JP7750010B2 - Vehicle instrument panel structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle instrument panel structure.

A display device with a screen, such as a car navigation system or audio system, is mounted in the center of the vehicle's width direction on the instrument panel of a vehicle such as an automobile. In recent years, display devices have increasingly been configured to protrude upward from an opening at the top of the instrument panel, with the screen facing toward the rear of the vehicle, i.e., toward the occupants.

However, with this structure, if an occupant collides with the display device in front of them, the display device may fall forward, causing the frame member covering the display screen to become detached from the instrument panel or become damaged, potentially increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.

Patent Document 1 describes an instrument panel to which a display device is attached. This instrument panel includes a panel body and a cover. The panel body has an opening that extends from the portion where the display device is attached to a portion of the panel body that is behind the attachment portion of the display. The cover is attached to the panel body and covers the portion of the panel body opening that is behind the attachment portion of the display from the outside of the panel body.

In the instrument panel of Patent Document 1, the cover is separate from the panel body, so when strong pressure is applied, the cover separates from the panel body. Meanwhile, because the panel body is provided with an opening, when the cover separates from the panel body, a space is created behind the display of the display device into which the display device can be displaced. Patent Document 1 therefore claims that if a passenger or other person collides with the display device from the front, the display device will displace more toward the rear of the display, thereby dissipating the load and mitigating the impact of the collision.

Patent Document 2 describes an instrument panel structure. This structure includes an instrument panel main body provided at the front of the vehicle cabin, and a base having energy absorbing means. This base is attached to the instrument panel main body, and a display is erected on it. The energy absorbing means deforms due to an impact load input to the display, absorbing the impact energy. Patent Document 2 states that the energy absorbing means can mitigate the impact that occupants receive from the display in the event of a vehicle collision.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-217849 JP 2013-28287 A

In Patent Document 1, when an occupant collides with the display device, the cover and the panel body separate, and the display device is displaced rearward to absorb the impact. In Patent Document 2, the energy absorbing means is provided on the base and engages with a first engaged portion provided on the instrument panel body, and is deformed by the impact load, disengaging from the first engaged portion.

In other words, Patent Documents 1 and 2 employ a configuration in which, when an occupant collides with the display device in front of them, parts separate or displace, or parts become disengaged from each other to absorb the impact. However, with such a configuration, the behavior of the parts when impacted is unstable, and there is still a risk of the parts becoming detached and their edges projecting into the passenger compartment, resulting in behavior that is undesirable for the occupant.

In view of these issues, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle instrument panel structure that can reliably prevent the display device from tipping forward and the frame member from becoming detached from the instrument panel, even if a passenger collides with the display device in front of it.

To solve the above problems, a representative configuration of the vehicle instrument panel structure of the present invention is a vehicle instrument panel structure comprising a vehicle instrument panel, a first opening provided in the instrument panel and opening upward, and a display device having a screen that protrudes upward from the first opening and faces the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle instrument panel structure further comprises a frame member that covers the screen of the display device, and a base member that is disposed between the display device and the frame member and fixed to the instrument panel to hold the frame member. The frame member has an upper side that has a second opening that exposes the screen of the display device and is joined to the base member around the second opening, a lower side that is located below the upper side, and a fixing portion that protrudes downward from the lower side and is fixed to the instrument panel.

This invention provides a vehicle instrument panel structure that can reliably prevent the display device from tipping forward and the frame member from becoming detached from the instrument panel, even if an occupant collides with the display device in front of it.

1 is a diagram showing a vehicle instrument panel structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a diagram showing a main part of the vehicle instrument panel structure of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing the frame member of FIG. 2( a ). FIG. 3 is a view showing the base member of FIG. 2( a ). 2 is a diagram showing a main part of the vehicle instrument panel structure of FIG. 1( a ). FIG. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing cross sections of the vehicle instrument panel structure shown in FIG.

A typical configuration of a vehicle instrument panel structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle instrument panel structure comprising: a vehicle instrument panel; a first opening provided in the instrument panel and opening upward; and a display device having a screen that protrudes upward from the first opening and faces the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle instrument panel structure further comprises a frame member that covers the screen of the display device; and a base member that is disposed between the display device and the frame member and fixed to the instrument panel to hold the frame member. The frame member has an upper side that has a second opening that exposes the screen of the display device and is joined to the base member around the second opening, a lower side that is located below the upper side, and a fixing portion that protrudes downward from the lower side and is fixed to the instrument panel.

