JP2007106235A - Shock absorbing structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shock absorbing structure of a vehicle capable of preventing complication of the structure due to increase of the size of an inflator and the like, and mitigating shock when a pedestrian collides against a vehicle body panel. <P>SOLUTION: This shock absorbing structure 3 of the vehicle 1 is provided with the vehicle body panel 6, the inflator 7 and control means 9 and 10. The vehicle body panel 6 has an expansion part 8 facing to interfered parts 16 and 18 on a vehicle body 4 side and sectioning a closed space 30. The inflator 7 generates gas flowing into the closed space 30 by receiving an ignition signal. The control means 9 and 10 detect the collision of the vehicle 1 to output the ignition signal to the inflator 7. The expansion part 8 has an excess thickness part 31 deploying due to inflow of the gas from the inflator 7 to the closed space 30 to expand and deform the expansion part 8 toward the interfered parts 16 and 18. At the time of expansion and deformation due to deploying of the excess thickness part 31, the expansion part 8 interferes with the interfered parts 16 and 18 to move the vehicle body panel 6 in the direction away from the interfered parts 16 and 18. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a shock absorbing structure for a vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art An impact absorption structure for a vehicle that reduces the collision force on a pedestrian when a traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian is known. Examples of the vehicle shock absorbing structure include the vehicle shock absorbing structures disclosed in Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2, and Patent Document 3.

  According to the above-described shock absorbing structure for a vehicle in Patent Document 1, when a traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the distance between the front hood and an internal mechanism component such as an engine in the engine room is increased. The range in which the front hood can be bent is increased. For this reason, the impact force generated when the pedestrian collides with the front hood is absorbed by the bending deformation of the front hood, and the impact given to the pedestrian can be reduced.

  On the other hand, according to the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle in Patent Document 2, when the traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the airbag covers the entire upper surface of the front hood, and therefore the airbag is cushioned to give the pedestrian. Impact can be reduced.

  In addition, according to the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle in Patent Document 3, when the running vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the upper surface of the front hood is plastically deformed into a bulging shape, so that the pedestrian collides with the front hood. The impact force at the time is absorbed by the plastic deformation resistance of the front hood, and the impact force on the pedestrian can be reduced.

JP-A-10-258774 JP-A-7-108902 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-217903

  In the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle of Patent Document 1, when a running vehicle collides with a pedestrian, a jumping means such as a motor or a spring causes the rear end of the front hood to move away from the vehicle body around the front end of the front hood. Separate.

  Here, generally, when the front side of a running vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the front end of the vehicle's front bumper or the like comes into contact with the lower body of the pedestrian, and then the pedestrian's head or upper body is the upper surface of the front hood. Collide with. For this reason, it is preferable to reduce the impact force given to the pedestrian by the collision with the front hood instantaneously or in an extremely short time. However, when the drive source for driving the front hood is a motor, a spring, or the like, it takes a predetermined time to drive the front hood. Therefore, there is a possibility that the impact force cannot be sufficiently absorbed by the bending deformation of the front hood in the initial stage of the collision. Further, when the vehicle collides with an object other than a pedestrian, for example, a fixed wall with the rear end of the front hood separated from the vehicle body, a hinge, a lock member, etc. The engaging member may be damaged or deformed, and in some cases, the front hood may enter the vehicle interior of the vehicle.

  On the other hand, in the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 2, when a traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, a large-capacity airbag is developed over the entire upper surface of the front hood.

  Here, in order to store a large-capacity airbag in a space such as an engine room in a compact manner, it is necessary to fold the airbag as small as possible. In this case, it is difficult to deploy the airbag instantaneously and uniformly, and there is a possibility that a sufficient impact absorbing effect cannot be obtained in the initial stage of the collision. Such inconvenience can be avoided by providing a large-sized and high-performance inflator. However, such high-performance and large-sized inflator leads to an increase in cost and a complicated structure of the inflator. Furthermore, the arrangement of internal mechanical components such as an engine in a space such as an engine room is restricted.

