JP2006282105A - Impact-absorbing structure for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain an impact-absorbing structure for vehicle capable of positively working to improve a protection performance of a collision member. <P>SOLUTION: A pillar device 10 to which an impact-absorbing structure for vehicle is applied has a configuration that a pillar outer garnish 70 is spaced apart upward or forward from a pillar frame member 62 at the time of front collision to assure an impact absorbing stroke by the pillar outer garnish 70. A driving device 20 causes a motor 48 to be operated at the time of front collision and a cable 92 to be pulled in a front downward direction. A trigger 94 for the cable 92 moves an intermediate part 88 of a folding or extending member 82 away from the pillar frame member 62 together with the pillar outer garnish 70 by making the rear end of the folding or extending member 82 keeping front end fixed to the pillar frame member 62 approach the front end. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an impact absorbing structure for a vehicle for securing an impact absorbing stroke by separating an impact input member from a vehicle body at the time of a vehicle collision, for example.

  When a collision object collides with the front of the vehicle, the rear end of the engine hood is flipped up, and the airbag is inflated from between the rear end of the engine hood and the cowl top so that the airbag is attached to the front pillar. A technique for inflating and expanding so as to cover the entire region from the base to the upper end on the front side is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In addition, there is a technology that allows the pillar outer garnish disposed on the vehicle outer side of the skeleton member at the top of the front pillar to protrude during a vehicle collision, ensuring both normal visibility and ensuring a shock absorbing stroke during a collision. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).
JP 2002-36986 A JP 2004-196087 A

  By the way, in the former technique, in order to improve the protection of the collision object, it is necessary to take measures such as increasing the capacity of the airbag. In this case, the air bag is inflated between the rear end of the engine hood and the cowl top. It is difficult to quickly deploy the airbag to be taken out. In the latter configuration, there is room for improvement in order to improve the protection of the collision object.

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle impact absorbing structure that can operate reliably and improve the protection of a collision object.

  In order to achieve the above object, an impact absorbing structure for a vehicle according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an impact input member arranged so as to be elongated in a predetermined direction so as to form an outer surface of a vehicle body. A shock absorbing structure for a vehicle that moves to a buffer position separated from a vehicle body, wherein each of the driving devices is fixed at a different position along the longitudinal direction of the shock input member in the vehicle body and the other end side of the vehicle body is the vehicle body A plurality of displacement members whose intermediate portion is separated from the vehicle body together with the impact input member when the other end side is close to the one end side, and in the predetermined direction in the longitudinal direction of the impact input member. And an elongate member that moves in a predetermined direction along with the other end side of each displacement member close to the one end side by the movement.

  The shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the long member is moved in a predetermined direction by operating the drive device, the other end of each displacement member is fixed to the vehicle body by the movement of the long member. Close to the side. Then, the intermediate portion of the displacement member is separated from the vehicle body, and the impact input member attached or pressed to the intermediate portion is separated from the vehicle body. When a collision body collides with the impact input member, the displacement member is deformed to absorb the impact.

  Here, since the plurality of displacement members that constitute the drive device for separating the impact input member from the vehicle body are provided, the impact input member is supported by each displacement member at a plurality of portions that are different in the longitudinal direction. The displacement member near the part (collision part) can be deformed to absorb the shock, and stable impact characteristics can be obtained regardless of the impact input part.

  Thus, in the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to the first aspect, it is possible to reliably operate and improve the protection of the collision object. Note that three or more displacement members are preferably provided.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to the first aspect, wherein the displacement member adjacent in the longitudinal direction of the impact input member overlaps in the longitudinal direction. The plurality of displacement members are arranged.

  In the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, the number of displacement members arranged to overlap in the longitudinal direction of the impact input member can be increased, and the protection of the collision body is improved by operating more reliably. be able to.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to the first or second aspect, wherein the elongated member causes the other end side of the displacement member to approach one end side. The timing was made different for each displacement member.

  In the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to the third aspect, since the elongate member is different in the timing at which the other end side of each displacement member is brought close to the one end side, the impact input member can be separated from the vehicle body with small power.

  The vehicle impact absorbing structure according to claim 4 is the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the elongate member is the displacement member. Before actuating, a displacement assisting means for separating the impact input member from the vehicle body by a predetermined amount is further provided.