In the above configuration, the upper portion of the frame member covering the screen of the display device is joined to a base member fixed to the instrument panel, and the fixing portion protruding downward from the lower portion is fixed to the instrument panel. This reliably prevents the display device from tipping forward and the frame member from becoming detached from the instrument panel, even if an occupant collides with the display device protruding upward from the first opening in the instrument panel. Therefore, with the above configuration, even if an occupant collides with a display device in front of them, it is possible to prevent undesirable behavior for the occupant, such as the frame member becoming detached and the edge of the frame member protruding into the passenger compartment, from occurring.

The above-mentioned vehicle instrument panel structure further includes a decorative member that is attached to the instrument panel from the rear of the vehicle and that, together with the instrument panel, clamps the fixed portion of the frame member.

In this way, the fixing portion that protrudes downward from the lower portion of the frame member is not only fixed to the instrument panel, but is also sandwiched between the instrument panel and the decorative member, which reliably prevents the frame member from coming loose and flying into the passenger compartment if an occupant collides with the display device in front of them.

The lower portion of the frame member is inclined rearward as it extends downward, and the vehicle instrument panel structure further includes a reinforcing portion that spans the first opening in the vehicle width direction and overlaps with the lower end of the upper portion of the frame member when viewed from the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the frame member further has a forward convex portion that protrudes forward of the vehicle from the lower end of the upper portion, and the reinforcing portion and the front surface of the forward convex portion are positioned close to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

In the above configuration, the reinforcing portion spanning the first opening of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction and the front surface of the forward convex portion formed at the lower end of the upper portion are positioned close to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction (for example, by approximately 5 mm). Therefore, if an occupant collides with the display device in front, the forward convex portion of the upper portion of the frame member can quickly abut against the reinforcing portion of the instrument panel. Therefore, with the above configuration, the frame member can be prevented from being displaced significantly forward, minimizing damage to the frame member.

The above-mentioned reinforcing portion has a rear convex portion that protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle, and the rear surface of the rear convex portion of the reinforcing portion overlaps with the front surface of the front convex portion of the frame member when viewed from the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

This increases the rigidity of the reinforcing portion of the instrument panel. Therefore, if an occupant collides with the display device from the front and the front convex portion of the frame member abuts against the rear convex portion of the reinforcing portion, deformation of the frame member can be suppressed.

A recessed cavity is formed on the front side of the upper end of the upper part of the frame member, and the base member has a rib that protrudes rearward and is inserted into the recess of the frame member.

In this way, the base member holds the frame member by inserting the ribs into the recesses in the frame member, preventing the upper end of the upper part of the frame member from breaking and being damaged.

The above-mentioned vehicle instrument panel structure further includes a pair of brackets installed in the first opening and fixing the display device to the instrument panel. Each of the pair of brackets has a main body portion erected along the side edge of the first opening, a lower edge portion protruding from the lower end of the main body portion toward the first opening and held by the reinforcing portion, a first mounting portion protruding along the rear end of the main body portion in a direction away from the display device and joined to the side of the second opening of the frame member to attach the frame member, and a second mounting portion extending downward from the rear end of the lower edge portion to attach the base member. The upper side of the frame member is joined to the upper and lower ends of the first mounting portion, respectively.

In this way, the pair of brackets not only secure the display device to the instrument panel, but also allow the frame member to be attached via the first mounting portion, and the base member to be attached via the second mounting portion. Therefore, by attaching the frame member and base member to the pair of brackets without adding any other components, the rigidity of these components can be improved. Furthermore, by joining the upper side of the frame member to the upper and lower ends of the first mounting portion, the rigidity of the frame member can be increased. Furthermore, by joining the first mounting portion to the side of the second opening of the frame member, it is possible to prevent the frame member from breaking and being damaged starting from the second opening in the event of a frontal collision with the display device by an occupant.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in these embodiments are merely examples intended to facilitate understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

Figure 1 shows a vehicle instrument panel structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following figures, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows "Front" and "Back," the left and right directions of the vehicle width are indicated by arrows "Left" and "Right," and the up-down direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows "Up" and "Down."

The vehicle instrument panel structure 100 comprises a vehicle instrument panel 102, a decorative member 104, and a display device 106 shown in Figure 1(a). The instrument panel 102 is a resin component extending in the vehicle width direction, and together with the decorative member 104, forms the design surface of the front of the vehicle interior. The decorative member 104 is attached to the instrument panel 102 from the rear of the vehicle.

The instrument panel 102 has a first opening 108 that opens upward, as shown in Figure 1(b). Note that Figure 1(b) shows the first opening 108 of the instrument panel 102 and its surrounding area.

