JP2010047076A - Vehicular front body structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular front body structure that realizes highly dimensionlly impact absorption when the vehicle collides with an obstacle, while maintaining supporting rigidity of an instrument panel, and that improves space efficiency of the cabin space. <P>SOLUTION: A cowl box section 7 comprises: a first cowl panel 72a extending forward by being connected to a dashboard upper panel 71b; and a second cowl panel 72b whose front end portion is connected to the front portion of the first cowl panel 72a and extends upward: wherein the first cowl panel 72a has higher rigidity than the dashboard upper panel 71b; an instrument panel 8 is supported by the rear end portion of the first cowl panel 72a; the rear end portion of the second cowl panel 72b extends backward keeping away from the first cowl panel 72a; and a front windshield 6 is supported by the rear end portion of the second cowl panel 72b. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile in which a cowl box portion extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in front of a passenger compartment.

  Conventionally, when an obstacle collides with the front of an automobile, it has been a problem how to absorb the impact on the obstacle, and various structures have been proposed to solve such a problem. Yes.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a first support extending substantially horizontally forward from an instrument panel (dashboard) disposed in the front part of the passenger compartment, and a front windshield (windshield) from the front end of the first support. And a second support that extends toward the lower edge, and the deformation of these two support members absorbs the impact on the obstacle.

Patent Document 2 below discloses that the front part of the instrument panel is fitted and supported on the rear flange part of the cowl panel that constitutes the front vehicle body structure. By releasing the support state of the instrument panel and greatly deforming it, the impact on the obstacle is absorbed.
JP 2000-38160 A JP 2006-82643 A

  By the way, in the conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, a box portion having a closed cross-sectional structure is disposed below the first support, and the first support is supported by the box portion. Accordingly, the first and second support members can achieve shock absorption, while the box portion can ensure a certain degree of rigidity in the cowl portion in front of the vehicle body. However, in this case, the installation space for the instrument panel is limited by the box portion, and there is a problem in that the space efficiency of the passenger compartment space decreases.

  The conventional structure disclosed in Patent Document 2 is configured such that the instrument panel is supported by the cowl panel. However, the cowl panel is generally located below the front window glass. It is not preferable that the cowl panel has a high rigidity in consideration of absorbing the impact on the obstacle. Therefore, the conventional structure has a problem that the support rigidity of the instrument panel cannot be sufficiently secured.

  Therefore, in recent years, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in order to cope with the weight of the instrument panel, the instrument panel 108 is attached via a mounting bracket 111, a support arm 112, and the like that are relatively rigid. A structure for supporting the cowl panel 172 has been proposed. 6 is a side sectional view showing a front body structure of a conventional automobile, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a cowl panel and a mounting bracket of FIG. 6. In FIG. A member 171 joined to the engine is a dash upper panel that partitions the engine room E and the vehicle compartment R, a member 106 is a front window glass, and 103 is a bonnet.

  Here, when the mounting bracket 111 or the like is attached to the cowl panel 172 as shown in the figure, when the obstacle I collides with the front of the vehicle, the cowl panel 172 is deformed. The fulcrum 172 is closer to the load application point P than the joint between the cowl panel 172 and the dash upper panel 171, and the mounting bracket 111 can hardly move downward.

  Therefore, in the conventional structure shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the width L2 in which the cowl panel 172 can be deformed for absorbing the shock, that is, the shock absorbing stroke is inevitably shortened, and a sufficient shock absorbing action cannot be obtained. End up.

  The present invention provides a front portion of a vehicle that can realize shock absorption at the time of obstacle collision at a high level while ensuring the support rigidity of the instrument panel and can improve the space efficiency in the passenger compartment space. An object is to provide a vehicle body structure.

  The vehicle front body structure of the present invention is a vehicle front body structure in which a cowl box portion extending in the vehicle width direction is provided in front of the vehicle compartment, and the cowl box portion forms a vehicle compartment front wall. A dash panel; a first cowl panel joined to the upper part of the dash panel and extending forward; and a second cowl panel joined at the front end of the first cowl panel and extending upward. The first cowl panel is higher in rigidity than the upper part of the dash panel, and an instrument panel is supported at a rear end portion of the first cowl panel, and a rear end portion of the second cowl panel is The first cowl panel is separated from the first cowl panel and extends rearward, and a front window glass is supported at the rear end of the second cowl panel.

