JP2006335163A - Vehicular fender panel supporting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fender panel supporting structure having good shock absorbing performance, wherein first and second supporting portions of a bracket connected with both supporting portions placed and united with fender panels in front and at the rear thereof are effectively crushed/deformed in regard to an impact load applied from an upper side. <P>SOLUTION: The bracket 3 is connected with the first supporting portion 30 equipped with a first flat upper wall portion 31 and front and rear leg portions 33, 32 having an easy-to-deform portions 34, 35 extending while bending downward from front and rear end edges of the upper wall portion 31 and easily deformed by an impact load applied on a vertical middle position from the upper side; and the second supporting portion composed of a single leg portion 42 rising from a rear position of the first supporting portion 30 and a second flat upper wall portion 41 bending backward from an upper end of the leg portion 42, and supporting the second upper wall portion 41 so as to overhang by the leg portion 42. The bracket 3 is placed on an upper surface of an apron upper member 2. A fore-and-aft position of an upper end of the fender panel 1 is supported by the first and second supporting portions 30, 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle fender panel support structure in which an upper end of a fender panel of a vehicle body is coupled to an apron upper member at a side edge portion of an engine room via a bracket that can be deformed by a collision load from above and absorb the impact. About.

  Conventionally, the upper end of the fender panel of the vehicle collides with the upper end of the fender panel on the apron upper member extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at the side edge of the engine room from the viewpoint of pedestrian protection measures. Sometimes a bracket or a fender support having the ability to absorb the impact is interposed (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2 below).

  In general, in semi-bonnet type wagon vehicles, the upper end of the fender panel and the overall length of the apron upper member are shortened. FIGS. 5 and 6 show a typical example of a conventional fender panel support structure for this type of vehicle. An upper edge flange 11 that protrudes downward from the upper end 10 of the fender panel 1 and protrudes toward the inside of the vehicle is shown. Is formed. The upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1 is coupled to a bracket 5 fixed to the upper surface 23 of the apron upper member 2 having a closed cross section with an upper panel 21 and a lower panel 22.

The conventional bracket 5 is a press-molded product made of a metal plate, and includes two support portions 50 and 60 for fastening the two front and rear portions thereof so as to stably support the upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1. The first support portion 50 that fastens the front side of the upper edge flange 11 includes a flat upper wall portion 51, front and rear inclined wall portions 52, 52 that are bent from both front and rear end edges and extend obliquely downward, and both inclined portions. The front and rear vertical wall portions 53, 53 that are bent from the lower edges of the wall portions 52, 52 and extend vertically downward have a substantially trapezoidal cross section. A second support portion 60 is connected to the rear of the first support portion 50 via an intermediate flange 57. The second support part 60 is formed in a substantially hat-shaped cross section including an upper wall part 61 and a pair of front and rear vertical wall parts 62, 62 that are bent from the front and rear edges of the upper wall part 61 and extend vertically downward. ing. In the bracket 5, the flanges 56, 57, 63 at the front and rear ends of the first and second support portions 50, 60 are overlap-welded to the upper surface 23 of the apron upper member 2. The front and rear positions of the upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1 are fastened to the screw holes 510 and 610 of the upper wall portions 51 and 61 of the first and second support portions 50 and 60, respectively.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-178953 JP 2004-359230 A

  However, in a conventional fender panel support structure such as a wagon car, the first support portion 50 of the bracket 5 is bent in a substantially square shape between the front and rear inclined wall portions 52 and 52 and the vertical wall portions 53 and 53. Whereas the portions 55 and 55 are provided to provide an easily deformable portion with respect to an impact load from above, the shape of the second support portion 60 is restricted due to the mounting space, and the front and rear of the upper wall portion 61 are The easily deformable portion is not provided in the configuration supported by the vertical wall portions 62 and 62 that are substantially vertical. Therefore, even if an impact load (arrow F1 in FIG. 6) acts on the second support portion 60 from above, there is a problem that the second support portion 60 is not easily crushed and the impact is not easily absorbed. Further, since the distance between the first support portion 50 and the second support portion 60 is short, the distance between the first support portion 50 and the second support portion 60 (arrow F2 in FIG. 6) or the first support portion 50 side (arrow F3 in FIG. 6). When an impact load is applied from above, the second support portion 60 is stretched and the first support portion 50 is not efficiently crushed and deformed, so that it is difficult to absorb the impact, and the overall impact absorption of the bracket 5 is not good. There was a problem.

  Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, the present invention is a bracket in which the first and second support portions of the bracket are each efficiently and well crushed and deformed with respect to the impact load acting from above, and the overall shock absorption is good. An object of the present invention is to realize a fender panel support structure for a vehicle using the above.

  The present invention provides an apron upper member that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along a side edge of an engine room through a bracket that can absorb the shock by deforming the upper end of a fender panel of a vehicle body by a collision load acting from above. In the fender panel support structure for a vehicle to be supported, the bracket is bent downward from the flat first upper wall portion on which the fender panel is placed and coupled, and the front and rear edges of the first upper wall portion. Front and rear legs having an easily deformable part easily deformable by the impact load at the upper and lower intermediate positions, and front and rear bent from the lower ends of the front and rear legs and extending forward and rearward to join the apron upper member A first support portion comprising a plurality of joint portions, a leg portion standing up from a rear end of the rear joint portion of the first support portion, and a bent portion formed rearward from the upper end of the leg portion. And a second support portion in which the second upper wall portion is cantilever-supported by the leg portion, and the first and second support portions are provided. The upper end of the fender panel is supported at the front and rear positions by the portion. Since the second support portion of the bracket has a cantilever shape, when a collision load acts on the upper end of the fender panel from above, the second support portion is efficiently crushed and deformed. Therefore, it is not hindered by the second support portion as in the conventional structure, and the first support portion is also efficiently crushed and deformed from the easily deformable portions of the front and rear legs, and the shock absorbing performance of the entire bracket can be improved.

  The first support portion includes front and rear leg portions that are bent from edge portions on both front and rear sides of the first upper wall portion and extend obliquely downward, and are opposed to each other in a C-shape. The vertical wall portion is bent from the lower edge of the inclined wall portion into a rectangular shape and extends vertically downward, and the easily deformable portion is formed by the rectangular bent portion of each leg portion. Due to the impact load, the first support portion is crushed and deformed from the bent portions of the front and rear legs.

  The first support portion is formed by bending a front leg portion into a character shape from an inclined wall portion that is bent obliquely downward from a front end edge of the first upper wall portion and a lower edge of the inclined wall portion. A vertical wall portion extending vertically downward, and the easily deformable portion is formed by the rectangular bent portion, while the rear leg portion is bent substantially from the rear edge of the first upper wall portion. An upper half vertical wall portion extending vertically downward, an intermediate wall portion bent substantially at a right angle from the lower edge of the upper half vertical wall portion and extending horizontally in the rearward direction, and bent from a rear end edge of the intermediate wall portion Thus, the easily deformable portion is formed by a bent portion before and after the intermediate wall portion. In general, an impact load acts on the upper end of the fender panel from diagonally upward from the front, but the first support part is easier to deform the rear leg part than the front leg part, so that it can be smoothly tilted backward due to the impact load. Transforms into

  The second support part is provided with reinforcing flanges from left and right side edges of the second upper wall part to left and right side edges of the upper half part of the leg part, while the leg part is provided at an intermediate position between the upper and lower sides. An easily deformable portion that is easily deformable is formed by an impact load acting from above (claim 4). The surface rigidity of the second upper wall portion is reinforced by the reinforcing flange, and the upper end of the fender panel can be stably supported. Since the easily deformable portion is provided in the middle of the leg portion, the deformation performance due to the impact load is not impaired.

  According to the vehicle fender panel support structure of the present invention, the first and second support portions of the bracket that supports the upper end of the fender panel are crushed and deformed efficiently and in a balanced manner against the impact load acting from above. Overall, the shock absorption is good.

  A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a fender panel support structure of a semi-bonnet type wagon car or the like will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fender panel 1 is supported on the apron upper member 2 via a bracket 3 having an impact absorbing performance at the upper end thereof.

