JP2005119456A - Cowl top garnish structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cowl top garnish structure allowing interference of a cowl top garnish with an engine hood while the appearance of the vehicle is taken into consideration. <P>SOLUTION: The part of the cowl top garnish 11 to constitute a part of the cowl box part 10 of a vehicle body 2 which interferes with the engine hood 3 when it is opened, is furnished with a flexible part 33 having a resilience. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a cowl top garnish structure used in a vehicle such as an automobile.

Conventionally, in a vehicle such as an automobile, a resin cowl top garnish that constitutes a part of a cowl box portion of a vehicle body is provided between a lower edge portion of a front window glass and a rear edge portion of an engine hood. It is common. Since this cowl top garnish is close to the rear edge of the engine hood, for example, both sides are configured to be retractable so that the cowl top garnish can be assembled to the vehicle body while avoiding the hinge of the engine hood (for example, Patent Document 1). (See, for example, Patent Document 2) The part which interferes with the rear edge of the engine hood when the engine hood is opened and closed.
No. 1-27989 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-8478

By the way, in a vehicle such as an automobile in recent years, the cowl top garnish is provided on the exterior of the vehicle such that the cowl top garnish and the engine hood are provided substantially flush with each other so that the cowl top garnish forms a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body. The impact is growing.
However, when the cowl top garnish is provided substantially flush with the engine hood, the cowl top garnish and the engine hood may be more likely to interfere with each other.
Therefore, the present invention provides a cowl top garnish structure that allows the interference between the cowl top garnish and the engine hood in consideration of the appearance of the vehicle.

  As a means for solving the above problems, the invention described in claim 1 is a cowl top garnish (for example, a part of a cowl box portion (for example, the cowl box portion 10 of the embodiment) of a vehicle body (for example, the vehicle body 2 of the embodiment). An elastic flexible portion (for example, the flexible portion 33 of the embodiment) is provided in a portion of the cowl top garnish 11) of the embodiment that interferes with the engine hood when the engine hood (for example, the engine hood 3 of the embodiment) is opened. It is characterized by being able to.

  In the invention described in claim 2, the front edge portion (for example, the front edge portion 11a of the embodiment) of the cowl top garnish is substantially the same as the rear edge portion of the engine hood (for example, the rear edge portion 3a of the embodiment). It is provided to be flush with each other.

  According to the above configuration, in particular, when the cowl top garnish forms a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body, the front edge of the cowl top garnish and the rear edge of the engine hood are provided substantially flush with each other. Even if the hood may interfere with the cowl top garnish when it is opened, this interference is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the flexible portion. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide an opening by a notch or a slit in the cowl top garnish.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the cowl top garnish garnish body (for example, the garnish body 11A of the embodiment) is made of a hard resin, and the flexible portion is made of a soft elastic material formed integrally with the garnish body. It is characterized by.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to achieve a sense of unity without increasing the number of parts of the cowl top garnish itself. Further, compared to the case where the entire cowl top garnish is formed of a soft elastic material, the shape of the cowl top garnish is maintained by its own rigidity.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the side edge of the cowl top garnish (for example, the side edge 31 of the embodiment) is the upper edge of the front fender (for example, the front fender 6 of the embodiment) (for example, the upper edge of the embodiment). The edge portion 6a) is substantially flush with the flexible portion, and the side edge of the front fender side outer edge (for example, the outer edge 34 of the embodiment) to the rear edge portion side edge (for example, the embodiment) of the engine hood. The rear edge side end 3c) is formed in a substantially triangular shape extending to the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and one side (for example, the front side 36 in the embodiment) of the flexible portion is formed by the engine hood and the front fender. And parting (for example, the hood side parting 30 of the embodiment).

