Vehicle front structure

Abstract

This vehicle front structure is provided with an upper bar cover (100) that closes the upper side of an outside air introduction space (S) extending from an outside air intake (45) provided to a radiator grille (11) to a radiator (51) on the vehicle rear side. The upper bar cover (100) is inclined downward from an upper end of the radiator grille (11) toward the rear of the vehicle, is connected to an upper bar (33) provided along the vehicle width direction, and has a first bent part (121) extending along the vehicle width direction in the middle of the vehicle front-rear direction.

Description

Vehicle front structure

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

[0002] For example, the front of an engine compartment of a vehicle such as an automobile is covered by a radiator grille, and the upper side is opened and closed by a hood (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In such a vehicle, as shown in Figure 11, for example, in a structure equipped with a radiator grill 5 composed of a mid-grill 2 having an outside air intake 1 and an upper grill 4 provided at the front end of a hood 3 that opens and closes the engine compartment Er, an upper bar cover 6 is provided to cover the upper part of the mid-grill 2 on the rear side of the vehicle, forming an outside air intake space S for guiding outside air Ao taken in through the outside air intake 1 to a radiator 8 on the rear side of the vehicle.

[0004] International Publication No. 2023 / 182315

[0005] In a vehicle equipped with a radiator grille 5 in which the upper grille 4 on the hood 3 side is integrally formed on top of the mid grille 2 as described above, the upper part of the radiator grille 5 extends above the upper bar cover 6, which impairs the appearance of the engine compartment Er when the hood 3 is opened. In this case, the appearance can be improved by connecting the upper bar cover 6 to the top end of the radiator grille 5 and closing the rear side of the radiator grille 5 with the upper bar cover 6. However, with such a structure, the rigidity of the upper part of the radiator grille 5 to which the upper bar cover 6 is connected becomes too high, which increases deformation resistance during a collision and makes it difficult to ensure good pedestrian protection performance.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle front structure that is excellent in shock absorption during a collision and that looks good when the hood is open.

[0007] The present invention comprises the following configuration: A vehicle front structure equipped with an upper bar cover that closes the top of an outside air introduction space that extends from an outside air intake provided in a radiator grille to on-board equipment at the rear of the vehicle, wherein the upper bar cover slopes downward from the upper end of the radiator grille toward the rear of the vehicle, is connected to an upper bar that is provided along the vehicle width direction, and has a bent portion that extends along the vehicle width direction midway between the front and rear of the vehicle.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle front structure that has excellent impact absorption properties in the event of a collision and that looks good when the hood is open.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an engine compartment at the front of a vehicle, illustrating a vehicle front structure according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the engine compartment at the front of the vehicle with the upper bar cover removed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in FIG. 1 with the hood closed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV in FIG. 1 with the hood closed. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along V-V in FIG. 1 with the hood closed. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper bar cover as viewed from the front. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the upper bar cover as viewed from the rear. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pillar portion provided in the upper bar cover. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an opening provided in the upper bar cover. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the horizontal direction of a vertical wall portion formed in the opening. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the vehicle longitudinal direction at the front of a vehicle equipped with an upper bar cover.

[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an engine room Er at the front of a vehicle, illustrating a vehicle front structure according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the engine room Er at the front of the vehicle with the upper bar cover 100 removed. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along III-III in FIG. 1 with the hood 13 closed. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV in FIG. 1 with the hood 13 closed. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along V-V in FIG. 1 with the hood 13 closed. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper bar cover 100 as viewed from the front. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the upper bar cover 100 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a pillar portion 141 provided in the upper bar cover 100. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an opening 151 provided in the upper bar cover 100. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the horizontal direction of a standing wall portion 171 formed in the opening 151. In FIG. 1, the symbol FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the symbol UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the symbol HL indicates the width direction of the vehicle.

[0011] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 , the vehicle front structure according to this embodiment is a front structure having an engine compartment Er in a vehicle V, such as an automobile. The vehicle V includes a radiator grille 11 and an upper bar cover 100. The radiator grille 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle V and covers the front of the engine compartment Er. The upper bar cover 100 is provided inside the engine compartment Er on the vehicle rear side of the upper edge of the radiator grille 11. The vehicle V also includes a hood 13 that covers the upper part of the engine compartment Er. The rear side of the hood 13 is rotatably connected to the vehicle body, and the engine compartment Er is opened and closed by rotating the hood 13. A U-shaped striker 15 is fixed to the underside of the front end of the hood 13 (see FIG. 3 ).

