Vehicle beam and front structure of vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle beam (20) is provided with a beam body (30) configured so as to be disposed so as to extend in a vehicle width direction within an instrument panel. Both ends of the beam body (30) in the vehicle width direction are configured to be attached to the vehicle body. The beam body (30) has a duct part (31) that extends in the vehicle width direction and forms a flow path through which air for air conditioning from an air conditioner flows, and a guide rib (43) that protrudes downward from the outer surface of the lower part of the duct part (31) and extends in the vehicle width direction. A protruding end (44a) of the guide rib (43) is inclined in relation to the vehicle width direction.

Description

Vehicle beam and vehicle front structure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a beam for a vehicle and a front structure of a vehicle.

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a steering support beam (hereinafter referred to as a beam). This beam has a beam body that extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle inside an instrument panel.

[0003] The beam body is formed into a generally rectangular cylindrical shape by assembling two divided members each having a generally L-shaped cross section. The beam body is formed with an air inlet through which conditioned air, adjusted to a predetermined temperature by an air conditioner, flows into the interior of the beam body, and a plurality of air outlets through which the conditioned air is discharged into the vehicle interior.

[0004] In such beams, the beam body functions as an air conditioning duct.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-345396

[0006] When the beam body is cooled by the air conditioning, condensation occurs, causing water droplets to adhere to the outer surface of the beam body. The water droplets then flow downward along the outer surface of the beam body and fall off the outer surface due to the weight of the beam body or the vibration of the vehicle. This can cause problems for components located below the beam body, such as wire harnesses and electronic components, which may be affected by the adhesion of water droplets.

[0007] A vehicle beam according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle beam having a beam body configured to be arranged to extend in the vehicle width direction within an instrument panel, and both ends of the beam body in the vehicle width direction are configured to be attached to the vehicle body, and when the up-down direction of the vehicle is simply defined as the up-down direction, the beam body has a duct portion that extends in the vehicle width direction and forms a flow path through which air-conditioning air from an air conditioning unit flows, and a guide rib that protrudes downward in the up-down direction from the outer surface of the lower part of the duct portion and extends in the vehicle width direction, and the tip end of the guide rib is inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction.

[0008] A front structure of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises the vehicle beam and an electronic component arranged below the guide rib in the vertical direction, and the portion of the tip of the guide rib that is located lowest in the vertical direction is in a position that does not overlap with the electronic component in the vertical direction.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a partial side cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a vehicle front structure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vehicle beam of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle beam of FIG. 2, seen from the opposite side. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a rear view schematically showing the left portion of the beam body of the vehicle beam of FIG. 2. FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the lower divided body of the vehicle beam of FIG. 2, focusing on the inlet. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a rear view schematically showing a first modified example of a guide rib. FIG. 9 is a rear view schematically showing a second modified example of a guide rib. FIG. 10 is a rear view corresponding to FIG. 5, schematically showing a third modified example of a guide rib.

[0010] An embodiment of a vehicle beam and a vehicle front structure will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 7. Hereinafter, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 will be referred to as the longitudinal direction, and the front and rear of the longitudinal direction will be simply referred to as the front and rear. The width direction of the vehicle 10 will be referred to as the vehicle width direction, and the right and left sides in the vehicle width direction when viewed from the rear of the vehicle to the front will be simply referred to as the right and left sides. The vertical direction of the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 is positioned on a horizontal plane will be referred to as the vertical direction, and the upper and lower sides in the vertical direction will be simply referred to as the upper and lower sides.

[0011] <Front Structure 10A of Vehicle 10> As shown in FIG. 1, a front structure 10A is provided in front of a driver's seat (not shown) and a passenger seat 11 in the passenger compartment of the vehicle 10.

[0012] The front structure 10A includes an instrument panel 13, an airbag device 14, multiple electronic control units (hereinafter referred to as ECUs 15 and 16), and a vehicle beam (hereinafter referred to as beam 20). The instrument panel 13 is disposed below the windshield 12. The airbag device 14, the ECUs 15 and 16, and the beam 20 are provided inside the instrument panel 13.

