JP7797085B2 - Vehicle structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle structure.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle structure comprising a radiator positioned in front of the engine, a condenser positioned in front of the radiator, a radiator support that supports the radiator and condenser, and an enclosure member positioned around the front of the radiator. The radiator support is configured as a rectangular frame made up of an upper frame, two side frames, and a lower frame. The enclosure member prevents hot air from the engine behind the radiator from flowing around to the front of the radiator and condenser. The enclosure member is configured as a rectangular frame made up of an upper plate, two side plates, and a lower plate.

JP 2016-10992 A

For example, the upper plate of the enclosure may be provided with an exhaust port that directs outside air introduced inside the enclosure to the outside of the enclosure, and a duct that circulates the outside air to the intercooler may be connected to the exhaust port. This duct is attached, for example, to the upper frame of the radiator support. Due to dimensional tolerances of the duct and upper frame, or variations in the relative positions of the duct and upper frame, the duct may press the upper plate toward the inside of the enclosure. This pressure may cause the upper plate to bend or tilt toward the inside of the enclosure, forming a gap between the duct and the exhaust port. When this gap is formed, hot air that has circulated from the engine is sucked in through the gap, reducing the cooling performance of the intercooler.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a vehicle structure that is less likely to form gaps at the connection points between the enclosure member and the duct.

A vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a cooling device provided in the front of a vehicle and cooled by outside air; a body member to which the cooling device is attached; an enclosure member attached to the body member so as to surround the front periphery of the cooling device, thereby preventing hot air from flowing around the cooling device from the rear to the front of the vehicle; and a duct attached to the body member for branching the outside air introduced inside the enclosure member to the outside of the enclosure member. The enclosure member has a plate with an exhaust port that connects the inside and outside of the enclosure member. The duct is connected to the exhaust port. One of the body member and the plate has a protrusion extending toward the other of the body member and the plate. The other of the vehicle body member and the plate has an insertion hole into which the protrusion is inserted, an outer support part that supports the protrusion inserted into the insertion hole in the direction from the duct toward the plate, and an inner support part that supports the protrusion inserted into the insertion hole in the direction from the plate toward the duct. The outer support part is located rearward of the vehicle from the exhaust port and closer to the tip of the protrusion than the inner support part.

In the above vehicle structure, the outer support supports a portion of the protrusion near the tip in the direction from the duct toward the plate, and the inner support supports a portion of the protrusion farther from the tip than the outer support in the direction from the plate toward the duct. In the above vehicle structure, even if the duct is attached to the vehicle body member so that it presses the plate toward the inside of the enclosure member due to dimensional tolerances of the vehicle body member and the plate or variations in the relative positions of each member, the plate is prevented from tilting toward the inside of the enclosure member. As a result, the above vehicle structure is less likely to form a gap between the duct and the exhaust port of the plate. Therefore, the above vehicle structure is less likely to draw hot air that has circulated from behind the cooling element into the duct through the gap. The above vehicle structure can prevent the formation of the gap without firmly fixing or engaging the plate, increasing the number of fixing or engaging points, or constructing the plate from highly rigid members. As a result, the above vehicle structure is more likely to prevent increases in cost, weight, and productivity. Furthermore, in the above vehicle structure, because the protrusion extends toward the vehicle body member or the plate, the protrusion can be used as a guide when attaching the plate to the vehicle body member. Therefore, in the above vehicle structure, the plate can be easily attached to the vehicle body member even when the plate's attachment position is difficult to visually observe.

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing an outline of a vehicle structure according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a state in which an upper plate and a mounting base of the enclosing member provided in the vehicle structure of the embodiment are attached. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the outline of the state before the upper plate and the mounting base of FIG. 2 are attached to each other. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an outline of a state in which an upper plate and a mounting base provided in a vehicle structure according to the second embodiment are attached.

Embodiments of the vehicle structure of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings indicate the same or equivalent parts. The sizes of components shown in each drawing are expressed for the purpose of clarity of explanation and do not necessarily represent actual dimensions. In the drawings, "UP" indicates the top of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle structure 1 of the embodiment, "LWR" indicates the bottom, "FR" indicates the front, "RR" indicates the rear, "RH" indicates the right, and "LH" indicates the left. In the following description, "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "right," and "left" respectively correspond to the "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "right," and "left" of the vehicle.