  Further, in the vehicle shock absorbing structure of Patent Document 3, when the traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the surface side of the front hood formed of an iron plate or the like receives gas from the inflator and bulges upward. To do. For this reason, a high pressure and a large amount of gas are required for plastically deforming the front side of the front hood, and as in the case of the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle in Patent Document 2 described above, the performance and size of the inflator are increased. In addition, problems such as an increase in cost, a complicated structure of the inflator, and securing of a storage space occur.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an impact absorbing structure for a vehicle that can prevent the structure from becoming complicated due to the size of an inflator and the like and can reduce the impact when a pedestrian collides with a vehicle body panel. .

  In order to achieve the above object, a shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body panel, an inflator, and control means. The vehicle body panel has an inflating portion that faces the interfered portion on the vehicle body side and divides the closed space. The inflator generates gas flowing into the closed space by receiving the ignition signal. The control means detects a vehicle collision and outputs an ignition signal to the inflator. The inflating part has a surplus part that expands by inflow of gas from the inflator to the closed space and inflates and deforms the inflating part toward the interfered part. The vehicle body panel is moved in a direction away from the interfered part by interfering with the part.

  In the above configuration, when the traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the surplus portion of the expansion portion formed on the vehicle body panel is developed by the gas pressure generated by the inflator. The expansion part including the surplus part expands and deforms due to the expansion of the surplus part, interferes with the interfered part on the vehicle body side, and moves the vehicle body panel in a direction away from the interfered part. That is, when a traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the distance between the vehicle body panel and the internal mechanism parts arranged on the back side (vehicle body side) of the vehicle body panel increases, so that the impact load is applied to the vehicle body panel. In this case, the vehicle body panel can be largely bent and deformed around the input portion of the impact load without interfering with the internal mechanism parts. Therefore, the impact force is sufficiently absorbed by the bending deformation of the vehicle body panel, and the impact force applied to the pedestrian from the vehicle body panel can be reliably reduced.

  Further, the vehicle body panel moves in a direction away from the interfered part when the surplus part of the inflating part expands upon receiving the supply of gas from the inflator. That is, the portion that receives the supply of gas from the inflator is limited to the closed space partitioned by the inflating portion, and the portion that develops by the inflow of gas is the surplus portion of the inflating portion. The vehicle body panel can be moved away from the interfered portion with a small amount of gas. Therefore, since the vehicle body panel can be moved instantaneously or within an extremely short time, the impact given to the pedestrian from the initial stage of the collision can be reduced. Further, since the inflator only needs to generate a gas that expands the surplus portion of the expansion portion, that is, a relatively small amount of gas, the inflator can be reduced in size, and the restriction on the position of the inflator is relaxed. In addition, the space can be effectively utilized on the back side of the vehicle body panel.

  Furthermore, since the surplus part of the expansion part can be integrally formed using the vehicle body panel, it is possible to reliably reduce the number of parts and the manufacturing process.

  In addition, a gas channel portion that defines a gas flow passage through which gas from the inflator flows into the closed space may be formed in the vehicle body panel.

  In the above configuration, the gas generated in the inflator is supplied to the expansion portion via the gas channel portion formed in the vehicle body panel. For this reason, even when the vehicle body panel is damaged or deformed due to a collision with a pedestrian, the influence does not directly reach the gas channel section that defines the gas flow passage. Accordingly, since the gas channel part ensures the gas flow from the inflator to the inflating part, when the traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the body panel can be reliably moved away from the interfered part. it can.

  When a plurality of inflating parts are formed on the vehicle body panel, the gas generated by the inflator can be supplied to each inflating part via the gas channel part by branching the gas channel part and connecting to each inflating part. Is possible.

  Further, the vehicle body panel may be engaged with the vehicle main body side via the inflating portion.

  In the above configuration, the inflating portion is formed in the engagement portion of the vehicle body panel with the vehicle main body side. For this reason, when comparing the case where the expansion portion is not formed in the engagement portion with the case where the expansion portion is formed, in the former case, when the surplus portion of the expansion portion is deployed, the vehicle body panel and the vehicle main body side are engaged. There is a possibility that an excessive load is applied to the engaging member such as the hinge, and the engaging member is damaged or deformed. For this reason, when the engagement state between the vehicle body panel and the vehicle body is released without being maintained, and the secondary collision occurs, for example, the vehicle body panel easily moves toward another member or an occupant. A possibility arises. Such inconvenience is also caused by a change in the shape of the engagement member to release the engagement state between the vehicle body panel and the vehicle main body even in a vehicle that employs a structure in which the engagement panel itself is moved in the event of a collision. Can occur as well. On the other hand, in the latter case, the vehicle body panel moves regardless of the engagement member due to the expansion deformation of the expansion portion, so that an excessive load is not applied to the engagement member, and the engagement state before the movement of the vehicle body panel is achieved. Is similarly maintained even after the vehicle body panel is moved. That is, since the engagement state between the vehicle body panel and the vehicle main body is well maintained, the vehicle body panel does not move in the direction in which the collision load acts even when a secondary collision occurs. Therefore, in the event of a collision with a pedestrian, the vehicle body panel can be favorably moved in a direction away from the interfered portion while maintaining the engagement state between the vehicle body panel and the vehicle body side.

