JP2837721B2 - Vehicle front body structure and method of assembling the same - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile and an assembling method thereof.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an automobile assembly line (main line), mounting parts such as a bumper, a radiator grill, a headlamp, and a radiator at a front portion of a vehicle body are individually assembled to a vehicle body at individual stations. At present, the number of stations is increased, and the length of the assembly line is lengthened and complicated at present.
Further, in a mixed flow line for assembling a plurality of types of automobiles, an operator must determine whether or not to install the above-mentioned components in accordance with the type of the vehicle, which is particularly problematic in terms of workability.

Therefore, some of the above mounting parts are unitized,
It is conceivable to facilitate the work on the assembly line and reduce the number of stations. With this configuration, the unit is assembled separately, which is advantageous in terms of the mounting accuracy of each mounting component in the unit.

From such a viewpoint, for example, as described in JP-A-63-103771, various components such as a radiator, a headlamp, a bumper, and a radiator grill are assembled into a radiator core support to form a unit. It has been proposed to assemble it on the front part of the vehicle body.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in such a structure, since the positional relationship between the bumper stay supporting the bumper and the front side frame is vertically shifted, the input to the bumper at the time of a frontal collision or the like. The load is not transmitted to the front side frame which is excellent in strength, and is inferior in shock absorption.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a front body structure of an automobile and a method of assembling the same, which can ensure shock absorption at the time of a frontal collision without impairing the workability of mounting a bumper. It is intended for.

(Means for Solving the Problems) According to the invention of claim (1), a nose unit includes at least a bumper, a rectangular tubular junction panel supporting the bumper, and a shroud panel to which a rear end of the junction panel is connected. The nose unit is mounted on the front part of a vehicle body having left and right front side frames forming a closed cross-sectional structure. The end portions of the side frames are mounted so as to be coaxial with each other, and a flat junction plate is interposed between them along with the shroud panel.

The invention of claim (2) is configured such that the nose unit has a cross member having a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body and supporting a lower portion of a weight member such as a radiator.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the junction panel, the outer panel and the inner panel are joined to each other,
A portion of one of the panels extends downward to form a tie-down hook.

According to the invention of claim (4), a cross member having a closed sectional structure extending in the left-right direction is provided between the left and right front side frames of the vehicle body, and the nose unit is formed by a bracket projecting from the junction panel and extending toward the vehicle body center. Supports weight members such as radiators.

Further, the invention of claim (5) provides at least a bumper,
A nose unit is composed of a rectangular tubular junction panel that supports the bumper and a shroud panel to which the rear end of the junction panel is connected. A method of assembling a front end of a body portion of a vehicle, comprising: attaching a flat junction plate to one of a back surface of a shroud panel to which a rear end of the junction panel is connected and a front end of a front side frame. The rear end of the junction panel and the front end of the front side frame on the vehicle body side are aligned on the same axis, and the rear end of the junction panel and the front end of the front side frame are connected to the junction plate. And a step of fastening through .

(Operation) According to the invention of claim (1), the load input to the bumper is transmitted to the front side frame via the junction panel, the shroud panel, and the junction plate. At this time, the junction plate increases the strength of the joint between the rear end of the junction panel and the front end of the front side frame, so that the joint does not bend.

According to the invention of claim (2), a heavy member such as a heavy radiator is supported by the cross member having a closed sectional structure having excellent strength.

According to the invention of claim (3), the tie-down hook is formed by a part of the outer panel or the inner panel constituting the highly rigid rectangular tubular junction panel, and the rigidity of the tie-down hook is ensured.

According to the invention of claim (4), the rigidity of the front portion of the vehicle body main body to which the nose unit is assembled is increased by the cross member having the closed cross-section structure, and the heavy member such as the heavy radiator is connected to the highly rigid junction. The panel is supported via a bracket.

According to the invention of claim (5), the rear end of the junction panel on the nose unit side and the front end of the front side frame on the vehicle body side are coaxial.
Further, the rear end of the junction panel and the front end of the front side frame are fastened via a flat junction plate.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1 showing the front of a car, 1 is a car,
A nose unit 3 is attached to a front portion of the vehicle body 2. Front fenders 4, 4 are provided outside the both sides of the vehicle body 2, and a hood 5 is provided above the front part.

