JP6760174B2 - Cowl structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cowl structure.

The cowl structure is disclosed in Patent Document 1 below. In this cowl structure, an intake cowl extending in the vehicle width direction is provided along the lower end of the front windshield glass. The intake cowl is formed in a gutter shape or a box shape, and a drain pipe is connected to the bottom wall. This drainage pipe is arranged inside or outside the cross section of the upper side member from the intake cowl toward the lower side of the vehicle. Therefore, rainwater or the like that has flowed into the intake cowl is discharged to the outside of the intake cowl through the inside of the drain pipe.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-280934

However, in the cowl structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, when foreign matter such as fallen leaves enters the intake cowl, the foreign matter may block the drainage pipe and the drainage performance may be deteriorated. On the other hand, in order to prevent the drainage pipe from being blocked by foreign matter, it is conceivable to increase the diameter of the drainage pipe, but in this case, small animals outside the vehicle may invade the drainage pipe. In this respect, the above prior art has room for improvement.

In consideration of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a cowl structure capable of suppressing the invasion of small animals from the outside of the vehicle and the deterioration of drainage performance.

The cowl structure that solves the above problems is formed in a substantially hat shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction and open to the upper side of the vehicle along the lower end of the front windshield glass, and is formed at both ends in the vehicle width direction. A cowl main body provided with a drainage groove for discharging liquid to the outside in the vehicle width direction, an opening provided at both ends of the cowl main body in the vehicle width direction, and an opening communicating with the drainage groove, and the above. It projects downward from the upper end of the opening to the outside of the drainage ditch in the vehicle width direction so as to be close to the outer end of the drainage ditch in the vehicle width direction, and covers a part of the inside of the drainage ditch from the side view of the vehicle. It is provided with a cowl side portion having a return portion.

According to the cowl structure that solves the above problems, the cowl body and the cowl are formed in a substantially hat shape with the vehicle width direction as the longitudinal direction and open to the upper side of the vehicle along the lower end of the front windshield glass. Cowl sides are provided at both ends of the main body in the vehicle width direction. Drainage grooves are provided at both ends of the cowl body in the vehicle width direction so that the liquid inside the cowl body can be discharged to the outside in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the cowl side has an opening that communicates with the drainage ditch of the cowl body, and a vehicle that is below the vehicle and inside the drainage ditch from the upper end of the opening so as to be close to the outer end of the drainage ditch in the vehicle width direction. A return portion is provided that projects outward in the width direction and covers a part of the inside of the drainage groove when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, even if a small animal tries to enter the inside of the cowl main body through the drainage ditch from the outside of the vehicle, the invasion can be suppressed by this return portion.

On the other hand, the return portion projects downward from the upper end of the opening and outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the opening so as to be close to the end of the drainage groove together with the return portion that covers a part of the inside of the drainage groove when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Has been done. That is, a gap having a sufficient opening area provided in each of the vehicle side view and the vehicle front view is formed between the drainage groove and the return portion, and the liquid inside the cowl main body is formed by this gap. Can be drained.

The cowl structure according to the present invention has an excellent effect of being able to suppress the invasion of small animals from the outside of the vehicle and the deterioration of drainage performance.

It is a schematic perspective view which shows the state which looked at the vehicle body which has the cowl structure which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the front side of a vehicle toward the rear side of a vehicle. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the state which looked at the cowl top which has the cowl structure which concerns on 1st Embodiment from the front side of a vehicle toward the rear side of a vehicle. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows the main part in the cowl structure which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state of being cut along the line AA in FIG. It is a front view which shows the main part in the cowl structure which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) is a perspective view showing the area of the gap in the cowl structure according to the first embodiment in a substantially vehicle width direction, and (B) shows the area of the gap in the front view of the vehicle with respect to (A). It is a front view, and FIG. 3C is a perspective view showing an area of a drainage ditch in a substantially vehicle width direction with respect to FIG. (A) is a perspective view corresponding to FIG. 3 showing a main part in the cowl structure according to the second embodiment, and (B) is a front view showing a state seen from the front side of the vehicle with respect to (A). ..

The arrows FR shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 indicate the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction, the arrow OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction.

