Vehicle hood

Abstract

To provide a hood for vehicles making it possible to suppress a dynamic lift induced in a front part of a vehicle during travel, and upgrade the performance of cooling the interior of a front compartment.SOLUTION: A hood for vehicles includes a hood lock reinforcement 13 interposed between a hood outer piece 11 and hood inner piece 12, and a striker 14 fixed to the hood lock reinforcement 13. The hood lock reinforcement 13 joins the hood outer piece 11 at a joint 11a. An outer through hole 11b that pierces the hood outer piece 11 is formed forward of the joint 11a. An inner through hole 12b that pierces the hood inner piece 12 is formed, and a reinforcement through hole 13b that pierces the hood lock reinforcement 13 is formed. Air in a front compartment 2 passes through the inner through hole 12b, reinforcement through hole 13b, and outer through hole 11b, and is thus discharged to outside air.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle hood that covers the upper side of the front compartment of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle hood structure in which an intake port is provided in a hood inner that constitutes the vehicle inner surface side of the vehicle hood, and an exhaust port is provided in a hood outer that constitutes the vehicle outer surface side of the vehicle hood, so that hot air in the front compartment can be discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the exhaust port from the intake port.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] A cross-section of the vehicle hood disclosed in Patent Document 1 cut at the center in the vehicle width direction curves such that the front part of the hood outer draws an arc that bulges upward. Therefore, on the upper surface of the hood outer, there is a negative pressure generation point where the pressure decreases due to the air flowing along the upper surface of the hood outer peeling off from the surface during vehicle travel. When such a negative pressure generation point exists on the upper surface of the hood outer, a lift force acting in the direction of lifting the front part of the vehicle during travel may occur, which may have an adverse effect on the handling stability.

[0005] Furthermore, in a vehicle hood with an air intake in the hood inner, if the exhaust port of the hood outer can be positioned facing this negative pressure generation point, the air between the hood outer and the hood inner will be drawn in by the negative pressure, allowing the hot air inside the front compartment to be efficiently discharged through the exhaust port. However, in the vehicle hood structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, the exhaust port is located on a flat portion at the rear of the hood outer, and is positioned differently from the negative pressure generation point at the top of the hood. Therefore, the vehicle hood structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 has room for improvement in terms of its ability to cool the inside of the front compartment.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle hood that can improve the cooling performance of the inside of the front compartment while suppressing the lift generated at the front of the vehicle during driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle hood according to the present invention comprises a hood outer forming the outer surface of the vehicle, a hood inner forming the inner surface of the vehicle, a hood lock reinforcement disposed in the space formed between the hood outer and the hood inner, and a striker fixed to the hood lock reinforcement and capable of engaging with an engaging member provided on the vehicle body, wherein the hood lock reinforcement is joined to the hood outer at a joint, an outer through-hole is formed in front of the joint that penetrates the hood outer, an inner through-hole is formed that penetrates the hood inner, and a reinforcement through-hole is formed that penetrates the hood lock reinforcement, and air in the front compartment can be discharged to the outside air by passing through the inner through-hole, the reinforcement through-hole and the outer through-hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention provides a vehicle hood that can improve the cooling performance of the inside of the front compartment while suppressing the lift generated at the front of the vehicle during driving. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle hood of the first embodiment cut in the center in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle hood of the second embodiment cut in the center in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle hood of the third embodiment cut in the center in the vehicle width direction. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] <First Embodiment> The vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 1. The arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in the following drawings indicate the forward direction (direction of travel), upward direction, and right direction of the vehicle, respectively. The opposite directions of each arrow FR, UP, and RH indicate the rear direction, downward direction, and left direction of the vehicle, respectively. When the directions front / back, left / right, and up / down are simply used in the following description, unless otherwise specified, they refer to the front / back direction of the vehicle, the left / right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and the up / down direction of the vehicle.

[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment cut in the center in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle hood 10 comprises a hood outer 11 that constitutes the outer surface of the vehicle and a hood inner 12 that constitutes the inner surface of the vehicle. Since the peripheral edge of the hood outer 11 and the peripheral edge of the hood inner 12 are joined, a space 1 is formed between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 12.

[0012] The vehicle hood 10 is supported at its rear end by a hinge (not shown) located at the rear of the front compartment 2, which is the space in front of the vehicle's dashboard panel, allowing it to rotate. The vehicle hood 10 can open and close the front compartment 2 by moving its front end up and down. When the vehicle hood 10 is closed, it covers the top of the front compartment 2.

[0013] As the vehicle moves, airflow flows along the upper surface of the hood outer 11, as shown by arrow A1 in Figure 1. However, the cross-section of the hood outer 11 cut in the center in the vehicle width direction is curved in an arc that bulges upward at the front, as shown in Figure 1. As a result, the air flowing along the upper surface of the hood outer 11 separates from the upper surface of the hood outer 11, causing a decrease in pressure and creating negative pressure in region B shown in Figure 1.

