JP4296777B2 - Front body structure of automobile - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A front body structure of an automobile includes a pair of left and right front side members that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and in order to protect an occupant from a frontal collision accident of the automobile, a front side member generally supports a bumper. As shown in FIG. 1, the bumper 1 includes a bumper reinforcement 2 extending in the vehicle width direction, and left and right ends of the bumper reinforcement 2 are attached to the front end of the front side member 3. The rear end of 3 is connected to the side sill 4.
[0003]
That is, the front body structure of the automobile includes a pair of left and right front side members 3 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and bumper reinforcements 2 extending in the vehicle width direction are arranged at the front ends of the left and right front side members 3 and 3. It is installed. In the case of a front engine type vehicle in which an engine EG is mounted at the front of the vehicle, a power unit including the engine EG is generally mounted on a perimeter frame 5 (perimeter frame) disposed below the front side member 3. The The perimeter frame 5 includes a pair of left and right sub-side members 6 extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction and a sub-cross member extending in the vehicle width direction and connecting the left and right sub-side members, as called a frame-shaped frame. Is done. In FIG. 1, the sub cross member does not appear for the reason of drawing.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-160663
In JP-A-2002-160663, a first sub-cross member extending in the vehicle width direction is provided at the front end of the perimeter frame, and the sub-side member of the perimeter frame and the front side member positioned above the sub-side member are disposed downward. It has proposed connecting with the connecting member inclined backward as it goes.
[0006]
According to this proposal, when the front side member starts buckling due to an impact force or the like, and the connecting point with the connecting member starts to move backward, the connecting member starts to stand up and pushes the sub-side member of the perimeter frame downward. The power unit mounted on the perimeter frame can be largely moved downward by the pressing force and the bending deformation of the front end portion of the sub-side member of the perimeter frame.
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-120755
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-120755 proposes that the front end of the sub-side member of the perimeter frame is extended forward and the extended portion is constituted by an impact absorbing member. According to this proposal, the collision load is input to the front side member and also to the sub side member of the perimeter frame, and both receive the impact load, thereby increasing the initial deceleration of the collapse.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
1 and 2 depict an RV car on the left side and a passenger car on the right side. However, a member included in the RV car is marked with a reference symbol L, and a member included in the passenger car or sports car is marked with S. It will be identified by appending, and when referring generically, only numbers will be described.
[0009]
As can be understood from the comparison between FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the height level of the front side member of the automobile depends on the vehicle height of the automobile, for example, the height of the front side member 3L of the multipurpose vehicle (RV vehicle). The level is relatively high, and the front side member 3S of a passenger car or a sports car is usually relatively low in level.
[0010]
From this, for example, when an RV car and a passenger car collide head-on, the front side members 3L and 3S receive an impact force with their front ends offset vertically, and as shown in FIG. The front side member 3L rides on the front side member 3S such as a passenger car. In other words, the front side member 3S such as a passenger car sinks under the front side member 3L of the RV car. The possibility that the shock absorbing function of the front side member 3 of the vehicle is not sufficiently exhibited is included.
[0011]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an automobile that can urge both of the vehicles to sufficiently exhibit shock absorbing performance when a vehicle having front side members of different height levels collides. It is to provide a front body structure.
[0012]
Another object of the present invention can be suitably applied to a vehicle having a front side member having a relatively high level, and the height when the vehicle collides with a vehicle having a front side member having a relatively low level. An object of the present invention is to provide a front body structure of an automobile capable of reducing damage to a vehicle having a front side member having a low level.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Such a technical problem, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
In the front body structure of a vehicle provided with a pair of left and right front side members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
A guide member is disposed below the front end portion of the front side member with a gap therebetween,
The guide member, the motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an upper surface that a front side member of the other vehicle at the time of inclined and collide downwardly toward its front end, is guided to the front side member side of the vehicle This is accomplished by providing a front body structure.
[0014]
According to the first aspect of the invention, when the vehicle collides with a vehicle having a relatively low vehicle height, such as a passenger car, the front side member of the counterpart vehicle is guided to escape upward and downward, particularly to the bottom. This can be prevented by the member, and by promoting the collision of the front side members of both vehicles, the shock absorbing function of the front side members can be sufficiently exhibited.
[0015]
Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the technical problem described above is
In the front body structure of an automobile provided with an impact absorbing portion at the front ends of a pair of left and right front side members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
A guide member protruding forward from the front end of the front side member is disposed below the front side member,
The guide member, prior to the motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an upper surface that a front side member of the other vehicle at the time of inclined and collide downward toward the front to guide the front side member side of the vehicle This is achieved by providing a partial vehicle body structure .