(First Embodiment)
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, a hood (not shown) and a cowl top 14 are provided on the front portion of the vehicle 12 to which the cowl structure 10 according to the present embodiment is applied. The hood is arranged along the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction, and covers the power unit chamber 16 in which a power unit (not shown) is mounted so as to be openable and closable from the upper side of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cowl top 14 includes a cowl main body portion 18 and a cowl side portion 20. The cowl main body 18 is made of steel plate as an example, and is formed in a substantially hat-shaped cross section with the vehicle width direction in the longitudinal direction along the lower end of the front windshield glass and open to the upper side of the vehicle. Specifically, a bottom wall portion 22 whose plate thickness direction is substantially in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and a pair of standing wall portions 24 extending substantially upward from both ends of the bottom wall portion 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction. It has a substantially hat-shaped cross section that is open to the upper side of the vehicle with a pair of flange portions 26 extending from the upper ends of the pair of standing wall portions 24 in a direction that is substantially separated from each other along the vehicle front-rear direction. The lower end of the front windshield glass is joined to the flange 26 on the rear side of the cowl top 14 via a seal member (not shown).

The bottom wall portion 22 of the cowl main body portion 18 is provided with a mounting seat surface on which a wiper motor (not shown) for operating the wiper is mounted. Further, drainage grooves 28 are formed at both ends of the cowl main body 18 in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the drainage ditch 28 is formed in a substantially U shape that is opened toward the upper side of the vehicle when viewed from the side surface of the vehicle by the bottom wall portion 22 and the pair of standing wall portions 24. There is.

The cowl side portions 20 are attached to both ends of the cowl main body portion 18 in the vehicle width direction. The cowl side portion 20 is made of steel plate as an example, and has a side wall portion 32 whose thickness direction is substantially the vehicle width direction and an upper end of the cowl side extending outward from the upper end portion of the side wall portion 32 in the vehicle width direction. It has a portion 30 and a cowl side lower end portion 34 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end portion of the side wall portion 32. An opening 36 penetrating in the plate thickness direction is formed at a position of the side wall portion 32 of the cowl side portion 20 corresponding to the drainage groove 28 of the cowl main body portion 18. The drainage ditch 28 is communicated with the opening 36 (see FIG. 5).

A return portion 38 is formed at the upper end portion of the opening 36. The return portion 38 projects downward from the vehicle, and includes an extension portion 40, a lower end portion 42, and a connecting portion 44. The extension portion 40 projects from the upper end portion of the opening 36 toward the lower side of the vehicle on substantially the same surface as the side wall portion 32 of the cowl side portion 20. The lower end portion 42 is arranged substantially in the vehicle width direction in the plate thickness direction and outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the end portion of the drainage groove 28 outside in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 5). The connecting portion 44 connects the lower end of the extension portion 40 and the upper end of the lower end portion 42, and is inclined toward the lower side of the vehicle as it goes outward in the vehicle width direction. Further, the return portion 38 is continuously formed with a reinforcing bead 46 projecting outward in the vehicle width direction over the lower end portion 42, the connecting portion 44, and the extension portion 40.

The return portion 38 is provided inside the drainage groove 28 when viewed from the side of the vehicle, covers a part of the drainage groove 28 other than the lower side of the vehicle, and has a shape substantially similar to the outer end portion of the drainage groove 28 in the vehicle width direction. It is formed. That is, a part of the vehicle front side end portion of the connecting portion 44 and the vehicle front side end portion of the lower end portion 42 are arranged so as to face the vehicle front side standing wall portion 24 of the drainage groove 28 in the vehicle side view. There is. Further, the lower end of the lower end 42 on the lower side of the vehicle is arranged so as to face the bottom wall 22 of the drainage groove 28 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Further, the end portion of the lower end portion 42 on the vehicle rear side, the end portion of the connecting portion 44 on the vehicle rear side, and the end portion of the extension portion 40 on the vehicle rear side are the vertical walls of the drainage groove 28 on the vehicle rear side in the vehicle side view. It is arranged so as to face the portion 24. As a result, a substantially U-shaped gap 48 is formed between the drainage groove 28 and the return portion 38 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the return portion 38 is separated from the end portion of the drainage groove 28 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the gap 48 is formed in each of the front view of the vehicle and the side view of the vehicle. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, this gap 48 allows foreign matter such as fallen leaves to flow out from the inside of the cowl top 14 together with a liquid such as rainwater, and as shown in FIG. 3, a small animal such as a mouse. The M is set so that it cannot enter the inside of the cowl top 14 from the outside. Further, the total of the area A1 (diagonal portion in the figure) of the gap 48 shown in FIG. 6 (A) in the vehicle side view and the area A2 (diagonal portion in the figure) in the vehicle front view shown in FIG. 6 (B) is , The opening area A3 (hatched portion in the figure) of the drainage groove 28 shown in FIG. 6C is set to be equal to or larger than that.