  According to this configuration, the flexible portion is locally arranged in the vicinity of the rear edge side end of the engine hood that easily interferes with the cowl top garnish when the engine hood is opened. Further, the side edge of the cowl top garnish is provided substantially flush with the front fender so as to form a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body, and the boundary line between the garnish body and the flexible part of the cowl top garnish made of different materials. Is provided so as to be continuous with the parting of the engine hood and the front fender.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the side edge portion of the cowl top garnish and adjacent to the upper edge portion of the front fender, a buffer portion (for example, the buffer portion 38 of the embodiment) connected to the flexible portion. Is provided.

  According to this structure, the component tolerance in the vehicle width direction of the cowl top garnish extending in the vehicle width direction and the expansion and contraction due to heat are absorbed by the buffer portion being bent. Further, if the flexible portion and the buffer portion are made of the same material, they can be formed simultaneously with the production of the cowl top garnish, and the production of the cowl top garnish is facilitated.

  According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, particularly when the cowl top garnish constitutes a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body, the interference between the engine hood and the cowl top garnish can be absorbed. The engine hood and the engine hood can be integrated with each other, and the opening of the engine hood can be set large. Moreover, since it is not necessary to provide an opening in the cowl top garnish, it is possible to prevent rainwater and foreign matter from entering the cowl box portion of the vehicle body.

  According to the third aspect of the invention, the configuration of the cowl top garnish can be simplified, and the appearance of the flexible portion installation site can be kept good. Compared to the case where the entire cowl top garnish is made of a soft elastic material, the cowl top garnish is easy to handle and there is no need to add a fixed part to the vehicle body. Can keep.

  According to the invention described in claim 4, the cowl top garnish engine hood easily interferes while keeping the rigidity of the cowl top garnish by minimizing the area of the flexible portion having low rigidity with respect to the cowl top garnish. A flexible part can be provided at the site. In addition, the side edge of the cowl top garnish constitutes a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body, and the boundary line between the garnish body and the flexible part of the cowl top garnish is continuously provided in the parting. An integrated appearance with the engine hood and the front fender can be obtained.

  According to the invention described in claim 5, since the component tolerance in the vehicle width direction of the cowl top garnish and the expansion and contraction due to heat are absorbed by the buffer portion being bent, the cowl top garnish and the front fender are flush with each other. Can be kept good. Moreover, since it becomes possible to shape | mold simultaneously a flexible part and a buffer part, the manufacturing cost of a cowl top garnish can be held down.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, descriptions of directions such as front, rear, left and right are the same as the directions in the vehicle. In the figure, an arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, and arrows RH and LH indicate the right and left sides of the vehicle, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 such as an automobile of this embodiment has an engine room 2 a at the front portion of the vehicle body 2. The engine room 2 a is covered with an engine hood 3 from above, and a windshield glass 4 and a roof 5 are connected to the rear of the engine hood 3. Both ends of the front edge of the roof 5 are supported by left and right front pillars 8 and 8. Front fenders 6 and 6 are disposed on both sides of the engine hood 3. The engine hood 3 can be opened and closed around an axis E along the vehicle width direction by hinges 7 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 6) provided on both sides of the rear portion of the engine hood 3. Between the rear edge of the engine hood 3 and the front edge (lower edge) of the front window glass 4, a resin cowl that constitutes a part of the cowl box portion 10 for introducing outside air and discharging rainwater. A top garnish 11 is disposed. Reference numeral 12 denotes a wiper device for the windshield 4, and a wiper pivot (not shown) of the wiper device 12 passes through the cowl top garnish 11 and protrudes to the outside of the vehicle.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cowl box portion 10 includes a steel plate windshield panel assembly 13 that is convex upward and a steel plate dash upper panel assembly 14 that is convex downward. These are suitably joined together with each of the plurality of stiffener members 15, thereby forming an integral box structure across both front fenders 6 and 6. The box structure portion of these steel plate members is located behind the front edge of the front window glass 4, and the windshield panel assembly 13 supports the front edge of the front window glass 4 with an adhesive and a sealant. ing. The cowl top garnish 11 is attached to the upper front side of the cowl box portion 10 so as to close the space between the rear edge of the engine hood 3 and the front edge of the front window glass 4.

