JP7655208B2 - vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle.

The vehicle in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a dash panel, an internal combustion engine, and a booster. The dash panel separates the engine room from the passenger compartment. The internal combustion engine is located in the engine room. The booster is located in the engine room, between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel. The booster is connected to a brake pedal located in the passenger compartment. The booster amplifies the force input to the brake pedal.

JP 2016-070092 A

In vehicles such as that described in Patent Document 1, the brake pedal is supported rotatably relative to the dash panel. In the event of a frontal collision in which an object collides with such a vehicle from the front, the engine compartment is crushed and the internal combustion engine moves rearward. When the booster device comes into contact with the internal combustion engine and moves rearward, the booster device pushes the dash panel rearward. At this time, depending on the relative positions of the booster device and the brake pedal, and the relative positions of the internal combustion engine and the booster device, there is a risk that the brake pedal will rotate and protrude into the passenger compartment.

A vehicle for solving the above problem includes a dash panel separating an engine room and a passenger compartment, an internal combustion engine located in the engine room, a brake pedal rotatably supported on the dash panel and located in the passenger compartment, and a booster connected to the brake pedal and amplifying the force input from the brake pedal, wherein the brake pedal includes a bracket fixed to the dash panel, an arm rotatably supported on the bracket and extending downward from the bracket, and a pedal body fixed to the end of the arm opposite the bracket, at least a portion of the booster is located between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel, and when the portion of the booster located between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel is defined as a specific portion, the specific portion is located in front of the arm, and further includes a spacer located in the engine room, between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel, and above the booster as viewed from the booster , and fixed to the dash panel .

According to the above configuration, the spacer in contact with the internal combustion engine moves rearward, which pushes the dash panel rearward. Similarly, the booster in contact with the internal combustion engine moves rearward, which pushes the dash panel rearward. This causes the entire arm and bracket of the brake pedal to move rearward. Therefore, the arm is prevented from rotating rearward due to being pushed significantly rearward relative to the bracket. In this way, if the rotation of the arm can be suppressed, the pedal body of the brake pedal can be prevented from protruding significantly rearward.

In the above configuration, the internal combustion engine comprises an engine body having a cylinder and a chain case fixed to the engine body, the chain case being located in front of the specific portion and the spacer, the chain case comprising a case body defining an internal space, a front rib protruding from the surface of the case body and extending linearly from the front side to the rear side, and a rear rib protruding from the rear surface of the case body and extending linearly from the front side to the rear side, the front rib and the rear rib being located at positions symmetrical with respect to the case body.

The above configuration makes it possible to increase the axial rigidity of the chain case. This makes it less likely that the chain case will be destroyed early in a vehicle frontal collision, resulting in a failure to transmit the impact to the dash panel and brake pedal as expected. In addition, because the front and rear ribs are located at positions that are symmetrical with each other, the total protruding length of the front and rear ribs combined can be increased without increasing the protruding length of each of the front and rear ribs from the case body. Therefore, a high reinforcing effect can be achieved without increasing the protruding length of each of the front and rear ribs from the case body.

In the above configuration, when the area of the chain case facing the spacer in the front-rear direction is defined as a first area, and the area facing the specific part in the front-rear direction is defined as a second area, the front rib and the back rib may be located in the first area.

The above configuration improves the axial rigidity of the first region of the chain case, which is located in front of the spacer. This makes it easier to transmit impacts to a relatively upper position on the brake pedal, and more reliably prevents the arm from rotating when the arm is pushed rearward relative to the bracket.

In the above configuration, when the area of the chain case facing the spacer in the front-rear direction is defined as a first area, and the area facing the specific part in the front-rear direction is defined as a second area, the axial stiffness in the front-rear direction in the first area may be higher than the axial stiffness in the front-rear direction in the second area.

With the above configuration, it is easier to transmit an impact to a relatively upper position on the brake pedal than when, for example, the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region is the same as the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the second region. Therefore, it is easier to transmit an impact to a relatively upper position on the brake pedal, and rotation of the arm caused by the arm being pushed rearward relative to the bracket can be more reliably suppressed.

In the above configuration, the chain case may have a flat surface that faces the spacer in the front-rear direction.
With the above configuration, even if the positional relationship between the chain case and the spacer is slightly shifted during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the flat surface of the chain case is more likely to come into contact with the spacer. If the spacer comes into contact with the flat surface in this manner, it is possible to prevent the impact force from the chain case from being transmitted to the spacer in an unintended direction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vehicle viewed from above toward below. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a frontal collision occurs. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a state at the time of a frontal collision according to a comparative example.