[0012] A pair of left and right headlamps 17 that irradiate light ahead of the vehicle V are provided on both sides of the radiator grille 11 in the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle V. In addition, a front bumper 19 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided below the radiator grille 11.

[0013] The vehicle V has a reinforcement 31 and an upper bar 33 at the front upper side inside the engine compartment Er. The reinforcement 31 and the upper bar 33 are structural members of the vehicle body and are made of metal such as steel. The reinforcement 31 and the upper bar 33 are arranged in this order from the front side of the vehicle V, and are each provided along the vehicle width direction. A bracket 35 is attached to the reinforcement 31, and this bracket 35 extends toward the front side of the vehicle.

[0014] The radiator grille 11 is fixed in an upright position at the front end of the vehicle V. The radiator grille 11 has a mid grille 41 and an upper grille 43. The upper grille 43 is connected to the upper part of the mid grille 41. The radiator grille 11 has a plurality of outside air intakes 45 that penetrate in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle so as to be able to take in outside air Ao while the vehicle V is traveling. These outside air intakes 45 are formed in the mid grille 41 of the radiator grille 11. A bracket 35 attached to the reinforcement 31 extends to the upper end position of the mid grille 41 of the radiator grille 11. As a result, the upper part of the radiator grille 11 between the mid grille 41 and the reinforcement 31 is covered by the bracket 35.

[0015] A radiator (vehicle equipment) 51 is disposed in the engine compartment Er on the vehicle rear side of the radiator grille 11. The radiator 51 is disposed inside the engine compartment Er as a heat exchanger that cools fluids such as engine coolant and engine oil by exchanging heat with outside air Ao. The radiator 51 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the radiator grille 11, facing the mid-grill 41 in which the outside air intake 45 is provided. Outside air Ao flowing in through the outside air intake 45 of the radiator grille 11 is blown onto the radiator 51. As a result, the fluid flowing through the radiator 51 is cooled by heat exchange with the outside air Ao. In this way, in the vehicle V, the space portion extending from the outside air intake 45 provided in the mid-grill 41 of the radiator grille 11 to the radiator 51, which is an on-board equipment on the vehicle rear side, is defined as an outside air introduction space S. The radiator 51 is disposed at a position overlapping a flat plate portion 115 of a first portion 101 of an upper bar cover 100 (described later) when viewed from the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0016] The upper bar cover 100 is a member extending in the vehicle width direction, and is provided between the upper edge of the radiator grille 11 and the upper bar 33. As a result, the outside air introduction space S, which extends from the outside air intake 45 to the radiator 51, which is an on-board device at the rear of the vehicle, is blocked by the upper bar cover 100 across the entire width of the vehicle.

[0017] 6 and 7 , the upper bar cover 100 includes a first portion 101 and a second portion 103. The first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 extends from the upper end of the radiator grille 11 toward the rear of the vehicle and is connected to the upper bar 33 provided along the vehicle width direction. The second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100 extends from the first portion 101 toward the front of the vehicle and forms the upper wall of the outside air introduction space S. The upper bar cover 100, which includes the first portion 101 and the second portion 103, is integrally molded from resin.

[0018] The first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 has, in order from the front side of the vehicle, a grill fixing plate portion 111, an inclined plate portion 113, a flat plate portion 115, a vertical plate portion 117, and an upper bar fixing plate portion 119.

[0019] The first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 is fixed at the grille fixing plate portion 111 to the upper end of the radiator grille 11, and at the upper bar fixing plate portion 119 to the upper bar 33. As a result, the first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 is connected to the upper bar 33, inclining downward from the upper end of the radiator grille 11 toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0020] The grille fixing plate portion 111 is disposed substantially horizontally. The inclined plate portion 113 is inclined downward from the vehicle rear edge of the grille fixing plate portion 111 toward the vehicle rear. The flat plate portion 115 is inclined slightly upward from the vehicle rear edge of the inclined plate portion 113 toward the vehicle rear. The vertical plate portion 117 extends downward from the vehicle rear edge of the flat plate portion 115. The upper bar fixing plate portion 119 is formed on the lower side of the vehicle rear surface of the vertical plate portion 117.