  In the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to claim 4, the displacement assisting means separates the impact input member from the vehicle body by a predetermined amount before the elongate member brings the other end of the displacement member closer to the one end. Next, the long member causes the other end side of each displacement member to approach the one end side to further separate the impact input member from the vehicle body. For this reason, the impact input member can be separated from the vehicle body with small power. Particularly, in the configuration dependent on claim 4, the impact input member can be separated from the vehicle body with smaller power.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the driving device has a vehicle body opening in the predetermined case. The elongate member is driven in the predetermined direction by the hood raising means for lifting the rear portion of the covering hood upward in the vehicle body.

  In the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to the fifth aspect, since the power is shared with the hood raising means for lifting the rear end of the hood, the applied vehicle structure can be simplified.

  The vehicle impact absorbing structure according to claim 6 is the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the impact input member is a front side of an upper skeleton member of a front pillar. A pillar outer garnish that covers the pillar outer garnish that is actuated by the control device when the control device detects a collision with the front of the vehicle based on a signal from the collision detection device. The member is separated forward or upward.

  7. The vehicle shock absorbing structure according to claim 6, wherein when the control device determines that the vehicle has collided forward based on a signal from the collision detection device, the control device operates the drive device (hood raising means) to provide a pillar outer garnish. Is spaced forward or upward with respect to the skeleton member of the front pillar. Thereby, it is prevented or suppressed that a collision body collides directly with the frame member of a front pillar, and receives a big impact load.

  As described above, the vehicle impact absorbing structure according to the present invention has an excellent effect that it can operate reliably and improve the protection of the collision object.

  A movable pillar device 10 to which a vehicle shock absorbing structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. Note that arrows FR, UP, and IN, which are appropriately shown in the drawings, respectively indicate the forward direction (traveling direction), the upward direction, and the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the automobile S to which the movable pillar device 10 is applied.

  FIG. 6 is a side view of the front portion of the automobile S to which the movable pillar device 10 is applied. As shown in this figure, in the case where the vehicle S collides with the front bumper B, for example, the engine hood 14 as a hood and the pillar outer garnish 70 as an impact input member are in a normal use position indicated by a solid line. To the buffer preparation position indicated by the imaginary line.

Hereinafter, the movable hood device 12 as hood raising means for moving the engine hood 14 from the normal use position to the buffer preparation position and the pillar outer garnish 70 of the front pillar P from the normal use position to the buffer preparation position will be described below. The movable pillar device 10 for moving will be described in this order. The movable hood device 12 and the movable pillar device 10 are provided as a pair on the left and right sides, but are configured symmetrically on the left and right, so that one side (the right side in the traveling direction) will be described.
(Configuration of movable hood device)
As shown in FIG. 6, the engine hood 14 is a plate-like member that closes the opening end of the engine room formed at the front portion of the automobile S, and the rear end 14 </ b> A is connected to the movable hood device 12 via the hinge shaft 16. The engine room is opened and closed by this rotation. The engine hood 14 is configured to maintain a closed state of the engine room by engaging a striker 14C provided at the front end 14B with a hood lock L on the vehicle body side disposed in the engine room. . The engine hood 14 is turnable in a direction in which the rear end 14A side moves upward with the meshing portion of the striker 14C and the hood lock L as a rotation center.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the movable hood device 12 includes a hinge mount bracket 18 fixed to the vehicle body of the automobile S. The hinge mount bracket 18 is fixed to the apron upper member E by a bolt 19 that passes through the apron upper member E and is screwed to a weld nut 18A fixed to the back surface thereof. The hinge mount bracket 18 supports a lower end (front end) 22 </ b> A of a link member 22 via a drive device 20 described later. The upper end (rear end) 22B of the link member 22 is located above the upper edge of the hinge mount bracket 18, and the rear of the hinge arm 24 via the hinge shaft 16 whose axial direction coincides with the vehicle width direction. The end 24A is rotatably connected.

  The hinge arm 24 is fixedly coupled to the lower surface side of the rear end 14A of the engine hood 14. In this embodiment, a bolt 28 penetrating the hinge arm 24 is screwed into a weld nut 26 provided in the engine hood, whereby the hinge arm 24 is coupled to the rear end 14A of the engine hood 14. Accordingly, as described above, the engine room can be opened and closed by rotating the engine hood 14 around the hinge shaft 16.

