JP5161596B2 - Towing hook mounting hole opening / closing device for vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle traction hook attachment hole opening / closing device that opens and closes a traction hook attachment hole as a screw hole formed in a traction hook attachment portion (bracket) of a bumper reinforcement for attaching a traction hook.

There are types of tow hooks for automobiles that are usually removed from the vehicle body and attached to the vehicle body when towed. The metal bumper reinforcement inside the resin bumper fascia is provided with a traction hook mounting section as a bracket, and the traction hook is screwed into the traction hook mounting screw hole of the bracket through the opening of the bumper fascia from the outside of the vehicle. Fit together. Accordingly, the tow hook is removed during normal (non-towed) time, and if it is left as it is, the screw hole and the surrounding metal ground portion are not visible from the outside because of the design, so the same color as the bumper fascia. The thing which mounted | worn the bumper fascia with the tow hook attachment hole cover made from resin etc. is proposed (refer patent documents 1-3). In addition, the resin cover can be engaged with and disengaged from the screw hole of the tow hook mounting bracket, and the screw hole for the tow hook of the bracket is normally covered with the resin cover, but the resin cover is removed when towing. Proposed. In addition, the entire bumper reinforcement including the tow hook mounting bracket is painted black or the same color as the bumper fascia without using the resin cover so that the bare metal part of the bumper reinforcement cannot be seen directly from the outside. It has also been proposed to ensure design properties.
JP 2000-185608 A JP 2004-175190 A JP 2005-271626 A

  In the conventional technology, the resin cover normally closes the screw hole for the tow hook, and the screw hole for the tow hook is opened by removing it during towing. The tow hook is used for the tow hook of the vehicle body from the bumper fascia. The screw hole is screwed to be pulled. That is, since the resin cover is completely removed from the vehicle body during towing, there is a risk of loss. Even if the tow hook mounting hole is drilled in the tow hook mounting bracket of the bumper reinforcement, and the resin cover is attached to the tow hook mounting hole, the resin cover is an opening / closing member during towing operation. It is the same that there is a possibility of losing the resin cover because the cover is completely detached. And, instead of using a resin cover, the measure to paint the bumper reinforcement with the same color as the bumper fascia including the tow hook mounting bracket is disadvantageous in terms of cost because the painting cost increases compared with the resin cover There was a point. From the standpoint of preventing the bare metal from being visible, it is sufficient to paint only the bracket part, but the local painting is technically more cumbersome and the cost is rather high, which is a solution. Did not become.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and it is an object of the present invention to prevent the problem of losing the tow hook mounting cover at the time of towing, and not to impair the beauty at low cost. To do.

In the tow hook opening covering device according to the present invention, the tow hook is inserted into the resin bumper fascia through the opening for ventilation extending in the vehicle width direction, and the tow hook is attached to the bumper reinforcement. A resin cover that covers the tow hook mounting portion that is attached to the tow hook mounting hole formed in the attached metal tow hook mounting portion (bracket) and that is located inside the ventilation opening of the bumper fascia is provided. The cover includes an opening / closing member that selectively opens and closes the tow hook mounting hole by sliding or rotating movement, and the opening / closing member is connected to the end of the vehicle body so as not to be detached.

  Since the opening / closing member can be selectively opened / closed by sliding or turning and is connected so as not to be detached, the possibility of the opening / closing member being lost during the traction operation can be completely eliminated.

  In addition, the synthetic resin pulling hook mounting hole cover that covers the bracket provided on the bumper reinforcement has an opening / closing member that can selectively open and close the pulling hook mounting hole, and the opening / closing member is attached to the cover body. The possibility of losing the opening and closing member during the towing operation can be completely eliminated as well, and the metal bracket is covered with the synthetic resin tow hook mounting hole cover. Therefore, the metal bullion part of the bumper reinforcement cannot be seen from the outside, and the aesthetics can be ensured, and the cost can be reduced because there is no need to paint the bumper reinforcement. .

  In addition, by making the opening / closing member slidable or pivotable, a reliable opening / closing operation from the outside of the bumper fascia can be performed even when the distance from the bumper fascia is narrow due to the vehicle body design.

  FIG. 1 shows the structure of the end (front or rear) of the vehicle body in this embodiment. Reference numeral 10 denotes a bumper reinforcement, which extends substantially in the full width direction at the front or rear of the vehicle, and extends longitudinally on both sides of the vehicle (not shown). It is attached to the front end or rear end of the side member extending in the direction. The bumper reinforcement is made of a metal material such as an aluminum material or a steel material. In the case of an aluminum material, the bumper reinforcement has a hollow rectangular cross section formed by extrusion. A bumper fascia 12 is a molded product of a resin material such as a synthetic resin. The bumper reinforcement 10 is located inside the bumper fascia 12. In other words, the bumper fascia 12 is the bumper reinforcement 10. The entire bumper reinforcement 10 is covered by being located in front of. The positional relationship between the bumper reinforcement 10 and the bumper fascia 12 is also shown in FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bumper fascia 12 has openings 12A and 12B for ventilation, and the first opening 12A is located at the lowermost part of the bumper fascia 12 and is substantially full width. It extends. The second opening 12B is located below the bumper reinforcement height position and is provided on both sides of the vehicle body (only the right side is shown). The right side opening 12B is pulled as described later. Also functions as an opening for hook attachment.

