JP2917585B2 - Car cowl box - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cowl box of a motor vehicle, and more particularly to a structure for absorbing a shock from above.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A cowl box in a two-box type or three-box type passenger car separates an engine room and a vehicle compartment with a dash lower and has a portion for taking in outside air into the vehicle compartment. A cowl top having an upper wall and a vertical wall on the engine room side, and a dash upper on the vehicle interior side have a closed section of a rectangular cylindrical shape extending in the vehicle width direction. This similar structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 61-282170 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-16766.
No. 9 discloses this.

[0003]

In the conventional cowl box described above, since the hot air in the engine room is not taken in, the vertical wall of the cowl top has a through hole, a notch or the like. There are few.
Therefore, when the cowl box receives an impact from above, the vertical wall has such a characteristic that it easily exerts a drag.

[0004]

[MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS] The front of the front window.
A cowl top having an upper wall facing the outside of the vehicle and a vertical wall facing the engine room facing the upper wall, and a dash upper facing the passenger compartment, in automobile cowl box constituting the rectangular tube-shaped closed cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, Rutotomoni provided energy <br/> formic absorbing portion extending in the vehicle width direction to the rear edge of the front SL on wall, said vertical wall From above
Energy absorbing part that buckles under impact load in the vehicle width direction
It is provided along .

[0005]

[Action] When the cowl box receives an impact from above,
The energy absorbing portion provided on the vertical wall contracts and deforms, and at the same time, the energy absorbing portion provided on the upper wall expands and deforms, thereby absorbing an impact from above.

[0006]

【Example】

First Embodiment As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a cowl box 1 according to the first embodiment roughly includes a cowl top 2 formed of a panel material and a dash upper 3 formed of a panel material.
Thus, it has a rectangular cylindrical closed cross section extending in the vehicle width direction. The cowl top 2 is a separate member from an upper panel 4 as an upper wall on the outside of the vehicle and a vertical panel 5 as a vertical wall on the engine room side.

The upper panel 4 has a rectangular shape that is long in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above the vehicle body. The length of the upper panel 4 in the vehicle width direction is longer than the length of the vertical panel 5 in the vehicle width direction. At the rear end of the upper panel 4 in the vehicle front-rear direction, a flange 6 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed so as to be bent upward and rearward. A glass receiving portion 7 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed so as to bulge upward in a front portion of the upper panel 4 from the flange 6. An energy absorbing portion 8 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed in a wave shape by being alternately bent up and down as viewed from the vehicle width direction, at a position in front of the glass receiving portion 7 of the upper panel 4. Both ends of the energy absorbing portion 8 in the vehicle width direction extend above the front hood ridge reinforcement 32 while bending forward. A wiper device mounting portion 1 having a plurality of through holes 9 in the vehicle width direction inner side of the front hood ridge reinforcement 32 of the upper panel 4 and in front of the energy absorbing portion 8.
0 is formed. At both ends in the vehicle width direction of the upper panel 4,
Flange 1 extending from front end of upper panel 4 to flange 6
1 is bent upward.

The vertical panel 5 serves as a front vertical wall when viewed as the cowl box 1. The left and right front hood ridge reinforcements 3 as viewed from the front of the vehicle body.
It is a rectangle that is horizontally long in the vehicle width direction between the two. Flanges 12 and 13 are formed at the upper end and lower end of the vertical panel 5 in the vehicle vertical direction so as to be bent forward. A portion between the flanges 12 and 13 of the vertical panel 5 is bent into a mountain shape protruding forward to form an energy absorbing portion 14. A plurality of vertically long slots 15 are formed in the energy absorbing portion 14 in parallel in the vehicle width direction. As shown by phantom lines in FIG. 1, these long holes 15 bond a film member 16 such as an aluminum film, which has almost no strength against impact, to the side of the engine room of the energy absorbing portion 14 of the vertical panel 5. By doing so, the film member 16 is closed so that hot air in the engine room does not enter the cowl box 1.