  Moreover, you may form at least 2 expansion | swelling parts in the position which can move a vehicle body panel as a whole.

  In the above configuration, when a traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the entire vehicle body panel moves in a direction away from the interfered portion due to expansion deformation of the plurality of expansion portions. That is, the separation distance between the vehicle body panel and the internal mechanical parts on the vehicle body side is extended over a wide range, and accordingly, the range in which the vehicle body panel can be bent is also increased. Therefore, when the pedestrian collides with the vehicle body panel, the impact force is absorbed by bending deformation in a wide range of the vehicle body panel, so that the impact force applied from the vehicle body panel to the pedestrian can be further reduced. Can do.

  According to the shock absorbing structure for a vehicle of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the structure from being complicated, and to reliably reduce the shock when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body panel.

  Hereinafter, a first embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing a state in which the front hood of FIG. 1 has moved upward, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing an example of the inflating part, FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part showing another example of the inflating part, and FIG. 6 is a vehicle without a structure for moving the front hood upward. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the impact force and the front hood movement distance in a vehicle equipped with an inflating part according to the present invention. In the figure, FR is the front of the vehicle, UP is the upper side of the vehicle, F is the impact force in FIGS. 6 and 7, S is the moving distance of the front hood, S1 and In FIG. 7, S2 indicates the moving distance of the front hood where the back side of the front hood contacts the internal mechanical components in the engine room. Moreover, the left-right direction in the following description means the left-right direction in the state which faced the vehicle front.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment is a passenger car having an engine 2 mounted on the front, and includes an impact absorbing structure 3. The shock absorbing structure 3 includes a front hood (vehicle body panel) 6 that opens and closes an engine room 5 partitioned by a vehicle body (vehicle body) 4, an inflator 7 that generates gas, a pedestrian, a bicycle, and the like (hereinafter referred to as “the hood”). A collision detection sensor (control means) 9 for detecting a collision with a pedestrian or the like, and an ignition signal for generating gas to the inflator 7 when the collision detection sensor 9 detects a collision with a pedestrian or the like. And a controller (control means) 10 for outputting.

  The front hood 6 is swingably supported with respect to the vehicle body 4 by the hinge mechanism 11 and is locked by the lock mechanism 12 in a state where the engine room 5 is closed (closed position). The front hood 6 has an outer panel 13 that forms the outer surface of the front hood 6, and an inner panel 14 that is stretched on the inner surface of the outer panel 13.

  The hinge mechanism 11 includes a front hood side hinge member 15 fixed by bolts or welding at the left and right rear ends of the inner panel 14, and a vehicle body side hinge member (fastened and fixed to a predetermined position of the vehicle body 4 by a bolt or the like. Interference part) 16. Each of the front hood side hinge member 15 and the vehicle body side hinge member 16 is formed with a rotation shaft insertion hole (not shown), and a pin 17 is inserted into the rotation shaft insertion hole. . As a result, the front hood 6 is swingably supported with respect to the vehicle body 4 and opens and closes the engine room 5 in the vertical direction.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lock mechanism 12 includes a lock member (interference part) 18 provided on the vehicle body 4 side, and a striker 19 that is fixed by a bolt, welding, or the like at the center of the front end of the inner panel 14. And have. The lock member 18 includes a base 20 that is fastened and fixed by a bolt or the like at a predetermined position of the vehicle body 4, a latch 21 that engages with the striker 19 when the front hood 6 is closed, and a latch spring for rotating the latch 21. 22, a ratchet 23 that engages with the latch 21 when the front hood 6 is closed, and a ratchet spring 24 for rotating the ratchet 23. A concave groove 25 is formed in the base 20, and the striker 19 moves in the vertical direction along the concave groove 25. The latch 21 is supported so as to be rotatable about a pin 26 fixed to the base 20, and an engaging groove 27 is formed on the open end side to hold the striker 19 and hold the state. One end and the other end of the latch spring 22 are engaged with the lower end of the latch 21 and the base 20, respectively. One end of the ratchet 23 is rotatably supported by a pin 28 fixed to the base 20. Further, a locking portion 29 that is engaged with the latch 21 and holds the state is formed at the center portion of the ratchet 23. One end and the other end of the ratchet spring 24 are respectively engaged with the lower end of the ratchet 23 and the base 20.

