JP7535007B2 - Automotive hood structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a hood structure for an automobile.

Automotive hood structures require high tension rigidity when a load is applied from the outer surface of the hood in an elastic state, such as during a car wash, and high dent resistance to prevent dents when a strong load is applied locally. Also, from a safety standpoint, high pedestrian protection performance is required. Pedestrian protection performance refers to the impact absorption performance associated with the hood collapsing during a frontal collision.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automobile hood structure that improves pedestrian protection performance by providing multiple trim holes in the vertical wall of the inner panel and improving the crushability of the front part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

JP 2015-182738 A

However, Patent Document 1 does not provide any detailed description of any particular ideas for improving tensile rigidity or dent resistance, and there is room for improvement.

The objective of the present invention is to ensure high performance in terms of tensile rigidity, dent resistance, and pedestrian protection performance in an automobile hood structure.

The present invention relates to an inner panel including an outer panel constituting an upper surface of an automobile hood, a raised portion having a support surface disposed opposite a lower surface of the outer panel and supporting the lower surface, an inner inclined wall continuing from the raised portion and inclined with respect to the support surface, a groove bottom wall continuing from the inner inclined wall and facing the lower surface of the outer panel with a gap therebetween, and an outer inclined wall continuing from the groove bottom wall and inclined with respect to the groove bottom wall, and a support portion provided on a front side in the vehicle front-rear direction of a side portion of the inner panel in the vehicle width direction, which supports the lower surface of the outer panel from below in the vehicle height direction, a trim hole is provided on the front side in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, the inner inclined wall comprises an inner side wall portion that is inclined from a side portion of the raised portion in the vehicle width direction and continues in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction with respect to the support surface, an inner front wall portion that is inclined from the front of the raised portion in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction with respect to the support surface and extends in the vehicle width direction, and an inner corner wall portion that is inclined from the front side of the side portion of the raised portion in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction with respect to the support surface and connects the inner side wall portion and the inner front wall portion, and the trim hole and the support portion are provided in the inner corner wall portion .

According to the automotive hood structure of the present invention, the lower surface of the front part of the outer panel in the vehicle longitudinal direction is supported from the lower side in the vehicle height direction by the support part. Therefore, the tensile rigidity and dent resistance of the outer panel can be ensured to be high. In addition, a trim hole is provided on the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the inner inclined wall arranged on the side part in the vehicle width direction. The inner inclined wall in this part exerts resistance against impacts from the front of the vehicle and impacts from above, but by providing the trim hole in this part, the automotive hood can be easily crushed against both impacts, and high pedestrian protection performance can be ensured. The support part may be a part of the inner panel or may be a separate body from the inner panel.
According to the above-mentioned configuration, the trim hole can be provided in the inner inclined wall at the side portion in the vehicle width direction and at the frontmost portion in the vehicle front-rear direction, thereby making it possible to suppress a decrease in bending rigidity and torsional rigidity.

The automobile hood structure may include a hinge portion provided on the rear side of the vehicle longitudinal direction of the side portion of the inner panel in the vehicle width direction so as to pivotally support the automobile hood so as to be able to open and close relative to the vehicle, and the trim hole may be provided only on the front side of the vehicle longitudinal direction of the inner inclined wall arranged on the side portion in the vehicle width direction.

According to the above configuration, the trim holes are provided only at positions (front side in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction) away from the hinge portion provided at the rear side in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction. In other words, no trim holes are provided near the hinge portion, which prevents a decrease in rigidity near the hinge portion and ensures high bending rigidity and torsional rigidity.

The trim hole may be provided with a gap from at least one of an upper end and a lower end of the inner inclined wall in the vehicle height direction .

The trim hole may be provided below the vehicle height direction with a gap from the upper end of the inner corner wall portion in the vehicle height direction.

According to the above configuration, the trim hole terminates within the inner corner wall and does not extend to the raised portion. Therefore, a ridge is formed at the boundary between the raised portion and the inner corner wall. Bending and twisting deformations are likely to occur on the surface, but are unlikely to occur on the ridge portion. Therefore, with the above configuration, bending and twisting deformations are suppressed by the ridge, and a decrease in bending rigidity and torsional rigidity can be suppressed.

The trim hole is formed by cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall toward the outer panel starting from the upper end of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction, and the support portion may include a raised piece formed by the cutting and raising.

