Front compartment structure part for vehicle, and vehicle

Abstract

A front compartment structure part (1) comprises a hood (10) that is provided on the front side of a vehicle (100). The hood (10) includes a front wall (10A) extending below the vehicle (100), a rear wall (10B) extending below the vehicle (100) and provided on the rear side of the vehicle (100) with respect to the front wall (10A), and a hood lock (10C) that is provided to at least one of the lower ends of the front wall (10A) and the rear wall (10B) and that closes a flank by being engaged with an engagement section formed on the vehicle body. The front wall (10A) includes a first bending part (B1) that is bent by a pressure generated in association with the vehicle (100) contacting an obstacle (200), and a second bending part (B2) that is provided between the first bending part (B1) and the hood lock (10C) and that is bent by the pressure generated in association with the vehicle (100) contacting the obstacle (200).

Description

Front compartment structure of vehicle and vehicle

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric vehicle having a front compartment formed under the hood. The front compartment of the electric vehicle is a storage room capable of storing items.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-142941

[0004] In the vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an obstacle comes into contact with the front portion of the vehicle, protection against the obstacle is insufficient, and there is room for improvement around the front compartment, for example, in the front lid.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a front compartment structure and a vehicle that improve the ability to protect an obstacle in the event of contact with an obstacle in front of the vehicle.

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a front compartment structure comprising: a hood provided at the front side of a vehicle; and a front compartment provided inside the hood as a space capable of storing items. The hood has a front wall extending below the vehicle; a rear wall extending below the vehicle and located closer to the rear of the vehicle than the front wall; and a hood lock provided at at least one of the lower ends of the front wall and the rear wall, which engages with an engaging portion formed on the vehicle body to close the front compartment. The front wall has a first folding portion that folds when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle due to pressure associated with the contact; and a second folding portion provided between the first folding portion and the hood lock, which folds when the vehicle comes into contact with the obstacle due to pressure associated with the contact.

[0007] According to the present invention, the front wall has a first folding portion that folds when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle, and a second folding portion that is provided between the first folding portion and the hood lock and folds when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle. Therefore, when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle, the first folding portion and the second folding portion fold, thereby improving the ability of the front compartment structure to protect the obstacle in the event of contact with the obstacle in front of the vehicle.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1 at the time of a collision. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the front wall and the rear wall of a front compartment structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a view (part 1) showing a manufacturing method of a reinforcement panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a view (part 2) showing a manufacturing method of a reinforcement panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a plan view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the effect of a front compartment structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a front compartment structure of a vehicle according to a comparative example.

[0009] A front compartment structure 1 according to an embodiment and a vehicle 100 including the same will be described below with reference to the drawings. For ease of understanding, mutually orthogonal XYZ coordinates are set and referenced as appropriate. As shown in FIG. 1 , the Y axis of the XYZ coordinates is the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 100, the X axis is the width direction, and the Z axis is the height direction. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

[0010] 1 and 2 , the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body 110, tires 120, a windshield 130, an electric motor built into the vehicle body 110, a front compartment structure 1, and other automobile components. The vehicle 100 is, for example, an electric vehicle (EV) equipped with an electric motor for driving the tires 120. However, the vehicle 100 is not limited to this. The vehicle 100 may also be an engine other than an electric vehicle equipped with an electric motor.

[0011] The front compartment structure 1 includes a hood 10 provided on the front side of the vehicle 100. The front of the hood 10 is covered by a front grille 50. In addition to the front grille 50, the hood 10 also includes a hood body 20 and a reinforcement 30 (see FIG. 4 described below). The front compartment structure 1 also includes a front compartment 1a formed below the hood 10 and serving as a space capable of storing items.

[0012] The hood 10 is disposed in front of the windshield 130 of the vehicle 100. The hood 10 is a panel that covers the upper side (+Z direction) of the front compartment 1a and the front side (-Y direction) of the vehicle 100. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the hood 10 opens and closes the front compartment 1a to the outside. By opening the front compartment 1a to the outside, a user can put items in and take items out of the front compartment 1a. The hood 10 is formed, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the hood 10 has a front wall 10A, a rear wall 10B, and a hood lock 10C.

