JP5258496B2 - Vehicle cowl louver - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular cowl louver that is fitted to the lower end of a front window glass of a vehicle such as an automobile and extends to the rear side of the rear end of the hood panel, and in particular, the collision energy applied to the hood panel at the time of a vehicle collision. The present invention relates to a vehicle cowl louver that can be effectively absorbed.

  In a conventional automobile structure, a space is formed between the rear end of the hood panel that covers the engine room and the lower end portion of the front window glass, and this space is fitted to the lower end of the front window glass. The rear end of the hood panel is shielded by a resin cowl louver. As a result, hot air and odor in the engine room are prevented from entering the vehicle compartment via the air inlet provided in the cowl louver, and foreign matters such as dead leaves and snow accumulated in the space are entered in the engine room. Intrusion is prevented.

  In this way, since the cowl louver is required to have a function of blocking both gas and solid, a certain degree of rigidity is required as a whole, and the tip part needs elasticity to be in close contact with the other party. A synthetic resin cowl louver has been used. However, if the rigidity of the cowl louver made of synthetic resin is too high, it becomes difficult for the hood to move downward when a large downward load is applied to the hood during a vehicle collision, and the collision energy cannot be sufficiently absorbed.

  Therefore, for the purpose of solving such a problem, Patent Document 1 discloses an invention of an automobile hood seal structure that shields a space between the rear end of the hood and the cowl top. In this automobile hood seal structure, a seal body is formed which has a rigidity capable of maintaining a shape from the rear end of the hood toward the space and has a positional relationship in which the tip does not interfere with the cowl top in the vertical direction. Either one of the front end of the main body or the cowl top is provided with an elastically deformable lip whose front end contacts the other side. Accordingly, when a downward load is applied to the hood at the time of a vehicle collision, the hood moves downward without generating a reaction force together with the seal body, and the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed.

Further, in the invention of the cowl top cover described in Patent Document 2, a vertical wall made of a soft member that alleviates the impact from the hood panel is integrally provided at the front end of the cowl louver main body made of a hard member. An extension portion extending from the main body side to the main body portion side is provided, and a reinforcing rib for connecting the main body side of the vertical wall to the extension portion or the main body side front end portion is provided. As a result, it is said that when the food panel receives an impact, the impact can be effectively mitigated while sufficiently ensuring the independence in normal times.
JP 2005-247186 A JP 2007-015609 A

  However, in the technique described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to form a rigid seal body and an elastically deformable lip with different resin materials, which not only complicates the structure but also provides a seal structure in the event of a vehicle collision. Will be destroyed. Further, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, it is impossible to completely eliminate the reaction force at the time of collision, the impact energy relaxation is insufficient, and the seal structure is also destroyed at the time of vehicle collision. There was a problem that it was. Such a problem arises because it is not possible to escape from the idea of providing the seal part with independence.

  Therefore, the present invention was made to solve such a problem, and when a downward load is applied to the hood at the time of a vehicle collision, by moving away from the idea of giving the seal portion self-supporting property, An object of the present invention is to provide an epoch-making vehicular cowl louver that can sufficiently absorb collision energy without generating any reaction force and can prevent the seal structure from being destroyed in the event of a vehicle collision. is there.

A vehicle cowl louver according to the first aspect of the present invention is a vehicle cowl louver provided between a lower end of a rear end of a hood panel of a vehicle body and a lower end of a front window glass, and is a cowl louver main body that is in close contact with the lower end of the front window glass. And a front end portion that connects the cowl louver main body and the rear end lower portion of the hood panel while maintaining airtightness, and the front end portion is lifted from the cowl louver main body toward the rear end lower portion of the hood panel. It is. In particular, the cowl louver is connected to the front end portion via a seal member that is closely supported by the lower rear end of the hood panel so that the sealing performance is maintained even if the front end portion is bent as the rear lower end of the hood panel moves. It is hung from the main body toward the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel.

Here, “lifted” means that the front end portion is in direct contact with the lower rear end of the hood panel or in close contact with other members and the weight of the front end portion is in close contact , that is, the rear end of the hood panel. It is supported by the lower part .

Further, as the “seal member” , a seal member such as a packing made of natural rubber or synthetic rubber, a seal member made of a soft resin or an elastomer molded integrally with a permanent magnet, or a seal member made of a rubber magnet (bond magnet) , Etc. can be used.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the front cowl louver is made of a water-resistant coated cloth or a soft resin sheet. Here, as the “water-resistant coating treatment”, a method such as applying a water-resistant coating treatment or coating the surface with a water-resistant film can be used.