  According to this configuration, the support rigidity of the instrument panel can be improved by the first cowl panel without providing a high-rigidity mounting bracket near the load application point. Therefore, while securing a large shock absorbing stroke and enabling shock absorption at the time of obstacle collision to be realized at a high level, a box portion for improving the rigidity of the cowl panel can be eliminated. As a result, the space efficiency of the passenger compartment space can be improved.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the first cowl panel is constructed between the left and right hinge pillars.

  According to this structure, the rigidity of the cowl box part in the front-rear direction can be further improved.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the first cowl panel has a substantially flat plate shape, and a flange joined to a rear end portion of the first cowl panel on the upper part of the dash panel extends rearward. To support the instrument panel.

According to this configuration, the instrument panel can be easily attached and the first cowl panel itself can be easily molded. For this reason, it becomes possible to use a high-tensile steel plate that is not easily deformed during press working, and the support rigidity of the instrument panel can be further improved.
Further, even if the second cowl panel cannot absorb the shock, the obstacle and the first cowl panel collide with each other, and the shock can be dispersed and absorbed in the dash panel.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the second cowl panel includes a vertical wall portion extending substantially vertically from the front end portion to the front windshield.

  According to this configuration, the support rigidity of the front window glass can be improved in the vertical direction, and when an obstacle collides, a load acting toward the rear lower side can be received obliquely by the vertical wall portion. Therefore, compared with the case where the vertical wall portion extends in parallel with the direction of the load, the impact applied to the obstacle can be reduced, and the impact absorption performance can be improved.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the instrument panel is integrally formed with a lower part having a vertical wall extending downward at a site behind the front end part and an upper part covering the lower part from above. In the vicinity of the vertical wall, there is provided a support member that extends downward along the surface direction of the vertical wall and is supported by the rear end of the first cowl panel. It is formed so as to be connected to the support member in a substantially smooth line, and when a load is applied to the support member, a load component transmitted along the dash panel is bent between the support member and the dash panel. It is comprised so that it may become larger than the load component to make.

  According to this configuration, the load from the support member can be efficiently transmitted and distributed downward through the upper portion of the dash panel, and the support rigidity in the vertical direction of the instrument panel can be improved.

  In an embodiment of the present invention, the vertical wall of the instrument panel and the support member extend forward and downward, and the dash panel is extended so that the upper part is inclined forward and downward and further downward. Is.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to improve the support rigidity in the front-rear direction of the instrument panel while ensuring a large shock absorption stroke.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the vertical wall is a duct member.

  According to this configuration, the instrument panel can be made high in strength, and it is not necessary to separately provide a vertical wall for the support member, so that the instrument panel can be made compact.

  According to the present invention, the support rigidity of the instrument panel can be improved by the first cowl panel without providing a highly rigid mounting bracket near the point of application of the load. Therefore, while securing a large shock absorbing stroke and enabling shock absorption at the time of obstacle collision to be realized at a high level, a box portion for improving the rigidity of the cowl panel can be eliminated. As a result, the space efficiency of the passenger compartment space can be improved.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle having a front body structure of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the front portion of the vehicle 1 mainly includes left and right front fenders 2 (only one side is shown in FIG. 1), a bonnet 3 disposed between the left and right front fenders 2, and a rear portion of the bonnet 3. Hinge pillars 4 and 5 extending obliquely upward from both ends, and a front window glass 6 (including transparent reinforced plastics) located behind the hood 3 and disposed between the hinge pillars 4 and 5; It comprises a cowl box portion 7 (see FIG. 2) positioned below the front window glass 6 and an instrument panel 8. In addition, the member 9 shown in the figure is a front wheel.

  In FIG. 2, a dash panel 71 that partitions the engine room E and the vehicle compartment R back and forth and forms a front wall of the vehicle compartment is provided, and from the upper end of the dash lower panel 71 a that constitutes the dash panel 71 toward the front and rear upper direction. An extending dash upper panel 71b is provided.

