Front compartment structure part of vehicle and vehicle

Abstract

A vehicle (100) comprises a front compartment structure part (1) that includes a hood (10) on the front side thereof, the front compartment structure part (1) including a front compartment (1a) inside the hood (10), the front compartment (1a) being a space in which an article can be stored. The hood (10) has: a front wall (10A) that extends downward in the vehicle (100); a rear wall (10B) that extends downward in the vehicle (100) and is disposed on the rear side of the vehicle (100) relative to the front wall (10A); and a front-rear direction wall (10E) that hangs between the front wall (10A) and the rear wall (10B) and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle (100), the front-rear direction wall (10E) being configured to, when the vehicle (100) comes in contact with an obstacle (200), collapse under pressure due to the contact.

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 front compartment structure according to the present invention includes a hood provided on 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 fore-and-aft wall spanning the front and rear walls, extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and collapsing due to pressure associated with contact when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle.

[0007] According to the present invention, the hood spans the front and rear walls, extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and has a fore-and-aft wall that collapses due to pressure when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle. Therefore, when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle, the fore-and-aft wall collapses, 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 IVA-IVA in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a longitudinal wall according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a longitudinal wall according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along IVA-IVA in FIG. 1 at the time of a collision. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a front wall of a front compartment structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a view (part 1) showing a manufacturing method of a reinforcement panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a view (part 2) showing a manufacturing method of a reinforcement panel according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the effect of a front compartment structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a front compartment structure of a vehicle according to a comparative example. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a front compartment structure of a vehicle according to a first modification. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a front compartment structure of a vehicle according to the first modification at the time of a collision. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a vertical wall according to a second modification.

[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. 4A 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 FIG. 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 place or remove items from the front compartment 1a. The hood 10 is formed, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. As shown in FIG. 4A , the hood body 20 of the hood 10 includes a hood outer panel 21 and a hood inner panel 22. The hood 10 also includes a front wall 10A, a rear wall 10B, a hood lock 10C, and a longitudinal wall 10E.

[0013] Front wall 10A is a panel extending downward (in the −Z direction) from hood body 20. Both the upper and lower ends of front wall 10A are formed with a shape having protruding ends that protrude toward the rear side (+Y side) when viewed from the +X side of vehicle 100. When vehicle 100 comes into contact with obstacle 200, front wall 10A has a first folding portion B1 and a second folding portion B2 that are preferentially folded by the impact when vehicle 100 comes into contact with obstacle 200 when viewed from the +X side of vehicle 100.

[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 having a bending shape when viewed from the side on the +X side of the vehicle 100. Because the first bending portion B1 is abruptly changing portion 10D-1, this bending shape causes the first bending portion B1 to bend preferentially when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200.

[0015] The second bending portion B2 is provided between the first bending portion B1 and the hood lock 10C in the vertical direction in a side view. In the present embodiment, the second bending portion B2 is abruptly changing portion 10D-2 having a bending shape when viewed from the side on the +X side of the vehicle 100.

[0016] The front wall 10A thus formed has two sudden-change portions 10D-1 and 10D-2. In the present embodiment, the front wall 10A has two sudden-change portions 10D-1 and 10D-2, but is not limited to this. The front wall 10A may have one sudden-change portion 10D-1, or the front wall 10A may have three or more sudden-change portions 10D-1.

[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 vehicle 100 in the fore-and-aft direction (the Y-axis direction). A front compartment 1a 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 formed on the vehicle body 110 to close and lock the front compartment 1a, or unlock and open the front compartment 1a.

[0019] The longitudinal wall 10E is disposed between the front wall 10A and the rear wall 10B. The longitudinal wall 10E spans between the front wall 10A and the rear wall 10B and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. The longitudinal wall 10E does not necessarily need to extend in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100 as long as it extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100; it may extend generally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the front end of the longitudinal wall 10E is disposed at a lower position than the rear end. As shown in FIG. 4B , the front end 11 of the longitudinal wall 10E is connected, for example, to an end of the front wall 10A bent toward the front and an end of the first reinforce panel 31 of the reinforcement 30 bent toward the front. These are connected by, for example, spot welding W1. However, this is not limited thereto, and these may be connected by a method other than spot welding W1. The rear end 12 of the longitudinal wall 10E is bent upward. The rear end 12 is connected to the rear wall 10B by spot welding W2. As shown in FIG. 4C , the longitudinal wall 10E is formed, for example, by press-forming a metal plate. By press-forming, the longitudinal wall 10E is formed into a shape having a corrugated XZ cross section with repeated concave and convex shapes in the X-axis direction. However, this is not limited thereto. The longitudinal wall 10E may be manufactured by a manufacturing method other than press-forming. As shown in FIG. 5 , the longitudinal wall 10E is formed so that, when an obstacle 200 comes into contact with the vehicle 100, the pressure associated with the contact applies a force compressing the longitudinal wall 10E, causing it to collapse.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 4A and 5 , the hood 10 includes a hood body 20 and a reinforcement 30 in addition to the front wall 10A and the front grille 50 .

