Protective structure of delivery pipe

Abstract

This protective structure is provided with a protective member (20) that protects a delivery pipe (18). A throttle body (15) incorporating a throttle valve (16) is disposed at an interval in front of an engine block (11) and is fixed to an intake manifold (13) via an adapter (17). The delivery pipe (18) is attached to a fixed surface (11a) of the engine block (11) and is positioned behind the throttle body (15). The protective member (20) includes a first fixing part (21) fixed to the fixing surface (11a), and a flange part (25) extending forward from the first fixing part (21) and covering the delivery pipe (18), with a gap opened above the delivery pipe (18), wherein an upper surface (25a) of a front end of the flange part (25) is positioned below a lower end surface (15b) of the throttle body (15).

Description

Delivery pipe protection structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a protective structure for a delivery pipe provided in an on-vehicle engine.

[0002] Multi-cylinder engines mounted on vehicles are equipped with delivery pipes for distributing and supplying fuel to each cylinder. Because the delivery pipes are attached to the outside of the engine block, devices and structures for protecting the delivery pipes, or engines equipped with such devices and structures, have been proposed to prevent breakage and fuel leakage in the event of a vehicle collision (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

[0003] JP 2017-155596 A JP 2010-138866 A JP 7-332196 A

[0004] The compartment at the front of the vehicle where the engine is mounted (also known as the engine room, motor room, power unit room, etc.) also houses other devices and accessories besides the engine. In the case of a hybrid vehicle, devices such as a motor and a generator may also be mounted. Therefore, it is an important issue to find a way to compactly arrange the devices within the limited space of the compartment.

[0005] On the other hand, compact placement of devices often requires placing devices close to each other, and highly rigid parts must be placed near the delivery pipe (especially in the front of the vehicle). For example, among the components that make up an engine, metal parts (e.g., cast parts) such as the engine block and throttle body have higher rigidity than the delivery pipe. Even if such highly rigid parts are placed nearby, it is necessary to prevent them from strongly interfering with the delivery pipe in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0006] The delivery pipe protection structure of the present invention was devised in consideration of these problems, and one of its objectives is to ensure the protection performance of the delivery pipe in the event of a vehicle collision. However, in addition to this objective, another objective of the present invention is to achieve effects derived from the respective configurations shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described below, which are effects that cannot be obtained with conventional technology.

[0007] The disclosed delivery pipe protection structure can be realized as the following disclosed embodiments (application examples), which solve at least part of the above-mentioned problems. Each of the embodiments from embodiment 2 onwards is an embodiment that can be selected as an additional option, and each of the embodiments can be omitted. None of the embodiments from embodiment 2 onwards discloses an embodiment or configuration that is essential to the present invention.

[0008] Aspect 1. The disclosed delivery pipe protective structure protects a delivery pipe of an engine mounted in a front accommodation compartment of a vehicle, and includes a protective member that protects the delivery pipe. A throttle body incorporating a throttle valve is disposed forward of the engine block at a distance and fixed to an intake manifold via an adapter. The delivery pipe is attached to a fixed surface at the upper front of the engine block and is located rearward of the throttle body. The protective member has a first fixed portion that is fixed to the fixed surface of the engine block, and a visor portion that extends forward from the first fixed portion and covers the delivery pipe with a gap above the delivery pipe. The upper surface of the front end of the visor portion is located below the lower end surface of the throttle body.

[0009] Aspect 2. In the above-mentioned aspect 1, it is preferable that the upper surface of the eave portion is inclined downward toward the front. Aspect 3. In the above-mentioned aspect 1 or 2, it is preferable that the protective member has an elongated shape along the longitudinal direction of the delivery pipe, and that a plurality of the first fixing portions are provided in the longitudinal direction at the rear portion of the protective member.

