JP2007245942A - Vehicular cowl structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance an absorption property of collision energy by more securing a deformation stroke of a cowl without increasing vehicle weight when a collision body collides with a front windshield. <P>SOLUTION: In the cowl 12 having a cowl lower 14 and a cowl upper 16, the cowl upper 16 is joined to the upper side of the cowl lower 14 at a rear edge 16F, and a rear wall 16C from a support part 16A formed from a joint part 22 in a shelf-like shape toward the rear edge 16F is curved and formed to and at the front side of the vehicle. Therefore, the bending moment to a rear side of the vehicle generated on the rear wall 16C when the collision body 20 collides with the front windshield 10 can be reduced without increasing the vehicle weight. Further, thereby, buckling to the vehicle rear side on the rear wall 16C can be prevented and the absorption property of the collision energy can be enhanced by more securing the deformation stroke of the cowl 12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular cowl structure that supports a front windshield.

In the open deck type cowl structure, a structure in which a front windshield is supported by a closed cross-sectional structure at the rear is disclosed (see Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1).
JP 2005-75128 A Japan Society for Invention and Innovation Public Technical Report No. 2005-504903

  When a collision object collides with the front windshield, the closed cross-sectional structure of the cowl supporting the lower part of the front windshield may be plastically deformed to absorb the collision energy. However, if the cowl upper or cowl lower constituting the closed cross-sectional structure is a straight structure as in the conventional example described above, buckling is likely to occur in the middle of the collision phenomenon, so that more deformation strokes of the cowl are secured. It was difficult.

  In view of the above facts, the present invention aims to increase the collision energy absorption by securing a larger deformation stroke of the cowl when the collision object collides with the front windshield without increasing the vehicle weight. And

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cowl for supporting a lower part of a front windshield of a vehicle in the vehicle width direction, a cowl lower constituting the lower part of the cowl, and the cowl lower at least at a rear edge so as to constitute an upper part of the cowl. And a support portion that supports the lower portion of the front windshield, and a rear wall portion that extends from the support portion to the rear edge is curved toward the front side of the vehicle. And a cowl upper formed.

  In the vehicle cowl structure according to claim 1, the rear wall portion of the cowl upper that extends from the support portion that supports the lower portion of the front windshield to the rear edge portion that is joined to the cowl lower is curved toward the vehicle front side. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the bending moment toward the rear side of the vehicle that occurs on the rear wall when the collision body collides with the front windshield without increasing the vehicle weight. As a result, it is possible to prevent buckling of the rear wall portion toward the rear side of the vehicle, and it is possible to secure more cowl deformation strokes and increase the absorbability of collision energy.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular cowl structure according to the first aspect, a vertical wall portion of the cowl lower to which the rear edge portion of the cowl upper is joined is curved in a longitudinal cross section in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It is characterized by being.

  In the cowl structure for a vehicle according to claim 2, since the vertical wall portion of the cowl lower is formed to be curved in the longitudinal cross section in the vehicle front-rear direction, the cowl upper is deformed when the collision body collides with the front windshield. Subsequently, the cowl lower also deforms in a state where the occurrence of buckling is suppressed. For this reason, it is possible to secure more cowl deformation strokes without increasing the vehicle weight and to further improve the absorbability of the collision energy.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicular cowl structure according to the first or second aspect, the joint portion is configured by a flange joint, and from the front windshield toward the vehicle rear side end portion. It is characterized by inclining in the direction of leaving.

  In the cowl structure for a vehicle according to claim 3, the joint portion between the cowl upper and the cowl lower is configured by flange joint, and the joint portion is inclined in a direction away from the front windshield toward the vehicle rear side end portion. Therefore, in the deformation process of the cowl upper due to the collision of the colliding body with the front windshield, the cowl lower is deformed so as to fall to the rear side of the vehicle by the load input to the joint through the rear wall part of the cowl upper. As a result, it is possible to further increase the cowl deformation stroke without increasing the vehicle weight and further improve the absorbability of the collision energy.

  As described above, according to the cowl structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 of the present invention, a larger deformation stroke of the cowl when the colliding body collides with the front windshield is secured without increasing the vehicle weight. And the outstanding effect that the absorptivity of collision energy can be improved is acquired.

  According to the cowl structure for a vehicle according to the second aspect, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that a larger deformation stroke of the cowl can be secured and the absorbability of the collision energy can be further increased.

  According to the vehicular cowl structure of the third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that a larger deformation stroke of the cowl can be secured to further improve the absorbability of the collision energy.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
In FIG. 1A, a vehicle cowl structure S1 according to the present embodiment relates to a structure of a cowl 12 that supports a lower portion of a front windshield 10 of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and includes a cowl lower 14 and a cowl upper 16. is doing.

