Vehicle front structure

Abstract

To obtain a vehicle front structure which can secure collision resistance during a frontal collision in a structure including a charging inlet at a vehicle front part.SOLUTION: A vehicle front structure 10 includes: front pillars 12 extending in a vehicle vertical direction at a vehicle front part; a charging inlet 20 which is disposed at the vehicle front relative to the front pillars 12 and to which a charging cable 100 may be connected from the vehicle side; and guide members 22 each of which is attached to the front pillar 12, disposed between the front pillar 12 and the charging inlet 20, and includes an inclination surface 22C inclined to the outer side in a vehicle width direction from the vehicle front side toward the vehicle rear side in a plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[[Technical Field]]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a charging lid device comprising: a storage main body that stores a charging inlet, to which a charging gun is connected, inside a vehicle body; a lid that can be opened and closed so as to cover a charging port facing the vehicle exterior side of the storage main body; and a connecting portion movable mechanism that, interlocked with the opening / closing operation of the lid, causes the connecting portion of the charging inlet connected to the charging gun to appear outside the vehicle body when the lid is opened. [[Related Art]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-84891 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] In the structure disclosed in the above Patent Document 1, a charging inlet to which a charging gun (charging cable) is connected is provided on the side surface of a rear portion of the vehicle. When charging is performed at a front portion of the vehicle, the charging inlet is provided on the side surface of the front portion of the vehicle. In such a structure, if the charging inlet retreats during a frontal collision of the vehicle, there is a possibility that the charging inlet will be caught between a barrier and a frame member such as a front pillar, resulting in uncrushed residual material.

[0005] In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle front structure that can ensure collision resistance performance during a frontal collision in a structure provided with a charging inlet at a front portion of the vehicle. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] The front vehicle structure according to claim 1 comprises: a front pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle; a charging inlet positioned in front of the front pillar and to which a charging cable can be connected from the side of the vehicle; and a guide member attached to the front pillar and positioned between the front pillar and the charging inlet, and having an inclined surface that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the front of the vehicle towards the rear of the vehicle. Furthermore, the charging inlet comprises a cylindrical body portion, and a chamfered portion is formed on at least the portion of the circumferential surface of the body portion that faces the guide member, inclined in the same direction as the inclined surface. .

[0007] In the vehicle front structure according to claim 1, a front pillar extends vertically from the front of the vehicle, and a charging inlet is positioned in front of this front pillar. The charging inlet is configured to allow a charging cable to be connected from the side of the vehicle, so that power can be supplied to the vehicle by connecting the charging cable to the charging inlet. In other words, the battery mounted on the vehicle can be charged.

[0008] Furthermore, a guide member is attached to the front pillar, and this guide member is positioned between the front pillar and the charging inlet. In addition, the guide member has an inclined surface that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle in a plan view. As a result, if the charging inlet retracts during a frontal collision, the charging inlet moves outward in the vehicle width direction along the inclined surface of the guide member, preventing the charging inlet from contacting the front pillar. Furthermore, a chamfered portion is formed on the charging inlet, and this chamfered portion is inclined in the same direction as the inclined surface of the guide member. As a result, when the charging inlet retracts during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the chamfered portion slides along the inclined surface, effectively moving the charging inlet outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0009] The vehicle front structure according to claim 2 is configured in claim 1, wherein the front pillar includes a pillar outer panel with a hat-shaped cross-section that is open on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and one end of the guide member is joined to a ridge formed on the pillar outer panel.

[0010] In the vehicle front structure according to claim 2, since one end of the guide member is joined to the ridge of the pillar outer panel, the load input to the guide member from the retracted charging inlet during a frontal collision can be distributed along the ridge to the upper and lower parts of the front pillar. It should be noted that "joined to the ridge" here is not limited to a structure in which the entire end of one end of the guide member is joined to the ridge, but broadly includes a structure in which at least a portion of one end of the guide member is joined to or near the ridge.

[0013] Claim 3 The vehicle front structure relating to the claim 1 In this configuration, the chamfered portion has the same inclination angle as the inclined surface.