On the other hand, the dash upper 3 has a bottom wall 17.
And a rear wall 18. The bottom wall 17 has a rectangular shape that is horizontally long in the vehicle width direction when viewed from above the vehicle body. The rear wall 18 serves as a rear vertical wall when viewed as the cowl box 1, and has a vehicle width formed by bending upward from a rear end of the bottom wall 17 in the vehicle longitudinal direction when viewed from the front of the vehicle body. It is a rectangle that is long in the direction. At the upper end of the vertical wall 18, a flange 19 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed so as to be bent rearward and upward.

Further, the dash upper 3 is provided with a rectangular reinforcing member 20 which is formed of a panel member straddling the bottom wall 17 and the vertical wall 18 and which is horizontally long in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcing member 20 forms a closed cross section extending in the vehicle width direction in the cowl box 1 by the bottom wall 17 and the vertical wall 18 of the dash upper 3 so as to be triangular in cross section when viewed from the vehicle width direction. A flange 21 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided at an upper end of the reinforcing member 20.
Are bent upward and backward. Reinforcing member 2
A flange 22 extending in the width direction of the vehicle is horizontally bent toward the front at the lower end of the zero.

Here, in order to assemble the cowl box 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the lower flange 22 of the reinforcing member 20 is vertically placed on the front-rear intermediate portion of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3. Spot welding from the direction. The front end of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3 is superimposed on the flange 31 bent forward from the upper end of the dash lower 30, and the cowl is placed on the front end of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3. The lower flange 13 of the vertical panel 5 of the top 2
The flange 13 of the vertical panel 5, the front end of the dash upper 3, and the flange 31 of the dash lower 30 are spot-welded from above and below. Both ends of the vertical panel 5 in the vehicle width direction are formed on the vertical inner wall surface of the front hood ridge reinforcement 32 in the vehicle width direction when the vertical panel 5 receives a compressive force from above due to an impact from above and contracts and deforms. It is bonded with a filler 23 such as a silicone filler having a weak bonding strength to such an extent that it can be peeled off. The front end of the upper panel 4 of the cowl top 2 is spot-welded on the upper flange 12 of the vertical panel 5 from above and below. A portion of the upper panel 4 projecting outward in the vehicle width direction from the vertical panel 5 is overlapped on the front hood ridge reinforcement 32. In the portion of the upper panel 4 overlapped with the front hood ridge reinforcement 32, a portion located between the flange 11 on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the upper panel 4 and the energy absorbing portion 8 is attached to the front hood ridge reinforcement 32. Spot welding is performed on the upper surface from above and below.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the flanges 11 on both sides in the vehicle width direction of the upper panel 4 are connected to a vertical wall surface inside the front pillar 34 in the vehicle width direction and the front hood ridge reinforcement 3.
2 to the vertical wall surface inside the upper joint flange 33 in the vehicle width direction,
Spot welded from the vehicle width direction. This upper panel 4
The portion of the flange 11 spot-welded to the front hood ridge reinforcement 32 is covered with a front hood fender 35 as shown in FIGS. Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear flange 6 of the upper panel 4 is overlapped on the upper flange 21 of the reinforcing member 20, and the upper flange 21 of the reinforcing member 20 is connected to the dash upper 3. Of the upper panel 4, the flange 21 of the reinforcing member 20, and the flange 19 of the dash upper 3,
Spot welded from diagonally up and down directions.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a lower edge portion of the windshield 36 is mounted on the cowl box 1 assembled in this manner. That is, the weather strip 37 is provided to the upper flange 6 of the upper panel 4, the upper flange 21 of the reinforcing member 20, and the upper flange 19 of the dash upper 3 in the cowl box 1.
Is installed. A lower edge portion of a windshield 36 is fitted into a groove 38 formed at an upper portion of a mounting portion of the weather strip 37 to the cowl box 1. The weather strip 37 is in contact with the glass receiving portion 7 of the cowl box 1 from obliquely above, and connects the glass receiving portion 7 with the energy absorbing portion 8 provided in front of the glass receiving portion 7. , Coated. As shown in FIG. 5, a stopper 39 made of a soft elastic material is mounted on the front end of the upper panel 4 and the upper flange 12 of the vertical panel 5 in the cowl box 1. The stopper 39 is for receiving a rear end portion of the closed engine hood 40 spaced apart from the cowl box 1.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the engine hood 40 is closed, a downward impact indicated by an arrow P is applied from above to the rear end of the engine hood 40 so that an object not shown collides from above. Is applied, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the cowl box 1 is crushed and absorbs an impact. Specifically, when an impact indicated by an arrow P in FIG. 5 is applied to the rear end of the engine hood 40, the rear end of the engine hood 40 contacts the stopper 39, and the cowl box 1 receives an impact from above. The energy absorbing portion 14 of the vertical panel 5 of the cowl top 2 contracts and deforms, and the energy absorbing portion 8 of the upper panel 4 expands and deforms. That is, while the cowl box 1 is being crushed, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper panel 4 is almost uniformly deformed without being largely inclined forward, so that the rear end portion of the engine hood 40 is attached to the cowl top 2 which is being deformed. Caught on, cowl box 1
Does not collapse on the way, as shown in FIG.
The upper panel 4 and the vertical panel 5 can be sufficiently deformed to absorb the impact. At this time, in the first embodiment, since the plurality of long holes 15 are formed in the energy absorbing portion 14,
The energy absorbing portion 14 contracts and deforms very easily.