[0013] The airbag device 14 is a device for protecting an occupant seated in the passenger seat 11 from impacts such as a frontal collision, and includes a case 14a, an airbag 14b, and an inflator 14c. The case 14a is fastened to the beam 20 via a bracket or the like (not shown). The airbag 14b is housed inside the case 14a in a folded state. The inflator 14c is fixed to the case 14a and built into the front end of the airbag 14b.

[0014] The ECU 15 is a so-called airbag control ECU that activates the inflator 14c by detecting a frontal collision of the vehicle 10 based on information from a collision sensor (not shown). The ECU 15 is electrically connected to the inflator 14c.

[0015] The ECU 16 is a so-called air conditioner control ECU that controls the temperature, air volume, etc. of the conditioned air A from the air conditioner 17 based on information from various sensors such as a temperature sensor (not shown). The ECU 16 is electrically connected to the air conditioner 17 (see FIG. 3).

[0016] In this embodiment, both ECUs 15 and 16 are disposed below the beam 20. Specifically, the ECUs 15 and 16 are disposed at positions spaced apart from the beam 20 and overlapping with the beam 20 in the up-down direction. Note that in this embodiment, both ECUs 15 and 16 correspond to electronic components according to the present disclosure.

[0017] The beam 20 supports a steering column (both not shown) that holds a steering shaft extending from a steering wheel, and extends in the vehicle width direction as a whole. Both ends of the beam 20 in the vehicle width direction are attached to the vehicle body.

[0018] The following describes in detail each component of the beam 20. <Beam 20> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the beam 20 has a beam main body 30 and a peripheral portion as the other component.

[0019] The beam body 30 has a duct portion 31, an inlet 33, multiple outlets 34, and multiple mounting portions 35. The duct portion 31 extends in the vehicle width direction and constitutes the main portion of the beam body 30. The duct portion 31 has a hollow shape. Specifically, the duct portion 31 is cylindrical with both ends in the vehicle width direction closed. A flow path 32 is formed inside the duct portion 31, through which the air-conditioning air A from the air conditioning unit 17 flows (see FIG. 4 ).

[0020] The inlet 33 is cylindrical and protrudes forward from the center of the duct portion 31 in the vehicle width direction. The cross-sectional shape of the inlet 33 along an imaginary plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is a rectangle that is long in the vehicle width direction. The front end of the inlet 33 is connected to the air conditioning unit 17 (see FIG. 3 ). Thus, the inlet 33 functions to guide the air-conditioning air A from the air conditioning unit 17 to the flow path 32.

[0021] Each outlet 34 is cylindrical and protrudes rearward from the duct portion 31. The cross section of each outlet 34 along an imaginary plane perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction is square. The rear end of each outlet 34 is connected to an outlet 18 for air conditioning air A attached to the instrument panel 13 (see FIG. 2 ). As a result, each outlet 34 functions to guide the air conditioning air A flowing through the flow path 32 toward the outlet 18. In this embodiment, two outlets 34 are provided in the center of the duct portion 31 in the vehicle width direction, and one outlet 34 is provided at each end of the duct portion 31 in the vehicle width direction, corresponding to the outlets 18.

[0022] The mounting portions 35 are provided on both ends of the duct portion 31 in the vehicle width direction. Each mounting portion 35 has an upper mounting portion 35a that protrudes upward from the outer surface of the duct portion 31 and a lower mounting portion 35b that protrudes downward from the outer surface. When each mounting portion 35 is fastened to a front pillar (not shown) of the vehicle body, the beam main body 30, and therefore the beam 20, is fixed to the vehicle body.

[0023] The peripheral portion includes a plurality of support portions for attaching various components to the beam body 30 and a plurality of stay portions for connecting the beam body 30 to the vehicle body. The plurality of support portions include a steering support portion to which a steering column is fastened via a bracket or the like, and an airbag support portion to which the case 14a of the airbag device 14 is fastened via a bracket or the like. For example, if the vehicle 10 is a right-hand drive vehicle, the steering support portion is integrally formed with the right side portion of the beam body 30. In this case, the airbag support portion is integrally formed with the left side portion of the beam body 30. The plurality of stay portions are, for example, integrally formed with the right side portion of the beam body 30 and fastened to a cowl panel or dash panel of the vehicle body. Note that for convenience, the peripheral portion and the portion of the beam body 30 where the peripheral portion is provided are not shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0024] 2 to 4, the beam 20 is made up of a plurality of divided bodies. In this embodiment, the beam 20 is made up of two divided bodies: the upper divided body 21 that forms the upper part of the beam 20, and the lower divided body 23 that forms the lower part of the beam 20. The divided bodies 21 and 23 divide the beam main body 30 into two in the circumferential direction of the duct portion 31.

