencer 26 described above comprises an inlet pipe 27, a silencer upper housing 28 and a silencer lower housing 29, a silencer housing 30 extending in the vehicle width direction, and left and right tailpipes 31 and 32 that are roughly L-shaped in plan view and extend outward in the vehicle width direction from the left and right sides of the silencer housing 30 before extending rearward.

[0035] The silencer housing 30 described above is constructed by joining and fixing the joining flange portion at the bottom of the silencer upper housing 28 and the joining flange portion at the top of the silencer lower housing 29. The rear majority of the inlet pipe 27 described above is introduced into the silencer housing 30, and the introduction portion 27a of this inlet pipe 27 is supported by the silencer upper housing 28 via a bracket 33.

[0036] As shown in Figure 4, support pieces 34, 34 are integrally provided at both the front and rear ends of the left and right ends in the vehicle width direction of the silencer upper housing 28 described above. By attaching these multiple support pieces 34 to the rear side frame lower 17 via hangers 35, the silencer 26 is suspended and supported below the rear floor panel 11. In the diagram, 36 represents the left and right rear wheels, and 37, 38, and 39 in Figure 3 are undercovers that cover the lower part of the vehicle at approximately the same height as the exhaust pipe 25.

[0037] As shown in Figures 1 to 4, a rear bumper face 40 is provided, which constitutes the rear of the vehicle. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this rear bumper face 40 is integrally formed from synthetic resin, comprising a central bumper face portion 41 that extends in the vehicle width direction corresponding to the lower edge portion 22a of the lift gate 22, and left and right side bumper face portions 42 and 43 that wrap around to the front of the vehicle from both left and right ends of the central bumper face portion 41 in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vertical direction.

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the upper end 42a of the left bumper face side portion 42 extends upward to the lower end of the rear combination lamp mounting portion 44. The front upper end 42b of the left bumper face side portion 42 extends forward and upward to the rear end of the rear fender panel 45, which is integrally formed with the rear side panel 20. Furthermore, the front end 42c of the left bumper face side portion 42 extends forward to a position close to the left rear wheel 36 of the vehicle.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the upper end 43a, front upper end 43b, and front end 43c of the right side bumper face 43 are formed symmetrically with the upper end 42a, front upper end 42b, and front end 42c of the left side bumper face 42.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rear bumper face 40, formed by integrally connecting the left and right ends of the central part 41 of the bumper face in the vehicle width direction with the left and right side parts 42 and 43 of the bumper face, has openings 47 and 47 formed at the lower part of the curved corner sections 46 and 46, corresponding to the positions of the rear end openings 31a and 32a of the left and right tailpipes 31 and 32, for guiding exhaust gas to the outside of the vehicle.

[0041] The central part 41 of the bumper face described above is formed as shown in Figure 4. Specifically, a recess 48 is formed in the middle of the central part 41 of the bumper face, which is recessed toward the front of the vehicle. Above this recess 48 is the upper central part 49 of the bumper face, and below this recess 48 is the lower central part 50 of the bumper face.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4, the upper central part 49 of the bumper face comprises an upper surface portion 51 located at the upper end of the central part 41 of the bumper face and extending substantially horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a rear surface portion 52 extending downward from the rear end of the upper surface portion 51 via an upper ridge X1 as a ridge to the position of the recess 48.

[0043] The lower central part 50 of the bumper face is equipped with a downward-sloping section 53 that is formed to extend towards the front of the vehicle as it goes downwards. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the aforementioned recess 48 extends in the vehicle width direction to corresponding positions adjacent to the opening 47 located on the inside in the vehicle width direction on the left side of the vehicle and the opening 47 located on the inside in the vehicle width direction on the right side of the vehicle.

[0044] As shown in the figure, continuous recesses 54, 54 are formed at both the left and right ends in the vehicle width direction of the recess 48, extending downward to the lower end of the central part 41 of the bumper face. In other words, the lower central portion 50 and the downward-sloping portion 53 of the bumper face described above are formed within an area surrounded by a recess 48 extending in the vehicle width direction and continuous left and right recesses 54, 54 extending in the vertical direction.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, the lower part of the front-sloping portion 53 of the central lower part 50 of the bumper face is provided with a rearward extension portion 55 that extends to the rear of the vehicle, at a position that overlaps vertically with the silencer 26, which is a heat-generating element, when viewed from the rear of the vehicle.

[0046] Incidentally, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the silencer 26 is equipped with a detection unit 60 at the rear of the vehicle that detects the movement of the user's legs LE (see Figure 1) downwards to the rear bumper face 40, or more specifically, the entry of the user's toes TO downwards to the rear bumper face 40. The detection unit 60 is a detection unit that detects when a user US moves their toes TO downward and rearward in a vehicle having a liftgate 22.