As shown in detail in FIG. 2, the vehicle body 2 includes a wheel apron which forms left and right side walls of an engine room 11.
Front side frames 13, 13 are joined to the lower side of 12, 12, and a wheel apron reinforcement 14 is joined to the upper side of the wheel aprons 12, 12, to form a closed cross-sectional structure extending vertically in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It is configured. At the front end of the wheel apron 12 and the front end of the front side frame 13, mounting flanges 12a and 12b are formed. Also, on the upper side of the front side frame 13,
A mounting bracket 15 is fixedly provided.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, the nose unit 3 is joined to an upper end portion of the shroud panels 21 and 21 to a shroud upper 22 extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. The shroud upper 22 has a vertical wall portion extending vertically.
22A and an upper wall 22B extending rearward from an upper edge of the vertical wall 22A.
And a rear wall portion 22C extending downward from the rear edge of the upper wall portion 22B, and a pair of vertical members 23 is hung from the center of the upper wall portion 22B in the left-right direction of the vehicle body. The above vertical member 2
The shrouds 3 and 23 may be formed integrally with the shroud panels 21 and 21 and may be configured as a part of the shroud panel.

At the lower ends of the vertical members 23, 23, an upper member 26A is provided.
And a lower member 26B are joined, and a cross member 26 having a closed sectional structure extending in the left-right direction is provided. Cross member
26 is a condenser 24A and a radiator 2
Support brackets 27, 27 that support the lower part of 4B are on the rear side, and support brackets that support the lower part of the intercooler 51 described later.
30, 30 are protruding from the front side, respectively.

The capacitor 24A and the radiator 24B are integrally connected by a member (not shown), and their lower ends are supported by support brackets 27, 27 via rubber mount members 29A, 29B.
The upper end is fastened by bolts 25 to the upper wall 22B of the shroud door upper 22 via the mounting brackets 28, 28.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, the shroud panel 21 has an outer panel 31 and an inner panel.
A rear end portion of a rectangular cylindrical junction panel 33 formed by bonding the junction panels 32 to each other is attached. The junction panel 33 is joined so that its rear end is on the same axis as the front end of the front side frame 13, and a flat junction plate 34 is provided between the junction panel 33 and the shroud panel 21 therebetween. ing.

Outer panel constituting the above-mentioned junction panel 33
Reference numeral 31 is a flat plate having fastening flange portions 31a and 31b at front and rear ends. Further, the inner panel 32 has a side wall portion 32b extending in the vertical direction parallel to the outer panel 31 and having a fastening flange portion 32a at a front end, and a fastening flange portion 32c extending at the rear end from the upper end edge of the side wall portion 32b toward the outer panel 31 side. Upper wall 32d,
A lower wall portion 32f extending from the lower end edge of the side wall portion 32b to the outer panel 31 side and having a fastening flange portion 32e at a rear end, and a joint extending up and down from the upper and lower wall portions 32d, 32f and being joined to upper and lower end edges of the outer panel 31. It has a hat-shaped cross section having flange portions 32g and 32h. On the side wall portion 32b of the inner panel 32, together with the vertical member 23, the upper panel of the cross member 26 is provided.
The end of 26A is attached by bolts 35,35. The end of the lower panel 26B of the cross member 26 is
It is attached to the lower wall 32f.

Also, a set of three bolts 43, 43, 43 erected from a bumper reinforcement 42 to which a bumper 41 is adhered is connected to the end of the outer panel 31 of the junction panel 33 (the fastening flange of the fastening flange 31a and the inner panel 32). Part 32
a), whereby the bumper 41 is supported by the junction panel 33.

Both ends of the bumper 41 are respectively provided with bolts 45, 45 erected from the bumper 41 and mounting holes 41a of the bumper 41.
And is fixedly connected to a mounting portion 4a of the front fender 4 of the vehicle body 2 through a bolt (not shown) applied through the shaft.

The mounting portions 22b, 22b at both ends of the upper wall portion 22B of the shroud door 22 are superposed on the mounting portion 4b of the front fender 4 in a state where the nose unit 3 is mounted on the front portion of the vehicle body 2, The bolts 36, 36 fasten and fix the switch to the mounting portion 4b (the front fender 4) and the wheel apron reinforcement 14. At this time, a nut (not shown) is fixed to the inner surface of the wheel apron reinforcement 14 provided below the mounting portion 4b of the front fender 4 corresponding to the bolts 36, 36.

51 is an intercooler, the upper part of which is a mounting bracket 5
Bolt 5 to vertical wall 22A of shroud upper 22 through 2,52
3,53.

