JP2020090162A - Hood support structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a hood support structure which can absorb a buffer load effectively and enables stable operation.SOLUTION: A hood support structure includes: a hood 2 which closes an opening of a vehicle body; a hinge member 3 having a pedestal part 31 fixed to the hood 2, a support part 32 rotatably attached to the vehicle body, and a deformation part 33 which is provided between the pedestal part 31 and the support part 32 and is more fragile than the pedestal part 31 and the support part 32; and an actuator 4 which has a shaft 42 protruding along a predetermined direction inclining to the rear of the vehicle body and moves the hood 2 upward from the opening by a tip part 45 of the shaft 42 contacting with the deformation part 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a hood support structure.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a pop-up hood device (hereinafter, referred to as a hood support structure) that lifts a hood provided at a front portion of a vehicle body upward is known. In this type of hood support structure, when an impact load is input to the vehicle body, an actuator provided inside operates to lift the hood upward.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a hood including a hood, a hinge arm (hinge member) that supports the hood so that the hood can be opened and closed, and a piston having a rod that pushes up the hood by abutting the hinge member and moving upward. A support structure is disclosed. When a shock is input to the collision detection unit (for example, G sensor), the rod moves up and comes into contact with the hinge member, and the hinge member rotates upward. At this time, the hood coupled to the hinge member is pushed upward by rotating while rotating a part of the hinge member. Further, when a collision load is input from the upper side of the hood pushed up, the hinge member is further bent and the hood retracts downward. As a result, the collision load is absorbed and the input load (reaction force) to the collision body can be reduced.

JP, 2015-13597, A

However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, the extending direction of the rod and the input direction of the collision load are substantially parallel. Further, since the center of deformation (bending) of the hinge member during bending is different from the driving direction of the actuator, it is difficult to stabilize the deformation of the hinge member.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a hood support structure capable of effectively absorbing a collision load and performing stable operation.

In order to solve the above problems, a hood support structure (for example, the hood support structure 1 in the embodiment) according to the invention described in claim 1 is provided with an opening (for example, an implementation) in a vehicle body (for example, the vehicle body V in the embodiment). Hood that closes the opening 10 in the embodiment (for example, the hood 2 in the embodiment), a pedestal portion fixed in the hood (for example, the pedestal portion 31 in the embodiment), and rotatable with respect to the vehicle body. The attached support portion (for example, the support portion 32 in the embodiment), and the deformable portion that is provided between the pedestal portion and the support portion and is weaker than the pedestal portion and the support portion (for example, the deformation in the embodiment). A hinge member (for example, the hinge member 3 in the embodiment) having a portion 33), and a shaft (for example, the shaft 42 in the embodiment) protruding along a predetermined direction inclined toward the rear of the vehicle body, An actuator (for example, the actuator 4 in the embodiment) that moves the hood upward from the opening by contacting the tip of the shaft (for example, the tip 45 in the embodiment) with the deformed portion. It is characterized by

Further, in the hood support structure according to the invention described in claim 2, in the predetermined direction, the deformable portion in a first state (for example, a first state S1 in the embodiment) before the rotation of the support portion is started, It is characterized in that it is set so as to follow a straight line connecting the deformable portion in the second state (for example, the second state S2 in the embodiment) after the rotation of the support portion is completed.

The hood support structure according to the invention of claim 3 is characterized in that the rigidity of the support portion is higher than the rigidity of the pedestal portion, and the rigidity of the pedestal portion is higher than the rigidity of the deformable portion. ..

Further, the hood support structure according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the support portion is provided with a reinforcing member (for example, the reinforcing member 30 in the embodiment).

Further, the hood support structure according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the support portion is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the pedestal portion and the deformable portion.