Further, since the reinforcing member 20 is provided across the bottom wall 17 and the vertical wall 18 of the dash upper 3, a closed cross-section of a triangular cross section formed by the reinforcing member 20 and the dash upper 3 is accompanied by the above-mentioned collapse. Is not deformed, and the cowl box 1 does not protrude toward the passenger compartment. In addition, even when the impact due to the arrow P is large and proceeds from the collapsed state shown in FIG. 8 and the impact is applied to the reinforcing member 20 as shown by the arrow X in FIG. Although the closed cross section of the triangular cross section formed by the reinforcing member 20 and the dash upper 3 is deformed with the deformation, the dash upper 3
The bottom wall 17 and the vertical wall 18 are drawn toward each other around the continuous corner, and the dash upper 3 does not protrude toward the passenger compartment.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, when an impact from above is applied to both sides of the cowl box 1 in the vehicle width direction, for example, the vicinity of the wiper device mounting portion 10 of the upper panel 4, the vertical panel 5 The filler 23 bonded to the front hood ridge reinforcement 32 is peeled off, and the energy absorbing portion 14 of the vertical panel 5 shrinks and deforms, and at the same time, the portion of the energy absorbing portion 8 of the upper panel 4 extending in the vehicle width direction. The portion extending forward extends and deforms. Therefore, the rear end of the engine hood 40 does not interfere with the cowl top 2 being deformed while the cowl box 1 is being crushed as described above. The panel 4 and the vertical panel 5 can be sufficiently deformed to absorb the impact.

Second Embodiment As shown in FIG. 10, in this second embodiment, the cowl top 2 is formed by a single panel material so that an upper wall 4A in the vehicle width direction and a vertical wall 5A on the engine room side are formed. It is formed to have. On the upper wall 4A, a flange 6 for spot welding to the flange 19 of the dash upper 3 and the flange 21 of the reinforcing member 20, a glass receiving portion 7, and a waveform energy absorbing portion 8 are formed. Further, the vertical wall 5A is provided with energy absorbing portions 14A projecting rearward at two upper and lower portions in a mountain shape. Each of the two upper and lower energy absorbing sections 14A has a plurality of vertically long holes 1.
5A are formed in parallel in the vehicle width direction. These slots 15
A: A film member (not shown) having almost no strength against an impact from above similar to that of the first embodiment is adhered to the side of the engine room of the vertical wall 5A to be closed by the film member (not shown). ing. Also, cowl top 2A
The lower flange 13 and the front end of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3 are spot-welded from above and below. The portion between the front end of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3 and the flange arrangement portion is formed by the flange 31 of the dash lower 30.
And spot welding from above and below.