  The upper end of the fender panel 1 is gently curved from the vertical wall-shaped general part forming the side surface of the vehicle body to the engine room E side of the vehicle body, and is folded downward from the upper edge 10 and below the vertical wall. An upper edge flange 11 that is bent from the edge toward the engine room E side and projects almost horizontally is formed.

  The apron upper member 2 is a skeleton member of the vehicle body, and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the upper edge of the side wall of the engine room E. The apron upper member 2 comprises an upper panel 21 having an approximately L-shaped cross section and a lower panel 22 having an approximately L-shaped cross section. The apron upper member 2 is connected to the upper and lower edges of the panels 21 and 22 and is closed. It has a cross-sectional structure. The apron upper member 2 such as a semi-bonnet type wagon car has a shorter front-rear length than that of a passenger car or the like.

  The bracket 3 is a press-molded product made of a metal plate, and a first support portion 30 and a second support portion 40 that place and connect the upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1 are connected in the front-rear direction.

  The first support portion 30 has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section with a flat upper wall portion 31 and front and rear leg portions 32 and 33 that support both front and rear ends of the upper wall portion 31. The front and rear leg portions 32, 33 are symmetrical in shape, and are bent from the front and rear edges of the upper wall portion 31 and extend obliquely downward, respectively, and the front and rear inclined wall portions 321, 331 facing each other in a letter C shape. The front and rear vertical wall portions 322 and 332 are formed from the lower edges of the front and rear sides, which are bent in a substantially square shape and extend vertically downward to face each other in parallel. The front and rear leg portions 32 and 33 that are bent and formed in a square shape in this way are easily deformable portions formed by intermediate bent portions 34 and 35. Furthermore, in order to improve the deformation efficiency due to the impact load at the intermediate position in the width direction, the easily deformable portion has a wall surface extending from each inclined wall portion 321, 331 to each vertical wall portion 322, 332 so as to straddle each bent portion 34, 35. A hollow hole is formed.

  A lower flange 36 and an intermediate flange 37 that are bent from the lower edge and extend forward and rearward are formed at the lower ends of the leg portions 32 and 33 before and after the first support portion 30, respectively. A second support portion 40 is continuously provided from the rear edge of the intermediate flange 37.

  The second support portion 40 is formed in a cantilever shape that supports the upper wall portion 41 with a single leg portion 42. The leg part 42 of the second support part 40 is bent downward from the front edge of the upper wall part 41 to form a slightly inclined posture, and forward from the lower edge of the upper half vertical wall part 421. An intermediate wall portion 422 that is bent and formed in a horizontal shelf shape, and a lower half vertical wall portion 423 that is bent from the front edge of the intermediate wall portion 422 and extends substantially vertically downward. The lower edge is connected to the rear edge of the intermediate flange 37. The leg portion 42 constitutes an easily deformable portion that is easily crushed and deformed by an impact load acting from above by the bent portions 43 and 44 of the intermediate wall portion 422. Furthermore, a hole is formed in the easily deformable portion from the upper half vertical wall portion 421 to the upper half vertical wall portion 421 so as to straddle the intermediate wall portion 422.

  The second support portion 40 is formed with reinforcing flanges 45 along the left and right side edges of the second upper wall portion 41. The reinforcing flange 45 is bent downward from the left and right side edges of the upper wall portion 41, and is bent backward from the left and right side edges of the upper half vertical wall portion 421 of the leg portion 42 to form the upper wall. It is integrally formed from each side edge of the portion 41 to each side edge of the upper half vertical wall portion 421. The reinforcing flange 45 is also connected to the rear edge side of the upper wall portion 41, and the lower edge of the reinforcing flange 45 is bent in the outer peripheral direction.

  The bracket 3 configured as described above includes the first and second support portions 30 and 40 arranged on the upper surface 23 of the apron upper member 2 with the first support portion 30 as the front side, and the lower flange 36 and the front end. An intermediate flange 37 is overlapped on the upper surface 23 and welded. Then, the upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1 is placed on the first and second upper wall portions 31 and 41, and the front end and the rear end of the upper edge flange 11 are respectively connected to the first and second upper walls by the bolt members B. Fastened and fixed to the screw holes 310 and 410 of the wall portions 31 and 41.