<General configuration of the vehicle>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. In the following description, the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions refer to directions as seen by a driver seated in the driver's seat of a vehicle 100.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 includes a front panel 11, a left side panel 12, a right side panel 13, and a dash panel 14. The front panel 11, the left side panel 12, and the right side panel 13, together with a bonnet and an undercover (not shown), define the interior space of the vehicle 100. The front panel 11, the left side panel 12, and the right side panel 13 are fixed to a frame member (not shown) of the vehicle 100. The front panel 11 forms the front wall of the vehicle 100. The left side panel 12 forms the left wall of the vehicle 100. The right side panel 13 forms the right wall of the vehicle 100. Note that FIG. 1 shows a simplified configuration of each part.

The dash panel 14 is located at a distance rearward from the front panel 11. The dash panel 14 is fixed to a frame member of the vehicle 100 (not shown). One of the two main surfaces of the dash panel 14 faces forward, and the other faces rearward. Thus, the dash panel 14 divides the interior space of the vehicle 100 into an engine room X and a passenger compartment Y. The engine room X is a space located forward as viewed from the dash panel 14. The passenger compartment Y is a space located rearward as viewed from the dash panel 14. The main surface refers to the outer surface with the largest area.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 100 is equipped with an internal combustion engine 20, a brake pedal 50, a booster 60, and a steering wheel 80. As shown in Figure 1, when the internal combustion engine 20 is viewed downward from above the vehicle 100, the internal combustion engine 20 is located approximately in the center of the engine room X. The internal combustion engine 20 is equipped with an engine body 30 and a chain case 40. The left-right center of the engine body 30 is located slightly to the left when viewed from the left-right center of the engine room X. The engine body 30 is shaped like a rectangular prism overall. The engine body 30 is equipped with four cylinders 31 as spaces in which fuel is burned. The four cylinders 31 are lined up on the left and right.

As shown in FIG. 1, the chain case 40 is fixed to the right wall of the engine body 30. Therefore, the chain case 40 is located to the right of the engine room X when viewed from the center. The specific configuration of the chain case 40 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the brake pedal 50 is located at the front end of the passenger compartment Y. As shown in FIG. 2, the brake pedal 50 is located at the rear of the chain case 40. In other words, the brake pedal 50 is located to the right of the passenger compartment Y when viewed from the center.

2, the brake pedal 50 includes a bracket 51, an arm 52, and a pedal body 53. The bracket 51 is fixed to the rear surface of the dash panel 14. The bracket 51 protrudes rearward from the dash panel 14. The arm 52 is generally curved and rod-shaped. A first end of the arm 52 is connected to the rear end of the bracket 51. The arm 52 extends downward from the rear end of the bracket 51. The arm 52 is curved so that the lower side of the arm 52 is located further rearward. The arm 52 is supported so as to be rotatable relative to the bracket 51 around the connecting portion with the bracket 51. The pedal body 53 is fixed to the second end of the arm 52. That is, the pedal body 53 is fixed to the end of the arm 52 opposite the bracket 51. The pedal body 53 is generally rectangular plate-shaped.

As shown in FIG. 2, the booster 60 includes a device body 61 and a rod 62. The device body 61 is fixed to the front of the dash panel 14. The entire device body 61 is located between the chain case 40 and the dash panel 14 in the engine room X. That is, in this embodiment, the entire device body 61 is a specific portion. The device body 61 is located in front of the arm 52. Specifically, the device body 61 is slightly above the center of the arm 52 and below the connecting portion of the arm 52 and the bracket 51. Although the illustration is simplified in FIG. 2, the device body 61 is, for example, a brake booster, a master cylinder, a pump, etc. The first end of the rod 62 is located inside the device body 61. A portion of the rod 62 including the second end protrudes rearward from the device body 61. The second end of the rod 62 is connected to a portion that is slightly above the center of the arm 52 and below the connection between the arm 52 and the bracket 51.

The rod 62 transmits the rotational movement of the arm 52 to the device body 61. Specifically, when the driver of the vehicle 100 depresses the pedal body 53 of the brake pedal 50, the arm 52 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 around the connection part with the bracket 51. Then, the rod 62 moves forward, and the force from the brake pedal 50 is input to the device body 61. The device body 61 then amplifies the force input from the brake pedal 50 and transmits it to a brake device (not shown). As a result, the brake device operates to generate a braking force for the vehicle 100. An example of a brake device is a disc brake device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the steering wheel 80 is located rearward of the brake pedal 50 in the vehicle interior Y. In other words, the steering wheel 80 is located to the right of the vehicle interior Y when viewed from the center.