First Embodiment
[Vehicle structure]
A vehicle structure 1 of embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle structure 1 of embodiment 1 includes a cooling device 2, a vehicle body member 3, an enclosure member 4, and a duct 5. The cooling device 2 is cooled by outside air. The cooling device 2 is attached to the vehicle body member 3. The enclosure member 4 prevents hot air from flowing from the rear to the front of the cooling device 2. The enclosure member 4 is attached to the vehicle body member 3 so as to surround the front periphery of the cooling device 2. The enclosure member 4 has an upper plate 41. The upper plate 41 has an exhaust port 41a that connects the inside and outside of the enclosure member 4. The duct 5 branches the outside air introduced inside the enclosure member 4 to the outside of the enclosure member 4. The duct 5 is attached to the vehicle body member 3. The duct 5 is connected to the exhaust port 41a. One of the features of the vehicle structure 1 of the embodiment is that, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the upper plate 41 has a protrusion 41b extending toward the body member 3, and the body member 3 has a specific insertion hole 321, an inner support portion 322, and an outer support portion 323.

[Cooling equipment]
The cooling device 2 is a component disposed at the front of the vehicle and cooled by outside air introduced inside the enclosure member 4. The cooling device 2 in this example is an air-cooled cooling device. The cooling device 2 in this example has a radiator 21 that cools the engine (not shown) and a condenser 22 of the air conditioner. In other words, the cooling device 2 in this example is a heat exchanger that cools gas or liquid. The radiator 21 is disposed in front of the engine. The condenser 22 is disposed in front of the radiator 21.

[Body components]
The vehicle body member 3 of this example has a radiator support 31 and a mounting base 32. Unlike this example, the vehicle body member 3 does not have to have the mounting base 32. In that case, the enclosure member 4 may be attached to the radiator support 31.

(radiator support)
The radiator support 31 supports the radiator 21 and the condenser 22. The radiator support 31 is made of, for example, metal. In this example, the radiator support 31 is a rectangular frame assembled from an upper support 31a, two side supports 31b, and a lower support 31c. The radiator support 31 is disposed between the front ends of the left and right front side members 101. The left and right front side members 101 are disposed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Side supports 31b are fixed to the left and right front side members 101. A front cross member 102 is connected to the front end surfaces of the left and right front side members 101. The front cross member 102 is disposed to extend in the vehicle width direction, forward of the condenser 22. The front cross member 102 connects the front end surfaces of the left and right front side members 101. The front cross member 102 is also called an ODB (Offset Deformable Barrier) member.

(mounting base)
The mounting base 32 is a member for attaching the enclosure member 4 (described later) to the radiator 21. The mounting base 32 is, for example, a resin molded part. The mounting base 32 is attached to the front peripheral edge of the radiator 21. In this example, there are two mounting bases 32. In this example, the right mounting base 32 has a C-shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle, and the left mounting base 32 has an L-shape. The number and shape of the mounting bases 32 are not limited to those in this example. The right mounting base 32 is a member integrally formed with an upper piece 32a, a side piece 32b, and a lower piece 32c. The left mounting base 32 is a member integrally formed with an upper piece 32a and a side piece 32b. The upper piece 32a is attached to the upper edge of the front surface of the radiator 21. The side piece 32b is attached to the side edge of the front surface of the radiator 21. The lower piece 32c is attached to the lower edge of the front surface of the radiator 21.

<Insertion hole>
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the upper piece 32a of this example has insertion holes 321, inner support portions 322, and outer support portions 323. The protrusions 41b, which will be described later, are inserted into the insertion holes 321. In this example, the insertion holes 321 are through holes. Unlike this example, the insertion holes 321 may be blind holes. The number of insertion holes 321 is the same as the number of protrusions 41b. In this example, the number of insertion holes 321 is three. In this example, two insertion holes 321 are provided in the right upper piece 32a, and one insertion hole 321 is provided in the left upper piece 32a. The inner support portion 322 supports the protrusions 41b inserted into the insertion holes 321 in a direction from the upper plate 41 toward the duct 5. The outer support portion 323 supports the protrusions 41b inserted into the insertion holes 321 in a direction from the duct 5 toward the upper plate 41. The outer support portion 323 is provided rearward of the exhaust port 41 a. The outer support portion 323 being provided rearward of the exhaust port 41 a means that the outer support portion 323 is located rearward of the rear edge of the exhaust port 41 a, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 .

