JP2015131587A - Vehicle front part structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle front part structure that can maintain a size of a center brace and preferably maintain a jointing state between the center brace and a radiator support.SOLUTION: A vehicle front part structure 10 has: a radiator upper support 20 that is provided at a front part of a vehicle and extended in a vehicle width direction; a radiator lower support that is arranged below the radiator upper support 20 and extended in the vehicle width direction; and a center brace 14, extended in a vertical direction of the vehicle, a lower end part of which is jointed to a center part in the vehicle width direction of the radiator lower support and an upper end part of which is jointed to a center part in the vehicle width direction of the radiator upper support 20 in a plurality of places so as to constitute a closed cross section 42 between the radiator upper support 20 and the center brace.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure.

  A vehicle front structure having a frame-like radiator support that supports a radiator at the front of a vehicle such as an automobile is known. With regard to such a vehicle front structure, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle front structure in which a center brace extending in the vertical direction is disposed at the center of the radiator support in the vehicle width direction. Here, the upper and lower ends of the center brace are coupled to an upper member (radiator support upper) and a lower member (radiator support lower) of the radiator support with bolts.

JP 2003-335263 A

  However, when a heavy object such as a horn or millimeter wave radar is fixed to the center brace, the load acts on the joint between the center brace and the radiator support due to vibration during vehicle travel. There is room for improvement. Further, there is a method of securing the coupling rigidity by increasing the size of the center brace, but other measures are desired from the viewpoint of increasing the weight.

  In view of the above-described facts, the present invention has an object to provide a vehicle front structure that can maintain the coupling state between the center brace and the radiator support while maintaining the size of the center brace.

  A vehicle front portion structure according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1 is provided at a front portion of a vehicle, and is disposed below a radiator support upper that extends in a vehicle width direction, and is disposed below the radiator support upper. A radiator support lower that extends in the direction of the vehicle, and a vehicle lower direction that extends in the vehicle vertical direction, a lower end portion of which is coupled to a central portion of the radiator support lower in the vehicle width direction, and an upper end portion of the radiator support upper that extends in the vehicle width direction And a center brace which is coupled at a plurality of locations and forms a closed cross section between the radiator support upper.

  According to the vehicle front structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, the center brace extending in the vehicle vertical direction is disposed between the radiator support upper and the radiator support lower. The upper end portion of the center brace is coupled to the radiator support upper, and the lower end portion of the center brace is coupled to the radiator support lower. Here, the upper end portion of the center brace and the radiator support upper are coupled at a plurality of locations to form a closed cross section. Thereby, coupling | bonding rigidity can be improved and the coupling | bonding state of a center brace and a radiator support can be maintained favorable. Further, it is not necessary to greatly increase the size of the center brace, and an increase in weight can be suppressed.

  A vehicle front portion structure according to a second aspect of the present invention is the vehicle front portion structure according to the first aspect, wherein an upper end portion of the center brace is connected to the radiator support upper via a bracket, and the bracket is connected to the radiator support. The upper bracket is coupled to the upper portion of the upper, and the lower bracket is coupled to the lower portion of the radiator support upper.

  According to the vehicle front structure according to the second aspect of the present invention, by connecting the center brace and the radiator support upper with a plurality of parts, the closed cross section can be formed long in the vehicle width direction, Stiffness can be improved. That is, it means that a closed cross section can be formed longer in the vehicle width direction than a closed cross section formed when one part is bent and joined at a plurality of locations.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle front portion structure according to the present invention, in the second aspect, the upper bracket and the lower bracket are coupled to a position where the radiator support upper is sandwiched in the vehicle vertical direction.

  According to the vehicle front structure according to the third aspect of the present invention, the closed cross section can be formed large, and the coupling rigidity can be improved.

  Since the present invention is configured as described above, it is possible to maintain a good coupling state between the center brace and the radiator support while maintaining the size of the center brace.

It is a perspective view which shows the vehicle front part structure which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the attachment relationship of the center brace which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the bracket for radar attachment, and an upper bracket. It is a top view which shows the upper bracket which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the lower bracket which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the attachment relationship of the upper side bracket and radiator support upper which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is the principal part expanded sectional view seen from the vehicle width direction which shows the coupling | bond part of the center brace and radiator support upper which concern on embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic diagram seen from the vehicle width direction for demonstrating the load which acts on the radiator support which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. For convenience of explanation, an arrow UP appropriately shown in each figure is an upper side of the vehicle, an arrow FR is a front side of the vehicle, and an arrow LH is a left side of the vehicle. Furthermore, when simply using the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions, the up / down direction of the vehicle, the front / rear direction of the vehicle front / rear direction, and the left / right direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction) are shown.

