JP2009166746A - Front body structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a front body structure of a vehicle capable of improving both aerodynamic performance at an upper nose section and pedestrian protection performance, particularly sharing a pedestrian protection area in a front-to-rear direction with the upper nose section and an air-bag, and properly protecting a pedestrian with the compact air-bag in an almost whole area of a hood so as to improve the pedestrian protection performance. <P>SOLUTION: The front body structure of the vehicle is provided with a front-nose section 50, an intermediate-nose section 51, windshield 52, and the upper nose section 56 positioned upward at a predetermined distance away from the front-nose section 50 and extending in a vehicular body width direction. The air-bag 71 is arranged either in the upper nose section 56 or in the front-nose section 50, wherein the air-bag is deployed so as to cover a vehicular front portion at the time of detecting or predicting contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention is provided with a front nose portion that extends obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle, an intermediate nose portion that extends rearward continuously from the front nose portion and forms a vehicle body front outer surface, and a rear portion of the intermediate nose portion. The present invention relates to a front vehicle body structure of a vehicle including a front window panel (consent with front window glass) that covers the front of a vehicle compartment so that the outside of the vehicle can be visually recognized.

In general, in order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the vehicle, it is preferable to set the height position of the nose panel extending obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle to be low and dispose a spoiler above the front end of the nose panel. Are known.
That is, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a nose panel disposed with an inclined upper surface, and a bumper member (floating type) disposed away from the inclined upper surface of the nose panel. And the bumper member is formed so as to have a spoiler function.

  According to the conventional structure disclosed in this Patent Document 1, the nose panel and the bumper member can be formed while reducing the nose of the vehicle, keeping the bonnet line low, and allowing the bumper member to function as a spoiler. It is possible to improve the aerodynamic characteristics by reducing the aerodynamic resistance by flowing the running wind introduced through the opening between the bonnet, the front window glass and the roof.

Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle having an opening between a nose panel and a bumper member (floating type spoiler) disposed above the nose panel and having a spoiler function. Further, there is disclosed a configuration in which an opening for introducing a traveling wind is provided so that the traveling wind is effectively used to cool the engine room, the oil cooler, or introduce the intake air into the engine.
According to the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is possible to achieve both improvement of aerodynamic characteristics and effective use of traveling wind.

Further, in Patent Document 3, in a vehicle front body structure in which a spoiler extending in the vehicle width direction and spaced apart from the front end nose portion of the vehicle is disposed, the spoiler cushions a load from above. There is disclosed a structure in which a traveling wind inflow opening is formed between the lower surface of the spoiler and the upper surface of the front end nose portion.
According to the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 3, it is possible to achieve both aerodynamic characteristics with a spoiler and pedestrian protection with a buffer.

However, in the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 3, in the front end nose corresponding portion as the spoiler arrangement portion provided with the buffer portion, the pedestrian leans to the spoiler when contacting the vehicle and the pedestrian. However, if a pedestrian (especially an adult head that is relatively tall relative to a child) is tilted further backward than the rear end of the spoiler, the pedestrian protection performance is reduced. Lower.
In such a front body structure of a vehicle, a further improvement in aerodynamic characteristics is required, and in addition to this, when the vehicle comes into contact with or collides with a pedestrian, the pedestrian in the entire hood (agrees with the hood) There is a need for further improvement in safety (pedestrian protection performance) to appropriately protect the vehicle.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-69861 JP 9-86449 A JP 2001-138963 A

  Accordingly, the present invention provides an upper nose portion that extends in the vehicle width direction with a predetermined interval above a front nose portion that extends obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle is provided on either the upper nose portion or the front nose portion. When the contact with the pedestrian is detected or predicted, an airbag that deploys to cover the front of the vehicle is arranged to achieve both aerodynamic performance improvement by the upper nose part and pedestrian protection performance improvement. In detail, the upper nose part and the airbag can share the area that protects the pedestrian in the front-rear direction, and the pedestrian is appropriately protected by walking around the entire area of the hood with a compact airbag. An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front body structure capable of improving a person's protection performance.

  A vehicle front body structure according to the present invention includes a front nose portion that extends obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle, an intermediate nose portion that extends rearward continuously from the front nose portion and forms a front outer surface of the vehicle body, and the intermediate A front windscreen structure for a vehicle comprising a front wind panel that covers the front of a passenger compartment provided behind the nose so that the outside of the vehicle can be visually recognized, and has a predetermined interval above the front nose. An upper nose portion that is spaced apart and extends in the vehicle width direction is deployed so as to cover the front portion of the vehicle when a contact between the vehicle and a pedestrian is detected or predicted on either the upper nose portion or the front nose portion. An airbag is provided.

