JP5338634B2 - Front bumper cover and vehicle front structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a front bumper cover and a vehicle front structure.

In order to protect a pedestrian's legs when a vehicle such as an automobile collides with a pedestrian, it has been proposed to provide a front bumper with a foot-fitting function.
The foot wiper function sets the rigidity of the part near the lower part of the front bumper higher than the upper part of the front bumper, and when the vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the lower part of the front bumper is the knee of the leg of the pedestrian By constructing it so that it hits the lower part, the leg is scooped up from below by the lower part of the front bumper using the reaction force at the time of collision (foot cleaning), and the pedestrian falls to the vehicle body side to walk It prevents the impact load from concentrating on the leg of the person and reduces the obstacle value given to the leg.
As such a front bumper, a front bumper cover (bumper fascia) constituting the front surface thereof, and an impact absorber (foot wiper member) provided between the front bumper cover and the vehicle body side frame and formed with reinforcing ribs, Have been proposed (Patent Document 1).
In this front bumper, the reinforcing ribs ensure the rigidity of the lower portion of the front bumper so as to surely perform foot removal.

JP 2002-274298 A

However, in the above prior art, since the front bumper cover and the shock absorber (foot wiper member) for ensuring rigidity are separate parts, the number of parts constituting the front bumper is large. Assembling work is complicated and disadvantageous in reducing costs.
In addition, it is conceivable that the shock absorber serving as the foot wiping member is integrally formed with the front bumper cover. However, in the configuration in which the shock absorber is simply formed at the lower part of the front bumper cover, Since the die-cutting direction differs from the die-cutting direction of the reinforcing ribs of the shock absorber, the mold tends to be more costly, such as complicated molds. The front bumper cover and the shock absorber are substantially integrated. It was difficult to make things.
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle front bumper cover and a vehicle front structure that are advantageous in reducing costs while ensuring shock absorption and rigidity. There is.

In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention provides a bumper cover body that is provided at a front end portion of a vehicle body and extends in the left-right direction, and extends from a lower portion of the bumper cover body to the vehicle rear side and below the front portion of the vehicle body A front bumper cover for a vehicle including an under cover that covers the side, wherein the bumper cover main body and the under cover connect the lower part of the bumper cover main body and the front end of the under cover so as to be swingable. The under cover is folded back to the rear side of the bumper cover main body with the hinge portion as a fulcrum, and is disposed at the lower rear of the bumper cover main body. A first state in which the rigidity of the lower portion of the cover body is increased, and a swinging of the bumper cover body from the first state to the lower side of the bumper cover body. In the first state, the under cover is fixed to the bumper cover body on the vehicle front side and the vehicle rear side on the vehicle body side. It is fixed and functions as a foot removal mechanism that pays off the pedestrian's legs in the event of a collision with the pedestrian. The under cover in the first state is fixed to the bumper cover main body on the rear surface of the vehicle body. And an under cover fixing portion for maintaining the first state, and the under cover extends upright from the hinge portion at the rear of the bumper cover body in the first state and extends above the vehicle. A thin plate-like undercover body having a front wall portion fixed to the cover fixing portion and an upper wall portion extending from the upper end of the front wall portion to the rear of the vehicle, and bulging with an interval between the upper wall portion Out Characterized in that it comprises a plurality of reinforcing ribs made.
Further, the present invention is a front structure of a vehicle equipped with a resin front bumper cover, and the front bumper cover is provided at a front end portion of a vehicle body of the vehicle and extends in a left-right direction; and An under cover that extends from the lower part of the bumper cover body to the vehicle rear side and covers the lower part of the front of the vehicle body, and a thin-walled hinge part that connects the lower part of the bumper cover body and the under cover so as to be swingable. The under cover is folded back to the rear surface side of the bumper cover main body with the hinge portion as a fulcrum, and is disposed at the lower rear of the bumper cover main body to increase the rigidity of the lower portion of the bumper cover main body. In the first state, the under cover is swung from the first state to the lower side of the bumper cover body so that the space behind the lower part of the bumper cover body The undercover is normally maintained in the first state and the foot cover mechanism for impacting the pedestrian at the time of a collision with the pedestrian and the impact are configured to be selectable. It functions as an absorbing member and is in the second state during maintenance work of the vehicle. The first cover is fixed to the bumper cover main body on the rear surface of the vehicle body. An under cover fixing portion for maintaining the state is provided, and the under cover is erected upward from the hinge portion at the rear of the bumper cover main body in the first state and fixed to the under cover fixing portion. A thin plate-like under cover body having a front wall portion and an upper wall portion extending rearward from the upper end of the front wall portion, and a plurality of bulges formed at intervals on the upper wall portion Reinforcement Characterized in that it comprises and.

