JP2011020549A - Front portion structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a front portion structure of an automobile which can improve load characteristics of an impact absorbing member without sacrificing a cabin space. <P>SOLUTION: A front bumper 13 is provided forward of a lower support member (cross member) 10 extending between left and right side members 2. A lower impact absorbing member 15 extending in the vehicle width axis is provided to the lower support member 10 so as to approach a lower edge portion 13a of the front bumper 13. A bottom wall 15e is provided to the impact absorbing member 15 and an opening is formed in the bottom wall 15e. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile in which an impact absorbing member extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed between a bumper and a cross member disposed behind the bumper.

  As a front body structure of an automobile, a cross member is bridged and coupled to the front end portions of the left and right side members, and an impact absorbing member extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed between the cross member and the bumper. is there.

  The front vehicle body structure employs a structure for improving the impact absorption performance when colliding with a collision object. For example, in Patent Document 1, an impact absorbing member is attached between the lower end of the bumper and the cross member, and the impact absorbing member has a vertical wall extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, thereby improving the impact absorbing performance. The structure to be made is proposed.

JP 2000-6739 A

  By the way, in the conventional shock absorbing structure, the vertical wall is uniformly provided over the entire longitudinal direction of the shock absorbing member, and the load characteristics are set so that portions other than the side member portion satisfy the target value. In this case, a bottom-out load is generated in the vicinity of the side member portion at the time of a collision, and there is a possibility that the shock absorbing performance is deteriorated.

  In particular, in the case of a small vehicle having a short shock absorption stroke, as shown by the broken line in FIG. 7 representing the load characteristic curve, the load characteristic is reduced in the middle of the shock absorption stroke in the vicinity of the side member portion (see G1 in the figure) A bottom butt load (see G2 in the figure) may occur.

  In FIG. 7, the lower limb G means G acting on the limb of the pedestrian at the time of collision. In this case, when a so-called bottom bump that hardly absorbs impact occurs, the lower limb G may exceed the target value. The shock absorbing performance is represented by the area surrounded by the load characteristic curve of FIG. 7, and it is necessary for the lower limb G to secure a predetermined area without exceeding the target value.

  In order to enhance the load characteristics of the shock absorbing member at the front portion of the side member, it is conceivable to increase the thickness of the vertical wall of the shock absorbing member or lengthen the longitudinal dimension. However, when the thickness of the vertical wall is increased, the vehicle weight is increased, and when the longitudinal dimension is increased, the indoor space is sacrificed particularly in the case of a small vehicle, and there is a problem that the merchantability is lowered.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation, and suppresses an increase in vehicle weight, and can improve the load characteristics of an impact absorbing member without reducing the indoor space, and the front body structure of an automobile. It is an issue to provide.

  The invention of claim 1 includes a bumper, a cross member disposed behind the bumper, left and right side members coupled to the cross member and extending rearward of the vehicle, a lower portion of the bumper, and the cross member. A vehicle body front structure having an impact absorbing member extending in the vehicle width direction, wherein the impact absorbing member extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and is spaced from the vehicle width direction. A plurality of vertical walls and a bottom wall extending in the vehicle width direction and contacting the lower end of the vertical wall, and an opening is formed in a portion of the bottom wall positioned between the left and right side members It is characterized by being.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the front vehicle body structure of the automobile according to the first aspect, a suspension member is coupled to the cross member via a cradle extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the left and right are coupled to the suspension member. The bottom members of the shock absorbing member and the highly rigid portions of the cross member, cradle, and suspension member form a substantially straight line extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the front body structure of the automobile according to the first or second aspect, the vertical wall located between the left and right side members is spaced from the adjacent vertical wall in the center in the front-rear direction. It is characterized in that it is formed in a curved shape that becomes narrower as the portion becomes.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the bottom wall extending in the vehicle width direction is provided, and openings are not formed in the portions of the bottom wall corresponding to the left and right side members where the bottom thrust load is likely to occur. In addition, since the opening is formed only in the portion between the left and right side members, it is possible to suppress a drop in load characteristics in the portion corresponding to the side members. As a result, it is possible to improve the impact absorption performance by preventing the occurrence of bottom impact load, and even if the vehicle collides with a pedestrian, damage to the lower limbs can be reduced.

  According to the invention of claim 2, since the bottom wall of the shock absorbing member and the high rigidity portion of the cross member, cradle, and suspension member are arranged so as to form a substantially straight line extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, Can be transmitted to the side member along the straight line, and the impact absorbing performance can be improved from this point.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the vertical walls positioned between the side members have a curved shape that approaches the adjacent vertical walls toward the center, so that the adjacent vertical walls abut against each other with frictional force due to load input. As a result, the load sustainability can be improved and the shock absorbing performance can be further improved.