  In the lock mechanism 12 configured as described above, when the front hood 6 moves in the closing direction, the striker 19 enters the concave groove 25 and contacts the bottom surface of the concave groove 25 of the latch 21. Then, as the striker 19 moves downward, the latch 21 is rotated, and the latch 21 is held by the locking portion 29 of the ratchet 23 at a predetermined position. Thereby, the striker 19 is clamped by the locking groove 27 of the latch 21, and the front hood 6 is held in the closed position. On the other hand, the lock mechanism 12 is unlocked by operating an operation lever (not shown) provided in the vehicle compartment and an open lever (not shown) provided on the inner panel 14 side of the front hood 6. . As a result, the engagement state between the latch 21 and the ratchet 23 is released, the striker 19 can be detached from the locking groove 27 of the latch 21, and the front hood 6 can be rotated to the open position. Become.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the outer panel 13 has a substantially plate shape, and a front portion thereof is smoothly curved downward. The inner panel 14 has substantially the same shape as the outer shape of the outer panel 13. The plate thicknesses of the outer panel 13 and the inner panel 14 are both set to a size that satisfies basic performance such as tension rigidity. Further, the outer panel 13 and the inner panel 14 are joined by welding or the like via flanges (not shown) formed in each, thereby forming a closed space 30 between the outer panel 13 and the inner panel 14. Is done.

  The inner panel 14 is formed with a substantially cylindrical inflatable portion 8 that protrudes inward in the vehicle direction from the surface side at the position where the front hood side hinge member 15 and the striker 19 are arranged. And the inner surface shape have substantially the same shape. Further, a gas inlet 34 that projects from the inflator 7 to the expansion portion 8 is formed at a predetermined position on the surface side of the inner panel 14 so as to protrude from the inflator 7 and communicate with the closed space 30 and connect to the pressure hose 33 extending from the inflator 7. The gas is supplied through the pressure hose 33, the gas inlet 34, and the closed space 30.

  The inflatable portion 8 has a surplus portion 31 that is recessed toward the outside in the vehicle direction at a substantially central portion of the front end portion. The surplus portion 31 expands and expands when gas is supplied from the inflator 7. The portion 8 is inflated and deformed toward the inside in the vehicle direction. That is, since the front hood side hinge member 15 and the striker 19 are disposed at the front end portion of the inflating portion 8, when gas is supplied from the inflator 7 to the inflating portion 8, the vehicle body 4 and the front hood 6 are connected to each other. The front hood 6 as a whole is pushed upward with the upper portions of the hinge mechanism 11 and the lock mechanism 12 to be connected as base points.

  In addition, since the expansion part 8 which has the surplus part 31 which can be expand | deployed is integrally formed in the inner panel 14, it is desirable to shape | mold the inner panel 14 with the thin material which can deform | transform easily. If it is such a material, it is possible to apply various materials, such as steel material or aluminum material generally employ | adopted for vehicle body panels, such as the front hood 6. FIG. Further, the inflating portion 8 is not limited to being formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and can be formed in a substantially box shape, for example. Furthermore, it is not restricted to the case where the surplus part 31 is provided in the front end part of the expansion part 8, For example, as shown in FIG. 4, you may provide in a part of side outer peripheral surface of the expansion part 8. FIG. Further, the present invention is not limited to the case where the inflatable portion 8 is formed to protrude from the surface side of the inner panel 14, and is formed without protruding from the surface side of the inner panel 14 as shown in FIG. When the supply is received, the inflatable portion 8 can be protruded from the surface side of the inner panel 14.