The display device 106 is positioned to protrude upward from the first opening 108 and has a screen 110 facing toward the rear of the vehicle. The first opening 108 and the display device 106 are covered from above by a cover member 112 shown in Figure 1(a).

The vehicle instrument panel structure 100 further includes a frame member 114, a reinforcing portion 116 shown in FIG. 1(b), and a base member 118 and a pair of brackets 120, 122 shown in FIG. 2. The frame member 114 is a frame-shaped member that covers the screen 110 of the display device 106 while leaving the screen 110 exposed.

The reinforcing portion 116 spans the first opening 108 of the instrument panel 102 in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcing portion 116 also has rear convex portions 128, 130 formed with rear surfaces 124, 126 that protrude toward the rear of the vehicle. This increases the rigidity of the reinforcing portion 116. The rear convex portions 128, 130 are, for example, frustum-shaped and convex toward the rear.

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the main parts of the vehicle instrument panel structure 100 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the frame member 114 of Figure 2(a). Figure 4 is a diagram showing the base member 118 of Figure 2(a).

As shown in FIG. 2(a), the base member 118 is disposed between the display device 106 and the frame member 114. Furthermore, the base member 118 is fixed to the instrument panel 102 to hold the frame member 114. Also, in FIG. 2(a), the pair of brackets 120, 122 shown in FIG. 2(b) are omitted from the illustration of each component.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), the pair of brackets 120, 122 are installed in the first opening 108 and secure the display device 106 to the instrument panel 102. Also, in FIG. 2(b), the components located around the pair of brackets 120, 122 are indicated by dashed lines.

As shown in Figure 3, the frame member 114 has an upper portion 132, a lower portion 134, and a fixing portion 136. Note that Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show the front and back surfaces of the frame member 114, respectively. The upper portion 132 has a second opening 138 that exposes the screen 110 of the display device 106, and is joined to the base member 118 around the periphery of the second opening 138.

The lower portion 134 is located below the upper portion 132 and has openings 142, 144 defined by a partition wall 140. These openings 142, 144 are used to accommodate, for example, air conditioner outlets. The lower portion 134 is also tilted rearward as it extends downward.

The fixing portion 136 protrudes downward from the lower portion 134 and is fixed to the instrument panel 102. As shown in Fig. 3(b) , the fixing portion 136 has a plurality of (three in this case) claws 146, 148, 150 protruding rearward, and a plurality of (two in this case) holes 154, 156 into which screws 152 (see Fig. 6( b ) ) are inserted.

Furthermore, the fixing portion 136 is sandwiched between the instrument panel 102 and the decorative member 104. For convenience, Figure 2(a) shows the decorative member 104 attached to the instrument panel 102 separately from the frame member 114 and base member 118.

The frame member 114 further has front protrusions 158, 160 as shown in FIG. 3(b). The front protrusions 158, 160 protrude from the lower end 162 of the upper portion 124 toward the front of the vehicle and have front surfaces 164, 166. Also as shown in FIG. 3(b), a recessed portion 170 is formed in front of the upper end 168 of the upper portion 124.

As shown in Figure 4, the base member 118 has an upper end 172 and side ends 174, 176 that bend and extend downward from the upper end 172. Ribs 178, 180 that protrude rearward are formed on the upper end 172 of the base member 118. The ribs 178, 180 are inserted into recesses 170 formed in the upper portion 124 of the frame member shown in Figure 3(b). The ribs 178, 180 have a predetermined length in the vehicle width direction.

The base member 118 holds the frame member 114 by overlapping the periphery of the second opening 138 in the upper portion 124 of the frame member 114 with its upper end 172 and side ends 174, 176, and by inserting the ribs 178, 180 into the recesses 170 in the upper portion 124. The base member 118 also has protrusions 182, 184 that protrude forward from the side ends 174, 176. The protrusions 182, 184 are inserted into the first opening 108 of the instrument panel 102 along side edges 186, 188 (see FIG. 1(b)) of the first opening 108.

As shown in FIG. 2(b), of the pair of brackets 120, 122, bracket 120 has a main body portion 190, a lower edge portion 191, a first mounting portion 192, and second mounting portions 193a and 193b. The main body portion 190 is erected along the side edge 186 (see FIG. 1(b)) of the first opening 108 of the instrument panel 102. The lower edge portion 191 protrudes from the lower end 194 of the main body portion 190 toward the first opening 108 and is held by the reinforcing portion 116.