According to the above configuration, the passage through which the traveling wind can pass is formed between the lower surface of the upper nose portion and the upper surface of the front nose portion, and the upper nose portion acts as a spoiler, thereby improving the aerodynamic characteristics. be able to.
Further, when the vehicle comes into contact with the pedestrian, a pedestrian who falls to the upper front of the vehicle is received by the upper nose portion, so that the pedestrian protection performance can be improved.

In addition, when the contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian is detected or predicted, the airbag is deployed and covers the front of the vehicle, so that the pedestrian can be protected by the airbag.
In short, it is possible to achieve both aerodynamic performance improvement by the upper nose part and pedestrian protection performance improvement, and in detail, the area protecting the pedestrian can be shared in the front-rear direction by the upper nose part and the airbag, With a compact airbag, pedestrians can be appropriately protected over almost the entire hood, and pedestrian protection performance can be improved.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the airbag is configured to be deployed rearward from the upper nose portion and to cover at least the rear portion including the intermediate nose portion.

According to the said structure, a pedestrian can be protected in the front part of the whole nose with the said upper nose part, and a pedestrian can be protected in the back part containing an intermediate | middle nose part with the said airbag.
In the meantime, the upper nose portion can mainly protect the head of the child appropriately, and the airbag can appropriately protect the head of the adult who is mainly taller than the child.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the upper nose portion is formed so as to be capable of absorbing energy with respect to a load in the vertical direction.
According to the said structure, since an upper nose part absorbs the impact energy (load) of an up-down direction, a pedestrian's head can be appropriately protected especially in a front side.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the airbag is configured to be deployable so as to cover a cowl portion between the rear portion of the intermediate nose portion and the front wind panel from above.
According to the above configuration, since the cowl portion has high rigidity, pedestrian protection can be achieved by covering the cowl portion from above with the airbag.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the airbag is configured to be deployable so as to cover the rotating shaft of the wiper device provided in the cowl portion from above.
According to the said structure, a pedestrian protection can be aimed at by covering the rotating shaft (what is called a wiper pivot) of the wiper apparatus as a highly rigid protrusion from upper direction with an airbag.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the airbag is configured to be deployable so as to cover a front pillar provided on a side portion of the front wind panel from above.
According to the above configuration, since the front pillar has high rigidity, pedestrian protection can be achieved by covering the front pillar with the airbag from above.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the airbag is divided and arranged corresponding to the left and right front pillars.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the deployability of the airbag with respect to the left and right front pillars while reducing the size of the airbag, and it is possible to more accurately cover the front pillar from above with the airbag.

In one embodiment of the present invention, between the front nose portion and the upper nose portion, a rectifying passage capable of rectifying by passing traveling air is formed, and a rectifying lower surface portion forming a lower surface portion of the rectifying passage; The upper surface of the intermediate nose portion and the front surface of the front window panel are formed in a substantially continuous shape at a predetermined angle.
The predetermined angle described above may be set in a range of about 20 degrees to 25 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane, preferably 22 degrees.

  According to the above configuration, since the rectifying lower surface portion, the intermediate nose portion upper surface, and the front wind panel front surface are continued at a predetermined angle in addition to the formation of the rectifying passage, it is possible to improve aerodynamic characteristics and Depending on the angle, the entire nose line can be set low, the forward visibility can be improved, and the front overhang can be shortened by reducing the nose.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a power train for driving the vehicle is disposed below the intermediate nose portion.
According to the above configuration, since the power train is disposed below the intermediate nose portion, the degree of freedom of space in front of the power train is increased, and the degree of freedom of layout such as the height and inclination angle of the front nose portion can be secured.

  According to the present invention, the upper nose portion extending in the vehicle width direction with a predetermined interval is provided above the front nose portion that extends obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle, and the vehicle is provided on either the upper nose portion or the front nose portion. When detecting or predicting contact with a pedestrian, an airbag that is deployed so as to cover the front of the vehicle is installed, so that both aerodynamic performance improvement by the upper nose part and pedestrian protection performance improvement are to be achieved. In detail, the upper nose part and the airbag can share the area that protects the pedestrian in the front-rear direction, and the pedestrian is appropriately protected by walking around the entire area of the hood with a compact airbag. There is an effect that can improve the person protection performance.

  A front nose portion extending from the front to the rear of the vehicle in an inclined manner for the purpose of achieving both aerodynamic performance and pedestrian protection performance and ensuring pedestrian protection performance with a compact airbag, An intermediate nose portion that extends rearward continuously from the nose portion and forms a front outer surface of the vehicle body; and a front wind panel that covers the front of a passenger compartment provided behind the intermediate nose portion so that the outside of the vehicle is visible The vehicle has a front vehicle body structure including an upper nose portion extending in the vehicle width direction at a predetermined interval above the front nose portion, and the vehicle is provided on either the upper nose portion or the front nose portion. When detecting or predicting contact with a pedestrian, an air bag that is deployed to cover the front of the vehicle is provided.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
The drawings show the front body structure of the vehicle. First, the overall structure of the vehicle will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is a side view of the vehicle, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the vehicle.