According to the above configuration, the formation of the trim hole and the formation of the support part can be achieved simultaneously. When cutting the inner panel into the shape of the trim hole, all parts of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction are cut except for the upper end, and the trim hole is bent (i.e., cut and raised) toward the outer panel so that a fold line is formed at the upper end of the trim hole. As a result, a cut and raised piece that supports the underside of the outer panel is formed, and this cut and raised piece can become the support part. Therefore, a separate member is not required to form the support part, and the support part and the trim hole can be formed at the same time by simply cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall part.

The trim hole is formed by cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall portion toward the outer panel starting from the lower end of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction, and the support portion includes a cut-and-raised piece formed by the cutting and raising, and the cut-and-raised piece may have a leg portion extending from the lower end of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction to the underside of the outer panel, and a seat portion extending from the tip of the leg portion and facing the underside of the outer panel to support the underside of the outer panel.

With the above configuration, the leg portion supports the load applied to the outer panel in the vehicle height direction as a compressive load. Therefore, the support portion is less likely to deform than if the load were received as a bending load. This ensures high tensile rigidity and dent resistance.

The legs may have through holes.

The above-mentioned configuration can reduce the deformation resistance of the cut-and-raised piece included in the support part in the vehicle height direction. In other words, the automobile hood becomes more easily crushed in the vehicle height direction. This improves the shock absorption performance against impacts from above that may occur when a pedestrian climbs onto the automobile hood, and improves pedestrian protection performance compared to when no through holes are provided in the leg part.

The legs may be bent.

The above configuration can reduce the deformation resistance of the cut-and-raised piece included in the support part in the vehicle height direction. This can improve pedestrian protection performance compared to when the leg part is not bent.

The automotive hood structure of the present invention ensures high performance in terms of tension rigidity, dent resistance, and pedestrian protection performance.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automotive hood structure according to the present invention, viewed from the front of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the automotive hood structure of FIG. 2 with an outer panel removed; FIG. 4 is a plan view of the automotive hood structure of FIG. 3 . FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion V in FIG. 6 is an end view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5 . FIG. 6 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 5 of a second embodiment. 8 is an end view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 5 of a third embodiment. 10 is an end view taken along line XX of FIG. 9 . FIG. 10 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 5 of a modified example of the third embodiment. 12 is an end view taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11 . FIG. 10 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 5 of a fourth embodiment. 14 is an end view taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 5 of a fifth embodiment. 16 is an end view taken along line XVI-XVI in FIG. 15 . FIG. 13 is an enlarged view similar to FIG. 5 of a sixth embodiment. 18 is an end view taken along line XVIII-XVIII in FIG. 17 .

An automobile hood structure according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In these drawings, the arrow FR, as appropriate, indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow UP indicates the upward direction in the vehicle height direction, and the arrow W indicates the right direction in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, when the automobile hood 1 is in a closed state, the front side of the automobile hood is in the same direction as the front side of the vehicle, the upper side of the automobile hood is in the same direction as the upper side of the vehicle, and the automobile hood width direction is in the same direction as the vehicle width direction. In the following description, the automobile hood 1 is in a closed state.

First Embodiment
1 shows a vehicle 2 equipped with an automobile hood 1 to which the automobile hood structure according to this embodiment is applied. The automobile hood 1 is disposed at the front of the vehicle so as to cover an engine compartment (not shown) from above the vehicle. The automobile hood 1 is attached to the vehicle body via a hinge portion 3 (described later) so as to be able to open and close. In other words, the automobile hood 1 is configured to open and close the engine compartment by rotating and moving about the hinge axis of the hinge portion 3.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the automobile hood structure includes an outer panel 4 that constitutes the upper surface of the automobile hood 1, and an inner panel 20 that constitutes the lower surface of the automobile hood 1. The outer peripheral end of the outer panel 4 and the outer peripheral end of the inner panel 20 are joined by, for example, hemming.

As an example, the outer panel 4 and the inner panel 20 are both formed by press-forming an aluminum alloy plate. The outer panel 4 and the inner panel 20 may also be formed from other metal plates, such as steel plates.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the inner panel 20 is disposed opposite the lower surface of the outer panel 4 and has a raised portion 22 with a support surface 21 that supports the lower surface of the outer panel 4. In this embodiment, the raised portion 22 has a roughly hexagonal shape when viewed from the vehicle height direction, and is a raised portion in the center of the inner panel 20. In this embodiment, the raised portion 22 has a recess 40 on the support surface 21 that is recessed downward in the vehicle height direction. In this embodiment, the recess 40 extends in the vehicle width direction, and four recesses 40 are provided at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction.