[0016]
According to the second aspect of the invention, when the vehicle collides with a vehicle having a relatively low vehicle height, such as a passenger car, the front side member of the counterpart vehicle is directed toward the front side member of the host vehicle by the guide member. Thus, the front side members of both vehicles are urged to collide with each other, so that the shock absorbing function of the front side members can be sufficiently exhibited.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a guide member 12 protruding forward is provided at the front end of the perimeter frame 10, more specifically, at the front end of the sub-side member 11 of the perimeter frame 10. .
[0018]
In this way, the guide member 12 is positioned below the front side member by providing the guide member 12 at the front end of the perimeter frame 10 as compared to separately arranging the guide member 12 below the front side member. In addition to eliminating the need for a mounting member or the like, a load or impact force applied to the guide member 12 at the time of a collision can be distributed to the perimeter frame 10.
[0019]
The guide member 12 has an inclined surface whose upper surface 12a is inclined downward toward the front. The front end of the upper surface 12a of the guide member 12 is the same as or slightly lower than the front end of the lower surface of the front side member of a passenger car (particularly a small passenger car) or a sports car (hereinafter collectively referred to as a passenger car). It is preferable to have. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the guide member 12 protrudes slightly forward from the front and rear positions of the bumper reinforcement 14 connected to the front side member 13 or substantially the same as the front end of the bumper reinforcement 14. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the bumper reinforcement 14 may protrude more forward than the front end.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 4, when the guide member 12 is protruded forward from the front side member 13, the upper surface of the protruding portion may be configured as an inclined surface. The bumper reinforcement 14 is generally connected to the front end of the front side member 13 via an impact absorbing member called a crush can. By adopting the configuration shown in FIG. The front end of the front side member 17 of the counterpart passenger car 16 can be guided by the inclined surface of the guide member 12 at the time of a collision toward the shock absorbing member at the front end. In order for the guide member 12 to effectively exhibit such a guide function, it is preferable to set the guide member 12 to a small distance from the front side member 13.
[0021]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the guide member 12 may be largely separated from the front side member 13, but the separation distance between the front side member 13 and the guide member 11 is a general front side member. It is preferable that it is smaller than the height dimension.
[0022]
3 and 4 show an example in which the left automobile 15 is an RV vehicle, and the guide member 12 is provided on the RV vehicle 15. The automobile 16 on the right side in FIGS. 3 and 4 is a passenger car, and the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 is disposed at a lower position than the front side member 13 of the RV car 12. In other words, the front side member 13 of the RV vehicle 15 provided with the guide member 12 is disposed at a relatively high position. Note that reference numeral 18 in FIG. 3 indicates a perimeter frame provided in the passenger car 16.
[0023]
When such an RV vehicle 15 collides head-on with the passenger vehicle 16, the front side member 17 (including the bumper reinforcement 19) of the passenger vehicle 16 is guided upward by the inclined upper surface 12a of the guide member 12 of the RV vehicle 15. . In order to fully exhibit this guide function, the guide member 12 is preferably provided with a bending rigidity in the vertical direction, and the impact from the front can be absorbed by buckling. It is preferable to have.
[0024]
When the RV vehicle 15 collides with the passenger vehicle 16, the front side member 17 of the passenger vehicle 16 tends to be guided upward by the guide member 12 of the RV vehicle 15, and below the front side member 13 of the RV vehicle 15. Occurrence of the phenomenon of being submerged is suppressed. Accordingly, the front side member 17 (including the bumper reinforcement 19) of the passenger car 16 collides with the front side member 13 (including the bumper reinforcement 14) of the RV car 15, and both of these are inherently provided. The shock absorbing function works together, and as a result, as shown in FIG. 5, the deformation of the vehicle body can be suppressed to be smaller than the conventional one.
[0025]
FIG. 5 is a graph with the amount of retreat of the dash panel of the passenger car 16 (the amount of entry into the vehicle compartment) on the vertical axis and the time on the horizontal axis. According to the preferred embodiment, both the front side members 13 and 17 of both vehicles effectively absorb the impact, so that deformation of other parts of the vehicle body can be suppressed, and the dash panel of the passenger car 16 is retracted. The amount and its speed can be reduced.