  A bracket 14 as the traction hook mounting portion extends downward from a lower surface on one side (right side in FIG. 1) of the bumper reinforcement 10 (see FIG. 2). The bracket 14 is made of metal. In this embodiment, the bracket 14 is made of a metal material equivalent to the bumper reinforcement 10, and the bumper reinforcement 10 and the bracket 14 are integrated by welding or the like. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the bracket 14 has a flange portion 14-1 at the upper portion, and the upper surface of the flange portion 14-1 is welded to the lower surface of the bumper reinforcement 10, whereby the bracket 14 is attached to the bumper reinforcement 10. It constitutes an integral part. The bracket 14 includes a screw hole 16, and the screw hole (traction hook mounting hole) 16 extends substantially horizontally in and through the vehicle body (FIGS. 4 and 5).

  In FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 denotes a tow hook mounting hole cover (hereinafter simply referred to as a cover) made of a resin such as a synthetic resin. The bracket 14 as a tow hook attaching portion is covered. The cover 18 is a molded product of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or polyethylene. As shown in FIG. 1, the cover 18 is visible through the opening 12B of the bumper fascia 12 in a state where the bracket 14 is covered. It has the same color as the bumper fascia 12 and can serve to prevent the bare metal portion of the bracket 14 from being seen. The cover 18 includes a box-shaped main body 20 and a cover plate 22 that are attached to the bracket 14. The box-shaped main body 20 has a U-shaped cross section that is bi-directional with the cross-sectional shape of the bracket 14, and the box-shaped main body 20 can be attached to the bracket 14 without substantial play (FIG. 6). The box-shaped main body 20 has a cylindrical projection 23 formed on the back wall 20-1, and this projection 23 is fitted to the rear end of the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 as shown in FIGS. Therefore, the box-shaped main body 20 can be held without dropping off to the bracket. The box-shaped main body 20 includes a separate front wall 24, and the front wall 24 is fitted to the box-shaped main body 20. That is, the box-shaped main body 20 is provided with locking projections 20-2 on both sides of the upper portion of the front edge, and locking projections 20-3 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 8) at the lower center. 2, 20-3 are fitted with corresponding locking holes 24-1 and 24-2 formed in the front wall 24, and the front wall 24 is attached to the box-shaped main body 20. Further, the front wall 24 forms an opening 26 for introducing a tow hook. Note that the main body 20 and the front wall 24 may be one piece as long as molding is possible.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the front wall 24 is provided with horizontal guide grooves 28 in the vertical direction on the back surface side (the surface facing the box-shaped main body 20). -1 is fitted. On the other hand, the front wall 24 is provided with a guide slot 30 on the side surface (FIGS. 3 and 4), and the cover plate 22 is inserted into the guide slot 30. Therefore, the cover plate 22 is as shown in FIG. The screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 is closed to the outside (the opening 26 for introducing the tow hook and the screw hole 16 are blocked), and the screw of the bracket 14 as shown in FIG. It is movable to the left and right between the open state in which the hole 16 is released (the opening 26 for introducing the tow hook and the screw hole 16 are in communication). The outer edge of the cover plate 22 is bent forward by 90 °, and constitutes a knob 32 for opening and closing the cover plate 22 (FIG. 5). A known appropriate mechanism can be provided to hold (lock) the closed state by the cover plate 22. For example, a locking projection 24-3 (FIG. 7) is formed on the back surface of the front wall 24 and the cover plate 22 is formed. In the closed state (FIG. 2A), a groove 22-2 (FIG. 7) that snaps into the locking projection 24-3 can be formed on the facing surface side of the lid plate 22.

  In a state where the cover 18 of the present invention is mounted on the bracket 14 of the bumper reinforcement 10 (FIG. 2 (a)), the bracket 14 is substantially entirely covered by the box-shaped main body 20 and the front wall 24 of the cover 18, and is pulled. The opening 26 for introducing the hook is closed by the cover plate 22. The cover 18 can be visually recognized from the vent hole 12B of the bumper fascia 12. However, since the cover 18 is black or a synthetic resin product having the same color as the bumper fascia 12, the metal ground color portion is shielded by the cover 18. , Designability can be maintained.

  At the time of towing operation, the lid plate 22 is slid to the right from the closed state in FIG. FIG. 5 also shows the open state of the cover plate 22, and the screw portion of the traction hook 34 is screwed into the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 through the opening 26 from the vent hole 12B, and the traction operation is performed. At this time, since the lid plate 22 is opened and closed by a sliding operation, even if the distance between the bumper fascia 12 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is narrow, the opening and closing operation is not hindered without interference. Needless to say, the cover plate 22 is returned to the closed state in FIG.