As shown in FIG. 4, each insertion hole 321 is located between the inner support portion 322, the outer support portion 323, and two side wall portions 324. In other words, each insertion hole 321 is configured by being surrounded by the inner support portion 322, the outer support portion 323, and each side wall portion 324. In this example, the inner support portion 322 supports the protrusion 41b in the upward direction. That is, the inner support portion 322 supports the protrusion 41b in a direction that resists the load of the duct 5. The inner support portion 322 supports the portion of the protrusion 41b that is located inside the enclosure member 4, which will be described later. In this example, the inner support portion 322 supports the underside of the protrusion 41b. In this example, the outer support portion 323 supports the protrusion 41b in the downward direction. That is, the outer support portion 323 supports the protrusion 41b in the direction in which the load of the duct 5 acts. The outer support portion 323 supports the portion of the protrusion 41b that is located outside the enclosing member 4, which will be described later. In this example, the outer support portion 323 supports the upper surface of the protrusion 41b. The outer support portion 323 is located closer to the tip of the protrusion 41b than the inner support portion 322. In this example, the outer support portion 323 is located further rearward than the inner support portion 322. Each side wall portion 324 connects the inner support portion 322 and the outer support portion 323, and restricts left-right displacement of the protrusion 41b.

[Enclosure member]
1, the enclosure 4 prevents hot air from flowing from the rear to the front of the radiator 21. In this example, the hot air is from an engine (not shown) located behind the radiator 21. The enclosure 4 is attached to the mounting base 32 so as to surround the front periphery of the radiator 21. The enclosure 4 in this example is a rectangular frame assembled from one upper plate 41, two side plates 42, and one lower plate 43.

The upper plate 41 is disposed on the front upper edge of the radiator 21. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the upper plate 41 in this example has an exhaust port 41a and a protrusion 41b. The exhaust port 41a in this example guides outside air that has passed through the air intake port 41c to the outside of the enclosure member 4. The air intake port 41c takes in outside air that passes inside the enclosure member 4. The inside of the enclosure member 4 refers to the space surrounded by the enclosure member 4. In other words, the inside of the enclosure member 4 is the space surrounded by the lower surface of the upper plate 41, the right surface of the left side plate 42, the left surface of the right side plate 42, and the upper surface of the lower plate 43. The outside of the enclosure member 4 is the space outside the space surrounded by the enclosure member 4. The outside of the enclosure 4 refers to, for example, an area above the upper plate 41, to the left of the left side plate 42, to the right of the right side plate 42, below the lower plate 43, and behind the enclosure 4. The air intake port 41c opens forward. The air intake port 41c is provided on the underside of the upper plate 41. In this example, the air intake port 41c has a bottom 411 and three side walls 412. The bottom 411 is disposed to face the underside of the upper plate 41. The side walls 412 connect the left and right side edges and the rear edge of the bottom 411 to the underside of the upper plate 41. In this example, the exhaust port 41a penetrates in the vertical direction and is connected to the air intake port 41c. That is, the exhaust port 41a guides outside air that has passed through the air intake port 41c from below to above the upper plate 41. In this example, the exhaust port 41a is located to the right of the center of the upper plate 41.

The protrusions 41b are inserted into the insertion holes 321. The upper plate 41 is attached to the mounting base 32 by inserting the protrusions 41b into the insertion holes 321. In this example, the protrusions 41b extend linearly toward the mounting base 32. When the upper plate 41 is attached to the mounting base 32, the protrusions 41b are inserted directly into the insertion holes 321. The number of protrusions 41b is not particularly limited and can be selected as appropriate. In this example, where the exhaust port 41a is offset to the right as described above, the load acting to the right of the exhaust port 41a due to the duct 5 (described below) connected to the exhaust port 41a is greater than the load acting to the left of the exhaust port 41a. Therefore, if the number of protrusions 41b located to the right of the exhaust port 41a is greater than the number of protrusions 41b located to the left of the exhaust port 41a, the upper plate 41 can be easily and stably attached to the mounting base 32 using the multiple protrusions 41b. In this example, there are three protrusions 41b. Two of the protrusions 41b are located to the right of the exhaust port 41a, and one of the protrusions 41b is located to the left of the exhaust port 41a.

