JP7401957B2 - vehicle structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle structure including a service hole and a hole cover.

Patent Document 1 discloses a drain plug for an oil pan. This drain plug is a rotary hole cover that is screwed into the drain hole of the oil pan to seal the drain hole. FIG. 15 of Patent Document 1 discloses a drain plug in which a groove is formed on the surface side. To remove this drain plug from the drain hole, insert a coin or similar object into the groove and rotate the drain plug to remove it from the drain hole.

On the other hand, various service holes may be provided in a panel member of a vehicle. Examples of the service hole include a service hole used for attaching a loading hook. The service hole is closed by a rotary hole cover such as the drain plug described above. This hole cover is often formed with a groove that allows the hole cover to be opened and closed using a coin or the like.

JP 2019-100222 Publication

When a hole cover is attached to a service hole using a tool during vehicle production, the concave groove of the hole cover is easily damaged. As a countermeasure for this, if a tool with a rubber cover or the like provided at the tip is used, the workability of installing the hole cover deteriorates.

In view of the above circumstances, one object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure including a hole cover that can be easily attached to a service hole without damaging the hole cover during vehicle production.

A vehicle structure according to one embodiment of the present invention includes:
A service hole provided in a panel member of a vehicle,
A vehicle structure comprising a hole cover that engages with the service hole,
The hole cover is
A concave groove provided on the front surface,
and a rib-shaped knob provided in a portion along the groove on the back surface.

According to the above configuration, when the worker attaches the hole cover to the service hole, the worker grasps the knob of the hole cover from the back side of the panel member, rotates the hole cover, and engages the hole cover with the service hole. I can do it. Therefore, the worker can attach the hole cover to the service hole without using any tools, and the groove of the hole cover will not be damaged during the attachment work.

The rib-shaped knob on the back side of the groove improves the rigidity of the hole cover. Therefore, when the vehicle user uses a coin or the like to rotate the hole cover, damage to the hole cover can be suppressed.

When the hole cover is manufactured by resin molding, there is a risk that sinks may be formed on the hole cover. By setting the resin-molded gate at the position of the knob, the occurrence of sink marks on the hole cover is suppressed. Moreover, even if a sink mark occurs, the sink mark is placed inside the groove. Therefore, the appearance of the hole cover is unlikely to deteriorate due to sink marks.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle structure described in Embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a service hole of the vehicle structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the hole cover of the vehicle structure according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the vehicle hole cover of FIG. 3 viewed from the back side.

Hereinafter, a vehicle structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 4. The same reference numerals in the figures indicate the same names. ``FR'' indicates the front of the vehicle, ``RR'' indicates the rear of the vehicle, ``UP'' indicates the upper side of the vehicle, ``LWR'' indicates the lower side of the vehicle, ``IN'' indicates the direction inside the vehicle, and ``OUT'' indicates the direction outside the vehicle. Note that the present invention is not limited to these examples, but is indicated by the scope of the claims, and is intended to include all changes within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of the claims.

<Embodiment 1>
≪Overall composition≫
A vehicle structure 1 of this example shown in FIG. 1 is provided in a luggage compartment 10 of a wagon type vehicle. The vehicle structure 1 of this example includes a plurality of service holes 2 (see FIG. 2) provided in a deck side trim 11 of a luggage compartment 10, and a hole cover 3 that seals each service hole 2. The service hole 2 of this example is a through hole into which a screw-in type loading hook is inserted. The hole cover 3 is rotationally engaged with the service hole 2. The configurations of the service hole 2 and hole cover 3 will be explained in detail below.

≪Service hall≫
As shown in FIG. 2, the service hole 2 is provided in a deck side trim 11, which is a panel member that constitutes the interior of the luggage compartment 10. More specifically, the service hole 2 is provided in a circular recess 11c formed by recessing a portion of the deck side trim 11 toward the exterior of the vehicle. The depth of the recess 11c is approximately the same as the thickness of the cover body 30 shown in FIG. The deck side trim 11 is made of, for example, synthetic resin.

The service hole 2 includes a circular hole 20, a pair of claw holes 21 extending from the periphery of the circular hole 20, and an inclined surface portion 22 connected to the claw holes 21. The center of the circular hole 20 coincides with the center of the recess 11c. The inner diameter of the circular hole 20 will be described later.

The claw hole 21 has a generally rectangular shape. This claw hole 21 has a size that allows the rectangular portion 31B of the claw portion 311 of the hole cover 3 shown in FIG. 4 to be inserted therethrough. One of the pawl holes 21 is provided at a position on the upper side of the vehicle at the periphery of the circular hole 20. The other claw hole 21 is provided at a position on the periphery of the circular hole 20 on the lower side of the vehicle. One claw hole 21 and the other claw hole 21 are provided at symmetrical positions with the center of the circular hole 20 interposed therebetween. The width of the claw hole 21 is slightly wider than the width of the rectangular portion. An inclined surface portion 22 is provided at the edge of the claw hole 21 on the counterclockwise side. The inclined surface portion 22 includes an inclined surface where the surface of the recessed portion 11c on the vehicle inner side gradually slopes toward the vehicle outer side from a position on the counterclockwise side of the claw hole 21 toward the claw hole 21. That is, the inclined surface portion 22 is configured such that the thickness of the recessed portion 11c of the deck side trim 11 gradually becomes thinner in the clockwise direction.

