JPH0725361A - Body structure for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a body structure for an automobile, which disperses an input load to strut housings so as to transmit it to a cowl box, a food ridge panel and a front pillar, and also can maintain the normal function of the strut housings. CONSTITUTION:In the body structure for an automobile including a cowl top brace 8 which is mounted between each front wheel strut housing 2 and 3 and a cowl box 4 to reinforce the body structure, the cowl top brace 8 is joined to a hood ridge panel 9b at an area which is extended to the outside of a car width so as to be reinforced by a hood ridge reinforcing member 9a, and is also extended to the rear section of the body so as to be joined to a front pillar 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automobile body structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, the actual Kaihei 1-123777
As disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 9, a car body structure in which a cowl top brace having a substantially L-shaped cross section is bridged along a hood ridge panel between a front wheel strut housing and a cowl box to reinforce the strut housing is known. Has been.

According to this, the cowl box receives and bears a part of the load transmitted from the struts to the vehicle body side inward in the vehicle width direction, so that the strut housing is prevented from collapsing and the body rigidity is increased. Is being improved.

[0004]

However, the connecting portion between the cowl box and the hood ridge panel has an increased plate thickness, and when a large input is made from the struts, stress concentrates on this connecting portion. The rear end of the cowl top brace may cause the cowl top panel of the cowl box to buckle, hindering the normal functioning of the strut.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and disperses and transmits the input to the strut housing to the cowl box, the hood ridge panel and the front pillar to maintain the normal operation of the strut. It is an object of the present invention to provide a car body structure capable of being manufactured.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle body structure of an automobile according to a first aspect of the invention is a cowl top brace which is bridged between a front wheel strut housing and a cowl box to reinforce the vehicle body. In the vehicle body structure of an automobile having the above, the cowl top brace is joined to a hood ridge panel at a portion extended outside the width of the vehicle and reinforced by a hood ridge reinforcement, and is extended rearward of the vehicle body to form a front pillar. It is characterized by being joined to.

The vehicle body structure according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the cowl top brace is provided with a wiper pivot mounting surface together with the cowl top panel of the cowl box.

[0008]

According to the vehicle body structure of the present invention,
The cowl top brace is extended to the outside of the vehicle width and is joined to the hood ridge panel at the portion reinforced by the hood ridge reinforcement, and is extended to the rear of the vehicle body and is also joined to the front pillar, so strut The input from the to the strut housing is distributed not only to the cowl box and hood ridge panel but also to the front pillar. Therefore, the rigidity with respect to the input to the strut housing is secured, and the normal operation of the strut can be maintained.

According to the vehicle body structure of the second aspect of the invention, since the cowl top brace is formed with the wiper pivot mounting surface together with the cowl top panel of the cowl box, the rigidity of the wiper pivot mounting surface is improved. improves. Furthermore, since a separate patch for reinforcing the wiper pivot mounting surface is not required, it is possible to reduce man-hours required for positioning during welding, welding, and component management.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the vehicle body structure of an automobile according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a front body shown by breaking a rear portion of a vehicle body engine room E of a passenger car. The front body 1 is provided with front wheel strut housings 2 and 3 for accommodating and supporting a suspension device (not shown) on hood ridge panels 9b on both sides in the vehicle width direction.

Reference numeral 4 is a cowl box provided between both front pillars 10 for ensuring the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body and the safety of collision, and as shown in FIG. 2, a dash upper panel 5 and a dash upper front panel. It has a hollow structure made of 6a and the cowl top panel 7 with a closed cross-section structure.

A dash lower panel 6b is provided below the front end of the cowl box 4 to separate an engine room E and a vehicle compartment P from each other.

The cowl box 4 also serves to introduce outside air into the vehicle compartment. Note that reference numeral 2
Reference numeral 1 is a windshield, and reference numeral 22 is a hood panel.

Between the front wheel strut housings 2 and 3, the cowl box 4 and the front pillar 10, there is provided a cowl top brace 8 which is thicker than other panels for reinforcing the vehicle body. There is.

The shape and arrangement of the cowl top brace 8 will be described below with reference to the front wheel strut housing 3 side with reference to FIGS.

The front end portion 8a of the cowl top brace 8 is
It is joined to the upper part of the front wheel strut housing 2 by spot welding.

