JP6298358B2 - Front end structure of the vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a front end structure of a vehicle including an instrument panel that covers a brake booster protruding rearward from a front panel side forming a front surface of a cabin inside a vehicle body.

  Conventionally, the front end structure of the vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. According to this publication, the structure of the front end of the vehicle is a front panel that forms the front surface of the passenger compartment inside the vehicle body, and is attached to one side of the front end of the passenger compartment and is attached to the stationary member of the vehicle body. A brake booster projecting rearward from the front panel side, and an instrument panel that covers the brake booster from the rear and is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body. In this case, normally, a driver who sits on the seat and drives the vehicle is positioned near the rear of the brake booster and the instrument panel.

  When the vehicle collides with a certain object in front of the vehicle (front collision) and the front panel is displaced toward the rear by applying an impact force from the front, the vehicle is displaced together with the front panel. The brake booster and the driver located near the rear of the brake booster tend to approach each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. However, in this case, the shock booster prevents the brake booster from rotating rearwardly and colliding with the driver, thereby protecting the driver.

JP 2014-43214 A

  By the way, conventionally, in addition to the above-described conventional technique, there is a case in which a box-shaped container part projects from the instrument panel toward the front. In the case of this vehicle, as described above, when the brake booster tries to turn rearward and outward due to the impact force at the time of the front collision, the brake booster comes into contact with the container part and rotates a predetermined time. May be hindered. Therefore, in the case of this vehicle, there is still room for improvement in protecting the driver more reliably.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to more reliably protect the driver at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, and to protect the driver. It can be achieved with a simple configuration.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the front panel 12 that forms the front surface of the passenger compartment 10 inside the vehicle body 2, the front panel 12 disposed at the front end of the vehicle compartment 10, and attached to the stationary side member of the vehicle body 2, A brake booster 48 that protrudes rearward from the vehicle, an instrument panel 57 that covers the brake booster 48 from behind and is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body 2, and protrudes forward from the instrument panel 57. In the vehicle front end structure provided with a box-shaped container case 59 provided,
The upper surface 59a of the container 59 is inclined rearward and upward, and the front end of the upper surface 59a is disposed in the vicinity of the projecting end of the brake booster 48. When the protruding end portion of the brake booster 48 and the container case 59 are relatively close to each other, the protruding end portion of the brake booster 48 slides on the upper surface 59a of the container case 59 and is guided rearward and upward. A vehicle front end structure characterized by the above.

  In addition, in this section, the reference numerals and drawing numbers appended to the above terms are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the “Example” section and the contents of the drawings described later.

  The effects of the present invention are as follows.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a front panel that forms the front surface of the passenger compartment inside the vehicle body and a front-side portion of the passenger compartment that is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body and protrudes rearward from the front panel side. A brake booster, an instrument panel that covers the brake booster from behind and is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body, and a box-shaped container that projects forward from the instrument panel In the vehicle front end structure,
The upper surface of the container portion is inclined rearward and upward, the front end portion of the upper surface is disposed in the vicinity of the protruding end portion of the brake booster, and the protruding end portion of the brake booster is deformed by the vehicle body deformation at the time of the front collision of the vehicle. When the container portion and the container portion are relatively close to each other, the protruding end portion of the brake booster slides on the upper surface of the container portion and is guided rearward and upward, and the following effects are produced.

  That is, in the normal sitting posture of the driver when driving the vehicle, the lower leg portion below the knee of the driver is positioned in the vicinity of the rear of the protruding end portion of the brake booster and extends rearward and upward. For this reason, as described above, when the protruding end of the brake booster slides on the upper surface of the container and is guided rearward and upward along with the front collision of the vehicle, the brake booster is applied to the lower leg of the driver. It is more reliably prevented that the protruding end of the battery collides. And since the said container part is box-shaped and rigidity is easy to ensure, the guidance to the back upper direction of the said projecting end part by the upper surface of this container part is achieved more reliably. Therefore, the protection of the driver at the time of the front collision is more reliably achieved.

