JP7501227B2 - Front body structure - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle front structure.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle front structure that includes a front bumper that is installed at the front end of the vehicle body, and a lower absorber that extends from a specific vehicle body structural member that constitutes the front part of the vehicle body toward the rear surface of the front bumper and absorbs impacts from the front. This vehicle front structure is capable of absorbing impacts from the front.

JP 2017-144850 A

However, in recent years, there has been a demand to further reduce the damage caused to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision. The damage caused to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision is evaluated based on the uniformity of the deformation of the other vehicle in the offset frontal collision, and it is believed that the more uniform the deformation when the vehicle collides with a barrier that represents the other vehicle, the lower the damage caused to the other vehicle.

In view of the above, an embodiment of the present invention aims to provide a vehicle front structure that can reduce the damage caused to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

The vehicle body front structure according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an upper bumper beam that is provided along the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle body, a lower bumper beam that is provided along the vehicle width direction below the upper bumper beam, and a bumper reinforcement having a connection portion that connects an end of the upper bumper beam to an end of the lower bumper beam and a protrusion that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion.

With the above configuration, the connection portion of the bumper reinforcement is joined to the end of the upper bumper beam and the end of the lower bumper beam, and the protrusion of the bumper reinforcement extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion of the bumper reinforcement. This is thought to increase the uniformity of deformation of the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision, thereby reducing the damage to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the above configuration, the protrusion extends from the end of the lower bumper beam outward in the vehicle width direction.

With the above configuration, the protruding portion of the bumper reinforcement extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the end of the lower bumper beam, ensuring space for installing headlights, etc., and allowing for greater freedom in layout.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the above configuration, the protrusion has a first portion that is approximately rectangular extending toward the rear in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body and gradually widening outward in the vehicle width direction , and a second portion that is bent from an end of the first portion.

According to the above configuration, the protrusion has a first portion and a second portion, which increases the strength of the protrusion in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above configuration further includes a crash box provided at the front end of a pair of side frames extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body , and a support reinforcement provided on the rear side of the vehicle body of the protrusion, which abuts against the side of the crash box when the bumper reinforcement is pushed from the front of the vehicle body during an offset frontal collision.

According to the above configuration, the support reinforcement is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body of the protruding portion, and when the bumper reinforcement is pushed from the front of the vehicle body, it abuts against the side of the crash box, so that the bumper reinforcement is supported by the support reinforcement and the bumper reinforcement can be prevented from bending. This increases the uniformity of deformation of the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision, and reduces the damage to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the above configuration, the support reinforcement is provided along the outer shape of the protruding portion extending outward in the vehicle width direction.

With the above configuration, the support reinforcement is provided along the outer contour of the protruding portion extending outward in the vehicle width direction, which prevents the bumper reinforcement from bending midway. This reduces the damage to the opposing vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the above configuration, the support reinforcement has a flat abutment surface that faces the side surface of the crash box.

According to the above configuration, the support reinforcement has a flat contact surface that faces the side of the crash box, so that when the bumper reinforcement is pushed from the front of the vehicle body during an offset frontal collision, the support reinforcement can contact the side of the crash 2 box with its flat surface.

In an embodiment of the present invention, in the above configuration, the contact surface is spaced apart from the side surface of the crash box.

With the above configuration, the contact surface of the support reinforcement is spaced away from the side of the crash box, so that the lower bumper beam retreats independently of the support reinforcement during a full-wrap frontal collision.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the uniformity of deformation of the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision can be increased, and the damage to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision can be reduced.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle front body structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle front body structure shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear. FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a vehicle body front structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the bumper reinforcement and the support reinforcement shown in FIG. 3 . FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which a vehicle body front structure according to a second embodiment of the present invention is subjected to a full-wrap frontal collision.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative positions, etc. of the components described as the embodiment or shown in the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and are merely illustrative examples.

[Embodiment 1]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle body front structure 1A according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the front, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle body front structure 1A shown in Fig. 1 as viewed from the rear. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the vehicle body front structure 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes an upper bumper beam 11, a lower bumper beam 12, and a bumper reinforcement 13.

The upper bumper beam 11 is a component for absorbing shock and vibration during a frontal collision, and is provided along the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle body. The upper bumper beam 11 is, for example, a cylindrical body with a rectangular cross section, and is provided with metal fittings (not shown) for attaching a bumper fascia (not shown).