  Further, a front end 32 </ b> A of the auxiliary link member 32 is rotatably connected to an intermediate portion of the link member 22 via a link pin 30. A rear end 32 </ b> B of the auxiliary link member 32 is rotatably supported by the hinge mount bracket 18 via a stepped bolt 34. In the normal use position shown in FIG. 1, the stepped bolt 34 is located below the hinge shaft 16. Thus, by moving the lower end 22A of the link member 22 rearward, the link member 22 rises (substantially upright) as shown in FIG. 2, and the rear end 14A of the engine hood 14 rises. .

  The movable hood device 12 includes a drive device 20 that drives the lower end 22A of the link member 22 in the front-rear direction. The drive device 20 includes a feed screw mechanism F composed of a movable plate 38 in which the lower end 22A of the link member 22 is rotatably connected via a pin 36, and a screw shaft 40 into which the movable plate 38 is screwed. Yes. The screw shaft 40 is elongated along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and both front and rear end portions of the screw shaft 40 are supported by the hinge mount bracket 18 via bearings 42 and 44 so as to be rotatable about the axis. A front end of the screw shaft 40 protruding forward from the front bearing 42 is connected to an output shaft 48A of the motor 48 via a joint 46 so as to be coaxially and integrally rotatable. The case 48 </ b> B of the motor 48 is fixed to the hinge mount bracket 18.

  As a result, when the motor 48 operates and the output shaft 48A rotates forward with respect to the case 48B, that is, the vehicle body, the drive device 20 moves the movable plate 38 rearward along with the forward rotation of the screw shaft 40, and the output shaft 48A When reversely rotating with respect to the vehicle body, the movable plate 38 moves forward as the screw shaft 40 rotates forward. The movable plate 38 is prevented from rotating about the axis of the screw shaft 40 by the link member 22 connected via the pin 36. That is, the link member 22 functions as a guide member for the movable plate 38.

  Further, stopper rubbers 50 and 52 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the front and rear bearings 42 and 44, respectively. Further, the driving device 20 includes a front end switch 54 that outputs a signal according to whether or not the movable plate 38 is positioned at the front movement limit (abuts against the stopper rubber 50), and the movable plate 38 moves rearward. A rear end switch 56 is provided that outputs a signal corresponding to whether or not it is positioned at the limit (abuts against the stopper rubber 52). Each of the front end switch 54 and the rear end switch 56 is a limit switch, and outputs an ON signal when the movable plate 38 is located at a movement limit to be detected, and outputs an OFF signal otherwise.

As shown in FIG. 6, the motor 48, the front end switch 54, and the rear end switch 56 constituting the drive device 20 are electrically connected to a buffer ECU 58 serving as a control device. Further, the buffer ECU 58 is electrically connected to a bumper sensor 60 as a collision detection device built in the vicinity of the surface of the front bumper B, and a vehicle speed sensor 61 that outputs a signal corresponding to the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the automobile S. Yes. The bumper sensor 60 is configured to output an ON signal when a collision object contacts the front bumper B, and to output an OFF signal otherwise, that is, a configuration for detecting the presence or absence of a collision. An example of control by the buffer ECU 58 will be described later together with the operation of this embodiment.
(Configuration of movable pillar device)
First, the structure of the upper part of the front pillar P will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 6, a pillar skeleton member 62 is disposed on the upper portion of the front pillar P. The pillar skeleton member 62 has a closed cross-sectional structure along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (substantially up and down direction) by joining the pillar outer panel 64 and the pillar inner panel 66.

  Specifically, the pillar outer panel 64 includes a front wall 64A facing forward and upward, an outer wall 64B extending rearward from the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the front wall 64A, and an inner side from the rear end of the outer wall 64B. An outer rear wall 64C extending forward, a front flange 64D extending forward from the inner end of the front wall 64A, and a rear flange 64E extending rearward from the inner end of the outer rear wall 64C, As a whole, it is formed in a substantially J shape that opens inward in the vehicle width direction in a cross-sectional view. On the other hand, the pillar inner panel 66 has an inner wall 66A facing the vehicle interior side, an inner rear wall 66B extending outward from the rear end of the inner wall 66A, and extending rearward from the outer end of the inner rear wall 66B. The rear flange 66C is provided with an engaging flange 66D that extends outward from the front end of the inner wall 66A, and is formed in a substantially J-shape that opens outward in the vehicle width direction in a cross-sectional view. .