In this embodiment, the lower surface of the outer panel 4 and the support surface 21 of the inner panel 20 are joined by a mastic adhesive 5 (see FIG. 6). The inner panel 20 further has an inner inclined wall 23, a groove bottom wall 24, and an outer inclined wall 25. The inner inclined wall 23 is inclined with respect to the support surface 21, continuing from the raised portion 22. The groove bottom wall 24 is continuous from the inner inclined wall 23 and faces the lower surface of the outer panel 4 with a gap therebetween. The outer inclined wall 25 is inclined with respect to the groove bottom wall 24, continuing from the groove bottom wall 24. In this embodiment, the inner inclined wall 23, the groove bottom wall 24, and the outer inclined wall 25 form an annular groove 41 with the groove bottom wall 24 as the groove bottom. The groove 41 opens upward in the vehicle height direction and is provided surrounding the raised portion 22. The raised portion 22 is an upper surface portion that is raised with respect to this groove 41.

The automobile hood 1 according to this embodiment is symmetrical about an axis X that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle at the center in the vehicle width direction, so in the following explanation, only one side of the automobile hood 1 in the vehicle width direction will be explained.

In this embodiment, the inner inclined wall 23 includes an inner rear wall portion 23a, an inner side wall portion 23b, an inner front wall portion 23c, and an inner corner wall portion 23d. The inner rear wall portion 23a is inclined with respect to the support surface 21 from the rear of the raised portion 22 in the vehicle longitudinal direction and extends in the vehicle width direction. The inner side wall portion 23b is inclined with respect to the support surface 21 from the side portion of the raised portion 22 in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The inner front wall portion 23c is inclined with respect to the support surface 21 from the front of the raised portion 22 in the vehicle longitudinal direction and extends in the vehicle width direction. The inner side wall portion 23b may be configured to approach the axis X, for example, toward the front in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, the inner side wall portion 23b may be inclined with respect to the axis X, rather than being parallel to the axis X.

The inner corner wall 23d is inclined relative to the support surface 21, continuing from the front side of the vehicle longitudinal direction of the side portion of the raised portion 22 in the vehicle width direction, and connects the inner side wall portion 23b and the inner front wall portion 23c. In this embodiment, the inner corner wall portion 23d has a flat shape. A ridge line 26 is formed between the inner corner wall portion 23d and the raised portion 22. In addition, a valley line 30 is formed between the inner corner wall portion 23d and the groove bottom wall 24.

In this embodiment, the groove bottom wall 24 has a groove bottom rear wall portion 24a, a groove bottom side wall portion 24b, and a groove bottom front wall portion 24c. The groove bottom rear wall portion 24a is continuous from the inner rear wall portion 23a and faces the underside of the outer panel 4 with a gap therebetween. The groove bottom side wall portion 24b is continuous from the inner side wall portion 23b and a part of the inner corner wall portion 23d and faces the underside of the outer panel 4 with a gap therebetween. The groove bottom front wall portion 24c is continuous from the inner front wall portion 23c and a part of the inner corner wall portion 23d and faces the underside of the outer panel 4 with a gap therebetween.

In this embodiment, the outer inclined wall 25 has an outer rear wall portion 25a, an outer side wall portion 25b, and an outer front wall portion 25c. The outer rear wall portion 25a is continuous from the groove bottom rear wall portion 24a and is inclined relative to the groove bottom rear wall portion 24a. The outer side wall portion 25b is continuous from the groove bottom side wall portion 24b and is inclined relative to the groove bottom side wall portion 24b. The outer front wall portion 25c is continuous from the groove bottom front wall portion 24c and is inclined relative to the groove bottom front wall portion 24c.

