JP2009083688A - Front end structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a front end structure of an automobile capable of reducing repairing cost, by maximally preventing damage of a heat exchanger and a shroud panel in a light collision, while securing load dispersing performance to a vehicle body in a heavy collision, in the front end structure of the automobile for supporting the heat exchanger by the resin shroud panel of the vehicle front end. <P>SOLUTION: A fastening structure in a central position is a collar part (a flange part) 63c on the rear side of a center member part 63, and fastens and fixes an upper part 51 of the shroud panel 5 by a central fastening bolt 66a extending in the vertical direction and a central fastening nut 66b. A central cutout part 66c opening on the rear side is also formed in a rear position of this fastening part. This central cutout part 66c is set so that the central fastening bolt 66a and the central fastening nut 66b separate from the collar part 63c of the center member part 63 by moving to the vehicle rear side when a collision load acts on the shroud panel 5 from the vehicle front side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a front structure of an automobile, and more particularly, to a front structure of an automobile in which a heat exchanger such as a radiator is supported by a resin shroud panel installed at the front of the vehicle.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a front structure of an automobile is known in which a shroud panel constituting an end panel at the front of a vehicle body is formed of a resin member, and a heat exchanger such as a radiator is supported by the resin shroud panel. According to this front part structure, the front part of the vehicle body can be modularized (unitized), and the assembly workability of the vehicle body can be improved, so that it has been adopted in many automobiles in recent years.

  However, when the vehicle body front part is constituted by such a resin shroud panel, there is a possibility that the bonnet cannot be sufficiently supported due to insufficient rigidity.

  Therefore, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a metal reinforcement member is integrally formed by insert molding or the like on the upper member extending in the vehicle width direction at the upper portion of the shroud panel, and the metal is formed at the upper portion of the shroud panel while being a resin shroud panel. What obtains the same rigidity as a shroud panel is known.

  In addition, according to such a front structure, the upper part of the shroud panel is fastened and fixed to the apron rain member at the upper part of the engine room. The collision load can be distributed, and the collision safety performance of the vehicle can be improved.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-264855

  By the way, in recent years, the layout space in the engine room has decreased due to the need for expansion of the passenger compartment and the enlargement of the engine. Moreover, since the height position of the bonnet front end is also lowered, the position of the shroud panel is also retracted. For this reason, the heat exchanger supported by the shroud panel may be laid out not on the engine room side but on the vehicle front side.

  On the other hand, the front overhang of a car is required to be as short as possible to improve the maneuverability of the car, and the position of the front bumper has been retracted to the rear side of the vehicle.

  For these reasons, in recent years, an increasing number of automobiles adopt a layout structure in which a heat exchanger is arranged immediately after a front bumper.

  However, when such a layout structure is adopted, in the event of a light collision, the heat exchanger is easily damaged by the retreat of the front bumper, and the expensive heat exchanger must be replaced. There is a problem that the repair cost is increased.

  In order to solve this problem, it is conceivable to adopt a structure in which the support rigidity of the shroud panel is reduced and the entire shroud panel is retracted in the event of a light collision.

  However, when such a structure is adopted, when a heavy collision occurs, the collision load cannot be distributed and transmitted from the shroud panel to the vehicle body member such as the apron rain member as in Patent Document 1 described above. A new problem arises that safety performance is degraded.

  Further, when the entire shroud panel is retracted, there is a problem in that it becomes necessary to replace the entire shroud panel due to deformation of the shroud panel itself and the repair cost increases.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in the front structure of an automobile that supports a heat exchanger with a resin shroud panel at the front of the vehicle, heat exchange at the time of a light collision is ensured while ensuring the load distribution performance to the vehicle body at the time of a heavy collision. It is an object of the present invention to provide a front structure of an automobile that can prevent damage to a vessel and a shroud panel as much as possible and reduce repair costs.

  The front structure of the automobile according to the present invention includes an upper portion extending in the vehicle width direction, a lower portion extending in the vehicle width direction, and a side portion that extends and connects the upper portion and the lower portion in the vertical direction to support the heat exchanger. A front structure of an automobile comprising a resin shroud panel and a front bumper extending in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle front side of the shroud panel, and left and right apron rain members extending in the vehicle front-rear direction extending in the vehicle width direction The skeleton member to be connected to each other, the shroud panel installed at a position ahead of the vehicle relative to the skeleton member, the upper portion of the shroud panel being fixed to the skeleton member, and when a collision load is applied from the vehicle front side Fixing means set so that the upper portion is detached from the skeleton member.