A screw hole 12h into which a cargo hook is screwed is provided at the back of the service hole 2 (on the outside of the vehicle). The screw holes 12h are provided in the quarter inner panel 12, which is a panel member separate from the deck side trim 11. A gap is formed between the outer side surface of the deck side trim 11 and the inner side surface of the quarter inner panel 12. This gap is wider than the thickness of the claw portion 311 of the hole cover 3, which will be described later.

≪Hole cover≫
The hole cover 3 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 includes a disc-shaped cover main body 30, a substantially cylindrical engagement portion 31 (FIG. 4), and a rib-shaped knob portion 32 (FIG. 4). The hole cover 3 of this example is integrally molded from resin. When an operator attaches this hole cover 3 to the service hole 2, the operator fits the hole cover 3 into the service hole 2 so that the groove 33 of the hole cover 3 in FIG. 3 is oriented vertically. Then, when the operator rotates the hole cover 3 clockwise when viewed from inside the vehicle, the hole cover 3 is engaged with the service hole 2.

The cover body 30 is configured to seal the service hole 2. The diameter of the cover body 30 is slightly smaller than the maximum inner diameter of the recess 11c of the deck side trim 11 (FIG. 2). Therefore, the cover main body 30 fits into the recess 11c, and the front surface 30f of the cover main body 30 becomes substantially flush with the vehicle-inward surface of the deck side trim 11. Here, the front surface 30f of the cover main body 30 is a surface facing toward the inside of the vehicle when the hole cover 3 is attached to the service hole 2. On the other hand, the back side surface 30b of the cover main body 30 shown in FIG. 4 is a surface facing toward the outside of the vehicle when the hole cover 3 is attached to the service hole 2.

A groove 33 is provided on the front surface 30f of the cover body 30. The groove 33 is a straight line that passes through the center of the circle of the cover body 30 and reaches the periphery of the circle. The depth of the groove 33 increases toward the center of the circle of the cover body 30. As shown in FIG. 4, a bulge 34 protruding toward the outside of the vehicle is provided on the back surface 30b of the cover body 30 corresponding to the groove 33 (FIG. 3). By providing the bulging portion 34, even if the depth of the groove 33 (FIG. 3) is increased, the thickness of the cover body 30 can be prevented from becoming too thick.

A pair of arcuate rib-shaped reinforcing portions 35, 35 are provided on the back surface 30b of the cover body 30. The centers of the arcs of the reinforcing parts 35, 35 coincide with the center of the circle of the cover body 30. By providing the reinforcing portions 35, 35, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the rigidity of the hole cover 3 even if the thickness of the cover body 30 is reduced. Further, the reinforcing parts 35, 35 also function as ribs to prevent the centers of the hole cover 3 from being eccentric from each other when the hole cover 3 is fitted into the service hole 2. The reinforcing portions 35, 35 are arranged to face the vehicle inner side surface of the recessed portion 11c.

The engaging portion 31 of the hole cover 3 is configured to engage the hole cover 3 with the service hole 2 . The engaging portion 31 is provided on the back surface 30b of the cover body 30. The engaging portion 31 includes a cylindrical portion 310 and a pair of claw portions 311, 311. The cylindrical portion 310 protrudes from the back surface 30b in the thickness direction of the cover body 30. The claw portions 311, 311 are plate-like members that extend outward in the radial direction of the cylindrical portion 310 from the outer peripheral surface on the end surface side of the cylindrical portion 310.

The cylindrical portion 310 is inserted into the circular hole 20 of the service hole 2 when the hole cover 3 is attached to the service hole 2 (FIG. 2). Therefore, the outer diameter of the cylindrical portion 310 is smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole 20. The axis of this cylindrical portion 310 coincides with the center of the cover body 30. A bulging portion 34 is integrated at the base of the cylindrical portion 310. Therefore, the strength of the bulging portion 34 is improved by the cylindrical portion 310.

The claw portion 311 includes a trapezoidal portion 31A on the cylindrical portion 310 side and a rectangular portion 31B disposed at the tip of the trapezoidal portion 31A. The inner diameter of the circular hole 20 of the service hole 2 is slightly larger than the length from the tip of the trapezoidal portion 31A of one claw portion 311 to the tip of the trapezoidal portion 31A of the other claw portion 311. A gap is formed between the claw part 311 and the bulge part 34. When the hole cover 3 is attached to the service hole 2, a deck side trim 11 is interposed in the gap.

The knob portion 32 of the hole cover 3 has a flat plate shape that protrudes from the bulge portion 34 in the thickness direction of the cover body 30. The bulging portion 34 is a portion corresponding to the groove 33 on the back side surface 30b. Therefore, the knob portion 32 is provided in a portion along the groove 33 on the back side surface 30b. The knob portion 32 is disposed inside the cylindrical portion 310, and a portion of the knob portion 32 on the distal end side in the protruding direction protrudes from an end surface of the cylindrical portion 310 in the protruding direction. Therefore, the operator can easily grasp the knob portion 32.

