JP7631982B2 - Body structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to vehicle body structures, and in particular to the technical field of structures equipped with dash panels.

An engine room in which the engine is stored is provided at the front of the automobile, and this engine room is separated from the passenger compartment by a dash panel that extends vertically and widthwise of the vehicle (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a bulge is formed in the middle of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction, bulging out toward the inside of the passenger compartment (rear of the vehicle).

Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-69064

During a frontal collision, a rearward load is applied to the powertrain housed in the engine compartment, but to effectively absorb the impact load, there is a demand for the powertrain to have a sufficient backward stroke.

However, there are cases where it is necessary to shorten the overall length of a vehicle's bonnet due to requirements regarding the vehicle's layout, design, and driving performance. A shorter overall length of the bonnet means a shorter front-to-rear dimension of the engine compartment, which is a negative factor in terms of ensuring the amount of rearward stroke of the powertrain during a frontal collision.

In addition, vehicle air conditioning units are generally located inside the instrument panel at the front of the passenger compartment. On the other hand, there is a demand to ensure that the interior space of the vehicle is as large as possible, and in order to meet this demand, it is desirable to further reduce the size of the air conditioning unit. However, to improve passenger comfort, air conditioning units are required to have an increased maximum air volume, cooling capacity, and heating capacity, and it is not easy to reduce the size of the air conditioning unit, particularly the main body of the air conditioning unit that houses the heat exchanger and blower fan, while still meeting these demands.

The present invention was made in consideration of these points, and its purpose is to improve the safety of occupants by ensuring a sufficient amount of rearward stroke of the powertrain during a frontal collision, while avoiding an increase in the size of the air conditioning unit main body and increasing the space inside the vehicle cabin.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present disclosure can be based on a vehicle body structure including a dash panel that divides a vehicle interior from a power compartment that is provided in front of the vehicle interior and that houses a powertrain in the vehicle front-rear direction, and an air conditioning device provided in the front of the vehicle interior. The dash panel is formed with a bulging portion that bulges out toward the rear of the vehicle at a central portion in the vehicle width direction, and the air conditioning device is disposed on a side of the bulging portion and includes an air conditioning unit main body that generates conditioned air, and a passage component that is connected to the air conditioning unit main body and configures a passage that sends the conditioned air generated by the air conditioning unit main body to a desired portion of the vehicle interior, and the passage component and the bulging portion overlap each other in a plan view, and at least a portion of the lower surface of the passage component is disposed on an upper surface of the bulging portion or above the upper surface of the bulging portion.

According to this configuration, since the dash panel is provided with a bulge, the powertrain can be moved backward toward the inside of the bulge during a frontal collision, ensuring a large amount of backward stroke for the powertrain. Although the space above the bulge can become dead space, in this configuration, the passage component and the bulge overlap each other in a plan view, so the space above the bulge can be effectively used as a space for arranging at least a part of the passage component, which is a part of the air conditioning device. This prevents the air conditioning unit main body from becoming large, and ensures a large interior space.

In a second aspect of the present disclosure, the air conditioning unit main body includes a blower fan and at least one of a heater and a cooler that adjusts the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan, and the passage component is a duct.

According to this configuration, the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan is adjusted to become conditioned air, which then flows through the passage component, i.e., the duct, and is sent to the desired location in the vehicle cabin. In this case, at least a portion of the duct is positioned above the upper surface of the bulge, ensuring a large interior space.

In a third aspect of the present disclosure, the air conditioning unit main body includes a blower fan and at least one of a heater and a cooler that adjusts the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan, and the passage component is an air distribution device that distributes the conditioned air to multiple locations in the vehicle cabin.

According to this configuration, the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan is adjusted to become conditioned air, and this conditioned air is introduced into the passage component, i.e., the air distribution device. The conditioned air introduced into the air distribution device is sent to a desired location in the vehicle cabin, for example, it can be sent to one or more locations in the vehicle cabin. At least a portion of this air distribution device is positioned above the top surface of the bulge, making it possible to reduce the size of the air conditioning unit main body.

In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle includes a pair of left and right hinge pillars arranged to extend vertically at both ends of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction, and a hollow instrument panel member fixed to the hinge pillars and extending in the vehicle width direction, and any of a plurality of air outlets provided in the air distribution device is connected to the internal space of the instrument panel member, and an opening through which conditioned air blows out is formed at a portion of the instrument panel member separated in the vehicle width direction from the connection portion with the air outlet.

With this configuration, the conditioned air blown out from the air distribution device's outlet flows through the interior space of the instrument panel member in the vehicle width direction and is blown out from the opening of the instrument panel member, so that the instrument panel member can be used to supply the conditioned air to the desired location in the vehicle interior.

In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, a pair of left and right hinge pillars are arranged to extend vertically at both ends of the dash panel in the vehicle width direction, and an instrument panel member is fixed to the hinge pillars and extends in the vehicle width direction, and at least a portion of the passageway component is disposed in front of the instrument panel member.

This configuration allows the space in front of the instrument panel member to be effectively utilized to position the passageway components.