  In FIG. 1, a dash lower panel 3 is provided as a dash panel that partitions the engine room 1 and the vehicle compartment 2 in the front-rear direction, and a floor panel 4 extending substantially horizontally toward the rear is integrally formed at the bottom of the dash lower panel 3. Or it is connected continuously. The floor panel 4 is a panel that forms the floor surface of the passenger compartment 2, and a kick-up portion 5 that rises upward and a rear seat pan 6 that is concave in side view are formed at the rear of the floor panel 4. A rear floor 8 (floor panel) is connected to the rear seat pan 6 via a bulkhead 7.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a tunnel portion 9 that protrudes into the passenger compartment 2 and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is provided at the vehicle width direction center portion of the floor panel 4 described above. The tunnel portion 9 extends between the dash lower panel 3 and the bulkhead 7 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the tunnel portion 9 (floor tunnel) is the center of the vehicle body rigidity.
A tunnel member (so-called high-mount backbone frame) extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is provided at the upper part of the tunnel part 9 along the upper part of the tunnel part 9 to improve the rigidity of the lower vehicle body. You may comprise as follows.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, side sills 10 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are bonded and fixed to the left and right sides of the floor panel 4 described above. The side sill 10 is a vehicle body rigid member having a side sill closed section 13 that joins a side sill inner 11 and a side sill outer 12 and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Note that a side sill reinforcement may be provided on the side sill closed section 13 as necessary.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vertical wall of the tunnel portion 9 and the side sill inner 11 are disposed on the floor panel 4 at the intermediate portion in the front-rear direction between the dash lower panel 3 and the kick-up portion 5. The left and right floor cross members 14 are connected to the vertical wall in the vehicle width direction, and a closed cross section 15 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed between the floor cross member 14 and the floor panel 4. is doing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of left and right floor frames 16, 16 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are provided at the lower portion of the floor panel 4 at the intermediate portion in the vehicle width direction between the tunnel portion 9 and the side sill 10 described above. A closed cross section extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is formed between the floor frame 16 and the above-described floor panel 4 by being bonded and fixed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a pair of left and right rear side frames 17 and 17 (rear frame) extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are joined and fixed to both lower sides of the rear floor 8. A closed cross section extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is formed between the rear floor 8 and the front portions of the pair of left and right rear side frames 17, 17 overhang the rear portions of the pair of left and right side sills 10, 10 in the vehicle front-rear direction. It extends to the wrapping position.

On the other hand, a pair of left and right front side frames 18 and 18 are provided as front frames extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle on the left and right sides of the engine room 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right front side frames 18 and 18 have rear portions extending downward along the front surface of the dash lower panel 3, and the rear end portion of the front side frame 18 is the front end of the floor frame 16 described above. As shown in FIG. 2, the front side frame 18 and the floor frame 16 are continuous in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
Here, the side sill 10, the floor cross member 14, the floor frame 16, the rear side frame 17, and the front side frame 18 described above are vehicle body rigidity members, and these vehicle body rigidity members are configured to ensure vehicle body rigidity. ing.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a front cross member 19 (so-called No. 1.5 cross member) having a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle width direction is provided between the pair of left and right front side frames 18, 18. Bumper rain 21 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in front of the front side frames 18 and 18 via crash cans 20 and 20 (collision energy absorbing members).

In the vehicle width direction intermediate portion of the bumper rain 21, an intermediate receding portion 21 A that recedes backward is formed, and side receding portions 21 B and 21 C that recede backward are also formed at both ends of the bumper rain 21. The whole shape seen from the plane is W-shaped. The side receding portions 21B and 21C described above are formed, and the entire shape viewed from the plane of the bumper rain 21 is W-shaped. By providing the above-described side receding portions 21B and 21C, the degree of freedom in design of the vehicle front portion is ensured.
Further, the intermediate receding portion 21A of the bumper rain 21 and the central portion of the front cross member 19 are connected by a crash can 22 (collision energy absorbing member).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in the vicinity of the front cross member 19, a radiator 24 having a fan 23 at the rear is inclined in a front, low, and rear height between the pair of left and right front side frames 18 and 18. The slant is arranged. The radiator 24 is disposed in front of an engine 25 described later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a power train 27 including an engine 25 and a transmission 26 is disposed on the rear portion in the engine room 1 and on the vehicle exterior side (that is, on the lower side) of the tunnel portion 9. A so-called front midship engine vehicle is formed by reversing the engine 25 as an object in the center of the vehicle as much as possible.