[0047] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the detection unit 60 includes an upper sensor 61 and a lower sensor 62 that extend in the vehicle width direction. Each of these sensors 61 and 62 includes a signal line and a plurality of sensor units arranged on the signal line. A sensor signal processing unit 63 is provided at the end of each sensor 61 and 62, in this embodiment, at the left end in the vehicle width direction.

[0048] The sensor signal processing unit 63 is a control circuit that receives detection results from the upper sensor 61 and lower sensor 62, performs signal processing, and outputs a command signal to the lift gate 22 opening / closing unit.

[0049] It is preferable that each of the above sensors 61 and 62 be provided at least at the left end in the vehicle width direction, the center in the vehicle width direction, and the right end in the vehicle width direction with respect to the signal line extending in the vehicle width direction. The upper sensor 61 and lower sensor 62 are positioned vertically apart, ensuring reliable detection of user US toe position TO being moved downwards to the rear bumper face 40, thereby preventing false detections.

[0050] For example, a capacitive proximity sensor can be used in the sensor section described above. A capacitive proximity sensor comprises an oscillation circuit and a detection circuit that detects changes in the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit. When the detection circuit does not detect the user's toe (TO), there is no object in the electric field of the detection electrode, which is the detection area, and therefore there is no change in the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit.

[0051] When an object (the user's toe) enters the detection area, the charge on the detection electrode increases, which increases the capacitance and changes the oscillation frequency of the oscillation circuit. This change in oscillation frequency allows the detection circuit to detect the object, which is the user's toe.

[0052] The aforementioned hands-free power liftgate system automatically opens the liftgate 22 by releasing the latch when the detection unit 60 detects the movement of the user's leg LE downwards toward the rear bumper face 40, that is, the entry of the toes TO.

[0053] The upper sensor 61 and lower sensor 62 described above are supported by the sensor support member 70 shown in Figure 5. The sensor support member 70 includes a sensor holder 71 extending in the vehicle width direction, which is the extension direction of the upper sensor 61 and the lower sensor 62, and a holder cover 72.

[0054] As shown in Figure 5, the sensor holder 71 is attached to the front surface of the downward-sloping portion 53 at the lower center 50 of the rear bumper face 40 using adhesive 73. Furthermore, the aforementioned sensor holder 71 includes an upper sensor mounting section 74 with a concave shape that is open at the top when viewed from the side of the vehicle, a lower sensor mounting section 75 with a concave shape that is open in the front-up direction when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and a cover mounting section 76.

[0055] The holder cover 72 described above comprises a rear cover portion 77 that covers the upper part of the upper sensor mounting portion 74 where the upper sensor 61 is located, and a front cover portion 78 that covers the open side of the lower sensor mounting portion 75 where the lower sensor 62 is located. The front part of the rear cover portion 77 of the holder cover 72 and the cover mounting portion 76 of the sensor holder 71 are connected by a fastener 79.

[0056] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a rear extension 55 is provided at the lower part of the rear bumper face 40, at a position that overlaps vertically with the silencer 26 when viewed from the rear of the vehicle, extending from the lower end of the front downward-sloping portion 53 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0057] As a result, when the liftgate 22 is opened hands-free, if the user US attempts to move their toes TO below the rear bumper face 40, the rearward extension 55 will come into contact with or approach the user US's leg LE, thereby preventing the user US's leg LE from moving forward of the vehicle. This configuration ensures that the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward of the vehicle as it goes downwards, while also preventing the user US's toes TO from coming into contact with the silencer 26.

[0058] Incidentally, the aforementioned silencer 26 has a surface temperature of approximately 190°C due to the inflow and outflow of high-temperature exhaust gas caused by the engine's operation. Therefore, preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the silencer 26 is beneficial for the user.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the aforementioned rearward extension 55 is located at the lower end of the rear bumper face 40. More specifically, the rearward extension 55 is located at the lower end of the forward-sloping portion 53 of the rear bumper face 40.

[0060] In this way, the rearward extension 55 is positioned at the lower end of the rear bumper face 40, ensuring a design where the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward as it goes downwards, while also more reliably preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the silencer 26.

[0061] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the aforementioned rearward extension 55 has a sloping portion 56 that extends downward from the lower end of the forward-sloping portion 53 toward the rear of the vehicle, and a lower surface portion 57 that extends forward from the lower end (i.e., the rear end) of the sloping portion 56 via the lower ridge X2 as a ridge. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the inclined portion 56 is inclined in a way that is higher in the front and lower in the rear, and as shown in the same figures, the lower portion 57 is inclined in a way that is lower in the front and higher in the rear.

