JP6534584B2 - Energy absorbing structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an energy absorbing structure including an energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin which is crushed at a collision occurrence of a vehicle to absorb collision energy.

  The vehicle is provided with an energy absorbing member that crushes when a collision occurs and absorbs collision energy. A typical example of the energy absorbing member is a crash box disposed between the front bumper beam and the front frame. Conventionally, an energy absorbing member made of a metal material such as a steel plate has been used, but in recent years, an energy made of fiber reinforced resin (FRP) mixed with reinforcing fibers such as carbon fibers for weight reduction of a vehicle body Absorbent members are in practical use.

  In the fiber-reinforced resin energy absorbing member, the sequential destruction of the energy absorbing member progresses as the cylindrical energy absorbing member is compressed when the collision load is input. In Patent Document 1, in the process of progressive destruction of the energy absorbing member, resistance to destruction of the energy absorbing member is given by restraining the energy absorbing member opened by the destruction by another cylindrical member. It is stated that the crushing load is increased. As a result, more energy absorbing members can be broken and energy absorption can be increased.

JP-A-7-224874

  Here, since the energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin is more easily damaged than a crush box made of steel plate, when using an energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin in a vehicle, it is necessary to consider chipping resistance, weather resistance, etc. There is. Specifically, it is desirable to prevent damage to the energy absorbing member due to pebbles, rain water, etc. that are bounced up by the wheels. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable to cover the outer periphery of the energy absorbing member with a cover, but it is efficient if such a cover can have the function of restraining the energy absorbing member to be broken and increasing the crushing load. .

  However, if the rigidity of the cover is increased too much so that the broken energy absorbing member can be reliably restrained, the load required to crush the cover increases. In addition, when the cover is made of steel plate etc., if the rigidity of the cover is increased, fluctuation of crushing load appears due to buckling, and the stable load characteristic which is also a feature of the fiber reinforced resin energy absorbing member is lost There is also a fear.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to improve chipping resistance and weatherability by a cover, and to make a fiber reinforced resin broken into an outer winding. It is an object of the present invention to provide an energy absorbing structure capable of realizing stable load characteristics by the energy absorbing member by restraining the energy absorbing member.

  To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a fiber-reinforced resin cylindrical energy absorbing member that crushes in the axial direction and absorbs collision energy when a load is input, and the outer periphery of the energy absorbing member A cylindrical cover main body to cover, a cylindrical connection cover connected to the load input side end of the cover main body and fixed to a bumper beam or a member fixed to the bumper beam of the vehicle, and connection to the cover main body An energy absorbing structure is provided, comprising: a connecting portion that connects with the cover portion, wherein the connecting portion is deformed at the time of load input so that the connection cover portion and the tip end portion of the cover main body portion overlap in the circumferential direction. Be done.

  The shape of the connection cover may be similar to the shape of the end region of the cover main body on the load input side.

  The shape of at least the end region of the cover main body on the load input side and the end region of the connection cover portion at least on the cover main body side may be tapered so as to decrease in diameter toward the load input side.

  The diameter of the end on the cover main body side of the connection cover may be larger than the diameter of the end on the connection cover side of the cover main body.

  The rigidity of the connecting portion may be smaller than the rigidity of the cover body portion and the connection cover portion.

  The connection part may be made of mild steel.

  The connection portion may have a thin portion or an opening.

  As described above, according to the present invention, while the chipping resistance and the weatherability are improved by the cover, the energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin broken in the outer winding is restrained, and the energy absorbing member is stabilized by the energy absorbing member. Load characteristics can be realized.

It is a sectional view showing an energy absorption structure concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection part which connects the cover main-body part and connection cover part in the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other structural example of a connection part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of the crushing initial stage of the energy absorption structure which concerns on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of crushing of the energy absorption structure which concerns on the embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of crushing of the energy absorption structure which concerns on the embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the modification of a cover main-body part. It is a figure for demonstrating another modification of a cover main-body part.

  The present invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. In the present specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration will be assigned the same reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. Further, in the present specification and the drawings, a plurality of components having substantially the same functional configuration may be distinguished by attaching different alphabets to the same reference numerals. However, when it is not necessary to distinguish each of a plurality of components having substantially the same functional configuration, only the same reference numerals will be given.