  Further, a propeller shaft 29 for transmitting the output of the transmission 26 to the rear differential device 28 is provided on the vehicle exterior side of the tunnel portion 9 described above, and the differential output of the rear differential device 28 is transmitted to the left and right drive shafts 30, 30. It is configured to transmit differentially to the left and right rear wheels 31, 31 via (see FIG. 2), thus forming a FR (front engine rear wheel drive) type vehicle.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a driver's seat 32 and a passenger seat 33 are juxtaposed in the vehicle width direction at positions corresponding to the floor cross member 14 and the vertical direction in the passenger compartment 2. These front row seats are bucket seats (separate seats) each provided with a seat cushion 34 and a seat back 35. In this embodiment, the driver's seat 32 is disposed on the left side to form a left-hand drive vehicle, but it is needless to say that it may be a right-hand drive vehicle.

Further, a rear seat 36 is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear seat pan 6 in the passenger compartment 2. The rear row seat is a bench-type seat provided with a seat cushion 37 and a seat back 38, but the rear seat 36 may be a separate seat.
In the figure, 39 is a steering wheel, 40 is an instrument panel, 41 is a steering rack, 42 is a sub-frame for supporting a front suspension (not shown), 43 is a front wheel, 44 is a lower part of the rear seat pan 6 and a bulkhead. 7 is a fuel tank provided at a rear portion of the fuel tank.

Next, the front body structure of the vehicle will be described in detail.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of the front part of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a front nose part 50 extending obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle, and the front nose part 50 An intermediate nose portion 51 that continuously extends rearward and forms a front outer surface of the vehicle body, and a front wind panel that covers the front of the vehicle compartment 2 provided behind the intermediate nose portion 51 so that the outside of the vehicle can be visually recognized. (Which agrees with the front window glass, but may be made of glass or synthetic resin, hereinafter simply abbreviated as front window) 52.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the above-described front window 52 covers a front window opening formed between the left and right front pillars 53, the front end of the roof portion 54, and the upper end of the cowl portion 70. While the lower end portion of the front window 52 is supported by the cowl portion 70, a pair of wiper devices 55, 55 for wiping the front window 52 are provided below the front window 52, as shown in FIG. Yes.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an upper nose portion 56 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided above the front nose portion 50 and spaced apart by a predetermined distance.
The upper nose portion 56 includes a urethane foam member 57 as an EA member (energy absorber member) capable of absorbing energy, and a resin outer skin 58 that covers the outside of the urethane foam member 57. It is formed so as to be able to absorb energy with respect to the load.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the upper nose portion 56 is formed in a gently curved surface with the center in the vehicle width direction positioned upward, and both side portions in the vehicle width direction of the upper nose portion 56 are Via the nose part 50, it is comprised so that it may continue with the left and right front fenders 59 and 59.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper nose portion 56 has a central front end positioned forward of the intermediate retreating portion 21 </ b> A and a central rear end positioned at a portion substantially corresponding to the center of the front wheel 43. Is set to

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a rectifying passage 60 is formed between the front nose portion 50 and the upper nose portion 56 described above, which can rectify by passing the traveling wind. That is, the upper nose portion 56 of this embodiment is configured to serve as a bumper function, a spoiler function, and a pedestrian protection function.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the rectifying lower surface portion 60 a that forms the lower surface portion of the rectifying passage 60, the upper surface of the intermediate nose portion 51, and the front surface of the front window 52 are approximately at a predetermined angle θ. It is formed in a continuous shape.

In this embodiment, the rectifying lower surface portion 60a, the intermediate nose portion 51 upper surface, and the front window 52 front surface are between about 20 degrees and 25 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane (HOR) as shown in FIG. It is inclined at the front angle of the front and rear at an angle θ.
Here, the angle θ is most preferably 22 degrees out of 20 to 25 degrees. Further, when the angle θ is set in the range of 20 to 25 degrees, the aerodynamic drag coefficient can be improved by Cd = 0.27, and the aerodynamic characteristics can be improved.

