JPH0539034Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to the front body structure of an automobile.

(Prior Art) Generally, an automobile engine is usually fixed to a center beam and the vehicle body via an engine mount bracket, but the mounting portions on the vehicle body side include, for example, the wheel apron and the front and rear of the vehicle body along the lower edge of the wheel apron. A configuration is adopted in which the front side frame is mounted across the front side frame extending in the direction (see, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 61-75323).

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, the above-mentioned automobile engine has a considerable weight, and there is a possibility that it will receive a particularly large impact force in the event of a collision (head-on collision).
While the mounting portion requires higher support rigidity, it is desirable that the mounting portion has a structure that can absorb the impact force.

When looking at the above conventional technology from this perspective,
Since the engine mount bracket is connected to the wheel apron reinforcement and the front side frame, it can be said that the support rigidity itself is compensated to a certain extent, but the impact force at the time of the above collision is No special measures have been taken to absorb this.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In view of the above circumstances, the present invention greatly improves the support rigidity of the engine itself compared to the above conventional technology, and also has the ability to absorb impact force in the event of a collision. It was created for the purpose of providing a front body structure for an automobile that made the front part of the vehicle more compact. A wheel apron reinforcement whose upper surface side extends in the front-rear direction and is integrally joined in a straight line, a front side frame joined along the lower edge of the wheel apron on the engine room side, and an upper end side of which is connected to the wheel apron. In the front end of the wheel apron reinforcement, the front end of the wheel apron reinforcement is coupled to the apron and includes an engine mount bracket whose lower end side is coupled to the front side frame and connects a predetermined support point of the engine to the vehicle body. The closed section is enlarged by extending the lower side portion downward by a predetermined length, and the lower extending end portion is connected to the upper end of the engine mount bracket via the wheel apron.

(Function) According to the above means, since the engine is supported by the wheel apron, the wheel apron reinforcement that reinforces the wheel apron, and the front side frame, the supporting rigidity of the engine itself is At the same time, the lower part of the front end of the wheel apron reinforcement is extended downward, and the closed section is greatly enlarged compared to the continuous rear end, and the enlargement of the closed section increases the rigidity. Since the engine mount bracket is connected to the lower extending end of the bent front end, the support rigidity itself is high, and the center axes of the front end side closed section and the rear end side closed section are offset, so that it can be easily mounted in the event of a car collision. The impact force acting on the connecting portion is effectively absorbed by the front end side of the wheel apron reinforcement being deformed downward near the offset point of the central axis.

(Embodiment) FIGS. 1 to 4 show a front body structure of an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

First, in FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a wheel apron (front wheel apron) located on both sides of the front part of the vehicle body to partition the engine room, and approximately in the center of the wheel apron 1 is a wheel apron for forming a wheel house 40. A substantially cylindrical suspension tower 2 is formed at the suspension mounting portion. Furthermore, a fender panel 3 is joined to the outside of the wheel apron 1 to form a wheel house 40, as shown in FIG.
A wheel 45 is installed in the wheel house 40.
is provided. Further, reference numeral 9 denotes a front side frame joined along the lower edge of the wheel apron 1.

On the other hand, reference numeral 5 includes a first panel member 5a having a U-shaped cross section and a second panel member 5b joined to the open end side of the first panel member 5a. This is an integrally joined wheel apron reinforcement, and the upper surface and the basic closed cross section of the suspension tower 2 are provided so as to extend substantially linearly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The front end portion of the wheel apron reinforcement 5 extends a predetermined length forward from the rear position (side) of the suspension tower 2, and the lower portion thereof extends downward by a predetermined width. As a result, this portion forms a closed cross section with a sufficiently larger cross-sectional area than the rear end side.

Further, an engine mount bracket 1 is provided on the wall surface of the bulging portion 1a of the wheel apron 1 on the engine room 41 side along the curved surface of the wall surface.
The engine mount bracket 10 is generally U-shaped in cross section and has a flange piece 1 around the periphery.
The wheel apron reinforcement is made of a longitudinal metal member having a front end 5a and a rear end 6a. The upper end 11 of the wheel apron reinforcement corresponds to the downward extension end 7 of the front end 5a of the wheel apron reinforcement and is integrally connected to the extension end 7 via the wheel apron 1.
The upper end 9a of the front side frame 9
The engine mount bracket 10 is fixed to the pair of flange pieces 10a, 10b located at the approximate center in the vertical direction. The flange pieces 10a, 10b are fitted into the fitting holes 13, 13 of the bush pivot shaft 38 so that one end of a torque rod 39 connected to the engine E to be mounted can be connected thereto.
is formed.

