JP2008037335A - Impact absorption mechanism for fender liner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent damage to a fender liner and a floor cover by absorbing/relaxing impact even if a vehicle body and a curbstone collide when an automobile rides over the curbstone. <P>SOLUTION: The impact absorption mechanism for the fender liner 10 has a wheel arch part 11 for partitioning a wheel house 3 of the automobile and formed to an arch-like shape in a vehicle body longitudinal direction; and a flange part 12 extending from a lower end of the wheel arch part 11 to an outer side in the vehicle body longitudinal direction. The flange part 12 is abutted on a lower surface of the vehicle body 12 and it is fixed to a vehicle body 4 as a strength member of the vehicle body 2 at the flange part 12. An impact absorption material 30 is adhered to at least an upper surface of the flange part 12 positioned at a rear corner part of the front wheel side wheel house 3 and in a clearance S of the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an impact absorbing mechanism for a fender liner that covers the inner surface of a wheel house of an automobile, and more specifically, when the automobile gets over a curb on a road, the curb collides with the rear corner of the wheel house or the lower surface of the vehicle body. And a mechanism for preventing the fender liner and the floor cover from being damaged.

  A fender liner for protecting the vehicle body by preventing muddy water, pebbles and the like that the tire jumps up from traveling into the vehicle body from the wheel house is provided in the wheel house of the automobile. In addition, a floor cover for protecting the vehicle body from muddy water, pebbles, and the like that the tire springs up during traveling is provided at a position behind the wheel house on the lower surface of the vehicle body. Specifically, the fender liner has an arcuate wheel arch portion that defines a wheel house of an automobile, and a flange portion that extends outward in the arc direction from the lower end portion of the wheel arch portion. The flange portion is in contact with the lower surface of the vehicle body, and the flange portion is fixed to the vehicle body of the vehicle body by a fixing member such as a clip or a screw. The floor cover is fastened together with the fender liner to the lower surface of the vehicle body by the previous fixing member, and is continuously arranged behind the fender liner.

  In recent years, in addition to protecting the vehicle body from muddy water, pebbles, and the like, a fender liner improved so as to have various additional characteristics has been proposed. Examples of this type of fender liner include Patent Documents 1 and 2. In the fender liner of Patent Document 1, a fender panel, a fender apron, and a space along the wheel arch defined by the fender liner are partitioned by a plurality of partition plates along the wheel arch to form a plurality of cells. A through hole is provided in the fender liner so that the cell communicates with the space in the wheel house. As a result, engine noise emitted from the wheel house to the outside of the vehicle can be reduced without affecting the layout or the like of the components in the wheel house. Further, in the fender liner of Patent Document 2, an opening that is opened and closed by an open / close lid is formed on the inner edge of the fender liner so that a pipe such as a cooler can be inserted into the opening as necessary.

JP 2004-168174 A JP-A-8-119149

  By the way, there are times when you get on the curb of the road while the car is running. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4A, if the height of the curb B is lower than the vehicle height, the curb B will not collide with the vehicle body 2 until the tire 1 gets over the curb B. There is no particular problem. However, even in this case, as well shown in FIG. 4 (b), when the tire 1 gets over the curb B, the vehicle body 2 sinks downward due to the impact and its own weight. The vehicle body 2 and the curb B collide with each other. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the fender liner 10 covering the inner surface and corners of the wheel house 3 is damaged, and the floor cover 20 that is fastened together with the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4 is also In some cases, it could be damaged or dropped.

  Here, as in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, fender liners that have been subjected to various improvements have been provided, but the technology that has focused on preventing fender liner breakage when overcoming curbstones has been developed so far. It did not exist.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent the fender liner and the floor cover from being damaged by absorbing and mitigating the impact even if the vehicle body and the curb collide when the vehicle gets over the curb.

  The present invention has a wheel arch portion that is formed in an arc shape in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and a flange portion that extends outward from the lower end portion of the wheel arch portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The flange portion is connected to a member that forms the lower surface of the vehicle body, and relates to an impact absorbing mechanism for a fender liner that is fixed to a vehicle body as a strength member of the vehicle body at the flange portion. An impact absorbing material is disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion in the gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body.