  The pillar outer panel 64 and the pillar inner panel 66 are formed such that the front flange 64D is overlapped with the front portion of the inner wall 66A and fillet welded, and the rear flanges 64E and 66C are overlapped with each other and spot welded. As described above, they are joined so as to form a closed cross section.

  The interior side portion of the pillar skeleton member 62 described above (mainly, the portion from the inner wall 66A to the inner rear wall 66B) is covered with the pillar inner garnish 68, and is the vehicle outer side portion of the pillar skeleton member 62. A front outer portion (a portion from the portion excluding the inner end facing the engagement flange 66D on the front wall 64A to the outer wall 64B) from a certain front outside is covered with a pillar outer garnish 70. The pillar inner garnish 68 and the pillar outer garnish 70 are each made of a resin material.

  The front end 68A of the pillar inner garnish 68 is engaged between the engagement flange 66D of the pillar skeleton member 62 and the front windshield glass G joined to the engagement flange 66D by the adhesive C. Further, the rear end 68B of the pillar inner garnish 68 is engaged with the joined rear flanges 64E and 66C via the weather strip 72.

  The pillar outer garnish 70 includes a design wall 70A that is curved so as to smoothly connect the front windshield glass G and the front side door D, an inner wall 70B that extends rearward from the inner end of the design wall 70A, and a design wall 70A. And an outer wall 70C extending inward and rearward from the rear end. From the rear portion of the inner wall 70B, a plurality of engaging claws 70D are projected inward in the longitudinal direction at equal intervals or unequal intervals, and each engaging claw 70D is provided on an engagement flange 66D of the pillar skeleton member 62. It is engaged from the rear side. A weather strip 74 is disposed between the inner wall 70B of the pillar outer garnish 70 and the outer end of the front windshield glass G.

  On the other hand, on the outer wall 70C of the pillar outer garnish 70, a plurality of notches 70E are formed at equal intervals or unequal intervals in the longitudinal direction. The outer wall 70 </ b> C is attached to the pillar skeleton member 62 by a plurality of screws 78 that are inserted into the respective cutout portions 70 </ b> E and are threaded into the weld nuts 76 in the pillar skeleton member 62 through the outer wall 64 </ b> B. As shown in FIG. 7, each notch 70 </ b> E has a U-shaped edge that opens substantially rearward and allows the pillar outer garnish 70 to move forward relative to the screw 78, that is, the pillar skeleton member 62. It is like that. In other words, the outer wall 70C of the pillar outer garnish 70 is frictionally held between the head portion 78A of the screw 78 and the outer wall 64B.

  As described above, the pillar outer garnish 70 exceeds the static friction between the outer wall 70C and the outer wall 64B, and can release the engagement between the engagement claw 70D and the engagement flange 66D (disengagement or destruction of the engagement claw 70D). When the force is applied, the pillar skeleton member 62 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow A in FIG. 3 (away from the pillar skeleton member 62). The weather strip 74 is appropriately deformed when the pillar outer garnish 70 moves in the direction of arrow A so as not to inhibit the movement.

  The movable pillar device 10 includes a pillar drive mechanism 80 for applying a moving force in the direction of arrow A to the pillar outer garnish 70. As shown in FIG. 3, the pillar driving mechanism 80 is disposed between the design wall 70 </ b> A of the pillar outer garnish 70 and the front wall 64 </ b> A of the pillar skeleton member 62.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the pillar drive mechanism 80 includes a plurality of bending and stretching members 82 as the displacement members in the present invention. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the pillar driving mechanism 80 includes six bending and stretching members 82. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, each bending member 82 has a front leg portion 84, a rear leg portion 86, and a connecting portion 88 that connects the front leg portion 84 and the rear leg portion 86. It is formed in a substantially convex “he” shape.