Reference numeral 54 denotes a radiator grill located at the front center of the vehicle, left and right mounting portions 54a, 54a are provided in mounting holes of the vertical wall portion 22A of the shroud door 22, and a central mounting portion 54b is provided on a vertical member 56 of the hood lock means 55. Are respectively fitted and fixed in the mounting holes. 57 is an attachment for the bonnet lock means 55
These bolts fasten and fix 58 to the front wall 22A of the shroud upper 22.

61A, 61B are left and right lamp units, and the upper end mounting portions 61a, 61a of the respective units are attached to the vertical wall portion 22A of the shroud door 22 by bolts 62, 62, and the lower end mounting portions 61b are attached to the shroud panel 21 by bolts 63. The bolts 62 and 63 and the lower end mounting portion 61b are shown and fixed only for the lamp unit 61A. 64, 65 are harnesses for connection of an electric system, the former 64 is fastened to the cross member 26 via mounting tools 66, 66 and bolts 67, 67, and the latter 65 is through mounting tools 68, 68. The shroud upper 22 is fitted and fixed in a mounting hole of the upper wall portion 22B. Reference numerals 71, 71 denote cushioning members when the bonnet 5 is closed, and are fitted and fixed to the upper wall portion 22B of the shroud upper 22.

When the front body of the automobile is assembled, the rear end of the junction panel 33 provided on the assembled front nose unit 3 and the front end of the front side frame 13 on the body 2 are aligned with each other. This is performed by positioning and mounting the nose unit 3 with respect to the vehicle body 2. At this time, before the flat nose unit 3 is mounted on the vehicle body 2 side, the flat junction plate 34 is provided on the back surface of the shroud panel 21 connected to the rear end of the junction panel 33 on the front nose unit 3 side. Or fixed to
Alternatively, it may be fixed to the tip of the front side frame 13 on the vehicle body 2 side.

When the front nose unit 3 and the vehicle body 2 are combined, the junction plate
At the rear end of the junction panel 33 via the shroud panel 21 and the flange portion 32c formed along the surface of the shroud panel 21 and the front side frame 1
3 and the mounting bracket 15 fixed to the end of the mounting bracket 15, the bolt 17 fixed to the flange portion 32c so as to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction, is inserted into a bolt hole provided in the mounting bracket 15, the mounting bracket 15 Fastening is performed by tightening the nut 18 from the back.

Similarly, the fastening flange 31b provided at the rear end of the junction panel 33 is fastened and fixed to the mounting flange 12b of the wheel apron 12 provided at the tip of the front side frame 13 by bolts and nuts. Has become.

With the above configuration, the rear end of the junction panel 33 supporting the bumper 41 and the front side frame
13 are joined so as to be coaxial with each other, and the junction plate 34 located between them and the shroud panel 21 increases the strength of the joining portion. No phenomenon occurs, and the load input from the bumper 41 is reliably transmitted to the front side frame 13, and the impact is effectively absorbed. Therefore, the uniting does not impair the frontal collision performance. Further, since the strength of the connecting portion is increased by a simple structure using the junction plate 34, the overall weight of the vehicle does not increase so much, and the workability of assembling the nose unit 3 to the vehicle body 2 is not impaired.

Also, the radiator 24A which is a heavy weight member,
Since the condenser 24B and the intercooler 51 are supported by the cross member 26 of the nose unit 3 having high rigidity,
It is possible to improve the workability of assembling them by unitization while securing their support rigidity.

The junction panel has a high rigidity in the shape of a rectangular tube formed by joining two panels. Therefore, a part of one of the two panels is extended downward to form a tie-down hook. Can also. That is, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, a part of the outer panel 81 of the rectangular cylindrical junction panel 83 formed by joining the outer panel 81 and the inner panel 82 is extended downward to form a tie-down hook. By configuring the tie 84, the rigidity of the tie down hook 84 can be ensured. Further, in addition to providing the tie-down hook 84, the traction hook 87 can be fixed to the lower surface of the lower panel 86 of the cross member 85 joined to the lower wall of the inner panel 82.

In the above embodiment, the nose unit 3 is provided with the cross member 26 having a closed cross section. However, as shown by a chain line in FIG. By providing the member 91 and connecting the left and right front side frames 13, 13 with the cross member 91, the rigidity of the front portion of the vehicle body 2 is secured, and the positioning accuracy when the nose unit 3 is inserted is secured. You. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, if a weight member such as the radiator 24B is supported via a support bracket 93 projecting from the junction panel 92 and extending toward the center of the vehicle body, the radiator 24B The supporting rigidity of the weight member which requires the supporting rigidity is not impaired. A bracket 96 that projects rearward and supports a lower portion of the intercooler 51 is attached to the bumper reinforcement 95 of the bumper 94. 97 is shroud panel,
98 is a shroud upper. In that case, radiator 24
Bumper reinforcement 95 for heavy components such as B
The bracket 93A protrudes from the
A to support the lower part of the radiator 24B etc.,
The support rigidity can be further increased.