  9 to 11 show a cover 118 according to the second embodiment, and the cover 118 includes a box-shaped main body 120. The box-shaped main body 120 has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional side surface so as to cover substantially the entire surface of the bracket 14 from the outside (see FIG. 9B), and the rear wall 120 of the box-shaped main body 120. -1 is provided with a cylindrical projection 123 inserted into the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 (FIG. 11), whereby the box-shaped main body 120 is held so as not to be detached from the bracket 14. In this embodiment, the front wall 124 of the box-shaped main body 120 also serves as a cover plate (corresponding to the function of the cover plate 12 of the first embodiment) for closing the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 in a normal state. That is, the front wall 124 is rotated between the closed state of FIG. 9 (a) and the open state of FIG. 9 (b) by the pivot pin 140 on one side (left side in FIG. 9) of the front upper end portion of the box-shaped main body 120. It is provided freely. The front wall 124 is closed over the entire surface, and in the closed state of FIG. 9 (a), the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 is closed (see also FIG. 11), and is in the open state of FIG. 9 (b). Thus, the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 is opened.

  An appropriate mechanism for locking the front wall 124 in the closed position in the closed state of FIG. 9A is provided, and in this embodiment, this locking mechanism has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape that is an integral part of the front wall 124. The engaging portion 142 is an integrally formed portion on the side opposite to the pin 140 (the right side in FIG. 9) at the front upper end portion of the box-shaped main body 120 in the closed state of FIG. It engages with a certain locking projection 146 and is held in the vertical direction so as not to leave the front wall 124. Further, an integral locking piece 148 extends from the engaging portion 142 to the back side of the protruding portion 146 for holding in the front-rear direction.

  The operation of the apparatus of the second embodiment will be described. Normally, the front wall 124 is locked in the closed position shown in FIG. 9 (a), and the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 is covered. At the time of towing, the elastic engagement portion 142 is removed from the locking projection 146 against the elasticity by manual operation from the outside (the vent hole 12B in FIG. B), the screw hole 16 of the bracket 14 is released, and the towing hook can be introduced into the screw hole 16 from outside and screwed.

  In the second embodiment, the front wall 124 can be rotated, but since it cannot be separated, there is no risk of the front wall 124 being lost as in the first embodiment. Since the rotation is in a direction perpendicular to the axle and not in the back-and-forth direction, there is an effect that the operation is not hindered even if the bumper fascia bumper reinforcement is in close proximity.

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic front view of a vehicle body end portion provided with a tow hook opening covering device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a front view of the opening covering device for a tow hook of FIG. 1, in which (a) shows a closed state and (b) shows an open state. FIG. 3 is a side view of the opening covering device for a tow hook according to the present invention as seen from the direction III in FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the opening covering device for a tow hook according to the present invention, taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2, and the cover plate is shown in a closed state (FIG. 2 (A)). FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the opening covering device for a tow hook according to the present invention, taken along the line V-V in FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the opening covering device for a tow hook according to the present invention, taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 5, but only the front plate and the cover plate are shown, and the cover plate is shown in an open state (FIG. 2 (B)). The FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. FIG. 9 is a front view of a tow hook opening covering device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows a closed state and (B) shows an open state. FIG. 10 is a rear view of the opening covering device for a traction hook in the closed state of FIG. FIG. 11 is a view taken along the line XI-XI in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10 ... Bumper reinforcement 12 ... Bumper fascia 14 ... Tow hook mounting bracket 16 ... Tow hook mounting screw hole
18, 118… Tow hook mounting hole cover
20, 120 ... Box-shaped body 22 ... Cover plate
24, 124 ... front wall 26 ... tow hook introduction opening 28 ... horizontal guide groove 30 ... guide slot 32 ... knob 140 ... pin

Claims (3)

A metal tow hook mounting portion is provided on the metal bumper reinforcement , and the towing hook mounting hole formed in the towing hook mounting portion through the resin bumper fascia opening outside the bumper reinforcement from the outside of the vehicle. In a vehicle tow hook mounting hole opening / closing device provided with a resin tow hook mounting hole cover that is detachably mountable, opens the tow hook mounting hole in a tow hook mounted state, and closes in a tow hook detached state, The opening of the bumper fascia into which the tow hook is inserted is an opening for ventilation extending in the vehicle width direction below the bumper reinforcement height position, and the tow hook mounting hole cover is an opening for ventilation. inside parts is configured as a resin-made body to be coated mounted to the traction hook mounting portions and the pulling off by sliding or rotation, etc. Comprising a closing member for selectively opening and closing the click attachment hole, and the opening of the closing member is coupled to irremovably to the body of the traction hook mounting hole cover, mounting the tow hook for towing hook mounting hole closing member vehicle traction hook mounting hole switchgear performed through the openings for ventilation van Pafe shear from the outside of the vehicle, characterized in Rukoto in the state. 2. The vehicle traction hook attachment hole opening / closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening / closing member opens and closes the traction hook attachment hole by sliding relative to the main body. 2. The vehicle traction hook attachment hole opening / closing device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening / closing member opens and closes the traction hook attachment hole by rotating with respect to the main body.

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