According to the hood support structure of the first aspect of the present invention, the hood moves upward when the actuator contacts the hinge member. As a result, a gap is created between the hood and a component in an opening (for example, an engine room) provided in the front part of the vehicle body. Therefore, when the collision body collides from the front part of the vehicle body, the collision body input to the vehicle body The collision load can be absorbed by the deformation of the hood. Further, since the actuator is inclined rearward of the vehicle body, the hood moves upward and rearward of the vehicle body. As a result, it is possible to absorb a collision load input to the rear side of the opening over a wide range. Further, since the input direction of the collision load and the protruding direction of the shaft in the actuator intersect, it is possible to suppress an increase in the collision load due to the tension of the shaft. Therefore, the collision load can be effectively absorbed.
The hinge member moves the hood upward as it is rotated upward by the actuator and the deformable portion is deformed. Since the tip portion of the shaft contacts the deformed portion of the hinge member, the input from the actuator concentrates on the deformation center, and the deformed portion can be surely deformed. Therefore, the movement amount of the hood can be controlled with high accuracy with respect to the target value. Moreover, since the output of the actuator can be efficiently converted into the deformation of the deformable portion, the output of the actuator can be suppressed. Therefore, it is possible to achieve energy saving and cost reduction by downsizing and low output of the actuator.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a hood support structure capable of effectively absorbing a collision load and stably operating.

According to the hood support structure of the second aspect of the present invention, the protruding direction of the shaft of the actuator is such that the deformable portion in the first state before the start of rotation of the support portion and the second deformed portion after the end of rotation of the support portion. Since it is set so as to follow the straight line connecting the deformed portion in the state, the tip end portion of the shaft contacts at least the deformed portion before and after the movement of the hinge member. Here, since the hinge member rotates and moves with respect to the vehicle body, the deforming portion draws an arcuate locus when changing from the first state to the second state. Since the actuator is arranged along the straight line connecting the respective deformed portions in the first state and the second state, the movement locus of the tip end portion of the shaft can be made to follow the arcuate locus of the deformed portion. .. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of friction due to the tip portion of the shaft sliding on the hinge member, and to efficiently transmit the output of the shaft to the deforming portion. Further, in particular, since the tip end portion of the shaft surely contacts the deformed portion before the start of rotation and after the end of rotation, the maximum output immediately after the shaft jumps out can be effectively transmitted to the deformed portion, and the deformable portion can be reliably reached to the target position. The hinge member can be rotated.
Therefore, it is possible to provide a hood support structure capable of effectively absorbing a collision load and stably operating.

According to the hood support structure of the third aspect of the present invention, since the rigidity of the hinge member is set to increase in the order of the deforming portion, the pedestal portion, and the supporting portion, the deforming portion having the lowest rigidity has priority. Can be deformed. Here, since the deformable portion is more easily deformed by contact with the actuator, it is not necessary to set the rigidity of the pedestal portion and the support portion to be excessively high. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the hinge member and improve the degree of freedom in designing the hinge member.
A hood is attached to the pedestal part. As a result, the strength of the pedestal portion is maintained, so that the rigidity of the pedestal portion can be set lower than that of the support portion. On the other hand, by increasing the rigidity of the supporting portion, the deformation of the supporting portion during the operation of the actuator can be suppressed, and the hinge member can be operated immediately. Therefore, a hood support structure that can be quickly operated can be provided.

According to the hood support structure of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the rigidity of the support portion can be increased by providing the reinforcing member. Since the rigidity of the supporting portion can be increased with such a simple structure, a hood supporting structure having a hinge member with excellent workability during manufacturing can be obtained.

According to the hood support structure of the fifth aspect of the present invention, by changing the material, the rigidity of the support portion can be increased as compared with the pedestal portion and the deformable portion. This allows the shape of the support portion to have flexibility. Therefore, the hood support structure having the hinge member with improved design freedom can be provided.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a front portion of the vehicle body when the hood support structure in the vehicle body according to the embodiment is activated. The side view which shows the vehicle body front part when the hood support structure in the vehicle body which concerns on embodiment is operated. The side view of the hinge member and actuator in a 1st state and a 2nd state. The top view of the hinge member in a 1st state.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction will be described based on the front, rear, left, and right as viewed from the driver.