According to the above configuration, the front bumper moves backward when the vehicle collides, and the shroud panel moves backward due to the collision load. In the case of a light collision, the upper part fixed by the fixing means is detached from the skeleton member, so that interference between the shroud panel and the front bumper can be prevented. On the other hand, in the case of a heavy collision, a collision load further acts on the skeleton member, and the collision load is distributed and transmitted to the apron rain member on the vehicle rear side through the skeleton member.
For this reason, at the time of a light collision, even if the front bumper moves backward, the heat exchanger and the shroud panel can be prevented from being damaged. On the other hand, at the time of a heavy collision, the collision load can be distributed to the apron rain member on the vehicle rear side through the skeleton member.
Moreover, according to this structure, if the size of the heat exchanger supported by the shroud panel is substantially the same, it is possible to share the shroud panel only by creating a skeletal member for different types of vehicles. .
The “fixing means” here is any type as long as the upper part is set to be detached from the skeleton member when a collision load is applied from the front side of the vehicle. For example, fastening fixing, engaging fixing, crimp fixing, adhesive fixing, and further, a breaking member provided with a fragile portion may be separately provided.
The “heat exchanger” includes a radiator, a condenser of an air conditioner, an intercooler of a charging device, and the like.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the skeleton member includes a side member portion that is rearward of the headlamp, has a rear end fixed to the apron rain member front portion, and a front end extends to a position near the upper portion of the front side frame front portion. A vertical member portion having an upper end fixed to the front end of the side member portion and a lower end fixed to the front portion of the front side frame, and a center member portion detachably fastened between the side member portions. It is to be prepared.
According to the above configuration, the skeletal member is detachably fastened and fixed between the side member portion fixed to the apron rain member, the vertical member portion connecting the side member portion and the front side frame, and the side member portion. With the center member portion, it is possible to make only the center member portion of the skeleton member detachable.
For this reason, it becomes possible to assemble the shroud panel from the vehicle upper position with the center member portion removed.
Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of vehicle assembly work while installing the skeleton member above the shroud panel.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the center member portion is temporarily assembled and fixed above the upper portion of the shroud panel when the vehicle is assembled.
According to the said structure, a center member part can be assembled | attached from a vehicle upper position with a shroud panel as a unit body.
Therefore, since it is not necessary to perform separate assembling work on the main line of the vehicle assembly line, work man-hours can be reduced and assembly time can be shortened.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a side portion of the shroud panel is fixed to a bumper beam of the front bumper.
According to the above configuration, by fixing the side portion of the shroud panel to the bumper beam of the front bumper, the shroud panel is always retracted simultaneously with the retracting of the front bumper at the time of a vehicle collision.
For this reason, since the heat exchanger supported by the shroud panel does not directly interfere with the bumper beam, the heat exchanger can be reliably prevented from being damaged.
Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the heat exchanger from being damaged and reduce the repair cost.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the skeleton member has a hat cross-sectional shape portion in a side view, and the upper portion of the shroud panel is fastened and fixed to the collar portion of the hat cross-sectional shape portion.
According to the above configuration, since the fastening hole is provided in the “collar portion” of the hat cross-sectional shape portion of the skeleton member where the influence of the rigidity reduction is low and the fastening is performed, it is possible to prevent the skeleton member from being lowered in rigidity.
Therefore, the shroud panel can be fastened and fixed to the skeleton member without degrading the load transmission performance of the skeleton member at the time of heavy collision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a notch portion having a rear end opened is provided at a fastening portion of the collar portion on the rear side of the hat cross-sectional shape portion.
According to the said structure, when a collision load acts by providing a notch part in the collar part of the hat cross-section shape part of a frame | skeleton member, a shroud panel can be made to detach | leave through this notch part.
Therefore, the shroud panel can be easily detached rearward by providing a simple structure such as a notch in the skeleton member.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper portion of the shroud panel to which the front flange portion of the hat cross-sectional shape portion is fastened is provided with a notch portion extending from the fastening portion to the front end portion.
According to the said structure, when a collision load acts by providing a notch part in the front side part of the upper part of a shroud panel, a shroud panel can be made to detach | leave through this notch part.
Therefore, by providing a simple structure such as a notch in the shroud panel, the shroud panel can be easily detached rearward.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the skeleton member is provided with a pocket portion for accommodating a hood lock mechanism for locking the bonnet.
According to the above configuration, the skeleton member is provided with the pocket portion that accommodates the hood lock mechanism. Can be prevented.
Therefore, the hood support rigidity of the hood lock mechanism at the time of collision can be increased while preventing damage to the heat exchanger at the time of light collision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the fixed portion is fixed to the lower portion of the pocket portion and fixed to the upper portion of the shroud panel and is released when a collision load is applied from the front side of the vehicle. A flange is provided.
According to the above configuration, by providing a fixing flange at the lower part of the pocket part and fixing the upper part of the shroud panel, the support rigidity of the pocket part can be increased, and the support rigidity of the hood lock mechanism using the shroud panel Can be increased.
On the other hand, since the fixation of the fixing flange is released at the time of collision, the retraction of the shroud panel is not hindered.
Therefore, it is possible to achieve both improvement of the support rigidity of the hood lock mechanism and retraction of the shroud panel at the time of collision.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a crash box is installed at a front end portion of the front side frame, and the shroud panel is installed at a position substantially coincident with the crash box in a side view.
According to the said structure, since a shroud panel is installed in the position substantially corresponded with a crash box by a side view, when a crash box buckles and deforms by a light collision, a shroud panel will move back reliably.
For this reason, the backward displacement at the time of the light collision in a shroud panel can be promoted more.
Therefore, the shroud panel can be retreated more reliably at the time of collision, and the heat exchanger can be protected.