<1. Energy absorbing structure>
FIG. 1 shows an example of an energy absorbing structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an energy absorbing structure 100 mounted between a front bumper beam 2 and a front frame 4 of a vehicle. FIG. 1 is a view of the energy absorption structure 100 as viewed from above the vehicle. In the following description, the front bumper beam 2 side of the energy absorption structure 100 may be referred to as the tip end side, and the front frame 4 side may be referred to as the rear end side.

  The energy absorbing structure 100 includes an energy absorbing member 10, a cover 30, and a holding member 40. The energy absorbing member 10 is held by the holding member 40 at the rear end side, and the outer periphery is covered by the cover 30. The front end side of the cover 30 is joined to the front bumper beam 2, and the rear end side is joined to the holding member 40. The holding member 40 is joined to the front end side of the front frame 4. The energy absorbing structure 100 is disposed between the front bumper beam 2 and the front frame 4, and the tip end fixed to the front bumper beam 2 is the collision load input side.

(1-1. Energy absorbing member)
When the vehicle collides with a preceding vehicle or an obstacle or other object, the energy absorbing member 10 receives a collision load and is crushed and absorbs the collision energy. The energy absorbing member 10 also plays a role of efficiently transmitting the collision load to the front frame 4 when the collision load is large. The energy absorbing member 10 is formed of a fiber reinforced resin. In the present embodiment, the energy absorbing member 10 is a composite material of a plurality of layers formed of carbon fiber reinforced resin (CFRP) using a thermosetting resin and carbon fiber, and has high strength and light weight. Is becoming feasible.

  In the present embodiment, the energy absorbing member 10 has a cylindrical shape. The crushing load is expressed by the fiber reinforced resin energy absorbing member 10 being crushed while being sequentially broken from the tip side when the collision load is input. The energy absorbing member 10 made of fiber reinforced resin can achieve stable impact energy absorption with less load fluctuation, because buckling or successive failure occurs at a smaller distance than a steel plate crush box. Further, the energy absorbing member 10 made of fiber reinforced resin has the characteristics that the remaining amount of crushing is relatively small and the amount of absorbed impact energy per unit weight is large. Such an energy absorbing member 10 made of fiber reinforced resin may be, for example, a composite formed of a braid and a string using a fiber material and a thermoplastic resin.

  The reinforcing fiber used for the fiber reinforced resin which comprises the energy absorption member 10 is not specifically limited. For example, carbon fibers, ceramic fibers such as glass fibers, organic fibers such as aramid fibers, or reinforcing fibers obtained by combining these may be used. Among them, it is preferable to include carbon fiber from the viewpoint of having high mechanical properties, easiness of strength design, and the like.

  Moreover, the matrix resin of the fiber reinforced resin which comprises the energy absorption member 10 may be a thermosetting resin, and may be a thermoplastic resin. In the case of the thermosetting resin, examples of the main material thereof include epoxy resin, unsaturated polyester resin, vinyl ester resin, phenol resin, polyurethane resin, silicon resin and the like. The thermosetting resin may be one or a mixture of two or more of these. When these thermosetting resins are employed as the matrix resin, a curing agent or reaction accelerator suitable for the thermosetting resin may be added.

  In the case of a thermoplastic resin, examples of the main material include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride resin, ABS resin, polystyrene resin, AS resin, polyamide resins such as nylon 6, nylon 66, and polyacetal resin Thermoplastic resins such as polycarbonate resin, polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate, PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) resin, fluorine resin, polyetherimide resin, polyether ketone resin, polyimide resin, polyether sulfone resin, aromatic polyamide resin Are illustrated.

  The thermoplastic resin may be one or a mixture of two or more of these. When the thermoplastic resin is a mixture, a compatibilizer may be further used in combination. Furthermore, a brominated flame retardant, a silicon flame retardant, red phosphorus etc. may be added to a thermoplastic resin as a flame retardant. It is preferable to use a thermoplastic resin as a member for automobiles required to be mass-produced relatively from the viewpoint of easiness of molding and mass productivity.