The upper bumper beam 11 is attached to the vehicle body via a pair of crash boxes 14 provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The crash boxes 14 are provided on the vehicle body, more specifically, on the front ends of a pair of side members (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the crash boxes 14 cushion the impact during a frontal collision by collapsing in the extension direction of the side members. The crash boxes 14 are cylindrical bodies with a rectangular cross section, and flanges 141, 142 are provided on both ends. The flange 141 provided at the front end in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is joined to the rear end surface of the upper bumper beam 11, and the flange 142 provided at the rear end is joined to the front end surface of the side members. The crash boxes 14 are formed, for example, by bending a steel plate of uniform thickness.

The lower bumper beam 12, together with the upper bumper beam 11, is a member for mitigating shock and vibration during a frontal collision, and is provided below the upper bumper beam 11 along the vehicle width direction. The lower bumper beam 12 is, for example, a rectangular tubular body with a smaller cross section than the upper bumper beam 11, and is provided with metal fittings 121 for attaching a bumper fascia (not shown) in the same way as the upper bumper beam 11.

The lower bumper beam 12 is attached to the vehicle body via a pair of crash boxes 15 provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The crash boxes 15 are arranged on the vehicle body, more specifically, on the extension line of the side frame 17 (see FIG. 3), and the crash boxes 15 cushion the impact during a frontal collision by collapsing in the extension direction of the side frame. The crash boxes 15 are cylindrical bodies with a rectangular cross section, and at least the side surface 15a (see FIG. 3) on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is configured as a flat surface. In addition, the crash boxes 15 are provided with a flange 151 at their rear end, and the front end in the vehicle front-rear direction is joined to the rear end surface of the lower bumper beam 12, and the flange 151 provided at the rear end is joined to the front end surface of the side frame. The crash boxes 15 are formed, for example, by bending a steel plate of uniform thickness.

The bumper reinforcement 13 has a connection portion 13a that connects the end of the upper bumper beam 11 and the end of the lower bumper beam 12, and a protrusion 13b that extends from the connection portion 13a to the outside in the vehicle width direction. In the embodiment of the present invention, the protrusion 13b of the bumper reinforcement 13 extends from the end of the lower bumper beam 12 to the outside in the vehicle width direction. The bumper reinforcement 13 according to the embodiment of the present invention is formed, for example, by pressing a single sheet of thin steel plate. In addition, the protrusion 13b of the bumper reinforcement 13 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a first portion 13b1 of a substantially rectangular shape that gradually expands outward toward the rear in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a second portion 13b2 that is bent from the end of the first portion. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, the bumper reinforcement 13 is provided to follow the bumper fascia by inclining the first portion 13b1 and the second portion 13b2 of the protrusion 13b in two stages toward the vehicle width direction.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the bumper reinforcement 13 has beads 13c and 13d in the vertical and lateral directions of the vehicle body. The beads 13c and 13d protrude forward, for example, to increase the rigidity in the vertical and lateral directions of the vehicle body.

According to the vehicle body front structure 1A of the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the connection portion 13a of the bumper reinforcement 13 is connected to the end of the upper bumper beam 11 and the end of the lower bumper beam 12, and the protrusion portion 13b of the bumper reinforcement 13 extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion 13a of the bumper reinforcement 13. This increases the uniformity of deformation of the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision, and is believed to reduce the damage to the other vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

In addition, the protrusion 13b of the bumper reinforcement 13 extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the end of the lower bumper beam 12, ensuring space for installing headlights, etc., and allowing for greater freedom in layout.

In addition, since the protruding portion 13b of the bumper reinforcement 13 has a first portion 13b1 and a second portion 13b2, the strength of the protruding portion 13b of the bumper reinforcement 13 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle can be increased.

[Embodiment 2]
Fig. 3 is a plan view showing a vehicle body front structure 1B according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the bumper reinforcement 13 and the support reinforcement 16 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which the vehicle body front structure 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention is subjected to a full-wrap frontal collision.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the vehicle body front structure 1B according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes the above-mentioned upper bumper beam 11, lower bumper beam 12, and bumper reinforcement 13, as well as the above-mentioned crash box 15 and support reinforcement 16.