  According to the present embodiment, the bracket 3 is formed with an easily deformable portion including the bent portions 34 and 35 having a square shape on the front and rear legs 32 and 33 supporting the first upper wall portion 31 in the first support portion 30. In addition, the second support portion 40 has a cantilever shape in which the second upper wall portion 41 is supported by a single leg portion 42, and both the support portions 30 and 40 are easily crushed and deformed by a load from above. . Here, even if the second support portion 40 has a cantilever shape, the rigidity of the wall surface of the upper wall portion 41 is reinforced by the reinforcing flange 45, and the upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1 is stably supported. When a pedestrian's head or the like hits the upper edge 10 of the fender panel 1 and a collision load F1 (FIG. 2) acts on the second support portion 40 from above, the upper wall via the upper edge flange 11 of the fender panel 1 is applied. As a result, the bending angle of the bent portion 44 at the front end of the intermediate wall portion 422 which is the intermediate deformable portion of the leg portion 42 is deformed, and the bent portion 44 is rotated at the center. The upper wall portion 41 is pushed down and deforms to absorb the impact.

  When the impact load F2 acts on the intermediate position between the first and second support portions 30 and 40, or when the impact load F3 acts on the first support portion 30 side, the impact loads F2 and F3 are the upper edge flanges. 11 also acts on the second support portion 40. In this case, the second support portion 40 is easily crushed and deformed even by the impact loads F2 and F3, and the second support portion 40 is not stretched unlike the conventional structure. Therefore, along with the deformation of the second support portion, the first support portion 30 has the first upper wall portion 31 pushed downward by the impact loads F2, F3, and the bent portions 34, 35 of the front and rear leg portions 32, 33. The bending angle is deformed and the upper wall portion 41 is pushed down to be crushed and deformed to absorb the impact. Therefore, the bracket 3 is deformed by deformation of the first and second support portions 30 and 40 regardless of the position of the upper edge 10 of the fender panel 1 where the collision loads F1, F2, and F3 are applied. Overall shock absorption performance is high.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. The basic structure of the present embodiment is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, and the following description will focus on the differences. In the drawings, the same members are denoted by the same reference numerals. The bracket 3 of the present embodiment includes an upper half vertical wall portion 333 in which the rear leg portion 33 of the first support portion 30 is bent from the rear edge of the first upper wall portion 31 and extends vertically downward, and the upper half portion. An intermediate wall portion 334 that is bent at a right angle from the lower edge of the vertical wall portion 333 to the rear to form a horizontal shelf, and a lower half vertical wall portion 335 that is bent from the rear edge of the intermediate wall portion 334 and extends substantially vertically downward. It is configured. The leg portion 33 configured in this way constitutes an easily deformable portion that is easily crushed and deformed by an impact load acting from above by the bent portions 38 and 39 of the front and rear of the intermediate wall portion 334. Furthermore, a punched hole is formed in the easily deformable portion from the upper half vertical wall portion 333 to the intermediate wall portion 334 so as to straddle the bent portion 38 between the upper half vertical wall portion 333 and the intermediate wall portion 334.

  According to this embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are obtained, and high impact absorption performance in the entire bracket 3 is exhibited. Further, since the first support portion 30 of the bracket 3 is provided with a horizontal shelf-shaped intermediate wall portion 334 on the rear leg portion 33 and easily deformable portions are formed by the front and rear bent portions 38, 39, the collision loads F1, F2, By F3, it will be crushed centering | focusing on the bending part 39 of the rear end of the intermediate wall part 334, and it deform | transforms easily compared with the front leg part 32. FIG. In general, since the impact loads F1, F2, and F3 acting on the upper edge 10 of the fender panel 1 act obliquely from the front oblique upper side, the first support portion 30 seems to fall backward due to the effects of the impact loads F1, F2, and F3. Deforms smoothly. Further, since the second support portion 40 is also cantilevered by the front leg portion 42, it is smoothly deformed rearward by the action of the impact loads F1, F2, and F3, and both the support portions 30 and 40 are deformed in a balanced manner.