[0062] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the rearward extension 55, which has an inclined portion 56, a lower ridge X2, and a lower surface portion 57, extends in the vehicle width direction between the left and right continuous recesses 54, 54. Thus, since the lower ridge X2 is located between the inclined portion 56 and the lower surface portion 57, the formation of a surface portion extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle is suppressed between the inclined portion 56 and the lower surface portion 57, thereby ensuring the aforementioned design aesthetic while suppressing the user's toes TO from coming into close proximity to the silencer 26.

[0063] If a flat surface, that is, a surface extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, is formed between the inclined portion 56 and the lower surface portion 57, the underbody airflow that flows along the lower surface portion 57 toward the rear of the vehicle will be drawn into the flat surface from the rear end of the lower surface portion 57, generating vortices, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of aerodynamic characteristics.

[0064] As shown in Figure 4, a toe-guiding range L1 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is formed between the front end 57a of the lower surface portion 57 and the rear end 26b of the silencer 26. As shown in Figure 4, the lower surface portion 57 of the rearward extension portion 55 extends along the bottom surface portion of the silencer 26. That is, the bottom surface portion 29a of the silencer lower housing 29 that constitutes the silencer 26 is sloped in a low-front, high-rear manner, with the front of the vehicle being lower and the rear of the vehicle being higher. This sloped bottom surface portion 29a of the silencer lower housing 29 and the lower surface portion 57 of the rearward extension portion 55 are formed approximately parallel to each other (see dotted line α in the figure).

[0065] The airflow under the vehicle passes through the bottom surface of the silencer 26, that is, the bottom surface 29a of the silencer lower housing 29, and flows towards the rear of the vehicle, before flowing along the lower surface 57 of the rearward extension 55. The bottom surface 29a and the lower surface 57 of the silencer 26 are formed to be approximately parallel, so that the airflow under the vehicle is rectified at the lower surface 57, thereby improving aerodynamic performance. In other words, the design ensures that the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward towards the vehicle as it goes down, while also improving aerodynamic performance.

[0066] As shown in Figure 4, the lower ridge X2 of the rearward extension 55 is located above the lower surface 57 of the rearward extension 55 and is positioned a distance L2 forward of the vehicle with respect to the rearmost end β, which is the rearmost part of the rear surface of the rear bumper face 40 located below the liftgate 22.

[0067] This configuration ensures that the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward towards the vehicle as it goes down, thanks to the aforementioned position (forward offset position) of the lower ridge line X2, while also preventing the user's toes from coming too close to the silencer 26.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the left and right ends 55A and 55B in the vehicle width direction of the rear extension portion 55 are located at the same positions as the left and right ends 26A and 26B of the silencer 26 in the vehicle width direction, or are located outside in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the left and right ends 55A and 55B of the rear extension portion 55 in the vehicle width direction are configured to be located outside in the vehicle width direction relative to the left and right ends 26A and 26B of the silencer 26 in the vehicle width direction.

[0069] As a result, the rearward extension 55 is formed over a wide area in the vehicle width direction where the user's toes are expected to enter, thereby reliably preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the silencer 26. <Other examples>

[0070] Next, other embodiments will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a key part showing another embodiment of the rear structure of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 6, the lower surface portion 57 of the rearward extension portion 55 at the lower central part 50 of the rear bumper face 40 extends forward to the vicinity of the rear surface portion of the silencer 26, which serves as a heat-generating element. Furthermore, a downward extension portion 58 is provided that extends downward from the front end portion 57f of the lower surface portion 57 of the rearward extension portion 55 along the rear surface portion of the silencer 26, more specifically, along the rear surface portion 29b of the silencer lower housing 29.

[0071] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the downward extension portion 58 extends downward along the rear surface portion 29b of the silencer lower housing 29, inclined in a way that is lower at the front and higher at the rear, so that it is located further forward towards the vehicle as it goes downward. Furthermore, a gap g in the vehicle's longitudinal direction is formed between the rear surface portion 29b of the silencer lower housing 29 and the downward extension portion 58.

[0072] As a result, even if the silencer 26 is positioned close to the detection unit 60, the downward extension 58 described above is configured to prevent the user's toes (TO) from coming into close proximity to the silencer 26.

[0073] Furthermore, the downward extension portion 58 described above reduces the space in the vehicle's longitudinal direction between the rear surface of the silencer 26, more specifically the rear surface 29b of the silencer lower housing 29, and the downward extension portion 58 (see gap g). This configuration further improves the aerodynamic performance by guiding the underbody airflow to the lower surface 57 of the rearward extension portion 55.