The support reinforcement 16 is a member for preventing the bumper reinforcement 13 from bending during an offset frontal collision, and is provided on the rear side of the vehicle body of the protruding portion 13b so as to abut against the side of the crash box 15 when the bumper reinforcement 13 is pushed from the front of the vehicle body. The support reinforcement 16 is provided along the outer shape of the bumper reinforcement 13 protruding outward in the vehicle width direction so that the bumper reinforcement 13 does not bend on the lower bumper beam 12 side (base end side in the vehicle width direction) and does not bend at the tip end side in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the support reinforcement 16 has a flat abutment surface 16a facing the side of the crash box 15 so that the bumper reinforcement 13 abuts against the side surface 15a of the crash box 15 when pushed from the front of the vehicle body. The support reinforcement 16 is arranged so that it moves independently of the crash box 15 during a full-wrap frontal collision (see FIG. 5), and the flat contact surface 16a of the support reinforcement 16 is spaced apart from the side of the crash box 15 before the bumper reinforcement 13 is pushed from the front of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 4, the support reinforcement 16 is formed by bending a steel plate of uniform thickness. The support reinforcement 16 is box-shaped with an opening at the front in the vehicle front-rear direction, and has a bottom plate portion 161 extending diagonally outward in the vehicle width direction, an upper plate portion 162 and a lower plate portion extending from the bottom plate portion 161 toward the front of the vehicle body and joined to the rear surface of the bumper reinforcement 13, and side plate portions 164 extending from and overlapping the upper plate portion 162 and the lower plate portion. Flanges 162a, 163a are provided on the upper plate portion 162 and the lower plate portion, and the support reinforcement 16 is joined to the rear surface of the bumper reinforcement 13 by the flanges 162a, 163a.

According to the vehicle body front structure 1B of the above-mentioned embodiment 2 of the present invention, the support reinforcement 16 is provided on the rear side of the bumper reinforcement 13, and when the bumper reinforcement 13 is pushed from the front of the vehicle during an offset frontal collision, it abuts against the side surface 15a of the crash box 15, so that the bumper reinforcement 13 is supported by the support reinforcement 16 and bending of the bumper reinforcement 13 can be prevented. This reduces the damage to the opposing vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

In addition, the support reinforcement 16 is provided along the outer contour of the bumper reinforcement 13 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction, preventing the bumper reinforcement 13 from bending midway. This reduces the damage to the opposing vehicle in an offset frontal collision.

In addition, the support reinforcement 16 has a flat contact surface that faces the side of the crash box 15, so that when the bumper reinforcement 13 is pushed from the front of the vehicle body, the support reinforcement 16 can contact the side of the crash box 15 with a flat surface.

In addition, since the contact surface 16a of the support reinforcement 16 is spaced from the side of the crash box 15, during an offset frontal collision, the lower bumper beam 12 moves backward independently of the support reinforcement 16, as shown in FIG. 5.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes variations of the above-described embodiment and suitable combinations of these embodiments. For example, the above-described support reinforcement 16 is formed by bending a steel plate of uniform thickness, but is not limited to this and may be formed, for example, from an aluminum block.

Reference Signs List 1A, 1B Vehicle body front structure 11 Upper bumper beam 12 Lower bumper beam 121 Metal fitting 13 Bumper reinforcement 13a Connection portion 13b Protrusion 13b1 First portion 13b2 Second portion 13c, 13d Bead 14 Crash boxes 141, 142 Flange 15 Crash box 15a Side surface 151, 152 Flange 16 Support reinforcement 16a Contact surface 161 Bottom plate portion 162 Upper plate portion 162a Flange 163 Lower plate portion 163a Flange 164 Side plate portion 17 Side frame

Claims (7)

an upper bumper beam provided along a vehicle width direction at a front portion of a vehicle body and supported on both sides in the vehicle width direction by a pair of side members extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body ;
a lower bumper beam provided along a vehicle width direction in a lower region of the upper bumper beam and supported by a pair of side frames extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body ;
A bumper reinforcement having a connection portion that connects an end portion of the upper bumper beam and an end portion of the lower bumper beam and a protrusion that extends outward in a vehicle width direction from the connection portion;
Equipped with
Front body structure. The protruding portion extends outward in the vehicle width direction from an end portion of the lower bumper beam ,
The bumper reinforcement has an L-shape when viewed from the front with the connection portion and the protrusion portion.
The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 . The protrusion is
a substantially rectangular first portion extending rearward in the vehicle body front-rear direction so as to gradually widen outward in the vehicle width direction ;
a second portion bent from an end of the first portion;
The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A crash box is provided at a front end of a pair of side frames extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle body ;
A support reinforcement is provided on the rear side of the protrusion and contacts a side surface of the crash box when the bumper reinforcement is pushed from the front of the vehicle body during an offset front collision;
The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1 , further comprising: The vehicle body front structure according to claim 4, wherein the support reinforcement is provided along an outer shape extending outward in the vehicle width direction of the protruding portion. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the support reinforcement has a flat abutment surface that faces the side surface of the crash box. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 6, wherein the contact surface is spaced apart from the side surface of the crash box.

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