  The front leg portion 84 hangs over the entire length from both sides in the width direction of the leg main body 84A, a flat plate-like leg main body 84A elongated in the front-rear direction, a front wall 84B hanging from the front end of the leg main body 84A. The rib 84C is formed, a joining piece 84D extending forward from the lower end of the front wall 84B, and a cable hole 84E penetrating the front wall 84B. The rear leg portion 86 is suspended over the entire length from both sides in the width direction of the leg body 86A, a flat leg body 86A that is elongated in the front-rear direction, a rear wall 86B that is suspended from the rear end of the leg body 86A. The rib 86C has a front leg insertion hole 86D that penetrates the rear portion of the leg main body 86A, and a cable hole 86E that penetrates the rear wall 86B.

  By providing the above-described ribs 84C and 86C, each bending member 82 is plastic at each boundary portion that forms an obtuse angle between the front leg portion 84 (leg main body 84A), the rear leg portion 86 (leg main body 86A), and the connecting portion 88. The weakened portion 82A is easily bent (see FIGS. 4, 5, and 8). For this reason, each bending member is configured such that the connecting portion 88 is lifted upward when the front end of the front leg portion 84 and the rear end of the rear leg portion 86 are brought close to each other (bent or closed leg).

  The width of the front leg insertion hole 86D of the rear leg portion 86 is larger than the width of the front leg portion 84 (the front leg portion 84 of the bending and stretching member 82 disposed on the rear side. As shown in FIG. In each of the plurality of bending and stretching members 82, the joining piece 84D of the front leg portion 84 is fixed to the front wall 64A of the pillar skeleton member 62. Specifically, the joining piece 84D is attached to the base plate 90 fixed to the surface of the front wall 64A. A cutout portion 90A is formed, and a joining piece 84D that has entered the lower side of the raised portion 90B raised in front of the cutout portion 90A is joined to the raised portion 90B, and each bending member 82 is thus formed. The base plate 90 to which is attached is fixed to the pillar skeleton member 62.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear leg portion 86 of each bending / extending member 82 is not restricted to the pillar skeleton member 62 and is a free end. The front leg portion 84 of the rear bending member 82 is inserted into the front leg insertion hole 86D of each bending member 82 except the bending member 82 arranged at the rearmost position. As a result, the bending and stretching members 82 are arranged so as to overlap each other in the longitudinal direction of the upper portion of the front pillar P.

  And the pillar outer garnish 70 is fixedly attached to the connection part 88 of each bending-stretching member 82. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of lateral ribs 70 </ b> F are erected from the inner surface of the design wall 70 </ b> A of the pillar outer garnish 70. Two horizontal ribs 70 </ b> F are provided for each connecting portion 88. As shown in FIG. 3, each horizontal rib 70F is formed with a pair of notches 70G into which both end portions in the width direction of the connecting portion 88 are inserted, and both end portions in the width direction of the connecting portion 88 are inserted into each notch portion 70G. Thus, the pillar outer garnish 70 is attached to each bending-extension member 82. At the time of this attachment, if each bending member 82 is moved in the arrow B direction with respect to the pillar outer garnish 70 with the outer portion 88A at the front end at the front end of the connecting portion 88 shown in FIG. The end portion in the width direction of the connecting portion 88 can be inserted into each cutout portion 70G.

  As described above, in the movable pillar device 10, the rear end of the rear leg portion 86, which is the free end of each flexure / extension member 82, is brought close to the front end of the front leg portion 84 fixed to the pillar skeleton member 62, whereby each flexure / extension member 82. It is the structure which can lift the connection part 88 which is the intermediate part of this to the front upper direction with the pillar outer garnish 70. FIG. The pillar drive mechanism 80 of the movable pillar device 10 includes a cable 92 as an elongated member in order to bring the rear end of the rear leg portion 86 of each bending member 82 close to the front end of the front leg portion 84.

  The cable 92 is inserted through the cable holes 84E and 86E of the bending and stretching members 82 and is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the base plate 90 (pillar skeleton member 62). Trigger members 94 are fixedly attached to the rear ends of the rear leg portions 86 of the bending members 82 of the cables 92, that is, the rear walls 86B. As a result, when the cable 92 is moved forward and downward along the front wall 64A, each trigger member 94 presses the rear wall 86B of the corresponding bending member 82 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 (imaginary line). The pillar outer garnish 70 is lifted with respect to the pillar skeleton member 62.

