JPH0924862A - Cowl louver fitting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a cowl louver longitudinally movable so as to be able to absorb expansive deformation by fixing a cowl louver and a screw grommet by a screw, and locking the screw grommet and the cowl panel to each other through the groove and locking leg pieces of the screw grommet. SOLUTION: In the structure of fixing a cowl louver 1 provided at a cowl panel 3, by thread fastening through a screw grommet 2, an oblong hole 31 corresponding to a screw through hole 11 in the cowl louver 1 is formed in the cowl panel 3, and the screw grommet 2 is of such structure as to be integrally provided with a head part 21 having a through hole 22 at the center, a cylindrical leg part 23 to be inserted through the oblong hole 31, and a pair of locking leg pieces 24 extended upward reversely to the leg part 23. The tips of the locking leg pieces 24 are locked to the opening edge of the oblong hole 31 to install the screw grommet 2 at the cowl panel 3, and a screw 4 is screwed into the through hole 22 from the screw through hole 11 to fix the cowl louver 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cowl louver mounting structure to be mounted on a cowl panel of a vehicle, and more particularly to a cowl louver mounting structure to be mounted via a screw grommet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 3, a cowl panel (not shown) provided at a lower edge of a front window W opening of a vehicle is
A cowl louver 1 is attached so as to cover the entire surface thereof. The cowl louver 1 is made by molding a synthetic resin material,
It is formed in a belt shape extending in the vehicle width direction along the lower edge of the front window W. Further, the cowl louver 1 is generally formed with grid-like ribs on the entire surface in the vehicle front-rear direction. The attachment structure of the cowl louver 1 to the cowl panel is screwed and fixed to screw grommets provided on the cowl panel at a plurality of positions at predetermined intervals in the vehicle width direction.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 4, a cowl panel 3 is provided.
The leg portion 23A at the lower portion of the screw grommet 2A made of a synthetic resin material having the upper surface as the mounting seat surface 27 is inserted into the hole 31A provided at the upper portion, and a groove or a claw formed on the outer periphery of the side surface of the leg portion 23A is locked. The part 25 is locked by being fixed to the opening edge of the hole 31A. On the other hand, the cowl louver 1 is formed with a screw insertion hole 11A at a position corresponding to the screw grommet 2A fixed to the cowl panel 3 for inserting the screw 4 having a long diameter in the longitudinal direction. Then, the screw 4 is passed through the screw insertion hole 11A from the cowl louver 1 and is tightened and fixed to the screw grommet 2A.

However, the screw insertion hole 11A
The washer 41 of the screw 4 is large in order to hide the above. Moreover, the washer 4 accompanying the position adjustment of the screw 4
Since the moving space 1 is provided, the ribs 12 extending in the front and rear of the cowl louver 1 must be formed in a discontinuous shape, and the appearance is not good.

FIG. 5 shows another conventional structure, in which a rectangular elongated hole 31 is formed in the cowl panel 3 along the longitudinal direction of the cowl louver 1, and the mounting seat surface 27 and the mounting seat surface 27 are formed in the elongated hole 31.
A pair of locking legs that extend through the screw grommet 2B made of a synthetic resin material, which is composed of a pair of elastic locking legs 23B, so as to be inverted with respect to the locking legs 23B from the tip side surface of the locking legs 23B. The front end of the piece 24A is locked to the opening edge of the long hole 31 which faces the long diameter direction, and the cowl panel 3 is provided.
Installed in Then, the cowl louver 1 is superposed on the mounting seat surface 27 of the screw grommet 2B, and the screw 4 is screwed into the screw insertion hole 11 formed therein to fix the cowl louver 1 and the screw grommet 2B, and at the same time, the locking leg. 23B is screw 4
The locking portion 25 of the cowl louver 1 is pushed out and is caulked to the opening edge of the long hole 31 of the cowl panel 3 having a long diameter, and the cowl louver 1 is fixed to the cowl panel 3. In the figure, 5 is a seal member which is a vibration and soundproof member.

[0006]

By the way, since the cowl louver 1 is an integrally molded product made of a synthetic resin material, the cowl louver 1 is stretched and deformed under the influence of ambient temperature and the like. Especially, the elastic deformation in the longitudinal direction is large. In the above-described conventional structure, the screw insertion hole 11A of the cowl louver 1 is formed as an elongated hole, and the hole of the cowl panel 3 through which the screw grommet 2B is inserted is formed as an elongated hole 31, so that the cowl louver 1 is attached to the cowl panel 3 At times, the cowl louver 1 can be expanded and contracted. However, for expansion and contraction after mounting,
Since the screw 4 is firmly tightened, it is impossible to deal with the expansion and contraction deformation of the cowl louver 1.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention has an object to realize a mounting structure for a cowl louver that can absorb the expansion and contraction deformation of the cowl louver after screwing and coupling the cowl louver and the screw grommet in correspondence with the deformation. It is a thing.

