JP7501181B2 - Vehicle front body structure - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a vehicle front body structure.

Headlamp units that are placed at the front of a vehicle typically have their support attached to a frame member of the vehicle body via a bracket.

For example, Patent Document 1 shows a front body structure of a vehicle, in which a support portion 7a of a headlamp unit 7 is fixed via a lamp fixing plate 19 to a bracket member 16 that connects a fender panel and a frame member arranged in the vehicle width direction (paragraph 0032, Figure 2, etc. of Patent Document 1).

Furthermore, Patent Document 2 shows a front body structure of an automobile, in which a headlamp unit is provided with multiple support parts, each of which is fixed to a body component via a separate bracket (see, for example, FIG. 2 of Patent Document 2).

JP 2018-90133 A JP 2014-184793 A

In the headlamp mounting structure shown in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a separate member called a lamp fixing plate is interposed between the support part of the headlamp unit and the bracket member, making it difficult to control the positioning accuracy of the headlamp unit.

In addition, in the headlamp mounting structure shown in Patent Document 2, multiple support parts of the headlamp unit are fixed to the frame of the vehicle body via separate brackets, making it difficult to control the positioning accuracy of the headlamp unit.

In view of the above problems, at least one embodiment of the present invention aims to improve the mounting accuracy of the headlamp by mounting multiple support parts of the headlamp unit to the vehicle frame via a single bracket component.

(1) Invented to achieve the above-mentioned object, at least one embodiment of the present invention is a front body structure for a vehicle comprising a pair of left and right front side members extending in a fore-and-aft direction at a front part of the vehicle body, an upper frame extending in a fore-and-aft direction above the front side members and outside the vehicle width direction , and an upper bar side connecting an upper end of a front end of the front side member to a front end of the upper frame and extending obliquely from the front to the rear of the vehicle, the headlamp bracket being connected to the front ends of the front side members and the front end of the upper frame, respectively, and consisting of a single part connecting the front end of the front side member and the front end of the upper frame, the headlamp bracket having a bracket front portion extending in the fore-and-aft direction from the front end of the front side member and a bracket rear portion connected to the front end of the upper frame and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a plurality of support portions provided on a headlamp unit are attached to the headlamp bracket.

With this configuration (1), multiple support parts that are provided on the headlamp unit and support the headlamp unit are attached to the headlamp bracket, which is made of a single part. This improves the mounting accuracy of the headlamp unit compared to when multiple support parts are attached to the vehicle frame via separate brackets. It also contributes to reducing the number of parts.

(2) In some embodiments, the vehicle further includes a fender panel that is provided on the outer side of the upper frame in the vehicle width direction, and the front end of the fender panel is attached to the headlamp bracket.

With this configuration (2), the front end of the fender panel is attached to the headlamp bracket, so the headlamp unit and the fender panel can be positioned relative to the headlamp bracket, improving the alignment accuracy between the headlamp unit and the fender panel.

(3) In some embodiments, a front headlamp front support part of the plurality of supports is attached to the front end of the headlamp bracket in the fore-and-aft direction, a rear headlamp rear support part of the plurality of supports is attached to the outer end of the headlamp bracket in the vehicle width direction, and further, the front end of the fender panel is engaged with the headlamp rear support part.

With this configuration (3), the front end of the fender panel is engaged with the rear headlamp support, so the rear headlamp support and the front end of the fender panel are positioned, further improving the alignment accuracy between the headlamp unit and the fender panel.

(4) In some embodiments, the vehicle width direction end of the front bumper is attached to the outer surface of the front end of the fender panel.

With this configuration (4), the vehicle width direction end of the front bumper is attached to the outer surface of the front end of the fender panel, so the headlamp unit, fender panel, and front bumper can be positioned in relation to the headlamp bracket, improving the alignment accuracy of each of the fittings between the headlamp unit, fender panel, and front bumper, and improving vehicle quality.

(5) In some embodiments, the vehicle further includes a strut tower connected to the rear of the front side member and the rear of the upper frame and to which a suspension member is attached, and a plate-shaped fender shield extending forward from the strut tower and connected to the front side member and the upper frame to seal the gap between the front side member and the upper frame.

According to this configuration (5), the strut tower and the front side member are firmly connected by adopting a headlamp bracket structure that connects the front end of the front side member and the front end of the upper frame. This prevents the strut tower from tilting or bouncing up while driving, improving handling stability.