  In this embodiment, the movable hood device 12 is used to pull the cable 92 forward. In other words, the movable hood device 12 shares the motor 48 as a drive source. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the cable 92 has its front part wound around a pulley 96 supported above the rear end of the hinge mount bracket 18, and is positioned in front of the pulley 96. The front end is locked to the upper portion of the link member 22 (in the vicinity of the upper end 22B connected to the hinge shaft 16). For this reason, when the motor 48 rotates forward and the movable plate 38 moves rearward, the cable 92 is pulled as the link member 22 rises as shown in FIG. The portion located at the position moves forward and downward along the pillar skeleton member 62.

  In this embodiment, the rear end of the cable 92 is a free end. For this reason, each trigger member 94 is held by the pillar skeleton member 62 by a holding means (not shown) to prevent the occurrence of rattling or abnormal noise. As the holding means, an engaging portion, an adhesive tape, an adhesive, or the like that can be easily deformed or broken can be used. The upper end of the cable 92 may be connected to the pillar skeleton member 62 via a tension coil spring or the like to apply tension to the cable 92.

  In addition, the movable pillar device 10 includes a displacement assisting unit that lifts the front end of the pillar outer garnish 70 by a predetermined amount before the trigger member 94 presses the rear wall 86B of the bending member 82 forward. In this embodiment, the displacement assisting means is a hook projecting rearward from the upper end 22B of the link member 22 at the front lower end of the vertical rib 70H of the pillar outer garnish 70 in a state of being in the normal use position shown in FIG. The portion 98 is engaged (contacted), and each trigger member 94 is separated from the rear wall 86B by a predetermined distance L.

  Furthermore, the movable pillar device 10 is configured so that the timing at which each trigger member 94 presses the rear wall 86B of the corresponding bending member 82 is made different. In this embodiment, the bending member 82 arranged on the front side is configured to be pressed by the trigger member 94 at a timing earlier than the bending member 82 arranged on the rear side. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the distance L between the rear wall 86B of each bending member 82 and the trigger member 94 is set so as to increase toward the rear side.

  In the movable pillar device 10 described above, when the movable hood device 12 is actuated as shown in FIG. 2 in a predetermined case such as an example described later, the engine hood 14 moves in conjunction with the buffer position where the rear end 14A can be lifted. 5 and 6, the pillar outer garnish 70 is moved to a buffer position located in front of the pillar skeleton member 62. When the collision body K collides with the pillar outer garnish 70 located at the buffer position, the bending / extending member 82 mainly extends or opens the leg (the front leg 84 and the rear leg 86 while the cable 92 is squeezed by the trigger member 94). Or the leg portions 84 and 86 themselves are bent and deformed to absorb the impact load.

  Therefore, each bending member 82 converts the moving force of the cable 92 into the moving force in the direction of arrow A of the pillar outer garnish 70 (the function of the pillar driving mechanism 80) and the buffering position. It is configured to perform a function of absorbing (relaxing) a dynamic load input to the pillar outer garnish 70 positioned. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the rearward bending member 82 is smaller than the front bending member 82.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart (control example) shown in FIG.

  In the automobile S to which the movable pillar device 10 and the movable hood device 12 configured as described above are applied, the movable plate 38 of the drive device 20 is normally positioned at the front movement limit, as shown in FIG. Both pillar outer garnishes 70 are located in the normal use position. During the traveling of the automobile, signals from the front end switch 54, the rear end switch 56, the bumper sensor 60, and the vehicle speed sensor 61 are input to the buffer ECU 58.

  The buffer ECU 58 determines whether or not the traveling speed of the automobile S is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed (for example, 20 km / h) set in step S10 shown in the flowchart of FIG. If it is determined that the vehicle speed is less than the predetermined speed, the process returns to step S10. When it is determined that the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than the predetermined speed, the process proceeds to step S12, and it is determined whether or not an ON signal is input from the bumper sensor 60, that is, whether or not a collision object has collided with the front bumper B. If ON is not input from the bumper sensor 60, the process returns to step S10. When the ON signal is input from the bumper sensor 60, the process proceeds to step S14, and the buffer ECU 58 rotates the motor 48 in the normal direction.

  Then, the screw shaft 40 rotates forward, the movable plate 38 moves rearward, and the link member 22 stands. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, when the rear end 14A of the engine hood 14 is lifted and the movable plate 38 reaches the rearward movement limit, the engine hood 14 reaches the buffer position. In this state, the deformation stroke accompanying the collision of the engine hood 14 with the collision body is secured.

