JP2010023634A - Vehicle body front structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle body front structure of automobile capable of suppressing any retraction of a damper housing and reducing the deformation of a vehicle body in an offset collision of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A bead-like locking member having a flange 45 facing a front wall 51a of a front pillar 7 is fitted to the outer side in the vehicle width direction of dashboard upper sides 18, 19. Even when a connection part of the front pillar to the dashboard upper is broken in an offset collision, the flange 45 of the locking member fitted to the dashboard upper is abutted on the front wall of the front pillar to adequately distribute and transmit the collision load. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure that is improved in strength against offset collision and full-wrap collision during high-speed driving while reducing weight.

  An automobile having a monocoque structure (hereinafter referred to as a monocoque car) has a body produced by press-molding a thin steel plate to produce a large number of body panels and skeletal members and then joining them by spot welding or the like. In such a monocoque vehicle, the left and right front side frames are extended to the front of the vehicle body, and the front ends of the left and right front side frames are connected by a bumper beam, and a pair of front wheels provided above the rear part of the front side frame are provided. There is a vehicle body structure in which the left and right upper members extend forward and downward from the front end of the pillar and the front ends are joined to the front end outside of both front side frames via a connecting member.

  In the vehicle body structure configured as described above, a wheel house is generally provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the front side frame, and a damper housing provided on the wheel house is joined to the inner side in the vehicle width direction of both upper members. A dashboard lower panel is provided behind the wheel house, thereby defining an engine room and a vehicle compartment space. The load due to the frontal collision is transmitted not only to the front side frame but also to the front pillar via the upper member. When the collision load is a predetermined value or more, the front side The front part of the frame and the upper member is greatly deformed to absorb the collision energy and to prevent the passenger compartment space from being deformed, thereby ensuring the safety of the passenger.

  In particular, in the case of an offset collision or a full lap collision during high-speed traveling, the collision load becomes very large. Therefore, it is desired to more efficiently distribute the collision load to the front pillar. In order to solve such a problem, for example, the present applicant has proposed a vehicle body structure of a front part of a vehicle in which the upper member is formed in a substantially straight shape so as to be inclined upward toward the rear of the vehicle body in the vehicle body structure having the above configuration. (See Patent Document 1). However, when the deformation of the upper member is large, it may be considered that the hard damper housing hits the dashboard lower panel and is deformed to the indoor side. Therefore, in a vehicle body structure with a dashboard upper side, the dashboard upper side extends forward and is joined to the damper housing, and a locking portion that wraps with the front pillar when viewed from the front of the vehicle body is attached to the dashboard upper side. It has been proposed by the present applicant (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-193407).

JP 2005-112173 A

  However, in the conventional technique described in Patent Document 1, when the collision energy is not absorbed only by the deformation of the front part such as the front side frame, the collision load is input to the front wheel and transmitted to the upper member via the damper housing. It is necessary to increase the rigidity of the rear part of the upper member by increasing the plate thickness. The panels and frame members constituting each frame are generally joined by spot welding as described above. However, when the rigidity of the rear part of the upper member is increased, the joining strength between the upper member and the front pillar is also increased. There was a need to increase.

  Further, in the prior art described in Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-193407, the contact area between the front pillar and the locking portion at the time of collision is small (substantially line contact), so that transmission and dispersion of the load are efficiently performed. There was a case that could not be done.

  The present invention has been devised in view of the problems of the prior art, and by appropriately dispersing and transmitting the collision load, the damper housing can be prevented from retreating during an offset collision or the like. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body front structure that can reduce the amount of vehicle body deformation.

  The first invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems is that the left and right front side frames (2, 3) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the left and right front pillars (6, 6) respectively disposed behind the front side frames. 7) and the left and right dashboard upper sides (19) which are connected to the front portions of the front pillars on the outside of the front side frames and extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the front side frames, A vehicle body front structure including left and right damper housings (26, 27) provided between the two dashboard upper sides, wherein the dashboard upper side has the vehicle width direction outer side, A bead-shaped locking member (32) having a flange (45) facing the front wall (51a) of the front pillar was attached. And it formed.