(Hood support structure)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front portion of a vehicle body V when the hood support structure 1 is activated. FIG. 2 is a side view of the front portion of the vehicle body V when the hood support structure 1 is operated, as viewed from the left side in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle body V is a vehicle body of an automobile having a drive source such as an engine and a motor (neither is shown) in the front portion. The vehicle body V includes a hood support structure 1 at the front part. The hood support structure 1 operates by receiving a signal from a G sensor (not shown) installed in the front bumper when an impact load F1 is input to the front bumper from the front of the vehicle body V during traveling, for example. The hood support structure 1 includes a hood 2, a hinge member 3, and an actuator 4.

(hood)
The hood 2 is provided in front of the vehicle body V. When the hood support structure 1 is not operating, the hood 2 closes the opening 10 of the engine room E provided in front of the vehicle body V. Inside the engine room E, parts such as an engine (not shown) (hereinafter referred to as engine parts) are housed. When the impact load F1 is input to the front of the vehicle body V and the hood support structure 1 is operated, the entire hood 2 moves upward with respect to the vehicle body V and slides rearward of the vehicle body V. By moving the hood 2 upward and backward in this manner, a predetermined gap is secured between the hood 2 and the engine component inside the engine room E.

(Hinge member)
FIG. 3 is a side view of the hinge member 3. Further, FIG. 4 is a top view of the hinge member 3 in the first state S1 of FIG.
The hinge members 3 are provided as a left and right pair on the rear side of the opening 10 (see also FIG. 1 ). Since the pair of hinge members 3 have the same configuration, the hinge member 3 arranged on the left side will be described in the following description. The hinge member 3 is arranged below the hood 2. The hinge member 3 connects the vehicle body V and the hood 2. The hinge member 3 is rotatably supported with respect to the vehicle body V. As shown in FIG. 3, the hinge member 3 is rotatable with respect to the vehicle body V between a first state S1 before the start of rotation and a second state S2 after the end of rotation.
In the first state S1, the hinge member 3 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body V. In the first state S1, the hinge member 3 is housed inside the engine room E. In the second state S2, the hinge member 3 is located above the hinge member 3 in the first state S1. When the hood support structure 1 operates, the hinge member 3 rotates with respect to the vehicle body V and a part of the hinge member 3 plastically deforms. As a result, the hood 2 moves upward.
The hinge member 3 has a pedestal portion 31, a support portion 32, and a deformation portion 33.

The pedestal portion 31 is arranged along the lower surface of the hood 2. The pedestal portion 31 extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body V. The pedestal portion 31 has a mounting portion 34 and an overhang portion 35.
The mounting portion 34 is in contact with the lower surface of the hood 2. The mounting portion 34 is formed in a plate shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the mounting portion 34 has two fastening holes 55 and a lightening hole 56 formed therethrough. The fastening holes 55 are arranged in the extending direction of the hinge member 3 (the front-back direction of the vehicle body V). A bolt (not shown) is inserted into the fastening hole 55, and the hood 2 is fixed to the pedestal portion 31 by this bolt. The lightening hole 56 is provided between the two fastening holes. The lightening hole 56 is formed so that the long axis extends along the extending direction of the hinge member 3.
The projecting portion 35 projects downward from an end portion of the mounting portion 34 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. The pedestal portion 31 is formed in an L-shaped cross section by the mounting portion 34 and the overhanging portion 35.

The support portion 32 is provided behind the pedestal portion 31. The support portion 32 is connected to the pedestal portion 31. The support portion 32 has a side wall portion 36 and a reinforcing member 30.
The side wall portion 36 is formed in a flat plate shape that is continuous with the protruding portion 35 of the pedestal portion 31. The front end of the side wall portion 36 is connected to the rear end of the overhang portion 35. The side wall portion 36 is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction from the front to the rear. In the first state S1, the side wall portion 36 is gently curved so as to be convex downward when viewed in the vehicle width direction. A bead 39 is formed on the side wall portion 36. The bead 39 is formed along the rear side from a substantially central portion in the extending direction of the side wall portion 36. A rotary shaft 50 is provided at the rear end of the side wall 36. The support portion 32 is attached to the vehicle body V so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 50.