  According to the present invention, the front bumper cover can be configured with a single component, and the rigidity of the lower portion of the bumper cover main body can be increased while ensuring the shock absorption in the front-rear direction. This is advantageous for effective display.

It is the perspective view which looked at the front bumper cover 10 in this Embodiment from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the front bumper cover 10 in this Embodiment from back. It is the perspective view which looked at the front bumper cover 10 in which the under cover 14 was in the 1st state from the front. It is the perspective view which looked at the front bumper cover 10 in which the under cover 14 was in the 1st state from back. It is the perspective view which looked at the front bumper cover 10 in which the under cover 14 was in the 1st state from the upper direction. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view for explaining an assembly operation of the front bumper cover 10 to the vehicle body 4. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the front bumper cover 10 has been assembled to the vehicle body 4. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a second state of the undercover 14. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a front portion of a vehicle body 4 with a front bumper cover 10 assembled thereto.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 9, the vehicle 2 includes a front bumper 6 attached to the front end of the vehicle body 4. In the figure, reference numeral 2A denotes a front tire, and 2B denotes a bonnet.
The front bumper 6 is attached to the lower part of the front end of the vehicle body 4 and is attached to the bumper reinforcement 8 extending in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) and the bumper reinforcement 8 (or attached to the vehicle body side). And a front bumper cover 10 that covers the bumper reinforcement 8.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front bumper cover 10 includes a bumper cover main body 12, an under cover 14, and a hinge portion 16. The front bumper cover 10 is made of synthetic resin, and is integrally molded by a mold in a molding state (FIGS. 2 and 6) in which the under cover 14 is disposed at the lower part of the bumper cover main body 12.
As the synthetic resin material constituting the front bumper cover 10, various conventionally known synthetic resin materials such as polypropylene can be used.