  Further, the protection of the driver at the time of the above-described front collision is achieved by using a high-rigidity container portion protruding from the instrument panel. Therefore, the above-described protection of the driver is achieved with a simple configuration by using the container portion in this way, which is beneficial in terms of the productivity of the vehicle body.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged detail view of FIG. 2. It is a simplified side view of a vehicle body front part. FIG. 3 is a partial plan view of what is shown in FIG. 2.

  The vehicle front end structure according to the present invention achieves the object of ensuring the protection of the driver at the time of the front collision of the vehicle and achieving the protection of the driver with a simple configuration. Therefore, the form for carrying out the present invention is as follows.

  That is, the structure of the front end portion of the vehicle is a front panel that forms the front surface of the passenger compartment inside the vehicle body, and is disposed at the front end portion of the passenger compartment and attached to the stationary side member of the vehicle body, and faces rearward from the front panel side. A projecting brake booster, an instrument panel that covers the brake booster from behind and is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body, and a box-shaped container case projecting forward from the instrument panel Is provided.

  The upper surface of the container portion is inclined rearward and upward, and the front end portion of the upper surface is disposed in the vicinity of the protruding end portion of the brake booster. When the projecting end of the brake booster and the container case are relatively close to each other due to deformation of the vehicle body at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the projecting end of the brake booster slides on the upper surface of the container case and moves rearward and upward. You will be guided across.

  In order to explain the present invention in more detail, an embodiment thereof will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle exemplified by a cab-over truck automobile, and an arrow Fr indicates the front in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. The left and right described below refer to the width direction of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1 toward the front.

  The vehicle body 2 includes a vehicle body frame 3 that forms a lower end side thereof and extends long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2, and a driver's cab 4 that forms a front upper side of the vehicle body 2 and is supported by the front portion of the vehicle body frame 3. A loading platform 5 that constitutes a rear upper side of the vehicle body 2 and is supported on the rear side of the vehicle body frame 3, and a rear wheel 7 that is supported by the vehicle body frame 3 and supports the vehicle body 2 on the traveling road surface, 7.

  The interior of the cab 4 is a cabin 10 as a cab, and the cab 4 forms a lower surface of the cabin 10 and is supported on the front portion of the vehicle body frame 3; A front panel 12 extending upward from the front edge of the floor panel 11 so as to form a lower front surface of the vehicle body 2 and a lower front surface of the vehicle compartment 10, and an upper front surface of the vehicle body 2 and a vehicle interior 10 And a front window 13 provided upward from the upper edge of the front panel 12 so as to form an upper front surface.

  The driver's cab 4 includes a side wall 14 that forms a side surface of the passenger compartment 10, a door opening 15 that is formed in the side wall 14 and communicates the inside and outside of the passenger compartment 10, and a front opening edge of the door opening 15. A side door 17 pivotally supported by a hinge 16 and closing the door opening 15 from the outside of the vehicle body 2 so as to be openable and closable, and a bumper 18 provided so as to cover the lower portion of the front panel 12 from the front thereof are provided. .

  The floor panel 11, the front panel 12, and the side wall 14 are each made of sheet metal, and the bumper 18 is made of resin. The door 17 has an impact beam 21 made of a sheet metal that extends long in the front-rear direction on the lower side. The impact beam 21 is provided over substantially the entire inside of the door opening 15 in the front-rear direction.

  The front opening edge of the door opening 15 is a front pillar 23, and the front pillar 23 is firmly coupled to the body frame 3. The vehicle body frame 3 and the front pillar 23 constitute a particularly rigid frame member among the stationary side members of the vehicle body 2.

  On one side (right side) of the passenger compartment 10, a steering handle 24 protrudes from the upper side of the front panel 12 toward the rear upper side, and a seat on which a driver 25 sits behind the handle 24. 26 is provided. The seat 26 is supported on the floor panel 11. An axis 27 of the handle 24 extends rearward and upward, and the handle 24 is gripped by the driver 25 and can be steered.