[0025] Each of the divided bodies 21, 23 is integrally molded from a resin material. From the viewpoint of improving rigidity and strength, it is preferable to use a fiber-reinforced resin as the resin material. In this embodiment, a polyamide resin containing glass fiber is used.

[0026] The upper segment 21 has an upper beam half 30a that constitutes the upper half of the beam main body 30. The upper beam half 30a has a semi-cylindrical upper peripheral wall 31a, an upper inlet half 33a that is connected to the upper peripheral wall 31a and protrudes forward, and a plurality of upper outlet half 34a that is connected to the upper peripheral wall 31a and protrudes rearward.

[0027] The upper peripheral wall portion 31a constitutes the upper half of the duct portion 31. The upper inlet half body 33a constitutes the upper half of the inlet 33. The upper outlet half body 34a constitutes the upper half of the outlet 34.

[0028] A flange-shaped upper connecting portion 22 is integrally provided on the peripheral edge of the upper peripheral wall portion 31a and on the lower end portions of the upper inlet half body 33a and the upper outlet half body 34a which are continuous with the peripheral edge.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 4, the upper connection portion 22 has an upper opposing surface 22a extending along the dividing surface of the beam body 30, and an upper welding rib 22b protruding downward from the upper opposing surface 22a.

[0030] 2 to 4, the lower segment 23 has a lower beam half 30b that constitutes the lower half of the beam main body 30. The lower beam half 30b has a semi-cylindrical lower peripheral wall 31b, a lower inlet half 33b that is connected to the lower peripheral wall 31b and protrudes forward, and a plurality of lower outlet half 34b that is connected to the lower peripheral wall 31b and protrudes rearward.

[0031] The lower peripheral wall portion 31b constitutes the lower half of the duct portion 31. The lower inlet half body 33b constitutes the lower half of the inlet 33. The lower outlet half body 34b constitutes the lower half of the outlet 34.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, a flange-shaped lower connecting portion 24 is integrally provided on the peripheral edge of the lower peripheral wall portion 31b and on the upper end portions of the lower inlet half body 33b and the lower outlet half body 34b that are connected to the peripheral edge.

[0033] 4, the lower connection portion 24 has a lower opposing surface 24a extending along the dividing surface of the beam body 30 and a lower welding rib 24b protruding upward from the lower opposing surface 24a. The lower opposing surface 24a faces the upper opposing surface 22a in the vertical direction.

[0034] The upper welding rib 22b and the lower welding rib 24b are welded together using a well-known welding method such as vibration welding, thereby joining the upper connecting portion 22 and the lower connecting portion 24, and ultimately the upper division body 21 and the lower division body 23 together.

[0035] 2 to 7, the beam main body 30 has an upper reinforcing rib 41, a lower reinforcing rib 42, a first guide rib 43, and a pair of second guide ribs 47. The upper beam half 30a is integrally provided with the upper reinforcing rib 41.

[0036] The lower beam half 30b is integrally provided with a lower reinforcing rib 42, a first guide rib 43, and a second guide rib 47. For convenience, the inclined portion 44 of the first guide rib 43 and the second guide rib 47, which will be described later, are not shown in Figures 2 to 4.

[0037] 2 to 4, the upper reinforcement ribs 41 protrude upward from the outer surface of the upper peripheral wall portion 31a and extend in a mesh-like pattern along the outer surface. The protruding height of the upper reinforcement ribs 41 is constant throughout the entire extension direction.

[0038] 4 and 6, the lower reinforcing ribs 42 protrude downward from the outer surface of the lower peripheral wall portion 31b and extend in a mesh-like pattern along the outer surface. The protruding height of the lower reinforcing ribs 42 is constant throughout the entire extension direction.