  The cowl top garnish 11 has an upper wall portion 16 having a substantially inverted V-shaped cross section that is exposed to the outside between the rear edge of the engine hood 3 and the front edge of the front window glass 4. The front portion of the upper wall portion 16 constitutes a front edge portion 11 a of the cowl top garnish 11, and the front edge portion 11 a is provided substantially flush with the rear edge portion 3 a of the engine hood 3. Specifically, the outer surface 11b of the front edge portion 11a is formed so as to extend rearward from the outer surface 3b of the rear edge portion 3a of the engine hood 3, and has a shape that is gently curved so as to protrude downward. Is done. The rear portion of the upper wall portion 16 is a leg portion 18 that extends obliquely downward and rearward from the rear edge of the front edge portion 11a and lands on the front edge portion of the front window glass 4. The front end portion of the leg portion 18 is the front window glass. 4 is bent along the outer surface 4 b to form the contact portion 19. The “outer surface” in the description means a surface outside the vehicle.

  Here, the tip of the contact portion 19 is configured as a glass lip 20 made of a soft elastic material (e.g., elastomer). The glass lip 20 is formed integrally with the cowl top garnish 11, extends toward the front window glass 4, closely contacts the outer surface 4 b, and absorbs gaps and steps between them to improve the appearance quality. We are trying to improve. A mounting recess 16a corresponding to the base of the wiper arm of the wiper device 12 and a wiper pivot (not shown) is formed on the right side of the upper wall portion 16 of the cowl top garnish 11 (see FIGS. 3 and 5).

  On the other hand, at the lower part of the cowl top garnish 11, a lower leg 21 that changes from the front edge of the upper wall portion 16 into a substantially crank-shaped cross section and extends obliquely downward and rearward and lands on the front edge of the dash upper panel assembly 14. The lower abutting portion 22 to the dash upper panel assembly 14 is bent and formed at the distal end portion of the lower leg portion 21. A seal flange 23 that protrudes obliquely upward and forward is provided at the upper end of the lower leg 21, and a weather strip 24 is attached to the seal flange 23. The weather strip 24 is in close contact with the seal surface 25 provided on the inner side of the rear edge 3a of the engine hood 3 in the closed state in order to prevent rainwater and the like from entering the engine room 2a.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the front edge of the front window glass 4 and the rear edge of the engine hood 3 are gently curved so that the center side in the vehicle width direction is located forward of the outside in a top view. The cowl top garnish 11 is similarly curved and provided. Further, since the rear edge of the engine hood 3 is curved deeper than the front edge of the front window glass 4, the width in the front-rear direction of the cowl top garnish 11 becomes narrower as it is located on the end side (vehicle width direction outer side). Formed as follows. Then, at both ends of the cowl top garnish 11, extending portions 27, 27 that are curved and extend along the window side molding 26 disposed on the side edge of the front window glass 4 are formed. The portions 27 are connected to the corresponding window side moldings 26 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the extension 27 of the cowl top garnish 11 is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction than the upper edge 6 a of the front fender 6. The upper edge portion 6 a of the front fender 6 is a part of the pillar portion 28 of the front fender 6 that extends so as to be continuous with the lower end portion 8 a of the front pillar 8. The front pillar 8 and the pillar portion 28 have lower ends and upper ends that are abutted by the pillar-side parting 29, and are continuous with their outer surfaces 8b and 28b being substantially flush with each other. Further, the outer surface 8 b of the front pillar 8 is substantially flush with the upper surface (outer surface) 26 b of the window side molding 26. Parting 30 (hereinafter referred to as hood side parting) 30 between the engine hood 3 and the front fender 6 is curved so that the rear end portion is located rearward and is located inward in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 5). .