<Peripheral configuration of booster>
As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle 100 is provided with a spacer 70. The spacer 70 is located in the engine room X, between the chain case 40 and the dash panel 14. The spacer 70 is located above when viewed from the device main body 61. The spacer 70 is also located forward of the connection portion between the arm 52 and the bracket 51. The spacer 70 is fixed to the front surface of the dash panel 14. The spacer 70 has an overall rectangular prism shape. A front surface 71 of the spacer 70 is slightly inclined so that the lower it is, the more forward it is positioned.

The chain case 40 includes a case body 41. The case body 41 is shaped like a box that is open on the left side. In other words, the case body 41 defines an internal space 41Z. The dimension of the case body 41 in the direction along the top and bottom of the vehicle 100 is greater than the dimension of the case body 41 in the direction along the front and rear of the vehicle 100. The case body 41 houses a chain, multiple sprockets, etc. (not shown) in the internal space 41Z.

The case body 41 has a crank through hole 42, an intake through hole 43, an exhaust through hole 44, and a raised portion 45. The crank through hole 42 penetrates the case body 41 from left to right. The crank through hole 42 is located near the lower end of the case body 41. The position of the crank through hole 42 corresponds to the position of a crank sprocket connected to a crankshaft (not shown). The intake through hole 43 penetrates the case body 41 from left to right. The intake through hole 43 is located near the upper end of the case body 41 and near the front end. The position of the intake through hole 43 corresponds to the position of an intake sprocket connected to an intake camshaft (not shown). The exhaust through hole 44 penetrates the case body 41 from left to right. The exhaust through hole 44 is located near the upper end of the case body 41 and near the rear end. The position of the exhaust through hole 44 corresponds to the position of the exhaust sprocket that connects to the exhaust camshaft (not shown). The raised portion 45 is raised to the right relative to the other parts. The raised portion 45 surrounds the exhaust through hole 44. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, when the chain case 40 is viewed from the right to the left of the vehicle 100, the shape of the raised portion 45 is approximately annular.

As shown in FIG. 2, a portion of the chain case 40 is located in front of the device body 61 and the spacer 70. Here, the area of the chain case 40 facing the spacer 70 in the front-rear direction is referred to as the first area 40A, and the area of the chain case 40 facing the device body 61 in the front-rear direction is referred to as the second area 40B. The first area 40A is an area that includes the intake through-hole 43, the exhaust through-hole 44, and the raised portion 45. The second area 40B is an area adjacent to and below the first area 40A.

Of the rear end faces of the case body 41, the face located in the first region 40A is the opposing face 41A. The opposing face 41A is a flat plane. In other words, the opposing face 41A is a plane that faces the spacer 70 in the front-to-rear direction. In this embodiment, the opposing face 41A is slightly inclined so that the lower it is, the more forward it is positioned, and is approximately parallel to the front surface 71 of the spacer 70. In the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 100, the shortest distance from the opposing face 41A to the spacer 70 is smaller than the shortest distance from the rear end face of the case body 41 located in the second region 40B to the device body 61.

As shown in FIG. 3, the chain case 40 has a plurality of front ribs 46 and a plurality of back ribs 47. The front rib 46 protrudes from the right side of the case body 41. The right side of the case body 41 is the side facing the paper in FIG. 2 and the left side in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the front rib 46 extends linearly from the front to the rear of the vehicle 100. The front rib 46 extends from the raised portion 45 to the rear end of the case body 41. In this embodiment, the chain case 40 has two front ribs 46. The two front ribs 46 extend parallel to each other. The two front ribs 46 are located in the first region 40A. In this embodiment, the right side of the case body 41 is the surface of the case body 41 because it is located outside the internal space 41Z of the case body 41.

3, the rear rib 47 protrudes from the left side of the case body 41. The left side of the case body 41 is the side at the back of the paper in FIG. 2 and the right side in FIG. 3. Specifically, the rear rib 47 is located on the opposite side of the case body 41 to the front rib 46. That is, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 are located at positions that are symmetrical with respect to the case body 41. The rear rib 47 extends linearly from the front to the rear of the vehicle 100. The rear rib 47 extends from the raised portion 45 to the rear end of the case body 41. In this embodiment, the chain case 40 has two rear ribs 47 corresponding to the two front ribs 46. The two rear ribs 47 extend parallel to each other. The two rear ribs 47 are located in the first region 40A. In this embodiment, the left side of the case body 41 is the rear surface of the case body 41.