[0014] Claim 3 In the vehicle front structure relating to this, the chamfered portion has the same inclination angle as the inclined surface, so compared to a structure in which the chamfered portion and the inclined surface have different inclination angles, the charging inlet can be stably moved outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] Claim 4 The vehicle front structure relating to claim 2 is such that a part of the guide member is positioned to overlap with the charging inlet when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0016] Claim 4 In the vehicle front structure relating to this, a portion of the guide member overlaps with the charging inlet when viewed from the vehicle width direction, thus eliminating or minimizing the gap between the charging inlet and the guide member. This allows the charging inlet to come into contact with the guide member earlier during a frontal collision, and prevents the guide member from being deformed by the charging inlet. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] As described above, the vehicle front structure according to the present invention ensures collision resistance during a frontal collision in a structure equipped with a charging inlet at the front of the vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] It is an enlarged plan cross-sectional view showing a plan cross-section of a vehicle front structure according to a reference example. [Figure 2] It is a plan cross-sectional view showing a state where the charging inlet has retreated from the state of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a plan cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a plan cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a vehicle front structure according to a modification.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Reference example A vehicle front structure 10 according to [the present invention] will be described with reference to the drawings. Arrow FR and arrow LH appropriately shown in each figure respectively indicate the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction and the left side of the vehicle when facing the traveling direction in a vehicle on which the vehicle front structure 10 is mounted. Hereinafter, when description is simply made using directions of front-rear, up-down and left-right, unless otherwise specified, they refer to front-rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, up-down in the vehicle up-down direction, and left-right in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 1, Reference example the vehicle front structure 10 includes a front pillar 12, a charging inlet 20, and a guide member 22. The present Reference example embodiment gives an example where the charging inlet 20 is arranged on the left side portion of the vehicle, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the charging inlet 20 may be arranged on the right side of the vehicle.

[0021] Further, for example, in the case of a vehicle provided with a charging port for normal charging on the left side of the vehicle and a charging port for rapid charging on the right side of the vehicle, the charging inlets 20 may be arranged on both left and right sides of the vehicle.

[0022] (Front Pillar 12) The front pillars 12 are a pair of left and right pillars located at the front of the vehicle, and each is a structural member that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The upper part of the front pillar 12 extends along the front side glass and connects to the front end of the roof side rail, which is a structural member located at the top of the vehicle. The lower part of the front pillar 12 extends along the opening of the side door and connects to the front end of the rocker, which is a structural member. Note that only the left front pillar 12 of the vehicle is shown in Figure 1. The following description will only describe the left front pillar 12 of the vehicle.

[0023] The front pillar 12 is composed of a pillar inner panel 14, a pillar outer panel 16, and a pillar lower panel 18. The pillar inner panel 14 is formed in a substantially hat-shaped cross-section with the outer side in the vehicle width direction open, and an inner front flange 14A extends from the front end of the pillar inner panel 14 toward the front of the vehicle. In addition, an inner rear flange 14B extends from the rear end of the pillar inner panel 14 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0024] The pillar outer panel 16 is formed in a roughly hat-shaped cross-section with an open inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the outer front flange 16A extends from the front end of the pillar outer panel 16 toward the front of the vehicle. In addition, the outer rear flange 16B extends from the rear end of the pillar outer panel 16 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0025] Here, the inner front flange 14A of the pillar inner panel 14 and the outer front flange 16A of the pillar outer panel 16 are joined by welding or other means while overlapping. Also, the inner rear flange 14B of the pillar inner panel 14 and the outer rear flange 16B of the pillar outer panel 16 are joined by welding or other means while overlapping. In this way, the front pillar 12 is constructed with a closed cross-section by the pillar inner panel 14 and the pillar outer panel 16.

[0026] The pillar lower panel 18 is joined to the outer front flange 16A of the pillar outer panel 16 in an overlapping state. The pillar lower panel 18 is formed in a roughly plate shape and extends in the vertical and longitudinal directions of the vehicle. A guide member 22 is provided on the front pillar 12. The guide member 22 will be described later.

[0027] (Charging inlet 20) The charging inlet 20 is positioned in front of the front pillar 12 and consists of a main body 20A and a mounting base 20B. The main body 20A is formed in a roughly cylindrical shape and has an opening on the outside in the vehicle width direction. The charging cable (charging gun) 100 can be connected to the outside of the main body 20A in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] The charging inlet 20 is, for example, located inside a charging port formed in the rigid plate of the vehicle, and is covered from the outside in the vehicle width direction by an opening / closing cover (not shown). The charging inlet 20 is also electrically connected to a battery (not shown) located under the floor of the vehicle, and the battery can be charged by supplying power via the charging cable 100.

[0029] The mounting base 20B of the charging inlet 20 extends outward from the charging inlet 20 and is attached via a bracket to the upper member, which is a structural member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0030] (Guide member) The guide member 22 provided on the front pillar 12 is formed in a roughly plate-like shape from sheet metal or the like. It may also be formed from an ingot of aluminum or the like.