  When a portion of the extending portion 27 that is continuous with the front edge portion 11a is a side edge portion 31 of the cowl top garnish 11, the side edge portion 31 is formed by forming an outer surface 31b that is substantially flush with the outer surface 11b of the front edge portion 11a. Have. The outer surface 31 b is substantially flush with the outer surface 3 b of the rear edge 3 a of the engine hood 3 and the outer surface 6 b of the upper edge 6 a of the front fender 6. And the site | part which cross | intersects the opening / closing locus | trajectory of the rear edge part side end 3c of the engine hood 3 in the side edge part 31 is comprised as the flexible part 33 which consists of a soft elastic material (for example, elastomer). The flexible portion 33 is formed integrally with the garnish body 11A of the cowl top garnish 11 made of a hard resin (for example, polypropylene). In addition, 3 'and 3c' in a figure show the engine hood at the time of opening, and the rear edge side end.

  The flexible portion 33 is formed so as to extend from the outer edge 34 of the side edge portion 31 on the front fender 6 side to a portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction from the rear edge side end 3c of the engine hood 3. Specifically, the flexible portion 33 is formed in a substantially triangular shape on the outer surface 31b of the side edge portion 31 with the front portion of the outer edge 34 on the front fender 6 side as the bottom and the top portion 35 protruding inward in the vehicle width direction. It is formed. The outer surface of the flexible portion 33 is flush with the outer surface 31 b of the side edge portion 31. The two sides sandwiching the top portion 35 of the flexible portion 33 are provided so as to be continuous with the rear end portion of the hood side parting 30, and the rear side portion 36 located on the front side of the top portion 35 and the rear side located on the rear side of the top portion 35. This is the side 37. And since the rear-end part of the hood side parting 30 is curving toward the vehicle width direction inner side, the front side edge 36 continuing to this also curves similarly, As a result, the top part 35 of the flexible part 33 becomes The engine hood 3 is located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction from the rear edge side end 3c.

  A portion of the side edge 31 adjacent to the upper edge 6 a of the front fender 6 and the fender upper parting 32 is configured as a buffer portion 38 made of the same soft elastic material as the flexible portion 33. The buffer portion 38 is formed with substantially the same width along the outer edge 34 on the front fender 6 side, and is continuous with the flexible portion 33. That is, the buffer portion 38 is formed integrally with the garnish main body 11 </ b> A similarly to the flexible portion 33. A locking claw 39 made of the same soft elastic material is integrally formed on the outer side of the buffer portion 38, and this locking claw 39 straddles the front fender 6 across the fender upper parting 32. By engaging with each other, lifting of both ends of the cowl top garnish 11 is suppressed.

  The distal end of the extending portion 27 is provided so as to be continuous with the pillar side parting 29. And the front-end | tip part of the extension part 27 is comprised as the lip | rip 40 which has the flexibility which consists of the same soft elastic material as the flexible part 33 and the buffer part 38. FIG. The lip 40 is integrated with the buffer portion 38 and is formed integrally with the garnish main body 11 </ b> A together with the buffer portion 38 and the flexible portion 33. The window side molding 26 has a lower end portion extending below the pillar side parting 29, and an extension portion 27 of the cowl top garnish 11 is connected to the lower end portion so as to overlap from the vehicle outer side.

The lip 40 extends from the distal end side of the extending portion 27 toward the window side molding 26, and the distal end portion of the lip 40 is in a state where the extending portion 27 of the cowl top garnish 11 is overlapped and connected to the lower end portion of the window side molding 26. Is in close contact with the upper surface (outer surface) 26b of the window side molding 26 (see FIG. 8).
The main part in FIG. 4 has a substantially symmetrical configuration with respect to the main part in FIG. 3, and the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a view of the vicinity of the extended portion 27 as viewed from above, and shows that the top portion 35 of the flexible portion 33 is located behind the rear edge side end 3c of the engine hood 3 and on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. ing. The engine hood 3 is curved so that the side end side of the rear edge portion 3a is positioned rearward of the center side in the vehicle width direction. When the engine hood 3 is opened, the rear edge side end 3c is connected to the cowl top garnish 11. To come closest.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the vehicle 1, the opening degree of the engine hood 3 is set so that the rear edge side end 3 c interferes with the flexible portion 33 when the engine hood 3 is fully opened. And interference of the rear edge part side end 3c is absorbed when the flexible part 33 bends (elastically deforms) to the vehicle inner side.