[0013] The front wall 10A is a panel extending downward (in the -Z direction) from the hood body 20. At least a portion of the front wall 10A has a generally L-shaped portion with a corner that protrudes toward the front side (-Y side) in a side view of the vehicle 100. However, this is not limited to this. The front wall 10A may be a panel that has an L-shape and a more complex shape. The front wall 10A has a first folding portion B1 and a second folding portion B2 that are preferentially folded by the pressure associated with the contact when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with an obstacle 200.

[0014] The first bending portion B1 is provided closer to the rear (+Y side) of the vehicle 100 than the second bending portion B2. In the present embodiment, the first bending portion B1 is abruptly changing portion 10D-1, which is the apex of the bending shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle 100. Because the first bending portion B1 is abruptly changing portion 10D-1, when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200, the first bending portion B1 bends preferentially over other portions due to the pressure that accompanies the contact.

[0015] The second folding portion B2 is located between the first folding portion B1 and the hood lock 10C in the vertical direction in a side view. In the present embodiment, the second folding portion B2 is the vertex of the sudden change portion 10D-2 when viewed from the side of the vehicle 100. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the second folding portion B2 is the sudden change portion 10D-2, which is an L-shaped corner portion that protrudes toward the front side (-Y side). Because the second folding portion B2 is the sudden change portion 10D-2, it is formed to bend easily when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. In other words, the second folding portion B2 and the first folding portion B1 are formed to bend more easily than other portions of the front wall 10A.

[0016] The front wall 10A thus formed has a plurality of suddenly changing portions 10D-1, 10D-2, and 10D-3. Here, the suddenly changing portions 10D-1, 10D-2, and 10D-3 refer to portions that are formed to be more easily deformed than other portions due to the pressure that accompanies contact when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. In this embodiment, the suddenly changing portions 10D-1, 10D-2, and 10D-3 are formed to be curved or bent when viewed from the side of the vehicle 100.

[0017] Similar to the front wall 10A, the rear wall 10B is a panel that extends downward (in the -Z direction) from the hood body 20. The rear wall 10B is located closer to the rear (+Y side) of the vehicle 100 than the front wall 10A. The rear wall 10B is also located opposite the front wall 10A in the fore-and-aft direction (Y-axis direction) of the vehicle 100. A front compartment 1a capable of accommodating items is formed on the rear side (+Y side) of the rear wall 10B.

[0018] In this embodiment, the hood lock 10C is provided near the lower end of the rear wall 10B. The hood lock 10C is engaged with an engaging portion (not shown) formed on the vehicle body to close and lock the front compartment 1a, or unlock and open the front compartment 1a.

[0019] The hood 10 also includes a hood body 20, a reinforcement 30, and the front grille 50 described above.

[0020] The hood body 20 extends generally parallel to the XY plane. The hood body 20 includes a hood outer panel 21, a hood inner panel 22, and a downward-facing panel 23.

[0021] The hood outer panel 21 is a panel of the hood body 20 that is disposed on the outer side of the vehicle 100. The vicinity of the tip of the hood outer panel 21 is folded back in the opposite direction starting from a folded-back portion 21a.

[0022] The hood inner panel 22 is a panel of the hood body 20 that is disposed on the inside of the vehicle 100. A front compartment 1a is formed below the hood inner panel 22. The -Y side end of the hood inner panel 22 is connected to an end that extends from the folded-back portion 21a of the hood outer panel 21. The hood outer panel 21 and the hood inner panel 22 may be formed, for example, by folding a single panel, or may be formed by joining separate panels. When joining separate panels, they may be connected by spot welding or by a method other than spot welding.

[0023] The downward-facing panel 23 extends downward from the connection portion between the hood outer panel 21 and the hood inner panel 22. The downward-facing panel 23 is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the front grille 50. In the present embodiment, the first folding portion B1 is provided at the joint portion between the hood outer panel 21 and the downward-facing panel 23.

[0024] The reinforcement 30 is a component that reinforces vehicle body components around the front compartment 1 a. The reinforcement 30 is disposed generally parallel to the XZ plane and is provided between the front grille 50 and the front compartment 1 a. The reinforcement 30 has a first reinforcement panel 31 and a second reinforcement panel 32.