The bumper cover main body 12 is provided at the front end portion of the vehicle body 4 of the vehicle 2 and extends in the left-right direction. More specifically, the bumper cover main body 12 has a main body plate portion 18 and extends in the left-right direction.
The main body plate portion 18 has a front surface facing the front of the vehicle 2 (FIG. 9) and a rear surface facing the rear of the vehicle 2.
An air guide port 22 for taking in outside air is provided in the center of the extending direction of the main body plate portion 18. The air duct 22 is covered with a bumper grill 24.
A number plate mounting portion 26 is provided above the air guide opening 22 of the main body plate portion 18.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, an under cover fixing portion 30 for attaching the under cover 14 is provided at the lower portion of the rear surface of the main body plate portion 18.
Further, a lower end surface 20 that protrudes rearward of the vehicle 2 is provided at the lower end of the rear surface of the main body plate portion 18, and the lower end surface 20 extends in the left-right direction along the main body plate portion 18.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the under cover 14 is connected to the lower end surface 20 of the bumper cover main body 12 via a hinge portion 16 and extends in the left-right direction with a shorter length than the bumper cover main body 12. Yes.
The hinge portion 16 is configured by a thin portion having a thickness thinner than that of the lower end surface 20 and the under cover 14, and connects the under cover 14 and the bumper cover body 12 so as to be swingable.
3, 4, 5, and 7, the under cover 14 is folded back from the molded state toward the rear surface side of the bumper cover body 12 around the hinge portion 16, so that the under cover 14 is attached to the bumper cover body 12. Formed by swinging downward from the first state to the lower side of the bumper cover body 12 as shown in FIG. It can swing in the second state in which the under cover 14 is arranged on the vehicle front side of the state, and the first state and the second state can be appropriately selected.
In the first state, the space between the rear end of the lower end surface 20 of the bumper cover main body 12 and the vehicle body side mounting portion 50 described later is closed by the under cover 14 and the rigidity of the lower portion of the bumper cover main body 12 is increased. . The under cover 14 can absorb the impact in the front-rear direction in the first state.
Further, in the second state, the space behind the lower part of the bumper cover body 12, that is, the space between the rear end of the lower end surface 20 of the bumper cover body 12 and the vehicle body side mounting portion 50 is opened downward from the closed state. Thus, an opening for work during vehicle maintenance is secured.
The undercover 14 is normally maintained in the first state and functions as a foot removal mechanism that pays off the pedestrian's legs at the time of collision with the pedestrian, and is in the second state during vehicle maintenance work.
Further, the under cover 14 is configured to be crushed and absorb an impact when a load of a predetermined value or more is applied due to a collision or the like in the first state.
As shown in FIG. 6, the front bumper cover 10 is integrally formed by a mold in a state (molded state) where the under cover 14 is located in an intermediate state between the first state and the second state. In other words, the front bumper cover 10 and the under cover 14 are integrally molded by a mold in the same mold release direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the under cover 14 includes a thin plate-like under cover main body 34 and a plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 that are bulged and formed at intervals from the under cover main body 34. Yes. That is, the under cover body 34 is provided with shock absorption, and the rigidity of the lower portion of the bumper cover body 12 is increased in the first state.
The under cover main body 34 has a front wall portion 38, an upper wall portion 40, a rear wall portion 42, and a flange portion 44 and is formed in a substantially U shape.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the first state, the under cover 14 is arranged with the concave portion of the substantially U-shaped under cover body 34 facing downward.
The front wall portion 38 is connected to the hinge portion 16, and in the first state, the front wall portion 38 stands and extends upward from the hinge portion 16 and is fixed to the under cover fixing portion 30 with the screw N <b> 1.
The upper wall portion 40 is connected to the end portion of the front wall portion 38 and extends rearward from the upper end of the front wall portion 38 in the first state.
The rear wall portion 42 is connected to the end portion of the upper wall portion 40 and extends downward from the rear end of the upper wall portion 40 in the first state.
The flange portion 44 is connected to the end portion of the rear wall portion 42, protrudes rearward from the lower end of the rear wall portion 42 in the first state, and is attached to the vehicle body side attachment portion 50 with the screw N2.
As shown in FIG. 7, a heat exchanger 48 is disposed behind the front bumper cover 10, and in the present embodiment, a condenser 48A that converts the vaporized refrigerant of the air conditioner into liquid refrigerant and the engine And a radiator 48B for cooling the cooling water.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the first state, the undercover 12 is such that the upper wall portion 40 of the undercover body 34 is located behind and below the air inlet 22 and above and below the heat exchanger 48. Has been placed. That is, the upper wall portion 40 extends from the air guide port 22 to the heat exchanger 48 and functions as an air guide plate that guides outside air flowing in from the air guide port 22 to the heat exchanger 48.
Reference numeral 49 in the figure denotes a cooling fan that is arranged behind the heat exchanger 48 and guides the outside air flowing in from the air inlet 22 to the heat exchanger 48.