(Action / effect of the first embodiment)
Next, the action and effect of this embodiment will be described.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the cowl main body 18 is formed in a substantially hat shape having a vehicle width direction along the lower end of the front windshield glass and open to the upper side of the vehicle. And cowl side portions 20 are provided at both ends of the cowl main body portion 18 in the vehicle width direction. Drainage grooves 28 that can discharge the liquid to the outside in the vehicle width direction are provided at both ends of the cowl main body 18 in the vehicle width direction. Further, the cowl side portion 20 has an opening 36 communicated with the drainage groove 28 of the cowl main body portion 18 and an upper end portion of the opening 36 on the lower side of the vehicle so as to be close to the outer end portion of the drainage groove 28 in the vehicle width direction. Further, a return portion 38 is provided inside the drainage groove 28, which projects outward in the vehicle width direction and covers a part of the inside of the drainage groove 28 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Therefore, even if the small animal M as shown in FIG. 3 tries to invade the inside of the cowl main body 18 from the outside of the vehicle through the drainage ditch 28, the invasion can be suppressed.

On the other hand, the return portion 38 is located on the lower side of the vehicle and on the drain groove 28 from the upper end of the opening 36 so as to be close to the end of the drain groove 28 together with the return portion 38 that covers a part of the inside of the drain groove 28 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. It protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction. That is, a gap 48 having a sufficient opening area provided in each of the vehicle side view and the vehicle front view is formed between the drainage groove 28 and the return portion 38, and the cowl main body portion 18 is formed by this gap 48. The liquid inside the can be drained. As a result, it is possible to suppress M invasion of small animals from outside the vehicle and deterioration of drainage performance.

Further, a reinforcing bead 46 is formed on the return portion 38. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the small animal M from deforming the return portion 38 by applying a force to the return portion 38.

Further, the return portion 38 is integrally provided at the upper end of the opening 36 of the cowl side portion 20. Therefore, the return portion 38 can be formed in the same step when the cowl side portion 20 is formed.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, the cowl structure 50 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The same components as those of the first embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

The cowl structure 50 according to the second embodiment has the same basic configuration as that of the first embodiment, and is characterized in that a through hole 54 is formed in the return portion 52.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7A, a return portion 52 is formed at the upper end portion of the opening 56 of the cowl side portion 20. The return portion 52 projects downward from the vehicle, and includes an extension portion 58, a lower end portion 60, and a connecting portion 62. The extension portion 58 projects from the upper end portion of the opening 56 toward the lower side of the vehicle on substantially the same surface as the side wall portion 32 of the cowl side portion 20. The lower end portion 60 is arranged substantially in the vehicle width direction in the plate thickness direction and outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the end portion of the drainage groove 64 outside in the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 7B). The connecting portion 62 connects the lower end of the extension portion 58 and the upper end of the lower end portion 60, and is tilted toward the lower side of the vehicle toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. Further, a plurality (two in the present embodiment) of reinforcing beads 66 projecting outward in the vehicle width direction are continuously formed on the return portion 52 over the connecting portion 62 and the extension portion 58. The dimensions of the drainage groove 64 and the return portion 52 in the vehicle front-rear direction are set to be larger than those of the drainage groove 28 and the return portion 38 of the first embodiment.