In a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the air conditioning unit main body is disposed in front of the passenger seat in the passenger compartment, and the passage component is disposed so as to extend above the upper surface of the bulge from the passenger seat side to the driver's seat side.

As explained above, the dash panel has a bulge that bulges out toward the rear of the vehicle, which ensures a sufficient amount of rearward stroke for the powertrain during a frontal collision, improving the safety of the occupants. Furthermore, at least a portion of the lower surface of the passage component connected to the air conditioning unit main body is disposed on or above the upper surface of the bulge, making effective use of the space above the bulge to ensure a large interior space.

1 is a perspective view of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, seen from above; FIG. 2 is a view equivalent to FIG. 1 of a vehicle body structure with an instrument panel member omitted. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dash panel and a floor panel of the vehicle body structure. FIG. FIG. 2 is a view of the vehicle body structure, with the instrument panel member omitted, seen from inside the vehicle compartment toward the front. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. FIG.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description of the preferred embodiment is essentially merely an example and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

1 and 2 are perspective views of a vehicle body structure 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle body structure 1 is a vehicle body structure that can be applied to automobiles such as passenger cars. The automobile may be a front-engine rear-drive vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an FR vehicle) in which the rear wheels are driven by an engine or a driving motor mounted on the front of the vehicle body, or a front-engine front-drive vehicle (hereinafter referred to as an FF vehicle) in which the front wheels are driven by an engine or a driving motor mounted on the front of the vehicle body. In addition to FR vehicles and FF vehicles, the automobile may be a four-wheel drive vehicle in which four wheels are driven by an engine mounted on the front of the vehicle body. In the description of this embodiment, the front side of the vehicle is simply referred to as the "front", the rear side of the vehicle is simply referred to as the "rear", the right side of the vehicle is simply referred to as the "right", and the left side of the vehicle is simply referred to as the "left". The left-right direction of the vehicle is the vehicle width direction.

The vehicle body structure 1 includes a floor panel 2, a dash panel 3, a right side sill 4, and a left side sill 5 (shown only in Figs. 4 and 5). The floor panel 2 is a member that constitutes the bottom plate of the vehicle compartment, and is made of, for example, a steel plate, and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The space above the floor panel 2 is the vehicle compartment R. A roof (not shown) is provided at the top of the vehicle compartment R. In addition, doors (not shown) for getting in and out are provided on the right and left sides of the vehicle compartment R. The right side sill 4 and the left side sill 5 do not have to be members that constitute the vehicle body structure 1 of the present invention, and may be provided as necessary.

As shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 4, the driver's seat Dr is provided on the right side of the passenger compartment R (one side in the vehicle width direction), and the passenger seat Ps is provided on the left side of the passenger compartment R (the other side in the vehicle width direction). Conversely, the driver's seat Dr may be provided on the left side and the passenger seat Ps on the right side, in which case this embodiment can be applied by reversing the left and right sides. Also, a rear seat may be provided behind the driver's seat Dr and the passenger seat Ps, or there may be no rear seat. The passenger compartment R may include a luggage compartment for carrying luggage, etc.

The right side sill 4 extends in the front-rear direction along the right edge of the floor panel 2. The left side sill 5 extends in the front-rear direction along the left edge of the floor panel 2. The passenger compartment R is located between the right side sill 4 and the left side sill 5. A floor tunnel portion 2a is formed in the left-right center of the floor panel 2 so as to bulge upward. The floor tunnel portion 2a extends continuously in the front-rear direction from the front edge to the rear edge of the floor panel 2.

In front of the passenger compartment R, there is a power room S that houses the power train PT (the outline of which is shown by phantom lines in Figs. 4 and 6). The power room S can also be called, for example, a power train storage room, an engine room, or a motor room. The member that separates the passenger compartment R from the power room S in the front-rear direction is the dash panel 3. The dash panel 3 extends in the left-right direction as well as in the up-down direction. As shown in Fig. 6, the lower portion of the dash panel 3 is inclined or curved so that it is positioned further rearward as it approaches the bottom end, and the bottom end of the dash panel 3 is connected to the front end of the floor panel 2. Therefore, the floor panel 2 is provided so as to extend rearward from the bottom end of the dash panel 3.

The power train PT may be an internal combustion engine, a rotary engine or a reciprocating engine, a driving motor, or both the engine and the driving motor. If the power train PT is equipped with a driving motor, a power generating engine (part of the power train PT) may be stored in the power chamber S. If the power train PT is an engine, the crankshaft may be stored in the power chamber S with the crankshaft extending in the front-rear direction, or may be stored in the power chamber S with the crankshaft extending in the left-right direction. The engine may be an in-line multi-cylinder engine in which multiple cylinders are arranged in line in the axial direction of the crankshaft, or a V-type multi-cylinder engine in which multiple cylinders are arranged to form a V when viewed along the axial direction of the crankshaft. The engine may also be a horizontally opposed engine in which multiple cylinders are arranged to face each other horizontally across the crankshaft.