(Configuration of vehicle front structure)
As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle front structure 10 is provided at the front of the vehicle, and mainly includes a radiator support 12, a center brace 14, a radar mounting bracket 34, a lower bracket 32, And an upper bracket 18.

  The radiator support 12 is disposed above the vehicle and extends in the vehicle width direction. The radiator support upper 20 is disposed below the radiator support upper 20 and extends in the vehicle width direction. And a pillar 24 and a pillar 26 that vertically connect both ends of the radiator support upper 20 and the radiator support lower 22, respectively, and are formed in a frame shape.

  The radiator support upper 20 is a long and metal member extending in the vehicle width direction, and includes an outer member 28 and an inner member 30 as shown in FIG. The outer member 28 is disposed outside the radiator support upper 20 and is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open downward. The outer member 28 has an upper wall 28A, a front wall 28B formed by bending downward from a front end portion of the upper wall 28A, and is bent downward from a rear end portion of the upper wall 28A so as to face the front wall 28B. And a rear wall 28C.

  Here, a flange 28D extends forward from the lower end of the front wall 28B. The flange 28D extends from one end portion to the other end portion of the outer member 28, and is formed substantially perpendicular to the front wall 28B. Further, both end portions 28E of the flange 28D are curved following the shape of the front wall 28B. Furthermore, two attachment holes 28F for fixing a radiator (not shown) are formed in the upper wall 28A. In addition, the upper wall 28A, the front wall 28B, and the rear wall 28C are formed with a plurality of through holes to reduce the weight of the outer member 28. The number of through holes is not limited to the illustrated number, and more through holes may be formed as long as the rigidity can be maintained.

  An inner member 30 is disposed inside the outer member 28. Both end portions in the width direction of the inner member 30 are formed in substantially the same shape as the outer member, and the central portion in the width direction of the inner member 30 is formed in a substantially U-shape with a flat cross-section opened to the lower side. Has been. That is, the central portion of the inner member 30 in the width direction is formed to be lower than the outer member 28.

  Further, the inner member 30 is opposed to the upper wall 30A, the front wall 30B formed by bending downward from the front end portion of the upper wall 30A, and the front wall 30B bent downward from the rear end portion of the upper wall 30A. And a rear wall 30C. Here, the flange 30D extends forward from the lower end of the front wall 30B. The flange 30D is formed in substantially the same shape as the flange 28D of the outer member 28, and this flange 30D is superimposed on the lower surface of the flange 28D and joined by spot welding or the like. The rear wall 30C is overlapped with the rear wall 28C of the outer member 28 and joined by spot welding or the like.

  An attachment hole 30E for fastening a radiator (not shown) is formed in the upper wall 30A of the inner member 30 at a position corresponding to the upper wall 28A of the outer member 28. Further, a plurality of through holes are formed in the upper wall 30A, the front wall 30B, and the rear wall 30C of the inner member 30 for weight reduction. The upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17 constituting the upper bracket 18 are joined to the outer member 28 and the inner member 30 configured as described above. The upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17 will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a radiator support lower 22 is disposed below the radiator support upper 20 in parallel with the radiator support upper 20. The radiator support lower 22 is opened downward and has a substantially U-shaped cross section, and has substantially the same length as the radiator support upper 20. Further, both end portions in the width direction of the radiator support lower 22 are formed so as to widen upward.

  Here, a lower bracket 32 is disposed at the center of the radiator support lower 22 in the width direction. The lower bracket 32 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section, and one surface of the lower bracket 32 is fastened and fixed to the upper surface of the radiator support lower 22 by a fastening member such as a bolt. Further, the other surface of the lower bracket 32 is bent upward from the front end portion of the one surface, and is positioned on the front side of the radiator support lower 22. The lower end of the center brace 14 is fastened and fixed to the other surface of the lower bracket 32. The center brace 14 will be described later.

  The vehicle right end of the radiator support upper 20 and the vehicle right end of the radiator support lower 22 are connected by a pillar 24 extending in the vehicle vertical direction. The pillar 24 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section that is open to the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a lower end portion of the pillar 24 is fastened and fixed to the radiator support lower 22. The upper end of the pillar 24 is fastened and fixed to the radiator support upper 20.

  The vehicle left end portion of the radiator support upper 20 and the vehicle left end portion of the radiator support lower 22 are connected by a pillar 26 extending in the vehicle vertical direction. The pillar 26 is formed in substantially the same shape as the pillar 24, and is fastened and fixed to the radiator support upper 20 and the radiator support lower 22.