According to the second embodiment, the vertical wall 5A is provided with the upper and lower two-tiered mountain-shaped energy absorbing portions 14A.
When the cowl top 2A receives an impact from above, the vertical wall 5A tends to contract and deform. Moreover, since the cowl top 2A is formed of one panel material, the number of spot welding spots is smaller than that of the case where the cowl top 2 is formed of two panel materials as in the first embodiment. The number of spot welding operations can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the first and second embodiments, but may be modified as shown in FIG. 11 or FIG.

That is, in the one shown in FIG. 11, the cowl top 2B is formed of one panel material as in the second embodiment, but the vertical wall 5B of the cowl top 2B is connected to the reinforcing member 20. It is bent at an acute angle toward the side. In this vertical wall 5B, a plurality of vertically long holes 15B are formed in parallel in the vehicle width direction as energy absorbing portions 14B. Like the first embodiment, the long hole 15B is formed by bonding a film member (not shown) having almost no strength against impact from above to the side of the engine room of the vertical wall 5B, thereby forming the film member (not shown). It is closed by. Also, the reinforcing member 2
A lower flange 22A extends forward. The extended flange 22A is overlapped on the front end of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3 overlapped on the flange 31 of the dash lower 30 and spot-welded from above and below. On the bent corner of the extended flange 22A,
The flange 13 of the vertical wall 5B bent at the acute angle is spot-welded from above and below.

The cowl top 2C shown in FIG.
However, similarly to the second embodiment, the vertical wall 5C of the cowl top 2C is formed to be bent substantially vertically, as in the second embodiment. The vertical wall 5C has an energy absorbing portion 1
As 4C, a plurality of vertically long holes 15C are formed in parallel in the vehicle width direction. Like the first embodiment, the long hole 15C is formed by bonding a film member (not shown) having almost no strength against impact from above to the side of the engine room of the vertical wall 5C, thereby forming the film member (not shown). It is closed by. The flange 13 of the cowl top 2C and the front end of the bottom wall 17 of the dash upper 3 are spot-welded from above and below. Also, the bottom wall 1 of the dash upper 3
The portion between the front end portion of the dash lower 7 and the flange arrangement portion is spot-welded to the flange 31 of the dash lower 30 from above and below.

Further, although not shown in the drawings, the center portion of the cowl box 1 in the vehicle width direction is more easily crushed than both side portions in the vehicle width direction. One energy absorbing unit 1 as in one embodiment
4 is provided, and a plurality of energy absorbing portions 14A as in the second embodiment are provided on both side portions of the vertical wall in the vehicle width direction to control an impact absorbing effect due to a difference in position of the cowl top in the vehicle width direction. You can also.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the energy absorbing portions are provided on the upper wall on the vehicle exterior side and the vertical wall on the engine room side of the cowl top, the cowl box is subjected to an impact from above. In this case, the energy absorbing portion provided on the vertical wall contracts and deforms, and at the same time, the energy absorbing portion provided on the upper wall expands and deforms, so that the impact from above can be sufficiently absorbed. In addition, while the cowl box is being crushed, the upper wall is almost uniformly deformed without being greatly inclined to the front side. Can be sufficiently deformed to absorb an impact from above.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view in which a windshield and an engine hood are arranged in the cowl box of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion indicated by an arrow C in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory view of the first embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing a different modification of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 cowl box 2, 2A, 2B, 2C cowl top 3 dash upper 4 upper panel (upper wall) 4A, 4B, 4C upper wall 5 vertical panel (vertical wall) 5A, 5B, 5C vertical wall 8, 14, 14A, 14B, 14C ... energy absorbing section

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B62D 25/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A and the cowl top and a vertical wall facing the engine compartment side is provided continuously to the upper wall and the upper wall disposed in front of the front window and facing the exterior side, a surface on the cabin side
In the dash upper to, in motor vehicle cowl box constituting the rectangular tube-shaped closed cross section extending in the vehicle width direction, Ru provided <br/> the energy absorbing portion extending in the vehicle width direction to the rear edge of the front SL on wall At the same time, the vertical wall buckles under an impact load from above.
A cowl box for an automobile, wherein the energy absorbing portion is provided along a vehicle width direction .