  In addition, “cloth” is a cloth woven from synthetic fibers such as polyester fiber, nylon fiber, acrylic fiber, vinylon fiber, polyurethane fiber, or natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, linen, wool, silk, cashmere, glass fiber, etc. A knitted cloth, lace, felt or non-woven fabric can be used. Furthermore, as the “soft resin sheet”, a polyvinyl chloride sheet, a polyolefin soft resin sheet, an acrylic soft resin sheet, or the like can be used.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicular cowl louver according to the first or second aspect , wherein the sealing member is a permanent magnet that is in close contact with the lower rear end of the hood panel by a magnetic force, and the permanent magnet is integrated with the permanent magnet. It consists of a molded soft resin or elastomer (including natural rubber and synthetic rubber).

  Here, as the “permanent magnet”, a ferrite magnet, an alnico magnet, a neodymium magnet, or the like can be used, and as the “soft resin”, a polyvinyl chloride, a polyolefin soft resin, an acrylic soft resin, or the like can be used. “Elastomer” includes natural rubber, synthetic rubber and thermoplastic elastomer. Specific examples of synthetic rubber include acrylic rubber, acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), isoprene rubber, urethane rubber, ethylene propylene rubber, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR). )-Epichlorohydrin rubber, chloroprene rubber, silicone rubber, butadiene rubber, fluorine rubber, butyl rubber, etc. can be used.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicular cowl louver according to the first or second aspect , wherein the sealing member is made of a rubber magnet (bonded magnet) that is in close contact with the lower rear end of the hood panel by magnetic force. is there. Here, the “rubber magnet (bonded magnet)” is a flexible magnet in which a permanent magnet such as a ferrite magnet is pulverized and kneaded into rubber or plastic.

The vehicular cowl louver according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle cowl louver according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the cowl louver body is made of a thermoplastic resin. Here, as the “thermoplastic resin”, polyolefin resin, polystyrene, acrylic resin, ABS resin, vinyl chloride resin, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyester resin, and the like can be used. For example, polypropylene (PP) as a polyolefin resin and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a polyester resin can be used.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle cowl louver according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the cowl louver body is formed integrally with the front end portion.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle cowl louver according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the seal member is formed integrally with the front end portion.

  In the invention according to claim 1, the front end portion constituting the seal portion of the vehicle cowl louver is not a method of standing up with respect to the hood panel as in the prior art, but from the cowl louver body toward the lower rear end of the hood panel. Since it can be lifted up, even if it has almost no rigidity, it is possible to ensure normal sealing performance and shape retention. Accordingly, when the vehicle collides, the seal structure can be maintained even if the vehicle moves downward together with the hood panel without causing any reaction force and is deformed by the movement. Then, when the hood panel returns to the original position, the normal state is restored.

  In this way, by moving away from the idea of providing the seal part with independence, when a downward load is applied to the hood during a vehicle collision, the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed without generating any reaction force. At the same time, it is an epoch-making vehicular cowl louver that can prevent the seal structure from being destroyed in the event of a vehicle collision.

In addition, since the front end portion of the vehicle cowl louver is lifted toward the lower rear end portion of the hood panel via the seal member, the airtightness between the front end portion and the lower rear end portion of the hood panel can be more easily and reliably established. Can be held in. Further, by integrally molding the front end portion and the seal member, it is possible to reduce the number of parts and improve the assembly efficiency.

In the invention according to claim 2 , the front end portion of the vehicle cowl louver is made of a water-resistant coating-treated cloth or a soft resin sheet. Therefore, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 , the vehicle can be easily and at low cost. A front end portion that does not generate any reaction force at the time of a collision can be formed, and when a cloth is used, since it is subjected to a water-resistant coating treatment, the airtightness can be easily and reliably maintained.

In the invention according to claim 3 , since the sealing member of the cowl louver for a vehicle is made of a permanent magnet and a soft resin or elastomer molded integrally therewith, in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or 2 , The steel plate hood panel can be securely adhered to the lower end of the hood panel to ensure sealing performance, the seal member can be attached and detached, and the number of parts can be further reduced to improve the assembly efficiency.

In the invention according to claim 4 , since the sealing member of the cowl louver for a vehicle is made of a rubber magnet (bonded magnet), in addition to the effect of the invention according to claim 1 or claim 2 , It is possible to secure the sealing performance by tightly adhering to the lower part of the end, the seal member can be attached and detached, the manufacturing cost can be further reduced, and the number of parts can be reduced to further improve the assembly efficiency. Can do.