[0021] The first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 has a first bent portion (bent portion) 121, a second bent portion 123, and a third bent portion 125 extending along the vehicle width direction at the midpoint in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0022] In the first part 101 of the upper bar cover 100, the point where the inclination angle between the grill fixing plate portion 111 and the inclined plate portion 113 changes is designated as a first bend portion 121, the point where the inclination angle between the inclined plate portion 113 and the flat plate portion 115 changes is designated as a second bend portion 123, and the point where the inclination angle between the flat plate portion 115 and the vertical plate portion 117 changes is designated as a third bend portion 125.

[0023] The second bent portion 123 is bent in the opposite direction to the first bent portion 121, and the third bent portion 125 is bent in the opposite direction to the second bent portion 12. Specifically, the first bent portion 121 and the third bent portion 125 are bent so that the upper surface side of the upper bar cover 100 forms a mountain shape, and the second bent portion 123 is bent so that the upper surface side of the upper bar cover 100 forms a valley shape. In this way, the bending directions of the first bent portion 121, the second bent portion 123, and the third bent portion 125 are staggered toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0024] The second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100 is connected to the underside of the first portion 101. The second portion 103 extends toward the front of the vehicle from the location where the second bent portion 123 is formed in the first portion 101. The second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100 has, in order from the front of the vehicle, a reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 and a vertical plate portion 133.

[0025] In the second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100, a reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 is fixed to the reinforcement 31. The vertical plate portion 133 extends upward from the edge of the reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 on the rear side of the vehicle and is connected to the first portion 101. In detail, the vertical plate portion 133 is connected to the connection portion between the rear end of the inclined plate portion 113 and the front end of the flat plate portion 115 of the first portion 101. This connection portion between the first portion 101 and the second portion 103 is indicated by the reference numeral 109 in FIG. 4 .

[0026] The upper bar cover 100 has a protrusion 105 that protrudes upward in a cross section along the vehicle longitudinal direction (see FIGS. 4 and 5). The protrusion 105 is composed of a flat plate portion 115 and a vertical plate portion 117 of the first portion 101, and a vertical plate portion 133 of the second portion 103. By providing the upper bar cover 100 with the protrusion 105 that protrudes upward, the rigidity of the upper bar cover 100 can be increased.

[0027] The upper bar cover 100 has a plurality of grille fixing portions 111a arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction on the grille fixing plate portion 111 of the first portion 101. These grille fixing portions 111a are fixed to the upper end of the radiator grille 11 by clips C (see FIG. 4 ), thereby connecting the grille fixing plate portion 111 of the first portion 101 to the upper end of the radiator grille 11.

[0028] The upper bar cover 100 also has a plurality of upper bar fixing portions 119a arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction on the upper bar fixing plate portion 119 of the first portion 101. These upper bar fixing portions 119a are fixed to the upper bar 33 by clips C. As a result, the upper bar cover 100 has the upper bar fixing plate portion 119 of the first portion 101 connected to the upper bar 33.

[0029] Furthermore, the upper bar cover 100 has a plurality of reinforcement fixing portions 131a arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction on the reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 of the second portion 103. These reinforcement fixing portions 131a are fixed to the reinforcement 31 by clips C (see FIG. 5 ). As a result, the reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 of the second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100 is connected to the reinforcement 31.

[0030] The upper bar cover 100 has a pillar portion 141. This pillar portion 141 is provided further forward in the vehicle than a connection portion 109 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ) between the first portion 101 and the second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100. This pillar portion 141 is provided in the center of the upper bar cover 100 in the vehicle width direction. The pillar portion 141 extends in the vertical direction, with an upper end connected to the grill fixing plate portion 111 of the first portion 101 and a lower end connected to the reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 of the second portion 103. As a result, the first portion 101 and the second portion 103 are vertically connected by the pillar portion 141 at the front portion of the vehicle of the upper bar cover 100.