  A ventilation air duct 29 for the vehicle compartment 10 extending in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 along the front panel 12 is provided at the front end of the vehicle compartment 10 in the vicinity of the rear of the upper portion of the front panel 12. The air duct 29 is made of sheet metal, and has front and rear duct panels 30 and 31 that face each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2. The panels 30 and 31 are joined to each other so as to have a middle shape, and each part in the longitudinal direction of the air duct 29 has a hollow closed cross-sectional structure. Each end portion of the air duct 29 in the longitudinal direction is supported by a midway portion in the vertical direction of each front pillar 23.

  The front panel 12 extends in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 along the front panel 12 between the middle part of the front panel 12 and the upper edge of the bumper 18 in the vicinity of the front of the middle part in the vertical direction of the front panel 12. A cross member 34 is provided. The cross member 34 is made of sheet metal, and the cross section of each part in the longitudinal direction has a hat shape in which the internal space opens rearward to ensure a predetermined rigidity. Each end of the cross member 34 in the longitudinal direction is supported by an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of each front pillar 23 via a crash body 35 made of sheet metal.

  A bulkhead 36 made of sheet metal is provided in the middle of the front pillar 23 in the longitudinal direction. On each side of the vehicle body 2, the end of the cross member 34, the crash body 35, the bulkhead 36 provided in the front pillar 23, and the impact beam 21 in the door 17 are arranged in this order on the rear side of the vehicle body 2. Are lined up.

  Another cross member 39 extending in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 along the front panel 12 is provided at the front end of the vehicle compartment 10 in the vicinity of the rear of the middle part in the vertical direction of the front panel 12. The other cross member 39 is made of sheet metal, and the cross section of each part in the longitudinal direction has a hat shape in which the internal space opens forward, and a predetermined rigidity is ensured. The other cross member 39 is integrally formed at the lower edge of the front duct panel 30 of the air duct 29.

  The cross member 34 and the other cross member 39 face each other in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2 with the floor panel 11 in between, and these 34, 39, 11 are firmly connected to each other by upper and lower spot welds S1, S2. The

  The front panel 12, the air duct 29, the cross member 34, and the other cross member 39 constitute a stationary side member of the vehicle body 2 together with the vehicle body frame 3 and the front pillar 23.

  A bracket 41 is provided which is disposed on one side (right side) of the front end portion of the vehicle compartment 10 and is attached to the front panel 12 side so as to protrude rearward from the front panel 12 side toward the interior of the vehicle compartment 10. . The bracket 41 is made of sheet metal and constitutes an upper portion thereof. The bracket main body 41a is fastened to the rear duct panel 31 of the air duct 29 by a fastener 42, and the bracket main body 41a is integrally formed from the lower end portion toward the front lower side. Right and left leg portions 41b and 41c. The rear surface of the bracket body 41 a extends in the width direction of the vehicle body 2, and the lower ends of the leg portions 41 b and 41 c are fastened to the front panel 12 by other fasteners 44 through the seat plate 43.

  A brake pedal 47 is pivotally supported by a pivot shaft 46 at a lower portion of the bracket 41 so that the driver 25 can step on the bracket 41. Also, a brake booster 48 for supplying pressure oil for brake operation to a brake device (not shown) is supported on the rear surface of the bracket body 41a of the bracket 41 so as to promote an operating force to the brake pedal 47. The brake booster 48 includes a booster body 52 that is fastened to the rear surface of the bracket body 41 a of the bracket 41 by a fastener, and a hydraulic cylinder 53 that protrudes rearward from the booster body 52. Constitutes a rearward projecting end portion of the brake booster 48. The booster body 52 has a disk box shape, and the booster body 52 and the hydraulic cylinder 53 are located on the same axis 54. The axis 54 is orthogonal to the rear surface of the bracket body 41a, extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2, and slightly extends in the rearward and upward inclination direction.

  In the above case, the bracket 41, the brake booster 48, and the shaft center 54 are disposed so that the outer side of the vehicle body 2 is biased toward the outer side (right side side) of the shaft center 27 of the handle 24 as a whole. The hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48 protrudes from the booster body 52 side toward the lower leg portion 25a below the knee among the right leg portions of the driver 25 seated on the seat 26. . Further, in this case, the lower leg portion 25 a is located in the vicinity of the rear of the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48.