[0031] The guide member 22 is positioned in the space between the front pillar 12 and the charging inlet 20, and has an inclined surface 22C that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the front to the rear of the vehicle in a plan view. Specifically, one end 22A of the guide member 22 is bent along the pillar outer panel 16 and joined to the front ridge line 16C in an overlapping state. The other end 22B of the guide member 22 is bent along the pillar lower panel 18 and joined to the pillar lower panel 18 in an overlapping state. Here, a part of the guide member 22, including this other end 22B, is positioned to overlap with the charging inlet 20 when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0032] The portion of the guide member 22 between one end 22A and the other end 22B is an inclined surface 22C that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the front side of the vehicle to the rear side of the vehicle. As a result, the guide member 22 and the front pillar 12 form a closed cross-section.

[0033] The inclined surface 22C is positioned opposite the main body 20A of the charging inlet 20 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 22C with respect to the pillar lower panel 18 (the angle between the pillar lower panel 18 and the inclined surface 22C) is set to 45 degrees or less.

[0034] (action) Next, the intestines Reference example Let's explain its effects.

[0035] Book Reference example In the vehicle's front structure 10, a front pillar 12 extends vertically along the front of the vehicle, and a charging inlet 20 is positioned in front of this front pillar 12. The charging inlet 20 is configured to allow a charging cable 100 to be connected from the side of the vehicle, so power can be supplied to the vehicle by connecting the charging cable 100 to the charging inlet 20. In other words, the battery mounted on the vehicle can be charged.

[0036] Furthermore, a guide member 22 is attached to the front pillar 12, and this guide member 22 is positioned between the front pillar 12 and the charging inlet 20. In addition, the guide member 22 has an inclined surface 22C that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the front side of the vehicle to the rear side of the vehicle in a plan view.

[0037] As a result, as shown in Figure 2, if the charging inlet 20 retracts during a frontal collision with the vehicle, the charging inlet 20 moves outward in the vehicle width direction along the inclined surface 22C of the guide member 22. In Figure 2, the position of the charging inlet 20 before the frontal collision is shown by a dashed line, and the state in which the charging inlet 20 is retracting during the frontal collision is shown by a solid line.

[0038] If the charging inlet 20 moves further backward along the inclined surface 22C from the state shown in Figure 2, the charging inlet 20 will detach from the vehicle, preventing it from contacting the front pillar. As a result, collision resistance during a frontal collision can be ensured in a structure equipped with a charging inlet 20 at the front of the vehicle.

[0039] Also, book Reference example Since one end 22A of the guide member 22 is joined to the ridge line 16C of the pillar outer panel 16, the load input to the guide member 22 from the retracted charging inlet 20 during a frontal collision can be distributed along the ridge line 16C to the upper and lower parts of the front pillar 12.

[0040] Furthermore, book Reference example Therefore, since the other end 22B of the guide member 22 overlaps with the main body 20A of the charging inlet 20 when viewed from the vehicle width direction, the gap between the charging inlet 20 and the guide member 22 can be eliminated or minimized. As a result, the charging inlet 20 can be brought into contact with the guide member 22 early in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, and deformation of the guide member 22 due to contact with the retracted charging inlet 20 can be suppressed.

[0041] Note: Reference exampleFor example, although a corner is formed at the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the main body 20A of the charging inlet 20, it is not limited to this. Embodiment The following structure may be adopted. Reference example In this example, the other end 22B of the guide member 22 is joined to the pillar lower panel 18, but this is not the only option. For example, the structure of the modified example 2 shown in Figure 4 may also be adopted.

[0042] ( Embodiment ) Figure 3 shows Embodiment This is a plan cross-sectional view of the vehicle front structure 10 related to this. As shown in Figure 3, Embodiment The shape of the charging inlet 30 is different.

[0043] Specifically, the charging inlet 30 is positioned in front of the front pillar 12 and consists of a main body 30A and a mounting base 30B. The main body 30A is formed in a generally cylindrical shape and has an opening on the outside in the vehicle width direction. The charging cable (charging gun) 100 can be connected to the outside of this main body 30A in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] Here, a chamfered portion 30C is formed on the circumferential surface of the main body portion 30A of the charging inlet 30. The chamfered portion 30C is formed on at least the portion of the circumferential surface of the main body portion 30A that faces the guide member 22.

[0045] Note: Embodiment In this example, the chamfered portion 30C is formed only on a part of the main body portion 30A, but the invention is not limited to this, and the chamfered portion 30C may be formed all around the main body portion 30A.