[0026]
【Example】
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
[0027]
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the guide unit 20 as viewed obliquely from the front. The guide unit 20 includes a pair of left and right guide members 21 and a cross member 22 that connects the front ends of the guide portions 21 and 21. The pair of left and right guide members 21 have a closed cross-sectional structure. Each guide member 21 has a shape extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and an upper surface 21a of the guide member 21 is formed by an inclined surface (indicated by a depression angle θ) that is inclined downward toward the front. Has a wedge-shaped shape that becomes thin. In this embodiment, the cross member 22 is composed of a hollow pipe having a closed cross section, but may be composed of a solid member. The guide unit 20 has a through hole 23 formed in the rear end portion of the pair of left and right guide members 21.
[0028]
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the perimeter frame 25 on which the guide unit 20 is mounted as viewed obliquely from the front. The perimeter frame 25 includes a pair of left and right sub-side members 26, 26, a front cross member 27 that connects the front ends thereof, and a rear cross member 28 that connects the rear ends thereof. When receiving an impact from the above, it is preferable to absorb the impact by deforming it.
[0029]
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, the front side member 31 extends substantially horizontally rearward from the front end, and then, the rear end portion extends obliquely downward, and the rear end is connected to the dash lower 30 or the like. The front side member 31 has a bumper reinforcement 33 connected to a front end of the front side member 31 via a crash can 32 as an impact absorbing portion, and the bumper reinforcement 33 extends in the vehicle width direction. As can be understood from FIG. 9, a bumper face 34 is disposed in front of the bumper reinforcement 33, and an air introduction hole 36 is formed in a lower end portion of the bumper face 34.
[0030]
The bumper face 34 covers the perimeter frame 25 and the bumper reinforcement 33 and extends further upward. The upper end of the bumper face 34 is abutted against the front end of the bonnet 35. The bumper face 34 and the bonnet 35 are connected to the engine room. 37 front and upper walls are formed.
[0031]
Referring to FIG. 10, the perimeter frame 25 has a mounting portion 40 that extends forward and upward at the front end of the sub-side member 26, and the mounting portion 40 includes a mounting rubber 41, and penetrates the mounting rubber 41. Then, the front side member 31 is fixed to the front end portion by a bolt 42 extending upward.
[0032]
As can be understood from FIG. 10, the guide unit 20 has a shape in which the rear end of the guide portion 21 is opened rearward. The guide unit 20 can be assembled to the perimeter frame 25 by inserting the front end of the perimeter frame 25, that is, the front end of the sub-side member 26 and the mounting portion 40 into the rear opening. In a state where the guide unit 20 is assembled to the perimeter frame 25, the through hole 23 of the guide portion 21 coincides with the attachment portion 40 of the sub side member 26.
[0033]
In this embodiment, the guide unit 20 and the perimeter frame 25 are integrated by welding the rear opening edge of the guide portion 21 to the perimeter frame 25. However, the guide unit 20 and the perimeter frame 25 are fastened with bolts. You may make it integrate. When the guide unit 20 and the perimeter frame 25 are fastened with bolts, it is preferable to use a bolt that fastens the perimeter frame 25 to the front side member 31. With this common bolt, the perimeter frame 25 and the guide unit 20 are connected to the front side member 31. It is convenient for the assembly of the vehicle and the repair work of the vehicle.
[0034]
The guide unit 20 and the front side member 31 (bumper reinforcement 33) are spaced apart from each other by a mounting portion 40 at the front end of the sub-side member 26, and are introduced from the air introduction hole 36 of the bumper face 34. The outside air passes through the gap between the guide unit 20 and the bumper reinforcement 33 and is used to cool the heat exchanger 44 such as a radiator, an oil cooler, or a condenser of an air conditioning system.
[0035]
As is known, a power unit including an engine EG is mounted on the perimeter frame 25 as shown in FIGS. FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the frame structure of the front portion of the vehicle body as viewed from below. The rear end of the perimeter frame 25 is attached to the rear end portion of the front side member 31 via a bracket 45, and the rear end of the front side member 31 is connected to the side sill 46 and the floor frame 47 via a dash lower 30.
[0036]
The guide unit 20 described above is most preferably applied to an automobile having a relatively high vehicle height such as an RV car. FIG. 12 illustrates a state when the RV car 60 on which the guide unit 20 is mounted and the passenger car collide with each other. In FIG. 12, the reference numerals used in FIG. 3 are assigned to the passenger car and the members related thereto.
