JP2001199292A - Bumper reinforcement - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lightweight and inexpensive bumper reinforcement having a shape which can be easily molded while showing the performance thereof in a limited space without impairing a design of a vehicle, and absorbing a great amount of shock in a low load deforming area where a side member is not deformed. SOLUTION: Recess portions 1, 5 are respectively provided on a collision side surface near both end portions in a vehicular width direction and a body side surface of a center portion in the vehicular width direction. The recess portions 1, 5 are formed so as to gradually deepen with separating in the vehicular width direction from a side member 12 attaching portion.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bumper reinforcement used for a bumper device for absorbing energy at the time of a vehicle collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a bumper device which is attached to a vehicle such as an automobile and absorbs an impact at the time of a collision includes a bumper reinforcement (reinforcing member) attached to a side member of the vehicle and a bumper reinforcement in front of the bumper reinforcement. It is composed of an absorber made of urethane material and the like disposed in the part area, and a bumper cover covering the bumper reinforcement and the absorber. One example of this bumper device is
This is disclosed in JP-A-10-175485.

For example, as shown in FIG. 9, a bumper reinforcement used in such a bumper device has a side cross-section viewed from the vehicle width direction having an intermediate wall formed at the center in the vertical direction. It is a substantially Japanese type extending in the width direction of the vehicle, and both end portions thereof are bent so as to fit within the bumper cover due to restrictions such as design space of the vehicle. Such a bumper reinforcement has a function of absorbing an impact when the vehicle collides at a low speed and preventing damage to the body.

[0004] The bumper reinforcement is a mouth-shaped type.
An aluminum alloy extruded material or a rolled material of a steel plate (especially a high-strength steel plate) that can integrally form a cross-sectional structure excellent in shock absorption, such as a Japanese-type or a B-type, is widely used.

[0005]

However, in the bumper reinforcement according to the prior art described above, the space given to the bumper reinforcement has recently become narrower for reasons of vehicle design. In order to mount it on a vehicle while satisfying the collision performance, it is necessary to perform bending in a complicated shape such as bending with a small curvature or composite bending, and as a result, there is a problem that the forming apparatus becomes complicated and the process becomes complicated.

[0006] Further, the need for further improvement in the collision absorption performance of bumper reinforcements from the demand for collision safety and reduction in vehicle repair costs has led to an increase in the number of lateral walls in the side cross section of the bumper reinforcement. If you try to improve the shock absorption by deforming the bumper reinforcement with high load by increasing the thickness, etc., the mass of the bumper reinforcement is increased and the bumper reinforcement is less likely to deform, so a collision occurs There is a problem that the strength of the side members must be greatly increased so that the side members for fixing the bumper reinforcement are sometimes not deformed.

Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-81182
As disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication, measures have been taken to attach a shock absorber of another part to the bumper reinforcement, but it is unavoidable that a significant increase in cost due to the addition of another part and the addition of the mounting process is inevitable. There's a problem.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can be easily formed in spite of a shape capable of exhibiting performance in a limited space without impairing the design of a vehicle. It is another technical object of the present invention to provide a lightweight and low-cost bumper reinforcement that can absorb a large amount of impact in a low load deformation region where the side member is not deformed.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a bumper-line hose which is located at the front and rear of a vehicle and is fixed to a side member. Presents a hollow closed side cross-sectional shape, is made of a light alloy material or a steel plate extending in the vehicle width direction, and has a concave portion or a convex portion on at least one surface thereof to reduce the side cross-sectional shape of the bumper line hosement. That is, it is changed depending on the position in the vehicle width direction.

According to the above-described means, it is possible to provide a bumper reinforcement that can be easily formed in spite of a shape capable of exhibiting performance in a limited space without impairing the design of the vehicle.

Here, it is preferable that the side cross-sectional shape is gradually changed depending on the position in the vehicle width direction by continuously changing the depth, width and shape of the concave portion or the convex portion. As a result, it is possible to efficiently obtain the required amount of energy absorption at the time of a vehicle collision, without a sudden increase or decrease of the load with a load that does not deform the side member.

Specifically, the concave portion or the convex portion is formed on a surface on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and on the collision side, and on a surface on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and on the body side.

Further, the present invention is directed to a bumper reinforcement which is located at the front and rear of a vehicle and is fixed to a side member, wherein at least one of an upper surface and a lower surface of the bumper reinforcement in the vicinity of the side member mounting portion. Alternatively, a convex bead is provided in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the bumper reinforcement. As a result, the rigidity can be improved without increasing the thickness of the bumper reinforcement, and a load having more excellent energy absorption can be obtained.
A deformation amount diagram can be obtained.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view when a bumper reinforcement 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a bumper device (vehicle), and FIG. FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the bumper reinforcement 20 seen from the collision surface side, and FIG.
(C) is a perspective view seen from the body mounting surface side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bumper reinforcement 20 has a mounting portion 22 to which the side member 12 is mounted, and has a shape in which a body-side surface located inside the mounting portion 22 in the vehicle width direction is curved. The width W21 of the central portion 21 in the vehicle width direction in the vehicle front-rear direction is smaller than the width W22 of the mounting portion 22. FIG. 3 shows a cross section AA of the curved portion.

