JP3444773B2 - Car fender structure - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle fender structure, and more particularly, to a vehicle fender structure in which a fender is attached to an upper member. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an example of a fender structure of an automobile in which a fender is attached to an upper member is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-291147. As shown in FIG. 4 , in this vehicle fender structure, an apron member 10 serving as an upper member is provided on an upper inner surface of a front apron side panel 100.
2 to form a fender apron 106 having an upper portion 104 having a closed cross section, and an apron member 102 in the upper portion 104 of the fender apron 106.
Of the mounting flange 10 formed on the rising portion (vertical wall portion) 108A of the fender panel 108.
8B is configured as a first fender mounting surface 110 for joining and fixing, and the upper end edge of the apron member 102 is raised above the first fender mounting surface 110 and bent out of the vehicle to be higher than the first fender mounting surface 110. And a second fender mounting surface 112 located outside the vehicle. As a result, the fender structure of the motor vehicle, the total width difference or, as shown by the solid line and two-dot chain line in FIG. 4, also allows the sharing of components between vehicles where there is a relatively large difference in the height of the hood panel 114 It has become. However, in the fender structure of this automobile, the fender panel 1
For example, when the fender panel 108 and the hood panel 114 are mounted in a solid line state with respect to a load (arrow F in FIG. 4 ) acting on the 08 from above, the load is applied to the mounting flange 108B of the fender panel 108. And the bending rigidity of the second fender mounting surface 112. For this reason, the support rigidity of the fender panel 108 is increased, and the energy absorbing effect on the load acting on the fender panel 108 from above is reduced. In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle fender structure capable of improving an energy absorbing effect against a load acting on a fender panel from above. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle fender structure in which a fender is mounted on an upper member, wherein only the both ends of the flange of the fender in the front-rear direction of the vehicle are connected to the upper wall of the upper member. And an intermediate portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the flange of the fender is located a predetermined distance above the upper wall of the upper member so that the fender can be deformed downward with respect to a load acting on the fender from above. It is characterized by being spaced apart. Therefore, only the both ends in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the flange of the fender are fixed to the upper wall of the upper member, and the intermediate portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the flange of the fender is lower than the load acting on the fender from above. Since the upper member is separated from the upper wall portion by a predetermined distance upward so as to be deformable, a load acting on the fender panel from above makes it easier for the intermediate portion of the fender flange in the vehicle longitudinal direction to be deformed downward, Since the middle portion of the fender flange in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and the upper wall portion of the upper member hardly interfere with each other and the deformation stroke is lengthened, the energy absorbing effect can be improved. [0008] The first embodiment of the vehicle fender structure of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the drawings, arrow FR indicates the forward direction of the vehicle, arrow UP indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, and arrow IN indicates the inward direction of the vehicle width. As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the boundaries 16 between the hood panel 12 and the fender panel 14 of the vehicle body 10 extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the front hood 18. ing. As shown in FIG. 1, a hood insulator 2 is provided on the lower surface of the outer side of the hood panel 12 in the vehicle width direction.
0 is provided along the vehicle front-rear direction. The cross-sectional shape of the hood insulator 20 as viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction is a hat shape with the opening directed upward, and the inner flange 20A protruding inward in the vehicle width direction of the opening is provided on the lower surface 12A of the hood panel 12. Is welded to. Further, a hood panel 12 is formed on an outer flange 20B formed so as to protrude outward from the opening of the hood insulator 20 in the vehicle width direction.
Is fixed by hemming. Hood panel 12 and fender panel 14
An apron member 40 as an upper member is disposed below the boundary 16 along the vehicle longitudinal direction . The apron member 40 includes an apron member 4.
Apron member inner 4 that constitutes the inner part of vehicle width direction 0
2 and an apron member outer 44 constituting an outer portion of the apron member 40 in the vehicle width direction. The outer apron member 44 has an L-shaped cross section, and a flange 44B is formed at the upper end of the outer wall portion 44A in the vehicle width direction toward the outside in the vehicle width direction.