  As a second invention made to solve the above-mentioned problems, the bead-shaped locking member has a reduced width portion (31a) that is tapered toward the front of the vehicle body, and the flange has a horizontal cross section. The angle (α) can be set larger than the angle (β) of the reduced width portion.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, even when an offset collision (so-called ODB (Offset Deformable Barrier) collision) or the like occurs, even if the connection portion (spot welded portion) between the front pillar and the dashboard upper side breaks or deforms. In addition, since the flange of the locking member attached to the dashboard upper side contacts the front wall of the front pillar, the damper housing can be prevented from retreating and the amount of deformation of the vehicle body can be reduced. In particular, in the event of a collision or the like, the flange of the locking member and the front wall of the front pillar are in surface contact, so that the collision load can be appropriately distributed and transmitted. In addition, according to the second aspect, since the flange is formed along the front wall of the front pillar, the width of the member (flange) that is locked at the beginning of the collision is widened so that the contact surface of the flange is appropriately set. While ensuring a magnitude | size, the intensity | strength of a bead-shaped locking member can be increased.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description, the vehicle body front structure and the vertical, front-rear, and left-right directions of its components are determined based on the vehicle body.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle body skeleton structure of a passenger car body to which a vehicle body front structure according to the present invention is applied.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the body 1 has a pair of left and right front side frames 2 and 3 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body as main constituent members at the front portion thereof, and vertically outside the rear sides of both front side frames 2 and 3. A pair of left and right front pillar lowers 4, 5 that extend, a pair of left and right front pillars 6, 7 that are connected to the upper ends of both front pillar lowers 4, 5 and are located above the rear of both front side frames 2, 3, and their front ends Are joined to the front ends of both front side frames 2 and 3 via connecting members 8 and 9, respectively, and their rear ends are joined to the front portions of both front pillars 6 and 7 and extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. A pair of upper members 10 and 11 is provided.

  A pair of left and right front side frame extensions 12 and 13 extending forward are joined to the front ends of both front side frames 2 and 3, and a bumper beam 14 extending in the left and right direction is provided at the front end. In addition, left and right bulkhead side stays 15, 16 whose upper ends are connected by a bulkhead upper frame are vertically suspended inside the front end portions of both front side frames 2, 3 in the vehicle width direction. A lower cross member 17 is provided.

  At the joint between the left and right front pillars 6, 7 and the left and right upper members 10, 11, a dashboard upper 20 is joined to the left and right dashboard upper sides 18, 19 (the left and right sides of the dashboard upper). A dashboard lower 21 is suspended from below to define an engine room 22 and a vehicle compartment 23. A pair of left and right wheel houses 24 that are joined to the upper members 10, 11 and the front side frames 2, 3 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the left and right upper members 10, 11 and in front of the dashboard lower 21, respectively. 25, and damper housings 26 and 27 are integrally formed at the upper end portions thereof, respectively.

  2 is a see-through side view showing the right front portion of the passenger car body of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a see-through perspective view showing the main part of the passenger car body of FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V in FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. In addition, since the structure of the body for passenger cars is substantially symmetrical, the description of the structure on the left side is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the dashboard upper side 19 is joined to the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the front pillar 7 (the pillar inner 52 shown in FIG. 5) by spot welding on the outer side of the front side frame. A catcher (bead-shaped locking member) 32 having a bead-shaped portion 31 protruding outward in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer surface in the vehicle width direction of the dashboard upper side 19.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the upper member 11 has a closed cross section composed of an upper member outer 41 constituting the vehicle width direction outer side surface and upper surface, and an upper member inner 42 constituting the vehicle width direction inner side surface and lower surface. is doing. The dashboard upper side 19 joined to the upper member outer 41 and the upper member inner 42 constitutes a part of the closed cross section of the upper member 11. A side edge of the damper housing 27 is joined to an inner side surface in the vehicle width direction at a joint portion of the upper member inner 42 with the dashboard upper side 19.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the front pillar 7 has a closed cross section composed of a pillar outer 51 that forms the outer surface in the vehicle width direction and a pillar inner 52 that forms the inner surface in the vehicle width direction. The pillar outer 51 has a convex portion projecting in a substantially trapezoidal shape on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, while the pillar inner 52 has a convex portion projecting in a substantially trapezoidal shape on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. A stiffener 53 having a convex portion similar to 51 is provided. The front and rear ends of the pillar outer 51, the pillar inner 52, and the stiffener 53 are joined so as to overlap each other. The front end of the pillar inner 52 is spot welded to the rear end of the dashboard upper side 19. A damper housing 27 is joined to the inner side of the dashboard upper side 19 in the vehicle width direction with the upper member inner 42 interposed therebetween.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the bead-shaped portion 31 of the catcher 32 is provided so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction in a cross section perpendicular to the vehicle front-rear direction. 5, the flange 45 is provided. The flange 45 is provided in front of the front wall 51a so as to face the front wall 51a of the pillar outer 51, and the flange 45 and the portion of the front wall 51a facing the flange 45 are inclined so as to be substantially parallel to each other. ing. Further, the rear portion 31a of the bead-shaped portion 31 in the catcher 3 has a curved surface whose top portion is formed by cutting out a part of a substantially conical shape, and tapers from the rear end to which the flange 45 is connected toward the front of the vehicle body. Shape. A bead-like portion indicated by an imaginary line in FIG. 4 shows an AA cross section (cross section on the front side of the vehicle body) in FIG. The front portion 31b connected to the front end of the rear portion 31a of the bead-shaped portion 31 is provided so as to be gradually widened toward the front of the vehicle body, whereby the bead-shaped portion 31 has a boundary between the rear portion 31a and the front portion 31b. Constricted shape. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the flange 45, the rear part 31a of the bead-shaped part 31, and the front part 31b are formed so that the inclination angle becomes gradually smaller.