  A center brace 14 is disposed on the front side of the radiator support upper 20 and the radiator support lower 22. The center brace 14 is a long and metal member extending in the vertical direction, and connects the central portion in the width direction of the radiator support upper 20 and the central portion in the width direction of the radiator support lower 22. . In addition, the center part of the width direction here does not point out the center of the width direction exactly | strictly, For example, it is the concept also including the part offset from the center of the width direction to the right side or the left side.

  The center brace 14 is formed in a substantially hat shape in cross section opened to the front side, and includes a flange portion 14A constituting both ends of the center brace 14 in the width direction, and a bottom wall portion recessed from the flange portion 14A to the rear side. 14B.

  Further, the bottom wall portion 14B of the center brace 14 is fastened and fixed to the lower bracket 32 by a fastening member such as a bolt, and the center brace 14 and the radiator support lower 22 are coupled to each other. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper portion of the center brace 14 is formed so that the bottom wall portion 14B gradually widens toward the upper end portion of the center brace 14, and the upper end portion of the center brace 14 is Curved backward.

  Here, on the curved bottom wall portion 14B at the upper end of the center brace 14, two raised portions 14C protruding upward from the bottom wall portion 14B are formed side by side in the width direction. Each has a bolt hole 14D through which the bolt 40 is inserted. A radar mounting bracket 34 is mounted on the center brace 14.

  The radar mounting bracket 34 is a metal plate, and has a substantially rectangular main body portion 34A in a front view, a bent portion 34B bent from the upper end portion of the main body portion 34A to the rear side, and a lower end portion of the main body portion 34A. And an extending portion 34C extending downward from the bottom. The main body portion 34A is formed to have substantially the same width as the upper end portion of the center brace 14, and a substantially rectangular through hole 34D for lightening is formed in the central portion of the main body portion 34A. Further, attachment pieces 34F are extended toward the front side at both ends in the width direction of the main body 34A, and a bumper cover (not shown) is attached to the attachment pieces 34F. Further, a plurality of attachment holes are formed in the main body 34A, and the millimeter wave radar 100 is fastened and fixed by inserting bolts or the like into the attachment holes (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the millimeter wave radar 100 is attached so that obstacles and vehicles existing ahead can be detected. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a laser radar, a camera, or the like may be attached. Moreover, you may attach a horn etc.

  The bent portion 34B is formed by bending the upper end portion of the main body portion 34A obliquely upward toward the rear side, and has a width substantially the same as that of the main body portion 34A. The bent portion 34B is bent at an angle corresponding to the upper end portion of the center brace 14, and a bolt hole 34E is formed in the bent portion 34B at a position corresponding to the bolt hole 14D of the center brace 14. . Then, the bolt 40 is inserted into the bolt hole 14D of the center brace 14 and the bolt hole 34E of the bent portion 34B and fastened and fixed. Also, the radar mounting bracket 34 is attached to the center brace 14 by overlapping both ends in the width direction of the bent portion 34B and both ends in the width direction of the center brace 14 and joining them by spot welding or the like. Further, the extending portion 34C extending downward from the lower end portion of the main body portion 34A is formed to be narrower than the main body portion 34A and covers the front side of the center brace 14.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the upper end portion of the center brace 14 is connected to a radiator support upper 20 via an upper bracket 18 as a bracket. The upper bracket 18 includes an upper bracket 16 and a lower bracket 17 and will be described in detail below.

  The upper bracket 16 is disposed on an upper portion of the upper bracket 18 and is formed in a substantially trapezoidal shape having a long side on the front side of the vehicle in plan view, as shown in FIG. The upper bracket 16 is a metal plate, and is bent so that the rear end side is positioned above the front end side by pressing or the like.

  Here, at both ends of the upper bracket 16 in the vehicle width direction, ribs 16A bent upward are formed. Further, a cutout portion 16B cut out in an arc shape is formed at the center in the width direction of the end portion on the vehicle rear side, which is the substantially trapezoidal short side, and the edge of the cutout portion 16B Ribs 16C bent upward are formed. Further, at the center of the upper bracket 16 in the width direction, two raised portions 16D that are raised upward and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction are formed side by side in the vehicle width direction, and the front end of the raised portion 16D Each part is formed with a bolt hole 16E through which the bolt 40 is inserted. In addition, a through hole 16F for reducing the weight is formed at the rear end of the raised portion 16D. The through hole 16F has a larger diameter than the bolt hole 16E, and is also used for inserting a welding gun when spot welding a lower bracket 17 described later.

  Here, a welded portion 16G is set between the raised portion 16D and the rib 16A outside the raised portion 16D in the width direction. The welded portion 16G is a portion that is overlapped with a lower bracket 17 that will be described later and is joined to the lower bracket 17 by spot welding or the like. In this embodiment, two welded portions 16G are set.