Next, assembly of the front bumper cover 10 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 6, the bumper cover main body 12 is attached to the bumper reinforcement 8 (FIG. 9) or attached to the vehicle body 4 side.
Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the under cover 14 is folded back to the rear surface side of the bumper cover main body 12 around the hinge portion 16 to be in the first state, and the cover mounting portion 46 of the under cover 14 is set to the bumper cover main body. The under cover fixing portion 30 and the cover mounting portion 46 are attached to the under cover fixing portion 30 with the screw N1.
Further, the flange portion 44 is applied to the vehicle body side attachment portion 50 and attached with the screw N2.
As a result, the space between the rear end of the lower end surface 20 and the vehicle body side mounting portion 50 is closed by the under cover 14.
Thus, the under cover 14 protrudes from the rear of the bumper cover main body 12, and the bumper cover main body 12 and the under cover 14 are integrally connected. Therefore, the lower portion of the front bumper cover 10 is secured while ensuring the shock absorption in the front-rear direction. This is advantageous in increasing the rigidity of the.
Therefore, in the first state, the under cover is fixed to the bumper cover body on the front side of the vehicle and fixed to the vehicle body side on the rear side of the vehicle. It functions as a foot-paying mechanism that pays the part.
Further, since the reinforcing ribs 36 are formed on the under cover 14 (under cover main body 34), it is more advantageous in increasing the rigidity of the lower portion of the front bumper cover 10, and the front bumper foot-wiping function is effectively exhibited. This is even more advantageous.

Next, the maintenance work of the heat exchanger 48 will be described.
For example, when replacing the liquid refrigerant of the condenser 48A or the engine cooling water of the radiator 48B, the screw N2 is removed in the state shown in FIG.
Next, as shown in FIG. 8, the under cover 14 is swung to the lower side of the bumper cover main body 12 around the hinge portion 16 to form the second state.
As a result, the space behind the lower part of the bumper cover main body 12 is opened downward, and more specifically, the space between the rear end of the lower end surface 20 and the vehicle body side mounting portion 50 is opened. By using it as a space, maintenance work such as exchanging the liquid of the capacitor 48A or the radiator 48B can be easily performed.

According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the front bumper cover 10 is integrally formed by the mold with the under cover 14 positioned in an intermediate state between the first state and the second state. The
That is, since the front bumper cover 10 and the under cover 14 can be integrally formed with the mold in the same mold release direction, the front bumper cover 10 in which the front bumper cover and the shock absorber are substantially integrated is low cost. It is advantageous in manufacturing.
The under cover 14 is configured to be selectable between the first state and the second state. In the first state, the rigidity of the lower portion of the bumper cover body 12 is increased while ensuring the shock absorption in the front-rear direction. In the state 2, the heat exchanger 48 can be maintained.
That is, conventionally, when the front bumper cover is configured, two parts, that is, the bumper cover main body and the shock absorber are required. In the present invention, the front bumper cover can be configured by a single part. It becomes possible.
And since the number of parts that make up the front bumper can be reduced, the assembly work of the front bumper to the vehicle body can be simplified, which is advantageous for cost reduction, and also advantageous for reducing the weight of the front bumper. Become.

Further, when the front bumper cover and the shock absorber are separate parts as in the prior art, each part is designed one by one when the dimensions and shape of the front bumper cover 10 are changed by a minor change of the vehicle 2. In this embodiment, it is advantageous to redesign the front bumper cover 10 alone, which is advantageous in reducing the design cost.
Further, in the present embodiment, the lower part of the bumper cover main body 12 is formed by a very simple operation such as swinging the under cover 14 to form the second state without removing the entire front bumper cover 10 from the vehicle body 4. Since maintenance work can be performed with a space behind, this is advantageous in improving the efficiency of maintenance work for the heat exchanger 48 and the like.
Further, in the present embodiment, the air guide port 22 is provided in the bumper cover main body, and the upper wall portion 40 of the undercover main body 12 is located behind and below the air guide port 22 in the first state. It functions as an air guide plate that guides the outside air introduced from the rear.
Therefore, the number of parts can be reduced, the assembling work to the vehicle body 4 can be simplified, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where the air guide member for introducing the outside air to the heat exchanger 48 is provided as a separate part. Become.