  The inflator 7 receives an ignition signal output from the controller 10 and ignites, and burns the gas generating agent to generate a gas having a predetermined amount and a predetermined pressure. The inflator 7 is disposed at a predetermined position in the engine room 5, and is connected to a gas inlet 34 formed in the inner panel 14 via a pressure hose 33. The gas supply from the inflator 7 to the inflating part 8 may be performed by directly connecting the gas inlet 34 formed in the inner panel 14 and the inflator 7 without performing the pressure hose 33, Moreover, you may carry out by connecting each expansion part 8 and the inflator 7 with a pressure | voltage resistant hose, respectively. Further, the inflator 7 is not limited to being disposed in the engine room 5 but can be disposed on a vehicle body or the like on the vehicle interior side.

  The collision detection sensor 9 is, for example, a collision detection sensor (G sensor) that detects a collision deceleration (acceleration) associated with a collision, and is disposed at a predetermined position in the front bumper 37. The collision detection sensor 9 outputs a collision detection signal to the controller 10 when a collision is detected.

  The controller 10 outputs an ignition signal for generating gas to the inflator 7 based on the collision detection signal output from the collision detection sensor 9. The controller 10 is not limited to outputting an ignition signal based only on the input of the collision detection signal. For example, the controller 10 is provided with a vehicle speed sensor that detects a vehicle speed and outputs a vehicle speed signal to the controller 10. It is also possible to output an ignition signal from the controller 10 when the vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed and the collision detection signal is input from the collision detection sensor 9.

  Next, the movement of the front hood 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. When the front bumper 37 of the traveling vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian or the like, the collision detection sensor 9 detects the collision and outputs a collision detection signal to the controller 10. The controller 10 outputs an ignition signal to the inflator 7 based on the input of the collision detection signal of the collision detection sensor 9. The inflator 7 receives the ignition signal from the controller 10 and ignites the gas generating agent to generate a gas having a predetermined capacity and pressure. The gas generated in the inflator 7 is supplied to each expansion portion 8 via the pressure hose 33, the gas inlet 34, and the closed space 30. When gas is supplied from the inflator 7 to each inflatable portion 8, the surplus portions 31 of the inflatable portion 8 provided above the hinge mechanism 11 and the lock mechanism 12 are deployed substantially simultaneously to inflate and deform the inflatable portion 8. . As a result, the entire front hood 6 is pushed upward, and the distance between the surface side of the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6 and the engine 2 or the like (hereinafter referred to as an internal mechanism component) disposed in the engine room 5. Will expand overall.

  Next, the relationship between the impact force acting on the front hood 6 and the moving distance of the front hood 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in a structure for moving the front hood 6 upward, for example, in a vehicle in which the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6 does not include the inflating portion 8, an impact load by a pedestrian or the like on the front hood 6 from above. When the front hood 6 acts, the front hood 6 bends and deforms around the acting portion, and accordingly, starts to move downward. In the initial stage of the collision, the front hood 6 is moved downward by the bending deformation of the front hood 6 and the impact force F acting on the front hood 6 is absorbed. Thereafter, when the movement distance S downward of the front hood 6 reaches the movement distance S1 and the surface side of the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6 comes into contact with the internal mechanical components in the engine room 5, the downward movement due to the bending deformation of the front hood 6 occurs. The impact force F applied to the pedestrian or the like from the front hood 6 increases drastically.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in the vehicle 1 in which the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6 is provided with the expansion portion 8, as described above, the front side of the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6 and the inside of the engine room 5 during the collision. The separation distance from the internal mechanism component arranged in the is increased. For this reason, when an impact load by a pedestrian or the like acts on the front hood 6 from above, the front hood 6 can be largely bent and moved downward without being restricted by contact with internal mechanism components. it can. That is, the impact force F is effectively absorbed by the bending deformation of the front hood 6 during the period from when the front hood 6 starts to move downward until it reaches the moving distance S2. Thereafter, when the moving distance S downward of the front hood 6 reaches the moving distance S2, the impact force F applied to the pedestrian or the like from the front hood 6 is almost absorbed by the bending deformation and rapidly attenuated. To do.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, when the traveling vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian or the like, the surplus portion of the expansion portion 8 formed on the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6 is generated by the gas pressure generated by the inflator 7. 31 develops. The expansion part 8 including the surplus part 31 expands and deforms due to the expansion of the surplus part 31, interferes with the vehicle body side hinge member 16 and the lock member 18 provided on the vehicle body 4 side, and moves the front hood 6 upward. Move. That is, when the traveling vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian or the like, the distance between the front hood 6 and the internal mechanism parts disposed in the engine room 5 increases, so that the impact load is above the front hood 6. The front hood 6 can be largely bent and deformed around the input portion of the impact load without interfering with the internal mechanism parts. Therefore, the impact force is sufficiently absorbed by the bending deformation of the front hood 6, and the impact force applied to the pedestrian or the like from the front hood 6 can be reliably reduced.

