JP6866010B2 - Front structure of the car - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the front structure of an automobile, and more particularly to the relationship between the radiator support and the oil pan at the bottom of the engine.

Many automobile engines are designed to be mounted on the front part of the vehicle body. If the engine is mounted on the front, the radiator will be mounted in front of the engine. This is because when the automobile runs, it is easy to exchange heat with the cooling water by the air flowing from the front part.

Patent Document 1 discloses a shock absorbing member capable of ensuring a large amount of collision energy absorption for pedestrian protection and preventing damage to the radiator panel at the time of a light collision.

This structure is shown in FIG. It has a front member 102, an upper member 103, and a lower member 104 formed from a plate-shaped material, and flange portions 112 and 114 extending in the vehicle width direction bent and formed on the front member 102 and the lower member 104, respectively, are overlapped with each other. By combining them, a joint portion 118 between the front member 102 and the lower member 104 is formed. Further, a load transmission member 105 for connecting the joined flange portion 114 and the radiator panel side 122 is provided.

As a result, the front member 102, the upper member 103, and the lower member 104 are each plastically deformed according to the collision situation, and a large amount of energy absorption can be secured. Further, since the rigidity is increased by the joined flange portions 112 and 114 and the collision load acting on the flange portion 114 can be transmitted to the radiator panel side 122 via the load transmission member 105, the radiator panel upper 121 is damaged during a light collision. Is said to be able to prevent.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-089686

In the event of a light collision, the main parts such as the radiator, engine, and frame can be repaired without replacement, which reduces the burden on consumers. It is said that the collision absorbing member disclosed in Patent Document 1 can protect the radiator panel itself from a light collision. In particular, the structure of Patent Document 1 is arranged between the bumper face and the radiator, and mainly contributes to protecting the upper portion of the radiator from an impact from the front.

By the way, in the case of a light collision, the engine moves forward (or the radiator itself moves toward the engine) due to the inertia of the collision, as well as the impact from the front of the vehicle body, and the lower part of the engine (especially the oil pan) It often collides with the lower part of the radiator. In such a case, the radiator body (radiator fan shroud part) itself is not damaged, but the lower bracket of the radiator that attaches the radiator to the radiator support is damaged.

However, although it is not the damage to the radiator body (radiator fan shroud part), even if the lower bracket of the radiator panel is damaged, the entire radiator unit needs to be replaced. This puts a heavy financial burden on consumers in the event of a light collision.

The present invention has been conceived in view of the above problems, and provides a front structure of an automobile that avoids damage to the entire radiator unit in the event of a light collision.

More specifically, the front structure of the automobile according to the present invention is
It is the front structure of the car where the bumper, radiator and engine are arranged from the front of the car.
With the radiator support provided on the bumper,
The radiator supported by the lower bracket on the lower part of the radiator support,
It has an engine with an oil pan with a flange at the bottom,
Ribs are integrally provided along the radiator at the rear of the vehicle in the lower portion of the radiator support and at the rear of the vehicle from the radiator.
The rib has inclined surfaces on the front side surface of the vehicle and the rear side surface of the vehicle whose upper side is located behind the vehicle with respect to the lower side.
A space is formed between the upper side of the rib and the radiator fan shroud of the radiator, and a groove is formed between the lower portion and the rib .
The space, the rib and the radiator at the rib top deformed by the oil pan rush is characterized clearance der Rukoto not abut.

In the present invention, since the joint flange of the oil pan that approaches the lower portion of the radiator support is guided downward by the inclination of the rib in the event of a vehicle collision, the joint flange of the oil pan is directly attached to the lower bracket of the radiator fixed to the radiator support. Avoid collisions. Therefore, the entire radiator unit is not damaged, which contributes to the reduction of repair costs.

Further, since the outside air is introduced into the engine room from between the rib and the radiator fan shroud during traveling, it is possible to suppress the temperature rise in the engine room.

It is a perspective view of a radiator support. It is the figure which looked at the state which the radiator is supported by the radiator support from the front of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which the engine collides. It is a conventional structure that protects the radiator panel upper from light collisions.

Hereinafter, the front structure 1 of the automobile according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description exemplifies one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following description. Therefore, the following description can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention. In the present specification, the arrow F represents the vehicle front direction, and the arrow R represents the vehicle rear direction.

FIG. 1 shows the radiator support 10 and the radiator 20 as seen from the rear of the automobile. Peripheral members are omitted. The radiator support 10 is fixed to an automobile bumper (not shown). In FIG. 1, a bumper exists in the vehicle front direction F. Further, the engine 40 (see FIG. 3) is immediately arranged behind the radiator support 10. Therefore, in the front structure of the automobile of the present invention, the bumper, the radiator 20, and the engine 40 are arranged in this order from the front of the vehicle body. In the present invention, ribs 18 are provided along the radiator 20 in the vehicle rear portion of the radiator support 10.

The radiator support 10 has at least an upper portion 10a and a lower portion 10b. The radiator 20 is sandwiched and fixed between the upper portion 10a and the lower portion 10b. Of course, there may be a side portion 10c. The length 10w of the upper portion 10a and the lower portion 10b is at least longer than the width 20w of the radiator 20. The width 18w of the rib 18 has a length of at least 20w or more of the width of the radiator 20 to be attached. Groove holes 10h are formed on the rear side of the radiator 20 of the lower portion 10b in order to absorb energy at the time of a collision and to take in outside air into the engine room during traveling.

The radiator 20 has tanks at the upper and lower parts, a cooling pipe and a fan are arranged between the upper and lower tanks, these are covered with a radiator fan shroud 20s, and the upper bracket 20a and the lower bracket 20b cover the upper portion 10a of the radiator support 10. And fixed to the lower portion 10b.