[0046] Furthermore, in this modified example, the chamfered portion 30C is inclined in the same direction as the inclined surface 22C of the guide member 22, and the inclination angle of the chamfered portion 30C and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 22C on the guide member 22 are the same. Specifically, the bottom surface on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the main body portion 30A of the charging inlet 30 is arranged approximately parallel to the pillar lower panel 18, and the inclination angle of the chamfered portion 30C with respect to this bottom surface and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 22C with respect to the pillar lower panel 18 are approximately the same.

[0047] Note that the inclination angle of the chamfered portion 30C and the inclination angle of the inclined surface 22C on the guide member 22 may be different angles. Also, although the chamfered portion 30C in this modified example has a C-shaped chamfer, it is not limited to this and may have an R-shaped chamfer. When the chamfered portion 30C has an R-shaped chamfer, no corner is formed on the main body portion 30A, so that localized stress is suppressed on a part of the inclined surface 22C when the charging inlet 30 comes into contact with the guide member 22.

[0048] Book Embodiment As shown above, by forming a chamfered portion 30C on the charging inlet 30 and inclining this chamfered portion 30C in the same direction as the inclined surface 22C of the guide member 22, when the charging inlet 30 retracts during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the chamfered portion 30C slides along the inclined surface 22C, effectively moving the charging inlet 30 outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0049] In particular, books Embodiment Therefore, since the chamfered portion 30C has the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 22C, the charging inlet 30 can be stably moved outward in the vehicle width direction compared to a structure in which the chamfered portion 30C and the inclined surface 22C have different inclination angles.

[0050] (strange example) Figure 4 is ,strange This is a plan cross-sectional view of the vehicle front structure 10 according to the example. As shown in Figure 4, the guide member 40 is different in this modified example.

[0051] Specifically, the guide member 40 in this modified example is formed in a roughly plate-like shape from sheet metal, but it may also be formed from an ingot of aluminum or the like. The guide member 40 is positioned in the space between the front pillar 12 and the charging inlet 20, and has an inclined surface 40C that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle in a plan view.

[0052] In this modified example, the inclined surface 40C of the guide member 40 is formed to be shorter than the inclined surface 22C of the guide member 22. Specifically, one end 40A of the guide member 40 is bent along the pillar outer panel 16 and joined to the front ridge line 16C of the pillar outer panel 16 in an overlapping state.

[0053] The other end 40B of the guide member 40 is bent along the front surface of the pillar outer panel 16 facing the front of the vehicle, and is joined to this front surface in an overlapping state. Therefore, the length of the inclined surface 40C is, Reference example It is said to be about half the inclined surface 22C of the guide member 22.

[0054] Furthermore, in this modified example, the charging inlet 20 is positioned further outward than in the embodiment. Therefore, even when the inclined surface 40C of the guide member 40 is shortened, the charging inlet 20 and the inclined surface 40C face each other in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0055] As shown in this modified example, reducing the size of the guide member 40 can reduce the weight of the vehicle. Furthermore, even if the charging inlet 20 is positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction, the charging inlet 20 that retracts during a frontal collision of the vehicle can be moved outward in the vehicle width direction along the inclined surface 40C of the guide member 40.

[0056] Although the vehicle front structure 10 according to embodiments and modified examples has been described above, it goes without saying that it can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 10. Front structure of the vehicle 12 Front pillar 16 Pillar Outer Panel 16C Ridge 20 charging inlets 20A Main Unit 22 Guide member 22A One end 22B Other end 22C Slope 30 charging inlets 30A Main Unit 30C Chamfered part 40 Guide member 40A One end 40B Other end 40C slope

Claims

1. The front of the vehicle is formed by a front pillar that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, A charging inlet is located in front of the vehicle, beyond the aforementioned front pillar, and into which a charging cable can be connected from the side of the vehicle. A guide member is attached to the front pillar and positioned between the front pillar and the charging inlet, and has an inclined surface that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle in a plan view, It has, The aforementioned charging inlet has a cylindrical body, A front vehicle structure wherein a chamfered portion is formed on at least the portion of the circumferential surface of the main body facing the guide member, and is inclined in the same direction as the inclined surface.

2. The aforementioned front pillar is composed of a pillar outer panel with a hat-shaped cross-section that is open on the inside in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein one end of the guide member is joined to a ridge formed on the pillar outer panel.

3. The front vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the chamfered portion has the same inclination angle as the inclined surface.

4. The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, wherein a portion of the guide member is positioned to overlap with the charging inlet when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

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