JPS6366698B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a bumper support structure for a vehicle, and in particular, the bumper mounting portion on the vehicle body side is improved so that the impact energy at the time of a vehicle collision can be effectively absorbed by the vehicle body. The present invention relates to a vehicle bumper support structure.

Conventionally, this type of vehicle bumper support structure is explained using a front bumper as an example. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front bumper B is arranged along the vehicle width direction at the front of the vehicle body. The specific support structure consists of installing stays 1 extending toward the rear of the vehicle body on both sides of the rear surface of the front bumper B.
This stay 1 is fixed to the tip of a front side member 2, which is a vehicle body strength member, with fasteners such as bolts 3 and nuts 4.

In this type, the tip of the front side member 2 is generally directly connected to the front cross member 6 disposed at the bottom of the radiator core support 5 in order to improve the rigidity of the vehicle body. In order to arrange the front bumper B so as to protrude toward the front of the vehicle body, the stay 1 was an essential member. Furthermore, looking at the vertical positional relationship between the front side member 2 and the front cross member 6, the front side member 2 is located at a position with relatively high ground clearance to avoid interference with an axle or the like not shown. In contrast, the front cross member 6 is
In order to ensure the amount of cooling air to the radiator, the ground clearance is relatively low, and the front end of the front side member 2 is necessarily bent downward and joined to the front cross member 6. .
As a result, the ground clearance at the tip of the front side member 2 becomes relatively close, so in order to ensure a certain level of ground clearance for the front bumper B, for example, the stay 1 is moved to the tip of the front side member 2. At the same time, the bumper mounting portion of the stay 1 is formed above the top surface of the front end portion of the front side member 2. In FIGS. 1 and 2, 7 is a bumper strength member, 8 is a shock absorber made of rubber or the like disposed on the front surface of the bumper strength member 7, and 9 is the above-mentioned shock absorber 8.
10 is a radiator grill; 11 is a bumper skin that deforms according to the elastic deformation of the shock absorber 8;
is a bracket which is fixed to the radiator core support 5 and to which the lower end of the radiator grille 10 is fixed with a clip or the like.

However, in such a conventional vehicle bumper support structure, the front bumper B is attached to the stay 1.
As shown in FIG. Due to the difference in rigidity between the stay 1 and the front side member 2, there is a risk that the stay 1 will buckle and deform near the joint between the stay 1 and the front side member 2. In particular, the bumper attachment part of stay 1 and the front side member 2
In the case where the connecting portion of the stay 1 and the front side member 2 are offset in the vertical direction, a bending moment corresponding to the above-mentioned offset acts directly on the connecting portion of the stay 1 and the front side member 2. becomes susceptible to buckling deformation. Therefore, in the event of a vehicle collision, as the stay buckles and deforms, the front side member 2 is crushed and deformed for the stroke l from the front end of the front bumper B to the tip of the front side member 2. This results in a situation where the impact energy resulting from a vehicle collision is not absorbed by the vehicle body. As a result, the amount of impact energy absorbed by the vehicle body is reduced, and there is a risk that the deformation of the vehicle interior will increase accordingly. Further, since the front side member 2 is curved downward at its tip, the curved portion 26 of the front side member 2 is more likely to bend in the event of a vehicle collision. There was a possibility that the front side member 2 would not be sufficiently crushed and deformed, and that the absorption of impact energy accompanying a vehicle collision would be incomplete. Incidentally, this problem also occurred with respect to the support structure of the rear bumper.

The present invention has been made based on the above-mentioned viewpoints, and its object is to form a side member, which is a vehicle body strength member, in a straight shape, and to extend the side member to the front or rear surface of the vehicle body. By extending the car body panel to the outside of the car body and attaching the bumper directly to the bumper attachment part formed at the tip of this side member, the impact energy in the event of a vehicle collision is directly transmitted to the side member. It is an object of the present invention to provide a bumper support structure for a vehicle that is capable of efficiently crushing and deforming a bumper, thereby increasing the amount of impact energy absorbed by the vehicle body in a vehicle collision.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 7,
As in the conventional case, the front bumper B includes a bumper strength member 7 having a closed cross-section structure, a shock absorber 8 made of rubber or the like disposed on the front surface of the bumper strength member 7, and a shock absorber 8 that covers the shock absorber 8 to absorb the above-mentioned impact. It is composed of a so-called shock absorbing bumper consisting of a bumper skin 9 that deforms following the elastic deformation of the absorber 8, and an appropriate number of bolts 3 for attaching the front bumper B are welded to both rear surfaces of the bumper strength member 7. Fixed.

The front side member 2 is made of a channel material having a flange surface that is spot-welded to a hood ledge (not shown), and is formed in a straight line, with beads 25 extending in the longitudinal direction at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. It is prepared and formed. The front side member 2 is disposed to protrude forward from the radiator core support 5 through cutouts 12 formed on both sides of the radiator core support 5. On the other hand, the front cross member 6 is formed in a channel shape, and is welded and fixed to the lower part of the radiator core support 5 on the outside of the vehicle in order to ensure the amount of cooling air to the radiator (not shown). A closed cross section is formed between the two.