  The cowl lower 14 is a member constituting the lower part of the cowl 12, and is joined at the rear edge part 16F and the rear edge part 14F of the cowl upper 16, and an upper vertical wall as an example of a vertical wall part connected to the rear edge part 14F. The portion 14C is formed to be curved in the longitudinal cross section in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the lower vertical wall portion 14A connected to the lower portion of the upper vertical wall portion 14C is formed, for example, without being bent. The cowl lower 14 extends from the lower end of the lower vertical wall portion 14A to the front of the vehicle, and is configured to support the rear end of a hood (not shown), for example. For example, a reinforcement reinforcement 18 or a dash panel (not shown) is joined to the lower vertical wall portion 14A.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is, for example, curved convexly toward the front of the vehicle, and is continuous with the lower vertical wall portion 14A at the boundary portion 14B. The upper vertical wall portion 14 </ b> C is positioned in the direction of the collision load F input when the collision body 20 collides with the front windshield 10, for example, and the collision load F passes through the cowl upper 16 and the rear edge portion of the cowl lower 14. When it is input to 14F, the vehicle is configured to fall and deform backward in the vehicle centering around the boundary 14B.

  The cowl upper 16 is joined to the upper side of the rear edge part 14F of the cowl lower 14 at least at the rear edge part 16F so as to constitute the upper part of the cowl 12. In the cowl upper 16, a support portion 16A that supports the lower portion of the front windshield 10 is formed in a shelf shape from the joint portion 22 with the rear edge portions 16F, 14F.

  The rear wall portion 16C extending from the support portion 16A to the rear edge portion 16F is formed to be convexly curved toward the front side of the vehicle, and is configured not to buckle toward the rear side of the vehicle when the collision load F is input. Has been. The cowl upper 16 supports the lower portion of the front windshield 10 via the sealant 24 in the support portion 16A. The front of the support portion 16A is a front wall portion 16B that is bent downward and ends.

  In addition, you may comprise so that the front wall part 16B of the cowl upper 16 and the downward vertical wall part 14A of the cowl lower 14 may be connected with the support member which is not shown in figure. In this case, the support member is preferably configured to be easily deformed so as not to prevent the cowl 12 from being deformed when the collision load F is input.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. In FIG. 1A, in the vehicle cowl structure S1, when the collision body 20 collides with the front windshield 10 and the collision load F is input to the support portion 16A, the cowl upper 16 and the cowl lower 14 are deformed, respectively. The collision energy is absorbed.

  First, the deformation of the cowl upper 16 will be described. The support portion 16A of the cowl upper 16 is formed in a shelf shape from the joint portion 22 of the rear edge portions 16F and 14F, and the rear wall portion extending from the support portion 16A to the rear edge portion 16F. Since 16C is curved toward the front side of the vehicle, it is possible to reduce a bending moment toward the rear side of the vehicle that occurs in the rear wall portion 16C when the collision load F is input to the support portion 16A. By reducing this bending moment, the rear wall portion 16C does not buckle to the vehicle rear side, and as shown in FIG. 1B, in the vicinity of the boundary between the rear wall portion 16C and the rear edge portion 16F. Centering on the bottom and deforming.

  Next, the deformation of the cowl lower 14 will be described. When the cowl upper 16 is deformed, as shown in FIG. 1 (A), the support portion 16A to which the collision load F acts directly is not much in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Do not move. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 1B, a load component R that pushes the joint portion 22 toward the rear of the vehicle acts as the rear wall portion 16C collapses. Since the lower vertical wall portion 14A located at the lower portion of the cowl lower 14 is reinforced by the reinforcement 18, when the load component R acts on the rear edge portion 14F, the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 moves around the boundary portion 14B. It falls down and deforms toward the rear of the vehicle as the center. Since the upper vertical wall portion 14C is curved toward the front of the vehicle, the bending moment toward the vehicle rear that acts on the upper vertical wall portion 14C can be reduced. By reducing this bending moment, the upper vertical wall portion 14C falls and deforms toward the vehicle rear side without buckling.

  Thus, in the vehicle cowl structure S1, buckling of the cowl upper 16 and the cowl lower 14 at the time of the collision of the collision body 20 can be prevented, thereby securing a larger deformation stroke of the cowl 12 and reducing the collision energy. Absorbability can be increased. Further, since the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is bent and the rear wall portion 16C of the cowl upper 16 is bent, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

[Second Embodiment]
In FIG. 2A, in the vehicle cowl structure S2 according to the present embodiment, the joining portion 22 of the rear edge portions 16F, 14F is configured by flange joining, and as it goes toward the vehicle rear side end portion 22E. Inclined away from the front windshield 10. That is, the joining portion 22 is inclined to the cowl lower 14 side as compared with the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, and the angle formed by the rear edge portion 14F and the upper vertical wall portion 14C. Is narrowed to about 90 °, for example. Instead, the angle formed by the rear wall portion 16C and the rear edge portion 16F in the cowl upper 16 extends to about 180 °, for example.