[0010] Aspect 4. In the above-mentioned Aspect 3, it is preferable that the protective member has second fixing portions provided at both longitudinal ends thereof and fixed to the engine block via support brackets. Aspect 5. In any of the above-mentioned Aspects 1 to 4, it is preferable that the upper end of the adapter is provided with a flange portion fixed to the throttle body, and the adapter and the protective member are arranged so that the flange portion and the eaves portion overlap when viewed from the front.

[0011] Aspect 6. In the above-mentioned Aspect 5, it is preferable to include a connecting bracket that connects the rear portion of the flange portion and the eaves portion. Aspect 7. In the above-mentioned Aspect 6, it is preferable that the throttle body, the protective member, and the connecting bracket are all made of metal, and the adapter is made of resin.

[0012] According to the disclosed delivery pipe protection structure, by setting the vertical position of the throttle body so that it is not directly facing the delivery pipe and protective member, even if the throttle body moves backward during a vehicle collision, the throttle body can be guided above the protective member, preventing the throttle body from colliding with the delivery pipe. This ensures the protection performance of the delivery pipe during a vehicle collision.

[0013] Fig. 5 is a top view for explaining the front configuration of a vehicle to which the protective structure for a delivery pipe according to the embodiment is applied. Fig. 6 is a top view showing an engine equipped with the protective structure for a delivery pipe according to the embodiment. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrows A-A in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the engine of Fig. 2 as viewed from the direction B. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a protective member provided in the protective structure for a delivery pipe according to the embodiment. Fig. 10 is a top view of the protective member of Fig. 5.

[0014] A protective structure for a delivery pipe according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are merely examples, and are not intended to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly described in the following embodiments. The configurations of the embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the embodiments. Furthermore, they can be selected or combined as needed.

[0015] Regarding the definition of directions in this embodiment, the front-rear direction (vehicle length direction) is defined based on the forward / reverse direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) is defined based on the front-rear direction. The up-down direction is defined based on the state in which the vehicle is stopped on a flat road surface. Note that, regarding the vehicle width direction, in the portion to the left of the vehicle body centerline in a top view of the vehicle, the left is the outer side of the vehicle and the right is the inner side of the vehicle. Furthermore, in the portion to the right of the vehicle body centerline in a top view of the vehicle, the right is the outer side of the vehicle and the left is the inner side of the vehicle.

[0016] The protective structure for a delivery pipe of this embodiment is a structure for protecting a delivery pipe of an engine mounted in a front accommodation compartment of a vehicle. The accommodation compartment referred to here includes, for example, an engine room, a motor room, a power unit room, etc., and is located in the front of the passenger compartment. The protective structure is provided with a protective member that protects the delivery pipe, and the configuration of the protective member and the arrangement of the equipment enable it to perform a protective function for the delivery pipe in the event of a vehicle collision.

[0017] [1. Overall Configuration] First, a description will be given of a front structure of a vehicle 1 to which a protective structure according to an embodiment is applied. As shown in FIG. 1 , an engine 10 and an FPDU 3 (Front Power Deliver Unit) are accommodated in an accommodation compartment 2 (front accommodation compartment) of the vehicle 1. An opening is provided at the upper end of the accommodation compartment 2, and a bonnet hood (not shown) is attached to this opening so as to be able to open and close. The engine 10 is an internal combustion engine serving as a drive unit, and is disposed within the accommodation compartment 2, for example, in a position from near the center to the right side in the vehicle width direction. The configuration of the engine 10 will be described in detail below.

[0018] The FPDU 3 is a high-voltage in-vehicle device to which high-voltage lines (three-phase lines and PN lines) (not shown) are connected. The FPDU 3 is disposed, for example, on the left side of the vehicle width direction center (left side of the engine 10) inside the accommodation chamber 2. An electric motor (not shown) is disposed below the FPDU 3 as a drive device.

[0019] A pair of side members 4 are disposed below the accommodation chamber 2. The side members 4 are one of the frame members provided to extend in the front-to-rear direction, and are provided at a predetermined interval in the vehicle width direction. A front support member (not shown) provided upright in the vertical direction is connected to the front end of each side member 4. The pair of front support members are provided at a predetermined interval in the vehicle width direction, and function to support the radiator unit and headlamp unit attached to the front end of the vehicle 1.