[0014] The vehicle hood 10 includes a hood lock reinforcement 13 positioned in the space 1 formed between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 12, and a striker 14 fixed to the hood lock reinforcement 13. The hood lock reinforcement 13 is a plate-shaped member extending in the vehicle width direction. The striker 14 has a shape formed by bending a rod into a U-shape, and both ends of the striker 14 are fixed to the hood lock reinforcement 13. The vehicle body is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) as an engaging member, and when the vehicle hood 10 is closed, the striker 14 engages with the locking mechanism, holding the vehicle hood 10 in a closed state. When the vehicle hood 10 is closed, a reaction force is applied from the locking mechanism to the striker 14 when the striker 14 engages with the locking mechanism. However, by including a hood lock reinforcement 13 to which the striker 14 is fixed, the vehicle hood 10 can suppress deformation of the vehicle hood 10 due to this reaction force.

[0015] The rear end of the hood lock reinforcement 13 is joined to the hood outer 11 at a joint 11a. The joint 11a is located near the rear end of the portion of the hood outer 11 that curves upward in an arc, as shown in Figure 1. The hood outer 11 has an outer through-hole 11b that penetrates the hood outer 11, located in a position facing region B forward of the joint 11a. A rectifier plate 11c may be provided in the outer through-hole 11b, as shown in Figure 1. The rectifier plate 11c may not be provided in the outer through-hole 11b, or a mesh may be provided to cover the outer through-hole 11b instead of the rectifier plate 11c. The length of the rectifier plate 11c may also be extended vertically to reach the inner through-hole 12b, which will be described later.

[0016] The hood lock reinforcement 13 has a reinforcement through-hole 13b that penetrates the hood lock reinforcement 13, located in front of the joint 11a and behind the striker 14. The hood inner 12 has an inner through-hole 12b that penetrates the hood inner 12, located behind the striker 14. Both the inner through-hole 12b and the reinforcement through-hole 13b may have an opening area equal to or greater than the opening area of ​​the outer through-hole 11b.

[0017] In the front compartment 2, the radiator 3 is positioned behind the striker 14, and the engine 4 is positioned behind the radiator 3. When the vehicle is in motion, air entering the front compartment 2 from the front grille 5 passes through the radiator 3 and in front of the engine 4, as shown by arrow A2 in Figure 1, and is then discharged outside the vehicle through the inner through-hole 12b, the reinforcement through-hole 13b, and the outer through-hole 11b. In the vehicle hood 10, the outer through-hole 11b faces region B, which is a negative pressure area when the vehicle is in motion. Therefore, when air flows in this manner, the air in the space 1 between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 12 is drawn out by the negative pressure in region B. As a result, the vehicle hood 10 can improve its cooling performance inside the front compartment 2 by having the outer through-hole 11b face region B. Furthermore, because the airflow in this manner increases the pressure in region B, the vehicle hood 10 can suppress the lift generated at the front of the vehicle during driving and improve the CD (Coefficient of Drag) value.

[0018] In the vehicle hood 10, the outer through-hole 11b, the reinforcement through-hole 13b, and the inner through-hole 12b are located above the radiator 3. However, because the cover 6 covers the upper side of the radiator 3, rainwater that falls through the outer through-hole 11b, the reinforcement through-hole 13b, and the inner through-hole 12b falls onto the cover 6, preventing electrical components from being exposed to water.

[0019] Furthermore, in the vehicle hood 10, the hood outer 11 is inclined to rise as it moves towards the rear, and the hood lock reinforcement 13 is also inclined to rise as it moves towards the rear behind the striker 14. Therefore, even if the pedestrian falls onto the vehicle hood 10 when the front end of a moving vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the hood outer 11 and the hood lock reinforcement 13 deform, mitigating the impact on the pedestrian who falls onto the vehicle hood 10.

[0020] <Second Embodiment> Next, the vehicle hood 20 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The vehicle hood 20 of the second embodiment has the same configuration as the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment, except that the hood inner 22 and the hood lock reinforcement 23 are integrally formed, and a through hole 22b is formed in the portion where the hood inner 22 and the hood lock reinforcement 23 are integrated. Therefore, the same components as those of the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle hood 20 of the second embodiment cut at the center in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle hood 20 includes a hood outer 11 that constitutes the outer surface side of the vehicle, a hood inner 22 that constitutes the inner surface side of the vehicle, a hood lock reinforcement 23 disposed in a space 1 formed between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 22, and a striker 14 fixed to the hood lock reinforcement 23.

[0022] The hood inner 22 and the hood lock reinforcement 23 are integrally formed such that the rear portions behind the striker 14 are integrated. And a through hole 22b is formed in the portion where the hood inner 22 and the hood lock reinforcement 23 are integrated. The through hole 22b is a hole formed by integrating an inner through hole penetrating the hood inner 22 and a reinforcement through hole penetrating the hood lock reinforcement 23. The hood inner 22 and the hood lock reinforcement 23 may be integrally formed of a material with variable plate thickness such as composite fiber like carbon or resin, or may be integrally formed by insert molding in which a metal hood lock reinforcement 23 such as iron is placed in resin.