According to the present invention, at the time of a light collision, even if the front bumper moves backward, the heat exchanger, the shroud panel, and the like can be prevented from being damaged. On the other hand, at the time of a heavy collision, the collision load can be distributed to the apron rain member on the vehicle rear side through the skeleton member.
Therefore, in the front structure of an automobile that supports a heat exchanger with a resin shroud panel at the front of the vehicle, the heat exchanger and shroud panel at the time of a light collision while ensuring the load distribution performance to the vehicle body at the time of a heavy collision As much as possible, the repair cost can be reduced.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
1 is a front view of an automobile adopting the front structure of an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a front part of a vehicle body, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a fastening structure at the center position of the shroud panel and the upper frame portion, and FIG. 6 is a side position of the shroud panel and the upper frame portion. It is sectional drawing which showed the fastening structure in.

  The front structure of this embodiment includes a front bumper 1 extending in the vehicle width direction at the front end of the vehicle, a bumper beam 2 extending in the vehicle width direction inside the front bumper 1, and a front extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at a rear position of the bumper beam 2. Side frames 3 and 3, apron rain members 4 and 4 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction at the vehicle width direction side end, and extending in the vertical and vehicle width directions at the rear position of the bumper beam 2 constitute the front end wall of the engine room ER A shroud panel 5 and an upper frame member 6 extending in the vehicle width direction above and on the side of the shroud panel 5. Reference numeral 7 denotes a headlamp, and 8 denotes a power train including the engine E and the transmission M.

  Among these, the bumper beam 2 described above is configured by a member member that is bent into a substantially hat shape in two upper and lower stages so as to ensure the vehicle longitudinal rigidity. The bumper beam 2 is configured to receive a frontal collision load or an offset collision load.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the aforementioned front side frames 3 and 3 are installed at both sides in the vehicle width direction in the engine room ER, and have a pair of left and right substantially rectangular closed cross sections extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It consists of member members. The bumper beam 2 is fixed to the front ends of the front side frames 3 and 3 via crash boxes 9 and 9 (see FIGS. 2, 3 and 4).
For this reason, when a collision load acts on the front side frames 3 and 3 from the front side of the vehicle, the load is distributed to a vehicle body frame (not shown) below the passenger compartment, so-called “underload path”. A path is formed.

The above-described apron rain members 4 and 4 are installed at the upper side end positions in the engine room ER, and are constituted by member members having a rectangular closed cross-sectional shape extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.
The apron rain members 4 and 4 are fixed at both ends of the upper frame member 6 at the front ends 4a and 4a, and at the rear end (not shown), the base end portion (not shown) of the front pillar at the front of the vehicle compartment. ). For this reason, when a collision load acts on the apron rain members 4 and 4 from the front side of the vehicle, the load is distributed to the roof panel (not shown) on the upper side of the passenger compartment, and a so-called “upper load path” path is formed. Is formed.

  1 and 2, the above-described shroud panel 5 includes an upper portion 51 extending in the vehicle width direction at the upper portion, side portions 52 and 52 extending in the vertical direction at both central positions, and a vehicle width at the central lower position. It is comprised with the rectangular substantially frame-shaped member which has the lower part 53 extended in the direction. The shroud panel 5 is formed of a resin member as a whole and is lighter than a metal shroud panel.