  In the vehicle cowl structure S2, the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is not curved, and the upper vertical wall portion 14C and the lower vertical wall portion 14A are projected forward of the vehicle at the boundary portion 14B. It is in a bent state.

  Since other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and description thereof is omitted.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. In FIG. 2A, in the vehicle cowl structure S2, when the collision body 20 collides with the front windshield 10 and the collision load F is input to the support portion 16A, the cowl upper is the same as in the first embodiment. Although the collision energy is absorbed by the deformation of the 16 and the cowl lower 14, the cowl lower 14 can be more efficiently deformed by the appropriate inclination of the joint portion 22.

  First, the deformation of the cowl upper 16 will be described. Since the rear wall portion 16C of the cowl upper 16 is formed to bend toward the vehicle front side, the collision load F is input to the support portion 16A as in the first embodiment. The bending moment to the vehicle rear side generated in the rear wall portion 16C at the time can be reduced. Since the bending moment is reduced, the rear wall portion 16C does not buckle to the vehicle rear side, and as shown in FIG. 2B, the rear wall portion 16C has the rear wall portion 16C and the rear edge portion. It falls down and deforms around the boundary with 16F.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, in the process of deformation of the cowl upper 16 due to the collision load F, a moment M that rises and deforms the joint 22 acts on the joint 22. However, as shown in FIG. 2A, since the joint portion 22 is originally inclined downward, even if the joint portion 22 rises and is deformed by the moment M, the angle formed between the upper vertical wall portion 14C and the rear edge portion 14F is It is only slightly enlarged. For this reason, even after the cowl upper 16 is deformed, the joint portion 22 is maintained in a state of facing the rear or the lower side of the vehicle.

  Next, the deformation of the cowl lower 14 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2 (B), when the rear wall part 16C of the cowl upper 16 falls down and deforms, as in the first embodiment, through the rear wall part 16C, A load component R that pushes the joint 22 toward the rear of the vehicle acts on the joint 22. When this load component R acts on the rear edge portion 14F of the cowl lower 14, the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 falls to the rear of the vehicle around the boundary portion 14B and deforms. Here, in this embodiment, even if the rear wall portion 16C of the cowl upper 16 falls down and is deformed, as described above, the joint portion 22 is maintained in the state of facing the rear or the lower side of the vehicle. A larger moment can be applied to the upper vertical wall portion 14C, whereby the upper vertical wall portion 14C can be efficiently collapsed and deformed.

  Thus, in the vehicle cowl structure S2, buckling of the cowl upper 16 at the time of collision of the collision body 20 can be prevented, and the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 can be efficiently formed by setting the inclination of the joint portion 22. Thus, it is possible to secure a larger deformation stroke of the cowl 12 and increase the absorbability of the collision energy. Moreover, since it is the structure which sets the inclination of the junction part 22 appropriately and curves the rear-wall part 16C of the cowl upper 16, the increase in a vehicle weight can be suppressed.

[Third Embodiment]
In FIG. 3A, a vehicular cowl structure S3 according to the present embodiment is obtained by replacing the joint portion 22 in the first embodiment with the joint portion 22 in the second embodiment. Therefore, in the cowl structure S3 for the vehicle, a configuration in which the rear wall portion 16C is curved forward in the cowl upper 16, and a configuration in which the joint portion 22 is inclined so as to be separated from the front windshield 10 toward the vehicle rear side end portion 22E. And the configuration in which the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is curved forward of the vehicle.

  Since other parts are the same as those in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

(Function)
This embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation thereof will be described below. 3A, in the vehicle cowl structure S3, when the collision body 20 collides with the front windshield 10 and the collision load F is input to the support portion 16A, the cowl upper 16 and the cowl lower 14 are deformed, respectively. Thus, the collision energy is absorbed, and the cowl lower 14 can be more efficiently deformed by the appropriate inclination of the joint portion 22.

  As for the cowl upper 16, the rear wall portion 16C of the cowl upper 16 is formed to be curved toward the front side of the vehicle, so that when the collision load F is input to the support portion 16A, the rear wall portion 16C is generated toward the rear side of the vehicle. The bending moment can be reduced. Therefore, the rear wall portion 16C does not buckle to the rear side of the vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 3B, the rear wall portion 16C falls down and deforms around the vicinity of the boundary between the rear wall portion 16C and the rear edge portion 16F. .