  Further, the energy absorbing member 10 having a cylindrical shape is disposed such that the axial direction is along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The dimensions of the energy absorbing member 10 can be appropriately designed according to the size of the vehicle, the load characteristics to be obtained, the weight of the energy absorbing member 10 and the like. For example, the axial length of the energy absorbing member 10 is 130 to 200 mm, the diameter of the inner space is 40 to 70 mm, and the thickness is 3 mm.

  The energy absorbing member 10 has, on the tip end side, a tapered portion 12 whose diameter decreases toward the end. By the taper part 12 which concerns, when the front end side of the energy absorption member 10 is pressed, it becomes easy to produce peeling in several layers which comprise the energy absorption member 10. As shown in FIG. As a result, a trigger for destruction of the distal end side of the energy absorbing member 10 is given, and the energy absorbing member 10 can be easily and successively destroyed.

  In the example of the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment, the rear end side of the energy absorbing member 10 is joined to the holding member 40 described later, while the distal end side of the energy absorbing member 10 is joined to any other member It has not been. That is, only the rear end side of the energy absorbing member 10 is joined to the holding member 40 and held.

(1-2. Holding member)
The holding member 40 is attached to the front end of the front frame 4 and holds the rear end portion of the energy absorbing member 10. The holding member 40 is a plate-like member made of, for example, a metal material represented by a steel plate or the like, aluminum, or the like. The holding member 40 has a holding portion 47 rising in the axial direction of the energy absorbing member 10, and the outer peripheral surface of the energy absorbing member 10 is joined to the inner peripheral surface of the holding portion 47 by an adhesive or the like. As an adhesive that can be used for joining the energy absorbing member 10 and the holding portion 47, an adhesive of an epoxy resin type, an acrylic resin type, a urethane resin type, or the like can be used as appropriate.

  In order to hold only the rear end portion of the energy absorbing member 10 so as to withstand vibrations during traveling of the vehicle, the axial length of the joining surface between the holding portion 47 and the energy absorbing member 10 is set to For example, it can be 7.0 mm or more. However, if the axial length of the joint surface is too long, the remaining portion of the energy absorbing member 10 may be crushed. Therefore, it is more preferable to make the axial direction length of the said joint surface into the range of 8.0-15.0 mm, and it is further more preferable to make it into the range of 10.0-13.0 mm. The holding portion 47 may be disposed on the inner circumferential surface side of the energy absorbing member 10, and the inner circumferential surface of the energy absorbing member 10 may be joined to the outer circumferential surface of the holding portion 47.

  The holding member 40 also has an opening 43 at a position corresponding to the inner space of the energy absorbing member 10. The opening 43 is a passage for discharging the fiber reinforced resin broken in the inner winding to the outside of the energy absorbing member 10 when the energy absorbing member 10 is crushed. As a result, the crush residue of the energy absorbing member 10 due to clogging of the broken fiber reinforced resin in the inner space of the energy absorbing member 10 is suppressed. Note that, instead of the opening 43, a recess that protrudes toward the front frame 4 may be provided.

(1-3. Cover)
The cover 30 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and is disposed to cover the outer periphery of the energy absorbing member 10. The cover 30 protects the energy absorbing member 10 by preventing foreign matter such as pebbles splashed up by wheels from colliding with the energy absorbing member 10 or depositing rain water etc. on the energy absorbing member 10. . In the energy absorption structure 100 according to the present embodiment, the collision load is mainly carried by the energy absorption member 10, and the collision load carried by the cover 30 is made small. Therefore, regardless of the constituent material of the cover 30, a relatively stable load characteristic can be obtained at the time of crushing of the energy absorbing structure 100. In the present embodiment, the cover 30 is made of a thin steel plate, but may be made of a light metal plate such as aluminum or a resin.

  The cover 30 includes a cover main body 32, a connection cover 36, and a connection 34. The energy absorbing member 10 is mainly located on the inner peripheral side of the cover main body 32. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the position of the tip end surface of the cover main body 32 and the position of the tip end surface of the energy absorbing member 10 coincide, but the positions of these tips may be different. The cover main body portion 32 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and a tapered portion 32a whose diameter decreases toward the distal end side is provided at the distal end portion. Although the taper part 32a shown in FIG. 1 has the same taper angle as the taper angle of the taper part 32a provided in the energy absorbing member 10, these may be different.

