JPH11301515A - Structure of vehicle front portion - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve rigidity of a body of a four-wheeled vehicle at a connecting portion between an apron side member and a dash panel by reinforcing a lower portion and a front portion of the dash panel with a front side member and an apron side member, and bending the apron side member downward with at least a top face of the apron side member directed rearward. SOLUTION: In a structure of a front portion of a vehicle, the portion between under a dash panel 1 and a vehicle body floor is reinforced by a front side member 7 and a portion before the dash panel 1 is reinforced by an apron side member 9. At least an upper face of a rear end portion of the apron side member 9 is bent downward in rear direction. Accordingly, a load applied to the apron side member 9 from forward direction is transmitted to the floor side member 7 side. Also, deformation of the dash panel 1 is prevented by bonding an intermediate member which distribute and transmits load to the rear end portion of the apron side member 9.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front body structure of a motor vehicle capable of improving the rigidity of a vehicle body at a connecting portion between an apron side member and a dash panel of a four-wheel vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 shows a front side surface of a vehicle body. A load applied to an apron side member (also referred to as a front side member) 100 from the front is applied to a dash panel 101 which partitions an occupant compartment through the apron side member 100. It is transmitted to. Part of the load transmitted to the dash panel 101 is transmitted to and absorbed by the floor side members 103 provided on the floor panel 102. Since most of the load is transmitted to the dash panel 101, the dash panel 101 requires rigidity. Therefore, the sub-frame 104 is usually provided to reinforce the apron side member 100. Thus, it is common practice to transmit a substantial part of the load from the front as the axial load of the floor side member 103.

On the other hand, when a sub-frame 104 is not used in a vehicle having a similar layout due to weight and productivity requirements,
As shown in FIG. 9, the load from the apron side member 100 is transmitted to the dash panel 101 which is structurally weak, and the cabin deformation is increased as indicated by a two-dot chain line, so that good energy absorption is not performed. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, the load from the apron side member 100 is reduced by pulling down the joining portion of the dash panel 101 of the apron side member 100 downward.
Transmission in three directions is conceivable.

[0004]

However, when an apron side member 100 having this shape is used for a conventional dash panel 101, as shown in FIGS. Panel 101 cannot be welded. In addition, there is a problem that the load is not smoothly transmitted because the joint portion is sharp and local deformation occurs. In particular, this is a problem in light and small vehicles in which the length of the front part of the vehicle body is limited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a vehicle front body structure capable of improving the vehicle body rigidity of a connecting portion between an apron side member and a dash panel of a four-wheeled vehicle.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problem by reinforcing a front side body of a vehicle in which a dash panel is reinforced from a lower portion to a vehicle body floor with a floor side member and a front portion of the dash panel is reinforced with an apron side member. In the structure, at least the upper surface of the rear end of the apron side member is formed by curving downward toward the rear.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a front body structure of an automobile according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view.
1 and 2, a dash panel 1 is provided at a front portion A of a vehicle body to separate a vehicle compartment and an engine compartment. The dash panel 1 has a dash panel upper at an upper stage and a lower stage along a vehicle width direction. A cross member 2 (hereinafter, referred to as an upper cross member 2) and a dash panel lower cross member 3 (hereinafter, referred to as a lower cross member 3) are provided. On both sides of the lower cross member 3,
Dash panel lower cross member extensions 4 and 5 (hereinafter referred to as extensions 4 and 5) are provided on the left and right. Lower arm member gussets 6 are respectively arranged below the extensions 4 and 5 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. In the drawings, only one side is shown. To the rear end of the lower arm member gusset 6, a floor side member 7 disposed on the lower surface side of the floor panel along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is connected.