The powertrain PT may include a transmission (not shown). The transmission may be an automatic transmission or a CVT transmission in which the gear ratio is automatically changed by a control device installed in the vehicle, or a manual transmission in which the occupant changes the gear ratio using an operating lever (not shown) provided in the passenger compartment R.

A bonnet hood (not shown) is provided above the power chamber S. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a right front side frame 6 is provided on the right side of the power chamber S, and a left front side frame 7 is provided on the left side of the power chamber S. Both the right front side frame 6 and the left front side frame 7 extend in the front-rear direction, and a bumper reinforcement B extending in the left-right direction is attached to the front ends of the right front side frame 6 and the left front side frame 7. The right front side frame 6, the left front side frame 7, and the bumper reinforcement B can be members that constitute the vehicle body structure 1, but can also be members that are not included in the vehicle body structure 1.

The rear end of the right front side frame 6 is connected to a portion of the dash panel 3 that is to the right of the center in the left-right direction. The rear end of the left front side frame 7 is connected to a portion of the dash panel 3 that is to the left of the center in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 6, a cowl panel 8 that constitutes part of the vehicle body structure 1 is provided above the dash panel 3. The cowl panel 8 is made of plate material and extends in the left-right direction. The cowl panel 8 includes a bottom plate portion 8a that extends in the left-right direction as well as in the front-rear direction, a front plate portion 8b that extends upward from the front end of the bottom plate portion 8a, and a rear plate portion 8c that extends upward from the rear end of the bottom plate portion 8a. The upper end of the dash panel 3 is connected to the front portion of the bottom plate portion 8a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end of the bottom plate portion 8a of the cowl panel 8 is curved significantly in plan view, with the center portion in the left-right direction being the frontmost position and the right and left ends being further back. The rear plate portion 8c extends upward from the rear end of the bottom plate portion 8a, so the rear plate portion 8c is also curved significantly in plan view, with the center portion in the left-right direction being the frontmost position and the right and left ends being further back. Although not shown, the lower end of the front windshield is located directly above the rear plate portion 8c of the cowl panel 8. Therefore, most of the cowl panel 8 is located outside the vehicle cabin.

As shown in Fig. 5, the vehicle body structure 1 further includes a right hinge pillar 9 arranged to extend vertically at the right end of the dash panel 3, and a left hinge pillar 10 arranged to extend vertically at the left end of the dash panel 3. That is, as shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of the right hinge pillar 9 is connected to the vicinity of the front end of the right side sill 4, and the right hinge pillar 9 extends from the vicinity of the front end of the right side sill 4 along the right end of the dash panel 3 to approximately the same height as the cowl panel 8. The right hinge pillar 9 is adapted to have a hinge fixed thereto that supports a right door arranged on the right side of the vehicle so that it can be opened and closed. The lower end of the right front pillar 11 is connected to the upper end of the right hinge pillar 9. The lower end of the left hinge pillar 10 is connected to the vicinity of the front end of the left side sill 5, and the left hinge pillar 10 extends from the vicinity of the front end of the left side sill 5 along the left end of the dash panel 3 to approximately the same height as the cowl panel 8. A hinge that supports the left door arranged on the left side of the automobile so that it can be opened and closed is fixed to the left hinge pillar 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the lower end of the left front pillar 12 is connected to the upper end of the left hinge pillar 10.

(Instrument panel member)
1 and 2, the vehicle body structure 1 includes an instrument panel member 20. The instrument panel member 20 extends in the left-right direction from the upper end of the right hinge pillar 9 to the upper end of the left hinge pillar 10, and is configured as a hollow tubular member. Although not shown, the instrument panel member 20 is housed inside an instrument panel provided at the front end of the vehicle interior R. In this embodiment, the instrument panel member 20 can circulate conditioned air generated by an air conditioning device 60 (described later) to a desired portion of the vehicle interior R.

The right end of the instrument panel member 20 is fixed to the interior side of the vehicle at the upper end of the right hinge pillar 9. The left end of the instrument panel member 20 is fixed to the interior side of the vehicle at the upper end of the left hinge pillar 10.

As shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 4, a steering column ST is supported on the driver's seat Dr side of the instrument panel member 20. The steering column ST is a member for rotatably supporting a steering shaft (not shown).

(Bulging part of dash panel)
As shown in FIG. 3, the dash panel 3 has a bulging portion 30 that bulges rearward from the center of the dash panel 3 in the left-right direction. The bulging portion 30 is composed of an upper wall portion 31, a rear end wall portion 32, a right side wall portion 33, and a left side wall portion 34. The bulging portion 30 is composed of a combination of multiple plate materials. Specifically, the rear end wall portion 32, the right side wall portion 33, and the left side wall portion 34 are integrally molded from a single plate material, but the upper wall portion 31 is composed of a plate material separate from the rear end wall portion 32, the right side wall portion 33, and the left side wall portion 34. The upper wall portion 31 can be integrated by joining it to the upper portions of the rear end wall portion 32, the right side wall portion 33, and the left side wall portion 34 after molding. The bulging portion 30 may be entirely composed of a single plate material, but since the amount of bulging rearward is increased as described later, it may be desirable to configure the bulging portion 30 by combining multiple plate materials in terms of molding.