In this embodiment, a step S is inevitably formed between the tip of the front side member 2 and the front cross member 6, and in order to fill this step S, the tip of the front side member 2 and the front cross member 6 are It is connected and fixed to the front cross member 6 via a connector 13. This connector 13
As shown in FIG.
The connector inner panel 15 has a flat plate part 15a facing the connector inner panel 15, and has bent pieces 15b and 15c connected and fixed to the front and rear of the lower part of the connector outer panel 14 at the front and rear of the lower part of the flat plate part. . The upper part of the connector 13 is configured such that the front end of the front side member 2 is held between a connector outer panel 14 and a connector inner panel 15 which are arranged to face each other, and the flat plate parts of the connector outer panel 14 and the connector inner panel 15 are 15a are welded and fixed to the mounting flange 2a of the front side member 2 and the side surface 2b of the engine room, respectively, so as to be firmly connected to the front side member 2. The lower part of the connector 13 has a closed cross-sectional structure with a substantially rectangular cross section, and the upper end of the front cross member 6 is cut out 6a, and the rear end of the front cross member 6 is provided with a closing plate 16. Covered connector storage part 1
7, and the lower part of this connector 13 is a flange in which the flat plate portion 15a, bent pieces 15b, and bent pieces 15c of the connector inner panel 15 are formed on the edge of the notch 6a of the front cross member 6. 6b is welded and fixed to the inner surface of the front wall of the front cross member 6 and the closing plate 16, respectively, and is firmly connected to the front cross member 6.

Bumper mounting flanges 18, which serve as bumper mounting portions, are bent at the upper portions of the outer end surfaces of the flat plate portions 15a of the connector outer panel 14 and the connector inner panel 15, respectively. A bolt insertion hole 19 is provided corresponding to the bolt 3 attached to B.

Further, in this embodiment, the upper end of the flat plate portion 15a of the connector inner panel 15 extends upward from the upper end of the connector outer panel 14, and the radiator grill 10 is provided on the outer side end surface of the connector extension portion 20. A grille attachment flange 21 constituting a lower end attachment surface is formed, and a grille attachment hole 23 into which a clip 22 or the like is inserted is provided in the grille attachment flange 21. A notch 24 is formed in the lower part of the connector extension 20 in order to separate the bumper mounting flange 18 and the grille mounting flange 21 from each other.

Therefore, in the vehicle bumper support structure according to this embodiment, when attaching the front bumper B to the vehicle body, the front bumper B is placed at the front of the vehicle body, and the bolts 3 previously attached to the front bumper B are connected to the vehicle body side. The front bumper B is attached to the tip of the front side member 2 by inserting it into a bolt insertion hole 19 formed in the bumper attachment flange 18 and screwing the nut 4 onto the bolt 3. In this state, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, a large impact load F acts on the front bumper B from the front of the vehicle and is transmitted to the front side member 2, but the front bumper B and the front side member 2 are on the same plane. Therefore, the impact load F acting on the front bumper B acts as a compressive force in the longitudinal direction of the front side member 2, as shown in FIG. crushed along. At this time, since the front side member 2 is provided with beads 25 extending in the longitudinal direction at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction, the front side member 2 is crushed into a bellows shape. Therefore, when the front bumper B moves backward due to a vehicle collision, the front side member 2 is crushed and deformed in response to the movement stroke of the front bumper B, and the impact energy resulting from the vehicle collision is transferred to the front bumper B. It is reliably absorbed into the vehicle body according to the movement stroke of B, that is, the amount of crushing deformation of the front side member 2. Comparing the amount of absorption of this impact energy with that of the conventional type in which the front bumper B is supported via the stay 1, it is found that in the conventional type, as shown in FIG. Due to the buckling deformation of 1, there is a risk that the impact energy will not be absorbed by the vehicle body for the stroke l from the front end of the front bumper B to the tip of the front side member 2. In the end, the impact energy is absorbed by the vehicle body over the entire travel stroke of the front bumper B, so the amount of impact energy absorbed by the vehicle body is significantly greater than before, and the deformation of the vehicle interior is correspondingly reduced. Can be kept small.

Furthermore, connect the front cross member 6 to the connector 13.
Since the bumper B is supported below the front side member 2 through the bumper B, the bumper B and the front cross member 6 are separated from each other. Therefore, in the event of a collision, the entire bumper B can be sufficiently bent and deformed without coming into contact with the front cross member 6.
In addition to the deformation of the front side member 2 described above, the load at the time of a collision can be efficiently absorbed. In particular, in the case of a small collision that does not result in deformation of the front side member 2, the load does not directly act on the front cross member 6, making it possible to fully utilize the impact absorption properties of the bumper B and reducing the impact on the vehicle body. can be reduced.

