JP3168916B2 - Front body structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle front body structure, and more particularly to a vehicle front body structure having a front end panel.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 shows a typical example of a front body structure of a vehicle provided with a front end panel. A front grill 1 and left and right headlamps 2 (only one of which is shown in the figure) are shown. An elongated strip-shaped front end panel 5 is interposed between a front bumper 7 provided below and both ends thereof are fixed to front ends of the left and right front fender panels 3. In the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes a hood.

The front bumper 7 is supported at both ends by bumper reinforcements 71 fixed to the left and right front fender panels 3, and both ends are fixed to the front ends of left and right front side members (not shown) in the supported state. .

[0004] An air cleaner duct 8 is provided on the left end side of the bottom of the front body of the vehicle, a front end penetrates through the lamp housing 21, and a front end opening 81 is arranged behind the front end panel 5. .

[0005]

In the above-described conventional structure, rainwater and snow enter through upper and lower gaps of the front end panel 5 when the vehicle is running. Rainwater and snow entering from the upper gap are blocked by the lower end of the headlamp 2, but rainwater and snow from the lower gap may directly enter the air cleaner duct 8. On the other hand, the front end panel 5 and the bumper reinforcement 71 tend to vary during the construction, and the variation in the width between the front end panel 5 and the front bumper 7 does not become constant, which impairs the appearance of the front vehicle body.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent rainwater or snow from entering an air cleaner duct, and at the same time, to keep a parting width between a front end panel and a front bumper constant.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a belt-shaped front end panel is provided between a front grille, head lamps provided on the left and right sides thereof, and a front bumper provided below the front grille. In a vehicle having an air cleaner duct opening behind one end of the vehicle, brackets are provided on both right and left ends of the front end panel, the front bumper is supported by both brackets, and one bracket is provided in front of the opening. The gap between the front end panel and the front bumper is closed (claim 1).

The bracket has a substantially U-shaped cross section and a width wider than the opening. One of the opposite side walls is fixed to the lower edge of the end panel, and the other side wall is the upper edge of the front bumper. (Claim 2).

Accordingly, the gap between the front end panel and the front bumper in front of the air duct is closed by one of the left and right brackets, so that rainwater or snow can be prevented from entering the air cleaner duct. Further, since the front bumper is positioned and supported by the left and right brackets fixed to the front end panel, the parting width between the two is constant, and the appearance of the front vehicle body is good.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The figure shows the left half of the front of the vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a front grill 1 is provided at the center of the front of the vehicle, and a headlamp 2 is provided outside the front grill. A clearance lamp 21 is further provided on a side edge of the headlamp 2. In the figure, reference numeral 4 denotes a hood.

Below the front grille 1 and the headlamp 2, there is provided a front end panel 5 extending along left and right front fender panels 3 along lower edges thereof. As shown in FIGS. 1C and 2, the front end panel 5 is formed in a narrow band shape and has a U-shaped cross section having flanges extending rearward at upper and lower edges, respectively. Both ends are fixed to the front end of the front fender panel 3. Further, a front bumper 7 is provided along a lower edge of the front end panel 5.

An air cleaner duct 8 penetrates a lamp housing panel 21 provided at the rear of the headlamp 2 at the bottom of the left end at the front of the vehicle, and is opened at a position rearward of a corner-shaped end of the front end panel 5. 81 is disposed facing forward.

A bracket 6 is provided at the left end of the front end panel 5 at a position in front of the opening 81 of the air cleaner duct 8. A bracket 6 is also provided at the right end of the front end panel 5 (not shown). The bracket 6 has a substantially U-shaped cross section obtained by bending an iron plate, and has a shape wider than the opening 81 of the air cleaner duct 8.
The bracket 6 has an opening facing forward, a lower edge flange portion of the front end panel 5 inserted between opposing side walls, and overlapped and welded to one side wall (upper wall). The bracket 6 is fixed along the end of the front end panel 5 which is curved into a corner shape, and the whole is slightly oblique to the front of the vehicle body.

The front bumper 7 is made of a synthetic resin material, and both side ends are curved rearward along the front fender panel 3 to form a corner of the front vehicle body. The front bumper 7 is mounted on a lower wall of a bracket 6 fixed to the front end panel 5 with a flange formed toward the rear of an upper edge thereof. It is fixed.

According to the above-described embodiment, the gap between the lower edge of the front end panel 5 and the upper edge of the front bumper 7 in front of the opening 81 of the air cleaner duct 8 has a U-shaped cross section wider than the opening 81. The bracket 6 is closed by a vertical wall of the bracket 6 and the bracket 6 is attached in a direction of retreating obliquely along a corner of the vehicle. Since the water is efficiently discharged to the outside, rainwater and snow do not enter the air cleaner duct 8 and do not accumulate in the bracket 6.

The brackets 6 are provided at both left and right ends of the front end panel 5. The front bumper 7 is positioned by the brackets 6 with respect to the front end panel 5, so that the lower edge of the front end panel 5 is provided. The width of the front bumper 7 and the upper edge of the front bumper 7 is constant, and the appearance of the front of the vehicle is good.

[0017]

According to the present invention, with a simple structure, rainwater and snow are prevented from entering the air cleaner duct, and the width of the front end panel and the front bumper is made constant to improve the appearance of the front of the vehicle. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

1A and 1B show a front body structure of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 1A is a front view of a left half, FIG. 1B is a plan view of a left half, and FIG. 1) is a cross-sectional view at a position along the line IC-IC in FIG.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a left half of a front body structure of a vehicle to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 shows a front body structure of a conventional vehicle.
(A) is a front view of the left half, and FIG. 3 (B) is II in FIG. 3 (A).
It is sectional drawing in the position along IB-IIIB line.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front grille 2 Head lamp 5 Front end panel 6 Bracket 7 Front bumper 8 Air cleaner duct 81 Opening

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 25/08 B60R 19/24

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A belt-like front end panel is provided between a front grille and head lamps provided on the left and right sides thereof and a front bumper provided below the front grille, and
In a vehicle in which the opening of the air cleaner duct is located behind one end of the front end panel, brackets are provided on both left and right ends of the front end panel, and both front brackets support the front bumper, and one bracket A front body structure of a vehicle having a structure for closing a gap between the front end panel and a front bumper in front of the opening. 2. The bracket has a substantially U-shaped cross section and a width wider than the opening, and fixes one of opposing side walls to a lower edge of the end panel, and the other side wall over the front bumper. The front body structure of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front body structure is configured to receive an edge.