In this embodiment, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 4, the inner panel 20 includes a locking member 27 provided at the center of the groove bottom front wall portion 24c in the vehicle width direction, i.e., on the axis X of the groove bottom front wall portion 24c. The locking member 27 has a function of fixing the automobile hood 1 in a closed state relative to the vehicle body. In this embodiment, the inner panel 20 also includes a dent reinforcing member 28. The dent reinforcing member 28 has a function of improving the tension rigidity of the front portion of the automobile hood 1. The dent reinforcing member 28 is provided to cover the locking member 27 and the groove bottom front wall portion 24c from above in the vehicle height direction.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the automobile hood structure includes a hinge portion 3. The hinge portion 3 is provided on the rear side of the vehicle longitudinal direction of the side portion of the inner panel 20 in the vehicle width direction so as to pivotally support the automobile hood 1 so as to be able to open and close relative to the vehicle 2. That is, the hinge portion 3 is joined to the side portion of the groove bottom rear wall portion 24a on the underside of the inner panel 20, in other words, the portion where the groove bottom rear wall portion 24a and the groove bottom side wall portion 24b join together.

5 and 6, the inner panel 20 is provided with a trim hole 29, which is a through hole. The trim hole 29 is formed by cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall portion 23d toward the outer panel 4, starting from the upper end of the trim hole 29 in the vehicle height direction. In detail, the trim hole 29 is provided only on the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the inner inclined wall 23 arranged on the side portion in the vehicle width direction (only the inner corner wall portion 23d in this embodiment). Here, the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction refers to the front side when the inner panel 20 is divided into two in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the trim hole 29 is rectangular. However, the trim hole 29 may be a polygon other than a rectangle or any other shape. In addition, the position of the trim hole is not limited to the position in this embodiment, and may be provided in other places.

The trim hole 29 is provided below the vehicle height direction with a gap a from the upper end (ridge line 26) of the inner corner wall portion 23d in the vehicle height direction. In other words, the trim hole 29 is provided so as to leave the ridge line 26. The gap a may be approximately 10% or more of the length b from the upper end (ridge line 26) to the lower end (valley line 30) of the inner corner wall portion 23d (a ≧ 0.1b).

The trim hole 29 is provided on the upper side in the vehicle height direction with a gap c from the lower end (valley line 30) of the inner corner wall portion 23d in the vehicle height direction. In other words, the trim hole 29 is provided so as to leave the valley line 30. The gap c may be approximately 10% or more of the length b from the ridge line 26 to the valley line 30 (c ≧ 0.1b).

The automotive hood structure includes a support portion 31. In this embodiment, the support portion 31 is part of the inner panel 20 and includes a cut-and-raised piece 35A formed by cutting and raising. That is, the cut-and-raised piece 35A supports the lower surface of the outer panel 4 from below in the vehicle height direction. In this embodiment, the cut-and-raised piece 35A is joined to the outer panel 4 by mastic adhesive 5.

The following discusses tensile stiffness, dent resistance, bending stiffness, and torsional stiffness.

The tension stiffness is an index showing the stiffness when a load is applied from the hood outer surface while the automobile hood 1 is in an elastic state, and can be obtained, for example, by measuring the amount of deformation when a load is applied to the outer panel 4 in the direction perpendicular to the surface. The smaller the amount of deformation, the higher the tension stiffness, and the better it is evaluated to be. In addition, although the applied load is slightly higher, dent resistance is evaluated in a manner substantially similar to that of the tension stiffness, and similarly, the smaller the residual deformation after the load is applied, the better it is evaluated to be. Therefore, the tension stiffness and dent resistance can be improved by providing a support portion 31 that supports the underside of the outer panel 4 from below in the vehicle height direction.

Bending rigidity is an index showing the bending resistance of the automobile hood 1, and can be obtained, for example, by measuring the amount of deformation when a load is applied from below to above in the vehicle height direction to the front corner of the automobile hood 1 (part A shown in Figure 4) with the two hinge parts 3 and the locking member 27 as support points. The smaller the amount of deformation, the higher the bending rigidity is, and the better it is evaluated to be. Therefore, by suppressing the decrease in rigidity near the two hinge parts 3 and the locking member 27, the decrease in bending rigidity can be suppressed.

Torsional rigidity is an index showing the torsional resistance of the automobile hood 1, and can be obtained, for example, by measuring the amount of deformation when a load is applied from above to below in the vehicle height direction to the remaining corner (part A shown in Figure 4) with the three corners of the automobile hood 1, including the two hinge parts 3, as support points. The smaller the amount of deformation, the higher the torsional rigidity is, and the better it is evaluated to be. Therefore, by suppressing the decrease in rigidity near the hinge parts 3, the decrease in torsional rigidity can be suppressed.

According to the automotive hood structure of this embodiment, the underside of the front part of the outer panel 4 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is supported from below in the vehicle height direction by the support part 31. This improves the tensile rigidity and dent resistance of the outer panel 4.