  Moreover, this shroud panel 5 supports the radiator R which is a heat exchanger inside, and as shown in FIG. 2, it incorporates the radiator R beforehand and is what is called modularity. Thus, by modularizing the shroud panel 5 and the radiator R, it is possible to assemble the radiator R only by assembling the shroud panel 5 from above the vehicle in the main line of the vehicle assembly line. Can be easily assembled.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper frame member 6 includes side member portions 61 and 61 fixed to the front end 4 a of the apron rain member 4, and a vertical member that connects the side member portion 61 and the front side frame 3. Parts 62 and 62, and a center member part 63 that connects the left and right side member parts 61 and 61 extending in the vehicle width direction.

  Moreover, the center front side part of the center member part 63 is provided with a pocket part for accommodating a bonnet lock mechanism BL (see FIG. 5) for locking the bonnet. The pocket portion 60 is formed in a substantially rectangular box shape with an open top surface.

  First, the side member portion 61 is formed of a member material having a substantially square cross-sectional shape in which the rear end 61a is fixed by welding to the front end 4a of the apron rain member 4 and the front end 62a is bonded and fixed to the upper end of the vertical member 62. . Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the front end 61b is inclined and arranged in a substantially square shape so that the front end 61b is located slightly inward of the vehicle width from the rear end 61a.

  Further, the front end 61 b of the side member portion 61 is formed with a placement portion 64 for placing and fixing the side end portion of the center member portion 63.

  The vertical member portion 62 is formed of a member material having a substantially square cross-sectional shape extending in the vertical direction below the placement portion 64. The vertical member portion 62 connects the placement portion 64 of the side member portion 61 and the front side frame 3 so as to extend in the vertical direction. By providing the vertical member portion 62 in this way, the support rigidity of the placement portion 64 of the side member portion 61 is increased.

  Moreover, since the front side frame 3 and the apron rain member 4 can be indirectly connected by providing the vertical member portion 62, it is possible to improve the dispersion performance of the collision load at the front portion of the vehicle body.

  The center member portion 63 is composed of a frame member that extends linearly above the shroud panel 5 in the vehicle width direction, and joins the hat-shaped member material 63A and the flat plate material 63B in the vertical direction when viewed from the side. Thus, a closed cross section is formed.

  The center member portion 63 has both side end portions 63a and 63b installed on the placement portion 64 of the side member portion 61, and is fastened and fixed detachably by a fastening bolt 65 of a fastening bolt / nut. .

  Further, the center member portion 63 is fastened and fixed to the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5 at three points, that is, the central position and the left and right side positions. As shown in FIG. It is assembled.

  Thus, by assembling the center member 63 to the shroud panel 5 in advance, it is not necessary to separately assemble the shroud panel 5 and the center member 63 in the main line of the vehicle assembly line. The assembly operation can be further simplified.

  A specific fastening structure of the center member portion 63 and the upper portion of the shroud panel 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6.

  First, as shown in FIG. 5, the fastening structure at the center position is a collar portion (flange portion) 63c on the rear side of the center member portion 63, and the upper fastening portion 51 of the shroud panel 5 extends in the vertical direction. It is fastened and fixed by 66a and a central fastening nut 66b.

  Further, a central notch 66c that is open to the rear side is formed at the rear position of the fastening portion. When the collision load is applied to the shroud panel 5 from the front side of the vehicle, the central notch portion 66c moves the central fastening bolt 66a and the central fastening nut 66b to the rear side of the vehicle, so that the flange portion of the center member portion 63 is provided. It is provided so as to be separated from 63c.

  By providing the central notch 66c, the fastening at the central position can be released in the event of a vehicle collision.

  In addition, the pocket portion 60 described above is integrally provided at the lower front end of the center member portion 63. By thus providing the pocket portion 60 integrally, the shroud panel 5 is retracted in the event of a collision. Thus, even when the fastening with the center member portion 63 is released, the bonnet lock mechanism BL can be reliably held by the center member portion 63 that is the vehicle body side member.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, the fastening structure at the side position is a collar portion 63 d on the front side of the center member portion 63, and the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5 is connected to the side portion fastening bolt 68 a that extends vertically. It is fastened and fixed by a part fastening nut 68b. The side fastening nut 68b is formed of a so-called “half nut”, and the fastening state is maintained only on the rear side of the side fastening bolt 68a.