  The impact absorbing material is formed into a shape corresponding to the shape of the gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body. However, the “corresponding shape” here does not necessarily mean a shape that coincides with the gap, and may be any shape that can protect the fender liner from an impact caused by a collision with a curb. The shock absorbing material is preferably disposed at least in the rear corner of the front wheel side hall house of the automobile, and the shock absorbing material is preferably adhered to the fender liner. The impact absorbing material can be a synthetic resin foam, rubber or thermoplastic elastomer molded product.

  According to the shock absorbing mechanism of the fender liner according to the present invention, the shock absorbing material is disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion of the fender liner and in the gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body. Therefore, even when the car gets over the curb on the road, even if the curb collides with the rear corner of the wheel house, the shock is absorbed and relaxed by the shock absorber, so that the fender liner can be prevented from being damaged and extended. Can prevent the floor cover that is fastened to the fender liner and the vehicle body from being damaged or dropped.

  If the shock absorbing material is formed into a shape corresponding to the shape of the gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body, the gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body can be effectively filled. Therefore, since the amount of deformation of the fender liner when the curb collides with the rear corner of the wheel house is suppressed to a minimum, it is possible to reliably protect the fender liner. In addition, since the existing gap is effectively used, it is advantageous in that the design of the shape of the fender liner does not necessarily need to be changed only for shock absorption.

  If the shock absorbing material is bonded to the fender liner, the shock absorbing material will not rattle in the gap even if the shock absorbing material is not formed into a shape that completely coincides with the gap, and the function can be exhibited effectively. In addition, since a special mechanism for installing the shock absorbing material is unnecessary, it is not necessary to change the design of the fender liner, and the assembly work is easy.

  The most colliding part when the automobile gets over the curb is the rear corner of the front wheel house. Therefore, if the shock absorbing material is disposed at least in the rear corner of the front wheel side hall house of the vehicle, the fender liner can be most effectively prevented from being damaged while the cost is reduced by the minimum necessary installation.

  Synthetic resin foam, rubber, or thermoplastic elastomer has appropriate rigidity and elasticity, and is suitable as a molding material for an impact absorbing material.

  Hereinafter, the shock absorbing mechanism of the fender liner of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made without changing the gist of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a positional relationship among a fender liner, a floor cover, and a shock absorber in an automobile body. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an overview of the fender liner and the shock absorbing material. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of a rear corner of the wheel house. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state before and after the automobile gets over the curb.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the fender liner 10 is a synthetic resin member that covers the inner surface of the wheel house 3 that is a space containing the tire 1, and muddy water, pebbles, etc. that the tire 1 jumps up when the automobile is running are wheels. It functions to enter the interior of the vehicle body 2 from the house 3 and to prevent the vehicle body 2 from being damaged. As the fender liner 10 in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional one that is conventionally used can be used, and the shape thereof is not particularly limited, but defines the wheel house 3. It has a wheel arch portion 11 formed in an arc shape in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and a flange portion 12 extending outward from the lower end portion of the wheel arch portion 11 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. As shown well in FIG. 3, the flange portion 12 extends to the lower surface of the vehicle body 2, and the flange portion 12 is made of metal and is fixed to a vehicle body 4 as a strength member of the vehicle body 2 such as a clip or a screw. 5 is fixed. 2 shows the fender liner 10 formed by abutting two substantially symmetrical plate materials in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, it may be a single plate molded product.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a synthetic resin floor cover for protecting the vehicle body 2 from muddy water and pebbles that the tire 1 springs up when traveling with the fender liner 10 is located behind the wheel house 3 on the lower surface of the vehicle body 2. 20 is provided. A part of the floor cover 20 near the side edge in front of the vehicle body is arranged so as to overlap with the flange portion 12 of the fender liner 10 and is fixed to the vehicle body 4 by the fixing member 5 as shown in FIG. It is fastened together with the fender liner 10. That is, the flange portion 12 of the fender liner 10 is connected to the floor cover 20 that is a member that forms a part of the lower surface of the vehicle body 2, and the floor cover 20 is arranged in a continuous state behind the fender liner 10. Yes.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 12 is pressed upward and is raised one step higher when placed on the vehicle body 2. Specifically, the outer peripheral edge portion is fixed to the vehicle body 4 by this outer peripheral edge portion. Yes. In other words, a recess having a predetermined shape is formed in the center portion of the flange portion 12 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. As a result, when the fender liner 10 is fixed to the vehicle body 4, a gap S of a predetermined shape is formed between the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4 at the corner of the wheel house 3 as well shown in FIG. 3. Is done. In the present embodiment, attention is paid to the fact that the shock absorber 30 is disposed in the gap S between the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4 on the upper surface of the flange portion 12 of the fender liner 10.