[0025] The first reinforcement panel 31 is a panel of the reinforcement 30 that is disposed on the outer side of the vehicle 100. The first reinforcement panel 31 extends generally in the up-down direction and is formed in a bow shape that protrudes forward. An upper end of the first reinforcement panel 31 is joined to a lower end of the downward-facing panel 23. For example, the upper end of the first reinforcement panel 31 is joined to the lower end of the downward-facing panel 23 by spot welding. However, the joining method is not limited to this. In the present embodiment, the first reinforcement panel 31 and the downward-facing panel 23 are joined to each other to form the front wall 10A. As a result, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the front wall 10A is formed by the first reinforcement panel 31, the downward-facing panel 23, and a part of the hood outer panel 21. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first reinforcement panel 31 is formed in a shape that is bent at the second bending portion B2.

[0026] The first reinforcement panel 31 is formed into an L-shape by bending using bending jigs D1 and D2, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0027] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second reinforce panel 32 has a lower end connected to the lower end of the first reinforce panel 31. A sudden change portion 10D-3 is provided at the joint between the lower end of the second reinforce panel 32 and the lower end of the first reinforce panel 31. A front compartment 1a is formed on the rear side of the second reinforce panel 32. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the second reinforce panel 32 is formed as a rear wall 10B. However, this is not limited to this. The rear wall 10B may be formed to include components other than the second reinforce panel 32.

[0028] In the front compartment 1a formed as described above, the first folding portion B1 is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle 100, as shown in Fig. 8. Furthermore, when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100, the first folding portion B1 is formed in a linear shape that approximates a straight line and has a smaller curvature than the arc shape when viewed from above, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0029] 8, the second bend B2 is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 1, the second bend B2 is formed in a linear shape that is closer to a straight line and has a smaller curvature than the arc shape when viewed from above when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100.

[0030] As described above, in the front compartment structure 1, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 9 , when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200, the first folding portion B1 and the second folding portion B2 are folded preferentially over other portions due to the pressure associated with the contact. Specifically, in this embodiment, when a collision load P1 from the obstacle 200 is input to the front wall 10A of the hood 10, the second folding portion B2 is pushed toward the rear. As a result, a counterclockwise moment M1 acts on the second folding portion B2 when viewed from the +X side of the vehicle 100. As a result, the front wall 10A of the hood 10 is deformed into a shape that is concave toward the rear, as if inverted when viewed from the +X side, and the front wall 10A of the hood 10 can absorb the collision energy. As a result, the front compartment structure 1 and the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment can improve the ability to protect the obstacle 200 when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200.

[0031] For example, in the comparative example where the second fold B2 is not provided, the lower end of the front wall 10A is supported by the hood lock 10C, so the front wall 10A deforms into an arc bending toward the rear (+Y side). Therefore, without the second fold B2, the amount of deformation of the front wall 10A is relatively small, and the counterclockwise moment M1 acting on the first fold B1 is also small. This reduces the amount of collision energy that the front wall 10A of the hood 10 can absorb.

[0032] In contrast, in the present embodiment, the front wall 10A of the hood 10 has two first folding portions B1 and a second folding portion B2, which allows the front wall 10A to sufficiently absorb collision energy. As a result, in the present embodiment, the ability to protect the obstacle 200 when the obstacle 200 comes into contact with the vehicle 100 can be improved.

[0033] In this embodiment, the first folding portion B1 and the second folding portion B2 are formed to bend easily when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. This improves the ability to protect the obstacle 200 without reducing the capacity of the front compartment 1a.

[0034] For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , in a front compartment structure 2 according to a comparative example that does not have two first folding portions B1 and two second folding portions B2, in order to improve the ability to protect an obstacle 200, the clearance C between the rear wall 10B and the front compartment 1a may be increased to make it difficult for the impact force from the obstacle 200 to be transmitted to the front compartment 1a. This reduces the capacity of the front compartment 1a. In this case, the ability to protect the obstacle 200 can be improved, but the amount of items that can be stored in the front compartment 1a decreases. Ultimately, this reduces the convenience for the user of the vehicle 100.

[0035] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 9, the front wall 10A has two first fold portions B1 and two second fold portions B2, thereby improving the ability to protect the obstacle 200 without reducing the capacity of the front compartment 1a.

