JP4897305B2 - Front body structure of automobile - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile in which a front end of a front side frame and a front end of an upper member extending from the front end of the front pillar toward the front lower side of the vehicle body are connected by a connecting member.

In order to enhance the shock absorption capacity at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the left and right upper members are extended from the front end of the front pillar toward the front lower side of the vehicle body on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the left and right front side frames, Patent Documents 1 and 2 below disclose that the front ends of the side frame and the upper member are connected by a connecting member.
JP 2003-40142 A JP 2005-112173 A

  By the way, what is described in the above-mentioned patent document 1 is such that the front part of the upper member hangs downward substantially, and the front end of the upper member and the front end of the front side frame extend in the vehicle width direction and in the vertical direction. Even if the bumper beam of other vehicles has various heights during a frontal collision, it is connected by the extending connecting member, so that the front of the upper member that extends the bumper beam in the vertical direction or the connecting member that extends in the vertical direction The impact energy can be transmitted to the front side frame or the upper member and absorbed effectively. However, what is described in Patent Document 1 is that the front end of the upper member and the front end of the front side frame are connected by a connecting member extending in the vehicle width direction and a connecting member extending in the vertical direction. There was a problem that the score and weight increased.

  Also, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, the front part of the upper member extends substantially horizontally in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the front end of the upper member and the front end of the front side frame are at the same height as the bumper beam. Because they are connected by connecting members that extend in the vehicle width direction, if the bumper beam of the other vehicle is displaced upward or downward with respect to the bumper beam of the host vehicle at the time of a frontal collision, both bumper beams will pass each other without colliding. There was a possibility that it would not be able to absorb the collision energy effectively due to being inserted into each other's engine room.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to effectively absorb collision energy at the time of collision with another vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a pair of left and right front side frames extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and a front end of the pair of left and right front side frames are fixed in the vehicle width direction. An extended bumper beam, an upper member disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the pair of left and right front side frames and extending from the front end of the front pillar downward to the front of the vehicle body, and an inner surface in the vehicle width direction of the front end of the pair of left and right front side frames A bulkhead side frame that is fixed and extends in the vertical direction, and a connecting member that is formed in a triangular shape having a vertical dimension larger than the vertical dimension of the bumper beam and projects outward in the vehicle width direction from the bumper beam. The connecting member comprises an upper member, a lower member and an intermediate member arranged radially, An inner end in the vehicle width direction of the upper member is coupled to an upper end of the bulkhead side frame, an inner end in the vehicle width direction of the lower member is coupled to a lower end of the bulkhead side frame, and an inner end in the vehicle width direction of the intermediate member A front body of an automobile, wherein the front end frame is coupled to an outer surface in the vehicle width direction, and outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the upper member, the lower member, and the intermediate member are coupled to a front end of the upper member. A structure is proposed .

According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the structure of claim 1 , the upper member includes a bulkhead upper frame that connects the upper ends of the pair of left and right bulkhead side frames in the vehicle width direction. A front body structure of an automobile, wherein a rearward extension portion of the bulkhead upper frame is connected to an intermediate portion in the front-rear direction, and a triangle is formed by the rearward extension portion, the front portion of the upper member, and the connecting member. Is proposed.

According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition to the structure of claim 1 or claim 2, an impact absorbing member made of a thin metal plate is provided on the front surface of the bumper beam, and the front surface of the connecting member. Proposes a front vehicle body structure of an automobile characterized in that a shock absorbing member made of urethane foam is provided.

According to the configuration of the first aspect, the bottom is fixed to the bulkhead side frame that is fixed to the front ends of the pair of left and right front side frames and extends in the vertical direction, and is disposed outside the pair of left and right front side frames in the vehicle width direction. A triangular connecting member having a vertex fixed to the front end of the upper member extending downward from the front end of the front pillar to the front of the vehicle body is provided , and the triangular vertical dimension is larger than the vertical dimension of the bumper beam. Even if the bumper beam of the other vehicle has different heights when the vehicle collides head-on with the other vehicle, the bumper beam is surely collided without passing the connecting member, and the collision energy input to the connecting member is reduced. and transmitted to the front side frame and the upper member can be reliably absorbed, yet the connecting member on both sides of the vehicle Since it is sufficient to provide one by one each, an increase in the structure is simple weight can be suppressed to a minimum.