Further, the side edge portion 8 of the cowl top brace 8 is provided.
b is extended to the outer side of the vehicle and is reinforced by the hood ridge reinforcement 9a to the hood ridge panel 9b. More specifically, part of it is extended to near the base of the flange 9c for spot welding. Are joined together.

The middle portion of the cowl top brace 8 is sandwiched between the cowl top panel 7 and the dash upper front panel 6a, and spot welding of three pieces is performed.

Further, the rear edge portion 8c of the cowl top brace 8 is connected to the front pillar 10 via the cowl box 4.
It extends to the rear of the vehicle until it reaches the attachment portion 10a of the windshield 21 in the middle.

The rear edge 8c of the cowl top brace 8 is
Spot welding W1 is performed by three pieces sandwiched between the rear edge portion 5a of the dash upper panel 5 and the rear edge portion 7a of the cowl top panel 7, and the portion 10a of the front pillar 10 is adjacent to the portion where the spot welding W1 is performed. Spot welding W2 is applied to the rear edge portion 5a of the dash upper panel 5 at that portion.

Further, the mounting portion 10 of the front pillar 10
Similarly, the flange portion on the front side of a is spot-welded W3 to the side edge portion 5b of the dash upper panel 5.

The vehicle body center side of the cowl top brace 8 is curved outward in the vehicle width, and a flange is provided on the curved portion to increase strength.

The above cowl top brace 8 is arranged as follows.
The same applies to the front wheel strut housing 2 side.

The cowl top brace 8 is formed with a cowl top panel 7 of the cowl box 4 and a wiper pivot mounting surface 8d. That is, in order to reinforce the cowl top panel 7, the mounting portion has the same shape, and the wiper pivot mounting surface 8d and the back surface of the cowl top panel 7 are welded and joined.

The wiper pivot mounting surface 8d is formed with an insertion hole 8e for inserting a pivot shaft (not shown).

Next, the operation of the vehicle body structure having the above structure will be described.

The cowl top brace 8 is extended to the outside of the vehicle width and is joined to the hood ridge panel 9b at a portion reinforced by the hood ridge reinforcement 9a. Since they are joined, the component force of the input from the strut (suspension device) to the strut housing in the vehicle width center direction (see FIG.
Middle arrow X) is cowl box 4, hood ridge panel 9
Not only b, but also dispersed and transmitted to the front pillar 10 (arrow Y in FIGS. 1 and 2).

Therefore, the strut housings 2, 3
Even if a force X from the strut toward the center of the vehicle width from the strut causes a moment that brings the strut housings 2 and 3 closer to the cowl box 4, the cowl top brace 8 steps on and the force is as shown by arrow Y. Front pillar 10
Transmitted to. As a result, the rigidity that supports the struts is secured, and the normal function of the struts can be maintained.

Since the cowl top brace 8 is formed with the wiper pivot mounting surface 8d together with the cowl top panel 7 of the cowl box 4, the rigidity of the wiper pivot mounting surface 8d itself does not have to be reinforced by a patch or the like. It has been improved. Therefore, a separate component such as a patch for reinforcing the wiper pivot mounting surface 8d is not required, so that the man-hours required for positioning during welding, welding, and component management can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the cowl top brace extends on the back side of the cowl top panel, but the cowl top brace may extend on the upper side of the cowl top panel. Good.

[0032]

As described above, according to the vehicle body structure of the invention of claim 1, the input to the strut housing is dispersed and transmitted to the cowl box, the hood ridge panel and the front pillar, and the strut is distributed. The effect of being able to maintain the normal working of. Further, according to the vehicle body structure of the automobile of the present invention, the rigidity of the wiper pivot mounting surface is improved,
It is possible to reduce the number of assembly steps.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front body of a passenger vehicle showing a main part of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2, 3 Front wheel strut housing 4 Cowl box 8 Cowl top brace 8d Wiper pivot mounting surface 9a Hood ridge rain force 9b Hood ridge panel 10 Front pillar

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle body structure of an automobile having a cowl top brace which is laid between a front wheel strut housing and a cowl box to reinforce the vehicle body, wherein the cowl top brace is extended outside the vehicle width and is a hood ridge. A vehicle body structure characterized by being joined to a hood ridge panel at a portion reinforced by reinforcement and extending to the rear of the vehicle body and joined to a front pillar. 2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the cowl top brace is provided with a wiper pivot mounting surface together with a cowl top panel of the cowl box.