  Further, the front hood 6 moves upward by receiving the gas supply from the inflator 7 and expanding the surplus portion 31 of the expansion portion 8. That is, the portion that receives the supply of gas from the inflator 7 is limited to the closed space 30 partitioned by the inflating portion 8, and the portion that develops by the inflow of gas is the surplus portion 31 of the inflating portion 8. Therefore, the front hood 6 can be moved upward with a relatively small amount of gas. Accordingly, after the front bumper 37 of the vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian or the like, the front hood 6 can be moved upward in an instant or in a very short time. Impact can be reduced. Further, since the inflator 7 only needs to generate a gas that expands the surplus portion 31 of the expansion portion 8, that is, a relatively small amount of gas, the inflator 7 can be downsized. The restriction on the arrangement position of the inflator 7 can be relaxed, and the space can be effectively used in the engine room 5.

  Furthermore, since the surplus part 31 of the expansion part 8 is integrally formed using the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6, it is possible to reliably reduce the number of parts and the manufacturing process.

  The inflatable portion 8 is formed at the position where the front hood side hinge member 15 and the striker 19 are arranged in the inner panel 14 of the front hood 6. For this reason, when the case where the expansion part 8 is not formed in the arrangement position of the front hood side hinge member 15 and the striker 19 is compared with the case where the expansion part 8 is formed, the surplus part 31 of the expansion part 8 is developed in the former. Then, an excessive load is applied to the engaging members such as the front hood side hinge member 15 of the hinge mechanism 11 that engages the front hood 6 and the vehicle body 4 and the striker 19 of the lock mechanism 12, and the engaging member is damaged. May cause deformation. For this reason, when the engagement state between the front hood 6 and the vehicle body 4 is released without being maintained, for example, after a collision with a pedestrian or the like, a collision object such as a wall surface collides from the front of the vehicle 1 or the like. In addition, there is a possibility that the front hood 6 can easily move toward the windshield or the passenger. On the other hand, in the latter, since the front hood 6 moves regardless of the engaging member due to the expansion deformation of the inflating portion 8, an excessive load is not applied to the engaging member, and the front hood 6 before the movement is moved. The engaged state is similarly maintained even after the front hood 6 is moved. That is, since the engagement state between the front hood 6 and the vehicle body 4 is maintained satisfactorily, the front hood 6 does not move in the direction in which the collision load acts even when a secondary collision occurs. Therefore, the front hood 6 can be favorably moved upward while maintaining the engaged state between the front hood 6 and the vehicle body 4 in the event of a collision with a pedestrian or the like.

  Further, when the traveling vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian or the like, the entire front hood 6 moves upward due to expansion deformation of the plurality of expansion portions 8. That is, the separation distance between the front hood 6 and the internal mechanism parts disposed in the engine room 5 is extended over a wide range, and accordingly, the range in which the front hood 6 can be bent is also increased. Accordingly, when a pedestrian or the like collides with the front hood 6, the impact force is absorbed by bending deformation in a wide range of the front hood 6, so that the impact force applied to the pedestrian or the like from the front hood 6 is further increased. It can be surely reduced.