In addition, in this embodiment, the trim holes 29 are provided only at positions (inner corner wall portions 23d at the front side of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction) away from the hinge portion 3 provided at the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In other words, the trim holes 29 are not provided near the hinge portion 3, which suppresses a decrease in rigidity near the hinge portion 3 and ensures high bending rigidity and torsional rigidity.

In addition, in this embodiment, a trim hole 29 is provided in the inner corner wall 23d on the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the inner inclined wall 23 arranged on the side in the vehicle width direction. The inner corner wall 23d exerts resistance against impacts from the front of the vehicle 2 and impacts from above, but by providing the trim hole 29 in the inner corner wall 23d, the automobile hood 1 can be made to easily collapse against both types of impacts, ensuring high pedestrian protection performance.

In addition, in this embodiment, the trim hole 29 is provided in the inner inclined wall 23 at the side portion in the vehicle width direction and at the frontmost portion in the vehicle front-rear direction (i.e., the inner corner wall portion 23d). The trim hole 29 is also provided in the inner corner wall portion 23d of the inner inclined wall 23, which is located far away from the locking member 27 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the trim hole 29 is not provided near the hinge portion 3 and near the locking member 27. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in bending rigidity and torsional rigidity.

In addition, in this embodiment, the trim hole 29 terminates within the inner corner wall 23d and does not extend to the raised portion 22, and a ridge line 26 is formed at the boundary between the raised portion 22 and the inner corner wall 23d. Bending and twisting deformations are likely to occur on the surface, but are unlikely to occur on the ridge line portion. Therefore, by forming the ridge line 26, bending and twisting deformations are suppressed, and a decrease in bending rigidity and torsional rigidity can be suppressed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the formation of the trim hole 29 and the formation of the support portion 31 can be achieved simultaneously. When cutting the inner panel 20 into the shape of the trim hole 29, the trim hole 29 is cut except for the upper end in the vehicle height direction, and is bent (i.e., cut and raised) toward the outer panel 4 so that a fold line 36 is formed at the upper end of the trim hole 29. As a result, a cut and raised piece 35A that supports the lower surface of the outer panel 4 is formed, and the cut and raised piece 35A can become the support portion 31. Therefore, a separate member is not required to form the support portion 31, and the support portion 31 can be formed and the trim hole 29 can be formed at the same time by simply cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall portion 23d.

As a result, the automotive hood structure of this embodiment can ensure high performance in terms of tensile rigidity, dent resistance, bending rigidity, torsional rigidity, and pedestrian protection performance.

Second Embodiment
7 and 8, the configuration of an automotive hood structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from that of the first embodiment in the following respects: The other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar elements as those of the first embodiment.

In the automotive hood structure according to the second embodiment, the trim hole 29 is formed by cutting and raising a portion of the inner corner wall 23d toward the outer panel 4, starting from the lower end of the trim hole 29 in the vehicle height direction.

The support portion 31 also includes a cut-and-raised piece 35B formed by cutting and raising. That is, the cut-and-raised piece 35B supports the lower surface of the outer panel 4 from below in the vehicle height direction. The cut-and-raised piece 35B has a leg portion 37 and a seat portion 38. In the second embodiment, the leg portion 37 extends perpendicularly to the groove bottom wall 24 from the lower end of the trim hole 29 in the vehicle height direction to the lower surface of the outer panel 4. The seat portion 38 extends from the tip of the leg portion 37 and faces the lower surface of the outer panel 4 to support the lower surface of the outer panel 4. In the second embodiment, the seat portion 38 is joined to the outer panel 4 by a mastic adhesive 5. In the second embodiment, the seat portion 38 also extends from the leg portion 37 toward the raised portion 22.

According to the automobile hood structure of the second embodiment, the leg portion 37 supports the load applied to the outer panel 4 as a compressive load. Therefore, the support portion 31 is less likely to deform than if the load were received as a bending load. Therefore, it is easier to ensure high tensile rigidity and dent resistance.

As shown in Figures 9 and 10, in a modified version of the second embodiment, the seat 38 extends from the leg 37 in the opposite direction to the raised portion 22, i.e., toward the outer inclined wall 25.

By extending the seat portion 38 toward the outer inclined wall 25, it is possible to support the outer panel 4 in an area far from the raised portion 22, improving the tension stiffness and dent resistance over a wide range.