  A lower bracket 17 is disposed below the upper bracket 16. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower bracket 17 is a metal plate having a longitudinal direction in the vehicle width direction, and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in which an upper left and a lower left are cut out in a plan view. Further, a stepped portion 17F is set on the rear side of the center portion of the lower bracket 17 in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the rear side (right side in the drawing) is below the front side (left side in the drawing) from the stepped portion 17F. It is bent by pressing or the like so as to be positioned.

  Four reinforcing ribs 17D are formed at the rear end portion 17C on the rear side of the stepped portion 17F with a gap in the vehicle width direction. The two reinforcing ribs 17D formed at the center portion in the width direction of the rear end portion 17C extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the remaining reinforcing ribs 17D formed at both ends in the width direction are in plan view. It is formed so as to be inclined outward in the width direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle.

  Two raised portions 17A are formed at a position in front of the stepped portion 17F with an interval in the vehicle width direction. The raised portion 17A is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and a bolt hole 17B through which the bolt 40 is inserted is formed in each raised portion 17A. Further, a weld nut 38 is welded to the lower surface of the raised portion 17A, and a bolt 40 is screwed into the weld nut 38.

  Furthermore, the welding part 17E is set to the outer side of the width direction from each protruding part 17A. The welded portion 17E is a portion that is overlapped with a welded portion 16G of the upper bracket 16 described later and joined by spot welding or the like, and in this embodiment, two locations are set. The upper bracket 18 and the lower bracket 17 formed as described above constitute an upper bracket 18.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the center brace 14, the radar mounting bracket 34, the upper bracket 16, and the lower bracket 17 are overlapped and fastened and fixed with bolts 40. Specifically, the radar mounting bracket 34 is superimposed on the front surface of the upper end portion of the center brace 14, the upper bracket 16 is superimposed on the rear surface of the upper end portion of the center brace 14, and the front end portion of the upper bracket 16 is The lower bracket 17 is overlaid on the lower surface of. Then, a bolt hole 14D formed in the raised portion 14C of the center brace 14, a bolt hole 34E formed in the bent portion 34B of the radar mounting bracket 34, and a bolt hole 16E formed in the raised portion 16D of the upper bracket 16 The bolt hole 17B formed in the raised portion 17A of the lower bracket 17 is aligned and inserted with the bolt 40. The bolt 40 is screwed into a weld nut 38 welded to the lower surface of the raised portion 17A of the lower bracket 17 and the four parts are fastened and fixed.

  On the other hand, the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17 are each joined to the radiator support upper 20 by spot welding or the like. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the end of the upper bracket 16 on the vehicle rear side is overlapped with the center portion in the width direction of the upper wall 28 </ b> A of the outer member 28 and joined by spot welding or the like. Further, a reinforcing rib 17D formed on the rear end portion 17C of the lower bracket 17 is superimposed on the lower surface of the flange 30D of the inner member 30 and joined by spot welding or the like. In this way, the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 are coupled at a plurality of positions via the upper bracket 18.

  By coupling as described above, the radiator support upper 20 is sandwiched vertically between the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17 as shown in FIG. Further, the upper bracket 16, the lower bracket 17, and the radiator support upper 20 form a closed section 42. Further, a closed cross section 44 is formed between the outer member 28 and the inner member 30 of the radiator support upper 20. In FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, only the spot welded portion between the upper bracket 16 and the outer member 28 and the spot welded portion between the lower bracket 17 and the inner member 30 are illustrated, and other spot welded portions are illustrated. Is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the radiator support upper 20 is composed of two parts, the outer member 28 and the inner member 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the radiator support upper 20 is composed of one part as long as the rigidity required for the radiator support upper 20 is satisfied. For example, you may comprise only the outer side member 28. FIG. In this case, the rear end portion of the upper bracket 16 is joined to the upper wall 28A of the outer member 28 by spot welding or the like, and the reinforcing rib formed on the lower end portion 17C of the lower bracket 17 on the lower surface of the flange 28D of the outer member 28. What is necessary is just to join 17D.

  Further, in the present embodiment, spot welding is used for joining the upper bracket 16 and the outer member and joining the lower bracket 17 and the inner member 30, but they may be joined by other methods, for example, rivets, You may join with an adhesive agent. Moreover, you may join with a volt | bolt and a nut. The same applies to other joints.

  In this embodiment, the radar mounting bracket 34 is attached to the center brace 14 and the millimeter wave radar 100 is attached to the radar mounting bracket 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the millimeter is directly attached to the center brace 14. A wave radar 100 or the like may be attached. In this case, fastening means such as bolt holes may be set in the center brace 14 in advance.