  In a plan view of the vehicle body 2 (FIG. 3), the cross member 34 is bent with a large radius so as to form a convex arc shape toward the front of the vehicle body 2. For this reason, the side part of the cross member 34 is inclined so as to extend forward as it goes inward of the vehicle body 2. The left leg 41b, which is the inner side of the vehicle body 2, of the left and right leg portions 41b, 41c of the bracket 41 is formed longer than the right leg portion 41c.

  The attachment portion of the lower end portion of the bracket 41 to the front panel 12 side is disposed close to the side portion of the cross member 34. Specifically, the lower end portions of the leg portions 41b and 41c of the bracket 41 attached to the front panel 12 by fastening are arranged near the lower side of the side portions of the cross member 34. Further, the upper end portion of the seat plate 43 is overlapped with the front panel 12, the lower end edge portion of the cross member 34, and the lower end edge portion of the other cross member 39 by the lower spot welding S2, and is integrally coupled.

  On the front side of the driver 25 seated on the seat 26, there is provided a resin instrument panel 57 that integrally covers the bracket 41 and the brake booster 48 from behind and is attached to the stationary side member of the vehicle body 2. It is done. Although not shown in the drawings, the instrument panel 57 is attached to the left and right front pillars 23 and 23 with fasteners via front cross members installed on the left and right front pillars 23 and 23.

  At the lower right side of the instrument panel 57, a container portion 59, the interior of which is a storage space 58 for tobacco or the like, is attached. The container 59 is integrally projected from the lower right side of the instrument panel 57 toward the front. The container 59 has a box-like shape as a whole, with the cross-section of each part in the forward and downward projecting direction being a rectangular frame shape. The container space 58 extends forward and downward toward the inner bottom portion thereof, and is opened rearward and upward from a position near the front of the lower leg portion 25a on the right side of the driver 25. Accordingly, the container space 58 is configured to be easily used for a container.

  In the side view of the vehicle body 2 (FIGS. 1 and 2), the box-shaped container case 59 projects forward and downward as described above, and the upper surface 59a of the container case 59 is substantially flat as a whole. It extends and is inclined linearly toward the rear upper direction. Further, the front end portion of the upper surface 59a is disposed near the lower portion of the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48. On the other hand, in the plan view of the vehicle body 2 (FIG. 3), the container portion 59 is disposed in the vicinity of the right side of the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48 and slightly away from the hydraulic cylinder 53.

  When the vehicle 1 collides with a certain object 62 ahead (front collision) while the vehicle 1 is traveling, the cross member 34 is displaced rearward by being given an impact force F from the front. In this case, the impact force F is supported by the crash body 35, the front pillar 23, the bulkhead 36, and the impact beam 21 of the door 17. Of these, the crash body 35 is immediately affected by the impact force F. The impact force F is relaxed by plastic deformation. On the other hand, the front pillar 23, the bulkhead 36, and the impact beam 21 of the door 17 firmly support the impact force F, so that the front pillar 23 and the door 17 are prevented from being greatly deformed by the impact force F. Is done.

  Further, since the cross member 34 has a circular arc shape protruding forward in a plan view of the vehicle body 2 (FIG. 3), when the cross member 34 is given the impact force F from the front, the cross member 34 A compressive stress is generated in the longitudinal direction of the member 34 to firmly oppose the impact force F. However, when the impact force F causes the longitudinal halfway portion of the cross member 34 to be largely displaced rearward and the compressive stress generated in the cross member 34 is converted into tensile stress, the side portion of the cross member 34 is Is bent rearward and is bent and deformed so as to smoothly rotate R around the end of the cross member 34 toward the rear outer side of the vehicle body 2.

  For this reason, as indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 3, when the vehicle 1 collides forward, the brake booster 48 together with the bracket 41 and the rear of the vehicle body 2 are accompanied by the rotation R deformation of the side portion of the cross member 34 described above. Rotate R outward. Further, due to the bending deformation of the side portion of the cross member 34, the hydraulic cylinder 53 and the container portion 59 of the brake booster 48 approach each other. 3, when the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48 is positioned near the upper surface 59a of the container portion 59, the hydraulic cylinder 53 slides on the upper surface 59a of the container portion 59. It is moved and guided to the upper part.