[0039] <First guide rib 43, second guide rib 47> As shown in FIG. 5, the outer surface of the lower peripheral wall portion 31b is provided with a plurality of inclined portions 44 that protrude downward and extend in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, one inclined portion 44 is provided on each of the left and right sides of the lower peripheral wall portion 31b. The inclined portions 44 have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to an imaginary plane that passes through the center of the beam main body 30 in the vehicle width direction and is perpendicular to the vehicle width direction. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the inclined portion 44 provided on the left side of the lower peripheral wall portion 31b will be described, and a description of the configuration of the inclined portion 44 provided on the right side will be omitted. Note that FIG. 5 only shows the outline of the left side of the beam main body 30.

[0040] The protruding end 44a of the inclined portion 44 is inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the protruding end 44a is inclined so that it is positioned lower as it moves toward the left. The left end 44b of the inclined portion 44 is connected to the lower mounting portion 35b. In other words, the lower mounting portion 35b is located adjacent to the lowermost end 44b of the inclined portion 44 in the vehicle width direction. The lower mounting portion 35b protrudes downward beyond the end 44b. In other words, in this embodiment, the lower mounting portion 35b corresponds to the protruding portion according to the present disclosure, and the inclined portion 44 and the lower mounting portion 35b form the first guide rib 43.

[0041] The first guide rib 43 is disposed above the ECUs 15, 16 indicated by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 5. Meanwhile, the lower mounting portion 35b, which is the lowest portion of the first guide rib 43, is positioned so as not to overlap the ECUs 15, 16 in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the ECU 16 is disposed in the center of the beam 20 in the vehicle width direction, more specifically, below the inlet 33. The ECU 15 is disposed to the left of the ECU 16 in the vehicle width direction, in other words, closer to the lower mounting portion 35b.

[0042] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first guide rib 43 is located in the center of the duct portion 31 in the longitudinal direction. The inclined portion 44 intersects with the lower reinforcing rib 42. In this embodiment, multiple intersections 45 where the inclined portions 44 intersect with the lower reinforcing rib 42 are arranged at equal intervals in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 6). In other words, the lower reinforcing rib 42 corresponds to the reinforcing rib according to the present disclosure. The protruding height of the inclined portion 44 is greater than the protruding height of the lower reinforcing rib 42 at any of the intersections 45.

[0043] The pair of second guide ribs 47 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. The second guide ribs 47 protrude downward from the outer surface of the lower inlet half 33b, i.e., the lower end surface of the inlet 33, and extend in the front-rear direction. The protruding ends 47a of the second guide ribs 47 are inclined relative to the front-rear direction. Specifically, the protruding ends 47a are inclined so that they are positioned lower as they extend rearward (see FIG. 7). The rear end of the second guide rib 47 is connected to the inclined portion 44. The protruding height of the second guide rib 47 is equal to or less than the protruding height of the connecting portion 46 of the inclined portion 44 to which the second guide rib 47 is connected.

[0044] <Effects of the Present Embodiment> Next, the effects of the present embodiment will be described. (1) The beam body 30 has a first guide rib 43 that protrudes downward from the outer surface of the lower peripheral wall portion 31b and extends in the vehicle width direction. The tip 44a of the first guide rib 43 is inclined so as to be positioned downward as it moves toward the left.

[0045] With this configuration, water droplets that have formed on the outer surface of the duct portion 31 due to condensation flow along the outer surface of the duct portion 31 to the first guide rib 43. Here, the tip 44a of the first guide rib 43 is inclined downward as it approaches the left side. Therefore, the water droplets flow leftward along the tip 44a and then fall downward from the lowest portion of the first guide rib 43 due to its own weight, vibration of the vehicle 10, or the like. Therefore, by appropriately positioning the above portion of the first guide rib 43, the water droplets can be guided to a predetermined position in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, by arranging the first guide rib 43 above components, such as wire harnesses and electronic components, that may be affected by water droplets, and by setting the predetermined position so as not to overlap the components in the vertical direction, the components can be prevented from becoming wet with water droplets.

[0046] In this embodiment, the first guide ribs 43 are disposed above the ECUs 15, 16 in the vertical direction, while the lowermost portions of the first guide ribs 43 are positioned so as not to overlap the ECUs 15, 16 in the vertical direction. This allows the water droplets to be guided to a predetermined position where they are less likely to fall on the ECUs 15, 16. This prevents the ECUs 15, 16 from getting wet with water droplets.