It is a perspective view which shows the front part structure of the motor vehicle by Example 1 of this invention. It is a cross-sectional side view (II-II line of FIG. 1; cross-sectional view) of the side member portion of the front structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 1) of the front structure in the center in the vehicle width direction. It is a top view of the front part structure. It is a perspective view of the said shock absorption member. It is a top view of the said shock absorption member. It is a shock absorption stroke-lower limb G characteristic view of a portion corresponding to the side member of the shock absorbing member. It is a shock absorption stroke-load characteristic diagram of the portion between the left and right side members of the shock absorbing member.

  1 to 8 are views for explaining a front body structure of an automobile according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, the terms front and rear and left and right mean front and rear and left and right when viewed in the forward direction of the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a front car body of an automobile, which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is bent downward in the middle, and the left and right side members 2 and 2, and the left and right side members 2. An upper cross member 3 coupled to the front end surface 2a so as to straddle the vehicle width direction, and a substantially rectangular frame-shaped radiator support 4 disposed between the front end portions of the left and right side members 2 I have.

  The left and right side members 2 include a hat-shaped member main body 5 that opens outward in the vehicle width direction, and a strip-shaped plate member 6 that is coupled to the member main body 5 so as to close the opening. And having a closed cross section (see FIG. 1).

  A lid member 7 that closes the front end opening is coupled to the front end portions of the left and right side members 2, and the upper cross member 3 is coupled to the front end surface 2a of the lid member 7 (FIG. 2). reference).

  The radiator support 4 is made of metal and has a substantially rectangular frame shape when viewed from the front. The radiator support 14 is an upper which extends in the vehicle vertical direction and extends between the upper and lower ends 8a and 8a of the left and right support members 8 and 8 and extends in the vehicle width direction. It has a support member 9 and a lower support member 10 that extends in the vehicle width direction and is arranged between the lower end portions 8c, 8c of the left and right support members 8, 8.

  The lower support member 10 includes a lower support body 10a having a hat-like cross section that opens downward, and a reinforcing plate 10b that is fixed so as to close the opening of the lower support body 10a, and extends in the vehicle width direction. A closed cross section is formed. The lower support member 10 is a cross member in the present invention.

  The left and right support members 8 and 8 are arranged to be positioned slightly rearward of the cross member 3, and a substantially central portion 8 b in the vertical direction thereof is welded to the inner wall 2 b of the front end portion of the side member 2. Are combined.

  Left and right headlamps 11 are disposed outside the radiator support 4 in the vehicle width direction, and a hood 12 is disposed above. A front bumper 13 is disposed in front of the radiator support 4 so as to cover the front of the radiator support 4.

  An upper impact absorbing member 14 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed on the front surface of the upper cross member 3 of the front vehicle body 1 so as to cover the front of the left and right side members 2.

  The upper shock absorbing member 14 has a cross-sectional hat shape that bulges forward from the upper cross member 3 so as to be close to the front bumper 13, and an outer peripheral flange 14a formed on the outer peripheral edge includes the upper cross member. 3 is connected. The left and right end portions of the upper impact absorbing member 14 have dimensions and shapes that cover the front end portions of the left and right side members 2 from the front.

  A lower impact absorbing member 15 made of a metal plate is disposed between the front edge 10 c of the lower support member 10 and the lower edge portion 13 a of the front bumper 13. The lower impact absorbing member 15 extends in the vehicle width direction along the lower support member 10. In this embodiment, the lower impact absorbing member 15 is formed integrally with the front edge 10 c of the lower support body 10 a of the lower support member 10. . Of course, the lower impact absorbing member 15 may be formed separately from the lower support member 10 and fixed to the lower support member 10 by welding or bolting.

  The lower impact member 15 includes a bottom wall 15a that extends in the vehicle width direction along the lower support member 10, and a front wall 15b that is bent so as to stand upward from the front edge of the side wall 15a and extends in the vehicle width direction. And a plurality of side ribs 15c disposed on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and a plurality of center ribs 15d disposed between the left and right side ribs 15c. The center ribs 15d and the side ribs 15c are arranged at an appropriate interval in the vehicle width direction, and the lower ends of these ribs 15c and 15d are in contact with the bottom wall 15a. The lower ends of these ribs 15c and 15d may be fixed to the bottom wall 15a.

  The side rib 15c is disposed at a position corresponding to the side member 2, that is, at a position where the position in the vehicle width direction is substantially the same as the side member 2, and the side member 2 is interposed via left and right support members 8 and 8. The lower impact absorbing member 15 is coupled to the portion where the side ribs 15c are formed. The side ribs 15c extend linearly in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  On the other hand, the center rib 15d is located between the left and right side members 2 and 2, and is formed in a curved shape in which the distance from the adjacent center rib 15d becomes narrower toward the center in the vehicle front-rear direction.