(6) In some embodiments, the headlamp bracket is provided with a bracket positioning portion that positions the headlamp bracket in the up-down, left-right, front-rear and rear directions relative to the vehicle frame including the front side member and the upper frame.

This configuration (6) stabilizes the mounting position of the headlamp bracket relative to the front side member and upper frame, which are the frame of the vehicle body, improving the mounting accuracy of the headlamp unit supported by the headlamp bracket, which is made of a single part.

(7) In some embodiments , the bracket positioning portion includes a first bracket positioning portion provided at a front portion of the bracket and abutting against the left and right side surfaces of the front end portion of the front side member for positioning in the left and right direction, a second bracket positioning portion provided at a rear portion of the bracket and abutting against the upper surface of the front end portion of the upper frame for positioning in the up and down direction, and a third bracket positioning portion provided at the rear portion of the bracket and abutting against the front surface of the front end portion of the upper frame for positioning in the fore and aft direction.

According to this configuration (7), the headlamp bracket is provided with a left-right positioning portion, a top-bottom positioning portion, and a front-rear positioning portion, thereby ensuring the accuracy of mounting the headlamp bracket to the vehicle frame.

According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the mounting accuracy of the headlamp can be improved by mounting multiple support parts of the headlamp unit to the vehicle frame via a single bracket part.

1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a front vehicle body structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a left front portion as viewed from the left front of the vehicle. 1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a front vehicle body structure of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a left front portion as viewed from the right front of the vehicle. 4 is a perspective view showing a welding location of a headlamp bracket to a vehicle body frame, as viewed from the left front of the vehicle. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which a headlamp bracket, a headlamp unit, and a fender panel are attached to each other. FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the headlamp bracket is attached to the vehicle body frame. FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of a portion A in FIG. 5, showing the relationship between the headlamp unit and the fender panel.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the relative arrangement of components described as an embodiment or shown in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but is merely an explanatory example. Note that the directions of up, down, front, back, left and right in the description are defined as the direction in which a passenger looks forward from the driver's seat. In each figure, "FR" indicates the front, "L-SIDE" indicates the left, and "UPR" indicates the top.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. Figures 1 and 2 show an overview of the front body structure of a vehicle 1. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body structure of the left front part of the vehicle 1 as seen from the left front of the vehicle, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the body structure of the left front part of the vehicle 1 as seen from the right front of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main vehicle body members arranged on both sides of the front of the vehicle 1 in the vehicle width direction are a front side member 3, an upper frame 5, an upper bar side 7, a strut tower 9, a fender shield 11 (see FIG. 2), a fender panel 13, and a headlamp bracket 15.

The front side member 3, upper frame 5, upper bar side 7, strut tower 9, fender shield 11, fender panel 13, and headlamp bracket 15 are provided in pairs on the left and right.

The front side member 3 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The upper frame 5 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle above the front side member 3 and on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The upper bar side 7 extends obliquely from the front of the vehicle to the rear, and connects the upper end of the front end of the front side member 3 to the front end of the upper frame 5.

The front ends of the left and right upper bar sides 7 are connected to a front end upper bar 17 that extends in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the strut tower 9 is where the suspension members are attached, and is connected to the rear of the front side member 3 and the rear of the upper frame 5, and the rear of the strut tower 9 is connected to the wheel housing.

As shown in FIG. 2, the fender shield 11 is a plate-shaped member that extends forward from the strut tower 9 and is connected to the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5 to seal the gap between the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5.

The outer portion of the fender shield 11 in the vehicle width direction is joined to the upper frame 5 by welding, the inner portion of the fender shield 11 in the vehicle width direction is joined to the front side member 3 by welding, and the rear portion of the fender shield 11 is joined to the front portion of the strut tower 9 by welding.

The fender panel 13 is attached to the outside of the upper frame 5 and forms the outer panel of the vehicle above the front wheels.

The headlamp bracket 15 is a member that supports the headlamp unit 19 and attaches the headlamp unit 19 to the frame member. It is connected to the front end of the front side member 3 and the front end of the upper frame 5, and is a sheet metal member that is a single part that connects the front end of the front side member 3 and the front end of the upper frame 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the headlamp unit 19 is provided with three support arms (support parts) 21: a first arm (headlamp front support part) 21a at the front, a second arm (headlamp rear support part) 21b at the rear, and a third arm 21c in the middle. The headlamp optical axis adjustment mechanism is built into the headlamp unit 1.