[0031] In this way, the rigidity of the upper bar cover 100 on the front side of the vehicle is increased by providing the pillar portion 141 that extends in the vertical direction and connects the first portion 101 and the second portion 103, further forward of the vehicle than the connection portion 109 between the first portion 101 and the second portion 103. In particular, since the pillar portion 141 is provided in the center portion of the upper bar cover 100 in the vehicle width direction, where a load is likely to be applied when a user places their hands on it, the rigidity of the center portion of the upper bar cover 100 in the vehicle width direction can be increased. Therefore, for example, when the hood 13 is open and a load is applied by a user placing their hands on the first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 connected to the top of the radiator grille 11, damage to the upper bar cover 100 can be reduced.

[0032] The pillar portion 141, which increases the rigidity of the vehicle front side of the upper bar cover 100, has a flat plate portion 143 and a rib 145. The flat plate portion 143 is formed in a flat plate shape and extends in the vehicle width direction. The rib 145 is formed integrally with the flat plate portion 143 at the center of the flat plate portion 143 in the vehicle width direction, on the vehicle front side so as to intersect with the flat plate portion 143. As a result, the pillar portion 141 is formed in a T-shape in a horizontal cross section. By configuring the pillar portion 141 in this way with the flat plate portion 143 and the rib 145 extending in a direction intersecting the flat plate portion 143, the rigidity of the pillar portion 141 can be improved with a simple shape.

[0033] The upper bar cover 100 has an opening 151 and an insertion hole 153 in the first portion 101. The upper bar cover 100 also has a communication hole 155 in the second portion 103. The opening 151, the insertion hole 153, and the communication hole 155 are all formed in the center of the upper bar cover 100 in the vehicle width direction.

[0034] The opening 151 is formed across the grill fixing plate portion 111 and the inclined plate portion 113 in the first portion 101. The insertion hole 153 is formed in the flat plate portion 115 in the first portion 101. The communication opening 155 is formed across a portion of the vertical plate portion 133 and the reinforcement fixing plate portion 131 in the second portion 103.

[0035] A latch 161 that engages and holds the striker 15 of the hood 13 is disposed inside the protrusion 105 of the upper bar cover 100 (see FIG. 3). When the engine room Er is closed by the hood 13, the striker 15 of the hood 13 is inserted into the insertion hole 153 of the upper bar cover 100. The latch 161 then engages and holds the striker 15 that has been inserted into the insertion hole 153. This allows the engine room Er to be maintained in a closed state by the hood 13.

[0036] The latch 161 has an operating lever 163. The operating lever 163 extends toward the front of the vehicle. The operating lever 163 is passed through the communication port 155 and the opening 151 of the upper bar cover 100, and an operating portion 165 at the tip of the operating lever 163 is disposed inside the opening 151.

[0037] When an opener provided at the driver's seat is operated while the striker 15 is engaged with the latch 161, the latch 161 releases the engagement of the striker 15 and engages the striker 15 in a state in which the hood 13 is raised enough to allow a user to insert their hand into the front end of the hood 13. In this engaged state, the user can insert their hand into the gap between the radiator grille 11 on the front end side and the hood 13 and operate the operating portion 165 of the operating lever 163, thereby releasing the engagement of the striker 15 by the latch 161. This makes it possible to rotate the hood 13 and open the engine compartment Er.

[0038] 8 and 9, the pillar portion 141 formed on the upper bar cover 100 is connected to the edge of the opening 151 on the vehicle front side in the grill fixing plate portion 111 of the first portion 101 and extends toward the second portion 103. In this way, the strength of the first portion 101, which is reduced by providing the opening 151, can be reinforced by the pillar portion 141.

[0039] Furthermore, the grille fixing plate portion 111 of the first portion 101 of the upper bar cover 100 has a standing wall portion 171 formed on the edge of the opening 151. The standing wall portions 171 are formed on the edge of the opening 151 on the front side of the vehicle and on both edges in the vehicle width direction, and each extends downward. At the upper end side of the pillar portion 141, the flat plate portion 143 is integral with the standing wall portion 171.

[0040] In this way, by forming the standing wall portion 171 extending downward from the edge of the opening 151, it is possible to reinforce the formation location of the opening 151 in the upper bar cover 100. In addition, it is possible to close the inner peripheral portion of the opening 151 with the standing wall portion 171, thereby improving the appearance.