  On the other hand, as the link member 22 rises, the hook portion 98 slightly lifts the lower end of the pillar outer panel 70. Then, the bending member 82 whose front end is fixed to the pillar skeleton member 62 and whose intermediate portion is attached to the pillar outer panel 70, particularly, the bending member 82 at the front end where the pillar outer panel 70 is lifted greatly, has the front wall 84B and the rear wall 86B. And bend so that they are close to each other. Next, in the bending member 82 at the front end, the rear wall 86B is pressed by the trigger member 94 as the cable 92 moves forward and downward, and further closer to the front wall 84B.

  Thereby, the pillar outer garnish 70 is further separated from the pillar skeleton member 62. Then, with the movement of the pillar outer garnish 70, the second bending member 82 mainly from the front is bent so that the front wall 84B and the rear wall 86B are close to each other. Next, in the bending member 82 at the front end, the rear wall 86B is pressed by the trigger member 94 as the cable 92 moves forward and downward, and further closer to the front wall 84B.

  The pillar outer garnish 70 is gradually separated from the pillar skeleton member 62 while performing this operation for the number of the bending and stretching members 82, and when the movable plate 38 reaches the rearward movement limit, the pillar outer garnish 70 reaches the forward buffer position relative to the normal use position. The above operation is actually performed instantaneously.

  When the collision body K collides (impact load is input) with the pillar outer garnish 70 located at the buffer position, the bending energy is absorbed while the impact load acting on the collision body K is relaxed mainly by deformation of the bending member 82. The Thereby, the collision body K is protected.

  On the other hand, the buffer ECU 58 proceeds to step S16 after step S14 and determines whether or not the ON signal is input from the rear end switch 56, that is, the movable plate 38 reaches the rearward movement limit, and the engine hood 14 and the pillar outer garnish 70 are It is determined whether or not the buffer position has been reached. If no ON signal is input from the rear end switch 56, the process returns to step S16. When the ON signal is input from the rear end switch 56, the process proceeds to step S18 and the motor 48 is stopped.

  Here, in the movable pillar device 10, the pillar outer garnish 70 is moved from the normal use position to the buffer position by the plurality of bending members 82, and the plurality of bending members 82 support the impact load input to the pillar outer garnish 70. Therefore, the bending member 82 near the impact input site (collision site) in the pillar outer garnish 70 can be deformed to absorb the impact, and stable impact characteristics can be obtained regardless of the impact input site in the longitudinal direction of the pillar outer garnish 70. Obtainable.

  Thus, in the movable pillar device 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to improve the protection of the collision body K that operates reliably and collides with the pillar outer garnish 70.

  In particular, in the movable pillar device 10, since the plurality of bending members 82 are arranged while overlapping in the longitudinal direction of the pillar outer garnish 70, the number of the bending members 82 can be increased as compared with a configuration in which they do not overlap. This can further improve the protection of the collision body K.

  Further, here, in the movable pillar device 10, before the trigger member 94 presses the rear wall 86B of the bending member 82, the hook portion 98 provided on the link member 22 lifts the front end of the pillar outer garnish 70 by a predetermined amount. The bending and stretching member 82 before the rear wall 86B is pressed by the trigger member 94 can be bent in advance. Since the angle formed by the front leg portion 84 and the rear leg portion 86 is reduced by this pre-bending, the component acting in the longitudinal direction (compression direction) of the rear leg portion 86 out of the force acting from the trigger member 94 to the rear wall 86B. As a result, the force component that brings the rear wall 86B close to the front wall 84B increases. Therefore, the pillar outer garnish 70 can be moved to the buffer position by the small power of the motor 48.

  In particular, since the timing at which the plurality of bending members 82 are pressed by the trigger member 94 is set to be different, the bending members 82 that are positioned relatively rearward while gradually moving the pillar outer garnish 70 to the buffer position side. Can be pre-bent, and the pillar outer garnish 70 can be moved to the buffer position with less power. For this reason, sharing of the motor 48 with the movable hood apparatus 12 was implement | achieved.

  In the above embodiment, the example in which the bending / extending member 82 is pressed by the trigger member 94 and plastically deformed is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one end is fixed to the pillar skeleton member 62 as the bending / extending member. Further, a leaf spring that is elastically deformed by being pressed by the trigger member 94 with the other end being a free end may be used, and the front leg portion 84 and the rear leg portion 86 may be directly or through relative to each other via the connecting portion 88. A member that is rotatably pin-coupled (hinge-coupled) may be used.