A fender apron panel 8 is provided inside a front fender panel (not shown), and an apron side member 9 is provided inside the fender apron panel 8 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The apron side member 9 is formed in a U-shape in cross section, and the upper and lower flange portions 9a and 9b are formed with a fender apron panel 8
Is joined by spot welding or the like to the inner side surface 8a.
The rear end portion of the apron side member 9 is formed by curving the rear end side downward, and a lower arm inner member 10 is provided on the inside and a lower arm outer member 11 is provided on the outside by spot welding or the like. Are joined. The upper end of the lower arm outer member 11 is joined to the lower end of the fender apron panel 8. The lower arm inner member 10 and the lower arm outer member 11 are disposed so as to face each other and are joined to the upper surface of the lower arm member gusset 6. Thus, the apron side member 9 is connected to the lower arm member gusset 6 via the lower arm inner member 10 and the lower arm outer member 11.
It is connected to. The lower arm inner member 10 and lower arm outer member 11
And extensions 4 and 5. At the upper end of the fender apron panel 8, a suspension upper bracket 12 is provided.

According to the above configuration, the apron side member 9
When a load is applied to the dash panel 1 from the front, the load is transmitted to the floor side member 7 via the lower arm inner member 10 and the lower arm outer member 11 at a position lowered in the downward direction, so that the load does not concentrate on the dash panel 1. .
Further, since the apron side member 9 is joined to the floor side member 7 and the dash panel 1 via the lower arm inner member 10 and the lower arm outer member 11, the assembling work is easy.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show modifications of the present invention.
In this case, a gusset having a triangular cross section is interposed as an intermediate member 13 on the upper side of the rear end of the apron side member 9. The intermediate member 13 is formed by joining the flange portion 3a to the dash panel 1 by joining or the like, and joining the intermediate member 13 to the upper flange portion of the apron side member 9. The position of the intermediate member 13 is provided below the upper end of the apron side member 9. by this,
The load applied to the apron side member 9 from the front is transmitted to the dash panel 1 via the intermediate member 13. Since the intermediate member 13 is provided below the upper end of the apron side member 9, the load input point can be lowered as shown by the arrow. As described above, since the load applied to the apron side member 9 is dispersed and transmitted to the dash panel 1, the deformation of the dash panel 1 can be prevented. Since the angle of the upper flange portion of the apron side member 9 can be reduced, the joining operation is easier than before. In this case, as the intermediate member 13, by lowering the position of the dash panel upper cross member 2 in the above-described embodiment in the downward direction, the same function as the intermediate member 13 can be obtained, and the same effect can be obtained. Can be.

[0012]

As described above, according to the front vehicle body structure of the automobile according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained. In the front body structure of an automobile in which the lower part of the dash panel extends from the lower part of the dash panel to the vehicle body floor and the front part of the dash panel is reinforced with the apron side member, at least the upper surface of the rear end of the apron side member faces rearward. Since it is formed by bending downward, the load applied to the apron side member from the front can be transmitted to the floor side member side. In addition, since the intermediate member for distributing and transmitting the load to the dash panel is joined to the rear end of the apron side member, deformation of the dash panel can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a front body structure of an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing members of the front body structure of the automobile shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line CC of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a state where a load is applied from the front.
FIG.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a conventional vehicle body front structure.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing a conventional vehicle body front structure.

FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a modified example of a conventional vehicle body front structure.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual perspective view showing a modified example of a conventional vehicle body front structure.

FIG. 12 is a side view of FIG. 11 showing a conventional vehicle body front structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dash panel 2 Dash panel upper cross member 3 Dash panel lower cross member 4,5 Dash panel lower cross member extension 6 Lower arm member gusset 7 Floor side member 8 Fender apron panel 9 Apron side member 10 Lower arm inner member 11 Lower arm outer member 12 Suspension Upper bracket 13 Intermediate member

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A front body structure of a vehicle in which a lower portion of a dash panel extends from a lower portion to a vehicle body floor with a floor side member and a front portion of the dash panel is reinforced with an apron side member, at least a top surface of a rear end of the apron side member. A front body structure of an automobile, wherein the front body structure is formed by curving the rearward downward. 2. The front body structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein an intermediate member for distributing and transmitting a load to a dash panel is joined to a rear end of the apron side member.