[0074] If the lower surface portion 57 of the rear extension portion 55 does not extend to the vicinity of the rear surface portion 29b of the silencer 26, and the distance between the rear surface portion 29b of the silencer 26 and the front end of the lower surface portion 57 is large, then the underfloor airflow that flows along the bottom surface portion 29a of the silencer 26 will flow from the rear end of the bottom surface portion 29a of the silencer 26 into the rear upper space of the silencer 26, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of aerodynamic performance.

[0075] In this embodiment shown in Figure 6, the other configurations, functions, and effects are substantially the same as those in the previous embodiments shown in Figures 1 to 5. Therefore, in Figure 6, the same reference numerals are used for parts identical to those in the previous figures, and their detailed explanations are omitted. In Figure 1, 80 is the quarter window glass and 81 is the fuel lid.

[0076] As described above, the rear structure of the vehicle according to this embodiment comprises a heating element (see silencer 26) provided below the rear floor panel 11 at the rear of the vehicle, a rear bumper face 40 constituting the rear of the vehicle, and a detection unit 60 located behind the heating element (silencer 26) of the vehicle that detects the movement of the user's legs LE downwards from the rear bumper face 40. The lower part of the rear bumper face 40 is formed to be directed towards the front of the vehicle as it is lower (see front downward sloping portion 53), and the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 is characterized by having a rearward extension portion 55 that extends to the rear of the vehicle at a position that overlaps vertically with the heating element (silencer 26) when viewed from the rear of the vehicle (see Figure 4).

[0077] With this type of vehicle rear structure, the rearward extension 55 contacts or comes into close proximity to the user's (US) leg LE, thereby preventing the user's (US) leg LE from entering the front of the vehicle. This ensures a design where the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward towards the vehicle as it goes downwards, while also preventing the user's (US) toes (TO) from coming into close proximity to the heat-generating element (silencer 26).

[0078] In short, this design achieves both the aforementioned aesthetic appeal and the ability to prevent the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heating element (silencer 26) without increasing cost or mass.

[0079] Furthermore, in the rear structure of such a vehicle, the rearward extension portion 55 is located at the lower end of the rear bumper face 40 (see Figures 4 and 5). With this type of vehicle rear structure, the rearward extension 55 is located at the lower end of the rear bumper face 40, which ensures a design where the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward as it goes downwards, while also preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heat-generating element (silencer 26).

[0080] Furthermore, in the rear structure of such a vehicle, the rearward extension 55 has a sloping portion 56 that is directed towards the rear of the vehicle as it goes downwards, and a lower surface portion 57 that is directed towards the front of the vehicle via a ridge (lower ridge X2) from the lower end of the sloping portion 56 (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0081] With this type of rear vehicle structure, the ridge (lower ridge X2) is located between the inclined portion 56 and the lower surface portion 57. This suppresses the formation of a surface extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle between the inclined portion 56 and the lower surface portion 57, thereby ensuring a good design while preventing the user's toes (TO) from coming into close proximity to the heating element (silencer 26).

[0082] Furthermore, in the rear structure of such a vehicle, the lower surface portion 57 of the rearward extension portion 55 extends along the bottom surface portion 29a of the heating element (silencer 26) (see Figure 4). With this type of vehicle rear structure, the airflow under the floor passes through the bottom surface 29a of the heat-generating element (silencer 26) and flows towards the rear of the vehicle, then flows along the lower surface 57 of the rearward extension 55. This straightens the airflow under the floor, improving aerodynamic performance. In other words, it is possible to achieve both a design aesthetic where the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward towards the vehicle as it goes down, and improved aerodynamic performance.

[0083] In addition, in the rear structure of such a vehicle, the lower surface portion 57 of the rear extension portion 55 extends to the vicinity of the rear surface portion 29b of the heating element (silencer 26), and has a downward extension portion 58 that extends downward from the front end portion 57f of the lower surface portion 57 of the rear extension portion 55 along the rear surface portion 29b of the heating element (silencer 26) (see Figure 6).

[0084] With this type of vehicle rear structure, even when the heating element (silencer 26) is positioned close to the detection unit 60, the downward extension 58 prevents the user's toes (TO) from coming into close contact with the heating element (silencer 26). Furthermore, the downward extension 58 reduces the space (see gap g) in the vehicle's longitudinal direction between the rear surface 29b of the heating element (silencer 26) and the downward extension 58, allowing the underbody airflow to be guided more effectively to the lower surface 57 of the rearward extension 55, thereby improving aerodynamic performance.