  A front flange portion 15e and a rear flange portion 15f are formed at the front and rear end portions of the center rib 15d and the side rib 15c by bending. The front flange portion 15e is spot welded to the front wall 15b, and the rear flange portion 15f is spot welded to the front edge 15c of the lower support body 10a.

  Furthermore, an opening 15g is formed in a portion located between the left and right side members 2 and 2 of the bottom wall 15a. In this embodiment, the opening 15g is located between the pair of center ribs 15d and 15d. The opening is not formed in the portion of the bottom wall 15a where the side rib 15c is formed.

  Further, a front end 16a of a rod-shaped cradle 16 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is coupled to the rear edge 10d of the lower support member 10, and the rear end 16b of the cradle 16 is a suspension member coupled to the side member 2. 17 is connected. Here, the bottom wall 15a of the lower impact absorbing member 15, the reinforcing plate 10b of the lower support member 10, the cradle 16, and the high rigidity portion 17a of the suspension member 17 are viewed from the side of the vehicle and from above. In any case, it is located on the straight line A.

  In the structure of the present embodiment, the lower impact absorbing member 15 has a bottom wall 15a extending in the vehicle width direction, and openings 15g are formed in portions corresponding to the left and right side members 2 and 2 of the bottom wall 15a. Without opening, an opening 15g was formed only in the portion between the left and right side members 2 and 2. Therefore, the bottom impact load of the shock absorbing member 15 is generated so that the shock absorbing stroke and the lower limb G (load) characteristics of the lower shock absorbing member 15 corresponding to the side members 2 and 2 are shown in FIG. The drop in load characteristics (refer to G1 in the broken line in the figure) can be suppressed as indicated by the solid line G1 ', and the lower limb G can be suppressed as indicated by the solid line G2' in the figure. It can be kept below the target value. As a result, the impact absorbing performance can be improved as shown by the area B while preventing the occurrence of bottom-out load. Therefore, even if the vehicle collides with a pedestrian, damage to the lower limbs can be reduced.

  Also, between the left and right side members 2 and 2 of the lower impact absorbing member 15, an opening 15g is formed in the bottom wall 15a, and the center rib 15d is spaced from the adjacent center rib 15d at the center in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It was formed into a curved shape that became narrower. For this reason, when the vehicle collides with an impacted object, the center rib 15d is deformed as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6 by the load input, and the deformed portions f restrain each other from deforming. Touch. By suppressing the deformation of the ribs at the deformed portion f as described above, the durability of the load is improved and the center rib 15d is made thick or large as shown by the hatched area C in FIG. As a result, the impact absorbing performance can be improved without increasing the weight or sacrificing the space of the passenger compartment.

  Since the lower impact absorbing member 15, the lower support member 10 serving as the cross member, the cradle 16, and the suspension member 17 coupled to the side member 2 are arranged on the straight line A extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The load from the front of the vehicle can be transmitted to the side member 2 along the straight line A, and the impact absorbing performance can be improved from this point. In particular, the bottom wall 15a of the shock absorbing member 15 that functions as a high-rigidity part, and the reinforcing plate 10b of the lower support member 10, the cradle 16, and the high-rigidity part 17a of the suspension member 17 are positioned on the straight line A. Since it arrange | positions, the load from the vehicle front can be transmitted more reliably by the side member 2. FIG.

  In the above-described embodiment, the lower impact absorbing member 15 is made of a metal plate. However, the material of the lower impact absorbing member 15 of the present invention is not limited to metal, but depends on other materials and manufacturing methods. It may be configured.

1 Front body 2 Side member 10 Lower support member (cross member)
13 Front bumper 13a Lower bumper 15 Lower impact absorbing member 15a Bottom wall 15c Side rib (vertical wall)
15d Center rib (vertical wall located between side members)
15g Opening 16 Cradle 17 Suspension member

Claims (3)

A bumper, a cross member disposed behind the bumper, left and right side members coupled to the cross member and extending rearward of the vehicle, a lower portion of the bumper, and the cross member; A vehicle front body structure including an impact absorbing member extending in a width direction,
The impact absorbing member has a plurality of vertical walls extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction, and a bottom wall extending in the vehicle width direction and contacting the lower end of the vertical wall, An automobile front body structure, wherein an opening is formed in a portion of the bottom wall located between the left and right side members. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1,
A suspension member is coupled to the cross member via a cradle extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the left and right side members are coupled to the suspension member.
A front body structure of an automobile, wherein a bottom wall of the shock absorbing member and a highly rigid portion of the cross member, cradle, and suspension member form a substantially straight line extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1 or 2,
The front body structure of an automobile, wherein the vertical wall located between the left and right side members is formed in a curved shape such that a distance from an adjacent vertical wall becomes narrower toward a central portion in the front-rear direction.

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