[0036] In the present embodiment, the first folding portion B1 is a joint portion between the hood outer panel 21, the hood inner panel 22, and the downward-facing panel 23. Depending on the joining method, the joint portion between panels may have lower rigidity than other portions and bend more easily. In the present embodiment, the joint portion between the panels is formed to bend more easily. Because the first folding portion B1 is formed at the joint portion between the panels, when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200, the pressure associated with the contact causes the joint portion to bend preferentially over other portions. As a result, in the present embodiment, when the obstacle 200 comes into contact with the vehicle 100, the front wall 10A can absorb collision energy, thereby improving the ability to protect the obstacle 200.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front wall 10A has sudden change portions 10D-1 and 10D-2 that are formed to be more easily deformed than other portions when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with an obstacle 200. The first bend portion B1 and the second bend portion B2 are formed in these sudden change portions 10D-1 and 10D-2. Therefore, in this embodiment, simply forming the sudden change portions 10D-1 and 10D-2 can improve the ability to protect the obstacle 200. This makes it easier to design and manufacture the front compartment structure 1 to improve protection of the obstacle 200.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second fold portion B2 is located closer to the front of the vehicle 100 than the first fold portion B1. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a collision load P1 from the obstacle 200 is input to the front wall 10A of the hood 10, the collision load P1 is more likely to be input to the second fold portion B2. As a result, when the vehicle 100 is viewed from the +X side, a counterclockwise moment M1 acts on the second fold portion B2, causing the front wall 10A to deform into a shape that is concave toward the rear. This increases the amount of deformation of the first fold portion B1 compared to when the second fold portion B2 is located closer to the rear of the vehicle 100 than the first fold portion B1. This ultimately improves the amount of collision energy absorption.

[0039] In this embodiment, the second folding portion B2 is a folding point of the L-shaped front wall 10A. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ability to protect the obstacle 200 can be improved simply by forming the L-shaped folding point. This makes it easier to design and manufacture the front compartment structure 1 for improving the protection of the obstacle 200.

[0040] In the present embodiment, the front wall 10A is formed of a downward-facing panel 23 and a first reinforcement panel 31 joined to the downward-facing panel 23. The joint between the downward-facing panel 23 and the first reinforcement panel 31 is provided between the first bent portion B1 and the second bent portion B2 in the up-down direction in a side view. In the present embodiment, the joint between the downward-facing panel 23 and the first reinforcement panel 31 is joined by spot welding, and therefore has higher rigidity than other portions. For example, if the first bent portion B1 or the second bent portion B2 is provided at the joint between the downward-facing panel 23 and the first reinforcement panel 31, deformation is less likely to occur when an obstacle 200 comes into contact with the front wall 10A. Specifically, if the downward-facing panel 23 and the first reinforcement panel 31 are overlapped and spot-welded, this joint is less likely to deform. Therefore, compared to when the first folding portion B1 and the second folding portion B2 are provided at the joint between the downward-facing panel 23 and the first reinforce panel 31, the first folding portion B1 and the second folding portion B2 are formed to bend easily when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. As a result, in the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the ability to protect the obstacle 200 when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. Furthermore, for example, if the second folding portion B2 were provided at the joint, the downward-facing panel 23 would extend further downward than in the present embodiment, making molding more difficult. Specifically, when the downward-facing panel 23 is press-molded, the downward-facing panel 23 would be significantly stretched, which could result in localized thin portions or cracks. In the present embodiment, the joint between the downward-facing panel 23 and the first reinforce panel 31 is provided between the first folding portion B1 and the second folding portion B2, thereby solving this problem.

[0041] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0042] For example, in the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 8, the first folding portion B1 is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle 100. However, this is not limited to this. The first folding portion B1 may be formed in a shape other than an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle 100. However, from the standpoint of designing the first folding portion B1 to be easily deformed, it is preferable that the first folding portion B1 be formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle 100.

[0043] 1 , the first folding portion B1 is formed in a linear shape that is closer to a straight line than an arc when viewed from above, when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100. However, this is not limited to this. The first folding portion B1 may be formed in a shape other than a linear shape that is closer to a straight line than an arc when viewed from above, when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100. However, from the standpoint of designing the first folding portion B1 to be easily deformable, it is preferable that the first folding portion B1 be formed in a linear shape that is closer to a straight line than an arc when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100.