In FIG. 3, a concave portion 1 having a depth C is formed on the body side surface of the bumper reinforcement 20 toward the inside of the cross section. In the present embodiment, the bottom surface 2 of the concave portion 1 extends away from the mounting portion 22 starting from point B in FIG. 2 which is the inner end of the mounting portion 22 in the vehicle width direction, that is, the concave portion inward in the vehicle width direction. 1 is formed so that the depth C gradually increases.

The bottom surface 2 of the concave portion 1 in the central portion 21 in the vehicle width direction of the bumper reinforcement 20 and the collision side wall 25 of the bumper reinforcement 20 may be either in contact or non-contact.

As shown in FIG. 2, the bumper reinforcement 20 has a curved surface on the collision side located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (both ends in the vehicle width direction). The width W23 of the portion is smaller than the width W22 of the mounting portion. FIG. 6 shows a cross section EE at the curved portion.

In FIG. 6, a concave portion 5 having a depth G is formed on the collision side surface of the bumper reinforcement 20 toward the inside of the cross section. The bottom surface 6 of the concave portion 5 is formed so that the depth G of the concave portion 5 gradually increases from the point F in FIG.

The bottom surface 6 of the recess 5 at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the bumper reinforcement 20 and the body-side wall 9 of the bumper reinforcement 20 may be either in contact or non-contact. In the present embodiment, the bumper reinforcement 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 6 has a hollow closed side sectional shape.

In this embodiment, the bumper reinforcement 20 has a width W22 and a height H.
It is formed by press-forming an extruded material of an aluminum alloy or a roll-formed material of a steel plate having a constant side cross-sectional shape of a substantially mouth shape having the same length as 24.

That is, the concave portion 1 is formed by press molding at one central portion of two opposing surfaces of an extruded material or a roll formed material of a steel plate, and at the same time, the width of the central portion is reduced. Also, the recesses 5 are provided by press molding at the other ends of the two opposing surfaces, and the width is reduced at the same time. With this simple press molding, bumper reinforcement 2
0 can be easily formed.

Next, the operation at the time of a vehicle collision in the above-described embodiment will be described.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view showing the deformation mode at the time of a vehicle collision in FIG. In FIG. 4, when a load F is applied, the upper and lower walls 3, 4 of the bumper reinforcement 20 first buckle and deform.

In consideration of the distribution of impact energy due to an actual vehicle collision, for example, in the case of an offset collision as shown in FIG. 5, a bending deformation portion D is formed in the bumper reinforcement 20 as the deformation proceeds, and a deformation load is formed. Decrease.

At this time, the bumper reinforcement 20
Since the concave portion 1 is formed on the body side surface, the surface rigidity of the body side surface is increased, thereby suppressing bending deformation, preventing a reduction in deformation load and improving shock absorption.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing the deformation mode at the time of a vehicle collision in FIG. In FIG. 7, when a load F is received, the upper and lower walls 7, 8 of the bumper reinforcement 20 first buckle and deform.

Thereafter, only the upper and lower walls 7 and 8 are deformed until the bottom surface 6 of the recess 5 formed on the collision side comes into contact with the body side surface 9 of the bumper reinforcement 20, and the bottom surface of the recess 5 becomes 6 After contacting with the body-side surface 9, the upper and lower walls 10, 11 of the concave portion 5 also start to deform.

At this time, since the depth G of the concave portion 5 gradually changes in the vehicle width direction, the deformation gradually propagates from the outside to the inside in the vehicle width direction without buckling at once. As a result, it is possible to obtain a stable load-deformation amount curve without a sudden increase or decrease in load.

FIG. 8 is a graph comparing the load-deformation curves of the product of the present invention and the conventional product, and the energy absorption is represented by the integrated value of the load and the deformation. In FIG. 8, the conventional product is, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, extending in the longitudinal direction with a substantially day-shaped side section, and both ends thereof are formed by bending. Due to such restrictions, the width W21 and width W31 of the bumper reinforcement 20 of the present invention and the bumper reinforcement 30 of the conventional product at the center in the vehicle width direction, and the height H24 and height H34 in the vehicle vertical direction are respectively: It is a comparison with the same length.

Conventional bumper reinforcement 30
Has a constant cross section and extends in the longitudinal direction (that is, the width W31 of the central portion in the vehicle width direction of the bumper reinforcement 30).
And the width W32 of the attachment portion of the side member 12 is the same length), so that the overall thickness of the bumper reinforcement 30 is increased or an intermediate wall is provided, so that the bumper reinforcement 30 with a high load is provided. The required energy absorption amount is obtained by deforming.

On the other hand, the bumper reinforcement 20 of the present invention is provided with a mounting portion 22 for the side member 12.
Is larger (approximately doubled) than the width W21 of the central portion 21 in the vehicle width direction, so that a longer deformation (stroke) can be obtained. It can be deformed, and since the concave portions 1 and 5 are provided, there is no sudden increase or decrease in load, and the energy absorption amount can be obtained efficiently.