The first mounting portion 192 protrudes along the rear end 195 of the main body 190 in a direction away from the display device 106 shown in FIG. 2(a). The first mounting portion 192 is also joined to a side portion 196 of the second opening 138 (see FIG. 3(b)) of the upper portion 132 of the frame member 114, thereby attaching the frame member 114. Furthermore, the side portion 196 of the upper portion 132 of the frame member 114 is joined to each of the upper end 197 and lower end 198 of the first mounting portion 192.

The second mounting portion 193a extends downward from the rear end 199 of the lower edge portion 191 and is used to mount the base member 118. The second mounting portion 193b protrudes along the upper end 200 of the main body portion 190 in a direction away from the display device 106 and is used to mount the base member 118. The bracket 120 further has a third mounting portion 201. The third mounting portion 201 extends forward from the front end 202 of the main body portion 190 and is used to mount the cover member 112.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing the main parts of the vehicle instrument panel structure 100 shown in Figure 1(a). In Figure 5(a), the components located around the frame member 114 are indicated by dashed lines. Figure 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 5(a). Figure 6 is a diagram showing the cross sections of the vehicle instrument panel structure 100 shown in Figure 5(a).

In the vehicle instrument panel structure 100, as shown in Figure 5(b), the fixing portion 136 protruding downward from the lower portion 134 of the frame member 114 is not only fixed to the instrument panel 102 by the claw portion 148, but is also sandwiched between the instrument panel 102 and the decorative member 104.

Furthermore, in the vehicle instrument panel structure 100, as shown in the B-B cross section of Figure 6(a), the rib 178 of the base member 118 is inserted into the recess 170 in the upper portion 132 of the frame member 114, and the base member 118 holds the frame member 114. Furthermore, when inserted into the recess 170 in the upper portion 132, the ribs 178, 180 protrude rearward to an extent that they do not come into contact with the bottom of the recess 170.

Also, as shown in Figure 6(a), the rear surface 124 of the rear convex portion 128 of the reinforcing portion 116 overlaps with the front surface 164 of the front convex portion 158 of the upper portion 132 of the frame member 114 when viewed from the vehicle longitudinal direction. The rear surface 124 of the rear convex portion 128 and the front surface 164 of the front convex portion 158 are positioned close to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and face each other with a gap 203 of, for example, approximately 5 mm between them.

Furthermore, in the vehicle instrument panel structure 100, as shown in the CC cross section of Figure 6(b), the fixing portion 136 of the frame member 114 is fixed to the instrument panel 102 by a screw 154 inserted into a hole 154, and is further sandwiched between the instrument panel 102 and the decorative member 104.

In this way, in the vehicle instrument panel structure 100, the upper portion 132 of the frame member 114 that covers the screen 110 of the display device 106 is joined to a base member 118 that is fixed to the instrument panel 102, and the fixing portion 136 that protrudes downward from the lower portion 134 is fixed to the instrument panel 102.

As a result, even if an occupant collides with the display device 106 protruding upward from the first opening 108 of the instrument panel 102, it is possible to reliably prevent the display device 106 from falling forward and the frame member 114 from becoming detached from the instrument panel 102.

Therefore, with the vehicle instrument panel structure 100, even if an occupant collides with the display device 106 in front of them, it is possible to prevent the frame member 114 from coming off and the edge of the frame member 114 from protruding into the passenger compartment, thereby preventing undesirable behavior for the occupant.

In addition, the fixing portion 136 of the frame member 114 is not only fixed to the instrument panel 102, but is also sandwiched between the instrument panel 102 and the decorative member 104. This more reliably prevents the frame member 114 from coming off and flying out into the passenger compartment if an occupant collides with the display device 106 in front of them.

In addition, the rear surface 124 of the rear convex portion 128 and the front surface 164 of the front convex portion 158 are positioned close to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction (see Figure 6(a)). Therefore, if an occupant collides with the display device 106 in front of them, the front convex portions 158, 160 of the upper portion 132 of the frame member 114 can quickly abut against the rear convex portions 128, 130 of the reinforcing portion 116 of the instrument panel 102.

Therefore, the vehicle instrument panel structure 100 prevents the frame member 114 from being displaced significantly forward in the event of an occupant collision, thereby minimizing damage to the frame member 114. Furthermore, because the rigidity of the reinforcing portion 116 is increased by the rear convex portions 128, 130, deformation of the frame member 114 can be suppressed when the frame member 114 comes into contact with something.

