Windshield supporting structure

Details Windshield supporting structure Windshield supporting structure

1999-05-11

2001-02-27

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Structural detail

C296S096210, C296S201000, C296S182100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06193304

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a windshield supporting structure in which impact is absorbed by deforming a part of a vehicle body.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a vehicle body structure, there is provided an impact absorbing structure in which an obstacle is protected against impact produced when the obstacle comes into collision with a vehicle body by absorbing the impact so produced by deforming 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.
6
.
FIG. 6
is a sectional view of a related windshield supporting structure, in which figure a pre-deformation state is indicated by a solid line, while a post-deformation state is indicated by an imaginary 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 an instrument panel
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 imaginary line.
However, since the distance L 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 imaginary 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.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology for ensuring the absorption of impact applied to an obstacle.
A windshield support is formed as a cantilever-like or overhang support including a bend portion
16
, a box portion and a flange portion
20
which are formed continuously in that order. The bend portion
16
is extended from an instrument panel upper portion
12
and has a substantially V-shaped cross section. The box portion
18
has a hollow rectangular cross section and is sufficiently disposed away from the instrument panel upper portion
12
. The flange portion
20
receives a front window glass
15
. A recessed portion
12
a
is provided at the instrument panel upper portion
12
for receiving a lower portion
18
a
of the box portion
18
when the bend portion
16
has to be bent by virtue of an external force applied to the windshield.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4718712 (1988-01-01), Nakatani
patent: 4718713 (1988-01-01), Sakamoto et al.
patent: 4909566 (1990-03-01), Hashimoto et al.
patent: 4938526 (1990-07-01), Sannomiya et al.
patent: 4943102 (1990-07-01), Hamamoto et al.
patent: 4950024 (1990-08-01), Watari et al.
patent: 4976491 (1990-12-01), Hashimoto et al.
patent: 6-16156 (1994-01-01), None
U.S. application No. 09/359,387, filed Jul. 23, 1999, Akio Takahashi, Windshield Supporting Structure.

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