The bumper reinforcement 20 in the first embodiment described above does not require complicated bending and complicated steps despite being mountable in a limited space. It is possible to obtain the amount of energy absorption at the time of a vehicle collision required by a load that does not deform the side member 12 without increasing the wall thickness of 20 or adding another component.

FIG. 10 shows a bumper reinforcement 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 (a) is a top view of the bumper reinforcement 40 attached to the side member 12, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the bumper reinforcement 40 seen from the collision surface side, and FIG.
(C) is a perspective view seen from the body mounting surface side.

In the second embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effects as the above-described first embodiment, one or both of the upper and lower surfaces near the mounting portion 42 of the side member 12 of the bumper reinforcement 40 are shown in FIG. The rigidity is improved without increasing the thickness of the bumper reinforcement 40 by providing the concave or convex beads 13 in the direction intersecting the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG. A load-deformation diagram excellent in absorbency is obtained. still,
The number of the beads 13 and the uneven shape are not limited to those shown in FIG.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to only the above embodiments, but includes various embodiments according to the principle of the present invention.

For example, FIG. 12 shows a modified example of the present invention. In the bumper reinforcement 50, the both ends in the vehicle width direction are not formed by bending, but concave portions 51 and 52 are provided on the upper and lower surfaces of the bumper reinforcement 50. 12 (a) is a top view of the bumper reinforcement 50, and FIG. 12 (b) is a side view of FIG. 12 (a). Depth K of recesses 51 and 52
Is formed so as to gradually become deeper outward in the vehicle width direction. The shape of the recess may be like the recesses 61 and 62 shown in FIG.
1, 72.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily form a vehicle in spite of a shape capable of exhibiting performance in a limited space without deteriorating the design of the vehicle, and furthermore, to the extent that the side members are not deformed. It is possible to provide a lightweight and low-cost bumper reinforcement that can absorb a large amount of impact in the low load deformation region.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional perspective (schematic) view when a bumper reinforcement according to the present invention is mounted on a bumper device (vehicle).

FIG. 2 shows a bumper reinforcement 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 (a) is a top view of a state where the bumper reinforcement is attached to a side member, and FIG. 2 (b) is a view from the collision surface side. FIG. 2C is a perspective view of one end side in the vehicle width direction viewed from the body mounting surface side.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory view showing a deformation mode at the time of a vehicle collision in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view showing a modification of the bumper reinforcement 20 according to the first embodiment of the present invention at the time of a vehicle collision.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view showing a deformation mode at the time of a vehicle collision in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a load-deformation diagram of a bumper reinforcement in comparison with a product of the present invention and a conventional product.

FIG. 9 shows a conventional bumper reinforcement 30;
FIG. 9 (a) is a top view of a state in which it is attached to a side member,
FIG. 9B is a perspective view of one end in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the collision surface side, and FIG. 9C is a perspective view of one end side in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the body mounting surface side.

FIG. 10 shows a bumper reinforcement 40 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 (a) is a top view showing a state where the bumper is attached to a side member, and FIG. 10 (b) is a view seen from a collision surface side. FIG. 10C is a perspective view of one end side in the vehicle width direction viewed from the body mounting surface side, and FIG.
(D) is an HH sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 11 is a load-deformation diagram of a bumper reinforcement in comparison with the first embodiment and the second embodiment of the present invention.

12 shows a bumper reinforcement 50 which is a modification of the present invention. FIG. 12 (a) is a top view and FIG. 12 (b).
13 is a side view of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a bumper reinforcement 60 which is another modified example of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a bumper reinforcement 70 according to another modification of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 5 concave portion 2, 6 bottom of concave portion 12 side member 13 bead 20, 40 bumper reinforcement H, C, G depth of concave portion

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A bumper-in hosement located in front of and behind a vehicle and fixed to a side member, wherein the bumper-in hosement has a hollow closed side sectional shape and extends in a vehicle width direction. Or consist of steel plate,
A bumper reinforcement that has a concave or convex portion on at least one surface thereof to change a side sectional shape of the bumper reinforcement according to a position in a vehicle width direction. 2. The side cross-sectional shape is gradually changed according to a position in a vehicle width direction by continuously changing a depth, a width, and a shape of the concave portion or the convex portion. The described bumper reinforcement. 3. The bumper reinforcement according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion or the convex portion is formed on a surface on an outer side in a vehicle width direction and on a collision side. 4. The bumper lining according to claim 1, wherein the concave portion or the convex portion is formed on a surface on the body side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the mounting portion of the side member. Horsement. 5. A bumper reinforcement, which is located in front of and behind a vehicle and fixed to a side member, has a concave or convex shape on at least one of an upper surface or a lower surface near the side member mounting portion of the bumper reinforcement. A bumper reinforcement, wherein a bead is provided in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the bumper reinforcement.