[0020] The upper ends of the left and right front support members are connected substantially horizontally by an upper bar 5. The upper bar 5 is a member for supporting the front end of the bonnet hood and is disposed, for example, along the edge of the opening to which the bonnet hood is attached. The lower ends of the left and right front support members are connected substantially horizontally by a front end cross member (not shown) that extends in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] An upper frame 6 is connected to both left and right ends of the upper bar 5. The upper frame 6 is one of the components provided to extend substantially horizontally forward from near the lower end of a front pillar (not shown) of the vehicle 1. A pair of upper frames 6 are arranged on the left and right above the accommodation compartment 2. The front fender panel (not shown) of the vehicle 1 is attached to the outside of the upper frame 6. In addition, front wheels and strut houses (not shown) are arranged below the upper frame 6. The upper bar 5 and upper frame 6 function to support the portion of the bonnet hood from both left and right end edges to the front edge.

[0022] A dash panel 7 is provided at the rear end of the accommodation compartment 2. The dash panel 7 is a planar member that divides the vehicle interior and the accommodation compartment 2 in the front-to-rear direction, and the space forward of the dash panel 7 forms the accommodation compartment 2. The dash panel 7 is erected to cover the rear end of the accommodation compartment 2, for example, from the upper end surface of the upper frame 6 to the upper end surface of the side member 4. The lower end of the dash panel 7 is provided to extend rearward in a planar manner along, for example, the upper end surface of the side member 4, and is connected to the floor panel (not shown) of the vehicle interior so as to be substantially flush with the floor panel.

[0023] A fender shield 8 is attached to the interior of the storage compartment 2. The fender shield 8 is a planar member that forms part of the bottom surface of the storage compartment 2 on the inside of the fender panel of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, a pair of fender shields 8 are provided on the inside of each of the left and right fender panels. The outer edge of the fender shield 8 on the vehicle side is connected to the upper frame 6. The inner edge of the fender shield 8 on the vehicle side may be connected to the side member 4, or may be provided so as to be spaced apart and above the side member 4.

[0024] [2. Protective Structure] Next, a protective structure according to this embodiment will be described. The engine 10 according to this embodiment is a multi-cylinder engine and includes a delivery pipe 18 for distributing and supplying fuel to each of the cylinders. As shown in Fig. 2, the engine 10 is mounted with the intake system 10A positioned forward of the exhaust system 10B, and the crankshaft (not shown) is disposed in a position extending in a direction substantially aligned with the vehicle width direction. In other words, the direction in which the cylinders of the engine 10 are aligned substantially aligned with the vehicle width direction.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the delivery pipe 18 is attached to the upper, front fixing surface 11a of the engine block 11 and is located rearward of the throttle body 15. The delivery pipe 18 has a pipe main body 18A that is elongated in the vehicle width direction and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape, and an end pipe 18B connected to the left end of the pipe main body 18A. The pipe main body 18A is attached to connect multiple injectors 19 (four in Figure 2) fixed to the engine block 11 together, and distributes and supplies fuel to each injector 19. The end pipe 18B is a thin pipe that delivers fuel to the pipe main body 18A.

[0026] The throttle body 15 is a highly rigid part (e.g., a metal part) that houses a throttle valve 16 (see FIG. 3 ), and is disposed in front of the engine block 11 with a gap therebetween, and is fixed to the intake manifold 13 via an adapter 17. The intake manifold 13 is, for example, a resin part, and is attached to the front side of the engine block 11. An exhaust manifold 14 is attached to the rear side of the engine block 11, and a cover 12 is attached to the top surface of the engine block 11.

