JP4296827B2 - Vehicle front structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle front structure that maintains the dimensions between a bumper reinforcement and a condenser for an air conditioner and a radiator at the time of a vehicle collision.
[0002]
[Prior art]
A front structure in which a radiator unit including at least a condenser for an air conditioner, a radiator, a radiator support, and a shroud with a fan motor is arranged in front of the engine of the vehicle.
This radiator unit is supported on the vehicle body side by bolting a radiator support to a bracket fixed to the side member.
[0003]
The front structure of the actual vehicle has a first space between the bumper reinforcement and the condenser, and a second space between the radiator unit and the engine. The contact is prevented by vibration during driving.
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-219869
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
When the vehicle collides, the load acting on the bumper reinforcement deforms the bumper reinforcement and the crash box (between the bumper reinforcement and the side member), and the condenser and radiator of the radiator unit in which the bumper reinforcement is held by the side member Will approach and eventually interfere, damaging the condenser and radiator.
[0006]
To prevent such an accident, it may be possible to increase the first space between the bumper reinforcement and the condenser to prevent interference with the bumper reinforcement and the condenser, but this unnecessarily lengthens the front overhang. That is not preferable.
[0007]
Damage to the condenser or radiator due to interference with the bumper reinforcement condenser or radiator results in the replacement of the condenser or radiator. Condensers and radiators are expensive parts, increasing the economic burden in the event of a user accident.
[0008]
Therefore, this invention makes it the subject which should be solved to eliminate the malfunction of the prior art mentioned above.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention basically employs a means for fixing the radiator unit to a member that moves backward in the event of a vehicle collision.
[0010]
Adopting this means that there is a vehicle collision, a load is applied to the bumper reinforcement, and even if the bumper reinforcement moves backward, the radiator unit follows this, and the first space between the bumper reinforcement and the radiator unit remains unchanged. Secured, there is no interference between bumper reinforcements and condensers and radiators.
Securing the first space reduces the second space between the radiator unit and the engine, and in some cases, causes interference between the shroud constituting the radiator unit and the engine. However, replacement due to shroud damage is cheaper and less burdensome on the user than replacement of condensers and radiators.
[0011]
According to the present invention, there is provided a rear bumper reinforcement that will be fixed to the side members via the extension crash box in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle is arranged in the space in front engine and at least a condenser, a radiator support which holds the radiator The radiator unit is fixed to a moving member that moves backward when the crash box is crushed at the time of a vehicle collision, thereby forming a first space between the bumper reinforcement and the radiator unit, and A second space is formed between the radiator unit and the engine, and the second space is reduced as the moving member moves rearward at the time of a vehicle collision, but the first space is a vehicle collision. front structure of a vehicle, characterized in that before the size is maintained There is provided.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
The vehicle front structure has a radiator unit 2 behind a bumper reinforcement 1 extending in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and the bumper reinforcement 1 is fixed to the side member 4 via a crash box 3.
[0013]
The radiator unit 2 is located in front of an engine (not shown) and has a radiator support 5. A radiator support 5 made of an aluminum alloy extruded shape or a steel press is composed of a U-shaped support lower 6 and a U-shaped support upper 7 in plan view.
The radiator support 5 holds an air conditioner condenser 8 and a radiator 9, and further holds a shroud (not shown) with a fan motor to constitute a radiator unit 2.
[0014]
As the bumper reinforcement 1, the radiator unit 2, the crash box 3, and the side member 4, those having a known configuration are used. A first space S ₁ is secured between the rear surface of the bumper reinforcement 1 and the front surface of the radiator unit 2, and a second space S ₂ is secured between the radiator unit 2 and the engine (see FIG. 2).
[0015]
Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. The radiator support 5 is fixed to a rear surface of the bumper reinforcement 1 and is fixed to a mounting member 10 having a channel-like cross section that extends along opposite sides of the radiator support 5.
The length of the attachment member 10 is not particularly limited, but is larger than the vertical dimension of the bumper reinforcement 1. The cross-sectional shape of the attachment member 10 is not limited to the illustrated example.
In the example shown in FIG. 2, the side portion of the radiator support 5 is fixed to the bumper reinforcement 1 via the attachment member 10, but the bottom portion of the radiator support 5 is fixed to the bumper reinforcement 1 via the pair of attachment members 10. Good.
[0016]
Please refer to FIG. When the vehicle collides and a load F acts on the bumper reinforcement 1, the crash box 3 collapses and the bumper reinforcement 1 moves backward. Since the radiator unit 2 is fixed through a mounting member 10 to the bumper reinforcement 1, a radiator unit 2 retracts with the bumper reinforcement 1, a first space S ₁ keeps the dimensions of the front collision. For this reason, the bumper reinforcement 1 does not interfere with the radiator unit 2.
Retraction of the radiator unit 2 is to reduce the second space S ₂ not interfere with the engine. Even if the shroud of the radiator unit 2 interferes with the engine, the damage amount does not increase.
[0017]
In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the opposite side portion of the radiator support 5 is bolted directly to the bumper reinforcement 1.
In this embodiment, the bumper reinforcement 1 retreats by the vehicle collision, since the radiator unit 2 also follow this retraction, the first space S ₁ is maintained, there is no interference with the bumper reinforcement 1 and the radiator unit 2.
[0018]
6 and 7 are reference examples for the present invention, in which the opposite side portion of the radiator support 5 is bolted to the side surface portion of the crash box 3. The crash box has a pair of upper and lower flanges 11 along the side of the radiator support 5, and these flanges 11, 11 are fixed to the side of the radiator support 5 using bolts 12, 12.
In the present embodiment, collapsing crash boxes 3 by a vehicle collision, the bumper reinforcement 1 retreats, the radiator unit 2 is retracted together with the bumper reinforcement 1, but never bumper reinforcement 1 from interfering the radiator unit 2, first The space S1 is slightly reduced.
[0019]
According to the present invention, at the time of a vehicle collision, the radiator unit moves backward together with the bumper reinforcement and maintains the space therebetween, so that there is no interference with the radiator unit of the bumper reinforcement.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front structure of an example of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of attachment of a radiator support according to the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state at the time of a vehicle collision in the example shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example in which a radiator support is directly attached to a bumper reinforcement.
5 is a cross-sectional view as seen from the direction of arrows V-V in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a reference example in which a radiator support is fixed to a crash box.
7 is a cross-sectional view seen from the arrow VII-VII in FIG. 6;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Bumper Info 2 Radiator Unit 3 Crash Box 4 Side Member 5 Radiator Support 8 Condenser 9 Radiator 10 Mounting Member 11 Flange

Claims (3)

Vehicle a rear bumper reinforcement that will be fixed to the side members via the extension crash box in the vehicle width direction is disposed in the space in front engine and at least a condenser, a radiator unit comprising a radiator support which holds the radiator, A fixed space is formed between the bumper reinforcement and the radiator unit by fixing it to a moving member that moves rearward when the crash box is crushed at the time of a vehicle collision, and the radiator unit and the engine A second space is formed between the two, and the second space becomes smaller as the moving member moves rearward in the event of a vehicle collision, but the first space has the same dimensions as before the vehicle collision. The vehicle front structure.   The vehicle front structure according to claim 1, wherein the moving member is a bumper reinforcement or a member directly attached to the bumper reinforcement.   The front structure of the vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a radiator support constituting the radiator unit is fixed to the moving member.

Images