  A cowl panel portion 72 that extends from the rear end of the above-described dash upper panel 71b toward the inclined lower end of the front window glass 6, that is, the front end in the vehicle front-rear direction, and supports the front end of the front window glass 6 is provided.

  The cowl panel 72 has a substantially flat plate-like first cowl panel 72a that is joined to the upper end of the dash upper panel 71b and extends forward, and a front end joined to the first cowl panel 72a and extends upward. The second cowl panel 72b is provided. The second cowl panel 72b includes a vertical wall portion 72c extending substantially vertically from the front end portion of the first cowl panel 72a, and the rear end portion is spaced apart from the first cowl panel 72a and extends rearward. The vicinity of the lower end of the window glass 6 is supported.

  Further, a cowl front cross member 73 (specifically, a cowl front panel) that extends from the front end of the above-described dash upper panel 71b toward the front upper side and supports the rear end of the bonnet 3 is provided. Here, the bonnet 3 described above is a member that covers the upper part of the engine room E so as to be openable and closable.

  Further, a cowl grill 74 is provided in which the rear end is supported by the cowl panel portion 72, the front end is supported by the upper end of the cowl front cross member 73, and the seal portion 10 at the rear end of the bonnet 3 is brought into contact therewith. For convenience of illustration, a slit-like opening for introducing outside air formed in the cowl grill 74 is not shown.

  In the present embodiment, the above-described dash panel 71, cowl panel portion 72, cowl front cross member 73, and cowl grill 74 constitute the cowl box portion 7 that extends in the vehicle width direction in front of the passenger compartment R.

  In FIG. 2, a member 75 positioned below the cowl grill 74 and having a substantially U-shaped cross section is a cowl center tray, and is a flow for guiding rainwater entering from the cowl grill 74 and the like to be discharged outside the vehicle. Constitutes the road.

  Further, in the cowl box portion 7, the dash lower panel 71a and the dash upper panel 71b of the dash panel 71 and the first and second cowl panels 72a and 72b of the cowl panel portion 72 are made of steel plates, and in particular, the first cowl panel. 72a has higher rigidity than the dash upper panel 71b and the second cowl panel 72b. On the other hand, the cowl front cross member 73, the cowl grill 74, and the cowl center tray 75 are made of a synthetic resin having a strength suitable for shock absorption.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. A rear end portion of the first cowl panel 72a constituting the cowl panel portion 72 is joined to a flange portion 71c extending rearward at the upper end portion of the dash upper panel 71b. Further, a clip 11 is attached to a joint portion between the flange portion 71c and the rear end portion of the first cowl panel 72a, and a lower end portion of a support arm 12 described later is fixed at a predetermined position by the clip 11.

  The support arm 12 has a lower end supported by the rear end of the first cowl panel 72 a via the clip 11, and an upper end extending to the vicinity of the lower panel 81 constituting the lower part of the instrument panel 8. The ment panel 8 is supported by the rear end portion of the first cowl panel 72a through the support arm 12.

  Here, the instrument panel 8 is integrally formed with a lower panel 81 and an upper panel 82 that covers the lower panel 81 from above, and the lower panel 81 has a vertical wall that extends forward and downward at a position behind the front end. A plurality of duct portions 81a having a portion 81b are formed. The duct portion 81a forms an air flow path for guiding conditioned air generated by an air conditioner (not shown). A defroster 82a for blowing the conditioned air to the front window glass 6 is formed on the upper panel 82. Has been.

  The support arm 12 described above has an upper end portion located in the vicinity of the vertical wall portion 81b of the duct portion 81a, and extends forward and downward along the surface direction of the vertical wall portion 81b. The upper portion of the dash upper panel 71b extends forward and downward from the vicinity of the support arm 12 and further extends downward toward the dash lower panel 71a.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the panel member is deformed when the obstacle collides. In the present embodiment, when the obstacle I comes into contact with the front surface of the front window glass 6 as shown in FIG. 2 and the load of the obstacle I acts on the cowl box portion 7 during the frontal collision of the vehicle 1, As shown in FIG. 4, the second panel 72b of the cowl panel 72 and the front end of the instrument panel 8 are deformed to absorb the impact on the obstacle I.