[0027] The adapter 17 is a component molded from a material (e.g., resin) that is less rigid than the throttle body 15. As shown in FIG. 3 , the adapter 17 is generally cylindrical and has flanges 17C, 17D at its upper and middle portions in the vertical direction. The flange 17C at the upper end is fixed to the throttle body 15, and the flange 17D at the middle portion is fixed to the intake manifold 13. The lower cylindrical portion 17B of the adapter 17 is inserted into an opening provided in the upper surface of the intake manifold 13. The lower end surface 15b of the throttle body 15 abuts against the upper end surface 17a of the adapter 17 (the upper surface of the flange 17C), and in this state, the throttle body 15 and the adapter 17 are fixed by bolts.

[0028] 2 and 3 , the protective structure of this embodiment includes a protective member 20 that protects the delivery pipe 18. The protective member 20 has a first fixing portion 21 that is fixed to the upper, front fixing surface 11a of the engine block 11, and a canopy portion 25 that extends forward from the first fixing portion 21 and covers the delivery pipe 18 with a gap above the delivery pipe 18. The protective member 20 of this embodiment has an elongated shape that follows the longitudinal direction of the delivery pipe 18 (i.e., the vehicle width direction).

[0029] The protective member 20 has a plurality of (four in this example) first fixing portions 21 arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction (vehicle width direction) at the rear of the protective member 20. In the protective member 20 of this embodiment, two of the four first fixing portions 21 at both ends are arranged between two of the four injectors 19 on the left and right, respectively, and the remaining two first fixing portions 21 are both arranged between the two central injectors 19. By arranging them in this way, the injectors 19 and the first fixing portions 21 are arranged compactly together.

[0030] The number of injectors 19 is set according to the number of cylinders of the engine 10 and is not limited to four. The number of first fixing portions 21 is also not limited to four (the same as the number of injectors 19), and the positional relationship between the first fixing portions 21 and the injectors 19 is also an example. However, because the arrangement and shape of the protective member 20 are determined by the position of the delivery pipe 18, the first fixing portions 21 may be arranged near the positions where the injectors 19 are fixed.

[0031] 3 to 5, the first fixing portion 21 of this embodiment is erected upward from the fixing surface 11a of the engine block 11, and has a hole for inserting a bolt therethrough in the vertical direction. The vertical dimension of the first fixing portion 21 is set according to the vertical positional relationship between the fixing surface 11a and the delivery pipe 18. The protective member 20 is fixed to the engine block 11 in the vertical direction at the first fixing portion 21 by a bolt.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the eaves portion 25 is a portion that protects the delivery pipe 18. An upper surface 25a at the front end of the eaves portion 25 is located lower than the lower end surface 15b of the throttle body 15 (the upper end surface 17a of the adapter 17). This makes it easier for the throttle body 15 to ride up onto the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20 even if the throttle body 15 moves backward during a vehicle collision. In other words, by setting the vertical position of the throttle body 15 higher than the vertical position of the delivery pipe 18 and also setting the positional relationship with the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20, it is possible to guide the throttle body 15 to move upward when moving backward during a vehicle collision while avoiding direct confrontation between the throttle body 15 and the delivery pipe 18.

[0033] In this embodiment, the upper surface of the eaves portion 25 is inclined downward toward the front. In other words, the upper surface 25a at the front end of the eaves portion 25 is positioned lower than the upper surface at the rear end of the eaves portion 25. As a result, when the throttle body 15 moves backward during a vehicle collision, the throttle body 15 rides up onto the eaves portion 25 and is then easily guided diagonally upward. In this embodiment, the thickness (vertical dimension) of the eaves portion 25 is approximately uniform in the front-to-rear direction, so the entire eaves portion 25 has a shape that is inclined downward toward the front, and there are no areas of low rigidity in the entire eaves portion 25.