The return portion 52 is provided inside the drainage groove 64 when viewed from the side of the vehicle, covers a part of the drainage groove 64 other than the lower side of the vehicle, and is substantially similar to the outer end portion of the drainage groove 64 in the vehicle width direction. It is formed in a shape. That is, the end portion of the extension portion 58 on the vehicle front side, the end portion of the connecting portion 62 on the vehicle front side, and the end portion of the lower end portion 60 on the vehicle front side are the standing walls of the drainage groove 64 on the vehicle front side in the vehicle side view. It is arranged so as to face the portion 68. Further, the lower end portion of the lower end portion 60 on the lower side of the vehicle is arranged so as to face the bottom wall portion 70 of the drainage groove 64 in a side view of the vehicle. Further, a part of the lower end portion 60 on the vehicle rear side, the end portion of the connecting portion 62 on the vehicle rear side, and a part of the extension portion 58 on the vehicle rear side are part of the vehicle rear side of the drainage groove 64 in the vehicle side view. It is arranged so as to face the standing wall portion 68 on the side. As a result, a substantially U-shaped gap 72 is formed between the drainage groove 64 and the return portion 52 when viewed from the side of the vehicle. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the lower end portion 60 of the return portion 52 is separated from the end portion of the drainage groove 64 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the gap 72 is formed in each of the front view of the vehicle and the side view of the vehicle. In this gap 72, foreign matter such as fallen leaves (see FIG. 4) can flow out from the inside of the cowl top 14 together with a liquid such as rainwater, and a small animal M such as a mouse (see FIG. 3) can flow out from the inside of the cowl top 14. It is set so that it cannot enter from the outside to the inside. Further, although not particularly shown, the total of the area of the gap 72 in the vehicle side view and the area in the vehicle front view is set to be equal to or larger than the opening area of the drainage groove 64, as in the first embodiment. There is.

The return portion 52 is formed with a through hole 54 penetrating in the plate thickness direction of the return portion 52. The through hole 54 is provided over the lower end portion 60 and the connecting portion 62 of the return portion 52. The through hole 54 is set to a size such that the small animal M (see FIG. 3) cannot invade the inside of the cowl top 14 from the outside.

(Action / effect of the second embodiment)
Next, the action and effect of this embodiment will be described.

Even with the above configuration, since the cowl structure 10 of the first embodiment is configured except that the through hole 54 is formed in the return portion 52, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.

Further, since the through hole 54 is formed in the return portion 52, even if the dimension of the drainage groove 64 in the vehicle front-rear direction is increased and the dimension of the return portion 52 in the vehicle front-rear direction is increased, the return portion 52 is returned. The weight of the portion 52 can be reduced.

In the first and second embodiments described above, the return portions 38 and 52 are formed in a shape substantially similar to the outer ends of the drainage grooves 28 and 64 in the vehicle width direction, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be formed in a shape other than the similar shape.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above, and it is possible to carry out various modifications other than the above within a range not deviating from the gist thereof. Of course.

10 Cowl structure 18 Cowl body 20 Cowl side 28 Drainage groove 36 Opening 38 Return part 50 Cowl structure 52 Return part 56 Opening 64 Drainage ditch

Claims (3)

Along the lower end of the front windshield glass, the vehicle width direction is the longitudinal direction, and the cross section is formed in a substantially hat shape that is open to the upper side of the vehicle, and liquid can be discharged to the outside in the vehicle width direction at both ends in the vehicle width direction. The cowl body with a drainage ditch and
The cowl body is provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction, and the vehicle is provided from the upper end of the opening so as to be close to the opening communicated with the drainage groove and the outer end portion of the drainage groove in the vehicle width direction. A cowl side portion that protrudes downward and outward in the vehicle width direction of the drainage ditch and has a return portion that covers a part of the inside of the drainage ditch when viewed from the side of the vehicle.
Equipped with a,
A gap is formed between the lower end of the return portion of the return portion and the bottom wall portion forming the bottom of the drainage groove when viewed from the vehicle width direction.
The return portion has a cowl structure that cannot be displaced in the vehicle width direction with respect to the cowl main body portion . The cowl structure according to claim 1, wherein a bead that suppresses deformation of the return portion in the vehicle width direction is formed on the return portion. The cowl structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a through hole is formed in the return portion.