(Action and effect)
Next, functions and effects of the vehicle front structure according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. According to the vehicle front structure 10 of the present embodiment, the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 are coupled at a plurality of locations to form the closed cross section 42, whereby the coupling rigidity can be improved. And the radiator support upper 20 can be well maintained. This point will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the radiator support 12, and illustration of a part of the configuration is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a millimeter wave radar 100 as an example of a heavy object is attached to the center brace 14 with the pillar 24 and the pillar 26 of the radiator support 12 fastened and fixed to the front end portion of the front side member 50. Think about the case. Since the millimeter wave radar 100 applies a downward load F to the center brace 14, a counterclockwise moment M <b> 1 when viewed from the left side of the vehicle acts on the coupling portion between the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20. Is done. Further, a counterclockwise moment M2 as viewed from the left side of the vehicle is applied to a connecting portion between the center brace 14 and the radiator support lower 22.

  Here, since the radiator support 12 is attached so that the upper portion thereof is inclined toward the vehicle rear side, the distance from the millimeter wave radar 100 to the radiator support lower 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction is smaller than that of the millimeter wave radar 100. The distance in the vehicle front-rear direction to the radiator support upper 20 is longer. For this reason, the moment M <b> 1 acting on the connecting portion between the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 is larger. In particular, in the case of a hybrid vehicle or the like, a dedicated cooling device may be provided in front of and behind the radiator in order to cool attached accessories, and in order to avoid this cooling device, the center brace 14 is further disposed in front of the vehicle. May be arranged on the side. In this case, the distance in the vehicle front-rear direction from the millimeter wave radar 100 to the radiator support upper 20 is increased.

  For this reason, for example, when the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 are coupled only to the upper bracket 16, that is, when coupled at one location, the coupling rigidity is low, so that the vertical vibration during traveling of the vehicle is low. As a result, it is difficult to maintain a good coupling state, and the millimeter wave radar 100 may be displaced downward, for example, when the upper bracket 16 is deformed downward. In addition, the accuracy of the millimeter wave radar 100 may be affected.

  In contrast, in the vehicle front structure 10 of the present embodiment, the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 are coupled at a plurality of locations using the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17, so that the coupling rigidity is increased. Can be improved. Thereby, even if the vertical vibration of the vehicle is input, the rigidity with respect to the moment M1 can be ensured, so that the coupled state can be maintained well. Further, the displacement of the millimeter wave radar 100 can be minimized, and the detection accuracy can be maintained.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the radiator support upper 20 is sandwiched between the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17 from above and below, so that the coupling rigidity can be improved and the closed section 42 is closed. A large area can be secured.

  In the present embodiment, the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 are coupled via the upper bracket 18, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the center brace 14 may be coupled directly to the radiator support upper 20. In this case, if the front end of the center brace 14 is bent and joined to the radiator support upper 20 at a plurality of locations, a closed cross section can be formed between the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20.

  However, in order to form a complete closed cross section over the vehicle width direction, it is preferable to couple via a member such as the upper bracket 18 made of two parts as in this embodiment. That is, by using the upper bracket 16 and the lower bracket 17, spot welding can be performed on an arbitrary portion of the radiator support upper 20, and it can be easily coupled at a plurality of locations. Further, the upper bracket 18 may be configured with three or more parts by increasing the number of parts. In this case, the center brace 14 and the radiator support upper 20 can be coupled at three or more locations.

  The vehicle front structure according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but it is needless to say that the present invention can be implemented in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

10 Vehicle Front Structure 14 Center Brace 16 Upper Bracket 17 Lower Bracket 18 Upper Bracket 20 Radiator Support Upper 22 Radiator Support Lower 42 Closed Section

Claims (3)

A radiator support upper provided at the front of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle width direction;
A radiator support lower disposed below the radiator support upper and extending in the vehicle width direction;
The vehicle is extended in the vertical direction, the lower end is coupled to the center of the radiator support lower in the vehicle width direction, and the upper end is coupled to the center of the radiator support upper in the vehicle width direction at a plurality of locations. A center brace that forms a closed cross-section with the radiator support upper;
A vehicle front structure having: The upper end portion of the center brace is connected to the radiator support upper via a bracket,
The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the bracket includes an upper bracket coupled to an upper portion of the radiator support upper, and a lower bracket coupled to a lower portion of the radiator support upper.   The vehicle front structure according to claim 2, wherein the upper bracket and the lower bracket are coupled to a position where the radiator support upper is sandwiched in the vehicle vertical direction.

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