In this example, each protrusion 41b is located rearward of the exhaust port 41a. "Providing each protrusion 41b rearward of the exhaust port 41a" means that the base of each protrusion 41b is located rearward of the midpoint C between the front and rear of the exhaust port 41a, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The base of each protrusion 41b may also be located rearward of the rear edge of the exhaust port 41a. Each protrusion 41b is located closer to the mounting base 32 than the exhaust port 41a. In this example, each protrusion 41b does not have an engaging portion that engages with the insertion hole 321 to prevent the protrusion 41b from slipping out of the insertion hole 321. In other words, the upper plate 41 is attached to the mounting base 32 simply by inserting each protrusion 41b into the insertion hole 321. Unlike this example, each protrusion 41b may have the above-mentioned engaging portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, the side plates 42 are positioned at the front left and front right edges of the radiator 21. The rear surfaces of the side plates 42 have notches formed in the middle to prevent contact with the front cross member 102. The side plates 42 are positioned so as to straddle the front of the front cross member 102. The lower plate 43 is positioned at the front lower edge of the radiator 21. The lower plate 43 is positioned on the upper surface of the lower support 31c and connects the lower ends of the two side plates 42 together. The side plates 42 and the lower plate 43 have protrusions (not shown). These protrusions are inserted into insertion holes (not shown) provided in the side piece portions 32b and lower piece portions 32c of the mounting base 32. The side plates 42 and lower plates 43 are attached to the side piece portions 32b and lower piece portions 32c by inserting these protrusions into the insertion holes. These protrusions also do not have engaging portions that hook into the insertion holes to prevent them from slipping out of the insertion holes. In other words, the side plate 42 and lower plate 43 can be attached to the mounting base 32 simply by inserting each protrusion into the insertion hole. Unlike this example, these protrusions may have the above-mentioned engaging portions.

The enclosure member 4 of this example may further include one horizontal wall member 44 and multiple vertical wall members 45. The horizontal wall member 44 and the multiple vertical wall members 45 constitute a lower duct member that forms multiple spaces that extend from front to rear between the horizontal wall member 44 and the lower plate 43. The horizontal wall member 44 is disposed opposite the lower plate 43. The multiple vertical wall members 45 connect the lower plate 43 and the horizontal wall member 44.

A cushioning material 46 may be provided on the front surface of the enclosure member 4. A front grille (not shown) is disposed in front of the enclosure member 4. The enclosure member 4 is pressed rearward by the front grille. This pressure prevents the enclosure member 4 from slipping forward from the mounting base 32. By providing the cushioning material 46 on the front surface of the enclosure member 4, the front grille can easily press against the enclosure member 4. This makes it easier to prevent the enclosure member 4 from slipping forward from the mounting base 32. The cushioning material 46 is provided on the front surface of at least one of the upper plate 41, side plate 42, and lower duct member. In this example, the cushioning material 46 is provided on the front surface of each of the upper plate 41, side plate 42, and lower wall portion of the lower duct member. The cushioning material 46 is, for example, sponge or rubber.

[duct]
The duct 5 branches and takes in a portion of the outside air introduced inside the enclosure member 4. The duct 5 is attached to the radiator support 31. The duct 5 has protrusions 51 protruding to the left and right. In this example, each protrusion 51 is attached to the front surface of the upper support 31a with a resin clip 9. The means for attaching the protrusions 51 to the upper support 31a is not limited to the resin clip 9. The duct 5 has an open end 52 connected to the exhaust port 41a. The duct 5 circulates outside air that has passed through the exhaust port 41a. In this example, the open end 52 abuts against the upper surface of the upper plate 41. The open end 52 and the upper plate 41 are not fixed to each other. A cushioning material (not shown) may be provided between the open end 52 and the exhaust port 41a. The cushioning material makes it difficult for a gap to form between the open end 52 and the exhaust port 41a. The cushioning material is, for example, sponge or rubber. In this example, the duct 5 extends rearward from the upper surface of the upper plate 41, passing above the upper support 31a. The target to which the outside air passing through the exhaust port 41a is sent by the duct 5 may be a secondary cooling device that is air-cooled, or may be a non-air-cooled device that does not require air cooling. In this example, the target is an intercooler (not shown). Unlike this example, the target may be a timing belt, an oil pan, an air cleaner, or the like. Unlike this example, the target may be a motor or an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or a battery electric vehicle (BEV).

In the vehicle structure 1 of this example, as shown in Figure 4, a portion of the upper surface of the protrusion 41b of the upper plate 41 near the tip is supported from the outside toward the inside of the enclosure member 4 by the outer support portion 323 of the insertion hole 321, and a portion of the lower surface of the protrusion 41b near the base is supported from the inside toward the outside of the enclosure member 4 by the inner support portion 322 of the insertion hole 321. In the vehicle structure 1 of this example, even if the opening end 52 of the duct 5 presses the upper plate 41 toward the inside of the enclosure member 4 due to dimensional tolerances or variations in the relative positions of the protrusion 51 of the duct 5, the upper support 31a, the upper plate 41, and the mounting base 32, etc., the upper plate 41 is prevented from tilting toward the inside of the enclosure member 4. Therefore, in the vehicle structure 1 of this example, a gap is unlikely to form between the open end 52 and the exhaust port 41a of the upper plate 41, and hot air that has circulated around from behind the radiator 21 is unlikely to be sucked into the duct 5 through the gap. Therefore, the vehicle structure 1 of this example easily prevents a decrease in the cooling performance of the intercooler. The vehicle structure 1 of this example can prevent the formation of the gap without firmly fixing or engaging the upper plate 41 to the mounting base 32, increasing the number of fixing or engaging points of the upper plate 41 relative to the mounting base 32, or constructing the upper plate 41 from a highly rigid material. Therefore, the vehicle structure 1 of this example easily prevents increases in cost, weight, and productivity.