[0047] (2) The beam 20 is composed of two divisions: a lower division 23 having the lower peripheral wall portion 31b and the first guide rib 43, and an upper division 21. The upper division 21 and the lower division 23 are each integrally molded from a resin material.

[0048] With this configuration, the lower segment 23, which has the lower peripheral wall portion 31b and the first guide rib 43, is integrally molded from a resin material. Therefore, the beam 20, which has the first guide rib 43, can be easily realized by simply assembling the lower segment 23 and the upper segment 21 together.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the lower section 23 is configured to have the first guide rib 43. Therefore, when changing the shape of the first guide rib 43, it is sufficient to change only the lower section 23. Therefore, the shape of the first guide rib 43 can be easily changed.

[0050] (3) The first guide rib 43 has an inclined portion 44 having a tip 44a that is inclined relative to the vehicle width direction, and a lower mounting portion 35b that is adjacent to the lowest end 44b of the inclined portion 44 in the vehicle width direction and that protrudes downward beyond the inclined portion 44.

[0051] When the first guide rib 43 is configured only with the inclined portion 44, water droplets falling from the end 44b located at the lowest position of the inclined portion 44 tend to fall in a position shifted in the longitudinal direction or the vehicle width direction rather than falling vertically, for example, when the water droplets fall due to vibration of the vehicle 10. In this case, even if the end 44b of the first guide rib 43 is not positioned so as to overlap with the ECUs 15, 16 in the vertical direction, there is a risk that the water droplets may fall on the ECU 15, which is positioned closer to the lower mounting portion 35b than the ECU 16 in the vehicle width direction.

[0052] In this regard, according to the above configuration, the first guide rib 43 has the lower mounting portion 35b that protrudes downward beyond the inclined portion 44. Therefore, water droplets generated by condensation flow down the inclined portion 44 to the lower mounting portion 35b and are guided downward along the lower mounting portion 35b. As a result, compared to when the first guide rib 43 is configured only with the inclined portion 44, falling water droplets are less likely to deviate in the front-to-rear direction or the vehicle width direction. This further reduces the likelihood of the ECU 15 becoming wet with water droplets.

[0053] (4) The beam body 30 has an upper reinforcing rib 41 and a lower reinforcing rib 42 that protrude from and extend along the outer surface of the duct portion 31. The lower reinforcing rib 42 intersects with the inclined portion 44 of the first guide rib 43 multiple times. The protruding height of the inclined portion 44 at each intersection 45 where the inclined portion 44 intersects with the lower reinforcing rib 42 is greater than the protruding height of the lower reinforcing rib 42 at each intersection 45.

[0054] According to this configuration, the upper reinforcing ribs 41 and the lower reinforcing ribs 42 increase the section modulus of the duct portion 31, and therefore the beam main body 30. Therefore, the rigidity and strength of the beam main body 30 can be increased.

[0055] Furthermore, with the above configuration, the lower reinforcing rib 42 intersects with the inclined portion 44. Therefore, some of the water droplets that have formed on the outer surface of the duct portion 31 due to condensation flow along the lower reinforcing rib 42 toward the inclined portion 44. Here, for example, if the protruding height of the lower reinforcing rib 42 at the intersection 45 between the inclined portion 44 and the lower reinforcing rib 42 is greater than the protruding height of the inclined portion 44 at the intersection 45, the water droplets that flow down the lower reinforcing rib 42 tend to remain on the lower reinforcing rib 42 rather than flowing toward the inclined portion 44 at the intersection 45. As a result, there is a risk that the water droplets will fall downward from positions other than the lower mounting portion 35b and get on the ECUs 15, 16.

[0056] In this regard, with the above configuration, the protruding height of the inclined portion 44 is greater than the protruding height of the lower reinforcing rib 42 at any of the intersecting portions 45. Therefore, some of the water droplets that have formed on the outer surface of the duct portion 31 due to condensation tend to flow along the lower reinforcing rib 42 to the first guide rib 43. This makes it possible to guide the water droplets toward the lower mounting portion 35b.