In the invention according to claim 5 , since the cowl louver body of the vehicle cowl louver is made of a thermoplastic resin, the cowl louver body is required in addition to the effect of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4. It can easily meet the rigidity, weather resistance, low cost, and recyclability, and the cowl louver body can be integrally formed with the front end part by injection molding, etc. Efficiency can be further improved.

In the invention according to claim 6 , since the cowl louver body of the vehicle cowl louver is formed integrally with the front end portion, in addition to the effects of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , the number of parts is reduced. As a result, the assembly efficiency can be further improved.

In the invention according to claim 7 , since the seal member of the vehicle cowl louver is formed integrally with the front end portion, in addition to the effects of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , the number of parts is reduced. As a result, the assembly efficiency can be further improved.

  Hereinafter, a vehicle cowl louver according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same symbol and the same reference sign mean the same or corresponding functional part, and the same sign and the same reference sign in the embodiments are the functional parts common to those embodiments. Therefore, the detailed description which overlaps is abbreviate | omitted here.

Embodiment 1
First, a vehicle cowl louver according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle cowl louver according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention as a part of a cross section cut along the vehicle front-rear direction, and FIG. 1B is a rear end of the hood panel. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the cowl louver for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1 when a lower part moves below.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (a), the vehicle cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment is provided between the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel 2 of the vehicle body and the lower end of the front window glass 3. The cowl louver body 5, the front end portion 6, and the seal member 7 are provided. A cowl louver body 5 formed by injection molding of polypropylene (PP) is provided with a plurality of air inlets 5a below the front window glass 3, and a lower end of the front window glass 3 at the rear glass seal portion 5b. The cowl louver body 5 and the front window glass 3 are sealed.

  At the front end of the cowl louver body 5, a front end portion 6 made of a polyester fiber cloth, the surface of which is waterproofed with a fluorine resin spray, is formed integrally with the cowl louver body 5. The member 7 is bonded by an adhesive (thermosetting resin). This seal member 7 is formed by integrally molding a rod-like ferrite magnet 8 extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1A with a styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) 7a as a synthetic rubber. It extends in a rod shape.

  The ferrite magnet 8 of the seal member 7 is brought into close contact with the lower end of the rear end of the steel plate hood panel 2 by a magnetic force, so that the cloth front end portion 6 can be moved from the cowl louver body 5 to the hood as shown in FIG. The front end of the cowl louver body 5 and the rear end lower part of the hood panel 2 are connected to each other, and the front end of the cowl louver body 5 is connected to the lower end of the front window glass 3. The space between them is blocked. The upper end of the round A cowl 4 is engaged with the engaging portion 5c of the cowl louver body 5.

  Therefore, the vehicular cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment is a vehicular cowl louver provided between the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel 2 of the vehicle body and the lower end of the front window glass 3, and the lower end of the front window glass 3. A cowl louver body 5 that is in close contact with the body, and a front end portion 6 that connects the cowl louver body 5 and the rear end lower portion of the hood panel 2 while maintaining airtightness. The front end portion 6 is connected to the rear end of the hood panel 2 from the cowl louver body 5. It is lifted towards the bottom.

  Accordingly, the front end portion 6 that is a seal portion prevents heat and odor emitted from the engine room of the vehicle from entering the vehicle interior via the air inlet 5a provided in the cowl louver body 5. In addition, foreign matters such as dead leaves and snow accumulated in a space formed between the lower rear end of the hood panel 2 and the front end of the cowl louver main body 5 enter the engine room by the front end portion 6 which is a seal portion. Is prevented.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 1 (b), when the collision energy is applied to the hood panel 2 at the time of the collision of the vehicle, when the stress F is applied downward and the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel 2 moves downward, The front end portion 6 of the hood panel 2 is bent with the movement of the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel 2 and does not generate any reaction force. Thereby, the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed. Moreover, even if the cloth front end portion 6 bends as the rear end lower portion of the hood panel 2 moves, the sealing structure by the front end portion 6 is maintained.

  In this way, the vehicle cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment breaks away from the idea of providing the front end portion 6 that is a seal portion to be self-supporting, thereby causing a downward load F on the hood panel 2 in the event of a vehicle collision. In addition, the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed without generating any reaction force, and the seal structure can be prevented from being destroyed during a vehicle collision.

  Further, in the vehicle cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment, the front end portion 6 is lifted toward the lower rear end of the hood panel 2 via the seal member 7, so that the front end portion 6 and the rear of the hood panel 2 are The airtightness between the lower end portions can be more easily and reliably maintained. Furthermore, in the vehicle cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment, the seal member 7 is composed of the permanent magnet 8 and the elastomer 7a formed integrally therewith, so that it is securely attached to the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel 2 made of steel plate. Thus, the sealing performance can be ensured, the sealing member 7 can be attached and detached, the number of parts is further reduced, and the assembling efficiency is improved.