  In the body 1 configured as described above, when a vehicle or an obstacle collides with the front surface of the body 1, the collision load input to the bumper beam 14 is transmitted to the rear floor frame, the side sill inner, and the like via the front side frames 2 and 3. Is done. Further, the collision load input to the upper members 10 and 11 is transmitted to the rear front pillars 6 and 7. When the collision load is relatively large, the front side frames 2 and 3 and the front parts of the upper members 10 and 11 are first crushed, so that the collision energy is absorbed.

  On the other hand, in the case of an offset collision where the collision load becomes very large or a full lap collision during high speed traveling, the collision energy may not be absorbed only by deformation of the front part of the body such as the frame. In such a case, if spot welding or the like is lost at the joint between the rear portion of the upper member 11 and the front pillar 7, the front wheel and the damper housing 27 may move backward together with the upper member 11 to cause deformation of the dashboard lower 21.

  In such a case, when a collision load that is not absorbed only by the deformation of the front portion of the body is applied to the upper member 11, as shown in FIG. The spot welded portion with 51 is released, and the upper member 11 moves backward together with the damper housing 27. However, at this time, the flange 45 of the catcher 32 abuts (surface contact) with the front wall 51a of the pillar outer 51 and the retreat of the catcher 32 is restricted, so that the retreat of the dashboard upper side 19 and the upper member 11 is suppressed. . The distance between the flange 45 of the catcher 32 and the front wall 51 a of the pillar outer 51 is set to be smaller than the gap S between the damper housing 27 and the dashboard lower 21. As a result, even if the upper member 11 is disconnected due to a collision and the damper housing 27 is retracted, the dashboard lower is prevented from being deformed, and a space in the passenger compartment is secured, thereby improving the safety of the passenger.

  Thus, according to the body to which the present invention is applied, even if the spot welded portion between the front pillar 7 and the dashboard upper 20 (dashboard upper side 19) breaks in the case of an offset collision or the like, the dashboard upper Since the flange 45 of the catcher 32 attached to the front abuts against the front wall 51a of the front pillar 7, the damper housing 27 can be prevented from retreating and the amount of deformation of the vehicle body can be reduced. In particular, since the flange 45 of the catcher 32 and the front wall 51a of the front pillar 7 are in surface contact, the collision load can be appropriately distributed and transmitted. Moreover, since the stiffener 53 is provided along the back side of the front wall 51a of the pillar outer 51 with which the flange 45 of the catcher 32 abuts, the backward movement of the catcher 32 can be more reliably regulated.

  The bead-shaped portion 31 of the catcher 32 has a rear portion 31a that is tapered toward the front of the vehicle body (in a direction away from the front wall 51a). As shown in FIG. 5, the flange 45 is formed along the front wall 51a of the pillar outer 51 in a horizontal cross section, and the angle α with respect to the front portion 31b is set larger than the angle β of the rear portion 31 with respect to the front portion 31b. Has been. With such a configuration, the width of the flange 45 can be widened, the contact surface of the flange 45 can be ensured to an appropriate size, and the strength of the bead-shaped portion 31 can be increased.

  Although the present invention has been described in detail based on specific embodiments, these embodiments are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. For example, in the above embodiment, the damper housing is joined to the dashboard upper side via the upper member inner, but may be joined directly to the dashboard upper side. Various changes can be made to the shape of the frame and the like constituting the front portion of the body and the form of mutual connection without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The perspective view which shows the vehicle body frame structure of the body for passenger cars which concerns on embodiment FIG. 1 is a perspective side view showing the right front portion of the passenger car body of FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main part of the passenger car body of FIG. IV-IV sectional view in Fig. 2 V-V sectional view in FIG. Sectional view similar to FIG. 5 at the time of collision

Explanation of symbols

1 Body 2, 3 Front side frame 4, 5 Front pillar lower 6, 7 Front pillar 10, 11 Upper member 18, 19 Dashboard upper side 20 Dashboard upper 26, 27 Damper housing 31 Bead-shaped part 31 a Rear part (reduced width part)
31b front part 32 catcher (locking member)
41 Upper member outer 42 Upper member inner 45 Flange 51 Pillar outer 51a Front wall 52 Pillar inner 53 Stiffener

Claims (2)

Left and right front side frames extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
Left and right front pillars respectively disposed behind the front side frames;
Left and right dashboard upper sides, which are connected to the front portions of the front pillars at the outer sides of the front side frames and extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction,
A vehicle body front structure including left and right damper housings provided between the front side frames and the dashboard upper side,
A vehicle body front structure, wherein a bead-shaped locking member having a flange facing the front wall of the front pillar is attached to the outer side of the dashboard upper side in the vehicle width direction. The bead-shaped locking member has a reduced width portion that is tapered toward the front of the vehicle body,
2. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein an angle (α) of the flange in a horizontal cross section is set to be larger than an angle (β) of the reduced width portion.

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