The upper wall portion 31 of the bulge portion 30 extends in the front-rear and left-right directions, and is generally horizontal in this embodiment, but may be inclined or curved so that it is positioned lower as it approaches the rear end. The rear end wall portion 32 extends downward from the rear end of the upper wall portion 31 and also extends in the left-right direction. The rear end wall portion 32 is generally vertical in this embodiment, but may be inclined or curved so that it is positioned further back as it approaches the bottom. The right side wall portion 33 extends downward from the right end of the upper wall portion 31 and also extends in the front-rear direction. The left side wall portion 34 extends downward from the left end of the upper wall portion 31 and also extends in the front-rear direction. The left side wall portion 34 can be set so that the left-right distance between the right side wall portion 33 and the left side wall portion 34 becomes narrower as it approaches the rear.

The space between the lower parts of the right side wall portion 33 and the left side wall portion 34 of the bulge portion 30 is open downward. Also, the space between the front parts of the right side wall portion 33 and the left side wall portion 34 of the bulge portion 30 is open forward. The powertrain PT, which retreats during a frontal collision, enters the bulge portion 30 from the forward opening. Also, because the bulge portion 30 is open downward, even if the vertical dimension of the powertrain PT is longer than the vertical dimension of the bulge portion 30, the upper part of the powertrain PT enters the bulge portion 30 and the lower part of the powertrain PT protrudes downward from the bulge portion 30. As a result, the bulge portion 30 does not hinder the retreat of the powertrain PT.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper wall 31 of the bulge 30 is located near the upper end of the dash panel 3, and therefore the bulge 30 is formed by bulging the portion from the upper end to the vertical middle of the dash panel 3 rearward. By positioning the upper wall 31 of the bulge 30 upward in this way, when the powertrain PT moves backward during a frontal collision, the upper rear part of the powertrain PT can be placed inside the bulge 30, ensuring a large backward stroke of the powertrain PT.

In this specification, a "forward collision" refers not only to a collision between an automobile and an obstacle while traveling forward, but also to a collision between an obstacle and an automobile that is stopped from the front. In addition, a "forward collision" in this specification refers to a collision in which a large impact load is applied from the front so as to move the powertrain PT backward, and can be distinguished from a so-called minor collision.

As shown in FIG. 6, the upper wall portion 31 of the bulge portion 30 is positioned lower than the lower end of the instrument panel member 20, and the instrument panel member 20 is disposed directly above the upper wall portion 31 of the bulge portion 30. The upper wall portion 31 of the bulge portion 30 and the lower end of the instrument panel member 20 may be disposed to face each other with a predetermined gap in the vertical direction, or the lower end of the instrument panel member 20 may be fixed to the upper wall portion 31 of the bulge portion 30. In the latter case, the portion of the instrument panel member 20 away from the left and right hinge pillars 9, 10 is fixed to the bulge portion 30.

The dash panel 3 is constructed of high-strength materials because it is used to separate the passenger compartment R from the power compartment S. The bulge 30 is formed on this high-strength dash panel 3, so the strength of the bulge 30 is also increased, making the bulge 30 less likely to deform than at least the vertically long instrument panel member stays that have been commonly used in the past. The instrument panel member 20 is fixed to the bulge 30, making the conventional instrument panel member stay unnecessary and allowing the vehicle to be lighter. In addition, the mounting rigidity of the instrument panel member 20 to the vehicle body is improved compared to the conventional fixed structure using the instrument panel member stay, and the amount of deformation of the instrument panel member 20 when subjected to various external forces while driving is reduced.

The structure for fixing the instrument panel member 20 to the bulging portion 30 may be a fastening structure using fastening members such as bolts, nuts, screws, rivets, etc. In this case, the instrument panel member 20 may be fixed directly to the upper wall portion 31 of the bulging portion 30, or a bracket may be interposed between the instrument panel member 20 and the upper wall portion 31. When a bracket is interposed, the distance between the instrument panel member 20 and the upper wall portion 31 is short, so there is no need to use a long member such as a conventional instrument panel member stay. Also, a bracket may be welded to one of the instrument panel member 20 and the bulging portion 30 in advance, and then fastened to the other.

The instrument panel member 20 may be fixed to the rear end wall portion 32 of the bulging portion 30, or to the right side wall portion 33, or to the left side wall portion 34. The instrument panel member 20 may be fixed to one location of the bulging portion 30, or to multiple locations. The instrument panel member 20 does not have to be fixed to the bulging portion 30.

