JP3266004B2 - Car air box structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle air box structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional automobile air box structure, a dash cross member is provided in a dash upper panel having an open top cross section, and a closed cross section for ventilation and an open cross section for drainage are defined by the dash cross member. (For a similar structure, see JP-A-57-44574). Since the air intake is provided inside the closed cross section for ventilation, a plurality of large air introduction openings are formed on the upper surface and the front surface of the dash cross member forming the closed cross section for ventilation. .

[0003]

However, in such a conventional technique, since a large air introduction opening is formed in the upper surface and the front surface of the dash cross member, the strength of the dash cross member is reduced. Decrease. A front window glass is supported on the upper part of the dash cross member, and a downward load is applied from the front window glass. Therefore, it is not preferable that the strength of the dash cross member is reduced. Therefore, conventionally, it is necessary to increase the thickness of the dash cross member in order to compensate for a decrease in strength due to the formation of the air introduction opening. For this reason, a plurality of air introduction openings are punched and formed in the dash cross member having an increased plate thickness, and the press formability of the dash cross member is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made by paying attention to such a conventional technique, and provides an air box structure of an automobile in which a large number of large air introduction openings need not be formed in a dash cross member.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
Inside a dash upper panel having an open top cross-sectional shape and having a structure in which an air intake is provided at the back of a bottom surface, a dash cross member having a substantially L-shaped cross section having a front surface and an upper surface is provided along a vehicle width direction. An air box structure for an automobile, wherein a closed cross section for ventilation is formed inside the rear of the dash upper panel, and an open cross section for drainage is formed in front of the closed cross section for ventilation. The end in the vehicle width direction is located closer to the center than the end in the vehicle width direction of the dash upper panel, and air can be introduced into the closed cross section for ventilation from the gap formed between the ends. is there.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a gap is formed between the end of the dash cross member in the vehicle width direction and the end of the dash upper panel in the vehicle width direction. Since air can be introduced into the inside, there is no need to form a plurality of large air introduction openings in the dash cross member. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the dash cross member and it is not necessary to form the air introduction opening itself, so that the press formability of the dash cross member is improved.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a dash cross member is provided on the upper surface thereof with a reinforcement for forming a closed cross section along the vehicle width direction, and the lower end of the front window glass is supported by the reinforcement. It is.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even when a downward load is applied from the windshield, the load is received by the closed section formed by the reinforce and the front surface of the dash cross member. Therefore, the support rigidity of the windshield is improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the dash upper panel and the plate-shaped brace joined to the vehicle body structure in the periphery thereof are located above the gap, and extend from the upper surface of the dash cross member to the upper surface of the brace. Reinforces are joined.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the brace is provided in the gap and the end of the reinforcement is also joined to the brace, the support rigidity of the front window glass is further improved. Further, even if a lateral load along the vehicle width direction is applied to the brace from the vehicle body, the lateral load can be received in the shear direction of the brace, so that the rigidity against the lateral load is improved. Furthermore, since the reinforcement is joined to the brace, and the brace is prevented from bending out of plane such as curving upward, the brace can maintain the shearing property against the lateral load. In addition, since the brace is joined to the reinforce, the deformation of the closed section at the end of the reinforce is also suppressed.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, a part of the brace is also joined to the upper side of the upper surface of the dash cross member.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, since a part of the brace is also joined to the upper side of the upper surface of the dash cross member, the support rigidity of the windshield at the end of the reinforcement is particularly improved. I do.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, an air introduction opening is formed in a front portion of the dash cross member.

As long as the strength is not reduced as in the prior art, the air introduction opening can be freely formed in the front portion of the dash cross member.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the bottom surface of the open section for drainage is formed lower than the bottom section of the closed section for ventilation in the vehicle width direction.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the bottom surface of the open section for drainage is formed low in the vehicle width direction, the drainage property is good and there is no possibility that water will enter the closed section for ventilation. .

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the drawings, Y is the front-rear direction, and X is the vehicle width direction.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a dash upper panel.
, A bottom surface 3, 4, and a rear surface 5, and has an open top sectional shape, and an air box E is formed inside the dash upper panel 1. In the dash upper panel 1, the front bottom surface portion 3 is formed lower than the rear bottom surface portion 4 in the vehicle width direction, and an air intake 6 is formed at a position on the left side of the rear bottom surface portion 4. Have been. Further, a drainage guide portion 7 is formed at an end of the front bottom surface portion 3 in a protruding state.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a dash cross member, which has a substantially L-shaped cross section including a front surface 9 and an upper surface 10. An inclined surface 10 a is also formed at the front end of the upper surface 10, and two small air introduction openings 11 are also formed at a position on the front surface 9 different from the air intake 6. The lower end of the dash cross member 8 is joined to the front end of the rear bottom surface portion 4 on the rear side of the dash upper panel 1, and the rear end is joined to the upper end of the rear surface portion 5. The dash cross member 8 allows ventilation along the vehicle width direction. The use closed section A is formed. Further, an open section B for drainage is formed in front of the closed section A for ventilation, which is separated by a front surface 9 of the dash cross member 8.