The first arm 21a is attached to the headlamp bracket 15 at the first lamp mounting portion 23 provided at the front end of the headlamp bracket 15 in the longitudinal direction, the second arm 21b is attached to the headlamp bracket 15 at the second lamp mounting portion 25 provided at the outer end of the headlamp bracket 15 in the vehicle width direction, and the third arm 21c is attached to the third lamp mounting portion 27 provided at the rear of the upper bar side 7.

The basic mounting position of the headlamp unit 19 is determined by the first lamp mounting part 23 and the second lamp mounting part 25, and the third lamp mounting part 27 is auxiliary and does not significantly affect the positioning accuracy of the headlamp unit 19.

The first arm 21a, the second arm 21b, and the third arm 21c are fixed to the first lamp mounting portion 23, the second lamp mounting portion 25, and the third lamp mounting portion 27, respectively, by bolts.

In this way, the headlamp bracket 15, which is made of a single component, is provided with a first lamp mounting portion 23 and a second lamp mounting portion 25 for mounting the headlamp unit 19, so that the mounting position of the headlamp unit 19 relative to the headlamp bracket 15 is stable.

Next, the structure of the headlamp bracket 15 will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the headlamp bracket 15 has a bracket front portion 15a extending in the fore-and-aft direction in a plan view, a bracket rear portion 15b extending in the vehicle width direction, and a bracket intermediate portion 15c that is formed between the bracket front portion 15a and the bracket rear portion 15b and extends at an angle in the fore-and-aft direction.

The front end of the bracket front part 15a is bent inward in the vehicle width direction, and the first lamp mounting part 23 is formed at the bent part 29, and the first arm 21a is bolted. The outer end of the bracket rear part 15b in the vehicle width direction is bent toward the rear of the vehicle, and the second lamp mounting part 25 is formed at the bent part 31, and the second arm 21b is bolted.

Furthermore, the headlamp bracket 15 is provided with a bracket positioning portion 33 that positions the headlamp bracket 15 in the up-down, left-right, front-rear and rear directions relative to the vehicle body frame including the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bracket positioning portion 33 has a first bracket positioning portion 33a for positioning in the left-right direction, a second bracket positioning portion 33b for positioning in the up-down direction, and a third bracket positioning portion 33c for positioning in the front-rear direction.

The first bracket positioning portion 33a is provided on the bracket front portion 15a and is positioned by abutting against the left and right side surfaces of the front end portion of the front side member 3. The second bracket positioning portion 33b is positioned in the up-down direction when the bent portion, which is formed by bending the upper end of the bracket rear portion 15b backward, abuts against the upper surface of the front end portion of the upper frame 5. The third bracket positioning portion 33c is positioned in the front-rear direction when the rear surface of the bracket rear portion 15b abuts against the front surface of the front end portion of the upper frame 5.

Figure 3 shows the locations where the headlamp bracket 15 is welded to the vehicle frame. As shown in Figure 3, the first bracket positioning portion 33a is joined at two locations, top and bottom, by welds W1. The second bracket positioning portion 33b is joined at two locations, left and right, by welds W2. The front end of the flange of the upper frame 5 is joined to the bent portion at the top end of the bracket rear portion 15b by weld W3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the front end of the upper frame 5 is formed by a reinforcement member 34 that is provided to close the front end opening. Therefore, in the weld W2, the bent portion at the top end of the bracket rear portion 15b is joined to the top surface of the front end of the reinforcement member 34, and in the weld W3, the bent portion at the top end of the bracket rear portion 15b is joined so that it is sandwiched between the front end of the flange of the upper frame 5 and the front end of the reinforcement member 34 from above and below.

In this way, the headlamp bracket 15 is provided with the first bracket positioning portion 33a, the second bracket positioning portion 33b, and the third bracket positioning portion 33c, and is positioned in the up-down, left-right, front-rear and rear directions. This stabilizes the mounting position of the headlamp bracket 15 relative to the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5, improving the accuracy of the mounting position of the headlamp unit 19 supported by the headlamp bracket 15, which is made of a single part.