The reinforcing member 30 has an upper wall portion 37 and a lower wall portion 38.
The upper wall portion 37 extends from the upper end of the side wall portion 36 toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The front end of the side wall portion 36 is connected to the rear end of the mounting portion 34 of the pedestal portion 31. The upper wall portion 37 is formed in a triangular shape whose width dimension is reduced from the front end toward the rear end when viewed from above.
The lower wall portion 38 extends from the lower end of the side wall portion 36 toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The lower wall portion 38 is provided on the rotary shaft 50 side (rear side in the front-rear direction) of the lower end portion of the side wall portion 36. The support portion 32 is formed in a U-shaped cross section by the side wall portion 36, the upper wall portion 37, and the lower wall portion 38.

The deformation portion 33 is provided between the pedestal portion 31 and the support portion 32. The deformable portion 33 is formed to have lower rigidity than the pedestal portion 31 and the support portion 32. Specifically, the rigidity of the support portion 32 is higher than the rigidity of the pedestal portion 31, and the rigidity of the pedestal portion 31 is higher than the rigidity of the deformable portion 33. In the present embodiment, the support portion 32 is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the pedestal portion 31 and the deformation portion 33.

(Actuator)
As shown in FIG. 1, the actuators 4 are provided as a left and right pair behind the opening 10. Since the pair of actuators 4 have the same configuration, the actuator 4 arranged on the left side will be described in the following description.

The actuator 4 has a cylinder 41 and a shaft 42.
The cylinder 41 is formed in a tubular shape. The cylinder 41 is arranged below the hood 2. The axial direction of the cylinder 41 is inclined toward the rear of the vehicle body V. Specifically, the axial direction of the cylinder 41 is set so as to be along a straight line connecting the deforming portion 33 in the first state S1 of the hinge member 3 and the deforming portion 33 in the second state S2. An ignition device (not shown) is connected to the cylinder 41. The ignition device ignites the igniter in the cylinder 41 when the impact load F1 is input to the G sensor.

The shaft 42 is configured to be slidable in the cylinder 41 along the axial direction of the cylinder 41. In the first state S1 before the impact load F1 is input, the shaft 42 is housed inside the cylinder 41. The shaft 42 has a rod-shaped shaft body 44 and a tip portion 45 provided at the tip of the shaft body 44. The tip portion 45 contacts the deformation portion 33 of the hinge member 3. In the present embodiment, the tip portion 45 is formed in a hemispherical shape that is convex toward the hinge member 3 side.

Next, the operation of the hood support structure 1 will be described.
During normal traveling when the impact load F1 is not input to the vehicle body V, the hinge member 3 is set to the first state S1 (see FIG. 3). In the first state S1, the pedestal portion 31 and the support portion 32 extend in the front-rear direction. At this time, the rear end of the pedestal part 31 and the front end of the support part 32 are connected. Further, in the first state S1, the hood 2 closes the opening 10.

When the impact load F1 is input to the vehicle body V, the ignition device receives the signal from the G sensor and ignites the igniter in the cylinder 41. When the igniter ignites and the air in the cylinder 41 expands, the shaft 42 jumps upward along the axial direction. As a result, the tip portion 45 of the shaft 42 contacts the hinge member 3 and lifts the hinge member 3 upward. At this time, since the hinge member 3 rotates upward about the rotation shaft 50 as the center of rotation and moves rearward while deforming the deformable portion 33, the hood 2 maintains a predetermined inclination with respect to the vehicle body V. Move up and back. As a result, a predetermined gap is secured between the hood 2 and the engine parts inside the engine room E.