[0021] The hood body 20 extends generally parallel to the XY plane. The hood body 20 includes a hood outer panel 21 and a hood inner panel 22.

[0022] Hood outer panel 21 is a panel of hood body 20 that is disposed on the outside of vehicle 100. The -Y side end of hood outer panel 21 and the -Y side end of hood inner panel 22 are connected by folded portion 21a.

[0023] 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 hood outer panel 21 and the hood inner panel 22 may be formed, for example, by folding a single panel, or by joining separate panels. When joining separate panels, the panels may be connected by spot welding or by a method other than spot welding.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 6, the upper end of the front wall 10A is joined to the hood inner panel 22 by, for example, spot welding W3. In this embodiment, the first folding portion B1 is the folded portion at the upper end of the front wall 10A. As shown in Figs. 7A and 7B, the front wall 10A is formed by bending using bending jigs D1 and D2.

[0025] 4A and 5, the reinforcement 30 is a component that reinforces components around the front compartment 1a. The reinforcement 30 is provided between the front grille 50 and the front compartment 1a. The reinforcement 30 has a first reinforcement panel 31 and a second reinforcement panel 32.

[0026] The first reinforce panel 31 is a panel of the reinforce 30 that is disposed on the outer side of the vehicle 100 .

[0027] 4A and 5, the second reinforce panel 32 has a lower end connected to the lower end of the first reinforce panel 31. The connecting portion between the lower end of the second reinforce panel 32 and the lower end of the first reinforce panel 31 is an abrupt change portion 10D-3. A front compartment 1a capable of accommodating items is formed on the rear side of the second reinforce panel 32. In the present embodiment, the second reinforce panel 32 is formed as part of the rear wall 10B.

[0028] The reinforcement 30 is formed into an L-shape by bending using bending jigs D1 and D2, for example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

[0029] 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, the first folding portion B1 is formed in a linear shape that is closer to a straight line than the arc shape when viewed from above when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0030] 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 than the arc shape when viewed from above when viewed from the front of the vehicle 100.

[0031] As described above, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 9 , the front compartment structure 1 has a front-rear wall 10E that spans the front wall 10A and the rear wall 10B and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 100. The front-rear wall 10E is a crushable reinforcement 30. Therefore, in this embodiment, when a collision load P1 from an obstacle 200 is input to the front wall 10A of the hood 10, pressure is applied to the front end of the front-rear wall 10E. This applies a compressive force to the front-rear wall 10E in the fore-and-aft direction, causing the front-rear wall 10E to crush. This allows the front wall 10A of the hood 10 to absorb collision energy. As a result, the front compartment structure 1 and vehicle 100 according to this embodiment can improve their ability to protect the obstacle 200 when the obstacle 200 comes into contact with the vehicle 100.

[0032] For example, in the case of the comparative example that does not have the longitudinal wall 10E, the front wall 10A of the hood 10 is unable to absorb enough collision energy.

[0033] In contrast, in this embodiment, the front compartment structure 1 spans the front wall 10A and the rear wall 10B, and has a longitudinal wall 10E that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. As a result, in this embodiment, the ability to protect the obstacle 200 when the obstacle 200 comes into contact with the vehicle 100 can be improved.

[0034] In this embodiment, the front compartment structure 1 has a front wall 10A spanning the front wall 10A and the rear wall 10B, and a longitudinal wall 10E extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100. This improves the ability to protect the obstacle 200 without reducing the capacity of the front compartment 1a.

[0035] For example, as shown in FIG. 10 , in a front compartment structure 2 according to a comparative example that does not have a longitudinal wall 10E, 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, the convenience of the vehicle 100 decreases.