[0044] In this embodiment, the first reinforce panel 31 is formed into an L-shape by bending, with the corner portion being the second bent portion B2, as shown in Fig. 7. However, the manufacturing method of the first reinforce panel 31 is not limited to this. The L-shape of the first reinforce panel 31 may be realized by joining separate parts that are manufactured by separate press molding.

[0045] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the hood lock 10C is provided at the lower end of the rear wall 10B. However, this is not limited to this. The hood lock 10C may be provided at the lower end of the front wall 10A. Alternatively, the hood lock 10C may be provided at the lower ends of both the front wall 10A and the rear wall 10B.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the abruptly changing portions 10D-1 and 10D-2 are curved or bent. However, this is not limited to this. The abruptly changing portions 10D-1 and 10D-2 do not have to be curved or bent as long as they are portions that bend preferentially over other portions due to the pressure associated with the contact when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. For example, the abruptly changing portions 10D-1 and 10D-2 may be formed thinner than other portions. Furthermore, the abruptly changing portions 10D-1 and 10D-2 may be formed as joints between multiple components, so that they bend preferentially over other portions.

[0047] The present invention allows various embodiments and modifications without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments are intended to explain the present invention and do not limit the scope of the present invention. In other words, the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the embodiments. Various modifications made within the scope of the claims and the meaning of the disclosure equivalent thereto are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.

[0048] 1, 2: front compartment structural part, 1a: front compartment, 10: hood, 10A: front wall, 10B: rear wall, 10C: hood lock, 10D-1, 10D-2, 10D-3: sudden change part, 20: hood main body, 21: hood outer panel, 21a: folded part, 22: hood inner panel, 23: downward-facing panel, 30: reinforcement, 31: first reinforcement panel, 32: second reinforcement panel, 50: front grille, 100: vehicle, 110: vehicle body, 120: tire, 130: windshield, 200: obstacle, B1: first folding part, B2: second folding part, D1, D2: jig, M1: counterclockwise moment, P1: collision load, C: clearance.

Claims

1. A front compartment structure comprising a hood provided on the front side of a vehicle, and a front compartment provided inside the hood and being a space capable of storing items, wherein the hood has a front wall extending below the vehicle, a rear wall extending below the vehicle and being provided on the rear side of the vehicle relative to the front wall, and a hood lock provided on at least one of the lower ends of the front wall and the rear wall, and engaging with an engaging portion formed on the vehicle body to close the front compartment, wherein the front wall has a first folding portion that bends due to pressure associated with contact when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle, and a second folding portion provided between the first folding portion and the hood lock, and bends due to pressure associated with contact when the vehicle comes into contact with the obstacle.

2. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1, wherein the front wall is formed by combining a plurality of panels, and at least one of the first folding portion and the second folding portion is formed at the joint between the plurality of panels.

3. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1, wherein the front wall has a sudden change portion that is formed to be more easily deformed than other portions when the vehicle comes into contact with the obstacle, and at least one of the first fold portion and the second fold portion is formed in the sudden change portion.

4. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 3, wherein the sudden change portion is curved or bent when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

5. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1, wherein the second fold portion is located closer to the front of the vehicle than the first fold portion, and at least a portion of the front wall is formed in an L-shape that protrudes toward the front when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

6. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein the second folding portion is a folding point portion of the L-shape of the front wall.

7. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1, wherein the hood comprises: a hood outer panel arranged on the outside of the vehicle, a hood inner panel arranged on the inside of the vehicle, and a downward-facing panel protruding downward from at least one of the hood outer panel and the hood inner panel, a hood main body covering the upper part of the front compartment; a first reinforcement panel arranged on the outside of the vehicle, and a second reinforcement panel arranged on the inside of the vehicle, and a reinforcement for reinforcing the vehicle body; and the front wall is formed by the downward-facing panel and the first reinforcement panel joined to the downward-facing panel.

8. A front compartment structure according to claim 7, wherein a joint between the downwardly facing panel and the first reinforcement panel is provided between the first folded portion and the second folded portion.

9. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 7, wherein the first folding portion is provided at a connection portion between the hood outer panel and the downwardly facing panel.

10. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1, wherein the first bent portion is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle.

11. A front compartment structure as described in claim 10, wherein the first bend portion is formed in a linear shape that is closer to a straight line than the arc shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

12. A vehicle comprising a front compartment structure according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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