When the collision body collides with the hood 2 from the upper front of the vehicle body V after the hood 2 moves, the collision load F2 (see FIG. 2) is input to the upper surface of the hood 2. The collision body that collides with the hood 2 gradually decelerates while deforming the hood 2. When the collision load F2 is large, the collision body decelerates while deforming the hinge member 3 in addition to the hood 2. As described above, the collision load F2 is absorbed by the deformation of the hood 2, the hinge member 3, and the like. Therefore, the reaction force that the collision body receives from the vehicle body V is reduced.

(Action, effect)
Next, the operation and effect of the hood support structure 1 will be described.
According to the hood support structure 1 of this embodiment, the hood 2 moves upward when the actuator 4 contacts the hinge member 3. As a result, a gap is created between the hood 2 and the engine component inside the opening 10 provided in the front portion of the vehicle body V, so that when a collision body collides from the front portion of the vehicle body V, a collision input to the vehicle body V is generated. The body collision load F2 can be absorbed by the deformation of the hood 2. Further, since the actuator 4 is inclined rearward of the vehicle body V, the hood 2 moves upward and rearward of the vehicle body V. As a result, the collision load F2 input to the rear side of the opening 10 can be absorbed over a wide range. Further, since the input direction of the collision load F2 and the protruding direction of the shaft 42 of the actuator 4 intersect, it is possible to suppress the increase of the collision load F2 due to the tension of the shaft 42. Therefore, the collision load F2 can be effectively absorbed.
The hinge member 3 is rotated upward by the actuator 4 and the deformable portion 33 is deformed to move the hood 2 upward. Since the tip portion 45 of the shaft 42 contacts the deformation portion 33 of the hinge member 3, the input from the actuator 4 is concentrated on the deformation center, and the deformation portion 33 can be reliably deformed. Therefore, the movement amount of the hood 2 can be controlled with high accuracy with respect to the target value. Further, since the output of the actuator 4 can be efficiently converted into the deformation of the deforming portion 33, the output of the actuator 4 can be suppressed. Therefore, energy saving and cost reduction can be achieved by downsizing and lowering the output of the actuator 4.
Therefore, the hood support structure 1 capable of effectively absorbing the collision load F2 and performing stable operation can be provided.

The protruding direction of the shaft 42 of the actuator 4 is a straight line connecting the deformable portion 33 in the first state S1 before the start of the rotation of the support portion and the deformable portion 33 in the second state S2 after the end of the rotation of the support portion. Since it is set so as to follow, the tip end portion 45 of the shaft 42 contacts at least the deformed portion 33 before and after the movement of the hinge member 3. Here, since the hinge member 3 rotationally moves with respect to the vehicle body V, when the first state S1 is changed to the second state S2, the deforming portion 33 draws an arcuate locus. Since the actuator 4 is arranged along the straight line connecting the respective deforming portions 33 in the first state S1 and the second state S2, the movement locus of the distal end portion 45 of the shaft 42 is represented by the arc shape of the deforming portion 33. Can follow the trajectory. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of friction due to the tip portion 45 of the shaft 42 sliding on the hinge member 3, and to efficiently transmit the output of the shaft 42 to the deforming portion 33. In addition, since the tip end portion 45 of the shaft 42 surely contacts the deforming portion 33 before the start of rotation and after the end of rotation, the maximum output immediately after the shaft 42 jumps out can be effectively transmitted to the deforming portion 33. The hinge member 3 can be reliably rotated to the target position.
Therefore, the hood support structure 1 capable of effectively absorbing the collision load F2 and performing stable operation can be provided.

Since the rigidity of the hinge member 3 is set to increase in the order of the deforming portion 33, the pedestal portion 31, and the supporting portion 32, the deforming portion 33 having the lowest rigidity can be preferentially deformed. Here, since the deformable portion 33 is more easily deformed by the contact of the actuator 4, it is not necessary to set the rigidity of the pedestal portion 31 and the support portion 32 to be excessively high. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the weight of the hinge member 3 and improve the degree of freedom in designing the hinge member 3.
The hood 2 is attached to the pedestal portion 31. As a result, the strength of the pedestal portion 31 is maintained, so that the rigidity of the pedestal portion 31 can be set lower than that of the support portion 32. On the other hand, by increasing the rigidity of the support portion 32, the deformation of the support portion 32 during the operation of the actuator 4 can be suppressed and the hinge member 3 can be operated immediately. Therefore, the hood support structure 1 that can be quickly operated can be provided.