In this embodiment, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 are located in the first region 40A, while the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 are not located in the second region 40B. Therefore, the axial stiffness in the front-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 is higher than the axial stiffness in the front-rear direction in the second region 40B of the chain case 40.

<Action of this embodiment>
4, in the event of a frontal collision in which an object collides with the vehicle 100 from the front, the engine compartment X is crushed and the internal combustion engine 20 moves rearward. Then, the device body 61 and the spacer 70 of the booster 60, which are in contact with the chain case 40 of the internal combustion engine 20, move rearward.

<Effects of this embodiment>
(1) As shown in FIG. 5, suppose that the vehicle 100 does not include the spacer 70. In this case, when the vehicle 100 is hit from the front, the second region 40B of the chain case 40 first comes into contact with the device body 61. Then, only the vicinity of the device body 61 of the dash panel 14 is pushed rearward. Then, the amount of rearward movement of the arm 52 becomes greater than the amount of rearward movement of the bracket 51. Then, as shown by the dash-dotted arrow in FIG. 5, the arm 52 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 5 around the connection portion with the bracket 51. As a result, the amount of rearward movement of the pedal body 53 of the brake pedal 50 becomes greater, that is, the pedal body 53 protrudes significantly rearward.

As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is equipped with a spacer 70. Therefore, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle 100, the dash panel 14 near the spacer 70 is also pushed rearward. As a result, the bracket 51 and the arm 52 as a whole move rearward. If the amount of rearward movement of the arm 52 and the bracket 51 is approximately the same, the rotation of the arm 52 about the connection part with the bracket 51 is suppressed compared to the arm 52 of the comparative example shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4. As a result, the pedal body 53 can be prevented from protruding significantly rearward.

(2) The chain case 40 has an internal space 41Z, and therefore has lower axial rigidity than the engine body 30. Therefore, in the event of a front collision of the vehicle 100, the chain case 40 may be destroyed early, and may not transmit the impact to the dash panel 14 and the brake pedal 50 as expected. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the chain case 40 has a front rib 46 and a rear rib 47. Therefore, in the event of a front collision of the vehicle 100, the impact can be transmitted to the dash panel 14 and the brake pedal 50 via the chain case 40 as expected.

(3) In the above embodiment, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 are located at positions that are symmetrical with respect to each other. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the protruding length of each of the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 from the case body 41. If the protruding length of the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 can be shortened, there is no need to perform steep processing when molding the chain case 40, which contributes to simplifying the manufacturing process and improving yields. On the other hand, the total protruding length of the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 can be increased, which provides a high reinforcing effect.

(4) In this embodiment, the front rib 46 and the back rib 47 are located in the first region 40A of the chain case 40, which faces the spacer 70 in the front-rear direction. This improves the axial rigidity of the first region 40A of the chain case 40, which is located in front of the spacer 70 and is likely to come into contact with the spacer 70. If the axial rigidity of the first region 40A of the chain case 40 can be improved, it is easier to transmit impacts to a relatively upper position on the brake pedal 50. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress rotation of the arm 52 caused by the arm 52 moving rearward relative to the bracket 51.

(5) In this embodiment, the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 is higher than the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the second region 40B of the chain case 40. As a result, an impact is more likely to be transmitted to a relatively upper position on the brake pedal 50 than when, for example, the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 is the same as that in the second region 40B. This makes it possible to more reliably suppress rotation of the arm 52 caused by the arm 52 moving rearward relative to the bracket 51.

(6) In this embodiment, the chain case 40 has an opposing surface 41A that is a flat surface that faces the spacer 70 in the front-to-rear direction. This increases the likelihood that the opposing surface 41A of the chain case 40 will come into contact with the spacer 70 even if the positional relationship between the chain case 40 and the spacer 70 shifts slightly during a frontal collision of the vehicle 100. If the spacer 70 comes into contact with the opposing surface 41A, which is a flat surface, in this way, it is possible to prevent the impact force from the chain case 40 from being transmitted to the spacer 70 in an unintended direction.

(7) In this embodiment, the opposing surface 41A of the chain case 40 is approximately parallel to the front surface 71 of the spacer 70. This increases the likelihood that the chain case 40 and the spacer 70 will come into surface contact. As a result, it also increases the likelihood that energy from the chain case 40 can be transmitted to the spacer 70 as expected.

<Example of change>
This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction.

- In the above embodiment, the shape of the case body 41 in the chain case 40 may be changed. For example, the opposing surface 41A of the case body 41 does not have to be substantially parallel to the front surface 71 of the spacer 70. Also, for example, the opposing surface 41A of the case body 41 may be a curved surface.