[0037]
When the RV vehicle 60 having the front body structure of the embodiment and the passenger vehicle 16 collide, the front side member 17 of the passenger vehicle 16 is guided upward by the guide unit 20 of the RV vehicle 60, and the front side of the RV vehicle 60 is Since it moves to the member 31 side, the front side members 31 and 17 of both vehicles 60 and 16 collide, and the impact at the time of rear-end collision is absorbed by the front side members 31 and 17 of both vehicles 60 and 16. The impact on the passenger compartment can be reduced by the impact absorbing effect of the front side members 31 and 17.
[0038]
Further, in the RV vehicle 60, the guide unit 20 and the front side member 31 are separated from each other. Therefore, depending on the case, the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 may be inserted in a gap between the two. Even if the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 hits both the guide unit 20 and the front side member 31 of the RV car 60, the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 is displaced upward or downward even if it enters the wedge shape. Therefore, the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 can reliably and effectively absorb the impact caused by the rear-end collision.
[0039]
In addition, since the cross member 22 that connects the left and right guide members 21 and 21 is provided at the front end of the guide unit 20, as can be understood from FIG. The front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 can be sandwiched between the bumper reinforcement 33 and the cross member 22 of the guide unit 20, thereby suppressing the vertical displacement of the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16. It is possible to prevent the front side member 17 of the passenger car 16 from entering.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining problems with a conventional front vehicle body structure.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a problem of a conventional front vehicle body structure that occurs at the time of a collision.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining an example of an embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining another example of the embodiment;
FIG. 5 is a graph showing the effect of the present invention in comparison with the prior art.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the guide unit included in the embodiment as viewed obliquely from the front.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a state in which the guide unit is assembled to the perimeter frame.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the front vehicle body structure extracted from the embodiment and viewed obliquely from the front.
FIG. 9 is a side view for explaining an example in which an air introduction hole is provided in a bumper face included in the front vehicle body structure of the embodiment, and a radiator is disposed at a position where external air that has passed through the air introduction hole hits.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a specific structure in which a guide unit is integrated by welding to a perimeter frame and is connected to a front end portion of a front side member via a bolt.
FIG. 11 is a bottom view of the front body structure of the embodiment as viewed from below.
FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining a state in which an automobile having a front body structure of an embodiment has an offset collision with a passenger car.
[Explanation of symbols]
20 Guide unit 21 Guide member 21a Upper surface 22 of guide member Cross member 25 included in guide unit Perimeter frame 31 Front side member 32 Crash can 33 Bumper reinforcement 34 Bumper face 36 Air introduction hole 44 Heat exchanger

Claims (11)

In the front body structure of a vehicle provided with a pair of left and right front side members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
A guide member is disposed below the front end portion of the front side member with a gap therebetween,
The guide member, the motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an upper surface that a front side member of the other vehicle at the time of inclined and collide downwardly toward its front end, is guided to the front side member side of the vehicle Front body structure. The guide member has bending rigidity in the vertical direction;
The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the guide member gradually approaches a lower surface of a portion rearward of the front end of the front side member toward the rear end of the guide member. In the front body structure of an automobile provided with an impact absorbing portion at the front ends of a pair of left and right front side members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
A guide member protruding forward from the front end of the front side member is disposed below the front side member,
The guide member, prior to the motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an upper surface that a front side member of the other vehicle at the time of inclined and collide downward toward the front to guide the front side member side of the vehicle Body structure. The front body structure of an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the left and right guide members are connected by a cross member having a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle width direction. Bumper reinforcements extending in the vehicle width direction are connected to the front ends of the left and right front side members,
The front body structure of an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the left and right guide members are connected by a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction. The front side member has a shape that extends substantially horizontally rearward from the front end, and a rear end portion of the front side member is inclined downward toward the rear end, and is a frame in plan view for mounting a power unit including an engine. A front end of the perimeter frame is fixed to a front end of the front side member, and a rear end of the perimeter frame is fixed to a rear end of the front side member;
The front body structure of the automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the guide member is attached to a front end of the perimeter frame. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 6, wherein the guide member and the perimeter frame absorb an impact by being deformed when receiving an impact from the front. The guide member is detachably attached to the perimeter frame,
The front body structure of an automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the guide member is fixed to the perimeter frame by a bolt that fastens the perimeter frame to the front side member. The front body structure of the automobile according to claim 5, wherein a front end of the guide member is located at a front and rear position substantially the same as a front end of the bumper reinforcement. The front body structure of the automobile according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the front side member and the guide member are covered with a bumper face. 11. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 10, wherein the bumper face has an air introduction hole, and a heat exchanger is disposed at a position where the outside air that has passed through the air introduction hole of the bumper face hits.

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