[0057] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ECUs 15, 16 from getting wet with water droplets while increasing the rigidity and strength of the beam main body 30. (5) The beam main body 30 has a cylindrical inlet 33 that protrudes forward from the duct portion 31 and is configured to be connected to the air conditioning unit 17, and a second guide rib 47 that protrudes downward from the outer surface of the lower inlet half body 33b and extends in the front-to-rear direction and is connected to the inclined portion 44. The protruding height of the second guide rib 47 is equal to or less than the protruding height of the connecting portion 46 of the inclined portion 44 to which the second guide rib 47 is connected.

[0058] According to this configuration, the conditioned air A from the air conditioner 17 is introduced into the flow path 32 by the inlet 33. When the conditioned air A cooled to a predetermined temperature by the air conditioner 17 is introduced into the flow path 32, the coldest conditioned air A among the conditioned air A flowing through the beam body 30 flows through the inlet 33. For this reason, condensation is more likely to occur on the outer surface of the inlet 33 than in the duct portion 31. As a result, the ECU 16, which is located below the inlet 33, is more likely to become wet with the water droplets.

[0059] In this regard, with the above-described configuration, water droplets that have formed on the outer surface of the inlet 33 due to condensation flow down the outer surface to the second guide rib 47, and then flow down the second guide rib 47 to the inclined portion 44. This makes it possible to guide the water droplets that have formed on the outer surface of the inlet 33 toward the lower mounting portion 35b. This further prevents the ECU 16 from getting wet with water droplets.

[0060] <Modifications> This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined and implemented within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0061] The number of second guide ribs 47 is not limited to two as illustrated in this embodiment, and three or more second guide ribs may be provided for the lower inlet half body 33b, or only one second guide rib may be provided.

[0062] The inlet 33 is not limited to one that protrudes forward from the duct portion 31. For example, the inlet 33 may extend at an angle from the duct portion 31 so that the inlet 33 is positioned higher toward the front. In this case, the second guide rib 47 does not have to be inclined so that the protruding end 47a is positioned lower toward the rear. For example, the second guide rib 47 may have a constant protruding height throughout the entire extension direction.

[0063] The inlet 33 may extend at an angle from the duct portion 31 so that its distal end is positioned lower as it moves forward. In this case, the second guide rib 47 may be omitted. Each of the multiple outlets 34 may be provided with a guide rib that protrudes downward from the outer surface of the lower outlet half body 34b, extends in the front-to-rear direction, and is connected to the inclined portion 44. In this case, it is preferable that the guide rib be inclined so that its distal end is positioned lower as it moves forward.

[0064] The cross-sectional shapes of the inlet 33 and the outlet 34 are not limited to the shapes exemplified in this embodiment and may be, for example, oval shapes that are long in the vehicle width direction. The lower reinforcing rib 42 is not limited to a shape that intersects with the inclined portion 44 multiple times, as long as it intersects with the inclined portion 44 at least once. Furthermore, the lower reinforcing rib 42 does not have to intersect with the inclined portion 44 of the first guide rib 43. In this case, the protruding height of the lower reinforcing rib 42 may be changed as appropriate regardless of the protruding height of the inclined portion 44. Accordingly, the protruding height of the upper reinforcing rib 41 may also be changed as appropriate.

[0065] The protrusion according to the present disclosure is not limited to the lower attachment portion 35b exemplified in this embodiment. For example, the protrusion may be realized by simply extending downward only the protruding end 44a of the end portion 44b.

[0066] The first guide rib 43 may be configured only by the inclined portion 44. In the present embodiment, the upper division body 21 and the lower division body 23 are joined by welding the upper welding rib 22b and the lower welding rib 24b, but the method for joining the upper division body 21 and the lower division body 23 is not limited to this. Any joining method can be used as long as it defines the flow path 32. For example, the upper division body 21 and the lower division body 23 may be joined by fastening the upper connection portion 22 and the lower connection portion 24 using a plurality of bolts.

[0067] The beam 20 is not limited to being divided into the upper divisional body 21 and the lower divisional body 23 as exemplified in this embodiment. For example, the beam 20 may be divided into a front divisional body and a rear divisional body. Furthermore, the beam 20 is not limited to being divided into two divisional bodies in the circumferential direction of the duct portion 31, but may be divided into three or more divisional bodies in the circumferential direction.