The base member 118 holds the frame member 114 by inserting the rib 178 into the recess 170 of the frame member 114, preventing the upper end 168 of the upper portion 124 of the frame member 114 from breaking and being damaged in the event of an occupant collision.

In addition to fixing the display device 106 to the instrument panel 102, the bracket 120 can also be used to attach the frame member 114 via the first mounting portion 192, the base member 118 via the second mounting portions 193a and 193b, and the cover member 112 via the third mounting portion 201. Therefore, by attaching the frame member 114, base member 118, and cover member 112 to the pair of brackets 120, 122 without adding any other components, the rigidity of these components can be improved.

Furthermore, by joining the upper side portion 132 of the frame member 114 to the upper end 197 and lower end 198 of the first mounting portion 192, the rigidity of the frame member 114 can be increased. Furthermore, by joining the first mounting portion 192 to the side portion 196 of the second opening 138 of the frame member 114, it is possible to prevent the frame member 114 from breaking and being damaged starting from the second opening 138 in the event that an occupant collides with the display device 106 from the front.

While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art could conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

The present invention can be used in vehicle instrument panel structures.

100...vehicle instrument panel structure, 102...instrument panel, 104...decorative member, 106...display device, 108...first opening, 110...screen, 112...cover member, 114...frame member, 116...reinforcing portion, 118...base member, 120, 122...bracket, 124, 126...rear surface of rear convex portion, 128, 130...rear convex portion, 132...upper portion, 134...lower portion, 136...fixing portion, 138...second opening, 140...partition wall, 142, 144...opening of lower portion, 146, 148, 150...claw portion of fixing portion, 152...screw, 154, 156...hole portion of fixing portion, 158, 160...front convex portion, 162 ...Lower end of upper part, 164, 166...front surface of front convex part, 168...upper end of upper part , 170...recess, 172...upper end of base member, 174, 176...side end of base member , 178, 180...rib, 182, 184...protrusion, 186, 188...side edge of first opening, 190...main body of bracket, 191...lower edge, 192...first mounting part, 193a, 193b...second mounting part, 194...lower end of main body, 195...rear end of main body, 196...side of upper part, 197...upper end of first mounting part, 198...lower end of first mounting part, 199...rear end of lower edge, 200...upper end of main body, 201...third mounting part, 202...front end of main body, 203...gap

Claims (6)

A vehicle instrument panel structure including: an instrument panel for a vehicle; a first opening provided in the instrument panel and opening upward; and a display device having a screen that protrudes upward from the first opening and faces toward the rear of the vehicle, the vehicle instrument panel structure further comprising:
a frame member that covers a screen of the display device;
a base member that is disposed between the display device and the frame member and is fixed to the instrument panel to hold the frame member;
The frame member is
an upper portion having a second opening for exposing a screen of the display device and joined to the base member around the second opening;
a lower portion located below the upper portion;
a fixing portion that projects downward from the lower portion and is fixed to the instrument panel. The vehicle instrument panel structure described in claim 1 further includes a decorative member attached to the instrument panel from the rear of the vehicle and sandwiching the fixed portion of the frame member together with the instrument panel. The lower portion of the frame member is inclined rearward as it extends downward,
The vehicle instrument panel structure further includes a reinforcing portion that spans the first opening in the vehicle width direction and overlaps with a lower end of the upper portion of the frame member when viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction,
the frame member further has a front convex portion that protrudes from a lower end of the upper portion toward the front of the vehicle,
3. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing portion and the front surface of the front convex portion are positioned close to each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The reinforcing portion is formed with a rear convex portion that protrudes rearward of the vehicle,
4. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 3, wherein a rear surface of the rear convex portion of the reinforcing portion overlaps a front surface of the front convex portion of the frame member when viewed from the vehicle longitudinal direction. A recessed portion is formed on the front side of the upper end of the upper portion of the frame member,
5. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the base member has a rib that protrudes rearward and is inserted into a recess of the frame member. The vehicle instrument panel structure further includes a pair of brackets that are installed in the first opening and fix the display device to the instrument panel;
Each of the pair of brackets is
a main body portion provided upright along a side edge of the first opening;
a lower edge portion that protrudes from a lower end of the main body portion toward the first opening and is held by the reinforcing portion;
a first mounting portion that protrudes along a rear end of the main body portion in a direction away from the display device and is joined to a side portion of the second opening of the frame member to mount the frame member;
a second mounting portion extending downward from a rear end of the lower edge portion and for mounting the base member;
5. The vehicle instrument panel structure according to claim 3 , wherein an upper portion of the frame member is joined to each of an upper end and a lower end of the first mounting portion.