  The shock absorber 30 is formed into a shape corresponding to the shape of the gap S between the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body panel 4. Specifically, the lower surface side of the shock absorber 30 is formed so as to match the shape of the flange portion 12 as well shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper surface side of the shock absorbing material 30 is basically formed in a shape along the vehicle panel 4, but is not formed in a shape that occupies the entire space S. That is, the gap S near the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 12 is sufficiently filled with the shock absorbing material 30, but the entire gap S near the wheel arch portion 11 is not filled with the shock absorbing material 30. This is because when the vehicle body 2 and the curb B collide, stress concentrates on the fixing member 5 portion that fastens the fender liner 10 and the floor cover 20 depending on the impact load direction. This is because it is only necessary to protect the vicinity of the fixing member 5, and the shape is set in consideration of cost, ease of assembly work, and the like. The cross-sectional shape of the shock absorber 30 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. On the other hand, the cross-sectional shape of the shock absorber 30 shown in FIG. 3 corresponds to the cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

  The shape of the illustrated shock absorbing material 30 is an example, and is not limited to this. Needless to say, the shock absorbing material 30 can be deformed into various shapes according to the shapes of the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4. If the entire space S is filled with the shock absorber 30, the fender liner 10 can be more reliably protected. As shown well in FIG. 3, the external dimensions of the shock absorber 30 are such that a slight gap is formed between the shock absorber 30 and the vehicle body 4 when the shock absorber 30 is installed on the flange portion 12. The dimensions are set. This takes into account the ease of assembly work. That is, when the shock absorber 30 is installed on the flange portion 12, in order to set the shock absorber 30 to be in close contact with the vehicle body 4, it is necessary to set a strict size of the shock absorber 30 and productivity. It is because it can cause the fall. However, theoretically, it is preferable that the shock absorber 30 and the vehicle body 4 are in close contact with each other. As described above, in the impact absorbing mechanism for the fender liner of the present embodiment, it is not always necessary to change the design of the shape of the fender liner 10 only for impact absorption.

  The shock absorber 30 is particularly suitable if it has an appropriate rigidity and elasticity that can withstand the impact when the vehicle body 2 collides with the curb B, that is, can suppress the deformation amount of the fender liner 10 within the elastic deformation region. There is no limit. Specifically, various synthetic resin foams, rubbers, thermoplastic elastomers and the like can be used, and they can be molded by a known method such as injection molding. The synthetic resin foam is preferably a relatively hard styrene resin, epoxy resin, polyolefin resin, or polyester resin. Examples of rubber include natural rubber and synthetic rubbers such as polybutadiene, butadiene-acrylonitrile, and chloroprene, and among them, vulcanized hard rubber is preferable. Examples of the thermoplastic elastomer include styrene-based, olefin-based, ester-based, and urethane-based materials, and it is preferable to adjust the hardness by adding an additive as necessary. Of these, foamed polystyrene, which is a synthetic resin foam, is suitable for use in terms of moldability, cost, and material characteristics.

  The shock absorbing material 30 of the present embodiment formed of the above material is bonded to the rear corner of the front wheel side hall house 3 of the automobile as shown in FIG. The adhesive used here is not particularly limited, and various adhesives such as acrylic, urethane, epoxy, chloroprene, silicone, cyanoacrylate, and olefin can be used. The shock absorber 30 may be bonded to at least the rear corners of the front wheel side wheel house 3, but is also bonded to the front and rear corners of the rear wheel side wheel house 3 and the front corners of the front wheel side wheel house 3. It is preferable to keep it. In this case, it is possible to cope with the case where the front wheel gets over the curb B and further over the rear wheel, or the case where the rear wheel gets over the curb B when going backward.