  Moreover, although the example provided with the cable (wire) 92 as an elongate member was shown in the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to this, For example, endless track motions, such as a mere rod-shaped member, an endless belt, a chain, etc. A trigger 94 may be provided on the member to be operated, or these members and the rear wall 86B may be connected, and the bending / stretching member 82 may be bent by moving the members (a part thereof) forward and downward. good.

  Furthermore, although the bumper sensor 60 which is a contact sensor detects the collision of a collision body and operates the movable pillar apparatus 10 in the said embodiment, this invention is not limited to this, For example, a non-contact laser The movable pillar device 10 may be configured to operate before the collision when the collision object has a high probability of collision using a sensor or the like.

  Furthermore, in the said embodiment, although the movable pillar apparatus 10 and the movable hood apparatus 12 both showed the example applied to the motor vehicle S, this invention is not limited to this, For example, the movable pillar apparatus 10 is independent. You may apply to the motor vehicle S. In this case, as a means for driving the cable 92 or the like, for example, a piston cylinder or the like that operates with the gas pressure of the gas generator may be used instead of the motor 48.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the example which applied the impact-absorbing structure for vehicles which concerns on this invention to the movable pillar apparatus 10 was shown, this invention is not limited to this, For example, with the engine hood 14 at the time of a collision, or independently The present invention may be applied to a movable cowl device that moves the cowl louver to a buffer position above the normal use position.

It is a sectional side view which shows the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional side view which shows the operation state of the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the 3-3 line of FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the pillar drive mechanism which comprises the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a sectional side view which expands and shows the state before and behind operation | movement of the pillar drive mechanism which comprises the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a side view which shows the front part of the motor vehicle to which the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention was applied. It is a partially cutaway side view showing the attachment structure of the pillar outer garnish constituting the movable pillar device according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the bending member which comprises the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows control of the control apparatus which comprises the movable pillar apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Movable pillar device (Shock absorbing structure for vehicles)
12 Movable hood device (hood raising means)
14 Engine hood (hood)
20 Drive device 22 Link member (displacement assisting means)
58 Buffer ECU (control device)
60 Bumper sensor (collision detection device)
62 Pillar frame member (upper frame member of front pillar)
70 Pillar outer garnish (impact input member)
82 Bending member (displacement member)
92 Cable (long member)
94 Trigger member (long member)
98 hook part (displacement assisting means)
P Front pillar S Car (vehicle)

Claims (6)

A shock absorbing structure for a vehicle that moves a shock input member that is elongated in a predetermined direction and forms an outer surface of a vehicle body to a buffer position where a drive device is separated from the vehicle body in a predetermined case,
The driving device includes:
Each one end side is fixed at a different position along the longitudinal direction of the impact input member in the vehicle body, and the other end side is movable with respect to the vehicle body. A plurality of displacement members separated from the vehicle body together with the input member;
An elongate member that moves in a predetermined direction along the longitudinal direction of the impact input member in the predetermined case, and moves the other end side of each displacement member closer to one end side by the movement;
A shock absorbing structure for a vehicle, comprising:   The vehicle impact absorbing structure according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of displacement members are arranged so that the displacement members adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction of the impact input member overlap in the longitudinal direction.   The impact absorbing structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a timing at which the elongate member brings the other end of the displacement member closer to the one end is different for each displacement member.   4. The driving device according to claim 1, further comprising a displacement assisting unit that separates the impact input member from the vehicle body by a predetermined amount before the elongate member operates the displacement member. 5. 4. A shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to item.   The driving device drives the elongate member in the predetermined direction in the predetermined case by a hood raising means for lifting the rear portion of the hood covering the vehicle body opening in the predetermined case to the upper side of the vehicle body. The shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The impact input member is a pillar outer garnish that covers the upper skeleton member of the front pillar from the front side,
The drive device is actuated by the control device to separate the pillar outer garnish forward or upward with respect to the skeleton member when the control device detects a collision with the front portion of the vehicle based on a signal from the collision detection device. The vehicular shock absorbing structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vehicular shock absorbing structure is adapted.

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