[0034] In the protective structure of this embodiment, the adapter 17 and the protective member 20 are arranged so that the flange portion 17C at the upper end of the adapter 17 overlaps with the eaves portion 25 when viewed from the front. That is, the vertical position of the flange portion 17C and the vertical position of the eaves portion 25 are set to be equivalent. More specifically, the adapter 17 and the protective member 20 are arranged so that the front end surface 25b of the eaves portion 25 is located immediately behind the flange portion 17C with a small gap. As a result, when the adapter 17 moves backward in addition to the throttle body 15 during a vehicle collision, the flange portion 17C of the adapter 17 immediately comes into contact with the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20, making it easier for the rearward-moving throttle body 15 to ride up onto the eaves portion 25.

[0035] 2 and 4, the protective member 20 of this embodiment has second fixing portions 22, 23 at both longitudinal ends thereof that are fixed to the engine block 11 via support brackets 32, 33. Hereinafter, the second fixing portion 22 at the left end of the protective member 20 will also be referred to as the left fixing portion 22, and the second fixing portion 23 at the right end will also be referred to as the right fixing portion 23. In this way, the protective member 20 is fixed to the engine block 11 at both left and right ends in addition to the rear end, so that the protective member 20 itself is prevented from being lifted up or falling over when subjected to a load during a vehicle collision.

[0036] The left fixing portion 22 is a fixing point that is fixed to the engine block 11 via a left support bracket 32 ​​(hereinafter also referred to as the "left bracket 32"). The left bracket 32 ​​has a curved L-shape in top view, one end of which is fastened to the left side surface of the engine block 11 with a bolt, and the other end of which is fastened to the left fixing portion 22 with a bolt. In this embodiment, the left bracket 32 ​​not only functions to fasten the protective member 20, but also functions as an engine slinger that suspends the engine 10 when the engine 10 is removed from the vehicle 1 and protects the end pipe 18B of the delivery pipe 18. Specifically, the left bracket 32 ​​is provided with a through-hole for attaching a sling tool when suspending the engine 10, and is provided to cover the front and left side of the end pipe 18B with a gap between it and the end pipe 18B.

[0037] The right fixing portion 23 is a fixing point that is fixed to the engine block 11 via a right support bracket 33 (hereinafter also referred to as the “right bracket 33”). The right bracket 33 is L-shaped in front view, and one end is fastened to the front surface of the engine block 11 with a bolt, and the other end is fastened to the right fixing portion 23 with a bolt.

[0038] In the protective member 20 of this embodiment, the bolt fastening directions of the left and right second fixing portions 22, 23 are different, as shown by the white arrows in Figure 6. Specifically, the bolt fastening direction of the left fixing portion 22 is the front-rear direction, and the bolt fastening direction of the right fixing portion 23 is the left-right direction. Furthermore, the bolt fastening direction of the first fixing portion 21 at the rear end is the up-down direction. In this way, by having the bolt fastening directions of the three fixing portions 21, 22, 23 all being different, displacement of the protective member 20 relative to the engine block 11 in the event of a vehicle collision is suppressed.

[0039] 2 to 4, the protective structure of this embodiment further includes a connecting bracket 30 that connects the rear of the flange 17C of the adapter 17 to the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20. Because the rear of the flange 17C is fixed to the protective member 20 in this way, if the adapter 17 moves backward in addition to the throttle body 15 during a vehicle collision, the throttle body 15 and the adapter 17 will break apart at their front portions, making it easier for only the throttle body 15 to climb over the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20. In other words, the breaking position between the throttle body 15 and the adapter 17 can be stabilized.

[0040] The eaves portion 25 is provided with a front fixing portion 24 to which the connecting bracket 30 is bolted. Also, while the connecting bracket 30 is illustrated here as an L-shaped plate when viewed from above, the shape of the connecting bracket 30 is not limited to this and may be simply linear when viewed from above. In this embodiment, in addition to the throttle body 15, the protective member 20 and the connecting bracket 30 are also made of metal and are components with higher rigidity than the adapter 17.