[0036] In contrast, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 9, the front compartment structure 1 has a longitudinal wall 10E, which improves the ability to protect the obstacle 200 without reducing the capacity of the front compartment 1a.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the first folding portion B1 is a joint between the hood inner panel 22 and the longitudinal wall 10E. Depending on the joining method, the joint between panels may have lower rigidity and bend more easily than other portions. In the present embodiment, the joint between the panels is formed to bend more easily. Because the first folding portion B1 is formed at the joint between the panels, when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with an obstacle 200, the pressure associated with the contact causes the joint to bend preferentially over other portions. This improves the ability to protect the obstacle 200 when the vehicle 100 comes into contact with the obstacle 200. In the present embodiment, forming the first folding portion B1 at the joint between the hood inner panel 22 and the longitudinal wall 10E improves the ability to protect the obstacle 200. This facilitates the design and manufacture of the front compartment structure 1 to improve protection against the obstacle 200.

[0038] Although the present embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0039] For example, in this embodiment, the front end of the longitudinal wall 10E is positioned lower than the rear end. However, this is not limited to this. As in Modification 1 shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 , the front end of the longitudinal wall 10E may be positioned higher than the rear end. When an obstacle 200 comes into contact with the vehicle 100, the load of the obstacle 200 is often input downward in a downwardly inclined direction A1, as indicated by the arrows in FIGS. 11 and 12 . In Modification 1, the angle of the longitudinal wall 10E is close to the inclined direction A1, thereby further improving the amount of collision energy absorption.

[0040] 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.

[0041] 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.

[0042] In this embodiment, the front wall 10A is formed by bending to have a shape in which both ends are a first bent portion B1 and a second bent portion B2, as shown in Fig. 7. However, the manufacturing method of the first reinforcement panel 31 is not limited to this. The first reinforcement panel 31 may be formed into an L-shape by joining separate parts that are manufactured by separate press molding.

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4A , the hood lock 10C is provided at the lower end of the rear wall 10B. However, this is not limiting. 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.

[0044] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4B and 4C, the rear end 12 of the longitudinal wall 10E is bent upward, whereas the front end 11 of the longitudinal wall 10E is not bent. However, this is not limiting. As shown in Modification 2 in Figures 13 and 14, the front end 11 of the longitudinal wall 10E may be bent downward.

[0045] 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.

[0046] 1, 2: front compartment structure, 1a: front compartment, 10: hood, 10A: front wall, 10B: rear wall, 10C: hood lock, 10D-1, 10D-2, 10D-3: sudden change portion, 10E: longitudinal wall, 11: front end portion, 12: rear end portion, 20: hood body, 21: hood outer panel, 21a: folded portion, 22: hood inner 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 portion, B2: second folding portion, D1, D2: jig, P1: collision load, A1: inclination direction, W1, W2, W3: spot welding, C: clearance.

Claims

1. A front compartment structure having a hood provided on the front side of a vehicle, and a front compartment provided inside the hood, which is 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 front-to-rear wall spanning the front and rear walls, extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and collapsing due to the pressure associated with the contact when the vehicle comes into contact with an obstacle.

2. The hood is provided at at least one of the lower ends of the front wall and the rear wall and has a hood lock for closing the front compartment by engaging with an engaging portion formed on the vehicle body, the front wall has a first fold portion that bends when the vehicle comes into contact with the obstacle due to pressure associated with the contact, and a second fold portion that is provided between the first fold portion and the hood lock and bends when the vehicle comes into contact with the obstacle due to pressure associated with the contact, the second fold portion is provided on the front side of the vehicle than the first fold portion, and the longitudinal wall is connected to the second fold portion of the front wall. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1.

3. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the front end of the longitudinal wall is sandwiched and fixed between the end of the front wall and the end of the rear wall.

4. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 1, wherein the front end of the longitudinal wall is positioned higher than the rear end.

5. A front compartment structure as described in claim 1, wherein the hood has a first reinforcement panel arranged on the outside of the vehicle and a second reinforcement panel arranged on the inside of the vehicle, and has reinforcements for reinforcing the vehicle body, and the longitudinal wall is a part of the reinforcements.

6. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 2, wherein the second bend is formed in an arc shape that protrudes toward the front side when viewed from above the vehicle.

7. A front compartment structure as set forth in claim 6, wherein the second 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.

8. A vehicle comprising a front compartment structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images