Since the supporting member 32 is provided with the reinforcing member 30, the rigidity of the supporting unit 32 can be increased by providing the reinforcing member 30. Since the rigidity of the support portion 32 can be increased by such a simple configuration, the hood support structure 1 including the hinge member 3 having excellent workability during manufacturing can be obtained.

Further, since the supporting portion 32 is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the pedestal portion 31 and the deforming portion 33, by changing the material, the rigidity of the supporting portion 32 can be made higher than that of the pedestal portion 31 and the deforming portion 33. Can be increased. As a result, the shape of the support portion 32 can be made flexible. Therefore, the hood support structure 1 having the hinge member 3 with improved design flexibility can be obtained.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which the support portion 32 has the reinforcing member 30 and is made of a material having higher rigidity than the pedestal portion 31 and the deformation portion 33 has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this. The rigidity of the support portion 32 may be increased only by providing the reinforcing member 30 without changing the material of the support portion 32. Further, the rigidity of the support portion 32 may be increased only by changing the material without providing the reinforcing member 30.

The number of fastening holes 55 formed in the pedestal portion 31 of the hinge member 3 is not limited to the two in the embodiment. Although the hood 2 is fixed to the fastening hole 55 of the pedestal portion 31 with the bolts in the present embodiment, the hood 2 may be fixed by another method such as bonding, welding, or caulking. In this case, the fastening hole 55 may be omitted.

Further, notches or holes may be formed in the deformable portion 33. That is, in the present embodiment, the rigidity of the pedestal portion 31 and the support portion 32 is made higher than the rigidity of the deformation portion 33 to facilitate the deformation of the deformation portion 33, but the present invention is not limited to this. By providing the deformable portion 33 with a fragile portion such as a notch or a hole, the deformable portion 33 is configured to be weaker than the pedestal portion 31 and the support portion 32, and thus the deformable portion 33 can be easily deformed. Good.

The impact load F1 from the front of the vehicle body may be detected by a method other than the G sensor, such as a camera or an infrared laser.
Further, the hood support structure 1 may be applied to a trunk hood at the rear of the vehicle body V or other hoods. The hood support structure 1 of the present invention can be widely applied to other vehicles V including an energy storage such as a hybrid vehicle, an electric vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle and the like.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately replace the constituent elements in the above-described embodiments with known constituent elements within the scope of the present invention, and it is also possible to appropriately combine the modified examples described above.

1 Hood Support Structure 2 Hood 3 Hinge Member 4 Actuator 30 Opening 30 Reinforcing Member 31 Base 32 Supporting Part 33 Deformation 42 Shaft 45 Tip V V Car Body S1 First State S2 Second State

Claims (5)

A hood that closes the opening of the vehicle body,
A pedestal portion fixed to the hood, a support portion rotatably attached to the vehicle body, and a fragile member that is provided between the pedestal portion and the support portion and is weaker than the pedestal portion and the support portion. A hinge member having a deformable portion,
An actuator that has a shaft that protrudes along a predetermined direction that tilts rearward of the vehicle body, and that moves the hood upward from the opening by causing the tip end portion of the shaft to contact the deformable portion;
A hood support structure characterized by having. The predetermined direction is set along a straight line connecting the deformable portion in the first state before the start of rotation of the support portion and the deformable portion in the second state after the end of rotation of the support portion. The hood support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The rigidity of the support portion is higher than the rigidity of the pedestal portion,
The hood support structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pedestal portion has a rigidity higher than that of the deformable portion. The hood support structure according to claim 3, wherein the support portion is provided with a reinforcing member. The hood support structure according to claim 3, wherein the support portion is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the pedestal portion and the deformable portion.

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