Vehicle structure

Abstract

[Problem] To prevent a base arranged inside a relay box from interfering at the time of collision. [Solution] The present invention has a strut housing 10 for mounting the upper end part of a shock absorber, hood ridges arranged on both the left and right sides of a vehicle, a relay box 50 arranged in front of the strut housing and fixed to the hood ridges, and a base 80 which is arranged inside the relay box and the rear end of which is positioned above the upper surface front end of the strut housing in the front-rear direction X of the vehicle.

Description

Vehicle structure

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

[0002] Strut housings that support the suspension are provided on both the left and right sides of the engine compartment, with their lower ends connected to front side members. Furthermore, their upper portions are connected to hood ridges located on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body. One technology related to this type of front vehicle structure is to provide a relay box in front of the strut housing in the engine compartment, with a protective plate on the main body of the relay box. This allows the protective plate to absorb the input load from the front structure even if the front structure is pushed backward during a collision, thereby minimizing damage to the main body.

[0003] JP 2012-240473 A

[0004] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, if the input load during a collision is large, the protection plate alone cannot withstand the input load from the front structure, and the relay box may become pinched between the strut housing and be damaged.The relay box contains a control system circuit board, and if the relay box is damaged during a collision, the control of the circuit board may be affected.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent interference of a board arranged inside a relay box in the event of a collision.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle structure having a strut housing, a hood ridge, a relay box, and a base. The strut housing is configured to be disposed in a powertrain compartment (engine compartment). The hood ridges are disposed on both the left and right sides of the vehicle. The relay boxes are disposed in front of the strut housing and fixed to the hood ridges. The base is disposed inside the relay box, and its rear end is positioned above the front end of the upper surface of the strut housing in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

[0007] According to the above vehicle structure, interference of the board arranged inside the relay box can be avoided in the event of a collision.

[0008] It is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment. It is a schematic side view of FIG. 1 as seen from inside the vehicle. It is a schematic plan view of FIG. 1. It is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a relay box. It is a schematic perspective view showing a lower box that constitutes the relay box. It is a schematic plan view showing the interior of the lower box. It is an exploded perspective view of the lower box. It is a schematic view showing the interior of the relay box and the arrangement of strut housings.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0010] In each figure, arrows represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the orientation of components constituting the vehicle structure according to the embodiment. X constitutes the front-rear direction of the vehicle and is referred to as the front-rear direction X. Y indicates the width direction of the vehicle and is referred to as the vehicle width direction Y. Z indicates the height direction of the vehicle and is referred to as the height direction Z.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a vehicle structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of FIG. 1 as seen from inside the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of a relay box 50. FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view showing a lower box 60 that constitutes the relay box 50. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the interior of the lower box 60. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the lower box 60. FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing the interior of the relay box 50 and the arrangement of a strut housing 10.

[0012] The vehicle structure according to this embodiment can be used in automobiles and the like that are powered by fuel. As shown in Figures 1, 6, 7, etc., the vehicle structure according to this embodiment includes a strut housing 10, a hood ridge, side members 40, and a relay box 50. The hood ridge is disposed on both the left and right sides of the vehicle and includes an upper hood ridge 20 and a lower hood ridge 30. This will be explained below.

[0013] (Strut Housing) The strut housing 10 is configured to mount shock absorbers and the like of a vehicle suspension system that suspends the vehicle body, and is disposed within a power train compartment (engine compartment). The strut housing 10 can be provided on both the left and right sides in the vehicle width direction Y.

[0014] (Upper Hood Ridge) The upper hood ridge 20 extends forward from the A-pillar of the vehicle body and slopes diagonally downward at the front to connect with the front ends of the side members 40. In this embodiment, the upper hood ridge 20 has a substantially rectangular shape in a cross section perpendicular to the axis, but the specific cross-sectional shape does not have to be rectangular as long as a predetermined level of strength and rigidity is obtained.