  A gap is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the cover main body 32 and the outer peripheral surface of the energy absorbing member 10. The gap can be, for example, 2.0 mm or more. If the gap is too small, stress may be applied to the energy absorbing member 10 due to vibration of the vehicle or the like, and the energy absorbing member 10 may be damaged. In addition, when the gap is too small, at the time of crushing of the energy absorbing structure 100, crushing of the energy absorbing member 10 may be started from an unexpected position at an early stage, and desired load characteristics may not be obtained.

  Further, in the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment, the connection cover portion 36 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion of the cover main body portion 32 at the time of crushing, and the energy absorbing member 10 broken into outer winding is restrained. It is configured to be Therefore, if the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the tapered portion 32a of the cover main body portion 32 and the outer circumferential surface of the energy absorbing member 10 is too large, the energy absorbing member 10 broken into the outer winding may not be restrained. Therefore, the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the tapered portion 32a and the outer peripheral surface of the energy absorbing member 10 is more preferably in the range of 2.0 to 5.0 mm, and in the range of 2.5 to 4.0 mm. It is further preferable to set it inside.

  The connection cover portion 36 has its front end joined to the front bumper beam 2 and its rear end joined to the cover main body portion 32 via the connecting portion 34. The connection cover portion 36 may not be directly bonded to the front bumper beam 2 but may be bonded to a member fixed to the front bumper beam 2 such as a bumper. The connection cover portion 36 has a tapered shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip end side. The connection cover portion 36 has a shape similar to the shape of the taper portion 32 a provided in the end region on the tip end side of the cover main body portion 32.

  The connection portion 34 connects the front end of the cover main body portion 32 and the rear end of the connection cover portion 36. In the present embodiment, the tapered portion 32a is provided at the tip of the cover main body 32, and the connection cover 36 has a tapered shape similar to the tapered portion 32a. The diameter is smaller than the diameter of the rear end of the connection cover portion 36. The connection portion 34 is disposed in a gap between the front end of the cover main body portion 32 and the rear end of the connection cover portion 36. The taper angle of the connection cover portion 36 and the taper angle of the taper portion 32 a of the cover main body portion 32 may not be the same.

  The connecting portion 34 is more easily crushed at the time of input of a collision load than the cover main body portion 32 and the connection cover portion 36. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the connecting portion 34 is configured using a soft steel material, and the strength is lower than that of the cover main body portion 32 and the connection cover portion 36. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting portion 34 is provided with a plurality of openings 35, and the rigidity is further reduced. The connecting portion 34 is joined to the connection cover portion 36 all around the outer peripheral portion, and is joined to the cover main body portion 32 only at a part of the inner peripheral portion.

  In addition, the structure for making it easy to crush the connection part 34 is not restricted to the example of FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the cover main body portion 32 and the rear end of the connection cover portion 36 may be connected by a bridging portion 34 a partially provided in the circumferential direction. The rigidity of the connecting portion 34 can also be reduced by such a configuration. Further, instead of using the soft steel material, the connecting portion 34 may be formed of a thin plate having a reduced thickness. Also, instead of the opening 35, a thin plate may be used.

  However, in the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment, the front bumper beam 2 and the front frame 4 are connected only by the cover 30. Therefore, in order to easily crush the connecting portion 34, it is necessary to secure a predetermined degree of rigidity so as to withstand the tensile force acting on the energy absorbing structure 100 when the vehicle is towed or the like.

  The connecting portion 34 is first crushed when a load is input to the energy absorbing structure 100 at the time of a vehicle collision, whereby at least a part of the connection cover portion 36 is the outer periphery of the tip portion of the energy absorbing member 10 Placed in the department. Therefore, the cover main body 32 having a smaller crush load than the energy absorbing member 10 is reinforced, and when the energy absorbing member 10 is sequentially broken, the energy absorbing member 10 broken into the outer winding is restrained, and the crush load Can be increased.

  In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the cover 30 orthogonal to the axial direction has a circular shape, but the cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited. For example, when the cross-sectional shape of the cover 30 is a polygon, it is easy to bear a load at a corner portion, and it is easier to prevent the energy absorbing structure 100 from falling when a collision load is input from an oblique direction. However, if the cross-sectional shape of the cover 30 is a polygon, the crush load of the cover 30 is also increased. Therefore, in consideration of the balance with the crush load of the energy absorbing member 10 and the crush characteristics to be obtained. The cross sectional shape may be set.