  On the other hand, the power train 27 for driving the vehicle, in particular, the engine 25 thereof is disposed below the above-described intermediate nose portion 51, and is configured to increase the degree of freedom of space in front of the engine 25. That is, by disposing the engine 25 below the intermediate nose portion 51, the engine 25 as a heavy object can be laid out as close to the vehicle center as possible to reduce the yaw moment of inertia. Of course, the degree of freedom in space ahead of the engine 25 is increased, and the degree of freedom in layout such as the height of the front nose 50 and the inclination angle is secured.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pair of front side frames 18, 18 described above are provided below the front nose portion 50 and the intermediate nose portion 51, and the pair of front side frames 18, 18 The intermediate receding portion 21A of the bumper rain 21 provided in the front is formed so as to recede backward below the front nose portion 50 described above. With this receding structure, the height of the front end portion of the front nose portion 50 is increased. It is set to be low so as to reduce the nose and shorten the front overhang.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2, left and right side retreating portions 21 </ b> B and 21 </ b> C that retreat backward are formed at both ends of the bumper rain 21, respectively, so that the degree of freedom in designing the front portion of the vehicle is improved. is doing.

Incidentally, an airbag unit 71 (a so-called hood airbag device) is disposed in one of the above-described upper nose portion 56 and the front nose portion 50 (in the first embodiment, the front nose portion 50).
The airbag unit 71 includes an inflator 72 (inflator, gas generator) and an airbag 73 (shown in a state of being expanded in the drawing for convenience of illustration), and detects contact between the vehicle and a pedestrian. Alternatively, the airbag 73 is deployed to cover the front part of the vehicle when predicted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the above-described airbag unit 71 is resistant to traveling wind (see a dotted arrow in FIG. 4) that passes through a rectifying passage 60 formed between the upper nose portion 56 and the front nose portion 50. In order to prevent this, the airbag unit 71 is provided below the front nose portion 50 at the center in the vehicle width direction so that the upper surface of the unit is flush with the upper surface of the front nose portion 50.
Further, the airbag unit 71 is provided at the rear portion of the front nose portion 50 so that the airbag 73 can be smoothly deployed without interfering with the upper nose portion 56 when the airbag 73 is deployed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the airbag 73 is deployed to the rear of the upper nose portion 56 so as to cover at least the rear portion including the above-described intermediate nose portion 51. It is.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the airbag 73 is deployed so as to cover the cowl portion 70 between the rear portion of the intermediate nose portion 51 and the front window 52 from above, and the cowl. The wiper pivots 74 and 74 as rotation shafts of the wiper devices 55 and 55 provided in the section 70 are developed so as to cover from above.

Here, the air bag unit 71 described above ignites the igniter when the contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian is detected or predicted by a sensor (not shown), and is a chemical substance incorporated in the inflator 72. The gas generated from this chemical substance is passed through the filter into the airbag 73, and the airbag 73 is deployed as shown by phantom lines in FIGS. It protects the person.
In FIG. 5, reference numeral 75 denotes a retractable headlamp.

The operation of the front body structure of the vehicle configured as described above will be described.
When the vehicle is traveling forward, a traveling wind from the front is relatively blown against the vehicle, and the traveling wind hits the front of the vehicle body and blows through the upper nose portion 56 and the inside of the rectifying passage 60. It can be divided into the wind that blows through (see the dotted arrow in FIG. 4), and a pressing force (so-called down force) is generated from the short surface to the long surface according to the blade theory.

  For this reason, the front body structure of the vehicle provided with the upper nose portion 56 receives a force that is generally pressed against the road surface, and the ground contact force of the front wheels 43 and 43 is increased, thereby improving the running stability. As described above, the aerodynamic characteristics of the upper nose portion 56 are ensured, and the running performance is improved by improving the running stability of the vehicle.

  In addition, the rectifying lower surface 60a, the intermediate nose 51 upper surface, and the front window 52 front are inclined at an angle θ between about 20 to 25 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane (HOR) in a front-rear and rear-high state. The aerodynamic characteristics could be further improved by improving the air drag coefficient.

  On the other hand, when the contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian is detected or predicted, the airbag 73 of the airbag unit 71 is deployed as indicated by a virtual line in FIGS. A pedestrian can be protected by both the upper nose portion 56 formed so as to be capable of absorbing energy with respect to a load in the vertical direction.

  1 to FIG. 5, the front body structure of the vehicle of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 extends rearward continuously from the front nose part 50, and the front nose part 50 extending obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle. An intermediate nose 51 that forms a front outer surface of the vehicle body, and a front window 52 that covers the front of the vehicle compartment 2 provided behind the intermediate nose 51 so that the outside of the vehicle can be visually recognized. The front body structure includes an upper nose portion 56 that is spaced apart from the front nose portion 50 by a predetermined distance and extends in the vehicle width direction, and one of the upper nose portion 56 and the front nose portion 50 includes a vehicle When a contact with a pedestrian is detected or predicted, an airbag (see airbag unit 71 and airbag 73) is provided so as to cover the front of the vehicle (see FIG. 4).