[0041] [3. Effects] (1) In the above-described protective structure, the throttle body 15 is disposed in front of the engine block 11 with a gap therebetween and is fixed to the intake manifold 13 via the adapter 17. The delivery pipe 18 is attached to the upper, front fixing surface 11a of the engine block 11 and is disposed rearward of the throttle body 15. The protective member 20 that protects the delivery pipe 18 has a first fixing portion 21 that is fixed to the fixing surface 11a of the engine block 11 and a visor portion 25 that extends forward from the first fixing portion 21 and covers the delivery pipe 18 with a gap above the delivery pipe 18, and the upper surface 25a at the front end of the visor portion 25 is disposed below the lower end surface 15b of the throttle body 15.

[0042] In this way, by setting the vertical position of the throttle body 15 so that it is not directly opposite the delivery pipe 18 and the protective member 20, even if the throttle body 15 moves backward during a vehicle collision, the throttle body 15 can be guided above the protective member 20, preventing the throttle body 15 from colliding with the delivery pipe 18. This ensures the protection performance of the delivery pipe 18 during a vehicle collision.

[0043] (2) In the protective member 20 described above, the upper surface of the eaves portion 25 is inclined downward toward the front. In other words, the upper surface of the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20 is inclined so that its front end position on the throttle body 15 side is low and it rises as it moves away from the throttle body 15 (i.e., toward the rear). Therefore, the throttle body 15, which moves backward in the event of a vehicle collision, can ride up onto the upper surface of the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20 and move away from the delivery pipe 18. This further improves the protection performance of the delivery pipe 18.

[0044] (3) The protective member 20 described above has an elongated shape that follows the longitudinal direction of the delivery pipe 18, and a plurality of first fixing portions 21 are provided in the longitudinal direction at the rear portion of the protective member 20. In this way, since a plurality of locations at the rear portion of the protective member 20 are fixed to the engine block, the protective member 20 itself can be prevented from lifting up or falling down when subjected to a load during a vehicle collision (i.e., displacement of the protective member 20 can be suppressed), and the protective performance of the delivery pipe 18 can be improved.

[0045] (4) Furthermore, the protective member 20 described above has second fixing portions 22, 23 at both longitudinal ends thereof that are fixed to the engine block 11 via support brackets 32, 33, so that the protective member 20 is fixed to the engine block 11 at three locations: the left and right sides and the rear of the protective member 20. This further reduces displacement of the protective member 20 in the event of a vehicle collision, further improving the protection performance of the delivery pipe 18.

[0046] (5) In the above-described protective structure, the upper end of the adapter 17 is provided with a flange portion 17C that is fixed to the throttle body 15, and the adapter 17 and protective member 20 are arranged so that the flange portion 17C and the eaves portion 25 overlap when viewed from the front. Therefore, when the throttle body 15 and adapter 17 move backward during a vehicle collision, the adapter 17 comes into contact with the protective member 20, facilitating separation (breakage) of the adapter 17 and the throttle body 15 and making it easier to guide the throttle body 15 above the protective member 20. This further improves the protection performance of the delivery pipe 18.

[0047] (6) In the above-described protective structure, a connecting bracket 30 is provided that connects the rear of the flange 17C of the adapter 17 to the eaves 25 of the protective member 20. This makes it possible to control the fracture position of the adapter 17 and the throttle body 15 in the event of a vehicle collision to the front portion of these components, thereby stabilizing the structure. This makes it easier to guide the throttle body above the protective member, further improving the protection performance of the delivery pipe.

[0048] (7) In the above-described protective structure, if the throttle body 15, protective member 20, and connecting bracket 30 are all made of metal and the adapter 17 is made of resin, even if the metal throttle body 15 moves backward during a vehicle collision, it is the adapter 17 that directly hits the protective member 20, and the throttle body 15 can ride up onto the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20 to avoid a direct collision. Furthermore, because the connecting bracket 30 that connects the adapter 17 and the protective member 20 is also a highly rigid part, the connected state between them can be maintained even during a vehicle collision, and the breaking position can be stabilized, thereby further improving the protection performance of the delivery pipe 18.