Further, since the tip of the front side member 2 is connected and fixed to the front cross member 6 via the connector 13 having a closed cross-section structure, the bonding strength at the tip of the front side member 2 is large, and the front bumper B has a high bonding strength. Sufficient support strength is ensured.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the lower end of the radiator grill 10 is fixed to the grill attachment flange 21 of the connector extension part 20 integrally formed with the connector 13, so that the radiator grill 10 is fixed as in the conventional case. Since the bracket 11 is no longer necessary, the number of parts can be reduced accordingly, and the work process involved in assembling the vehicle body can be simplified by eliminating the need for mounting the bracket 11. In addition, since the bumper mounting flange 18 and the grille mounting flange 21 are both formed on the connector 13, which is the same part, in the event of a minor vehicle collision, the front bumper B
The relative positional relationship between the front bumper B and the radiator grille 10 is kept substantially constant, so that even if the front bumper B moves slightly, the front bumper B and the radiator grille 10 will not interfere with each other. At this time, the deformation of the bumper mounting flange 18 is absorbed by the presence of the notch 24 of the connector extension 20, so the deformation of the bumper mounting flange 18 does not affect the grille mounting flange 21, and the bumper mounting There is no risk that the radiator grille 10 will deform as the flange 18 deforms.

A second embodiment is shown in FIG. This differs from the first embodiment in that the front side member 2
A bumper mounting flange 18 is formed on the front end surface of the bumper. Note that a grille mounting flange is not provided. This second embodiment also provides substantially the same functions and effects as those of the first embodiment.

The specific structure of the connector 13 is not limited to that shown in each of the above embodiments, but may be of any shape as long as it can firmly connect and fix the front side member 2 and the front cross member 6. It can be something. Furthermore, regarding the means for attaching the front bumper B to the vehicle body, in addition to the method shown in the embodiment, a weld nut may be provided in advance on the front bumper B side, and a bolt may be screwed into this weld nut. . Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the front bumper B is described as an impact absorbing bumper, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to any type of bumper, and the present invention can also be applied to any type of bumper. In this case, it is applicable not only to the front bumper B but also to the rear bumper. In this case, the rear side member may be extended from the rear panel to the rear of the vehicle body, and the rear bumper may be attached to the rear end.

As described above, according to the vehicle bumper support structure according to the present invention, the side member, which is a vehicle body strength member, is formed in a straight line, and the side member is connected to the vehicle body panel that partitions the front or rear surface of the vehicle body. Extends to the outside of the vehicle body,
Since the bumper is directly attached to the bumper attachment part formed at the tip of the side member, in the event of a vehicle collision, the impact load acting on the bumper is directed in the longitudinal direction of the side member and acts only as a compressive force. The crushing deformation of the side member corresponding to the movement stroke occurs efficiently. As a result, the amount of impact energy absorbed by the vehicle body at the time of a vehicle collision is reliably ensured, and deformation of the vehicle interior can be suppressed as much as possible.

Furthermore, since the bumper does not come into contact with the cross member in the event of a collision, the entire bumper can be sufficiently bent and deformed, and therefore, in addition to the deformation of the side members, the load at the time of the collision can be efficiently absorbed. In addition, in the case of a small collision that does not result in deformation of the side members, the load does not directly apply to the cross member, making it possible to fully utilize the bumper's shock absorption properties and reducing the impact on the vehicle body. It also has the effect of being able to do it.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional vehicle bumper support structure, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a deformed state of the bumper support part during a vehicle collision, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the vehicle bumper support structure according to the present invention, and FIG. is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the bumper support structure shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line in FIG.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 6 showing the deformed state of the bumper support part during a vehicle collision, and FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 5 showing a second embodiment of the vehicle bumper support structure according to the present invention. FIG. B...Front bumper (bumper), 2...Front side member (side member), 3...Bolt, 4...Nut, 5...Radiator core support (vehicle body panel), 6...Front cross member,
13... Connector, 18... Bumper mounting flange (bumper mounting part), 19... Bolt insertion hole, 20...
...Connector extension part, 24...Notch part.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A side member that is a vehicle body strength member is formed in a straight line, and this side member is arranged to extend to the outside of the vehicle body from a vehicle body panel that partitions the front or rear surface of the vehicle body. A cross member is arranged below the tip of the side member, the tip of the side member and the cross member are connected and fixed with a connector, and the bumper is directly attached to the bumper mounting part provided at the tip of the side member. A vehicle bumper support structure featuring: 2. The bumper attachment part formed at the tip of the side member is constituted by a bumper attachment flange formed on the connector, and a connector extension part is formed in the upper part of the connector through a notch, and this connector extension part is formed at the top of the connector. 2. A bumper support structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a grille mounting flange formed at a tip end thereof to lock a radiator grille.