According to this configuration, a passage through which traveling wind can pass is formed between the lower surface of the upper nose portion 56 and the upper surface of the front nose portion 50, and the upper nose portion 56 acts as a spoiler. Improvements can be made.
Further, when the vehicle comes into contact with the pedestrian, a pedestrian who falls to the upper front of the vehicle is received by the upper nose portion 56, so that the pedestrian protection performance can be improved.

In addition, when the contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian is detected or predicted, the airbag 73 is deployed and covers the front portion of the vehicle, so the airbag 73 can protect the pedestrian.
In short, it is possible to achieve both aerodynamic performance improvement by the upper nose portion 56 and improvement of pedestrian protection performance. Specifically, the upper nose portion 56 and the airbag 73 share a region for protecting the pedestrian in the front-rear direction. The compact airbag unit 71 can appropriately protect pedestrians in almost the entire area of the hood, thereby improving pedestrian protection performance.

  The airbag 73 is configured to be deployed rearward from the upper nose portion 56 so as to cover at least the rear portion including the intermediate nose portion 51 (see FIG. 4).

According to this configuration, the upper nose portion 56 can protect the pedestrian in the front portion of the entire nose, and the airbag 73 can protect the pedestrian in the rear portion including the intermediate nose portion 51.
Incidentally, the upper nose portion 56 can appropriately protect the head of a child whose height is mainly lower than that of an adult, and the deployed airbag 73 can appropriately appropriately protect the head of an adult whose height is higher than that of a child. Can be protected. In other words, a child protection area can be formed by the upper nose portion 56, and an adult protection area can be formed by the deployed airbag 73.

Further, the upper nose portion 56 is formed so as to be able to absorb energy with respect to a load in the vertical direction (see FIG. 4).
According to this configuration, since the upper nose portion 56 absorbs impact energy (load) in the vertical direction, the pedestrian's head on the front side (particularly the head of a child whose height is relatively low with respect to an adult). ) Can be adequately protected.

Moreover, the airbag 73 is configured to be deployable so as to cover the cowl portion 70 between the rear portion of the intermediate nose portion 51 and the front window 52 (see FIG. 4).
According to this structure, since the cowl part 70 has high rigidity, the pedestrian can be protected by covering the cowl part 70 from above with the airbag 73.

Further, the airbag 73 is configured to be deployable so as to cover the rotation shaft (see the wiper pivot 74) of the wiper device 55 provided in the cowl portion 70 from above (see FIGS. 2 and 4). ).
According to this configuration, by covering the rotation shaft (so-called wiper pivot 74) of the wiper device 55 as a highly rigid protrusion with the airbag 73 from above, pedestrian protection can be achieved.

Further, between the front nose portion 50 and the upper nose portion 56, a rectifying passage 60 that allows rectification by passing traveling wind is formed, and a rectifying lower surface portion 60a that forms a lower surface portion of the rectifying passage 60; The upper surface of the intermediate nose portion 51 and the front surface of the front window 52 are formed in a substantially continuous shape at a predetermined angle θ (see FIG. 4).
The aforementioned predetermined angle θ is set in a range of about 20 to 25 degrees, preferably 22 degrees with respect to the horizontal plane (HOR).

  According to this configuration, together with the formation of the rectifying passage 60, the rectifying lower surface portion 60a, the intermediate nose portion 51 upper surface, and the front window 52 front surface are made continuous at a predetermined angle θ, so that aerodynamic characteristics can be improved. Further, the entire nose line can be set low by the predetermined angle θ, the forward visibility can be improved, and the front overhang can be shortened by the low nose.

In addition, a power train 27 (in particular, refer to the engine 25) for driving the vehicle is disposed below the intermediate nose portion 51 (see FIG. 4).
According to this configuration, since the power train 27 (particularly, the engine 25) is disposed below the intermediate nose portion 51, the degree of freedom in space in front of the power train 27 is increased, and the height and inclination angle of the front nose portion 50 are increased. The degree of freedom of layout can be secured.

  Further, as disclosed in the embodiments, a pair of front frames (see the front side frame 18) that extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and are separated in the vehicle width direction are provided below the front nose portion 50 and the intermediate nose portion 51. A bumper rain 21 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in front of the front frame (refer to the front side frame 18), and a retreating part (retracting backward) below the front nose part 50 is provided in an intermediate part of the bumper rain 21. If the configuration in which the intermediate receding portion 21A is formed is employed, the height of the front end portion of the front nose portion 50 can be set low, and a further favorable low nose can be achieved.

  That is, when the retracted portion is not provided, the bumper rain 21 and the front end portion of the front nose portion 50 interfere with each other when the front end portion of the front nose portion 50, particularly, the center of the front end is lowered, as disclosed in the embodiment. If the above-mentioned retreating part (see the intermediate retreating part 21A) is formed on the bumper rain 21, even if the front nose part 50 is lowered, interference between the two (bumper rain 21 and front nose part 50) can be avoided.

  FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another embodiment of the structure for deploying the airbag 73 by the airbag unit 71. When the airbag 73 is deployed, the intermediate nose 51, the cowl 70, the wiper pivot at the airbag 73 is shown. In addition to 74, the upper and lower middle portions of the left and right front pillars 53, 53 and the front side portion thereof are integrally covered from above.

  With this configuration, the front pillar 53 is a highly rigid vehicle body rigid member. Among the front pillars 53, the front pillar 53 is assumed to have a high degree of contact with the pedestrian when the pedestrian comes into contact. Since the intermediate portion and the front side portion thereof can be covered with the airbag 73 from above, the pedestrian protection performance can be further improved.

  In this embodiment shown in FIG. 6 as well, other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those in the previous embodiment shown in FIGS. The same reference numerals are assigned and detailed description thereof is omitted.

7 to 11 show other embodiments of the front body structure of a vehicle. FIG. 7 is a side view, FIG. 8 is a plan view, FIG. 9 is a front view, and FIG. 11 and 11 are perspective views showing the external shape of the front portion of the vehicle.
In each of the previous embodiments (see FIGS. 1 to 6), only one airbag unit 71 is provided in the front nose portion 50 at the center in the vehicle width direction, but in this embodiment shown in FIGS. A plurality of, for example, a total of two airbag units 71, 71 are provided. These airbag units 71, 71 correspond to the left and right front pillars 53, 53 as shown in FIGS. Thus, it is divided into left and right parts.

Also in this embodiment, each of the above-described airbag units 71 and 71 has traveling wind (FIG. 10) that passes through a rectifying passage 60 formed between the upper nose portion 56 and the front nose portion 50, as shown in FIG. The airbag units 71 and 71 are provided at the lower part of the front nose portion 50 so that the upper surface of the airbag unit 71 is flush with the upper surface of the front nose portion 50 so that the resistance does not become the resistance of the dotted arrows in FIG. It has been.
Further, the airbag unit 71 is provided at the rear portion of the front nose portion 50 so that the airbag 73 can be smoothly deployed without interfering with the upper nose portion 56 when the airbag 73 is deployed.

Further, the two airbag units 71 and 71 are slanted in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front nose portion 50 so as to face the left and right front pillars 53 and 53 as shown in FIG.
Moreover, in this embodiment, as shown in the state in which the airbag 73 is deployed in FIGS. 7 to 10, the airbag 73 has left and right front pillars 53, 53 provided on the left and right sides of the front window 52. Is developed so as to cover the entire length from above.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the airbag 73 on the left side of the vehicle is configured in a deployed shape that not only covers the entire front pillar 53 on the same side from above, but also covers the two wiper pivots 74 and 74 from above. ing.

As described above, in the vehicle front body structure of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, the airbag 73 includes the left and right front pillars 53, 53 provided on the left and right sides of the front window 52. It is comprised so that expansion | deployment is possible so that it may cover from the upper direction (refer FIG. 8, FIG. 9).
According to this configuration, since the front pillar 53 has high rigidity, pedestrian protection can be achieved by covering the front pillar 53 with the airbag 73 from above.

The airbag unit 71 is divided and arranged corresponding to the left and right front pillars 53 (see FIG. 8).
According to this configuration, it is possible to improve the deployability of the airbag 73 with respect to the left and right front pillars 53, 53 while reducing the size of the airbag unit 71, and the front pillars 53, 53 are connected to the airbags 73, 73. Can be covered more accurately from above.

Incidentally, in order to simultaneously cover the entire left and right front pillars 53, 53 with one airbag unit 71, the deployment shape of the airbag unit 71 and the airbag 73 becomes extremely large, which causes practical difficulties. By providing a total of two airbag units 71 corresponding to the left and right front pillars 53, 53, the entire left and right front pillars 53, 53 can be combined with the compact left and right airbag units 71, 71. It can be accurately covered from above.
Also in this embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 11, the other configurations, operations, and effects are the same as those in the previous embodiments. Therefore, in FIGS. The same reference numerals are assigned and detailed description thereof is omitted.

12 and 13 show still another embodiment of the front body structure of the vehicle. FIG. 12 is a side view, and FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the external shape of the vehicle front.
In each of the previous embodiments (see FIGS. 1 to 11), the airbag unit 71 is disposed on the lower surface of the front nose portion 50. However, in this embodiment shown in FIGS. 71 is integrally disposed at the rear part of the center of the upper nose part 56.