On the other hand, the apron member inner 42 has an L-shaped cross section, and the flange 44B of the apron member outer 44 is welded to the vehicle width direction outer portion 42B of the upper wall portion 42A. Outside part 4 in width direction
2B and the flange 44B of the apron member outer 44 constitute an outer flange. Further, a flange 44D is formed at the vehicle width direction inner end of the lower wall portion 44C of the apron member outer 44 toward the vehicle lower side, and this flange 44D is formed on the inner wall portion of the apron member inner 42 in the vehicle width direction. It is welded to the lower edge 42D of 42C. Therefore, the apron member 40 is connected to the apron member inner 4
2 and the apron member 40 form a closed section 30 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG . 3 , on the upper wall 42A of the apron member inner 42, front and rear ends 14F of the flange 14C of the fender panel 14 are fixed by fixing means 46 such as bolts. I have. Also, as shown in FIG.
The intermediate portion 14G in the front-rear direction of the flange 14C is a predetermined distance M upward from the upper wall portion 42A of the apron member inner 42.
Separated. Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 3 , in the normal state, the front and rear ends 14F of the flange 14C of the fender panel 14 are fixed on the upper wall 42A of the apron member inner 42. Can be supported. On the other hand, a boundary 16 between the hood panel 12 and the fender panel 14 is located from substantially above to substantially below (arrow A in FIG. 1 ) .
When a load toward a direction) is applied, the portion of the boundary 16 near the site and the fender panels 14 of the boundary 16 near the hood panel 12, as shown in Figure 1 by two-dot chain line, is deformed downward. At this time, in the vehicle fender structure of the present embodiment, the intermediate portion 14G in the front-rear direction of the flange 14C of the fender panel 14 is separated from the upper wall 42A of the apron member 42 by a predetermined distance M upward. , The load from above, the flange 14C of the fender panel 14
In the front-rear direction ends 14F only. As a result, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 , the portion other than the mounting portion of the fender panel 14 is deformed downward with a relatively low load, and energy can be effectively absorbed by this deformation. Also, the intermediate portion 14G in the front-rear direction of the flange 14C.
When is deformed downward, it does not easily interfere with the upper wall portion 42A of the apron member inner 42, and the deformation stroke of the fender panel 14 becomes longer, so that the energy absorbing effect can be further improved. In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to a specific embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various other embodiments are included within the scope of the present invention. It is clear to a person skilled in the art that is possible. According to the first aspect of the present invention, in a vehicle fender structure in which a fender is attached to an upper member, both ends of a flange of the fender in a vehicle front-rear direction.
Only the upper member is fixed to the upper wall portion,
The middle part of the fender flange in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle
Because the fender is separated from the upper wall of the upper member by a predetermined distance upward so that the fender can be deformed downward with respect to the load acting on the fender from above, the energy absorbing effect on the load acting on the fender panel from above Has an excellent effect that can be improved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along line 1-1 in FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a vehicle to which the fender structure of the automobile according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the fender structure of the automobile according to one embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the front diagonally inside the vehicle. FIG. 4 shows a fender structure of an automobile according to a conventional embodiment .
FIG. [Description of Signs] 12 Food panel 16 Boundary 20 between food panel and fender panel 20 Food insulator 40 Apron member (upper member) 42 Apron member inner 42A Upper wall of apron member inner 42B Vehicle width direction of upper wall of apron member inner Outer part (outer flange) 44 Apron member outer 44B Flange of apron member outer (outer flange)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Akio Matsuoka 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Yasuhiko Katsumata 1 Toyota Town Toyota City, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation ( 72) Inventor Nobuko Iwasa 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Yuzo Konishi 1 Toyota Town Toyota City, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Inside Toyota Motor Corporation (72) Inventor Yujiro Kaji Aichi Prefecture 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City Inside Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A 8-324461 (JP, A) JP-A 9-76945 (JP, A) JP-A 1-147260 (JP, U) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 25/16

Claims (1)

(1) In a vehicle fender structure in which a fender is mounted on an upper member, both ends of a flange of the fender in a vehicle longitudinal direction.
Only the upper member is fixed to the upper wall portion,
The middle portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the flange of the fender is separated from the upper wall portion of the upper member by a predetermined distance upward so that the fender can be deformed downward with respect to a load acting on the fender from above. Characteristic car fender structure.