<2. Crushing action of energy absorbing structure>
So far, the configuration of the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment has been described. Next, an aspect of the sequential crushing of the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. 4-6 is a schematic diagram which shows the mode of the successive destruction of the energy absorption structure 100. FIG. FIG. 4 shows how the destruction progresses sequentially from the left to the right in the initial stage of the crushing. FIG.5 and FIG.6 has shown the mode of the middle to the late stage of successive destruction.

  When a collision of a vehicle occurs and a collision load is input to the energy absorbing structure 100, the energy absorbing structure 100 is compressed and starts collapsing. In the early stage of the crushing, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting portion 34 of the cover 30 mainly starts to crush. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the collision load is input from a direction oblique to the axial direction. In this case, although the collision load is input from an oblique direction, the connection cover portion 36 is inclined by collapsing the connection portion 34 first, while the inclination of the cover main body portion 32 is suppressed.

  Further, when the input of the collision load continues, the connection portion 34 is broken, and the connection cover portion 36 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion of the cover main body portion 32. As a result, even if the cover 30 is made of a relatively low rigidity material, the front end of the cover main body 32 is reinforced by the connection cover 36. That is, in the outer peripheral portion on the tip end side of the energy absorbing member 10, the cover main body portion 32 and the connection cover portion 36 overlap, and the rigidity is enhanced. Since crushing of the energy absorbing member 10 has not yet started during the period until the connection cover portion 36 overlaps with the tip end portion of the cover main body portion 32, the crushing load in such a period changes at a small value.

  After the distal end portion of the cover main body portion 32 and the connection cover portion 36 overlap, when the destruction further progresses, the energy absorbing member 10 is compressed by the front bumper beam 2 as shown in FIG. The tip side begins to be broken while opening to the inner and outer windings. As a result, the crush load starts to rise. At this time, although the cover main body portion 32 also starts to be buckled, the front end portion of the cover main body portion 32 is not greatly deformed since the connection cover portion 36 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion and reinforced. Therefore, the energy absorbing member 10 broken into the outer winding is reliably restrained by the tip end portion of the cover main body portion 32 and the connection cover portion 36.

  Thereafter, when the input of the collision load of the energy absorbing structure 100 continues, as shown in FIG. 6, the energy absorbing member 10 broken into the outer winding is restrained by the tip of the cover main body 32 and the connection cover 36 In this state, the sequential destruction of the energy absorbing member 10 progresses. Therefore, the energy absorbing member 10 is broken in the inner winding. Thereby, the crushing load can be stably transitioned while the larger crushing load is developed.

  In the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment, the connecting portion 34 of the cover 30 is first crushed after a collision of a vehicle, and the connecting cover portion 36 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the tip portion of the cover main body 32 . Thereafter, the tip end portion of the cover main body portion 32 reinforced by the connection cover portion 36 restrains the energy absorbing member 10 broken in the outer winding, and the destruction load advances one by one, so that the crushing load can be increased.

  In the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment, since the opening 43 is provided at the center of the holding member 40 for holding the rear end of the energy absorbing member 10, the energy absorbing member to be broken internally 10 is less likely to be clogged inside the energy absorbing member 10, and the crush residue of the energy absorbing member 10 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a large amount of energy absorption by preventing the crushing stroke amount of the energy absorbing member 10 from being reduced.

  As described above, the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment does not separately use a member for restraining the energy absorbing member 10 that is broken in the outer winding, and adjusts the low-rigidity cover 30 according to the progress of the crushing. The layers can be reinforced to restrain the energy absorbing member 10. Thereby, the crushing load of the energy absorption structure 100 can be increased and the energy absorption amount can be increased without increasing the number of parts. Moreover, since the energy absorption structure 100 which concerns on this embodiment uses the cover 30 with small crushing load, the crushing load by the energy absorption member 10 becomes dominant, and can obtain a stable load characteristic.