The tip end side corner of the knob portion 32 in the protruding direction is rounded. Moreover, the middle part of the width direction of the knob part 32 is notched out of the distal end surface of the knob part 32 in the protruding direction. The notch contributes to reducing the weight of the hole cover 3. The location where this notch is provided can be used as a resin injection hole (gate) when molding the hole cover 3 with resin. By using the notch as a gate, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the remaining portion of the gate protrudes from the knob portion 32 and gets caught on other members. A rib extending toward the protruding direction of the knob portion 32 is provided at the intermediate portion in the width direction between one surface and the other surface of the knob portion 32 . The ribs contribute to improving the rigidity of the knob portion 32. In this example, a cylindrical portion connected to a circular gate is provided, and a portion of the outer circumferential surface of this cylindrical portion protrudes from the front and back sides of the knob portion 32 to form a rib.

≪Effect≫
According to the hole cover 3 provided in the vehicle structure 1 of this example, when a worker attaches the hole cover 3 to the service hole 2, the worker can grip and rotate the knob portion 32. A worker fits the hole cover 3 into the service hole 2 of the deck side trim 11 before it is attached to the quarter inner panel 12. The hole cover 3 is fitted into the service hole 2 so that the groove 33 is oriented vertically. The claw portion 311 (FIG. 4) of the hole cover 3 is inserted into the claw hole 21 of the service hole 2. Next, the worker grasps the knob portion 32 of the hole cover 3 from the back side of the deck side trim 11 and rotates the hole cover 3. The direction of rotation of the hole cover 3 is clockwise when viewed from inside the vehicle. As a result, the claw portion 311 is arranged to face the outer surface of the deck side trim 11, and the hole cover 3 is engaged with the service hole 2. Since the claw portion 311 is caught on the outer side surface of the deck side trim 11, the hole cover 3 will not come off from the service hole 2. In this way, a worker can attach the hole cover 3 to the service hole 2 without using any tools. Further, since no tool is inserted into the groove 33 during the installation work, the groove 33 will not be damaged. The deck side trim 11 to which the hole cover 3 has been attached is connected to the quarter inner panel 12. As a result, the claw portion 311 is arranged in the gap between the outer side surface of the deck side trim 11 and the inner side surface of the quarter inner panel 12.

The presence of the rib-shaped knob portion 32 on the back side of the groove 33 improves the rigidity of the hole cover 3. Therefore, when the vehicle user uses a coin or the like to rotate the hole cover 3, the hole cover 3 is not easily damaged.

When the hole cover 3 is manufactured by resin molding, there is a possibility that sink marks may be formed on the hole cover 3. Here, by setting the resin-molded gate at the position of the knob portion 32, occurrence of sink marks in the hole cover 3 is suppressed. Further, even if a sink mark occurs, the sink mark is placed inside the groove 33. Therefore, the appearance of the hole cover 3 is unlikely to deteriorate due to sink marks.

Further, according to the service hole 2 provided in the vehicle structure 1 of this example, the vehicle user rotates the hole cover 3 engaged with the service hole 2 counterclockwise to remove the hole cover 3 from the service hole 2. When removed, the claw portion 311 of the hole cover 3 is likely to be pushed out toward the inside of the vehicle along the inclined surface portion 22. As a result, the hole cover 3 rises from the service hole 2, making it easier to remove the hole cover 3. In this way, with the simple structure of providing the inclined surface portion 22 in the service hole 2, it is possible to realize a structure in which the hole cover 3 floats toward the inside of the vehicle when the hole cover 3 is removed, without using a spring or the like. In particular, if the tip of the inclined surface portion 22 protrudes further to the outside of the vehicle (towards the back of the plane of the paper in FIG. 2) than the edge of the claw hole 21 that faces the tip in a clockwise direction, the hole cover 3 will move toward the inside of the vehicle. Easy to float.

Unlike this example, the panel member in which the service hole 2 is provided is not limited to the deck side trim 11. Examples of such panel members include door trims and dash panels. In addition, the panel member may be an exterior panel of a vehicle.

1 Vehicle structure 10 Luggage compartment, 11 Deck side trim, 11c Recess 12 Quarter inner panel, 12h Screw hole 2 Service hole 20 Circular hole, 21 Claw hole, 22 Inclined surface part 3 Hole cover 30b Back surface, 30f Front surface 30 Cover Main body, 31 engaging portion, 32 knob portion, 33 groove, 34 bulging portion 35 reinforcing portion 310 cylindrical portion, 311 claw portion, 31A trapezoidal portion, 31B rectangular portion

Claims (1)

A service hole provided in a panel member of a vehicle,
A vehicle structure comprising a hole cover that engages with the service hole,
The hole cover is
A disc-shaped cover body,
a groove provided on the front surface of the cover body ;
a rib-shaped knob provided in a portion along the groove on the back surface of the cover body ;
In the vehicle structure , the groove is a straight groove passing through the center of a circle of the cover body .

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