Moreover, also in this fastening site | part, the side part notch part 51a open | released ahead is formed in the front part position of the upper part 51 of the shroud panel 5. As shown in FIG. In the side cutout 51a, when a collision load is applied to the shroud panel 5 from the front side of the vehicle, the side fastening nut 68b moves to the rear side of the vehicle and is detached from the flange 63d of the center member 63. It is provided to do.
By providing the side cutout portion 51a, it is possible to cancel the fastening and fixing of the side portion at the time of a vehicle collision.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the shroud panel 5 is installed such that the front end portion 5 </ b> A is positioned on the vehicle front side with respect to the center member portion 63. This is because the support position of the radiator R is set on the vehicle front side rather than the engine room ER side so as not to interfere with the power train 8 (see FIG. 1). Further, as will be described later, this is to make the collision load easier to receive than the center member portion 63 when receiving a collision load from the front.

  Further, in order to fix the shroud panel 5 to the vehicle body side member more stably, as shown in FIG. 4, a connecting bracket extending in the vehicle front-rear direction between the side portion 52 of the shroud panel 5 and the bumper beam 2. 10, 10 are provided in a pair of left and right.

  The connecting bracket 10 is formed by a bracket member having a substantially crank-shaped cross section, and the front end flange portion 10a is fixed to the rear surface of the bumper beam 2 and the rear end flange portion 10b is fixed to the side portion 52 of the shroud panel 5. ing.

  By providing the connection bracket 10, when a collision load is received, the collision load can be directly transmitted from the bumper beam 2 to the shroud panel 5. Moreover, since the front and rear space between the bumper beam 2 and the shroud panel 5 is ensured by the presence of the connecting bracket 10, there is no possibility that the bumper beam 2 directly interferes with the shroud panel 5.

  Furthermore, since the shroud panel 5 can be supported by the bumper beam 2 even after a vehicle collision, it is possible to prevent the shroud panel 5 from completely falling off the vehicle.

  Next, the behavior at the time of collision of the front part structure configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a side view of the front structure at the time of a vehicle collision, where (a) shows the behavior at the time of a light collision, and (b) shows the behavior at the time of a heavy collision. is there.

  At the time of a light collision, as shown in (a), when the colliding object X collides with the front part of the vehicle, a rearward collision load acts on the front bumper 1 and the bumper beam 2. At this time, since the bumper beam 2 is supported by the crash box 9, the crash box 9 first buckles and absorbs collision energy. The bumper beam 2 moves backward due to the buckling deformation of the crash box 9.

  When the bumper beam 2 moves backward, the shroud panel 5 connected and fixed by the connection bracket 10 (see FIG. 4) also has a backward movement behavior. At this time, as described above, the fastening structure of the center member portion 63 and the shroud panel 5 is a structure that can be easily released by the rearward movement of the shroud panel 5, so that the center member portion 63 remains, Only the shroud panel 5 moves backward and falls off.

  In particular, since the shroud panel 5 is disposed on the front side of the center member portion 63, the shroud panel 5 behaves backwardly even in a light collision.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end portion 5A of the shroud panel 5 is arranged at a position substantially coincident with the crash box 9 in a side view, so even in the case of a light collision in which only the crash box 9 is buckled and deformed, The load of backward movement acts on the shroud panel 5 surely, and the shroud panel 5 falls off from the center member portion 63.

  Thus, in the case of a light collision, the shroud panel 5 is retracted and the radiator R is also retracted. Therefore, there is no possibility that the bumper beam 2 interferes, and the radiator R is not damaged.

  Further, the backward movement of the shroud panel 5 occurs without causing breakage or the like in the shroud panel 5 itself, so that the shroud panel 5 is not damaged.

  Even if a part of the shroud panel 5 is damaged, the upper frame member 6 including the center member 63 is not damaged at all. Therefore, the resin shroud panel 5 and the front bumper 1 are inexpensive. The bumper beam 2 can be replaced to repair the front of the vehicle.

  On the other hand, during a heavy collision, a larger collision load acts on the front bumper 1 and the bumper beam 2. At this time, the crash box 9 is buckled and deformed to absorb the collision energy, and the collision load is transmitted to the front side frame 3 as well. As a result, the collision load is distributed to the lower part of the vehicle body in the “underload path” described above.

  Further, since the center member portion 63 is also located at the upper position of the shroud panel 5 as it is, a collision load acts and the collision load is transmitted to the apron rain member 4 through the upper frame member 6. As a result, the collision load is distributed to the upper part of the vehicle body in the above-described “upper load path”.