According to the configuration of claim 2, the front portion of the upper member, the rear extension portion of the bulkhead upper frame that connects the upper ends of the pair of left and right bulkhead side frames in the vehicle width direction, and the connecting member are triangular. Since it is connected and the rigidity is increased, the collision energy input from the bumper beam of the other vehicle to the connecting member due to the frontal collision can be reliably transmitted to the front side frame and the upper member and effectively absorbed.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the shock absorbing member made of a thin metal plate is provided on the front surface of the bumper beam, and the shock absorbing member made of urethane foam is provided on the front surface of the connecting member. The impact absorbing member made of a thin metal plate and the urethane foam impact absorbing member are crushed by the collision, and the collision energy can be absorbed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 6 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a skeleton of a front part of a vehicle body, FIG. 2 is a view in the direction of the arrow 2 in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the action at the time of a frontal collision with another vehicle (when the bumper beam of the other vehicle is high), and FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the action at the time of a frontal collision (when the bumper beam of another vehicle is low).

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, left and right front side frames 12, 12 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body are disposed along the left and right sides of an engine room 11 formed at the front of the vehicle body. Left and right upper members 14 and 14 extending from the left and right front pillars 13 and 13 to the front lower side of the vehicle body are disposed above the front side frames 12 and 12 and outside in the vehicle width direction. Both ends of a bumper beam 15 extending in the vehicle width direction are fixed to the front ends of the left and right front side frames 12, 12 with bolts 16... And an impact absorbing member formed in a U-shaped cross section with a thin metal plate on the front surface of the bumper beam 15. 17 is fixed.

  A front bulkhead 18 is fixed to the front part of the front side frames 12 and 12 and to the rear part of the bumper beam 15. The front bulkhead 18 has a pair of left and right bulkhead side frames 19 and 19 extending in the vertical direction and a bulkhead lower frame 20 extending in the vehicle width direction as a whole in a U-shape. The upper end of 19 is connected by a bulkhead upper frame 21 extending in the vehicle width direction, and is configured in a square frame shape. The left and right bulkhead side frames 19, 19 of the front bulkhead 18 are fixed to the inner surface in the vehicle width direction of the front side frames 12, 12, and the left and right ends of the bulkhead upper frame 21 are bent and extended rearwardly 21a. , 21a are coupled to the middle portions of the upper members 14, 14 in the front-rear direction.

  The bulkhead side frames 19 and 19 of the front bulkhead 18, the front ends of the front side frames 12 and 12, and the front ends of the upper members 14 and 14 extending from the front pillars 13 and 13 to the lower front of the vehicle body are triangular connecting members. 22 and 22 are connected. Each connecting member 22 is formed by radially arranging an upper member 23, a lower member 24, and an intermediate member 25. The inner ends in the vehicle width direction of the upper member 23, the lower member 24, and the intermediate member 25 are triangular bases. The outer edge of the direction is the vertex of the triangle. Of the triangle base, the upper member 23 and the lower member 24 are coupled to the upper and lower ends of the bulkhead side frame 19, and the intermediate member 25 is coupled to the front side frame 12. The apex of the triangle is coupled to the front end of the upper member 14.

  As a result, as shown by shading in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front half of the upper member 14, the rear extension 21a of the bulkhead upper frame 21, and the connecting member 22 are joined in a substantially triangular shape to form a truss. Configure the structure.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a shock absorbing member 26 made of urethane foam is fixed to the front surface of each connecting member 22 with a plurality of clips 27.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described.

  If the height of the bumper beam 15 of the own vehicle and the height of the bumper beam of the other vehicle coincide, even if both vehicles are offset in the vehicle width direction, the bumper beam 15 of the own vehicle and the bumper beam of the other vehicle are used. The collision can be prevented to pass each other and the collision energy can be absorbed.

  As shown in FIG. 5, even when the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle is at a position higher than the bumper beam 15 of the own vehicle, the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle collides with the upper member 23 of the connecting member 22 of the own vehicle. Thus, the collision energy input from the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle to the connecting member 22 of the own vehicle is transmitted to the front side frame 12 and the upper member 14 and absorbed, and is due to the passing of the bumper beams 15 and 31 of both vehicles. Interpenetration is prevented and collision damage is reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle collides with the lower member 24 of the connecting member 22 of the own vehicle even when the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle is at a position lower than the bumper beam 15 of the own vehicle. To do. Thus, the collision energy input from the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle to the connecting member 22 of the own vehicle is transmitted to the front side frame 12 and the upper member 14 and absorbed, and is due to the passing of the bumper beams 15 and 31 of both vehicles. Interpenetration is prevented and collision damage is reduced.