Next, the mounting relationship between the headlamp unit 19, the fender panel 13, and the front bumper 35 will be explained with reference to Figures 1 and 6.

The outer end of the rear bracket portion 15b of the headlamp bracket 15 in the vehicle width direction is formed with a bent portion 31 bent toward the rear of the vehicle as described above, and the second lamp mounting portion 25 is formed on the bent portion 31. Above this second lamp mounting portion 25, a fender mounting portion 37 is formed to which the front end of the fender panel 13 is attached, and the front end of the fender panel 13 is fastened with a bolt.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the fender mounting portion 37 has positioning pin holes 39 formed above and below it, into which positioning pins for the headlamp bracket 15 and the fender panel 13 are inserted.

As shown in FIG. 6, the tip of the second arm 21b of the headlamp unit 19, which is fixed to the second lamp mounting portion 25 formed at the lower end of the bent portion 31, is formed with a clip fastening hole into which a clip 41 is inserted to position the front end of the fender panel 13 and the second arm 21b and engage both the front end of the fender panel 13 and the second arm 21b.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 6, a number of claws 43 are arranged vertically on the outer surface of the front end of the fender panel 13, and the front bumper 35 is attached to the front end of the fender panel 13 by engaging the claws 43 with an engagement portion (not shown) provided on the back surface of the vehicle width direction end of the front bumper 35.

The process of attaching the headlamp unit 19, the fender panel 13, and the front bumper 35 to the headlamp bracket 15 attached by welding to the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 6. First, the fender panel 13 is positioned relative to the headlamp bracket 15 by inserting a positioning pin into the positioning pin hole 39.

Next, the front end of the fender panel 13 is fixed to the fender mounting portion 37 of the headlamp bracket 15 with a bolt, and the positioning pin is removed to complete the fixing of the fender panel 13.

Next, insert the clip 41 into the clip hole formed at the tip of the second arm 21b of the headlamp unit 19 to position the front end of the fender panel 13 and the headlamp unit 19.

Next, the second arm 21b of the headlamp unit 19 is fixed to the second lamp mounting portion 25 of the headlamp bracket 15 with a bolt to complete the fixing of the headlamp unit 19.

According to the present embodiment configured as described above, the multiple support parts of the first arm 21a and the second arm 21b that support the headlamp unit 19 are attached to the headlamp bracket 15, which is made of a single part, so the mounting accuracy of the headlamp unit 19 to the vehicle body can be improved compared to when multiple support parts are attached to the vehicle frame via separate brackets. This also contributes to a reduction in the number of parts.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the multiple support parts of the first arm 21a and the second arm 21b that support the headlamp unit 19 are attached to the headlamp bracket 15, which is made up of a single component, and the front end part of the fender panel 13 is further attached to the headlamp bracket 15. This allows the positioning of the headlamp unit 19 and the fender panel 13 to be performed in relation to the headlamp bracket 15, improving the alignment accuracy between the headlamp unit 19 and the fender panel 13.

In addition, a clip 41 is inserted into the tip of the second arm 21b of the headlamp unit 19 to position the front end of the fender panel 13 and the second arm 21b and engage the front end of the fender panel 13 and the second arm 21b, further improving the alignment accuracy between the headlamp unit 19 and the fender panel 13.

In addition, according to this embodiment, multiple claws 43 are arranged vertically on the outer surface of the front end of the fender panel 13, and the front bumper 35 is attached to the front end of the fender panel 13 by engaging the claws 43 with an engagement portion (not shown) provided on the back surface of the vehicle width direction end of the front bumper 35. Therefore, the positioning of the headlamp unit 19, fender panel 13, and front bumper 35 can be performed in relation to this headlamp bracket 15, improving the alignment accuracy of each of the fittings between the headlamp unit 19, fender panel 13, and front bumper 35, and improving vehicle quality.

In addition, according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a strut tower 9 is provided that is connected to the rear of the front side member 3 and the rear of the upper frame 5 and to which a suspension member is attached, and a plate-shaped fender shield 11 is provided that extends forward from the strut tower 9 and is connected to the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5 to close the gap between the front side member 3 and the upper frame 5. A headlamp bracket 15 is provided to connect the front end of the front side member 3 and the front end of the upper frame 5, so that the strut tower 9 and the front side member 3 are firmly joined.