[0041] 9 and 10 , the standing wall portion 171 is formed on both edges in the vehicle width direction, excluding the portion where the first bent portion 121 formed in the first section 101 is formed. As a result, the standing wall portion 171 is divided in the vehicle front-rear direction, with the first bent portion 121 as the boundary, into a front divided standing wall portion 173 and a rear divided standing wall portion 175. The front divided standing wall portion 173 and the rear divided standing wall portion 175 are disposed at positions offset in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the rear divided standing wall portion 175 is disposed at a position offset outward in the vehicle width direction relative to the front divided standing wall portion 173. The front divided standing wall portion 173 and the rear divided standing wall portion 175 are not connected, and a gap exists between them.

[0042] As described above, according to the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment, by connecting the upper end of the radiator grille 11 to the upper bar 33 with the upper bar cover 100, the gap between the top of the radiator grille 11 and the upper bar 33 is sealed, improving the appearance when the hood 13 is opened to reveal the engine compartment Er. Moreover, the second portion 103 of the upper bar cover 100 forms the upper wall of the outside air introduction space S, allowing the outside air Ao flowing in from the outside air intake 45 to be smoothly guided to the radiator 51 without reducing its wind speed, thereby enabling efficient heat dissipation. This allows efficient cooling of various fluids such as coolant and engine oil flowing through the radiator 51.

[0043] Additionally, the upper bar cover 100 has a first bent portion 121 extending along the vehicle width direction at the midpoint in the vehicle longitudinal direction. This improves the rigidity of the upper bar cover 100, and in the event of a vehicle collision, the upper bar cover 100 breaks at the first bent portion 121, allowing the impact of the collision to be absorbed well. This ensures good pedestrian protection performance and improves safety.

[0044] In the event of a vehicle collision, when an impact is applied to the upper bar cover 100 from above the vehicle V (from the direction of arrow D1 in FIG. 4), the first bent portion 121 absorbs the impact by cracking along the vehicle width direction so that the valley side opens. Furthermore, the second bent portion 123 also absorbs the impact by cracking along the vehicle width direction so that the valley side opens.

[0045] Furthermore, in the event of a vehicle collision, when an impact is applied to the upper bar cover 100 from the front side of the vehicle V (from the direction of arrow D2 in FIG. 4), the first bent portion 121 absorbs the impact by cracking along the vehicle width direction so that the valley side closes. Furthermore, the second bent portion 123 also absorbs the impact by cracking along the vehicle width direction so that the valley side closes. In particular, when an impact is received from the front side, the upper bar cover 100 can further improve its impact absorption by folding at the first bent portion 121 and the second bent portion 123, where the inclination direction changes.

[0046] The vehicle front structure of this embodiment, which is equipped with such an upper bar cover 100, can effectively absorb impacts from various directions, such as from above or from the front, ensuring good pedestrian protection performance and improving safety.

[0047] Furthermore, the standing wall portion 171 formed on the edge of the opening 151 of the upper bar cover 100 is formed in a portion excluding the portion where the first bent portion 121 is formed. Therefore, it is possible to ensure good shock absorption in the event of a collision due to the upper bar cover 100 cracking at the first bent portion 121, while also ensuring reinforcement of the portion where the opening 151 is formed and good appearance.

[0048] Furthermore, the standing wall portion 171 is divided into a front divided standing wall portion 173 and a rear divided standing wall portion 175 in the vehicle longitudinal direction at the first bent portion 121, and these front divided standing wall portion 173 and rear divided standing wall portion 175 are positioned at positions offset in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when the upper bar cover 100 receives an impact from the front side and breaks so as to be folded, interference between the front divided standing wall portion 173 and the rear divided standing wall portion 175 can be suppressed. This allows the upper bar cover 100 to deform smoothly during a collision, ensuring good impact absorption.

[0049] In the above embodiment, an example is given of an upper bar cover 100 having a second part 103 extending from the first part 101 toward the front of the vehicle, but the upper bar cover 100 is not limited to one having the second part 103.

[0050] As such, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention also contemplates the mutual combination of the various components of the embodiments, as well as modifications and applications by those skilled in the art based on the description in the specification and well-known techniques, and these modifications and applications are included in the scope of protection sought.