  The shock absorber 30 is bonded as a final process in the manufacturing process of the fender liner 10. That is, after the fender liner 10 is formed into a predetermined shape by injection molding or the like, the manufacturing process of the fender liner 10 is completed when the shock absorber 30 that has been separately molded is bonded thereto. According to this, the fender liner 10 can be distributed by integrating the shock absorber 30, and the vehicle body 4 and the fender liner 10 are bonded to the fender liner 10 each time the vehicle body 2 is assembled. This is significant in that it saves the trouble of fixing. However, there is no problem even if the fender liner 10 and the shock absorber 30 are distributed separately.

  Next, the shock absorbing mechanism of the fender liner will be described. As shown in FIG. 4A, even when the vehicle rides on a curb on the roadside, the curb B does not collide with the vehicle body 2 until the tire 1 gets over the curb B. However, as well shown in FIG. 4B, when the tire 1 gets over the curb B, the vehicle body 2 sinks downward due to the impact and its own weight, and the curb B collides with the rear corner of the wheel house 3. . At that time, the fender liner 10 covering the corners of the wheel house 3 is made of synthetic resin and is weak in strength and easily damaged. That is, the fender liner 10 is damaged by plastic deformation exceeding the deformation amount of the elastic deformation region due to the collision of the curb B. On the other hand, even if the vehicle body 4 made of metal and having high strength is slightly deformed, the vehicle body 4 is not damaged. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shock absorbing material 30 is disposed in the gap S between the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4. As a result, even if the curb B collides with the fender liner 10, the impact absorbing material 30 elastically receives and absorbs the impact, and the impact absorbing material 30 is supported by the strong vehicle body 4. That is, the shock absorbing material 30 functions as a kind of stay disposed between the fender liner 10 and the vehicle body 4 and suppresses the deformation amount of the fender liner 10 within the elastic deformation region.

  Thus, according to the shock absorbing mechanism of the fender liner of the present invention, even when the car gets over the curb B on the side of the road, even if the curb B collides with the corner of the wheel house 3, the fender liner 10 and the vehicle The shock absorber 30 disposed in the gap S with the body 4 absorbs and relaxes the shock, so that the fender liner 10 is not damaged and eventually the floor cover 20 that is fastened together with the vehicle body 4 is damaged. And can prevent falling.

It is a schematic sectional side view of the front wheel of a motor vehicle. It is a disassembled perspective view of a fender liner and an impact-absorbing material. It is a principal part enlarged view of the back corner part of a wheel house. It is a side view which shows the state before and behind a motor vehicle overcoming a curb. It is a principal part enlarged view which shows the mechanism in which a curb stone collides in a prior art, and a fender liner and a floor cover break.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tire 2 Car body 3 Wheel house 4 Vehicle body 10 Fender liner 11 Wheel arch part 12 Flange part 20 Floor cover 30 Shock absorber B Curb stone S Gap

Claims (5)

A wheel arch portion that defines an automobile wheel house and is formed in an arc shape in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and a flange portion that is integrally extended outward from the lower end portion of the wheel arch portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body ,
The flange portion is connected to a member forming a lower surface of the vehicle body, and is an impact absorbing mechanism for a fender liner fixed to a vehicle body as a strength member of the vehicle body at the flange portion,
A shock absorbing mechanism for a fender liner, characterized in that a shock absorbing material is disposed on the upper surface of the flange portion and in a gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body.   2. The shock absorbing mechanism for a fender liner according to claim 1, wherein the shock absorbing material is formed in a shape corresponding to a shape of a gap between the fender liner and the vehicle body frame.   The shock absorbing mechanism for a fender liner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shock absorbing material is bonded to the fender liner.   The shock absorbing mechanism for a fender liner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the shock absorbing material is disposed at least at a rear corner of a front wheel side hall house of an automobile. The shock absorbing mechanism for a fender liner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the shock absorbing material is a synthetic resin foam, rubber, or a thermoplastic elastomer.

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