[0085] Furthermore, in the rear structure of such a vehicle, the ridge line portion (lower ridge line X2) of the rearward extension portion 55 is located above the lower surface portion 57 of the rearward extension portion 55, and is located in front of the vehicle relative to the rearmost end portion (see rearmost end portion β) of the rear bumper face 40 which is located below the lift gate 22 (see Figure 4).

[0086] With this type of rear vehicle structure, the aforementioned position of the ridge line (lower ridge line X2) ensures that the lower part of the rear bumper face 40 slopes forward as it goes down, while also preventing the user's toes from coming into close proximity to the heat-generating element (silencer 26).

[0087] Furthermore, in the rear structure of such a vehicle, both ends of the rear extension portion 55 in the vehicle width direction (left and right ends 55A, 55B in the vehicle width direction) are located at the same position as, or outside in the vehicle width direction, the ends of the heating element (silencer 26) in the vehicle width direction (left and right ends 26A, 26B in the vehicle width direction) (see Figure 2). With this type of rear vehicle structure, it is possible to reliably prevent the user's toes (TO) from coming into close proximity to the heat-generating element (silencer 26).

[0088] In the correspondence between the structure of this invention and the above-described embodiments, The rear floor panel of this invention corresponds to the rear floor panel 11 of the embodiment. The same applies to the following: The liftgate is compatible with liftgate 22. The heating element corresponds to the silencer 26. The ends of the heating element in the vehicle width direction correspond to the left and right ends 26A and 26B of the silencer 26 in the vehicle width direction. The bottom surface of the heating element corresponds to the bottom surface 29a of the silencer 26. The rear surface of the heating element corresponds to the rear surface 29b of the silencer 26. The bumper face is compatible with the rear bumper face 40. The rear extension corresponds to the rear extension 55. The ends of the rear extension in the vehicle width direction correspond to the left and right ends 55A and 55B of the rear extension 55 in the vehicle width direction. The inclined section corresponds to the inclined section 56, The lower part corresponds to the lower part 57. The downward extension corresponds to the downward extension 58, The detection unit corresponds to the detection unit 60, The ridge line corresponds to the lower ridge line X2, The rearmost part of the rear bumper face corresponds to the rearmost position β, This invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

[0089] For example, the heating element may be the internal combustion engine of the range extender instead of the silencer 26. Incidentally, the range extender comprises a motor that drives the drive wheels such as the front wheels, a battery that supplies power to the motor, a generator that charges the battery with generated power, and an engine that drives the generator. When the electrical capacity of the battery falls below a predetermined value, the engine drives the generator and supplies the generated power to the battery to charge it. [Industrial applicability]

[0090] As described above, the present invention is useful for the rear structure of a vehicle that employs a hands-free power liftgate system. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0091] 11…Rear floor panel 22…Liftgate 26… Silencer (heating element) 26A, 26B... Left and right ends in the vehicle width direction 29a…Bottom part 29b...Rear section 40... Rear bumper face (bumper face) 55...Rear extension part 55A, 55B... Both ends in the width direction of the vehicle 56…Slope part 57…Bottom part 58...Downward extension part 60...Detection unit X2...Lower ridge (ridge section) β...Last end part

Claims

1. A heating element located below the rear floor panel at the rear of the vehicle, The bumper face that makes up the rear of the vehicle, The vehicle is equipped with a detection unit that detects the movement of the user's legs downwards from the bumper face, located behind the heating element. The lower part of the bumper face described above is shaped to extend further forward towards the vehicle as it goes downwards. At the lower part of the bumper face, a rearward extension is provided that extends toward the rear of the vehicle at a position that overlaps vertically with the heating element when viewed from the rear of the vehicle. The rearward extension portion has a sloping portion that is directed towards the rear of the vehicle as it goes downwards, and a lower surface portion that is directed towards the front of the vehicle via a ridge portion from the lower end of the sloping portion. The lower surface portion of the rearward extension extends to the vicinity of the rear surface portion of the heating element and has a downward extension portion that extends downward from the front end of the lower surface portion of the rearward extension portion along the rear surface portion of the heating element. The rear structure of the vehicle.

2. The aforementioned rearward extension is located at the lower end of the bumper face. The rear structure of the vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The lower surface portion of the rearward extension portion extends along the bottom surface portion of the heating element. The rear structure of the vehicle according to claim 1.

4. The ridge of the rearward extension is located above the lower surface of the rearward extension and is located in front of the vehicle relative to the rearmost end of the bumper face rear surface which is located below the liftgate. The rear structure of a vehicle according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The ends of the rearward extension described above in the vehicle width direction are located at the same position as the ends of the heating element in the vehicle width direction, or on the outside in the vehicle width direction. The rear structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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