  2 ... vehicle, 4 ... vehicle body, 10 ... front bumper cover, 12 ... bumper cover body, 14 ... under cover, 16 ... hinge part, 22 ... air guide, 30 ... under cover fixing part, 34 …… Undercover body, 36 …… Reinforcing rib, 38 …… Front wall portion, 40 …… Upper wall portion, 42 …… Rear wall portion, 44 …… Flange portion, 46 …… Cover mounting portion, 48… …Heat exchanger.

Claims (4)

A front bumper for a vehicle comprising: a bumper cover main body provided at a front end portion of a vehicle body extending in a left-right direction; and an under cover extending from a lower portion of the bumper cover main body toward a rear side of the vehicle and covering a lower front portion of the vehicle body A cover,
The bumper cover main body and the under cover are integrally formed of resin via a thin-walled hinge portion that connects the lower portion of the bumper cover main body and the front end portion of the under cover in a swingable manner,
The under cover is folded back to the rear side of the bumper cover main body with the hinge portion as a fulcrum, and is arranged at the lower rear of the bumper cover main body to increase the rigidity of the lower portion of the bumper cover main body, It is configured to be able to select a second state that is swung from the first state to the lower side of the bumper cover body and opens the space behind the lower part of the bumper cover body downward,
In the first state, the under cover is fixed to the bumper cover main body on the front side of the vehicle and fixed to the vehicle body side on the rear side of the vehicle so that the leg cover of the pedestrian is paid when the pedestrian collides with the under cover. Function as
The bumper cover main body is provided with an under cover fixing portion that fixes the under cover in the first state to the rear surface of the vehicle body and maintains the first state.
In the first state, the under cover includes a front wall portion that extends upward from the hinge portion at the rear of the bumper cover body and is fixed to the under cover fixing portion, and an upper end of the front wall portion. A thin plate-like undercover body having an upper wall portion extending rearward from the vehicle, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs bulging and spaced from the upper wall portion,
A vehicle front bumper cover. The bumper cover main body is provided with an air guide opening,
In the first state, the upper wall portion of the under cover body functions as a wind guide plate that is located behind and below the air guide port and guides outside air introduced from the air guide port to the rear.
The front bumper cover for a vehicle according to claim 1 . A front structure of a vehicle equipped with a resin front bumper cover,
The front bumper cover includes a bumper cover body that is provided at a front end portion of a vehicle body and extends in a left-right direction, and an under cover that extends from a lower portion of the bumper cover body to a vehicle rear side and covers a lower portion of the vehicle body front portion. , And is integrally formed with a thin-walled hinge portion that connects the lower portion of the bumper cover main body and the under cover so as to be swingable,
A first state in which the under cover is folded back to a rear surface side of the bumper cover main body with the hinge portion as a fulcrum and is disposed at a lower rear side of the bumper cover main body to increase rigidity of a lower portion of the bumper cover main body; The cover is configured to be able to select a second state in which the cover is swung from the first state to the lower side of the bumper cover body to open a space behind the lower part of the bumper cover body,
The under cover is normally maintained in the first state and functions as a foot removal mechanism and an impact absorbing member that pays off the pedestrian's legs at the time of a collision with the pedestrian. is a state,
The bumper cover main body is provided with an under cover fixing portion that fixes the under cover in the first state to the rear surface of the vehicle body and maintains the first state.
In the first state, the under cover includes a front wall portion that extends upward from the hinge portion at the rear of the bumper cover body and is fixed to the under cover fixing portion, and an upper end of the front wall portion. A thin plate-like undercover body having an upper wall portion extending rearward from the vehicle, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs bulging and spaced from the upper wall portion,
A vehicle front structure characterized by the above. A heat exchanger is arranged behind the front bumper cover,
The bumper cover main body is provided with an air guide opening,
In the first state, the under cover is positioned behind and below the air inlet and in front of and below the heat exchanger, and allows the outside air flowing from the air inlet to the upper wall of the under cover body. Configured to lead to the heat exchanger by a section,
The vehicle front structure according to claim 3 .

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