  In addition, all the above-mentioned embodiments are illustrations and do not limit the scope of the present invention, and the present invention includes various modifications and changes to the above-described embodiments. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the easily deformable portion of the leg portion 42 of the second support portion 40 is formed in a staircase shape provided with the intermediate wall portion 422. A thin groove-shaped bead having a substantially semicircular or V-shaped cross section extending in the width direction is provided at the boundary between the upper half vertical wall portion and the lower half vertical wall portion at the upper and lower intermediate positions of the leg portions of the portion, and the easily deformable portion is provided. It may be configured.

It is a principal part perspective view which shows 1st Embodiment of the fender panel support structure by this invention. It is sectional drawing in the position which follows the II-II line | wire of FIG. It is a principal part perspective view which shows the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the position which follows the IV-IV line of FIG. It is a principal part perspective view of the conventional fender panel support structure. It is sectional drawing which follows the VI-VI line of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

E Engine room 1 Fender panel 10 Upper edge (upper end)
2 Apron upper member 3 Bracket 30 First support portion 31 First upper wall portion 32,33 Front and rear leg portions 321,331 Inclined wall portion 322,332 Vertical wall portion 333 Upper half vertical wall portion 334 Intermediate wall portion 335 Lower Half vertical wall 34, 35, 38, 39 Bent part (easy deformation part)
36 Lower flange (joint)
37 Intermediate flange (joint)
40 Second support portion 41 Second upper wall portion 42 Leg portion 421 Upper half vertical wall portion 422 Intermediate wall portion 423 Lower half vertical wall portion 43, 44 Bending portion (easy deformable portion)
45 Reinforced flange

Claims (4)

The upper end of the fender panel of the vehicle body is supported by an apron upper member that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along the side edge of the engine room via a bracket that can absorb the shock by being deformed by a collision load acting from above. In the fender panel support structure,
The bracket is bent from the flat first upper wall portion on which the fender panel is placed and coupled, and the front and rear end edges of the first upper wall portion and extends downward, and is applied to the upper and lower intermediate positions by the impact load. A first support portion comprising front and rear leg portions having easily deformable easily deformable portions, and front and rear joint portions that are bent from the lower ends of the front and rear leg portions and extend forward and rearward to be coupled to the apron upper member. When,
From a leg portion standing up from the rear end of the coupling portion at the rear portion of the first support portion, and a flat second upper wall portion that is bent and formed backward from the upper end of the leg portion to mount and couple the fender panel The second upper wall portion is cantilevered by the leg portion, and the upper end of the fender panel is supported at the front and rear positions by the first and second support portions. A structure for supporting a fender panel of a vehicle.   The first support portion includes front and rear leg portions that are bent from edge portions on both front and rear sides of the first upper wall portion and extend obliquely downward, and are opposed to each other in a C-shape. 2. The vertical wall portion that is bent from the lower edge of the inclined wall portion into a rectangular shape and extends vertically downward, and the easily deformable portion is formed by the bent portion of the rectangular shape at each leg portion. Fender panel support structure for vehicles. The first support portion is formed by bending a front leg portion into a character shape from an inclined wall portion that is bent obliquely downward from a front end edge of the first upper wall portion and a lower edge of the inclined wall portion. The vertical wall portion extending vertically downward and forming the easily deformable portion with the above-mentioned bent-shaped bent portion,
A rear leg is bent from the rear edge of the first upper wall and bent substantially vertically downward, and is bent at a substantially right angle from the lower edge of the upper half vertical wall. An intermediate wall portion extending in a horizontal shelf shape and a lower half vertical wall portion that is bent from the rear edge of the intermediate wall portion and extends substantially vertically downward, and is easily deformed by the front and rear bent portions of the intermediate wall portion. The fender panel support structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a portion is formed. The second support part is provided with reinforcing flanges from left and right side edges of the second upper wall part to left and right side edges of the upper half part of the leg part, while the leg part is provided with an intermediate position in the vertical direction. The fender panel support structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an easily deformable portion is configured by an impact load acting on the top from above.

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