  In the vehicle cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment, since the cowl louver body 5 is made of polypropylene which is a thermoplastic resin, the rigidity, weather resistance, low cost, and recyclability required for the cowl louver body 5 are achieved. While being able to satisfy | fill easily, the cowl louver main body 5 can be integrally molded with the front-end part 6 by injection molding, a number of parts can decrease and assembly efficiency can be improved more.

  In the first embodiment, the front end portion 6 is made of a polyester fiber cloth whose surface is water-resistant coated with a fluorine resin spray. However, the “cloth” is not limited to the polyester fiber, Nylon fiber / acrylic fiber / vinylon fiber / polyurethane fiber and other natural fibers such as cotton, hemp, linen, wool, silk, cashmere, glass fiber, woven fabric, knitted fabric, lace, felt or A nonwoven fabric or the like can be used.

  In addition, the method of the water-resistant coating treatment is not limited to the one using a fluorine resin spray, and a method such as applying a water-resistant coating treatment made of another material or covering the surface with a water-resistant film is used. be able to.

Embodiment 2
Next, a vehicle cowl louver according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle cowl louver according to the second embodiment of the present invention as a part of a cross section cut along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and FIG. 2B is a rear end of the hood panel. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the vehicle cowl louver which concerns on Embodiment 2 when a lower part moves below.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the vehicular cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment is the same as the vehicular cowl louver 1 according to the first embodiment with respect to the structure of the cowl louver body 5. What is different is the structure of the front end portion of the vehicle cowl louver and the seal member.

  That is, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), in the vehicle cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment, the front end portion 10 is composed of a polyvinyl chloride sheet as a soft resin sheet, and the seal member 9 is made of ferrite. A flexible rubber magnet is used in which a magnet is pulverized and kneaded into a synthetic rubber. The front end of the front end portion 10 is bonded to a rubber magnet 9 as a seal member with an adhesive (thermosetting resin).

  When the rubber magnet 9 is brought into close contact with the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel 2 made of steel by a magnetic force, the front end portion 10 made of a polyvinyl chloride sheet is suspended substantially vertically as shown in FIG. Thus, the front end of the cowl louver body 5 and the rear end lower part of the hood panel 2 are connected, and the space between the rear end lower part of the hood panel 2 and the lower end of the front window glass 3 is blocked.

  Therefore, the vehicular cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment is a vehicular cowl louver provided between the lower rear end portion of the hood panel 2 of the vehicle body and the lower end of the front window glass 3, and the lower end of the front window glass 3. A cowl louver body 5 that is in close contact with the front end portion 10 and a front end portion 10 that connects the cowl louver body 5 and the rear end lower portion of the hood panel 2 while maintaining airtightness. It is lifted towards the bottom.

  As a result, it is prevented by the front end portion 10, which is a seal portion, that hot air and odor emitted from the engine room of the vehicle enter the vehicle interior via the air inlet 5 a provided in the cowl louver body 5. In addition, foreign matters such as dead leaves and snow accumulated in a space formed between the lower rear end of the hood panel 2 and the front end of the cowl louver main body 5 enter the engine room by the front end portion 10 which is a seal portion. Is prevented.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 2B, when the collision energy is applied to the hood panel 2 at the time of the collision of the vehicle, the stress F is applied downward, and the lower rear end portion of the hood panel 2 moves downward. The front end portion 10 made of a vinyl chloride sheet bends with the movement of the lower rear end of the hood panel 2 and does not generate any reaction force. Thereby, the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed. Moreover, even if the front end portion 10 made of a polyvinyl chloride sheet bends as the rear end lower portion of the hood panel 2 moves, the sealing structure by the front end portion 10 is maintained.

  In this way, the vehicle cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment breaks away from the idea of giving the front end portion 10 that is the seal portion self-supporting, so that a downward load F is applied to the hood panel 2 in the event of a vehicle collision. In addition, the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed without generating any reaction force, and the seal structure can be prevented from being destroyed during a vehicle collision.

  Further, in the vehicle cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment, the front end portion 10 is lifted toward the lower rear end of the hood panel 2 via the seal member 9, so that the rear end portion 10 and the hood panel 2 are rearward. The airtightness between the lower end portions can be more easily and reliably maintained. Furthermore, in the vehicular cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment, since the seal member 9 is made of a rubber magnet, it can be reliably adhered to the lower end of the rear end of the steel plate hood panel 2 to ensure sealing performance. In addition, the seal member 9 can be attached and detached, and the number of parts is further reduced to improve the assembly efficiency.