- In the above embodiment, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 of the chain case 40 do not have to extend in the front-rear direction. For example, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 may be inclined relative to the front and rear of the vehicle 100. Even in this case, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 can be said to extend from the front side to the rear side of the vehicle 100.

- In the above embodiment, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 of the chain case 40 do not have to extend in a straight line. The front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 may be entirely or partially arc-shaped, or may be bent in the middle.

- In the above embodiment, the positions of the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 in the chain case 40 may be changed. For example, the front rib 46 and the rear rib 47 may be located in the second region 40B instead of or in addition to the first region 40A. Even in this configuration, it is preferable that the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 is higher than the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the second region 40B of the chain case 40.

- In the above embodiment, the number of front ribs 46 and rear ribs 47 in the chain case 40 may be changed. As a specific example, the number of front ribs 46 may be one or three or more. Similarly, the number of rear ribs 47 may be one or three or more.

- In the above embodiment, the front ribs 46 and the back ribs 47 of the chain case 40 may be omitted. Even in this configuration, there is no problem as long as the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 is higher than the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the second region 40B of the chain case 40.

- In the above embodiment, the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 may be lower than the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the second region 40B of the chain case 40. For example, if the axial stiffness in the front-to-rear direction in the first region 40A of the chain case 40 is ensured to be equal to or greater than a certain value, the spacer 70 can be moved rearward by contact between the chain case 40 and the spacer 70.

- In the above embodiment, the configuration of the internal combustion engine 20 may be changed. As a specific example, the chain case 40 may be fixed to the left wall of the engine body 30. In this case, for example, the device body 61 and spacer 70 of the booster 60 may be located between the engine body 30 and the dash panel 14. Also, for example, the device body 61 and spacer 70 of the booster 60 may be located on the left side of the engine room X, and thus may be located between the chain case 40 and the dash panel 14. In other words, the present technology may also be applied to a configuration in which the brake pedal 50 is located on the left side of the passenger compartment Y when viewed from the center of the left and right.

- In the above embodiment, the specific part of the booster 60 may be changed. For example, only a part of the device body 61 may be located between the chain case 40 and the dash panel 14 in the engine room X. In this case, the part of the device body 61 is the specific part.

- In the above embodiment, the shape of the spacer 70 may be changed. Specifically, the shape of the spacer 70 may be changed to match the shape of the chain case 40 and the device body 61 of the booster 60, etc.

X...engine room Y...vehicle interior 11...front panel 12...left side panel 13...right side panel 14...dash panel 20...internal combustion engine 30...engine body 31...cylinder 40...chain case 40A...first region 40B...second region 41...case body 41A...opposing surface 41Z...internal space 46...front rib 47...rear rib 50...brake pedal 51...bracket 52...arm 53...pedal body 60...power booster 61...device body 62...rod 70...spacer 71...front surface 80...steering wheel 100...vehicle

Claims (5)

A dash panel that separates the engine room and the passenger compartment;
an internal combustion engine located in the engine compartment;
a brake pedal rotatably supported with respect to the dash panel and positioned in the vehicle compartment;
a brake pedal amplifying a force input from the brake pedal;
A vehicle comprising:
The brake pedal
A bracket fixed to the dash panel;
an arm rotatably supported relative to the bracket and extending downward from the bracket;
a pedal body fixed to an end of the arm opposite to the bracket,
At least a portion of the booster is located between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel,
when a portion of the booster that is located between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel is defined as a specific portion, the specific portion is located in front of the arm,
the vehicle further comprising a spacer located in the engine compartment between the internal combustion engine and the dash panel, above the booster , and fixed to the dash panel . The internal combustion engine includes:
An engine body having a cylinder;
A chain case fixed to the engine body,
The chain case is located in front of the specific portion and the spacer,
The chain case is
A case body that defines an internal space;
a front rib protruding from a surface of the case body and extending linearly from the front side to the rear side;
A back rib protruding from the back surface of the case body and extending linearly from the front side to the rear side,
The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the front rib and the rear rib are positioned at positions symmetrical with respect to a plane of the case body. When a region of the chain case facing the spacer in the front-rear direction is defined as a first region, and a region of the chain case facing the specific portion in the front-rear direction is defined as a second region,
The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the front rib and the rear rib are located in the first region. When a region of the chain case facing the spacer in the front-rear direction is defined as a first region, and a region of the chain case facing the specific portion in the front-rear direction is defined as a second region,
The vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an axial stiffness in a front-rear direction in the first region is higher than an axial stiffness in a front-rear direction in the second region. The vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the chain case has a flat surface facing the spacer in the front-rear direction.

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