  When the pedestrian's shin collides with the front bumper of the vehicle, the impact absorbing member 17 made of a thin metal plate provided in front of the bumper beam 15 is crushed and absorbs the collision energy. When the shin of the pedestrian collides with the bumper beam 15 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, the impact absorbing members 26 and 26 made of urethane foam provided on the front surfaces of the connecting members 22 and 22 are crushed to absorb the collision energy. .

  As described above, the bulkhead side frames 19 and 19 of the front bulkhead 18 fixed to the tips of the front side frames 12 and 12 and the tips of the upper members 14 and 14 connected to the front pillars 13 and 13 are connected to the bumper beam 15. Are connected by triangular connecting members 22 and 22 having a vertical dimension far larger than the vertical dimension of the vehicle, so that when the host vehicle collides with another vehicle in front, the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle has various heights. Even if they are different from each other, the bumper beam 31 is reliably collided with the connecting members 22 and 22 without passing each other, and the collision energy input to the connecting members 22 and 22 is transmitted to the front side frames 12 and 12 and the upper members 14 and 14. And can be absorbed reliably. In addition, since one connecting member 22 and 22 are provided on each side of the vehicle, the structure is simple and the increase in weight is minimized.

  At this time, the front half portions of the upper members 14 and 14, the rear extension portions 21a and 21a of the bulkhead upper frame 21 of the front bulkhead 18, and the connecting members 22 and 22 are triangular (the shaded portions in FIGS. 1 and 2). Since the rigidity is improved by configuring the truss structure of the reference), the collision energy input from the bumper beam 31 of the other vehicle to the connecting members 22 and 22 is reliably transmitted to the front side frames 12 and 12 and the upper members 14 and 14. And can be absorbed effectively.

  The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

For example, the rear extensions 20a, 20a of the bulk head upper frame 20 may be constructed as separate members and the main body portion of the bulkhead upper frame 20.

Perspective view showing the skeleton of the front part of the vehicle body 2 direction view of FIG. 3 direction arrow view of FIG. 4-4 enlarged sectional view of FIG. Action explanatory diagram at the time of frontal collision with other vehicle (when bumper beam of other vehicle is high) Action explanatory diagram at the time of frontal collision with other vehicle (when bumper beam of other vehicle is low)

12 Front side frame 13 Front pillar 14 Upper member 15 Bumper beam
17 Shock absorbing member 19 Bulkhead side frame 21 Bulkhead upper frame 21a Rear extension 22 Connecting member
23 Upper member
24 Lower part
25 intermediate members
26 shock absorbing member

Claims (3)

A pair of left and right front side frames (12) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body;
A bumper beam (15) fixed to the front ends of the pair of left and right front side frames (12) and extending in the vehicle width direction;
An upper member (14) disposed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the pair of left and right front side frames (12) and extending from the front end of the front pillar (13) downward to the front of the vehicle body;
A bulkhead side frame (19), which is fixed to the inner surface in the vehicle width direction of the front end of the pair of left and right front side frames (12) and extends in the vertical direction;
A connecting member (22) formed in a triangular shape having a vertical dimension larger than the vertical dimension of the bumper beam (15) and projecting outward from the bumper beam (15) in the vehicle width direction;
The connecting member (22) comprises an upper member (23), a lower member (24) and an intermediate member (25) arranged radially, and the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the upper member (23) is connected to the bulkhead. The inner end of the lower member (24) is connected to the lower end of the bulkhead side frame (19), and the inner end of the intermediate member (25) is connected to the upper end of the side frame (19). Are coupled to the outer surface in the vehicle width direction of the front side frame (12), and the outer members in the vehicle width direction of the upper member (23), the lower member (24) and the intermediate member (25) are connected to the upper member (14). A front body structure of an automobile characterized by being coupled to the front end of the vehicle . Includes a bulkhead upper frame for connecting the upper end in the vehicle width direction of the pair of left and right bulkhead side frames (19) (21), wherein the longitudinal direction intermediate portion of the upper member (14) the bulkhead upper frame (21 The rear extension (21a) is connected, and the rear extension (21a), the front part of the upper member (14), and the connecting member (22) form a triangle. The front body structure of the automobile described in 1.
A shock absorbing member (17) made of a thin metal plate is provided on the front surface of the bumper beam (15), and a shock absorbing member (26) made of urethane foam is provided on the front surface of the connecting member (22). The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that

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