[0015] (Hood Ridge Lower) The hood ridge lower 30 is configured to connect the side members 40, the hood ridge upper 20, and the front of the strut housing 10. The hood ridge upper 20 is configured to be fixed to the relay box 50 via a bracket br, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0016] The hood ridge lower 30 is formed so as to slope downward from the outside to the inside in the vehicle width direction Y. As shown in Fig. 8, the hood ridge lower 30 has fastening portions at different heights as fastening points with the lower box 60 that constitutes the relay box 50. The relay box 50 can be fixed to the hood ridge lower 30 by providing stud bolts bt2 and nuts (not shown) at the two fastening portions as shown in Fig. 8.

[0017] The side members 40 are provided below the hood ridge upper 20 and the strut housing 10. Like the hood ridge upper 20, the side members 40 are configured to extend in the front-to-rear direction X of the vehicle. Although the cross section of the side members 40 taken orthogonally to the axis is rectangular, like the hood ridge upper 20, the cross section does not have to be rectangular.

[0018] (Relay Box) The relay box 50 is disposed in front of the strut housing 10 and fixed to the hood ridge. As shown in FIG. 4 , the relay box 50 includes a lower box 60, a bracket 70, a base 80, and an upper cover 90.

[0019] (Lower Box) The lower box 60 is configured to have an internal space for accommodating the board 80 and the like and a harness connector (not shown). The lower box 60 includes harness attachment portions 61 and 62, fastening holes 63, 64, and 65, and stepped portions 66, 67, and 68, as shown in FIGS.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 7 , the lower box 60 includes a first part p1, a second part p2, a third part p3, and a fourth part p4. The second part p2 forms a part of the side of the box-shaped body. The third part p3 is located below the second part p2, and the fourth part p4 forms a corner of the box-shaped body. The first part p1 forms the entire open-topped box-shaped body except for the second part p2, the third part p3, and the fourth part p4. As long as the relay box 50 can be fixed to the hood ridge upper 20 or the hood ridge lower 30, the method of dividing the lower box 60 is not limited to the first part p1 to the fourth part p4. However, it is preferable that the fourth part p4 be formed separately from the upper cover 90.

[0021] The second and third parts p2 and p3 can be integrated with the first part p1 by fitting a protrusion h2 on the first part p1 into a hole h1 (see FIG. 7) on the bottom of the second part p2 while the third part p3 is sandwiched between the second and first parts p2 and p1. The fourth part p4 can be integrated with the first, second, and third parts p1, by inserting an edge of the fourth part p4 into a groove h3 on the first and second parts p1 and p2 while the second part p2 is integrated with the first part p1.

[0022] The harness mounting portions 61, 62 are configured as portions to which harnesses of components related to the operation of lamps, electric doors, etc. are connected. The harness mounting portion 61 is provided on the inside in the vehicle width direction Y when mounted on the vehicle, and the harness mounting portion 62 is provided so as to face diagonally downward. The second part p2 forms the upper half of the harness mounting portion 61, and the third part p3 forms the lower half of the harness mounting portion 61. The first part p1 forms the lower half of the harness mounting portion 62, and the fourth part p4 forms the upper half of the harness mounting portion 62. For example, the harness attached to the harness mounting portion 61 can extend to a portion related to opening and closing a door, and the harness attached to the harness mounting portion 62 can extend to a battery, etc.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6, fastening holes 63, 64 are provided in the lower part of the lower box 60 as fastening parts to the hood ridge lower 30. The fastening holes 63, 64 can serve as fastening parts between the hood ridge lower 30 and the relay box 50 using stud bolts bt2 and nuts extending from the hood ridge lower 30. The fastening hole 65 is provided in the outer side surface of the lower box 60 in the vehicle width direction as a fastening part to the hood ridge upper 20. The fastening hole 65 can serve as a fastening part between the hood ridge upper 20 and the relay box 50 via a bracket br.