[0068] The shape of the duct portion 31 is not limited to the cylindrical shape exemplified in this embodiment, and may be, for example, a rectangular tube shape. The beam main body 30 is not limited to having one first guide rib 43 on each side, as exemplified in this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the beam main body 30 may have only one first guide rib 143 formed by extending the left inclined portion 44 in the vehicle width direction. Here, the right end 144c of the inclined portion 144 of the first guide rib 143 is located to the right of the center of the beam main body 30. Even with this configuration, the ECUs 15, 16 can be prevented from getting wet by water droplets.

[0069] The electronic components according to the present disclosure are not limited to the ECUs 15 and 16 exemplified in this embodiment, but may be any in-vehicle ECU that can be arranged below the beam body 30. In addition to the in-vehicle ECU, components that may be affected by the adhesion of water droplets, such as a wire harness or a glove box, may also be arranged below the beam 20.

[0070] The shape of the first guide rib according to the present disclosure may be modified as follows, depending on the arrangement of components that may be inconvenienced by the adhesion of water droplets. For example, when the components 19a and 19b are arranged in the positions shown in FIG. 9 , the beam main body 30 may have a first guide rib 243 that extends in the vehicle width direction from the left lower mounting portion 35b to the right lower mounting portion 35b. Here, the first guide rib 243 has a first inclined portion 244A that inclines so that the protruding end 244a is positioned lower as it moves from the left side toward the center in the vehicle width direction, and a second inclined portion 244B that inclines so that the protruding end 244a is positioned lower as it moves from the right side toward the center in the vehicle width direction.

[0071] Furthermore, when multiple components that would be inconvenienced by the adhesion of water droplets are arranged below the beam 20, the beam main body 30 may have one first guide rib above each of the components. For example, when components 19c, 19d, and 19e that would be inconvenienced by the adhesion of water droplets are arranged in the positions shown in Fig. 10, the beam main body 30 has one first guide rib 343 arranged above each of the components 19c, 19d, and 19e. Even in this case, it is sufficient that the end 344b of the protruding end 344a of each of the first guide ribs 343, which is located at the lowest position, does not overlap the corresponding component 19c, 19d, or 19e in the vertical direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle beam having a beam body configured to be arranged so as to extend in a vehicle width direction within an instrument panel, wherein both ends of the beam body in the vehicle width direction are configured to be attached to a vehicle body, and when the up-down direction of the vehicle is simply defined as the up-down direction, the beam body has: a duct portion extending in the vehicle width direction to form a flow path through which conditioned air from an air conditioning unit flows; and a guide rib protruding downward in the up-down direction from the outer surface of a lower part of the duct portion and extending in the vehicle width direction, and wherein the tip end of the guide rib is inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction.

2. The vehicle beam according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle beam is made up of a plurality of divided bodies including a lower divided body having the lower part of the duct portion and the guide rib, and each of the plurality of divided bodies is integrally molded from a resin material.

3. A vehicle beam as described in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the guide rib has an inclined portion having a tip that is inclined with respect to the vehicle width direction, and a protruding portion that is adjacent in the vehicle width direction to the part of the inclined portion that is located lowest in the up-down direction and that protrudes downward in the up-down direction further than the inclined portion.

4. A vehicle beam as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the beam main body has a reinforcing rib that protrudes from the outer surface of the duct portion, extends along said outer surface, and intersects with the guide rib, and the protruding height of the guide rib at the intersection where the guide rib and the reinforcing rib intersect is greater than the protruding height of the reinforcing rib.

5. A vehicle beam as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein when the guide rib is a first guide rib, the beam main body has: a cylindrical inlet protruding from the duct portion and configured to be connected to the air conditioning device; and a second guide rib protruding from the outer surface of the lower part of the inlet and extending in the protruding direction of the inlet and connected to the first guide rib, and the protruding height of the second guide rib is equal to or less than the protruding height of the connecting portion of the first guide rib to which the second guide rib is connected.

6. A front structure for a vehicle, comprising: a vehicle beam according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and an electronic component arranged below the guide rib in the vertical direction, wherein the portion of the tip of the guide rib that is located lowest in the vertical direction is in a position that does not overlap with the electronic component in the vertical direction.

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