The size of the dash cross member 8 in the vehicle width direction is shorter than the size of the dash upper panel 1 in the vehicle width direction, and the end 8 of the dash cross member 8 in the vehicle width direction.
a is located closer to the center in the vehicle width direction than the end 1a of the dash upper panel 1, and a predetermined gap S is formed between each end 1a and 8a.

The upper part of the gap S is closed by a plate-shaped brace 12 provided between the upper end of the front part 2 and the upper end of the rear part 5 of the dash upper panel 1. The central edge of the brace 12 is also joined to the upper side of the upper surface 10 of the dash cross member 8. The brace 12 protrudes forward from the dash upper panel 1 and is also joined to the upper surface of a hood ridge reinforcement 13 (see FIG. 1) forming a vehicle body side portion. This Food Ridge Rain Force 13
In the vicinity of the provided struts housing (not shown) is, lateral force F ₂ along the vehicle width direction from the strut housing is applied.

A reinforce 14 bent in a V-shaped cross section from the upper surface 10 of the dash cross member 8 to the upper surface of the brace 12 is joined along the vehicle width direction. A flat portion 14a joined to the upper surface of the brace 12 is formed at an end of the reinforcement 14 in the vehicle width direction, and a front end 14b is joined to the slope 10a of the dash cross member 8. The rear portion of the flat portion 14a is formed over the vehicle width direction. A plurality of mounting pieces 15 for mounting a wiper motor (not shown) and the like are provided on a front end portion 14b of the reinforcement 14. Due to the joining of the reinforcement 14, a closed cross section C having a triangular cross section is formed above the dash cross member 8 along the vehicle width direction. Further, a lower end portion of a front window glass 16 (see FIG. 5) is supported on a front surface of the reinforcement 14.

At the end of the dash upper panel 1, the cowl side 17 without the drainage guide 7 is provided.
(See FIGS. 1 and 6).

The advantages of this embodiment will be described below.

Air introduction into closed cross section A for ventilation: end 8a of dash cross member 8 and dash upper panel 1
Since the gap S is formed between the end section 1a and the end section 1a, the air K can be reliably introduced into the closed ventilation section A from the gap S. The air K introduced into the closed cross section A for ventilation is blown from the air inlet 6 into the vehicle interior through the air conditioner.

The position where the gap S is formed is the end in the vehicle width direction, and the position in the vehicle width direction is different from the position of the air intake 6 in the vehicle width direction. Inlet 6 is not reached.

The front part 9 of the dash cross member 8
Is formed with two air introduction openings 11, the air K can be introduced into the closed ventilation section A also from the air introduction openings 11. Since the position of the air introduction opening 11 is also different from that of the air intake 6, water enters the air introduction opening 11 and does not reach the air intake 6.

Press formability of dash cross member 8:
In the dash cross member 8 of this embodiment, since the air K can be introduced from the gaps S on both sides of the dash cross member 8, it is not necessary to form a plurality of large air introduction openings as in the related art. May be formed). Therefore, since it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the dash cross member 8, the press formability of the dash cross member 8 is good (the press pressure is small, and the wear of the mold is reduced). Further, the absence of a large air introduction opening as in the prior art contributes to the improvement of press formability.

[0029]Downward from the windshield 16
Rigidity against a load F ₁ can:Windshield 1
6 to downward load F₁The load F ₁To
Receiving at the closed section C formed by the infoce 14
And the load F₁The dash cross men
The bottom surface of the dash upper panel 1 through the front portion 9 of the bush 8
Because it can be transmitted to the part 4, the front window
The support rigidity of the glass 16 is improved.

The brace 12 is joined to the end of the reinforce 14 from below, and deformation at the end of the reinforce 14 is suppressed by the brace 12. The support of the glass 16 is further ensured.

Furthermore, since the central edge of the brace 12 is also joined to the upper side of the upper surface 10 of the dash cross member 8, the support rigidity of the windshield 16 at the end of the reinforcement 14 is particularly improved. I do.