[0024] In this way, the relay box 50 secures the lower box 60 to a location other than the top surface of the strut housing 10. This prevents the base 80 from being hindered from sliding during a collision. (If the fixing point of the lower box 60 were located on the top surface of the strut housing 10, the base 80 would interfere with the fixing bolts or the like when sliding during a collision, preventing the base 80 from sliding.)

[0025] The lower box 60 has its outer side surface in the vehicle width direction fixed to the hood ridge upper 20 and its bottom surface fixed to the hood ridge lower 30. A fastening hole 65 (a portion where the hood ridge upper 20 and relay box 50 are fixed; see bolt bt1 in FIG. 2 ) is configured to be located on an extension of the hole (opening) of the harness mounting portion 61 (at a height corresponding to the harness mounting portion 61). That is, the fastening hole 65 is provided on one of the multiple side surfaces of the first part p1 of the lower box 60 that faces the side surface to which the second part p2 and the third part p3, which form the hole of the harness mounting portion 61, are attached, and is provided at a position that overlaps with the hole of the harness mounting portion 61 in a side view of the vehicle. In other words, the lower box 60 has a hole for the harness mounting portion 61 on its inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a fastening hole 65 on its outer side in the vehicle width direction, and the fastening hole 65 is provided at the same position in the fore-and-aft direction and up-and-down direction as the hole for the harness mounting portion 61.

[0026] With this configuration, when fixing the lower box 60 to the hood ridge upper 20, a fixing tool can be inserted into the hole in the harness attachment portion 61 (space can be provided for the fixing tool), thereby fixing the relay box 50 to the hood ridge upper 20. In this embodiment, the fastening holes 63, 64, and 65 are provided in the first part p1.

[0027] The steps 66, 67, and 68 are provided to support the base plate 80 inside the lower box 60. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the steps 66, 67, and 68 can be provided on the upper part of the inner side surface (inside the side surface of the lower box 60) of the lower box 60 when the lower box 60 is installed in the vehicle. The steps 66 and 67 can be provided on inner side surfaces facing each other in the vehicle width direction Y. That is, the step 66 can be provided on the inner side surface on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, the step 67 can be provided on the inner side surface on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the step 68 can be provided inside the rear side surface in the fore-aft direction. The steps 66 and 67 are formed to slope upward toward the rear in the fore-aft direction X. The upper surface of the step 68 is formed at the same height as the position where a line including the upper surfaces of the steps 66 and 67 intersects with the rear side surface in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the upper surface of the step 68 is formed higher than the front end of the upper surface of the strut housing 10 when the lower box 60 is installed in the vehicle.

[0028] With this configuration, the base plate 80 can be guided to slide into the upper part of the strut housing 10, which is the interference avoidance space, during a collision. The step portion 68 can be provided on the inner side surface of the lower box 60 in the fore-and-aft direction X. In this embodiment, the step portions 66, 68 are provided on the first component p1, and the step portion 67 is provided on the second component p2. Furthermore, a harness connector or the like can be accommodated below the base plate 80 in the semi-closed space of the lower box 60.

[0029] (Bracket) The bracket 70 is configured to install the base 80 on the stepped portions 66, 67, and 68 of the lower box 60. As shown in FIG. 4 , the bracket 70 includes an outer periphery 71 and a clamping portion 72. The outer periphery 71 is rectangular (square-shaped) and is shaped to match the contour of the base 80 when viewed from above, so that it is located below the base 80 when the lower box 60 is installed. By including the outer periphery 71 in this manner, when the base 80 is placed on top of the bracket 70 and installed on the lower box 60, an inclined portion exists from the front end to the rear end. This improves the guide function of the base 80 as it slides toward the top of the strut housing 10 during a collision.

[0030] The clamping portions 72 are provided so as to rise from the outer peripheral portion 71, and are configured to have a claw shape that clamps the base 80 together with the outer peripheral portion 71. In this embodiment, two clamping portions 72 are provided on each of the opposing sides of the outer peripheral portion 71, but the specific number and positions of the clamping portions 72 may be other than those described above as long as they can clamp the base 80.