The radiator support 10 may be provided with a guard bar 19 for protecting the front surface of the radiator 20.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the radiator support 10 to which the radiator 20 is attached as viewed from the front side of the vehicle. The radiator 20 is hooked and fixed between the lower portion 10b and the upper portion 10a of the radiator support 10 by the upper brackets 20a and the lower brackets 20b provided above and below the radiator main body (radiator fan shroud 20s).

Further, in FIG. 2, the radiator support 10 has a shape longer than that of the radiator 20, but the radiator 20 may be wider as long as the width of the radiator support 10 is within 10w.

FIG. 3A shows a cross section taken along the line AA of FIG. Further, FIG. 3 (b) shows a partially enlarged view of FIG. 3 (a). The lower portion 10b of the radiator support 10 is provided with a lower portion front portion 10ba and a lower portion rear portion 10bb in front of and behind the vehicle of the radiator 20. The lower bracket 20b of the radiator 20 is locked to the lower portion front portion 10ba. Further, a groove hole 10h is formed in the rear portion 10bb of the lower portion.

The engine 40 is mounted behind the radiator 20. An oil pan 42 is arranged at the bottom of the engine 40. The oil pan 42 is made of metal and is formed by joining upper and lower parts. Therefore, a joining flange 42p for joining is formed.

In the front structure 1 of the automobile of the present invention, ribs 18 are provided integrally with the radiator support 10 on the lower rear portion 10bb of the radiator support 10 along the lower bracket 20b of the radiator 20. That is, the rib lower side 18a is continuous with the lower rear portion 10bb. The rib upper side 18b is formed so as to be higher than a straight line L1 connecting at least the joint flange 42p of the oil pan 42 and the lower bracket 20b of the radiator 20 in parallel. This is to prevent the joint flange 42p of the oil pan 42 from colliding with the lower bracket 20b of the radiator 20.

Here, the height may be the distance from an arbitrary horizontal plane to the upper side in the direction of gravity. In FIG. 3B, the distance H2 between the lower surface B of the lower portion and the upper rib side 18b is longer than the distance H1 between the lower surface B of the lower portion and the straight line L1 with reference to the lower surface B of the lower portion of the radiator support 10. Therefore, it can be said that the rib upper side 18b is higher than the joint flange 42p.

Further, the vehicle front side surface 18c of the rib 18 is formed with an inclined surface so that the rib upper side 18b is separated from the radiator fan shroud 20s from the rib lower side 18a. In FIG. 3B, the distance Db between the rib upper side 18b and the radiator fan shroud 20s is longer than the distance Da between the rib lower side 18a and the radiator fan shroud 20s. In other words, it can be said that the vehicle front side surface 18c of the rib 18 is formed with an ascending slope from the front to the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, a space E is formed between the rib upper side 18b and the radiator fan shroud 20s.

Further, the rear surface of the rib 18 is also formed with an inclined surface such that the rib upper side 18b is separated from the radiator fan shroud 20s from the rib lower side 18a. This is called the vehicle rear side surface 18e.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the effect of the front structure 1 of the automobile according to the present invention will be described. Note that FIG. 4B is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 4A. When a car collides lightly, the engine 40 and the radiator 20 move relatively in the collision direction. The joint flange 42p of the oil pan 42 first collides with the rib 18. Then, although the upper part of the rib 18 is partially deformed, the oil pan 42 is guided to the lower side of the vehicle along the vehicle rear side surface 18e of the rib 18 as indicated by the arrow 50. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the joint flange 42p of the oil pan 42 from colliding with the lower bracket 20b of the radiator 20.

See FIG. 3A again. When the outside air flows from the bumper toward the rear of the vehicle, a part of the outside air enters the space E through the groove 10h as shown by the arrow in FIG. 3A, and the front side surface of the vehicle 18c (see FIG. 3B). ) Will be introduced in the engine room. Therefore, by providing the rib 18 behind the groove 10h, it contributes to the cooling effect in the engine room.

Further, since the rib 18 is integrally formed with the lower portion 10b of the radiator support 10, it also contributes to the improvement of the rigidity of the radiator support 10.

The front structure of an automobile according to the present invention can be suitably used for an automobile designed by linearly providing a radiator and an engine at the front of the vehicle.

1 Front structure of automobile 10 Radiator support 10a Upper part 10b Lower part 10ba Lower part front part 10bb Lower part rear part 10c Side part 10w Length (width)
10h Groove hole 18 Rib 18a Rib lower side 18b Rib upper side 18c Vehicle front side 18e Vehicle rear side 18w Width 19 Guard bar 20 Radiator 20a Upper bracket 20b Lower bracket 20s Radiator fan shroud 20w Width 40 Engine 42 Oil pan 42p Joint flange 50 Arrow 102 Front member 103 Upper member 112, 114 Flange part 122 Radiator panel side 105 Load transmission member 121 Radiator panel upper

Claims (1)

It is the front structure of the car where the bumper, radiator and engine are arranged from the front of the car.
With the radiator support provided on the bumper,
The radiator supported by the lower bracket on the lower part of the radiator support,
It has an engine with an oil pan with a flange at the bottom,
Ribs are integrally provided along the radiator at the rear of the vehicle in the lower portion of the radiator support and at the rear of the vehicle from the radiator.
The rib has an inclined surface whose upper side is located behind the vehicle with respect to the lower side on the front side surface of the vehicle and the rear side surface of the vehicle.
A space is formed between the upper side of the rib and the radiator fan shroud of the radiator, and a groove is formed between the lower portion and the rib .
The space is front structure of an automobile in which the rib and the radiator at the rib top deformed by the oil pan rush is characterized clearance der Rukoto not abut.

Images