  Here, in a normal seating posture of the driver 25 on the seat 26 during driving of the vehicle 1, the lower leg portion 25 a of the driver 25 is positioned in the vicinity of the rear of the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48 and rearwardly upward. It extends to. Therefore, as described above, the brake booster 48 rotates R toward the rear outer side in accordance with the front collision of the vehicle 1, and the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48 slides on the upper surface 59 a of the container portion 59. When it is moved and guided upward, it is more reliably prevented that the hydraulic cylinder 53 of the brake booster 48 collides with the lower leg portion 25a of the driver 25. In addition, since the container portion 59 is box-shaped and is easy to ensure rigidity, the rearward upward guidance of the hydraulic cylinder 53 by the upper surface 59a of the container portion 59 is more reliably achieved. Therefore, the protection of the driver 25 at the time of the front collision is more reliably achieved.

  Here, the vehicle 1 is a light truck, and the distance from the front panel 12 forming the lower front surface of the vehicle body 2 to the lower leg portion 25a of the driver 25 is a short structure. Since the collision between the 48 hydraulic cylinders 53 and the lower leg portion 25a of the driver 25 is prevented, the protection of the driver 25 is more reliably achieved even in the light truck vehicle 1.

  Further, the protection of the driver 25 at the time of the front collision described above is achieved by the cross member 34 that is rotated and deformed by the impact force F at the time of the front collision, and the case portion 59 having a large rigidity that is projected from the instrument panel 57. Achieved by use. Therefore, the above-described protection of the driver 25 can be achieved with a simple configuration by using the container portion 59 in this way, which is beneficial in terms of productivity of the vehicle body 2.

  Further, as described above, the hydraulic cylinder 53 and the container 59 of the brake booster 48 are separated in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 in a plan view of the vehicle body 2 (FIG. 3).

  For this reason, when the assembling work is performed while moving the instrument panel 57 up and down with respect to the stationary side member of the vehicle body 2, the container portion 59 protruding from the instrument panel 57 contacts the hydraulic cylinder 53. This is prevented. Therefore, the assembling work of the instrument panel 57 can be facilitated accordingly.

  In the vehicle 1 in which the vehicle body 2 has an engine room inside the front portion thereof, the front panel 12 corresponds to a dash panel that forms the rear surface of the engine room. Further, the container part 59 may be provided separately from the instrument panel 57 and attached to the instrument panel 57 by locking and / or fastening. In addition, the illustrated frontal collision of the vehicle 1 shows a case where a portion biased to one side of the vehicle body 2 collides with the object 62, but a case where the central portion in the width direction of the vehicle body 2 collides with the object 62. However, the same effects as those described above can be obtained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle 2 Car body 10 Car compartment 12 Front panel 23 Front pillar (stationary side member)
24 Handle 25 Driver 25a Lower leg portion 26 Seat 27 Axle 29 Air duct (stationary side member)
34 Cross member (stationary member)
39 Other cross members (stationary side members)
41 Bracket 46 Pivot shaft 47 Brake pedal 48 Brake booster 52 Booster body 53 Hydraulic cylinder (protruding end)
54 shaft center 57 instrument panel 58 storage space 59 storage space 59a upper surface 62 object F impact force R rotation

Claims (1)

A front panel that forms the front surface of the vehicle interior inside the vehicle body, a brake booster that is disposed at the front end of the vehicle interior and is attached to a stationary member of the vehicle body and projects rearward from the front panel side, and the brake In a vehicle front end structure including an instrument panel that covers a booster from behind and is attached to a stationary member of a vehicle body, and a box-shaped container case that projects forward from the instrument panel ,
The upper surface of the container portion is inclined rearward and upward, the front end portion of the upper surface is disposed in the vicinity of the protruding end portion of the brake booster, and the protruding end portion of the brake booster is deformed by the vehicle body deformation at the time of the front collision of the vehicle. The front end of the vehicle is characterized in that when the container and the container are relatively close to each other, the protruding end of the brake booster slides on the upper surface of the container and is guided rearward and upward. Construction.

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