JP6071668B2 - Impact mitigation structure for automobile hood equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile hood device that supports a hood panel so that the hood panel can be opened and closed by a hinge arm pivotally supported by a hinge bracket fixed on a cowl side member. It relates to a structure that can be made.

  Conventional structures disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been proposed as structures for alleviating an impact force when a certain collision object falls on the hood panel due to a vehicle collision. In the conventional structure of Patent Document 1, the rotating bracket is pivotally supported by a fixed bracket fixed to the vehicle body stationary side member, and the rotating bracket is connected to the fixed bracket by a fuse means. The hood is fixedly supported. Then, when an impact load of a predetermined value or more is applied to the hood, the fuse means is broken and the impact load is relaxed.

In the conventional structure of Patent Document 2, the upper hinge member fixed to the hood is sandwiched by a pair of lower hinge members fixed to the vehicle body stationary side member, and is connected by a pivot shaft. When the impact load of a predetermined value or more acts on the hood, the pivot shaft is broken and the impact load is relieved.

JP 2002-68019 A JP 2005-82046 A

  Each of the conventional structures has a problem that the number of parts constituting the hinge bracket is large, the structure is complicated, cost and weight are increased, and productivity is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation. The impact load can be absorbed step by step from the initial stage of the collision to the middle stage and the latter stage while the number of parts is small and the structure is simple. An object of the present invention is to provide an impact mitigation structure for an automobile hood device that is effective in protecting pedestrians and that can improve productivity without causing problems of cost and weight.

According to the present invention, one end of a hinge arm is pivotally supported by a hinge bracket fixed to a vehicle body stationary side member, a hood is fixed to the other end of the hinge arm, and an impact acting on the hood from above In the shock mitigation structure of the automobile hood device designed to relieve the load,
The hinge arm is formed with a hinge arm-side inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction as it goes downward in the vehicle when viewed from the front of the vehicle.
A portion of the vehicle body stationary side member positioned below the inclined surface on the hinge arm side is formed with a vehicle body side inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned below the vehicle as it goes inward in the vehicle width direction.
An impact mitigating structure for an automobile hood device, wherein the hinge bracket is provided with a hinge bracket side inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction as it goes upward of the vehicle.

  According to the present invention, when an impact load is applied to the hood from above due to some collision object such as a pedestrian entering the hood during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the hood is first moved downward together with the hinge arm at the beginning of the entry. A part of the impact load is absorbed by the deformation. In the middle of the rush, the hinge arm side inclined surface comes into contact with the vehicle body side inclined surface, so that the hinge arm is deformed in the direction of increasing the inclination angle, thereby absorbing another part of the impact load. In the late stage of entry, as the hinge arm side inclined surface slides down the vehicle body side inclined surface, the hinge bracket is deformed in a direction to increase the hinge bracket side inclined angle, thereby further absorbing another part of the impact load.

  In this way, for example, the impact load from above due to the intrusion of the pedestrian is absorbed stepwise along the time series, so it is possible to absorb the impact load such as which level of absorption should be increased or decreased. Control of characteristics is easy, and as a result, pedestrian protection performance can be improved.

In addition, since the effects related to the impact reduction can be realized by simply forming inclined surfaces on the hinge arm, the stationary body member of the vehicle body, and the hinge bracket, the number of parts can be reduced, the structure is simple, and the cost and weight are increased. Can be avoided and productivity can be improved.

It is a front perspective view of the motor vehicle provided with the impact mitigation structure of the hood apparatus by Example 1 of this invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view (a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG. 1) of the impact relaxation structure. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front view (cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 2) of the impact relaxation structure. It is a cross-sectional front view for demonstrating the impact relaxation effect | action of the said impact relaxation structure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 4 are views for explaining an impact mitigation structure of an automobile hood apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In this embodiment, front, rear, left, and right are vehicle interiors from the vehicle interior. It means front, back, left and right when looking forward.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an automobile, an engine room 3 is formed at the front of a vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1, and a side portion of the engine room 3 is constituted by a cowl side member 4 as a vehicle body stationary side member. . The cowl side member 4 has an upper wall 4a and a vertical wall 4b bent downward from the inner edge of the upper wall 4a. The outer side of the cowl side member 4 is covered with a fender panel 5. The upper opening 6 of the engine room 3 can be opened and closed by a hood 8 of a hood device 7. The hood device 7 includes the hood 8 and a pair of left and right hood hinges 9, 9 that support the rear end of the hood 8.

The hood 8 is made of a sheet metal having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view formed by integrally connecting the periphery of the hood outer 8a and the hood inner 8b by hemming or the like. A hinge rein hose 8c is fixed to the hood inner 8b.

The hood hinge 9 includes a hinge arm 10 that supports the hood 8 and a hinge bracket 11 that pivotally supports the hinge arm 10.

The hinge bracket 11 is made of a sheet metal formed of a relatively thick plate, and has an arm support portion 11a that pivotally supports the hinge arm 10 and a lower end portion of the arm support portion 11a toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. It has a bent flange portion 11b and has a substantially L shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

The flange portion 11b is fastened and fixed to the upper wall 4a of the cowl side member 4 by a bolt 12a and a nut member 12a 'fixed to the back surface of the upper wall 4a.

A rear end portion 10a of the hinge arm 10 is inserted and arranged in the vehicle width direction above the arm support portion 11a, and is rotatably supported by a shaft support pin 13 fixed by caulking.