  In the vehicle cowl louver 11 according to the second embodiment, since the cowl louver body 5 is made of polypropylene which is a thermoplastic resin, the rigidity, weather resistance, low cost, and recyclability required for the cowl louver body 5 are achieved. While being able to satisfy | fill easily, the cowl louver main body 5 can be integrally molded with the front-end part 10 by injection molding, a number of parts can decrease and assembly efficiency can be improved more.

  In the second embodiment, the case where the front end portion 10 made of a polyvinyl chloride sheet is used has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other soft resin sheets include polyolefin-based soft resin sheets and acrylic-based soft materials. A resin sheet or the like can be used. Moreover, the cloth by which the water-resistant coating process was carried out can also be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, the case where the front end portions 6 and 10 are lifted toward the lower rear end of the hood panel 2 via the seal members 7 and 9 has been described. However, the front end of the front end portion is directly behind the hood panel. It is also possible to adopt a structure that is lifted in close contact with the lower end. Moreover, although the sealing members 7 and 9 demonstrated the case where it attached to the rear-end lower part of steel plate hood panel 2 so that attachment or detachment was possible with magnetic force, the front-end part turned toward the rear-end lower part of the hood panel via a sealing member Even when it is lifted, the sealing member can be adhered and fixed to the lower end of the rear end of the hood panel.

  Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, the structure in which the front ends of the front end portions 6 and 10 are bonded to the seal members 7 and 9 with an adhesive has been described. However, the seal member can be formed integrally with the front end portions. Furthermore, although the case where the cowl louver main body 5 is integrally formed with the front end portions 6 and 10 has been described, the cowl louver main body 5 may be formed separately and bonded to the front end portion.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the case where the cowl louver body 5 is injection-molded with polypropylene (PP) as a thermoplastic resin has been described, but other thermoplastic resins include polyethylene, polystyrene, acrylic resin, ABS. Resin, vinyl chloride resin, polyvinyl acetate, polyamide, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyester resin and the like can be used. Further, the molding method of the cowl louver body 5 is not limited to the injection molding method, and the material is not limited to the thermoplastic resin.

  In carrying out the present invention, the configuration, material, shape, quantity, size, manufacturing method, and the like of the other parts of the vehicle cowl louver are not limited to the above embodiments.

1A is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle cowl louver according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention as a part of a cross section cut along the vehicle front-rear direction, and FIG. 1B is a rear end of the hood panel. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the cowl louver for vehicles which concerns on Embodiment 1 when a lower part moves below. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the vehicle cowl louver according to the second embodiment of the present invention as a part of a cross section cut along the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and FIG. 2B is a rear end of the hood panel. It is sectional drawing which shows the whole structure of the vehicle cowl louver which concerns on Embodiment 2 when a lower part moves below.

1,11 Vehicle cowl louver 2 Hood panel 3 Front window glass 5 Cowl louver body 6, 10 Front end portion 7, 9 Seal member 8 Permanent magnet

Claims (7)

A vehicle cowl louver provided between a lower rear end of a hood panel of a vehicle body and a lower end of a front window glass,
A cowl louver body that is in close contact with the lower end of the front window glass, and a front end portion that connects the cowl louver body and the rear end lower portion of the hood panel while maintaining airtightness;
The front end portion is separated from the cowl louver body via a seal member that is closely supported by the lower rear end portion of the hood panel so that the sealing performance is maintained even if the front end portion is bent as the rear end lower portion of the hood panel moves. A vehicular cowl louver that is lifted toward the lower rear end of the hood panel. The vehicular cowl louver according to claim 1, wherein the front end portion is made of a water-resistant coating-treated cloth or a soft resin sheet. The seal member is made of a permanent magnet that is in close contact with the lower rear end of the hood panel by a magnetic force, and a soft resin or elastomer (including natural rubber and synthetic rubber) that is molded integrally with the permanent magnet. The vehicular cowl louver according to claim 1 . The vehicular cowl louver according to claim 1 , wherein the seal member is made of a rubber magnet (bond magnet) that is brought into close contact with a lower rear end portion of the hood panel by a magnetic force. The vehicle cowl louver according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein the cowl louver body is made of a thermoplastic resin. The vehicle cowl louver according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the cowl louver body is formed integrally with the front end portion. The vehicular cowl louver according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the seal member is formed integrally with the front end portion.

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