[0023] As the vehicle is in motion, air entering the front compartment 2 from the front grille 5 passes through the radiator 3 and in front of the engine 4, as shown by arrow A3 in Figure 2, before being discharged outside the vehicle through the through-hole 22b and the outer through-hole 11b. Since the outer through-hole 11b faces region B, which is under negative pressure during vehicle operation, the air in the space 1 between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 22 is drawn out by the negative pressure in region B as the air flows. Therefore, the vehicle hood 20 can improve its cooling performance inside the front compartment 2 by having the outer through-hole 11b face region B. In addition, because the pressure in region B can be increased by this airflow, the vehicle hood 20 can suppress the lift generated at the front of the vehicle during operation and improve the CD value.

[0024] <Third Embodiment> Next, the vehicle hood 30 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 3. The vehicle hood 30 of the third embodiment has the same configuration as the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment, except that an inner through-hole 32b and a reinforcement through-hole 33b are formed in front of the striker 14. Therefore, components identical to those of the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0025] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the vehicle hood 30 of the third embodiment cut in the center in the width direction of the vehicle. As shown in Figure 3, the vehicle hood 30 comprises a hood outer 11 that constitutes the outer surface of the vehicle, a hood inner 32 that constitutes the inner surface of the vehicle, a hood lock reinforcement 33 positioned in the space 1 formed between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 32, and a striker 14 fixed to the hood lock reinforcement 33.

[0026] The hood lock reinforcement 33 has a reinforcement through-hole 33b formed in front of the striker 14, which penetrates the hood lock reinforcement 33. The hood inner 32 has an inner through-hole 32b formed in front of the striker 14, which penetrates the hood inner 32.

[0027] The vehicle hood 30 is used in vehicles such as electric vehicles that do not have a radiator 3. A motor unit 7 is located in the front compartment 2 as a power source for driving. When the vehicle is in motion, air that enters the front compartment 2 from the front grille 5 is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the inner through-hole 32b, the reinforcement through-hole 33b, and the outer through-hole 11b, as shown by arrow A4 in Figure 3. Since the outer through-hole 11b faces region B, which is a negative pressure area when the vehicle is in motion, when air flows in this way, the air in the space 1 between the hood outer 11 and the hood inner 32 is drawn out by the negative pressure in region B. Therefore, the vehicle hood 30 can improve its cooling performance inside the front compartment 2 because the outer through-hole 11b faces region B. In addition, because the pressure in region B can be increased by this airflow, the vehicle hood 30 can suppress the lift generated at the front of the vehicle while driving and improve the CD value.

[0028] In addition, the vehicle hood 30 may have an inner through-hole 12b that penetrates the hood inner 32 and a reinforcement through-hole 13b that penetrates the hood lock reinforcement 33, not only in front of the striker 14 but also behind the striker 14, similar to the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment. In this case, in addition to the flow shown by arrow A4, a flow is also generated that enters the front compartment 2 from the front grille 5 and is discharged outside the vehicle through the inner through-hole 12b, reinforcement through-hole 13b and outer through-hole 11b, as shown by arrow A2 in Figure 1. Furthermore, although a rectifier plate 11c is not depicted in the outer through-hole 11b in Figure 3, the vehicle hood 30 may or may not have a rectifier plate 11c in the outer through-hole 11b, similar to the vehicle hood 10 of the first embodiment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 1 Space, 2 Front compartment, 3 Radiator, 4 Engine, 5 Front grille, 6 Cover, 7 Motor unit, 10, 20, 30 Vehicle hood, 11 Hood outer, 11a Joint, 11b Outer through hole, 11c Rectifier plate, 12, 22, 32 Hood inner, 12b, 32b Inner through hole, 13, 23, 33 Hood lock reinforcement, 13b, 33b Reinforcement through hole, 14 Striker, 22b Through hole.

Claims

[Claim 1] The hood outer, which forms the exterior of the vehicle, The hood inner, which constitutes the inner surface of the aforementioned vehicle, A hood lock reinforcement is disposed in the space formed between the hood outer and the hood inner, A vehicle hood comprising a striker fixed to the hood lock reinforcement and capable of engaging with an engaging member provided on the vehicle body, The hood lock reinforcement is joined to the hood outer at the joint, An outer through-hole is formed in front of the aforementioned joint, passing through the hood outer. An inner through-hole is formed that penetrates the aforementioned hood inner, A reinforcement through-hole is formed that penetrates the hood lock reinforcement. A vehicle hood characterized in that air inside the front compartment can be discharged to the outside air by passing through the inner through-hole, the reinforcement through-hole, and the outer through-hole.

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