This application claims the benefit of China Patent Application No. 202210344119.5 filed Mar. 31, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicles, and in particular provides a vehicle and cowl top assembly thereof.
As passenger vehicles become increasingly popular in China, the probability of traffic accidents is increasing year by year. To protect the safety of pedestrians, pedestrian protection will be included in mandatory test objectives in both C-NCAP (China New Car Assessment Program) and national standards in the coming years.
Traditional automobile factories often adopt active-ejecting bonnet technology to meet the latest pedestrian protection regulations to reduce injuries to pedestrians in collision accidents. Although the active-ejecting bonnet technology can effectively meet the regulatory requirements, it also poses risks such as high cost, long development cycle, and even false detonation.
Thus, a new technical solution is needed in the art to solve the above problems.
The disclosure is intended to solve the above technical problems, that is, to solve the problems of long development cycle, high cost and even proneness to false detonation in the solution in which existing vehicles use active-ejecting bonnet technology to reduce injuries to pedestrians in collision accidents.
In a first aspect, the disclosure provides a cowl top assembly of a vehicle, the cowl top assembly comprising a rear panel and a front panel structure, wherein the front panel structure comprises a first top panel, a first vertical panel, and a first bottom panel, and wherein a front edge of the first top panel and a front edge of the first bottom panel are respectively connected to an upper edge and a lower edge of the first vertical panel, and a rear edge of the first top panel and a rear edge of the first bottom panel are connected to the rear panel, so that a cavity is enclosed by the rear panel and the front panel structure; and first collapsing holes are formed in the first top panel, and second collapsing holes are formed in the first vertical panel.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, the first top panel, the first vertical panel, and the first bottom panel are integrally formed.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, the first top panel is shaped to be bent upwards along a transverse being line in the middle of the first top panel, the first top panel is divided into a first section and a second section that are distributed front to rear, and the first collapsing holes are distributed in the second section.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, the first collapsing hole has a transverse dimension greater than a front-to-rear dimension thereof, and/or the second collapsing hole has a transverse dimension greater than a front-to-rear dimension thereof.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, a first reinforcing support is provided in the cavity at a longitudinal central plane, and the first reinforcing support comprises a second top panel, a second vertical panel, a second bottom panel, and two first side panels, wherein a front edge of the second top panel and a front edge of the second bottom panel are respectively connected to an upper edge and a lower edge of the second vertical panel, each of the two first side panels is connected to a side edge of each of the second top panel, the second vertical panel and the second bottom panel; and the second vertical panel abuts against the first vertical panel, the second bottom panel abuts against the first bottom panel, and a rear edge of the second top panel, a rear edge of the second bottom panel, and/or rear edges of the first side panels abut against the rear panel.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, a plurality of second reinforcing supports are also provided in the cavity, the plurality of second reinforcing supports being distributed in a width direction of the vehicle and uniformly distributed on two sides of the first reinforcing support.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, the second reinforcing support comprises a third vertical panel, a third bottom panel, and two second side panels, wherein a front edge of the third bottom panel is connected to a lower edge of the third vertical panel, and each of the two second side panels is connected to a side edge of each of the third vertical panel and the third bottom panel; and the third vertical panel abuts against the first vertical panel, and a rear edge of the third bottom panel and/or rear edges of the second side panels abut against the rear panel.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, the cowl top assembly further comprises a third reinforcing support, wherein a first end of the third reinforcing support is connected to the first bottom panel at the longitudinal central plane, and a second end of the third reinforcing support is connected to a shock absorber of the vehicle by means of a Y-shaped support; and the third reinforcing support is a cast part.
In a preferred technical solution of the cowl top assembly described above, a drip rail assembly of the vehicle is connected to the first vertical panel, and/or an air conditioner bracket, a cable harness mounting bracket, a dashboard bracket and/or an interior trim mounting bracket of the vehicle are connected to the rear panel.