  As shown in FIG. 3B, in the process of deformation of the cowl upper 16 due to the collision load F, a moment M acts on the joint portion 22, but as shown in FIG. Since the portion 22 is originally inclined downward, even if the portion 22 rises and is deformed by the moment M, the joint portion 22 is maintained in a state of facing the rear or the lower side of the vehicle.

  Next, the deformation of the cowl lower 14 will be described. As the rear wall portion 16C of the cowl upper 16 falls down, a load component R that pushes the joint portion 22 toward the rear of the vehicle acts as shown in FIG. Since the lower vertical wall portion 14A of the cowl lower 14 is reinforced by the reinforcement 18, when the load component R acts on the rear edge portion 14F, the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is located behind the vehicle around the boundary 14B. Collapses and deforms. Since the upper vertical wall portion 14C is curved toward the front of the vehicle, the bending moment toward the vehicle rear that acts on the upper vertical wall portion 14C can be reduced. By reducing this bending moment, the upper vertical wall portion 14C falls and deforms toward the vehicle rear side without buckling. Further, since the joint portion 22 is maintained in a state of facing the rear or the lower side of the vehicle, a larger moment is applied to the upper vertical wall portion 14C by the load component R, and the upper vertical wall portion 14C is efficiently moved. Can fall and deform.

  Thus, in the vehicle cowl structure S3, the cowl upper 16 and the cowl lower 14 can be prevented from buckling when the collision body 20 collides, and the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is set by setting the inclination of the joint portion 22. Can be efficiently tilted and deformed, and thereby it is possible to further secure the deformation stroke of the cowl 12 and further improve the absorbability of the collision energy. Further, since the rear wall portion 16C of the cowl upper 16 and the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 are curved and the inclination of the joint portion 22 is appropriately set, an increase in vehicle weight can be suppressed.

  In addition, although the instrument panel which is not illustrated is attached to the junction part 22, even if the junction part 22 inclines like above-mentioned 2nd Embodiment and 3rd Embodiment, it has influence on the design of an instrument panel. Never give.

  In each of the above-described embodiments, the cowl upper 14 whose upper vertical wall portion 14C is curved forward and the joint portion 22 inclined downward are combined with the cowl upper 16 whose rear wall portion 16C is curved forward. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the deformation stroke can be increased even in a configuration in which the cowl upper 16 is combined with a conventional cowl lower (not shown). Furthermore, in the first embodiment and the third embodiment, the upper vertical wall portion 14C of the cowl lower 14 is convexly curved toward the front of the vehicle. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper vertical wall portion 14C may be curved toward the rear of the vehicle. Good. This is because the buckling of the upper vertical wall portion 14C can be suppressed regardless of whether the vehicle is curved in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

(A) In vehicle cowl structure concerning 1st Embodiment, it is sectional drawing which shows the state before a cowl deform | transforms. (B) It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the cowl upper and the cowl lower have deform | transformed without buckling. (A) In vehicle cowl structure concerning 2nd Embodiment, it is sectional drawing which shows the state before a cowl deform | transforms. (B) It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the cowl upper is deform | transforming without buckling and the cowl lower is falling down and deform | transforming efficiently by the inclination of a junction part. (A) In vehicle cowl structure concerning 3rd Embodiment, it is sectional drawing which shows the state before a cowl deform | transforms. (B) It is sectional drawing which shows the state which the cowl upper deform | transforms without buckling, the cowl lower does not buckle, and is falling down efficiently by the inclination of a junction part.

Explanation of symbols

10 Front windshield 12 Cowl 14 Cowl Roy 14C Upper vertical wall (vertical wall)
16 cowl upper 16A support portion 16C rear wall portion 16F rear edge portion 22 joint portion 22E vehicle rear side end S1 vehicle cowl structure S2 vehicle cowl structure S3 vehicle cowl structure

Claims (3)

In a cowl that supports the lower part of the front windshield of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, a cowl lower that constitutes the lower part of the cowl,
A support portion that is joined to the upper side of the cowl lower at least at the rear edge so as to constitute an upper portion of the cowl, is formed in a shelf shape from the joint portion, and supports a lower portion of the front windshield; A cowl upper formed with a rear wall portion that reaches the rear edge portion curved toward the vehicle front side;
A vehicular cowl structure characterized by comprising:   2. The vehicular cowl structure according to claim 1, wherein a vertical wall portion of the cowl lower to which the rear edge portion of the cowl upper is joined is curved in a longitudinal cross section in the vehicle front-rear direction.   3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion is formed by flange joint, and is inclined in a direction away from the front windshield toward the vehicle rear side end portion. For cowl structure.

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