Third Embodiment
11 and 12, the configuration of an automotive hood structure according to the third embodiment of the present invention differs from the second embodiment in the following respects: The other configurations of the third embodiment are similar to those of the second embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar elements as those of the second embodiment.

In the automobile hood structure according to the third embodiment, the leg portion 37 is provided with a through hole 39. In the third embodiment, the through hole 39 is provided in the center of the leg portion 37. The through hole 39 is formed, for example, in a roughly rectangular shape. The seat portion 38 may extend toward the raised portion 22 in the opposite direction to that shown in the figure.

The automobile hood structure according to the third embodiment can reduce the deformation resistance of the cut-and-raised piece 35C included in the support portion 31 in the vehicle height direction. In other words, the automobile hood 1 becomes more easily crushed in the vehicle height direction. This improves the shock absorption performance against shocks from above that may occur when a pedestrian climbs onto the automobile hood 1, and improves pedestrian protection performance compared to when the leg portion 37 does not have the through hole 39.

Fourth Embodiment
13 and 14, the configuration of an automotive hood structure according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention differs from the second embodiment in the following respects. The remaining configuration of the fourth embodiment is similar to that of the second embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to designate elements that are the same or similar to those of the second embodiment.

In the automobile hood structure according to the fourth embodiment, the leg 37 is disposed at an angle θ1 relative to the groove bottom wall 24. The angle θ1 is greater than the angle θ2 of the inner corner wall 23d relative to the groove bottom wall 24 and is less than 90° (θ2<θ1<90°).

When the automobile hood structure according to the fourth embodiment is manufactured using a mold, the angle θ3 between the leg portion 37 and the seat portion 38 must be 90° or more (θ3 ≧ 90°). In other words, the angle θ1 must be set to be greater than the angle θ2 and less than 90°, and the angle θ3 must be set to be 90° or more.

In the automobile hood structure according to the fourth embodiment, an impact applied to the cut-and-raised piece 35D causes the leg 37 to deform so as to fall over, so the deformation resistance of the cut-and-raised piece 35D in the vehicle height direction can be reduced compared to when the angle θ1 is 90°. This improves the shock absorption performance against impacts from above that may occur when a pedestrian climbs onto the automobile hood 1, thereby improving pedestrian protection performance.

Fifth Embodiment
15 and 16, the configuration of an automotive hood structure according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention differs from the second embodiment in the following respects. The remaining configuration of the fifth embodiment is similar to that of the second embodiment, and elements that are the same as or similar to those of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the automobile hood structure according to the fifth embodiment, the leg 37 is bent. The bent leg 37 may be convex toward the raised portion 22 as in the illustrated example, or may be convex in a direction away from the raised portion 22 as opposed to being convex in the direction shown. If the automobile hood structure according to the fifth embodiment is manufactured using a mold and the leg 37 is convex in a direction away from the raised portion 22, the seat 38 needs to extend toward the raised portion 22 as opposed to being convex in the direction shown.

The automobile hood structure according to the fifth embodiment can reduce the deformation resistance of the cut-and-raised piece 35E included in the support portion 31 in the vehicle height direction. This improves pedestrian protection performance compared to when the leg portion 37 is not bent.

Sixth Embodiment
17 and 18, the configuration of an automotive hood structure according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention differs from the first embodiment in the following respects. The other configurations of the sixth embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar elements as those of the first embodiment.

In the automotive hood structure relating to the sixth embodiment, the trim hole 29 is provided by cutting out the inner corner wall portion 23d. The support portion 31 is a separate part (a separate body) from the inner panel 20. The support portion 31 is provided on the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the side portion in the vehicle width direction of the inner panel 20, and supports the lower surface of the outer panel 4 from below in the vehicle height direction. The support portion 31 is provided at the portion where the groove bottom side wall portion 24b and the groove bottom front wall portion 24c join together.

In the sixth embodiment, the support portion 31 includes a bottom surface portion 32, a top surface portion 33, and a pillar portion 34. The bottom surface portion 32 constitutes the bottom surface of the support portion 31, and is a portion that is firmly joined to the inner panel 20 by spot welding, FSW joining, TOX joining, or the like. The top surface portion 33 constitutes the top surface of the support portion 31, and is a portion that is joined to the outer panel 4 by mastic adhesive 5. The pillar portion 34 is a portion that connects the bottom surface portion 32 and the top surface portion 33. In the sixth embodiment, the pillar portion 34 is bent near the center in the vehicle height direction.