[0049] [4. Other] The protective structure for the delivery pipe 18 described above is an example and is not limited to the above. For example, the specific shape of the protective member 20 described above is an example, and the thickness (vertical dimension) of the eaves portion 25 may not be uniform in the front-to-rear direction, but may vary so that the upper surface of the eaves portion 25 slopes downward toward the front. Furthermore, it is not essential that the eaves portion 25 slopes downward toward the front, and the eaves portion 25 may extend in a substantially horizontal direction.

[0050] Furthermore, the illustrated protective member 20 has the eaves portion 25 partially hollowed out to reduce weight, but this hollowing out may be omitted. Furthermore, the engine 10 of the above embodiment is configured to have an air cleaner (not shown) attached above the cover 12, and the illustrated protective member 20 is provided with bosses for attaching the air cleaner, but these may also be omitted. Furthermore, the positions and numbers of the first fixing portion 21 and the second fixing portions 22, 23, as well as the bolt fastening directions, are merely examples and are not limited to the above-described configurations, and one or both of the left and right second fixing portions 22, 23 may be omitted.

[0051] The specific shape of the adapter 17 described above is also an example, and the positional relationship between the adapter 17 and the protective member 20 is not limited to the configuration described above. For example, the eaves portion 25 of the protective member 20 may be offset in the vertical direction from the flange portion 17C of the adapter 17. That is, the throttle body 15 may be positioned higher relative to the protective member 20 than in the embodiment described above. Even with this configuration, as in the embodiment described above, even if the throttle body 15 moves backward during a vehicle collision, the throttle body 15 can be guided above the protective member 20. Note that the connecting bracket 30 described above may be omitted. Furthermore, the materials of each component and portion are also an example, and are not limited to those described above.

[0052] The present invention is applicable to the manufacturing industry of engines to be mounted on vehicles, and also applicable to the manufacturing industry of vehicles equipped with such engines.

[0053] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 2 accommodation compartment (front accommodation compartment) 10 engine 11 engine block 11a fixing surface 13 intake manifold 15 throttle body 15b lower end surface 16 throttle valve 17 adapter 17C flange portion 18 delivery pipe 20 protective member 21 first fixing portion 22 left fixing portion (second fixing portion) 23 right fixing portion (second fixing portion) 25 canopy portion 25a upper surface of front end 30 connecting bracket 32 ​​left bracket (support bracket) 33 right bracket (support bracket)

Claims

1. A structure for protecting a delivery pipe of an engine mounted in a front accommodation compartment of a vehicle, a protection member for protecting the delivery pipe; The throttle body, which incorporates the throttle valve, is located in front of the engine block at a distance and is fixed to the intake manifold via an adapter. the delivery pipe is attached to a fixed surface at an upper front portion of the engine block and is located rearward of the throttle body, the protective member has a first fixing portion fixed to the fixing surface of the engine block, and a visor portion extending forward from the first fixing portion to cover the delivery pipe with a gap above the delivery pipe, the protective member has an elongated shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the delivery pipe, an upper surface of the front end of the overhanging portion is located below a lower end surface of the throttle body, a plurality of first fixing portions are provided in the longitudinal direction at the rear portion of the protection member, The protective member has second fixing portions provided at both longitudinal ends thereof and fixed to the engine block via support brackets. A protective structure for a delivery pipe, characterized in that:

2. The upper surface of the eaves portion is inclined downward toward the front.

2. The protection structure for a delivery pipe according to claim 1.

3. The adapter has an upper end provided with a flange portion that is fixed to the throttle body, The adapter and the protective member are arranged such that the flange portion and the eaves portion overlap when viewed from the front.

3. The protective structure for a delivery pipe according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A connecting bracket is provided to connect the rear portion of the flange portion and the eaves portion.

4. The protection structure for a delivery pipe according to claim 3.

5. the throttle body, the protective member, and the connecting bracket are all made of metal; The adapter is made of resin.

5. The protection structure for a delivery pipe according to claim 4.