1, the rear end wall 32 located at the vehicle rear end of the bulge 30 is positioned rearward of the left-right center of the rear end of the cowl panel 8. That is, the rear end of the cowl panel 8 is composed of the rear plate 8c, which is greatly curved in plan view so that the left-right center is located at the front end and the right end and the left end are located further back. In plan view, the rear end wall 32 of the bulge 30 is located rearward of the left-right center of the rear plate 8c. The fact that the rear end wall 32 of the bulge 30 is located rearward of the left-right center of the rear plate 8c means that the rear end wall 32 of the bulge 30 is located significantly back in the vehicle body structure 1 as a whole. The greater the amount of expansion of the bulging portion 30, i.e., the longer the dimension of the bulging portion 30 in the front-rear direction, the further rearward the rear end wall portion 32 will be located. In this embodiment, the left-right center of the rear plate portion 8c of the cowl panel 8 is used as a comparison reference, and the rear end wall portion 32 is positioned rearward of the left-right center of the rear plate portion 8c, thereby increasing the amount of expansion of the bulging portion 30. By increasing the amount of expansion of the bulging portion 30, a large amount of backward stroke of the powertrain PT can be ensured during the above-mentioned front collision.

In this embodiment, when the right and left ends of the rear plate portion 8c of the cowl panel 8 are compared, the rear end wall portion 32 is located forward of the right and left ends of the rear plate portion 8c, but this is not limiting, and the rear end wall portion 32 may be located rearward of the right and left ends of the rear plate portion 8c.

As shown in FIG. 3, the rear end wall portion 32 of the bulge portion 30 extends in the vertical direction and also in the horizontal direction, and is positioned rearward of the front end portion of the instrument panel member 20. This causes the bulge portion 30 to bulge out significantly until it reaches the bottom of the instrument panel member 20. Here, the front end portion of the instrument panel member 20 can be defined as the front portion of the instrument panel member 20, and in the case of a cylindrical instrument panel member 20, it is the forward-most portion of the outer circumferential surface of the instrument panel member 20, the portion facing forward. In this embodiment, the rear end wall portion 32 of the bulge portion 30 is positioned forward of the rear end portion of the instrument panel member 20, but this is not limited thereto, and the rear end wall portion 32 of the bulge portion 30 may be positioned rearward of the rear end portion of the instrument panel member 20. The rear end of the instrument panel member 20 can be defined as the rear surface of the instrument panel member 20, and in the case of a cylindrical instrument panel member 20, it is the rearmost portion of the outer periphery of the instrument panel member 20, the portion facing backward.

As shown in FIG. 3, the lower part of the bulge 30 is connected to the upper part of the floor tunnel section 2a. That is, the lower part of the rear end wall 32 of the bulge 30 is connected to and integrated with the upper wall part of the floor tunnel section 2a. In addition, the lower parts of the right side wall 33 and the left side wall 34 of the bulge 30 are connected to and integrated with the upper parts of the right side wall and the left side wall of the floor tunnel section 2a.

As described above, the bulge 30 is formed over a wide range from the upper end of the dash panel 3 to the middle part in the vertical direction, and the amount of rearward bulge is increased. Furthermore, the width of the bulge 30 is widened so that the upper part of the power train PT enters the bulge 30 during a front collision. If such a large bulge 30 is provided on the dash panel 3, the rigidity of the dash panel 3 decreases, and the dash panel 3 becomes more likely to deform so that the right and left parts of the bulge 30 open up due to external forces during driving, which may cause a decrease in the vehicle's handling stability and driving performance. In particular, in the case of FR vehicles, the dimension from the bottom end of the front window to the front end of the bonnet is long, which is disadvantageous in terms of ensuring the rigidity of the front body. In order to compensate for this decrease in rigidity of the dash panel 3, a reinforcing member 40 is provided in this embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 etc.

(Configuration of Reinforcement Member)
The dash panel 3 of this embodiment includes the reinforcing member 40, which is also a component constituting a part of the vehicle body structure 1. The reinforcing member 40 is provided away forward from the rear end wall portion 32 of the bulging portion 30 and is fixed to the inner surface of the bulging portion 30. The reinforcing member 40 is positioned directly behind the upper rear portion of the powertrain PT. In other words, the height and lateral position of the reinforcing member 40 are set so that when the powertrain PT moves backward during a frontal collision, the upper rear portion of the powertrain PT reliably abuts against the reinforcing member 40.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the reinforcing member 40 is viewed from the front (front), it has a plate shape extending in the left-right and up-down directions as a whole. The reinforcing member 40 has a plate-shaped main body 41 extending in the left-right and up-down directions, an upper fixing part 42, a right fixing part 43, a left fixing part 44, and a lower fixing part 45.

The upper fixing part 42 is provided at the upper end of the main body 41, and has a plate shape that protrudes forward and extends in the left-right direction. The upper fixing part 42 can be fixed to, for example, the bottom plate part 8a of the cowl panel 8 or the upper wall part 31 of the bulging part 30. The right fixing part 43 is provided at the right end of the main body 41, and has a plate shape that protrudes forward and extends in the up-down direction. The right fixing part 43 can be fixed to the inner surface of the right wall part 33 of the bulging part 30. The left fixing part 44 is provided at the left end of the main body 41, and has a plate shape that protrudes forward and extends in the up-down direction. The left fixing part 44 can be fixed to the inner surface of the left wall part 34 of the bulging part 30. The lower fixing part 45 is provided at the lower end of the main body 41, and has a plate shape that protrudes rearward and extends in the left-right direction. This lower fixing part 45 can be fixed to the upper wall part of the floor tunnel part 2a.