  As described above, in the case of a heavy collision, the presence of the upper frame member 6 allows the collision load to be reliably transmitted not only to the front side frame 3 but also to the apron rain member 4. This can improve the collision safety performance of the vehicle body.

  As shown in (b), the bonnet 11 is deformed to be bent at the time of a collision, and the bonnet 11 behaves to jump upward. Since the pocket portion 60 is provided in the portion 63 and the hood lock mechanism BL is firmly fixed and held, the behavior of the hood 11 can also be suppressed.

Next, the effect of this embodiment comprised in this way is demonstrated.
In this embodiment, the upper frame member 6 that connects the left and right apron rain members 4, 4 extending in the vehicle width direction, the shroud panel 5 installed at the vehicle front side position relative to the upper frame member 6, and the vehicle front side When a collision load is applied, the central shroud panel 5 is provided with central fastening bolts / nuts 66a / 66b and side fastening bolts / nuts 68a / 68b set so as to be detached from the upper frame member 6.

Thereby, in the case of a light collision, the shroud panel 5 fixed by the central fastening bolts / nuts 66a, 66b and the side fastening bolts / nuts 68a, 68b is detached from the upper frame member 6, so that the front bumper 1 etc. Can prevent interference. On the other hand, in the case of a heavy collision, a collision load also acts on the upper frame member 6 and the collision load is distributed and transmitted to the apron rain members 4 and 4 on the rear side of the vehicle through the upper frame member 6. .
For this reason, even if the front bumper 1 moves backward during a light collision, the radiator R and the shroud panel 5 also move backward, so that the radiator R and the shroud panel 5 can be prevented from being damaged. On the other hand, during a heavy collision, the collision load can be distributed to the apron rain member 4 on the vehicle rear side through the upper frame member 6.
Therefore, in the front structure of the automobile in which the radiator R is supported by the resin shroud panel 5 at the front of the vehicle, the radiator R and the shroud panel at the time of a light collision while ensuring the load distribution performance to the upper part of the vehicle body at the time of a heavy collision. 5 can be prevented as much as possible, and the repair cost can be reduced.

  In addition, according to this embodiment, if the size of the heat exchanger supported by the shroud panel 5 is substantially the same, the upper frame member 6 and the center member portion 63 can be created separately for different types of vehicles. The panel 5 can be shared.

  In this embodiment, the shroud panel 5 that supports only the radiator R has been described. However, a shroud panel that supports a condenser of an air conditioner, an intercooler of a charging device, and the like may be used.

Further, in this embodiment, the upper frame member 6 includes side member portions 61, 61, vertical member portions 62, 62, and a center member portion 63 that is detachably fastened between the side member portions 61, 61. It is composed by.
Thereby, only the center member part 63 among the upper frame members 6 can be made detachable.
For this reason, it becomes possible to assemble the shroud panel 5 from the vehicle upper position with the center member 63 removed.
Therefore, the degree of freedom of the vehicle assembling work can be increased while the upper frame member 6 is installed above the shroud panel 5.

In this embodiment, the center member portion 63 is temporarily assembled and fixed above the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5 when the vehicle is assembled.
Thereby, the center member part 63 can be assembled | attached from the vehicle upper position with the shroud panel 5 as a unit body.
Therefore, since it is not necessary to perform separate assembly work on the main line of the vehicle assembly line, the number of work steps can be reduced and the assembly time can be shortened.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the side parts 52 and 52 of the shroud panel 5 and the bumper beam 2 located on the vehicle front side are fixed via connecting brackets 10 and 10.
Thereby, at the time of a vehicle collision, the shroud panel 5 is also retracted simultaneously with the retreat of the front bumper 1.
For this reason, since the radiator R supported by the shroud panel 5 does not directly interfere with the bumper beam 2, damage to the radiator R can be reliably prevented.
Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent damage to the radiator R and reduce the repair cost.

In this embodiment, the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5 is fastened and fixed to the flange portions 63 c and 63 d of the center member portion 63.
As a result, of the hat cross-sectional shape of the center member portion 63, the flange portions 63c and 63d, which are less affected by the lowering of rigidity, are provided with fastening holes to perform fastening and fixing, so that the rigidity of the center member portion 63 is prevented from being lowered. be able to.
Therefore, the shroud panel 5 can be fastened and fixed to the center member portion 63 without deteriorating the load transmission performance of the center member portion 63 (upper frame member 6) at the time of heavy collision.