  Further, in the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment, the connecting portion 34 mainly collapses at the initial stage after the collision of the vehicle and then the energy absorbing member 10 and the cover main body portion 32 start to be crushed. The displacement point of the rising speed of the load will appear. Thereby, the collision detection precision by the sensor for detecting a collision can be improved. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the airbag needs to be deployed. Specifically, for example, when the vehicle has a small impact collision, the air bag is not changed so long as the load detected by the sensor starts to increase, but the load increase speed does not increase. It becomes easy to control so as not to let

<3. Modified example>
Next, some of the modifications of the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the present embodiment described above will be described.

(3-1. First Modification)
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an energy absorbing structure 100A according to a first modification. In the energy absorbing structure 100A shown in FIG. 7, the cover main body 32A of the cover 30A has a tapered shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip end. Similarly, the connection cover portion 36 has a tapered shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip end, and the connection cover portion 36 has a shape similar to the shape of the tip portion of the cover main body 32A. The taper angle of the connection cover portion 36 may not be the same as the taper angle of the tip end portion of the cover main body portion 32A.

  Also in the energy absorbing structure 100A according to the first modification, the connection cover portion 36 and the cover main body portion 32A are connected by the connecting portion 34. The connecting portion 34 is crushed first when a collision load is input, as in the case of the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, in the initial stage of crushing, the connection cover portion 36 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion of the cover main body portion 32A, and the cover main body portion 32A having a relatively low rigidity is reinforced.

  Also by the energy absorption structure 100A according to the first modification, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the energy absorption structure 100 according to the above embodiment. In the energy absorbing structure 100A according to the first modification, the cover main body 32A has a tapered shape in which the diameter decreases toward the tip end. As a result, even when a collision load is input from a direction oblique to the axial direction, the wall surface of the cover main body 32A is easily subjected to the load, and the risk of the energy absorption structure 100A falling is reduced. it can. Therefore, the energy absorbing member 10 can be efficiently crushed in the axial direction to prevent the energy absorption amount from being reduced.

(3-2. Second Modified Example)
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing an energy absorbing structure 100B according to a second modification. In the energy absorbing structure 100B shown in FIG. 8, the diameter of the central portion of the cover 30B in the axial direction is the largest, and the diameter decreases from the central portion toward the front end and the rear end. The connection cover portion 36 has a tapered shape whose diameter decreases toward the tip end, and the connection cover portion 36 has a shape similar to the shape of the tip portion of the cover main body portion 32B. The taper angle of the connection cover portion 36 and the taper angle of the tip end portion of the cover main body portion 32B may not be the same.

  Also in the energy absorption structure 100B according to the second modification, the connection cover portion 36 and the cover main body portion 32B are connected by the connection portion 34. The connecting portion 34 is crushed first when a collision load is input, as in the case of the energy absorbing structure 100 according to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, in the initial stage of crushing, the connection cover portion 36 is disposed on the outer peripheral portion of the distal end portion of the cover main body portion 32B, and the cover main body portion 32B having a relatively low rigidity is reinforced.

  Also by the energy absorption structure 100B according to the second modification, the same effect as that of the energy absorption structure 100 according to the above embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the energy absorbing structure 100B according to the second modified example, the cover main body 32B has a tapered shape in which the diameter decreases toward the front end side and the rear end side. As a result, even when a collision load is input from a direction oblique to the axial direction, the load is likely to be received by the wall surface of the cover main body 32B along the load input direction, and the energy absorbing structure 100B falls. The fear can be reduced. Therefore, the energy absorbing member 10 can be efficiently crushed in the axial direction to prevent the energy absorption amount from being reduced.

<4. Summary>
As explained above, energy absorption structure 100,100A, 100B which concerns on this embodiment is provided with cylindrical cover 30, 30A, 30B which covers the outer periphery of energy absorption member 10 made from fiber reinforced resin. As a result, the energy absorbing member 10 is protected from pebbles, rain water, etc. which are splashed up by the wheels, and the chipping resistance and weather resistance of the energy absorbing member 10 can be improved.