  Here, the distance L1 between the point of action P (see FIG. 2) where the load of the obstacle I acts and the fulcrum where the first cowl panel 72a is supported by the dash upper panel 71b is the shock absorbing stroke, and the point of action P The shock is absorbed while is moving by a distance L1.

  When the impact cannot be absorbed even by deformation of the second cowl panel portion 72b and the instrument panel 8, the obstacle I and the first cowl panel 72a collide with each other, so that the load is applied to the first cowl panel 72a. 4 and deforming the upper end portion of the dash upper panel 71b as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Dispersing the impact enables further shock absorption.

  In this embodiment, the cowl panel portion 72 is configured by the first cowl panel 72a having higher rigidity than the dash upper panel 71b and the second cowl panel 72b that supports the front window glass 6, so that the action point P can be reduced. Even if a high-rigidity mounting bracket is not provided nearby, the support rigidity of the instrument panel 8 can be improved by the high-rigidity first cowl panel 72a.

  Accordingly, it is possible to secure a large shock absorption stroke and realize shock absorption at the time of obstacle collision at a high level, while eliminating the need for a box portion for improving the rigidity of the cowl panel portion 72. As a result, the space efficiency of the passenger compartment space can be improved.

  Further, in the cowl box portion 7, the three panel members (first and second cowl panels 72a and 72b, and the dash upper panel 71b) all have front and rear extending direction components and have a substantially zigzag shape in a side view. It is arranged like this. In this case, the longitudinal rigidity in the front part of the vehicle body can be improved. For example, even when an engine (not shown) or the like in the engine room E retreats at the time of the front collision of the vehicle 1, the vehicle interior R thereof Intrusion into the inside can be reliably suppressed by the cooperation of the three panel members 72a, 72b, 71b.

  In the present embodiment, the first cowl panel 72a is installed between the left and right hinge pillars 4 and 5 of the vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. Thereby, the rigidity of the cowl box part 7 in the front-rear direction can be further improved.

  Further, by forming the first cowl panel 72a in a substantially flat plate shape, the instrument panel 8 can be easily attached and the first cowl panel 72a itself can be easily molded.

  By the way, in recent years, for example, high-tensile steel sheets having a high tensile strength of 500 MPa or more have been used in various fields. However, this high-strength steel plate is problematic in that it is difficult to deform during press working and its workability is poor. In the present embodiment, by forming the first cowl panel 72a in a substantially flat plate shape, complicated press work is not necessary, and the above-described high-tensile steel plate can be used. As a result, it is possible to further improve the support rigidity of the instrument panel 8 while realizing weight reduction in the first cowl panel 72a.

  Further, since the second cowl panel 72b has the vertical wall portion 72c extending substantially vertically, the support rigidity of the front window glass 6 can be improved in the vertical direction. For this reason, for example, even if the front window glass 6 receives the traveling wind and vibrates up and down and a large load acts on the second cowl panel 72b, the supporting state can be stably maintained.

  When the obstacle I collides, a load acting downward and rearward as indicated by an arrow α shown in FIG. 2 can be received obliquely by the vertical wall portion 72c. Compared with the case of extending in parallel, the impact applied to the obstacle I can be reduced, and the impact absorption performance can be improved.

  Further, in the dash upper panel 71b, this is formed so as to extend along the extending direction of the support arm 12 in a side view, and both are connected by a substantially smooth line.

  Specifically, when a load F (see FIG. 5) is applied to the support arm 12, the load component Fa transmitted along the dash upper panel 71b of the load F is the support arm 12 and the dash upper. The angle θ of the dash upper panel 71b with respect to the support arm 12 is set so as to be larger than the load component Fb that bends between the panel 71b.

  That is, the angle θ is equal to the load components Fa and Fb when θ = 135 ° and 225 °, as in the dash upper panels 71b ′ and 71b ″ shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C. Therefore, the angle is set to be in a range of 135 ° <θ <225 °.