In this embodiment, a central notch 63c having a rear end opened is formed in the collar 63c on the rear side of the center member 63.
Thereby, when a collision load acts, the shroud panel 5 can be detached rearward through the center cutout portion 63c.
Therefore, the shroud panel 5 can be easily detached rearward by providing the center member 63 with a simple structure such as the central notch 63c.

In this embodiment, a side cutout 51a extending to the front end 5A is formed in the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5 to which the front flange portion 63d of the center member portion 63 is fastened.
Thereby, when a collision load acts, the shroud panel 5 can be detached rearward through the side cutout portion 51a.
Therefore, by providing the shroud panel 5 with a simple structure such as the side notch 51a, the shroud panel 5 can be easily detached rearward.

In this embodiment, the center member portion 63 is provided with a pocket portion 60 for accommodating the bonnet lock mechanism BL.
Thereby, even if the shroud panel 5 is detached from the center member portion 63 and retreats at the time of a light collision, the bonnet lock mechanism BL can be prevented from being separated from the vehicle body side member.
Therefore, the hood support rigidity by the hood lock mechanism BL can be increased while preventing the radiator R from being damaged during a light collision.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, this pocket part 60 is provided with the fixing flange 60a in the lower part both sides, and it is comprised so that it may fasten and fix to the upper part 51 of the shroud panel 5 via this fixing flange 60a. Good. At this time, it is desirable that the U-shaped notch portion 60b is formed in the fixing flange 60a so that the fixation is released when a collision load is applied.

  Thus, by comprising, the support rigidity of the pocket part 60 can be improved and the support rigidity of the bonnet lock mechanism BL can be improved using the shroud panel 5. FIG. Further, at the time of collision, the fastening and fixing of the fixing flange 60a is released, so that the backward movement of the shroud panel 5 is not hindered.

  Therefore, with such a structure, it is possible to improve both the support rigidity of the hood lock mechanism BL and the retraction of the shroud panel 5 at the time of collision.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the shroud panel 5 is installed at a position that substantially coincides with the crash box 9 in a side view.
As a result, the shroud panel 5 is installed at a position that substantially coincides with the crash box 9 in a side view. Therefore, when the crash box 9 is buckled and deformed in a light collision, the shroud panel 5 can be reliably moved backward. it can.
For this reason, the backward movement of the shroud panel 5 at the time of a light collision can be further promoted.
Therefore, the shroud panel 5 can be retreated more reliably at the time of a collision, and the radiator R can be protected.

  Next, another embodiment of the fixing structure between the shroud panel and the upper frame member will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a fixing structure using a press-fit pin, and FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a fixing structure using a breaking member. In addition, about the component same as the above-mentioned embodiment, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the fixing structure using the press-fit pins is such that a press-fit pin 166 made of resin extending in the vertical direction is pressure-bonded between the flange portion 63 c of the center member portion 63 and the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5. It consists of.

  The shroud panel 5 and the center member 63 are pressure-bonded by press-fitting a press-fitting pin 166 made of resin weaker than the shroud panel 5 from above the flange 63c of the center member 63 toward the upper part 51 of the shroud panel 5. Fix it.

  The press-fit pins 166 are set so as to break when the shroud panel 5 receives a collision load from the front.

  Therefore, when only the shroud panel 5 receives a backward movement load due to a light collision, the press-fit pin 166 is broken, and the crimping and fixing of the shroud panel 5 and the center member portion 63 can be released.

  Therefore, also by this structure, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In particular, according to this structure, it is not necessary to provide a notch in the flange portion 63c or the like of the center member portion 63, so that the workability of the center member portion 63 or the like can be simplified.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the fixing structure using the breaking member is provided with a resin-made breaking member 266 having a substantially U-shaped cross section between the flange portion 63 c of the center member portion 63 and the upper portion 51 of the shroud panel 5. It is configured by fixing.

  The breaking member 266 is also formed by molding with a resin member weaker than the shroud panel 5. The center member part 63 and the shroud panel 5 are fixed by fixing the upper surface and the lower surface of the breaking member 266 to the center member part 63 and the upper part 51 of the shroud panel 5 by fastening and fixing, respectively.

  The breaking member 266 is also set to break when the shroud panel 5 receives a collision load from the front.

  Therefore, also with this structure, when only the shroud panel 5 receives a backward movement load due to a light collision, the breaking member 266 is broken and the fixing of the shroud panel 5 and the center member 63 can be released.

  Therefore, also by this structure, the same effect as the above-described embodiment can be obtained. In particular, according to this structure, the breaking member 266 breaks, so that damage to the shroud panel 5 can be surely prevented, and replacement of the shroud panel 5 becomes unnecessary.