When using the above technical solution, the cowl top assembly comprises a rear panel and a front panel structure, wherein the front panel structure comprises a first top panel, a first vertical panel, and a first bottom panel, and wherein a front edge of the first top panel and a front edge of the first bottom panel are respectively connected to an upper edge and a lower edge of the first vertical panel, and a rear edge of the first top panel and a rear edge of the first bottom panel are connected to the rear panel, so that a cavity is enclosed by the rear panel and the front panel structure; and first collapsing holes are formed in the first top panel, and second collapsing holes are formed in the first vertical panel. That is, the front panel structure is a structure with a substantially “C”-shaped longitudinal section, and the front panel structure with the substantially “C”-shaped longitudinal section is connected to the rear panel to enclose a cavity, the first collapsing holes are formed in the first top panel of the front panel structure, and the second collapsing holes are formed in the first vertical panel of the front panel structure.
With this arrangement, the first collapsing holes and the second collapsing holes cooperate with each other. In the process of a pedestrian-vehicle collision, when the pedestrian's head hits a front windshield of the vehicle, an impact force can be quickly transferred to the cowl top assembly, so that a rearward and obliquely downward acting force is exerted on the front panel structure by the windshield with a lower edge supported at a junction between the first top panel and the first vertical panel. The acting force is decomposed on the first top panel and the first vertical panel, and then the first top panel and the first vertical panel are quickly and effectively collapsed for deformation at the first collapsing holes and the second collapsing holes respectively, thereby reducing the impact force on the pedestrian's head and effectively reducing injuries to the pedestrian. In addition, according to the disclosure, the cowl top assembly of the vehicle not only uses less material, and has a lighter weight, a shorter development cycle, and a lower cost, but also has a higher torsional resistance, and ensures a good NVH (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) performance, thus optimizing the user experience.
In a second aspect, the disclosure further provides a vehicle, comprising a cowl top assembly of a vehicle according to any of the above technical solutions.
It should be noted that the vehicle has all the technical effects of the cowl top assembly of the vehicle described above, which will not be repeated here.
Preferred embodiments of the disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
1. Rear panel; 2. Front panel structure; 21. First top panel; 211. First section; 212. Second section; 22. First vertical panel; 23. First bottom panel; 24. First collapsing hole; 25. Second collapsing hole; 3. First reinforcing support; 31. Second top panel; 32. Second vertical panel; 33. Second bottom panel; 34. First side panel; 4. Second reinforcing support; 41. Third vertical panel; 42. Third bottom panel; 43. Second side panel; 5. Third reinforcing support; 6. Y-shaped support; 7. Wiper bracket; 8. Drip rail assembly; 81. Instrument panel crossmember mounting hole; 82. Cable harness mounting stud; 83. Air conditioner mounting stud; 84. Interior trim mounting stud.
Firstly, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that embodiments described below are only for explaining the technical principles of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the disclosure. For example, a vehicle of the disclosure may be an electric vehicle, a fuel vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle, etc.
It should be noted that, in the description of the disclosure, the terms that indicate the direction or positional relationship, such as “left”, “right”, “inner”, and “outer”, are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the figures, which is merely for ease of description instead of indicating or implying that the device or element must have a particular orientation and be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore, should not be construed as limiting the disclosure. In addition, the terms “front”, “rear”, and the like are all based on a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle after components are mounted on the vehicle, the “longitudinal” is based on the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle after components are mounted on the vehicle, and the “transverse” indicates a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In addition, the terms “first”, “second”, and “third” are for descriptive purposes only, and may not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.
In addition, it should also be noted that, in the description of the disclosure, the terms “connect” should be interpreted in a broad sense unless explicitly defined and limited otherwise, which, for example, may mean a fixed connection, a detachable connection or an integral connection; may mean a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; or may mean a direct connection, an indirect connection by means of an intermediate medium, or internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above-mentioned terms in the disclosure can be interpreted according to the specific situation.
Based on the problems of long development cycle, high cost and even proneness to false detonation in the solution in which existing vehicles use active-ejecting bonnet technology to reduce injuries to pedestrians in collision accidents, the disclosure provides a cowl top assembly of a vehicle. The cowl top assembly comprises a rear panel and a front panel structure, wherein the front panel structure comprises a first top panel, a first vertical panel, and a first bottom panel, and wherein a front edge of the first top panel and a front edge of the first bottom panel are respectively connected to an upper edge and a lower edge of the first vertical panel, and a rear edge of the first top panel and a rear edge of the first bottom panel are connected to the rear panel, so that a cavity is enclosed by the rear panel and the front panel structure; and first collapsing holes are formed in the first top panel, and second collapsing holes are formed in the first vertical panel.