(Effect of the Invention) According to the invention of claim 1 (1), the rear end of the junction panel supporting the bumper and the front end of the front side frame are coupled so as to be on the same axis, and between them. The junction plate located together with the shroud panel increases the strength of the joint, so even if a large load is applied to the bumper during a head-on collision, the joint will not bend and the load will be transmitted to the front side frame. It does not impair head-on collision performance. In addition, since the structure is such that a junction plate is simply interposed between the rear end of the junction panel and the front end of the front side frame together with the shroud panel, the overall weight of the vehicle does not increase so much, and the nose unit does not increase. It does not impair assembly workability.

According to the invention of claim (2), since the weight member such as the radiator is supported by the cross member having the closed cross-sectional structure, the rigidity of supporting the weight member such as the radiator can be secured.

According to the invention of claim (3), since the tie-down hook is formed by a part of the panel constituting the highly rigid rectangular tubular junction panel, the rigidity of the tie-down hook is ensured.

According to the invention of claim (4), since the left and right front side frames are connected by the cross member having the closed cross-sectional structure, the rigidity of the vehicle body is secured, and the positioning accuracy when the nose unit is inserted is secured. In addition, since the weight member such as the radiator is supported on the junction panel via the bracket, the support rigidity of the weight member is not impaired.

According to the invention of claim (5), the rear end of the junction panel on the nose unit side and the front end of the front side frame on the vehicle body side are coaxial.
Further, since both parts are fastened via a flat junction plate, a structure capable of transmitting the load from the bumper to the front side frame can be simply and easily assembled by unitizing the nose unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a perspective view of a front part of a vehicle, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a front part of a body of the vehicle, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a nose unit, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the nose unit, FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the vicinity of the junction panel, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a main part in a state after assembly.
7 to 9 show another embodiment, FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 showing a state after assembling, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are tie-down hooks and towing for a junction panel. It is the front view and perspective view which show the state of a hook. FIG. 10 is a schematic sectional view showing still another embodiment, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the same. 1 Car 2 Body 3 Nose unit 13 Front side frame 21,97 Shroud panel 24B Radiator 26,91 Cross member 33,83,92 Junction panel 34 Junction plate 41,94 Bumper 81 Outer panel 82 Inner panel 84 Tie-down hook 93 Support bracket

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takashi Kitayama 3-1, Shinchi, Fuchu-cho, Aki-gun, Hiroshima Prefecture Inside Mazda Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-57-194135 (JP, A) Shokai Sho62 −171349 (JP, U) Actual opening 62-21605 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B62D 25/08 B62D 65/00 B60R 19/24

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] A nose unit is constituted by at least a bumper, a rectangular tubular junction panel supporting the bumper, and a shroud panel to which a rear end of the junction panel is connected. A structure in which a front side frame to be formed is attached to a front portion of a vehicle body having left and right sides, wherein a rear end portion of the junction panel and a front end portion of the front side frame on the vehicle body side are coaxial. A front vehicle body structure for a motor vehicle, wherein a flat junction plate is provided between the mounting plate and the shroud panel. 2. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the nose unit has a cross member having a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle body and supporting a lower part of a weight member such as a radiator. 3. The junction panel according to claim 1, wherein the outer panel and the inner panel are joined to each other, and a part of one of the two panels is extended downward to form a tie-down hook. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim (1) or (2). 4. A cross member having a closed cross-section structure extending in the left-right direction is provided between left and right front side frames of the vehicle body, and the nose unit is weighted by a bracket protruding from the junction panel and extending toward the center of the vehicle body such as a radiator. The front body structure of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the member supports the member. 5. A nose unit comprising at least a bumper, a rectangular tubular junction panel supporting the bumper, and a shroud panel to which a rear end of the junction panel is connected, wherein the nose unit has a closed sectional structure. A method of assembling a front side frame to be formed to a front portion of a vehicle body having left and right sides, wherein the rear end portion of the junction panel is connected to one of a rear surface of a shroud panel and a front end portion of a front side frame. A step of mounting a flat junction plate, and the rear end of the junction panel and the front end of the front side frame on the vehicle body side are aligned on the same axis, and the rear end of the junction panel and the front side frame Through the junction plate Front body assembly method of a motor vehicle, characterized by a step of fastening Te.