  As a result, the load F from the support arm 12 can be efficiently transmitted and distributed downward through the dash upper panel 71b, and the vertical support rigidity of the instrument panel 8 can be improved.

  In addition, the vertical wall portion 81b and the support arm 12 of the instrument panel 8 extend forward and downward, and the upper portion of the dash upper panel 71b is inclined so as to be inclined downward and further downward. It is possible to improve the support rigidity in the front-rear direction of the instrument panel 8 while ensuring a large shock absorbing stroke (distance L1).

  Further, by forming the vertical wall portion 71b by the front wall portion of the duct portion 81a, the instrument panel 8 can be made high in strength, and there is no need to separately provide a vertical wall for the support arm 12. The instrument panel 8 can be made compact.

  Further, in the instrument panel 8, the duct portion 81a is integrally formed, resulting in an increase in weight. However, in the present embodiment, the instrument panel 8 is provided by the highly rigid first cowl panel 72a. Can be stably supported.

In correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The upper part of the dash panel of the present invention corresponds to the dash upper panel 71b,
The lower part of the instrument panel corresponds to the lower panel 81,
Similarly,
The upper part of the instrument panel corresponds to the upper panel 82,
The support member corresponds to the support arm 12,
The present invention is not limited only to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and many embodiments can be obtained.

The perspective view which shows the vehicle provided with the front vehicle body structure of the motor vehicle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1. The principal part enlarged view of FIG. Sectional drawing which shows the state which the panel member deform | transformed at the time of the collision of an obstruction. It is a figure for demonstrating distribution of the load at the time of a load acting on a support arm, (a) The figure which shows the case of this embodiment, (b) The angle (theta) which a support arm and a dash upper panel make is 135 degrees. The figure which shows the case where it sets to (c) The figure which shows the case where the angle (theta) which a support arm and a dash upper panel make is set to 225 degrees. The side sectional view showing the front body structure of the conventional automobile. The perspective view which shows the cowl panel and support bracket of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

4, 5 ... Hinge pillar 6 ... Front window glass 7 ... Cowl box part 8 ... Instrument panel 12 ... Support arm 71 ... Dash panel 71c ... Flange part 72a ... First cowl panel part 72b ... Second cowl panel part 72c ... Vertical wall Part 81 ... Lower panel 81a ... Duct part 81b ... Vertical wall part 82 ... Upper panel

Claims (7)

A front body structure of an automobile provided with a cowl box portion extending in the vehicle width direction in front of the vehicle compartment
The cowl box portion includes a dash panel that forms a vehicle compartment front wall,
A first cowl panel joined to the top of the dash panel and extending forward;
A second cowl panel having a front end joined to the front part of the first cowl panel and extending upward;
The first cowl panel is more rigid than the upper part of the dash panel,
An instrument panel is supported at the rear end of the first cowl panel,
The rear end of the second cowl panel extends away from the first cowl panel,
A front body structure of an automobile in which a front window glass is supported at a rear end portion of the second cowl panel. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the first cowl panel is installed between the left and right hinge pillars. The first cowl panel has a substantially flat plate shape, and a flange joined to a rear end portion of the first cowl panel on the upper part of the dash panel extends rearward, and the instrument panel is supported by the flange. Item 3. The vehicle front body structure according to Item 1 or 2. The front body structure of an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second cowl panel includes a vertical wall portion extending substantially vertically from the front end portion to the front window glass. The instrument panel is integrally formed with a lower part having a vertical wall extending downward at a site behind the front end part and an upper part covering the lower part from above, and
In the vicinity of the vertical wall, a supporting member is provided that extends downward along the surface direction of the vertical wall and is supported by the rear end of the first cowl panel.
The upper part of the dash panel is formed so as to be continuous with the support member in a substantially smooth line in a side view,
The load component transmitted along the dash panel when a load is applied to the support member is configured to be larger than a load component that bends between the support member and the dash panel. The front body structure of the automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The vertical wall of the instrument panel and the support member extend forward and downward,
6. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 5, wherein the upper portion of the dash panel is inclined so as to be inclined downward and further downward. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the vertical wall is a duct member.

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