With this arrangement, the first collapsing holes and the second collapsing holes cooperate with each other. In the process of a pedestrian-vehicle collision, when the pedestrian's head hits a front windshield of the vehicle, an impact force can be quickly transferred to the cowl top assembly, so that a rearward and obliquely downward acting force is exerted on the front panel structure by the windshield with a lower edge supported at a junction between the first top panel and the first vertical panel. The acting force is decomposed on the first top panel and the first vertical panel, and then the first top panel and the first vertical panel are quickly and effectively collapsed for deformation at the first collapsing holes and the second collapsing holes respectively, thereby reducing the impact force on the pedestrian's head, effectively reducing injuries to the pedestrian, and solving the problems of long development cycle, high cost and even proneness to false detonation in the solution in which existing vehicles use active-ejecting bonnet technology to reduce injuries to pedestrians in collision accidents. In addition, according to the disclosure, the cowl top assembly of the vehicle not only uses less material, and has a lighter weight, a shorter development cycle, and a lower cost, but also has a higher torsional resistance, and ensures a good NVH performance.
Preferably, the first top panel, the first vertical panel, and the first bottom panel are integrally formed. With this arrangement, not only the manufacturing and assembly processes of parts are reduced, but also the front panel structure formed of the first top panel, the first vertical panel and the first bottom panel has a stronger torsional resistance after being connected to the rear panel, thereby further improving the NVH performance.
Preferably, the first top panel is shaped to be bent upwards along a transverse bending line in the middle of the first top panel, the first top panel is divided into a first section and a second section that are distributed front to rear, and the first collapsing holes are distributed in the second section. With this arrangement, on the one hand, the strength and stiffness of the first top panel are increased, further increasing the torsional resistance; on the other hand, the first section tilts downwards toward the front and the second section tilts downwards toward the rear, so that when the windshield with a lower edge supported at a junction between of the first section and the first vertical panel is impacted, there is a smaller angle between a rearward and obliquely downward acting force exerted on the front panel structure by the windshield and the second section, making it easier for the first collapsing holes distributed in the second section to collapse for deformation, thereby further reducing the acting force of the windshield on the pedestrians and reducing injuries to the pedestrians in pedestrian-vehicle collision accidents.
Preferably, the first collapsing hole has a transverse dimension greater than a front-to-rear dimension thereof, and/or the second collapsing hole has a transverse dimension greater than a front-to-rear dimension thereof.
With this arrangement, it is more conducive to collapsing of the cowl top assembly so as to reduce injuries to the pedestrian when the pedestrian hits the windshield of the vehicle.
Preferably, a first reinforcing support is provided in the cavity at a longitudinal central plane, and the first reinforcing support comprises a second top panel, a second vertical panel, a second bottom panel, and two first side panels, wherein a front edge of the second top panel and a front edge of the second bottom panel are respectively connected to an upper edge and a lower edge of the second vertical panel, and each of the two first side panels is connected to a side edge of each of the second top panel, the second vertical panel and the second bottom panel; and the second vertical panel abuts against the first vertical panel, the second bottom panel abuts against the first bottom panel, and a rear edge of the second top panel, a rear edge of the second bottom panel, and/or rear edges of the first side panels abut against the rear panel.
During use of the vehicle, the risk of torsional deformation of the cowl top assembly is greatest at the longitudinal central plane. With this arrangement, the torsional strength of the cowl top assembly can be further increased, and the NVH performance can be improved.
Preferably, the second reinforcing support comprises a third vertical panel, a third bottom panel, and two second side panels, wherein a front edge of the third bottom panel is connected to a lower edge of the third vertical panel, and each of the two second side panels is connected to a side edge of each of the third vertical panel and the third bottom panel; and the third vertical panel abuts against the first vertical panel, and a rear edge of the third bottom panel and/or rear edges of the second side panels abut against the rear panel.
With this arrangement, the overall torsional strength of the cowl top assembly is further increased.
Preferably, the cowl top assembly further comprises a third reinforcing support, wherein a first end of the third reinforcing support is connected to the first bottom panel at the longitudinal central plane, and a second end of the third reinforcing support is connected to a shock absorber of the vehicle by means of a Y-shaped support; and the third reinforcing support is a cast part.