The hinge arm 10 is made of a sheet metal formed of a relatively thick plate, and has a base portion 10b extending forward from the rear end portion 10a in a convex arcuate shape, and substantially following the base portion 10b. And a hood support portion 10c extending forward in a straight line. When viewed in cross section, the hinge arm 10 has a bowl shape having a horizontal side portion 10d and a vertical side portion 10e bent downward from an outer edge in the vehicle width direction of the horizontal side portion 10d.

The rear end portion of the hood inner 8b is fixed to the lateral side portion 10d of the hood support portion 10c with a bolt 12b and a nut member 12b 'fixed to the inner surface of the hinge rein hose 8c with the hinge rein hose 8c interposed. Has been.

Here, the vertical side portion 10e of the hinge arm 10 has a hinge arm side inclined surface 10e 'that is inclined so as to be located inward in the vehicle width direction as viewed from the front of the vehicle, from the base portion 10b to the hood support portion 10c. It is formed to cross over. As a result, the base portion 10b and the hood support portion 10c are substantially U-shaped by the horizontal side portion 10d, the vertical side portion 10e, and the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e 'when viewed in cross section. Further, the inclination angle of the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e 'with respect to the vertical line a is θ1.

Further, a vehicle body side inclined surface 4a ′ that inclines so as to be positioned below the vehicle as it goes inward in the vehicle width direction, at a portion of the upper wall 4a of the cowl side member 4 positioned below the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e ′. Is formed. The inclination angle of the vehicle body side inclined surface 4a ′ with respect to the vertical line a is θ2.

Further, the arm support portion 11a of the hinge bracket 11 is formed with a hinge bracket side inclined surface 11a 'that is inclined so as to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction as it goes upwards of the vehicle. The inclination angle of the hinge bracket side inclined surface 11a ′ with respect to the vertical line a is θ3.

Here, the inclination angle θ1 of the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e ′ and the inclination angle θ2 of the vehicle body side inclined surface 4a ′ are set so as to satisfy the relationship θ1 <θ2.

According to the present embodiment, the impact force when a large impact load acts on the hood 8 from above due to some collision object such as a pedestrian dropping into the hood 8 during a frontal collision of the vehicle is as follows. Alleviated.

First, in the initial stage of rushing, the hood 8 is deformed downward together with the hinge arm 10 to absorb a part of the impact.

In the middle of the rush, the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e ′ contacts the vehicle body side inclined surface 4a ′, whereby the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e ′ is deformed in the direction of increasing the inclination angle θ1, and the arm support portion 11a of the hinge bracket 11 is also deformed. Is deformed in the direction in which the inclination angle θ3 of the bracket-side inclined surface 11a ′ is increased (see FIGS. 2 and 4A), thereby absorbing another part of the impact load.

Here, since the inclination angle θ1 of the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e ′ is set smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the vehicle body side inclined surface 4a ′, the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e ′ is reliably deformed by the angle difference, Thereby, an impact can be absorbed. Further, since the inclined angle θ3 is given to the bracket side inclined surface 11a ′ of the hinge bracket 11, the deformation of the hinge bracket 11 due to the impact load is induced, and the impact load can be absorbed also from this point.

In the late stage of entry, the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e 'is slipped down with a large frictional force on the vehicle body side inclined surface 4a' in a state where the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e 'is deformed so as to substantially coincide with the inclination angle θ2 of the vehicle body side inclined surface 4a'. The arm support portion 11a of the hinge bracket 11 is deformed in a direction to further increase the inclination angle θ3 on the hinge bracket side as it slides down, and another part of the impact load is caused by the slip-down and deformation of the arm support portion 11a. Absorbed.

  In this way, for example, the impact load from above due to the intrusion of the pedestrian is absorbed stepwise along the time series, so it is possible to absorb the impact load such as which level of absorption should be increased or decreased. Control of characteristics is easy, and as a result, pedestrian protection performance can be improved.

Further, since the effect related to the impact reduction can be realized only by forming the inclined surfaces 10e ', 4a', 11a 'on the hinge arm 10, the cowl side member 4, and the hinge bracket 11, the number of parts can be reduced and the structure can be reduced. It is simple, can avoid problems of cost and weight increase, and can improve productivity.

In addition, since the hinge arm side inclined surface 10e 'is formed on the hinge arm 10, the transverse cross section of the hinge arm 10 is substantially U-shaped, and the effect of increasing the rigidity of the hinge arm 10 can be obtained, and the hood 8 can be made smooth. It can be opened and closed to improve product value.

4 Cowl side member (body stationary side member)
4a 'Car body side inclined surface 7 Hood device 8 Hood 10 Hinge arm 10a Rear end (one end)
10c Hood support (other end)
10e 'hinge arm side inclined surface 11 hinge bracket 11a' hinge bracket side inclined surface

Claims (1)

One end of the hinge arm is pivotally supported by a hinge bracket fixed to the stationary body member of the vehicle body, and a hood is fixed to the other end of the hinge arm to alleviate the impact load acting on the hood from above. In the impact mitigation structure of the automobile hood device,
The hinge arm is formed with a hinge arm-side inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction as it goes downward in the vehicle when viewed from the front of the vehicle.
A portion of the vehicle body stationary side member positioned below the inclined surface on the hinge arm side is formed with a vehicle body side inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned below the vehicle as it goes inward in the vehicle width direction.
An impact mitigating structure for an automobile hood device, wherein the hinge bracket is provided with a hinge bracket side inclined surface that is inclined so as to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction as it goes upward of the vehicle.

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