[0008]

According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, in a mounting structure of a cowl louver 1 for fixing a cowl louver 1 to a cowl panel 3 via a screw grommet 2, a screw 4 is inserted into the cowl louver 1. The screw insertion hole 11 is provided, and the cowl panel 3 is provided with a long hole 31 having a long diameter in the longitudinal direction of the cowl louver 1 at a position corresponding to the screw insertion hole 11. The screw grommet 2 is a head 21 having a through hole 22 for inserting the screw 4 in the center, which is interposed between the cowl louver 1 and the cowl panel 3, and extends downward from the lower end of the head 21 to form the elongated hole 31. The cylindrical leg portion 23 that is inserted and has a diameter substantially equal to the short diameter of the long hole 31, and upward from the radially symmetrical position of the leg end of the leg portion 23 so as to be inverted with respect to the leg portion 23. The structure is such that a pair of extending locking leg pieces 24 are integrally provided. And the screw grommet 2
Is installed on the cowl panel 3 by locking the tip of the locking leg piece 24 to the opening edge of the long hole 31 facing in the long diameter direction, and the screw 4 from the screw insertion hole 11 of the cowl louver 1 to the head part. The cowl louver 1 is screwed into the through hole 22 of the screw 21 and is fixed (Claim 1).

While the elongated hole 31 of the cowl panel 3 is formed in a rectangular shape, the leg portion 2 of the screw grommet 2 is formed.
3 is formed to have a substantially square cross section. Grooves 25 are formed on the outer peripheries of the two sides facing each other at the connecting portion between the head portion 21 and the leg portion 23 of the screw grommet 2, and the pair of locking leg pieces 24 are connected to the other two of the leg ends facing each other. Extend it from the side. Then, the grooves 25 are fitted to the opening edges of the long hole 31 which are opposed to each other in the minor axis direction, and the tips of the locking leg pieces 24 are locked to the opening edges of the elongated hole 31 which are opposed to each other in the major axis direction. Screw grommet 2 is installed on the cowl panel 3, and the screw 4 is inserted from the screw insertion hole 11 of the cowl louver 1 into the through hole 22 of the head 21.
The cowl louver 1 which is screwed in is fixed to the cowl panel 3 (claim 2).

In the present invention, the screw 4 has only the function of fixing the cowl louver 1 and the screw grommet 2 to each other, and the screw grommet 2 and the cowl panel 3 are provided.
Since the groove 25 of the screw grommet 2 is locked by the elastically deformable locking leg piece 24, the cowl louver 1 can move in the longitudinal direction, and the expansion / contraction deformation can be absorbed.

[0011]

EXAMPLE A vehicle front window W as shown in FIG.
On the cowl panel made of a metal plate provided on the lower edge of the opening,
A cowl louver 1 integrally formed with a synthetic resin material extending in a belt-width direction along the lower edge of the front window W is provided. The cowl louver 1 is screwed and fixed to the cowl panel via screw grommets provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cowl louver 1 is formed with a screw insertion hole 11 into which the screw 4 is inserted. The screw insertion hole 11 is a round hole having a diameter necessary for allowing the screw 4 to penetrate therethrough, and is formed between the ribs 12 formed on the surface of the cowl louver 1 without being caught by the ribs. On the other hand, a long hole 31 is formed in the cowl panel 3 at a position corresponding to the screw insertion hole 11 of the cowl louver 1. The long hole 31 is provided in a rectangular shape having a long diameter along the longitudinal direction of the cowl louver 1.

The screw grommet 2 to be locked in the long hole 31 of the cowl panel 3 is made of a synthetic resin material integrally formed. As shown in a plan view of FIG. The rectangular plate-like base portion 26 covering the long hole 31 is provided, and
As shown in (C), a head portion 21 having a through hole 22 into which the screw 4 is screwed is projected above the base portion 26. The upper part thereof is a square plate-shaped mounting seat surface 27, and the through hole 22 is formed substantially in the center thereof.
On the other hand, below the base portion 26, the leg portion 23 that can be inserted into the elongated hole 31 extends downward. The leg portion 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a square cross section, which is almost the same as the short diameter of the long hole 31. As shown in FIG. 1 (B), the two sides of the long hole 31 of the leg portion 23, which face the opening edges of the long hole 31 that face each other in the minor axis direction, have a center portion of the outer surface that gently rises obliquely upward from the leg end. The surface 28 has a thickness that increases upward, and the groove 25 is formed in the connecting portion between the base portion 26 and the inclined surface 28.
Is formed. Although not shown, the inclined surface 28 is surrounded by slits on both side edges and an upper edge thereof so as to be separated from the outer surface of the leg portion 23 and elastically deformable inward. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1C, the other two sides facing the opening edges of the long hole 31 of the leg portion 23 that face each other in the major axis direction are inverted from the leg end with respect to the leg portion 23. Thus, a pair of locking leg pieces 24 extending upward are provided. The tips of the locking leg pieces 24 extend below the base portion 26, and the outer surface side has a tapered surface 29.