With this arrangement, the torsional strength of the cowl top assembly is further increased, and the NVH performance is improved. In addition, without affecting the performance of the cowl top assembly to collapse to reduce injuries to the pedestrian, the risk of injury to the driver and passengers of the vehicle due to a huge deformation of the cowl top assembly toward the interior of the vehicle as a whole can be reduced, thereby further improving safety performance of the vehicle.
Preferably, a drip rail assembly of the vehicle is connected to the first vertical panel, and/or an air conditioner bracket, a cable harness mounting bracket, a dashboard bracket and/or an interior trim mounting bracket of the vehicle are connected to the rear panel.
With this arrangement, there is no need to provide separate support structures for the drip rail assembly, the air conditioner bracket, the cable harness mounting bracket, the dashboard bracket, and/or the interior trim mounting bracket of the vehicle, so that the number of parts is reduced, and the manufacturing and assembly processes are simplified, thereby further lowering the manufacturing cost of the entire vehicle. In addition, the drip rail assembly, the air conditioner bracket, the cable harness mounting bracket, the dashboard bracket and/or the interior trim mounting bracket of the vehicle are connected to the cowl top assembly, so that a multi-point restraint is formed on the cowl top assembly without affecting the performance of the cowl top assembly to collapse to reduce injuries to the pedestrian, further increasing the torsional resistance of the cowl top assembly and improving the NVH performance.
The cowl top assembly of the vehicle according to the disclosure is described below with reference to
As shown in
The first top panel 21 is shaped to be bent upwards along a transverse bending line in the middle of the first top panel, and the first top panel 21 is divided into a first section 211 and a second section 212 that are distributed front to rear. Four first collapsing holes 24 are formed in the second section 212, and four second collapsing holes 25 are formed in the first vertical panel 22. Both the first collapsing holes 24 and the second collapsing holes 25 are elongated holes. The four first collapsing holes 24 are distributed in the second section 212 in a width direction of the vehicle, and the four second collapsing holes 25 are distributed in the first vertical panel 22 in the width direction of the vehicle.
A first reinforcing support 3 is provided in the cavity at a longitudinal central plane, and the first reinforcing support 3 comprises a second top panel 31, a second vertical panel 32, a second bottom panel 33, and two first side panels 34. A front edge of the second top panel 31 and a front edge of the second bottom panel 33 are respectively connected to an upper edge and a lower edge of the second vertical panel 32, and each of the two first side panels 34 is connected to a side edge of each of the second top panel 31, the second vertical panel 32 and the second bottom panel 33; and the second vertical panel 32 abuts against the first vertical panel 22, the second bottom panel 33 abuts against the first bottom panel 23, and a rear edge of the second top panel 31 and rear edges of the first side panels 34 abut against the rear panel 1. Four second reinforcing supports 4 are also provided in the cavity. The four second reinforcing supports 4 are distributed in the width direction of the vehicle and are uniformly distributed on two sides of the first reinforcing support 3. The second reinforcing support 4 comprises a third vertical panel 41, a third bottom panel 42, and two second side panels 43. A front edge of the third bottom panel 42 is connected to a lower edge of the third vertical panel 41, and each of the two second side panels 43 is connected to a side edge of each of the third vertical panel 41 and the third bottom panel 42; and the third vertical panel 41 abuts against the first vertical panel 22, and rear edges of the second side panels 43 abut against the rear panel 1. As shown in
As shown in
Since the front panel structure 2 is configured as a structure with a substantially “C”-shaped longitudinal section, the front panel structure 2 with the substantially “C”-shaped longitudinal section is connected to the rear panel 1 to enclose a cavity, the first top panel 21 of the front panel structure 2 is shaped to be bent upwards along a transverse bending line in the middle of the first top panel, the first top panel 21 is divided into a first section 211 and a second section 212 that are distributed front to rear, a plurality of elongated first collapsing holes 24 distributed in the width direction of the vehicle are formed in the second section 212, and a plurality of elongated second collapsing holes 25 distributed in the width direction of the vehicle are formed in the first vertical panel 22 of the front panel structure 2, injuries to the pedestrians in pedestrian-vehicle collision accidents are effectively reduced. Specifically, in the process of a pedestrian-vehicle collision, when the pedestrian's head hits a front windshield of the vehicle, an impact force can be quickly transferred to the cowl top assembly, so that a rearward and obliquely downward acting force is exerted on the front panel structure 2 by the windshield with a lower edge supported at a junction between the first top panel 21 and the first vertical panel 22. The acting force is decomposed on the first top panel 21 and the first vertical panel 22, and then the first top panel 21 and the first vertical panel 22 are quickly and effectively collapsed for deformation at the first collapsing holes 24 and the second collapsing holes 25 respectively, thereby reducing the impact force on the pedestrian's head and effectively reducing injuries to the pedestrian. In addition, the cowl top assembly not only uses less material, and has a lighter weight, a short development cycle, and a lower cost, but also has a higher torsional resistance, and ensures a good NVH performance.