By fixing the right fixing part 43 and the left fixing part 44 to the right side wall part 33 and the left side wall part 34 of the bulge part 30, the right side wall part 33 and the left side wall part 34 are connected by the reinforcing member 40. This improves the rigidity of the dash panel 3. Furthermore, by fixing the upper fixing part 42 to the bottom plate part 8a of the cowl panel 8 or the upper wall part 31 of the bulge part 30, the rigidity of the bulge part 30 is increased, and as a result, the rigidity of the dash panel 3 is further improved. In addition, by fixing the lower fixing part 45 to the upper wall part of the floor tunnel part 2a, the reinforcing member 40 and the floor tunnel part 2a can be connected, and the rigidity of the dash panel 3 is further improved. Note that either or both of the upper fixing part 42 and the lower fixing part 45 of the reinforcing member 40 may be omitted.

The upper fixing portion 42, the right fixing portion 43, the left fixing portion 44, and the lower fixing portion 45 can be fixed by a fixing method using welding such as spot welding. In the case of a fixing method using welding, the fixing portions 42 to 45 are set so that they will not come off due to external forces applied during normal driving, and when the powertrain PT moves backward and abuts against the main body portion 41 of the reinforcing member 40 during a frontal collision, the fixing portions 42 to 45 are set so that they will come off due to the load acting toward the rear. The fixing force of the fixing portions 42 to 45 can be set in advance based on the results of, for example, driving tests, crash tests, simulations, etc. The welding conditions, welding area, and number of welding points can be adjusted to achieve the set fixing force.

(Another form of reinforcing member)
In the above-described embodiment, the reinforcing member 40 is plate-shaped extending in the vertical and horizontal directions, but this is not limited thereto, and although not shown, the reinforcing member may be in the shape of a plate, rod, shaft, etc. extending in the horizontal direction, as long as it is a member capable of connecting the right side wall portion 33 and the left side wall portion 34 of the bulge portion 30.

More than one reinforcing member 40 may also be provided. When more than one reinforcing member 40 is provided, they may be arranged side by side in the vertical direction or in the front-to-rear direction.

(Air conditioning equipment)
The automobile according to this embodiment is equipped with an air conditioner 60 as shown in FIG. 8. The air conditioner 60 is provided at the front of the passenger compartment R and is housed inside an instrument panel (not shown). Thus, the vehicle body structure 1 is equipped with the air conditioner 60. The air conditioner 60 shown in the figure is a so-called indoor unit, and the outdoor unit (not shown) including a compressor, a condenser, a receiver, and refrigerant piping connecting these components is disposed in a power chamber S or the like. The outdoor unit may also be included in the air conditioner 60, but in this specification, the indoor unit is referred to as the air conditioner 60. The compressor may be driven by the power of the engine or may be driven by an electric motor.

The air conditioner 60 includes an air conditioner unit main body 61 that generates conditioned air, and a passage component 62. The air conditioner unit main body 61 includes a blower fan 61a, a cooling heat exchanger (cooler) 61b, a heating heat exchanger (heater) 61c, and a casing 61d that houses them. The blower fan 61a is driven by a motor (not shown) and is configured to take in air from an inside air inlet or an outside air inlet formed in the casing 61d into the casing 61d. The inside air inlet and the outside air inlet can be switched by an inside/outside air switching damper (not shown). The air conditioner 60 may include only one of the cooling heat exchanger 61b and the heating heat exchanger 61c.

The cooling heat exchanger 61b and the heating heat exchanger 61c are used to adjust the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan 61a. Specifically, the cooling heat exchanger 61b receives refrigerant that has been decompressed through an expansion valve, and this cooling heat exchanger 61b can be configured as an evaporator. Meanwhile, the heating heat exchanger 61c receives cooling water for cooling the engine, the driving motor, etc., and this heating heat exchanger 61c can be configured as a heater core. The heating heat exchanger 61c may also be configured as a refrigerant condenser. An electric heater such as a PTC heater may also be provided in the air conditioning unit main body 61.

Air taken into the casing 61d by the blower fan 61a passes through the cooling heat exchanger 61b where it is cooled, generating cold air. The amount of air that passes through the cooling heat exchanger 61b that is sent to the heating heat exchanger 61c is set by an air mix damper (not shown). The air that passes through the heating heat exchanger 61c is heated and becomes warm air, which flows downstream of the casing 61d. On the downstream side of the casing 61d, the cold air and the warm air are mixed to generate conditioned air at the desired temperature.

As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioning unit main body 61 is disposed on the left side of the bulge 30 (one side in the vehicle width direction), and as shown in FIG. 4, it is disposed in front of the passenger seat Ps. By fixing the casing 61d of the air conditioning unit main body 61 to the dash panel 3, the air conditioning unit main body 61 can be fixed in a state where it is floating above the floor panel 2. As shown in FIG. 5, the upper part of the casing 61d protrudes above the upper wall part 31 of the bulge 30, and the above-mentioned passage forming member 62 is connected to the upper part of this casing 61d.

