Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-23
2001-02-27
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S190050, C296S096210, C296S201000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193305
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a windshield supporting structure for absorbing impact through deformation of a part of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In vehicle body structures, there is an impact absorbing structure in which an obstacle is protected from impact produced when the obstacle comes into collision with a vehicle body by absorbing the impact so produced through deformation of a part of the vehicle body.
As a typical example of this impact absorbing structure, Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. Hei. 6-16156 proposes a “Windshield Mounting Structure”. The technology disclosed in this Publication will be described below, referring to FIG.
5
.
FIG. 5
is a sectional view of a related windshield supporting structure, in which a pre-deformation state is indicated by a solid line, while a post-deformation state is indicated by a two-dot chain line.
This windshield structure is constructed such that a second member
102
is mounted to a cowl top panel
100
, that an inserting portion
102
a
of the second member
102
is inserted into a first member
104
, that the first member
104
is attached to the cowl top panel
100
with clips
106
. . . , and that a windshield panel
110
is attached to a connecting surface
102
b
of the second member
102
with an adhesive
108
.
An inclined portion
100
a
of the cowl top panel
100
is attached to an upper portion
112
a
of a dashboard
112
so as to create a double construction. Therefore, should an obstacle such as a pedestrian come into collision with the windshield panel
110
to thereby produce an external force (force) F, which is applied to the windshield panel
110
, the second member
102
is bent from a base portion
102
c
thereof, as shown by two-dot chain line.
However, since the distance L
1
between a portion where the external force F is applied and the base portion
102
c
is short, even if the external force F is applied to the windshield panel
110
, the second member
102
is only slightly deformed as indicated by the two-dot chain line. Due to this, should an obstacle come into collision with the windshield panel
110
, there exists a risk of impact produced by the collision being not absorbed in a secure fashion.
FIG. 6
shows a windshield supporting structure adapted to absorb much impact that can be inflicted on an obstacle when it collides against the windshield.
FIG. 6
is a cross-sectional view of a typical conventional windshield supporting structure, in which a pre-deformation state is indicated by a solid line, while a post-deformation state is indicated by a two-dot line.
In this windshield supporting structure, a rear end
122
a
of a windshield support
122
is attached to a rear end
120
a
of an upper portion
120
of a dashboard. A rubber
124
is placed on a front end
122
b
of the windshield support
122
and a lower edge
126
a
of a windshield
126
is, in turn, placed on the rubber
124
. The lower edge
126
a
is then attached to the front end
122
b
of the windshield support
122
with an adhesive
125
.
Should an obstacle
130
collide against the windshield
126
, an external force F is applied to the front end
122
b
of the windshield support
122
. A distance L
2
from the point where the external force F is applied to the rear end
122
a
as a fixed end is longer than the distance L
1
shown in FIG.
5
. This allows the windshield support
122
to bend relatively largely as shown by the two-dot chain line, thereby absorbing impact that can be inflicted on the obstacle
130
to some extent.
However, since only one member of the windshield support
122
is deformed when an external force is applied thereto, the magnitude of deformation is limited, and this may result in a risk of impact that is to be inflicted on the obstacle
130
not being securely absorbed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To cope with the above problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a technology for securely absorbing impact that is to be inflicted on an obstacle.
To solve the above object, there is provided a windshield supporting structure, through which a windshield is supported on a dashboard includes, a first cantilever-like support constructed to extend substantially horizontally from a front edge of an upper surface of the dashboard toward a front of a vehicle body; and a second support extending from a distal end of the first support toward a lower edge of said windshield, the first support and the second support being constructed to form a substantially V-shaped cross-section. The second support includes a thin lower flange portion connecting with the distal end of the first support, a box portion having a hollow rectangular cross-section and being continued with the lower flange portion, and an upper flange portion supporting the windshield and being continued with the box portion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4976491 (1990-12-01), Hashimoto et al.
patent: 6-16156 (1994-01-01), None
U.S. Patent Application. Ser.No. 09/309,263; filed: May 11, 1999; By: Akio Takahashi et al Title: Windshield Supporting Structure.
Arent Fox Kintner & Plotkin & Kahn, PLLC
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Pape Joseph D.
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