With the provision of the first reinforcing support 3, the second reinforcing supports 4 and the third reinforcing support 5, the torsional strength of the cowl top assembly is further increased and the NVH performance is improved.
The drip rail assembly 8 of the vehicle is connected to the first vertical panel 22, and the air conditioner bracket, the cable harness mounting bracket, the dashboard bracket and the interior trim mounting bracket of the vehicle are connected to the rear panel 1, so that a multi-point restraint is formed on the cowl top assembly without affecting the performance of the cowl top assembly to collapse to reduce injuries to the pedestrian, further increasing the torsional resistance of the cowl top assembly and improving the NVH performance. In addition, there is no need to provide separate support structures for the drip rail assembly 8, the air conditioner bracket, the cable harness mounting bracket, the dashboard bracket and/or the interior trim mounting bracket of the vehicle, so that the number of parts is reduced, the manufacturing and assembly processes are simplified, thereby further lowering the manufacturing cost of the entire vehicle.
It should be noted that four first collapsing holes 24 and four second collapsing holes 25 are provided, which is only a specific configuration and may be adjusted in a practical application so as to be adapted to different application scenarios. For example, two, three, five or more first collapsing holes 24 and two, three, five or more second collapsing holes 25 are provided. The number of first collapsing holes 24 and the number of second collapsing holes 25 may be the same or different. It is a preferred way to configure the first collapsing holes 24 and the second collapsing holes 25 as elongated holes, which may be adjusted in a practical application so as to be adapted to different application scenarios. For example, the first collapsing hole 24 may be a rectangular hole, an elliptical hole or another hole with a transverse dimension greater than a front-to-rear dimension, or a round hole, a square hole or other types of holes; and the second collapsing hole 25 may be a rectangular hole, an elliptical hole or another hole with a transverse dimension greater than a front-to-rear dimension, or a round hole, a square hole or other types of holes; and the first collapsing holes 24 and the second collapsing holes 25 may be the same or different in shape.
In addition, the first reinforcing support 3 may be configured in such a way that the rear edge of the second top panel 31, a rear edge of the second bottom panel 33 and the rear edges of the first side panels 34 all abut against the rear panel 1, or that one of the rear edge of the second top panel 31, the rear edge of the second bottom panel 33 and the rear edges of the first side panels 34 abuts against the rear panel 1. The second reinforcing support 4 may be configured in such a way that a rear edge of the second bottom panel 42 and a rear edge of the second side panel 43 both abut against the rear panel 1, or that only the rear edge of the second bottom panel 42 abuts against the rear panel 1.
In another feasible embodiment, the first top panel 21, the first vertical panel 22 and the first bottom panel 23 may also be separately formed and then connected together.
In another aspect, the disclosure further provides a vehicle, comprising a cowl top assembly according to any of the above embodiments. It should be noted that the vehicle may be an electric vehicle, a fuel vehicle, or a hybrid vehicle, etc.
Heretofore, the technical solutions of the disclosure have been described with reference to the preferred embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. However, those skilled in the art can readily understand that the scope of protection of the disclosure is apparently not limited to these specific embodiments. Those skilled in the art can make equivalent changes or substitutions to the related technical features without departing from the principle of the disclosure, and all the technical solutions with such changes or substitutions shall fall within the scope of protection of the disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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202210344119.5 | Mar 2022 | CN | national |