[0051] As described above, this specification discloses the following: (1) A vehicle front structure including an upper bar cover that closes the top of an outside air introduction space that extends from an outside air intake provided in a radiator grille to on-board equipment at the rear of the vehicle, wherein the upper bar cover slopes downward from the top end of the radiator grille toward the rear of the vehicle, is connected to an upper bar that is provided along the vehicle width direction, and has a bent portion that extends along the vehicle width direction midway between the front and rear of the vehicle.

[0052] According to this vehicle front structure, the upper bar cover is connected to the upper bar, sloping downward from the top end of the radiator grille toward the rear of the vehicle, and has a bent portion extending along the vehicle width direction midway between the front and rear of the vehicle. By providing this upper bar cover, the rigidity of the vehicle front can be improved, and in the event of a vehicle collision, the bent portion breaks, allowing for good impact absorption, ensuring good pedestrian protection performance and improving safety.

[0053] (2) The vehicle front structure according to (1), wherein the upper bar cover is inclined downward from an upper end of the radiator grille toward the rear of the vehicle and further inclined upward toward the rear of the vehicle.

[0054] According to this vehicle front structure, in the event of a collision, the upper bar cover folds at the point where the tilt direction changes, thereby further improving impact absorption.

[0055] (3) The vehicle front structure according to (1) or (2), wherein the upper bar cover has an opening, and a standing wall portion extending downward from an edge portion of the opening is formed in the opening.

[0056] According to this vehicle front structure, the upper bar cover has an opening, which allows, for example, a latch lever for opening the hood to be placed in the opening. Furthermore, the vertical wall extending downward from the edge of the opening reinforces the area where the opening is formed in the upper bar cover. Furthermore, the vertical wall closes the inner periphery of the opening, improving its appearance.

[0057] (4) The vehicle front structure according to (3), wherein the upright wall portion is formed in a portion of the edge of the opening excluding a portion where the bent portion is formed.

[0058] According to this vehicle front structure, by forming a vertical wall portion at the edge of the opening excluding the portion where the bend is formed, it is possible to ensure good impact absorption in the event of a collision due to the upper bar cover cracking at the bend, while also reinforcing the portion where the opening is formed and ensuring a good appearance.

[0059] (5) The vehicle front structure according to (4), wherein the upright wall portion is divided in the vehicle longitudinal direction at the bent portion and arranged at positions shifted in the vehicle width direction.

[0060] According to this vehicle front structure, the vertical wall sections, which are divided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the bend, are positioned at positions offset in the vehicle width direction, so that when the upper bar cover is broken at the bend, interference between the divided vertical wall sections can be reduced, allowing the upper bar cover to deform smoothly in the event of a collision, ensuring good impact absorption.

[0061] (6) The vehicle front structure according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the upper bar cover has a convex portion that protrudes upward in a cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0062] According to this vehicle front structure, the rigidity of the upper bar cover can be increased by providing a convex portion that protrudes upward in a cross-sectional view along the vehicle fore-and-aft direction on the upper bar cover.

[0063] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Radiator grille 33 Upper bar 45 Outside air intake 51, 53 Radiator (heat exchanger, on-board equipment) 100 Upper bar cover 105 Convex portion 121 First bent portion (bent portion) 151 Opening 171 Standing wall portion 173 Front divided standing wall portion (standing wall portion) 175 Rear divided standing wall portion (standing wall portion) S Outside air intake space portion

Claims

1. A vehicle front structure equipped with an upper bar cover that closes the upper part of the outside air introduction space that runs from an outside air intake provided in the radiator grille to on-board equipment at the rear of the vehicle, wherein the upper bar cover slopes downward from the top end of the radiator grille toward the rear of the vehicle, is connected to an upper bar that is provided along the vehicle width direction, and has a bent portion that extends along the vehicle width direction midway between the front and rear of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper bar cover slopes downward from the upper end of the radiator grille toward the rear of the vehicle, and then slopes upward toward the rear of the vehicle.

3. A vehicle front structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper bar cover has an opening, and a vertical wall portion extending downward from an edge of the opening is formed.

4. A vehicle front structure according to claim 3, wherein the upright wall portion is formed in a portion of the edge of the opening excluding the portion where the bent portion is formed.

5. The vehicle front structure according to claim 4, wherein the vertical wall portion is divided in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the bent portion and arranged at positions offset in the vehicle width direction.

6. A vehicle front structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper bar cover has a convex portion that protrudes upward in a cross section along the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Images