According to the automobile hood structure of the sixth embodiment, the trim hole 29 and the support portion 31 can be designed separately. Therefore, by providing a large trim hole 29, it is possible to make the automobile hood 1 more easily crushable, while providing a support portion 31 strong enough to ensure the tensile rigidity of the automobile hood 1. This reduces the deformation resistance of the automobile hood 1 in the vehicle height direction, improving pedestrian protection performance. In addition, because the pillar portion 34 is bent near the center in the vehicle height direction, it is more easily crushed when subjected to impact from above, ensuring high pedestrian protection performance.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Automotive hood 2 Vehicle 3 Hinge portion 4 Outer panel 5 Mastic adhesive 20 Inner panel 21 Support surface 22 Raised portion 23 Inner inclined wall 23a Inner rear wall portion 23b Inner side wall portion 23c Inner front wall portion 23d Inner corner wall portion 24 Groove bottom wall 24a Groove bottom rear wall portion 24b Groove bottom side wall portion 24c Groove bottom front wall portion 25 Outer inclined wall 25a Outer rear wall portion 25b Outer side wall portion 25c Outer front wall portion 26 Ridge line 27 Locking member 28 Dent reinforcement 29 Trim hole 30 Valley line 31 Support portion 32 Bottom surface portion 33 Top surface portion 34 Pillar portion 35A-E Cut-and-raise piece 36 Fold line 37 Leg portion 38 Seat 39 Through hole 40 Recess 41 Groove

Claims (8)

an outer panel forming an upper surface of an automobile hood;
an inner panel including a raised portion having a support surface disposed opposite the lower surface of the outer panel and supporting the lower surface, an inner inclined wall continuing from the raised portion and inclined with respect to the support surface, a groove bottom wall continuing from the inner inclined wall and facing the lower surface of the outer panel with a gap therebetween, and an outer inclined wall continuing from the groove bottom wall and inclined with respect to the groove bottom wall;
a support portion provided on a front side in a vehicle front-rear direction of a side portion in a vehicle width direction of the inner panel, the support portion supporting the lower surface of the outer panel from a lower side in a vehicle height direction,
a trim hole is provided on a front side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the inner inclined wall disposed in a side portion in the vehicle width direction,
The inner inclined wall is
an inner side wall portion that is continuous with a side portion of the raised portion in the vehicle width direction, is inclined with respect to the support surface, and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction;
an inner front wall portion that is inclined with respect to the support surface and extends in the vehicle width direction continuously from the front of the raised portion in the vehicle front-rear direction;
an inner corner wall portion that is inclined with respect to the support surface and connects the inner side wall portion and the inner front wall portion, the inner corner wall portion being continuous from a front side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the side portion in the vehicle width direction of the raised portion;
Equipped with
The trim hole and the support portion are provided in the inner corner wall portion. a hinge portion provided on a rear side of a side portion of the inner panel in the vehicle width direction so as to pivotally support the automobile hood in an openable and closable manner relative to the vehicle,
2. The automotive hood structure according to claim 1, wherein the trim hole is provided only on a front side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the inner inclined wall arranged on a side portion in the vehicle width direction. 3. The automotive hood structure according to claim 1, wherein the trim hole is provided with a gap from at least one of an upper end and a lower end of the inner inclined wall in the vehicle height direction. 3. The automotive hood structure according to claim 1 , wherein the trim hole is provided below, in the vehicle height direction, with a gap between the trim hole and an upper end, in the vehicle height direction, of the inner corner wall portion. the trim hole is formed by cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall portion toward the outer panel, starting from an upper end of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction,
The automotive hood structure according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the support portion includes a cut-and-raised piece formed by the cut-and-raised portion. the trim hole is formed by cutting and raising a part of the inner corner wall portion toward the outer panel, starting from a lower end of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction,
The support portion includes a cut-and-raised piece formed by the cut-and-raised portion,
3. The automotive hood structure according to claim 1, wherein the cut-and-raised piece has a leg portion extending from a lower end of the trim hole in the vehicle height direction to the underside of the outer panel, and a seat portion extending from the tip of the leg portion and facing the underside of the outer panel to support the underside of the outer panel. The hood structure for an automobile according to claim 6, wherein the leg portion is provided with a through hole. The hood structure for an automobile according to claim 6, wherein the leg is bent.

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