The screw grommet 2 is attached by inserting its leg portion 23 into the long hole 31 of the cowl panel 3. When the screw grommet 2 is pushed in, the opening edges of the long hole 31 facing in the minor axis direction abut the lower surface of the base portion 26 while pushing the inclined surface 28 of the leg portion 23 inwardly of the leg portion 23, and It is stored in 25. In addition, the opening edge of the long hole 31 facing in the long diameter direction is also the above-mentioned locking leg piece 2.
While pushing 4 toward the leg portion 23 side, it abuts against the lower surface of the base surface 26 and is locked by this and the tapered surface 29 at the tip of the locking leg piece 24. Therefore, in the screw grommet 2, the locking leg piece 24 is elastically deformed, and the groove 25 moves along the opening of the long diameter of the long hole 31, so that the screw grommet 2 can move in the long diameter direction of the long hole 31. Between the lower surface of the base portion 26 of the screw grommet 2 and the opening edge of the long hole 31 of the cowl panel 3, a sheet-like sealing material 5 made of a rubber material or the like as a vibration and soundproof material is interposed.

The cowl louver 1 is fixed to a screw grommet 2 installed on the cowl panel 3. The cowl louver 1 is superposed on the mounting seat surface 27 of the head 21 of the screw grommet 2, the screw 4 is inserted through the insertion hole 11 of the cowl louver 1, and is screwed and fixed in the through hole 22 of the screw grommet 2. Therefore, the cowl louver 1 is fixed to the cowl panel 3 via the screw grommet 2.

In the above structure, however, the screw 4 acts only on the connection between the cowl louver 1 and the screw grommet 2. On the other hand, the screw grommet 2 has its groove 25.
The engaging leg 24 engages with the long hole 31 of the cowl panel 3, and the engaging force is not affected by the tightening of the screw 4. Therefore, even if the cowl louver 1 expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction due to temperature change, the expansion and contraction is absorbed by the movement of the cowl louver 1 integrally with the screw grommet 2.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the screw grommet which is interposed between the cowl louver and the cowl panel,
The cowl louver is locked so that it can move, and the binding force of the cowl louver to the screw grommet does not affect the engagement between the screw grommet and the cowl panel. Absorb.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A is a plan view of a screw grommet used in the present invention, FIG. 1B is a position along a line IB-IB in FIG. 1A, and FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which attached each screw grommet in the position which follows the IC-IC line of (A).

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a fixing portion of the cowl louver of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a vehicle to which the cowl louver mounting structure of the present invention is applied.

4 (A) is a plan view of a fixing portion of a conventional cowl louver, and FIG. 4 (B) is a sectional view taken along a line IVB-IVB in FIG. 4 (A).

5 (A) is a front view of a screw grommet used in another conventional structure, FIG. 5 (B) is a side view thereof, and FIG.
(C) and FIG. 5 (D) are views showing the mounting state of the screw grommet as viewed from the front side and the side side, respectively.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cowl Louver 11 Screw insertion hole 2 Screw grommet 21 Head 22 Through hole 23 Leg 24 Locking leg 25 Groove 3 Cowl panel 31 Long hole

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cowl louver mounting structure in which a belt-shaped cowl louver made of a synthetic resin material is fixed to a cowl panel provided along a lower edge of a front window of a vehicle through a screw grommet so as to cover the cowl louver. Is provided with a screw insertion hole for inserting a screw, and a long hole having a long diameter in the longitudinal direction of the cowl louver is provided at a position corresponding to the screw insertion hole in the cowl panel, and as the screw grommet, it is interposed between the cowl louver and the cowl panel. And a head having a through hole into which a screw is screwed in the center, and a cylindrical leg extending downward from the lower end of the head and inserted into the long hole, the diameter of which is substantially equal to the short diameter of the long hole. , A pair of locking leg pieces extending upward from the radially symmetrical position of the leg ends of the leg portion so as to be inverted with respect to the leg portion. Using the integrated screw grommet, the tip of the locking leg inserted through the long hole is locked to the opening edge of the long hole facing the long diameter direction and installed on the cowl panel, and the screw insertion hole of the cowl louver is installed. A cowl louver mounting structure characterized in that a screw is screwed into the through hole of the head. 2. The cowl panel has the elongated hole formed in a rectangular shape while the leg portion is formed in a substantially square shape in cross section, and the connecting portion between the head portion and the leg portion of the screw grommet has two opposite sides. Grooves are formed on the outer circumference, respectively, and the pair of locking leg pieces are extended from the other two opposite sides of the leg ends so that the grooves are fitted to the opening edges of the long hole that face each other in the minor axis direction. 2. The cowl louver mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the screw grommets are installed on the cowl panel by fitting the ends of the locking leg pieces to the opening edges of the elongated hole that are opposed to each other in the long diameter direction, and fitting the screw grommets on the cowl panel.