As described above, in the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The heat exchanger of the present invention corresponds to the radiator R of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The skeleton member corresponds to the upper frame member 6,
The fixing means correspond to the center fastening bolts / nuts 66a, 66b, the side fastening bolts / nuts 68a, 68b, the press-fit pins 166, and the breaking member 266,
The notch with the rear end opened corresponds to the center notch 66c,
Although the notch extending to the front end corresponds to the side notch 51a, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes an embodiment applied to the front structure of any automobile.

  In particular, the fixing means is not limited to that of this embodiment, and may be a fixing structure using a locking member or a fixing structure using an adhesive member as long as the fixing is released in the event of a collision.

  In addition, the skeleton member is not only the center member portion 63 that can be attached and detached as in the upper frame member 6, but all the portions extending in the vehicle width direction including the side member portions of the upper frame portion can be attached and detached. It may be something like this.

The front view of the motor vehicle which employ | adopted the front part structure of the motor vehicle of 1st embodiment. The front perspective view of a vehicle body front part. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 1. Sectional drawing which showed the fastening structure in the center position of a shroud panel and an upper frame part. Sectional drawing which showed the fastening structure in the side part position of a shroud panel and an upper frame part. It is the model which showed the side view of the front part structure at the time of a vehicle collision, (a) is the figure which showed the behavior at the time of a light collision, (b) is the figure which showed the behavior at the time of a heavy collision. The front perspective view of the vehicle body front part which showed the reinforcement structure of the other bonnet lock mechanism. Sectional drawing which showed the fixation structure by a press-fit pin. Sectional drawing which showed the fixation structure by a fracture member.

Explanation of symbols

R ... Radiator 1 ... Front bumper 2 ... Bumper beam 3 ... Front side frame 4 ... Apron rain member 5 ... Shroud panel 6 ... Upper frame member 63 ... Center member portions 66a, 66b ... Center fastening bolts, center fastening nuts 68a, 68b ... side Part fastening bolt, side fastening nut 166 ... press-fit pin 266 ... fracture member

Claims (10)

A resin shroud panel that includes an upper portion that extends in the vehicle width direction, a lower portion that extends in the vehicle width direction, a side portion that extends and connects the upper portion and the lower portion in the vertical direction, and supports the heat exchanger;
A front structure of an automobile comprising a front bumper extending in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle front side of the shroud panel,
A skeleton member that extends and connects left and right apron rain members extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction in the vehicle width direction;
The shroud panel installed at a position ahead of the vehicle with respect to the skeleton member;
A front structure of an automobile comprising: an upper portion of the shroud panel fixed to the skeleton member, and fixing means set so that the upper portion is detached from the skeleton member when a collision load is applied from the front side of the vehicle. The skeleton member is a side member portion whose rear end is fixed to the apron rain member front portion at the rear position of the headlamp and the front end extends to a position near the upper portion of the front side frame front portion,
A vertical member portion whose upper end is fixed to the front end of the side member portion and whose lower end is fixed to the front portion of the front side frame;
The front part structure of the motor vehicle of Claim 1 provided with the center member part fastened and fixed detachably between the said side member parts. The automobile front structure according to claim 2, wherein the center member portion is temporarily assembled and fixed above the upper portion of the shroud panel when the vehicle is assembled. The front structure of the automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a side portion of the shroud panel is fixed to a bumper beam of the front bumper. The skeleton member has a hat cross-sectional shape portion in a side view;
The front part structure of the motor vehicle in any one of Claims 1-4 which fastened and fixed the upper part of the said shroud panel to the collar part of this hat cross-sectional shape part. 6. The front structure of an automobile according to claim 5, wherein a notch portion having a rear end opened is provided at a fastening portion of a rear flange portion of the hat cross-sectional shape portion. 6. The front structure of an automobile according to claim 5, wherein a cutout portion extending from a fastening portion to a front end portion is provided in an upper portion of a shroud panel to which a front flange portion of the hat cross-sectional shape portion is fastened. The front structure of the automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the skeleton member is provided with a pocket portion that houses a hood lock mechanism that locks the hood. 9. A fixing flange which is fixed to an upper portion of the shroud panel at a lower portion of the pocket portion and is set so as to be released when a collision load is applied from the front side of the vehicle. The front structure of the car. Install a crash box at the front end of the front side frame,
The front structure of an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the shroud panel is installed at a position substantially coincident with the crash box in a side view.

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