[0031] During a collision, bracket 70 slides together with base 80 to the upper part of strut housing 10, which is an interference avoidance space, by means of outer periphery 71 and clamping portion 72. Bracket 70 slides over steps 67 and 68, allowing outer periphery 71 of bracket 70 to function like a rail.

[0032] 8 , the base 80 is located at the top of the interior of the relay box 50, with its rear end in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction X positioned above the front end of the top surface of the strut housing 10. This configuration allows the base 80 to slide into an interference avoidance space located above the strut housing 10 in the event of a collision, preventing the base 80 from interfering with the strut housing 10.

[0033] The board 80 is configured to include a relay circuit (engine fuel cutoff relay circuit) that stops the fuel supply to the engine (fuel cutoff) in the event of a collision. This prevents damage to the relay circuit that cuts off the fuel. Furthermore, even if the fuel cutoff relay circuit were to be damaged in a collision, the above configuration ensures that there is enough time to issue a fuel cut signal before it is damaged. In addition to the function of cutting off the fuel supply, the board 80 may also have the function of turning lamps on and off and controlling their output.

[0034] Furthermore, the base plate 80 is tilted so that its rear end is higher than its front end. This configuration prevents the base plate 80 from interfering with the strut housing 10 and hindering sliding movement during a collision, as compared to when the base plate 80 is horizontally positioned. (If the base plate 80 were horizontally positioned, there is a risk that the rear end of the base plate 80 would interfere with the strut housing during a collision, hindering sliding.)

[0035] (Upper Cover) The upper cover 90 is provided on the relay box 50 so as to be disposed above the base plate 80. The upper cover 90 is provided so as to cover the internal space of the lower box 60. When the upper cover 90 is attached to cover the lower box 60 as shown in FIG. 8 , the lowermost end pt1 of the upper cover 90 is configured to be located above the lowermost end pt2 of the base plate 80, which is disposed at an angle.

[0036] This configuration prevents the upper cover 90 from interfering with the strut housing 10 and hindering the sliding movement of the base 80 when the upper cover 90 comes off the lower box 60 during a collision. (If the bottom end of the upper cover 90 is located lower than the bottom end of the base, for example, if the upper cover 90 and the fourth part p4 are integrally molded, there is a risk that the fourth part p4 of the upper cover 90 will interfere with (get caught on) the strut housing 10 during a collision and hinder the sliding movement of the base 80.)

[0037] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0038] 10 Strut housing, 20 Hood ridge upper, 30 Hood ridge lower, 50 Relay box, 60 Lower box, 70 Bracket, 80 Base, 90 Upper cover, X: longitudinal direction, Y: vehicle width direction, Z: height direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle structure having: a strut housing arranged in a powertrain compartment; hood ridges arranged on both the left and right sides of a vehicle; a relay box arranged in front of the strut housing and fixed to the hood ridge; and a base arranged inside the relay box, the rear end of which is located above the front end of the upper surface of the strut housing in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

2. A vehicle structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said board includes an engine fuel cutoff relay circuit.

3. A vehicle structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base is disposed at an angle inside the relay box so that the rear end is higher than the front end.

4. A vehicle structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the relay box has a step on the upper part of its inner side surface that can support the base, and the step includes an inclined portion that slopes upward toward the rear in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction.

5. A vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein the relay box is provided with a bracket that can be placed on the step and has an outer periphery on which the circuit board is placed.

6. A vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the relay box is fixed to a location other than the top surface of the strut housing and includes a lower box capable of accommodating the circuit board.

7. A vehicle structure as described in claim 6, wherein the hood ridge comprises an upper part fixed to the side of the lower box and a lower part fixed to the bottom of the lower box, the lower box having an attachment part including an opening for attaching a harness, and the fixing part with the upper part is provided at a height corresponding to the opening.

8. A vehicle structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the relay box is provided with an upper cover arranged above the base, and the lowermost end of the upper cover is located higher than the lowermost end of the base which is arranged at an angle.

Images