The passageway forming member 62 is a member for forming a passageway that distributes the conditioned air generated by the air conditioning unit main body 61 to a desired portion of the vehicle interior R. In this embodiment, the passageway forming member 62 is an air distribution device that distributes the conditioned air to multiple locations in the vehicle interior R. When the passageway forming member 62 is an air distribution device, the passageway forming member 62 has a structure having a duct-shaped portion 62A (shown in FIG. 6) that extends in the left-right direction. The left end of this duct-shaped portion 62A is connected to the right side of the upper portion of the casing 61d, and the left end of the duct-shaped portion 62A communicates with the upper portion of the casing 61d.

The duct-shaped portion 62A extends to the right from the top of the casing 61d, with most of it positioned above (directly above) the upper surface of the bulge 30. As a result, the passageway forming member 60 is positioned to extend above the upper surface of the bulge 30, from the passenger seat Ps side to the driver's seat Dr side. However, the right end of the passageway forming member 60 is positioned directly above the right side wall portion 33 of the bulge 30, and does not reach the right end of the passenger compartment R.

In this way, the space above the bulge 30 can be effectively used as a space for arranging at least a part of the passageway component 62, which is part of the air conditioning device 60. Specifically, at least a part of the lower surface of the passageway component 62 is arranged on the upper surface of the bulge 30 or above the upper surface of the bulge 30. At least a part of the lower surface of the passageway component 62 may be arranged on the upper surface of the bulge 30, or may be arranged above and away from the upper surface of the bulge 30. This avoids an increase in size of the air conditioning unit main body 61 and ensures a large interior space. The passageway component 60 is also arranged in front of the instrument panel member 20.

As shown in FIG. 6, a defroster outlet 62a and a heat outlet 62b are formed in the lower wall of the duct-shaped portion 62A, and a vent outlet 62c is formed in the rear wall of the duct-shaped portion 62A. A defroster duct (not shown) is connected to the defroster outlet 62a. The defroster duct is for supplying conditioned air toward the inner surface of the windshield and is formed to reach the vicinity of the lower part of the windshield. A heat duct (not shown) is connected to the heat outlet 62b. The heat duct is for supplying conditioned air to the vicinity of the feet of the occupant and extends downward. In this embodiment, the defroster outlet 62a and the heat outlet 62b can be formed to communicate with the inside of the bulging portion 30. In this case, the upstream sides of the defroster duct and the heat duct can be connected to the defroster outlet 62a and the heat outlet 62b, respectively, inside the bulging portion 30.

The vent outlet 62c is connected to the internal space of the instrument panel member 20. Specifically, an air inlet 20a is formed in the front part of the center of the instrument panel member 20 in the left-right direction, and this air inlet 20a is connected to the vent outlet 62c.

The duct-shaped portion 62A is provided with a defroster damper 63 for opening and closing the defroster outlet 62a, a heat damper 64 for opening and closing the heat outlet 62b, and a vent damper 65 for opening and closing the vent outlet 62c. The defroster damper 63, the heat damper 64, and the vent damper 65 can be opened and closed by an actuator or a lever operated by the occupant. For example, if the defroster damper 63 and the heat damper 64 are closed and the vent damper 65 is opened, the blowing mode becomes the vent mode. In the vent mode, the conditioned air flows from the duct-shaped portion 62A through the vent outlet 62c and the air inlet 20a into the internal space of the instrument panel member 20. It is also possible to switch to another blowing mode by a conventionally known method.

As shown in FIG. 1, a center vent opening 20b is formed in the rear surface of the instrument panel member 20 in the center of the left-right direction. The center vent opening 20b is connected to a center vent nozzle of an instrument panel (not shown). A right vent opening 20c is formed in the rear surface near the right end of the instrument panel member 20 (a portion distant in the vehicle width direction from the vent outlet 62c). The right vent opening 20c is connected to a right vent nozzle of an instrument panel (not shown). A left vent opening 20d is formed in the rear surface near the left end of the instrument panel member 20 (a portion distant in the vehicle width direction from the vent outlet 62c). The left vent opening 20d is connected to a left vent nozzle of an instrument panel (not shown). Each vent nozzle is intended to supply conditioned air toward the upper body of the occupant.

In the above-described embodiment, since the passageway component 60 is an air distribution device, it is not necessary to provide the defroster damper 63, heat damper 64, and vent damper 65 in the air conditioning unit main body 61, and the air conditioning unit main body 61 can be made smaller. As an alternative embodiment, the passageway component 60 can be a duct.