  In this case, the resin outer skin 58 of the upper nose portion 56 also serves as a housing for the airbag unit 71, and the air bag unit 71 is provided with an air resistance against traveling wind passing above and below the upper nose portion 56. In order not to increase, a step is not formed in the outer skin 58 from the front part to the rear part of the upper nose part 56.

  Even with this configuration, when contact between the vehicle and the pedestrian is detected or predicted, the airbag 73 is deployed as shown by the phantom line in FIG. Thus, since the intermediate nose portion 51, the cowl portion 70, and the wiper pivot 74 are covered from above, the pedestrian can be protected by the airbag 73.

  That is, also in this embodiment, it is possible to achieve both aerodynamic performance improvement by the upper nose portion 56 and improvement of pedestrian protection performance, and more specifically, a region where the upper nose portion 56 and the airbag 73 protect the pedestrian. Can be shared in the front-rear direction, and the compact airbag unit 71 can appropriately protect pedestrians in substantially the entire area of the hood, thereby improving pedestrian protection performance. In this embodiment, the deployed shape of the airbag 73 as viewed from above is the same as that in FIG.

Also in this embodiment shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, other configurations, operations, and effects are almost the same as those in the previous embodiment. Therefore, in FIGS. The same reference numerals are assigned and detailed description thereof is omitted.
Instead of the arrangement structure of the airbag unit 71 shown in FIG. 13, a total of two airbag units 71 are provided at the rear of the upper nose portion 56 to correspond to the left and right front pillars 53 and 53, as shown in FIG. , 71 may be provided, and as shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the left and right front pillars 53, 53 may be covered from above by the airbags 73, 73.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The front window panel of the present invention corresponds to the front window 52 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The airbag corresponds to the airbag unit 71 and the airbag 73,
The rotation axis of the wiper device corresponds to the wiper pivot 74,
The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

The side view which shows the front part vehicle body structure of the vehicle of this invention Plan view showing the front body structure of the vehicle Front view showing the front body structure of the vehicle 1 is an enlarged side view of the main part of FIG. Schematic perspective view showing the external shape of the front part of the vehicle Plan view showing another embodiment of airbag deployment structure Side view showing another embodiment of vehicle front body structure Plan view of FIG. Front view of FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the main part of FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing the external shape of the front portion of the vehicle in FIG. An enlarged side view showing still another embodiment of the front body structure of the vehicle The schematic perspective view which shows the external appearance shape of the vehicle front part of FIG. External perspective view of the front portion of the vehicle showing another embodiment of the arrangement structure of the airbag unit

Explanation of symbols

2 ... Vehicle compartment 27 ... Powertrain 50 ... Front nose part 51 ... Intermediate nose part 52 ... Front window (front window panel)
53 ... Front pillar 55 ... Wiper device 56 ... Upper nose portion 60 ... Rectification passage 60a ... Rectification lower surface portion 70 ... Cowl portion 71 ... Airbag unit 73 ... Airbag 74 ... Wiper pivot (rotating shaft of wiper device)

Claims (9)

A front nose portion that extends obliquely rearward from the front of the vehicle, an intermediate nose portion that extends rearward continuously from the front nose portion to form a vehicle body front outer surface, and a vehicle compartment provided behind the intermediate nose portion. A front vehicle body structure including a front wind panel that covers the front so that the outside of the vehicle is visible,
An upper nose portion extending in the vehicle width direction at a predetermined interval above the front nose portion;
A vehicle front body structure in which an airbag that is deployed so as to cover a front portion of a vehicle when a contact between the vehicle and a pedestrian is detected or predicted is detected in any one of the upper nose portion and the front nose portion. The front body structure of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the airbag is configured to be deployed rearward from the upper nose portion and to cover at least a rear portion including the intermediate nose portion. The front body structure of the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the upper nose portion is formed so as to be capable of absorbing energy with respect to a load in a vertical direction. The front body structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the airbag is configured to be deployable so as to cover a cowl portion between the rear portion of the intermediate nose portion and the front wind panel from above. . The vehicle front body structure according to claim 4, wherein the airbag is configured to be deployable so as to cover a rotation shaft of a wiper device provided in the cowl portion from above. The front body structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the airbag is configured to be deployable so as to cover a front pillar provided on a side portion of the front wind panel from above. The vehicle front body structure according to claim 6, wherein the airbag is divided and disposed corresponding to the left and right front pillars. Between the front nose portion and the upper nose portion, a rectifying passage capable of rectifying by passing traveling wind is formed,
The rectifying lower surface portion forming the lower surface portion of the rectifying passage, the upper surface of the intermediate nose portion, and the front surface of the front window panel are formed in a substantially continuous shape at a predetermined angle. Front vehicle body structure of the described vehicle. The vehicle front body structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a power train for driving the vehicle is disposed below the intermediate nose portion.

Images