In other words, the load caused by the tilt or upward movement of the strut tower 9 during driving is transmitted from the strut tower 9 to the fender shield 11 to the upper frame 5 to the headlamp bracket 15 to the front side member 3.

Therefore, by providing the headlamp bracket 15, the connection between the strut tower 9 and the front side member 3 is strengthened, which suppresses the tilt and jumping of the strut tower 9 during driving and improves driving stability.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the headlamp bracket 15 is provided to connect the front end of the front side member 3 and the front end of the upper frame 5, which contributes to early load transfer during a small overlap collision (offset frontal collision) and helps reduce occupant injury scores.

In other words, as shown by the arrow F in Figure 1, the input load F during a small overlap collision from the front of the vehicle forms a load transfer path that flows directly from the front end of the front side member 3 to the front end of the upper frame 5 via the headlamp bracket 15. This contributes to earlier load transfer compared to the load transfer path that flows from the front side member 3 to the fender shield 11 to the upper frame 5 when the headlamp bracket 15 is not provided.

According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, multiple support parts of the headlamp unit can be attached to the vehicle frame via a single bracket component, improving the mounting accuracy of the headlamp, making the device suitable for use in the front body structure of a vehicle.

Reference Signs List 1 Vehicle 3 Front side member 5 Upper frame 7 Upper bar side 9 Strut tower 11 Fender shield 13 Fender panel 15 Headlamp bracket 17 Front end upper bar 19 Headlamp unit 21 Support arm (support portion)
21a First arm (headlamp front support part)
21b Second arm (headlamp rear support part)
21c Third arm 23 First lamp mounting portion 25 Second lamp mounting portion 27 Third lamp mounting portion 35 Front bumper 33 Bracket positioning portion 33a First bracket positioning portion 33b Second bracket positioning portion 33c Third bracket positioning portions W1, W2, W3 Welding portion

Claims (7)

A front body structure of a vehicle,
A pair of left and right front side members extending in the front-rear direction at the front of the vehicle body;
an upper frame extending in a front-rear direction above the front side member and on an outer side in a vehicle width direction;
an upper bar side that connects an upper end of a front end portion of the front side member and a front end portion of the upper frame and extends obliquely from the front to the rear of the vehicle;
Equipped with
a headlamp bracket that is connected to a front end of the front side member and a front end of the upper frame and that is made of a single part that connects the front end of the front side member and the front end of the upper frame,
the headlamp bracket has a bracket front portion extending in a front-rear direction from a front end portion of the front side member, and a bracket rear portion connected to a front end portion of the upper frame and extending in a vehicle width direction,
A front body structure for a vehicle, wherein a plurality of support parts provided on a headlamp unit are attached to the headlamp bracket. The vehicle further includes a fender panel provided on an outer side of the upper frame in a vehicle width direction,
2. The front body structure of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a front end portion of the fender panel is attached to the headlamp bracket. a front headlamp front support portion of the plurality of support portions is attached to a front end portion of the headlamp bracket in a front-rear direction;
3. The front body structure of a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a rear headlamp support portion of the plurality of supports is attached to an outer end portion of the headlamp bracket in the vehicle width direction, and further, a front end portion of the fender panel is engaged with the headlamp rear support portion. The front body structure of a vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the vehicle width direction end of the front bumper is attached to the outer surface of the front end of the fender panel. a strut tower connected to a rear portion of the front side member and a rear portion of the upper frame and to which a suspension member is attached;
a plate-shaped fender shield extending forward from the strut tower and connected to the front side member and the upper frame to close a gap between the front side member and the upper frame;
The front body structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: The front body structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the headlamp bracket is provided with a bracket positioning portion that positions the headlamp bracket in the up-down, left-right, front-rear and rear directions relative to the body frame including the front side member and the upper frame. The bracket positioning portion is
a first bracket positioning portion provided at a front portion of the bracket and abutting against a side surface in the left and right direction of a front end portion of the front side member to perform positioning in the left and right direction;
a second bracket positioning portion provided at a rear portion of the bracket and abutting against an upper surface of a front end portion of the upper frame for vertical positioning;
7. The front body structure of a vehicle as described in claim 6, further comprising: a third bracket positioning portion provided at a rear portion of the bracket and abutting against a front surface of the front end portion of the upper frame for positioning in the fore-and-aft direction.

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