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the periphery of the lip 40, and the tip end of the lip 40 is the upper surface 26 b of the window side molding 26 with the extended portion 27 of the cowl top garnish 11 overlapped and connected to the lower end of the window side molding 26. Showing close to. In a state in which the window side molding 26 and the cowl top garnish 11 are connected, the extension portion 27 does not contact the upper surface 26b of the window side molding 26, and a predetermined gap is provided between them. When the lip 40 having a close contact with the upper surface 26b of the window side molding 26, a gap and a step between the distal end of the extending portion 27 and the upper surface 26b of the window side molding 26 are absorbed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the connection portion between the cowl top garnish 11 and the window side molding 26 is a portion that is particularly easily visible from the passenger compartment side, but between the tip of the extension portion 27 and the upper surface 26 b of the window side molding 26. Since the gap and the step are absorbed by the lip 40, the cowl top garnish 11 and the window side molding 26 are smoothly connected to each other, and the joints become inconspicuous and the appearance is improved.
5 to 8 show the periphery of the right side portion of the cowl top garnish 11, and the left side portion periphery of the same part is assumed to have a substantially symmetric configuration on the left and right sides, and its illustration and description are omitted.

According to the above-described embodiment, the flexible portion 33 having elasticity is provided at a portion of the cowl top garnish 11 constituting a part of the cowl box portion 10 of the vehicle body 2 that interferes with the engine hood 3 when the engine hood 3 is opened. In particular, the outer surface 3b of the front edge portion 11a of the cowl top garnish 11 and the outer surface 3b of the rear edge portion 3a of the engine hood 3 so that the cowl top garnish 11 constitutes a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body 2. Even when the engine hood 3 interferes with the cowl top garnish 11 when the engine hood 3 is opened, this interference is absorbed by the elastic deformation of the flexible portion 33.
For this reason, it is possible to obtain an integral appearance of the cowl top garnish 11 and the engine hood 3 and to increase the opening of the engine hood 3.

Moreover, it is not necessary to provide the cowl top garnish 11 with openings such as notches and slits.
For this reason, there exists an effect which can prevent that rainwater and a foreign material enter into the cowl box part 10 of the vehicle body 2.

Further, the garnish main body 11A of the cowl top garnish 11 is made of a hard resin, and the flexible portion 33 is made of a soft elastic material formed integrally with the garnish main body 11A, so that the number of parts of the cowl top garnish 11 itself is not increased. And can give a sense of unity.
For this reason, there is an effect that the configuration of the cowl top garnish 11 can be simplified and the appearance of the flexible portion 33 installation site can be kept good.

Moreover, the shape of the cowl top garnish 11 is maintained by its own rigidity as compared with the case where the entire cowl top garnish 11 is formed of a soft elastic material.
For this reason, the cowl top garnish 11 can be easily routed, and there is no need to add a fixing portion to the vehicle body 2, so that the assembly of the cowl top garnish 11 can be effectively maintained.

Further, the side edge portion 31 of the cowl top garnish 11 is provided so that the outer surface 31b thereof is substantially flush with the outer surface 6b of the upper edge portion 6a of the front fender 6, and the flexible portion 33 is provided with the side edge portion. 31 is formed in a substantially triangular shape extending from the outer edge 34 on the front fender 6 side to a portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction from the rear edge side end 3c of the engine hood 3, and one side of the flexible portion 33 is a hood side party. The flexible portion 33 is locally disposed in the vicinity of the rear edge side end 3c of the engine hood 3 that easily interferes with the cowl top garnish 11 when the engine hood 3 is opened.
For this reason, the area of the flexible portion 33 having low rigidity with respect to the cowl top garnish 11 can be minimized to maintain the rigidity of the cowl top garnish 11, and the engine hood 3 of the cowl top garnish 11 can be easily interfered with. There exists an effect which can provide the bending part 33. FIG.