  Next, a shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a shock absorbing structure for a vehicle having a gas channel portion. Further, the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is different from the first embodiment described above in that a gas channel portion is provided in a closed space formed between the outer panel and the inner panel. Since it is the same structure as 1st Embodiment, duplication description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a gas channel portion 32 as a gas flow path is provided on the back surface side of the inner panel 14, and a gas inlet 34 formed in the inner panel 14 and an inner surface of the expansion portion 8 are provided. Are covered by gas channel portions 32, respectively. The gas channel portion 32 is provided at a position covering the inner surface of each inflatable portion 8 and connects the gas outlet 35 through which the gas flows out, the gas inlet 34 and each gas outlet 35 to be branched and connected. Gas pipes 36 capable of supplying the gas flowing in from each through the respective gas outlets 35 to the respective expansion portions 8. Further, the gas channel portion 32 is fixed to the inner panel 14 by welding or the like around the gas channel portion 32 while being in contact with the back surface side of the inner panel 14. Part of the closed space 30 between the expansion portion 8 and the gas channel portion 32 and between the inner panel 14 and the gas channel portion 32 with the gas channel portion 32 fixed to the back side of the inner panel 14. A closed cross section is defined to partition

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the traveling vehicle 1 collides with a pedestrian or the like, the gas generated in the inflator 7 is generated from the pressure hose 33, the gas inlet 34, the gas pipe 36 and the gas outlet 35. To be supplied to each inflatable portion 8. That is, since the gas is supplied from the inflator 7 to the inflating portion 8 through the gas channel portion 32 provided in the closed space 30 of the front hood 6, the front hood 6 is damaged due to a collision with a pedestrian or the like. Even in the case of deformation or deformation, the influence does not directly reach the gas channel section 32 that partitions the gas flow path. Accordingly, since the gas channel portion 32 ensures the gas flow from the inflator 7 to the expansion portion 8, the front hood 6 is reliably moved upward when the traveling vehicle collides with a pedestrian or the like. be able to.

  In the first embodiment and the second embodiment according to the present invention, the expanding portion 8 is formed at a predetermined position of the front hood 6 and the front hood 6 is moved upward at the time of a collision. Such a shock absorbing structure of a vehicle can be applied to a body panel of any passenger car such as a front bumper, a side door panel, a roof panel, and the like. Further, the present invention is not limited to a passenger car, and any vehicle such as a vehicle panel or a motorcycle such as a front panel 39 of a truck 38, a front bumper 40, a door panel 41, a side guard 42, and an opening / closing door 44 of a van body 43 as shown in FIG. It can also be applied to windshields and the like.

  As mentioned above, although the embodiment to which the invention made by the present inventor is applied has been described, the present invention is not limited by the discussion and the drawings that form part of the disclosure of the present invention according to this embodiment. That is, it should be added that other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are all included in the scope of the present invention.

It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the shock absorption structure of the vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the state which the front hood of FIG. 1 moved upwards. It is a front view of a lock mechanism. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows an example of an expansion part. It is a principal part expanded sectional view which shows the other example of an expansion part. It is a graph showing the relationship between the impact force and the moving distance of a front hood in a vehicle not having a structure for moving the front hood upward. It is a graph showing the relationship between the impact force in a vehicle provided with the expansion part which concerns on this invention, and the movement distance of a front hood. It is a principal part expanded sectional view of the shock absorption structure of the vehicle which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. 1 is a side view of a truck adopting a vehicle impact absorbing structure according to the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 vehicle 3 shock absorbing structure 4 vehicle body (vehicle body)
6 Front hood (body panel)
7 Inflator 8 Expansion part 9 Collision detection sensor (control means)
10 Controller (control means)
16 Vehicle body side hinge member (interference part)
18 Locking member (interference part)
30 Closed space 31 Extra portion 32 Gas channel

Claims (4)

A vehicle body panel formed with an inflating part facing the interfered part on the vehicle body side and defining a closed space;
An inflator that generates gas flowing into the closed space by receiving an ignition signal;
Control means for detecting a vehicle collision and outputting an ignition signal to the inflator,
The expansion part has a surplus part that expands and deforms when the gas flows from the inflator into the closed space and expands the expansion part toward the interfered part. Sometimes the vehicle body panel is moved in a direction away from the interfered part by interfering with the interfered part. The vehicle impact absorbing structure according to claim 1,
The vehicle body panel is provided with a gas channel section that defines a gas flow passage through which gas from the inflator flows into the closed space. The shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
The vehicle body panel is engaged with the vehicle body side through the inflating portion. A shock absorbing structure for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The vehicle body shock absorbing structure according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the inflating portions are formed at positions where the body panel can be moved as a whole among the body panels.

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