For a lateral suspension input F ₂
Rigidity: A lateral load (suspension input from a nearby strut housing, not shown) F ₂ along the vehicle width direction is applied to the brace 12 via the hood ridge reinforcement 13.
It is applied to the brace 1 such load F ₂ plate-like
2 can be received in the shear direction.
High rigidity against ₂ .

A flat portion 14a of a hood ridge reinforcement 13 is joined to the upper surface of the brace 12, and
Since the brace 12 is out-of-plane deformation or curved upward is prevented, shear against the load F ₂ of the brace 12 is maintained.

Drainage of water that has penetrated into the drainage open section B:
The bottom 3 of the open section B for drainage is the bottom 4 of the closed section A for ventilation.
Since it is formed lower, the drainage is good, and there is no possibility that water will enter the closed cross section A for ventilation.

In the above description, the dash upper panel 1 has a structure in which the front portion 2 is integrally provided. However, the dash upper panel 1 has a structure in which the front portion 2 is a separate member (a cowl front). Is also good.

[0036]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a gap is formed between the end of the dash cross member in the vehicle width direction and the end of the dash upper panel in the vehicle width direction. Since air can be introduced into the closed section,
There is no need to form a plurality of large air introduction openings in the dash cross member. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the dash cross member and it is not necessary to form the air introduction opening itself, so that the press formability of the dash cross member is improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if a downward load is applied from the windshield, the load is received by the closed cross section formed by the reinforce and the front portion of the dash cross member. Therefore, the support rigidity of the windshield is improved.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the brace is provided in the gap and the end of the reinforcement is also joined to the brace, the rigidity of supporting the front window glass is further improved. Further, even if a lateral load along the vehicle width direction is applied to the brace from the vehicle body, the lateral load can be received in the shear direction of the brace, so that the rigidity against the lateral load is improved. Furthermore, since the reinforcement is joined to the brace, and the brace is prevented from bending out of plane such as curving upward, the brace can maintain the shearing property against the lateral load. In addition, since the brace is joined to the reinforce, the deformation of the closed section at the end of the reinforce is also suppressed.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since a part of the brace is also joined to the upper side of the upper surface of the dash cross member, the support rigidity of the windshield at the end of the reinforcement is particularly improved. I do.

As in the fifth aspect of the present invention, the air introduction opening may be freely formed in the front portion of the dash cross member as long as it is not large enough to reduce the strength as in the conventional case.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, since the bottom surface of the open section for drainage is formed low in the vehicle width direction, the drainage property is good and there is no possibility that water will enter the closed section for ventilation. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an air box structure of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an assembled air box structure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view seen from a direction indicated by an arrow DA in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line SA-SA shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line SB-SB shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line SC-SC shown in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Dash upper panel 1a End of dash upper panel 3, 4 Bottom part 6 Air intake 8 Dash cross member 8a End of dash cross member 9 Front part 10 Top part 11 Air introduction opening 12 Brace 14 Reinforce 16 Front window glass A Closed cross section for ventilation B Open cross section for drainage C Closed cross section E Air box K Air S Gap X Vehicle width direction Y Front and rear direction F ₁ Downward load F ₂ Lateral load

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A dash cross member having a substantially L-shaped cross section having a front surface and an upper surface is provided in a dash upper panel having a cross-sectional shape of an open top type and having an air intake port at the rear of a bottom surface. An automobile air box structure provided along the vehicle width direction, forming a closed cross section for ventilation inside the rear of the dash upper panel, and forming an open cross section for drainage in front of the closed cross section for ventilation. The end of the dash cross member in the vehicle width direction is located closer to the center than the end of the dash upper panel in the vehicle width direction, and air can be introduced into the closed cross section for ventilation through the gap formed between the ends. An air box structure for an automobile, characterized in that: 2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a rain force that forms a closed cross section along the vehicle width direction is provided on an upper surface of the dash cross member, and the lower end of the front window glass is supported by the rain force. Air box structure. 3. A dash upper panel and a plate-shaped brace joined to a vehicle body structure in a peripheral portion thereof are located at an upper portion of the gap, and a reinforcement is joined from an upper surface of the dash cross member to an upper surface of the brace. The air box structure for an automobile according to claim 2. 4. The air box structure for an automobile according to claim 3, wherein a part of the brace is also joined to an upper side of an upper surface of the dash cross member. 5. The vehicle air box structure according to claim 1, wherein an air introduction opening is formed in a front portion of the dash cross member. 6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the bottom surface of the open cross section for drainage is formed lower than the bottom surface of the closed cross section for ventilation in the vehicle width direction.
The air box structure for a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5.