In the vehicle structure 1 of this example, the protrusion 41b extends linearly toward the mounting base 32, so the protrusion 41b can be used as a guide when attaching the upper plate 41 to the mounting base 32. Therefore, in the vehicle structure 1 of this example, the upper plate 41 can be easily attached to the mounting base 32 even when the mounting position of the upper plate 41 is difficult to visually observe.

Second Embodiment
The vehicle structure of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 5. The vehicle structure of the second embodiment differs from the vehicle structure of the first embodiment in that the mounting base 32 has a protrusion 325 and the upper plate 41 of the enclosure member 4 has an insertion hole 41d. The following description will focus on the differences from the first embodiment. Descriptions of the same configurations and effects as those of the first embodiment may be omitted.

The protrusion 325 extends linearly forward from the upper piece portion 32a of the mounting base 32. The insertion hole 41d is provided at the rear end of the upper plate 41. One insertion hole 41d is provided between the inner support portion 413, the outer support portion 414, and the two side wall portions 415. The inner support portion 413 supports the protrusion 325 in the direction from the upper plate 41 toward the duct 5, that is, upward in this example. That is, the inner support portion 413 supports the protrusion 325 in the direction resisting the load of the duct 5, that is, upward in this example. The inner support portion 413 supports the portion of the protrusion 325 located inside the enclosure member 4. In this example, the inner support portion 413 supports the underside of the protrusion 325. The outer support portion 414 supports the protrusion 325 in the direction from the duct 5 toward the upper plate 41, that is, downward in this example. That is, the outer support portion 414 supports the protrusion 325 in the direction in which the load of the duct 5 acts, which in this example is downward. The outer support portion 414 supports the portion of the protrusion 325 that is located outside the enclosure member 4. In this example, the outer support portion 414 supports the upper surface of the protrusion 325. The outer support portion 414 is located closer to the tip of the protrusion 325 than the inner support portion 413. In this example, the outer support portion 414 is located further forward than the inner support portion 413. Each side wall portion 415 connects the inner support portion 413 and the outer support portion 414, and restricts left-right displacement of the upper plate 41.

The present invention is not limited to these examples, but is defined by the claims, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, the exhaust port may be provided in the left side plate, the right side plate, or the lower plate. In this case, the duct has an open end that connects to the left surface of the left side plate, the right surface of the right side plate, or the underside of the lower plate.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle structure 2 cooling device 21 radiator 22 condenser 3 vehicle body member 31 radiator support 31a upper support 31b side support 31c lower support 32 mounting base 321 insertion hole 322 inner support portion 323 outer support portion 324 side wall portion 325 protrusion 32a upper piece portion 32b side piece portion 32c lower piece portion 4 enclosure member 41 upper plate 41a exhaust port 41b protrusion 41c air intake port 41d insertion hole 411 bottom portion 412 side wall portion 413 inner support portion 414 outer support portion 415 side wall portion 42 side plate 43 lower plate 44 horizontal wall member 45 vertical wall member 46 cushion material 5 duct 51 Protrusion 52 Open end 9 Resin clip 101 Front side member 102 Front cross member C Intermediate position

Claims (1)

a cooling device provided at the front of the vehicle and cooled by outside air;
a vehicle body member to which the cooling device is attached;
an enclosure member attached to the vehicle body member so as to surround a front periphery of the cooling device of the vehicle, thereby preventing hot air from flowing around the cooling device from the rear to the front of the vehicle;
a duct attached to the vehicle body member for branching the outside air introduced into the enclosing member to the outside of the enclosing member,
the enclosure member has a plate provided with an exhaust port that communicates between the inside and outside of the enclosure member,
the duct is connected to the exhaust port,
one of the vehicle body member and the plate has a protrusion extending toward the other of the vehicle body member and the plate;
The other of the vehicle body member and the plate is
an insertion hole into which the protruding piece is inserted;
an outer support portion that supports the protruding piece inserted into the insertion hole in a direction from the duct toward the plate;
an inner support portion that supports the protruding piece inserted into the insertion hole in a direction from the plate toward the duct,
The outer support portion is provided at a position rearward of the vehicle relative to the exhaust port and closer to the tip of the protruding piece relative to the inner support portion.
Vehicle structure.