  Moreover, in energy absorption structure 100, 100A, 100B which concerns on this embodiment, cover 30, 30A, 30B has cover main-body part 32, 32A, 32B and the connection cover part 36, and the connection cover part 36 is a cover It has a similar shape to the tip of the main body 32, 32A, 32B. When the collision load is input, the connecting portion 34 connecting the cover main portions 32, 32A, 32B and the connection cover portion 36 is crushed first, and the connection cover portion 36 and the tip portions of the cover main portions 32, 32A, 32B are The outer circumferential portion overlaps the circumferential direction. As a result, even when the rigidity of the cover main portions 32, 32A, 32B is small, the energy absorbing member 10 broken in the outer winding can be reliably restrained without increasing the number of parts. Therefore, the energy absorbing structures 100, 100A, and 100B according to the present embodiment can increase the absorbed amount of collision energy.

  Further, in the energy absorbing structure 100, 100A, 100B according to the present embodiment, the opening 43 or a position corresponding to the internal space of the energy absorbing member 10 in the holding member 40 that holds the rear end portion of the energy absorbing member 10 It has a recess. As a result, it is possible to reduce the remaining portion of the energy absorbing member 10 which is broken in the inner winding into the inner space of the energy absorbing member 10 due to clogging. Therefore, the energy absorbing structures 100, 100A, and 100B according to the present embodiment can increase the absorbed amount of collision energy.

  Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs can conceive of various changes or modifications within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Of course, it is understood that these also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Moreover, the aspect which combined said embodiment and each modification mutually also belongs to the technical scope of this invention naturally.

  For example, the shapes of the covers 30, 30A, and 30B described in the above embodiment are merely an example, and when the collision load is input, the connecting portion is first deformed, and the connection cover portion and the tip end portion of the cover main body portion If it overlaps with the circumferential direction, it will not be limited to the above-mentioned example. With such a cover, the cover body portion is reinforced by the connection cover portion in the early stage of the crushing, and the energy absorbing member 10 which is broken in the outer winding can be reliably restrained.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 front bumper beam 4 front frame 10 energy absorption member 12 taper part 30, 30A, 30B cover 32, 32A, 32B cover main body part 34 connection part 36 connection cover part 40 holding member 43 opening 47 holding part 100, 100A, 100B energy Absorbent structure

Claims (6)

A tubular energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin that axially crushes to absorb collision energy when a load is input;
A cylindrical cover main body covering an outer periphery of the energy absorbing member;
A cylindrical connection cover portion connected to an end portion on a load input side of the cover main body portion and fixed to a bumper beam of a vehicle or a member fixed to the bumper beam;
And a connecting portion connecting the cover main body portion and the connection cover portion,
The shape of at least an end region on the load input side of the cover main body portion and an end region on the cover main body side of the connection cover portion is a tapered shape which reduces in diameter toward the load input side,
The energy absorption structure, wherein the connection portion is deformed at the time of load input, and the connection cover portion and the tip end portion of the cover main body portion are circumferentially overlapped. A tubular energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin that axially crushes to absorb collision energy when a load is input;
A cylindrical cover main body covering an outer periphery of the energy absorbing member;
A cylindrical connection cover portion connected to an end portion on a load input side of the cover main body portion and fixed to a bumper beam of a vehicle or a member fixed to the bumper beam;
And a connecting portion connecting the cover main body portion and the connection cover portion,
The diameter of the end on the cover main body side of the connection cover portion is larger than the diameter of the end on the connection cover side of the cover main body,
The energy absorption structure, wherein the connection portion is deformed at the time of load input, and the connection cover portion and the tip end portion of the cover main body portion are circumferentially overlapped. A tubular energy absorbing member made of fiber reinforced resin that axially crushes to absorb collision energy when a load is input;
A cylindrical cover main body covering an outer periphery of the energy absorbing member;
A cylindrical connection cover portion connected to an end portion on a load input side of the cover main body portion and fixed to a bumper beam of a vehicle or a member fixed to the bumper beam;
And a connecting portion connecting the cover main body portion and the connection cover portion,
The rigidity of the connecting portion is smaller than the rigidity of the cover body portion and the connection cover portion,
The energy absorption structure, wherein the connection portion is deformed at the time of load input, and the connection cover portion and the tip end portion of the cover main body portion are circumferentially overlapped. The energy absorption structure according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting portion is made of a mild steel material. The energy absorbing structure according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting portion has a thin portion or an opening. The energy absorption structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein a shape of the connection cover portion is similar to a shape of an end region on a load input side of the cover main body portion.

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