When the passage component 60 is a duct, the defroster damper 63, the heat damper 64, and the vent damper 65 are provided in the air conditioning unit main body 61, and the passage component 60 can be used as a vent duct or a defroster duct. When the passage component 60 is a vent duct, the passage component 60 can be configured as a cylindrical member extending from the vicinity of the right end to the vicinity of the left end of the vehicle interior R. When the passage component 60 is a defroster duct, the passage component 60 may extend from the vicinity of the right end to the vicinity of the left end of the vehicle interior R, or may be disposed only in the middle part in the left-right direction as shown in FIG. 5, etc. Even when the passage component 60 is a vent duct or a defroster duct, it is not necessary to provide a vent duct or a defroster duct in the air conditioning unit main body 61, so the air conditioning unit main body 61 can be made smaller. When the passage component 60 is a duct, it is not necessary to make the instrument panel member 20 function as a duct, so it can be a general instrument panel member 20.

It is also possible to have a structure in which the conditioned air blows out from the lower part of the air conditioning unit main body 61. In this case, the upstream side of the passageway component 60 is connected to the lower part of the air conditioning unit main body 61 and extends upward along the left side wall 34 of the bulge 30. The downstream side (upper part) of the passageway component 60 is bent to the right and extends to the right along the upper wall 31 of the bulge 30. In other words, in this case, only a part of the passageway component 60 (downstream part) is positioned above the upper surface of the bulge 30, but it is the same as the above-mentioned form in that the space above the bulge 30 can be effectively used.

If the driver's seat Dr is on the left side, the air conditioning unit main body 61 should be positioned to the right of the bulge 30.

(Effects of the embodiment)
As described above, according to this embodiment, the dash panel 3 is provided with the bulging portion 30 that bulges rearward, so that the rearward stroke amount of the powertrain PT can be sufficiently secured in the event of a frontal collision, thereby improving the safety of the occupants. Furthermore, at least a portion of the passage forming member 62 connected to the air conditioning unit main body 61 is disposed above the upper surface of the bulging portion 30, so that the space above the bulging portion 30 can be effectively utilized to secure a large interior space.

The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative in all respects and should not be interpreted as limiting. Furthermore, all modifications and variations within the scope of the claims are within the scope of the present invention.

As explained above, the vehicle body structure according to the present invention can be applied to a vehicle equipped with a dash panel that separates the passenger compartment from the power compartment.

Reference Signs List 1 Vehicle body structure 2 Floor panel 3 Dash panel 8 Cowl panel 9, 10 Hinge pillar 20 Instrument panel member 20c Right vent opening 20d Left vent opening 30 Bulging portion 60 Air conditioning device 61 Air conditioning unit main body 61a Blower fan 61b Cooling heat exchanger (cooler)
61c Heating heat exchanger (heater)
62 Passage component (air distribution device)
62a Defroster outlet 62b Heat outlet 62c Vent outlet Dr Driver's seat Ps Passenger's seat PT Power train R Vehicle compartment S Power compartment

Claims (6)

A vehicle body structure of a vehicle including: a dash panel that separates a vehicle interior from a power compartment that is provided in a front portion of the vehicle interior and that stores a power train; and an air conditioning device that is provided in a front portion of the vehicle interior,
The dash panel has a bulging portion formed at a central portion in a vehicle width direction that bulges toward the rear of the vehicle,
The air conditioning device is arranged to the side of the bulge portion and includes an air conditioning unit main body that generates conditioned air, and a passageway forming member that is connected to the air conditioning unit main body and forms a passageway for sending the conditioned air generated by the air conditioning unit main body to a desired portion of the vehicle cabin, wherein the passageway forming member and the bulge portion overlap each other in a plan view, and at least a portion of the lower surface of the passageway forming member is arranged on the upper surface of the bulge portion or higher than the upper surface of the bulge portion. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1,
The air conditioning unit main body includes a blower fan and at least one of a heater and a cooler that adjusts the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan,
The vehicle body structure, wherein the passage component is a duct. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1,
The air conditioning unit main body includes a blower fan and at least one of a heater and a cooler that adjusts the temperature of the air blown by the blower fan,
The passage component is a vehicle body structure that is an air distribution device that distributes conditioned air to multiple locations in the vehicle cabin. The vehicle body structure according to claim 3,
a pair of left and right hinge pillars disposed so as to extend in a vertical direction at both ends of the dash panel in a vehicle width direction; and a hollow instrument panel member fixed to the hinge pillars and extending in the vehicle width direction,
Among the plurality of air outlets provided in the air distribution device, an arbitrary air outlet is connected to an internal space of the instrument panel member,
A vehicle body structure in which an opening through which conditioned air blows out is formed in a portion of the instrument panel member that is separated in a vehicle width direction from a connection portion with the air outlet. The vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a pair of left and right hinge pillars disposed so as to extend in a vertical direction at both ends of the dash panel in a vehicle width direction; and an instrument panel member fixed to the hinge pillars and extending in the vehicle width direction,
A vehicle body structure in which at least a portion of the passage component is disposed in front of the instrument panel member. The vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The air conditioning unit main body is disposed in front of the passenger seat of the vehicle interior,
A vehicle body structure in which the passage component is disposed above an upper surface of the bulge portion so as to extend from the passenger seat side to the driver seat side.

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