Moreover, the outer surface 31b of the side edge 31 of the cowl top garnish 11 is provided substantially flush with the outer surface 6b of the upper edge 6a of the front fender 6 so as to form a part of the outer surface of the vehicle body 2. The boundary line between the garnish body 11A of the cowl top garnish 11 and the flexible portion 33 of different materials is provided so as to be continuous with the parting between the engine hood 3 and the front fender 6.
For this reason, there exists an effect which can obtain the integral external appearance of 11 A of garnish main bodies, the engine hood 3, and the flexible part 33, and the front fender 6. FIG.

Furthermore, a buffer portion 38 connected to the flexible portion 33 is provided in a portion adjacent to the upper edge portion 6a of the front fender 6 on the side edge portion 31 of the cowl top garnish 11, thereby extending in the vehicle width direction. Parts tolerance in the vehicle width direction of the cowl top garnish 11 and expansion and contraction due to heat are absorbed by the buffer portion 38 being bent.
For this reason, there exists an effect which can maintain the flush state of cowl top garnish 11 and front fender 6 favorably.

In addition, if the flexible portion 33 and the buffer portion 38 are made of the same material, they can be formed at the same time when the cowl top garnish 11 is manufactured, so that the cowl top garnish 11 can be easily manufactured.
For this reason, there exists an effect which can suppress the manufacturing cost of the cowl top garnish 11. FIG.

  In addition, this invention is not restricted to the said Example, For example, the materials and shapes, such as garnish main body 11A of the cowl top garnish 11, and the flexible part 33, can be changed suitably in the range which does not deviate from the summary of invention. is there. The flexible portion 33, the buffer portion 38, and the lip 40 are integrally formed so as to constitute a part of the cowl top garnish 11, but are formed by joining separate members to the cowl top garnish. May be. Further, the cowl top garnish 11 and the window side molding 26 may not have the same outer surface as the outer surface of the vehicle body 2.

It is a top view of the cowl box part periphery of the vehicle in the Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line of FIG. It is a front view of the cowl top garnish right side periphery. It is a front view of the cowl top garnish left side periphery. FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3. It is sectional drawing which follows the BB line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the CC line of FIG. FIG. 6 is an arrow view seen from the direction of arrow D in FIG. 5.

Explanation of symbols

2 Car body 3 Engine hood 3a Rear edge 3c Rear edge side end 6 Front fender 6a Upper edge 10 Cowl box part 11 Cowl top garnish 11A Garnish body 11a Front edge 30 Hood side parting 31 Side edge 33 Flexible part 34 Outer edge 36 Front side 38 Buffer part

Claims (5)

  A cowl top garnish structure in which a flexible portion having elasticity is provided at a portion of a cowl top garnish constituting a part of a cowl box portion of a vehicle body that interferes with the engine hood when the engine hood is opened.   The cowl top garnish structure according to claim 1, wherein a front edge portion of the cowl top garnish is provided substantially flush with a rear edge portion of the engine hood.   The cowl top garnish structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a garnish body of the cowl top garnish is made of a hard resin, and the flexible portion is made of a soft elastic material formed integrally with the garnish body. .   A side edge portion of the cowl top garnish is provided substantially flush with an upper edge portion of the front fender, and the flexible portion extends from the outer edge of the side edge portion on the front fender side to the rear edge side end of the engine hood. Further, the flexible portion is formed in a substantially triangular shape extending to the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and one side of the flexible portion is provided so as to be continuous with the parting of the engine hood and the front fender. The cowl top garnish structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. 5. The buffer portion connected to the flexible portion is provided at a side edge portion of the cowl top garnish and adjacent to the upper edge portion of the front fender. The cowl top garnish structure described in 1.

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