According to the configuration of the above embodiment, the engine E is connected to the wheel apron 1 and the wheel apron 1.
Since the engine E is supported by the wheel apron reinforcement 5 and the front side frame 9, the support rigidity of the engine E is greatly improved, and the wheel apron reinforcement 5
The lower part of the front end side extends downward to form a larger closed cross section, and has a sufficiently high rigidity, while the central axis is offset downward with respect to the rear end side. Since the engine mount bracket 10 is connected to the extending end, the impact force that acts on the connecting part in the event of a car collision (head-on collision) is transmitted to the wheel around the offset point of the central axis. By deforming the front end of the apron reinforcement 5 downward, it can be effectively absorbed. As a result, there is no possibility that the engine will advance to the cowl panel section and deform the windshield support section.

The shape of the wheel apron reinforcement 5 is, for example, a second embodiment, as shown in FIG.
7, it may be configured to have a particularly narrow shape, or it may also have a third shape.
As an example of this, as shown in FIG. 6, at the same time, beads 36, 36 are installed at the front end to have a high reinforcement function in the vertical direction, but to be easily crushed in the front and back direction.
It is also possible to form...

According to the configuration of the second embodiment, the wheel apron reinforcement 5
bends, making it possible to secondarily absorb larger crush energy, and as in the third embodiment, the primary impact force due to bead deformation can be reduced accordingly. By adding the absorption function of , the impact force absorption function will be greatly improved.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention consists of a wheel apron that constitutes the side wall of the engine compartment and has a suspension tower installed at a predetermined portion thereof, and a wheel apron that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body inside the wheel apron. A wheel apron reinforcement whose upper surface side is continuous in a straight line and which is integrally joined to the wheel apron; a front side frame which is joined along the lower edge of the wheel apron on the engine room side; and a front side frame whose upper end side is joined to the wheel apron. and an engine mount bracket whose lower end side is joined to the front side frame and connects a predetermined support point of the engine to the vehicle body, wherein the front end lower part of the wheel apron reinforcement is connected to the front side frame. The closed section is enlarged by extending the length downward, and the downward extending end is connected to the upper end of the engine mount bracket via the wheel apron.

That is, according to the present invention, since the engine is supported by the wheel apron, the wheel apron reinforcement that reinforces the wheel apron, and the front side frame, the supporting rigidity of the engine itself is increased. At the same time, the lower part of the front end of the wheel apron reinforcement is extended downward and the closed section is greatly enlarged compared to the continuous rear end, and the enlargement of the closed section increases the rigidity. Since the engine mount bracket is connected to the lower extending end of the front end, the support rigidity itself is high, and the center axes of the front end side closed section and the rear end side closed section are offset, so that it can be used in the event of a car collision, etc. The impact force acting on the connecting portion is effectively absorbed by the front end of the wheel apron reinforcement deforming downward near the offset point of the central axis.

Therefore, according to the above-mentioned front vehicle body structure of the present invention, it is possible to achieve higher engine support rigidity than ever before, and at the same time, it is possible to realize an impact energy absorption function in the event of a vehicle collision.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of an automobile wheel apron section showing a front body structure of an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 1; 3 is a sectional view taken along line B-B in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line C-C in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are respectively Second of this invention,
FIG. 7 is a side view of a wheel apron reinforcement in a front body structure of an automobile according to a third embodiment. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Wheel apron, 2... Suspension tower, 5... Wheel apron reinforcement, 7... Extension end, 9... Front side frame, 10... Engine mount bracket.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A wheel apron that constitutes the side wall of the engine room and has a suspension tower installed at a predetermined portion thereof, and a wheel apron that extends inside the wheel apron in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and is integrally joined, and whose upper surface side continues in a straight line. a reinforcement, a front side frame joined along the lower edge of the wheel apron on the side of the engine room, an upper end side connected to the wheel apron, a lower end side connected to the front side frame, and a predetermined support point for the engine; and an engine mount bracket connecting the wheel apron reinforcement to the vehicle body, the closed cross section of the wheel apron reinforcement is expanded by extending the lower part of the front end side of the wheel apron reinforcement downward by a predetermined length. A front body structure for an automobile, characterized in that the lower extending end portion is connected to the upper end of the engine mount bracket via the wheel apron.