Patent Publication Number: US-2011076435-A1

Title: Shield plate and Vehicle Structure Provided With The Shield Plate

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a shield plate and a vehicle structure provided with the shield plate. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Conventionally, most vehicles have an engine room in which an engine is accommodated in the front body of the vehicle. In the rear of the engine room, an air box which takes in ambient air is positioned in the lower position of a windshield. 
     The inside of a vehicle compartment is usually ventilated by letting the ambient air taken in the air box flow into the vehicle compartment through a vent opening in the cowl top cover. At this time, however, hot air or odor in the engine room inadvertently flows into the vehicle compartment. 
     Therefore, it is desirable to shut off the flow of such hot air or odor into the vehicle compartment while ambient air is let flow into the vehicle compartment. For example, a mounting structure of an insulator has been proposed in which when an insulator is mounted to a vehicle body panel in order to shut off air circulating in a space formed of the vehicle body panel, a fender panel, and a fender protector, a mounting means for mounting the insulator is provided with a breaking part broken by an impact force applied to the fender panel (see, for example, the following Patent Document 1). 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Document 
     [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-90999 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to be Solved 
     However, in the mounting structure of the insulator described in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the breaking part is provided in the mounting means for mounting the insulator, and at the time of the collision of an automobile, the breaking part absorbs an impact of the collision by breaking the mounting means at the breaking part, which detaches the insulator from the fender panel, resulting in deformation of the fender panel. 
     On the other hand, in the above-mentioned structure, the breaking part is provided at a specific site of the mounting means, so that when the impact at the collision is insufficiently applied to the specific site, the breaking part may not be broken. In such case, the insulator does not fall from the fender panel, making it difficult to deform the fender panel, resulting in less absorption of the impact. 
     Besides, with the above-mentioned structure, different types of vehicles have different shapes of insulators, so that the breaking part must be positioned at a specific site corresponding to each vehicle type, making it difficult to improve production efficiency. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a shield plate capable of reliably absorbing an impact by bending itself regardless of a site to which an external force is applied and of improving production efficiency irrespective of the shape, and a vehicle structure provided with the shield plate. 
     Means for Solving the Problem 
     To achieve the above object, the shield plate of the present invention includes a flat plate shaped member; and a stress-concentrating portion which is formed over the entire surface of the flat plate shaped member and bends when an external force is applied. 
     In the shield plate, the stress-concentrating portion that bends when an external force is applied is formed over the entire surface of the flat plate shaped member. Therefore, the flat plate shaped member can bend even if an external force is applied to any site of the stress-concentrating portion. In addition, since the stress-concentrating portion is provided over the entire surface of the flat plate shaped member, any shape of the flat plate shaped member allows the stress-concentrating portion to be subjected to an external force. 
     As a result, the shield plate can reliably absorb an impact and can also improve production efficiency. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the flat plate shaped member includes a first plate; a second plate opposed to the first plate; and a plurality of struts installed between the first plate and the second plate, and the stress-concentrating portion is a frangible portion formed between the struts. 
     In the shield plate, the flat plate shaped member is formed from the first plate, the second plate, and the struts, and the frangible portion is formed between the struts. 
     Therefore, the struts can maintain the strength of the shield plate, and the frangible portion between the struts allows the flat plate shaped member to reliably bend. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the flat plate shaped member has the frangible portion formed along at least one direction. 
     In the shield plate, the frangible portion is formed along at least one direction. This allows the flat plate shaped member to reliably bend along one direction at the site to which an external force is applied. 
     As a result, the shield plate can further reliably absorb an impact at the time of a collision. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the flat plate shaped member has a plurality of the frangible portions parallely-arranged at spaced intervals in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the frangible portions are formed. 
     In the shield plate, a plurality of the frangible portions are parallely-arranged at spaced intervals in the direction orthogonal to the direction in which the frangible portions are formed. This allows the flat plate shaped member to bend in the direction orthogonal to the frangible portion formed direction regardless of a site to which an external force is applied. 
     As a result, the shield plate can further reliably absorb an impact at the time of a collision. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the flat plate shaped member has the frangible portions formed along each of three directions, a plurality of the frangible portions being parallely-arranged at spaced intervals in each direction orthogonal to each of the three directions. 
     In the shield plate, a plurality of the frangible portions are parallely-arranged at spaced intervals in directions orthogonal to the three directions. This allows the flat plate shaped member to bend in any direction regardless of a site to which an external force is applied. 
     As a result, the shield plate can further reliably absorb an impact at the time of a collision. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the edgewise crush resistance in a direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged is 0.02 to 0.9 times higher than the edgewise crush resistance in a direction in which the frangible portions are formed. 
     The shield plate has 0.02 to 0.9 times higher edgewise crush resistance in the direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged than that in the direction in which the frangible portions are formed. In other words, the edgewise crush resistance in the direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged is set lower than that in the frangible portion formation direction. Therefore, the application of an external force from the direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged allows the flat plate shaped member to easily bend. 
     As a result, the shield plate can more reliably absorb the impact from the direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged. 
     It is preferable that the shield plate of the present invention further includes a reinforcing portion partially formed in the flat plate shaped member. 
     The reinforcing portion can reinforce a desired site in the shield plate. Therefore, the strength of the desired site can be improved. 
     It is preferable that the shield plate of the present invention further includes a bending portion, different from the stress-concentrating portion, partially formed in the flat plate shaped member and bends when an external force is applied. 
     In the shield plate, a desired site of the flat plate shaped member can be bent. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the bending portion is formed along one direction and is bendable along the one direction when mounted to a structural member and/or when flow of a liquid and/or a solid arises in a space of the structural member. 
     In the shield plate, when the structural member is formed in a complex shape, the flat plate shaped member is bent, so that it can be reliably positioned in the structural member. 
     Alternatively, bending of the flat plate shaped member allows the liquid and/or the solid in the space of the structural member to pass through. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the bending portion is formed by hot pressing in a thickness direction of the flat plate shaped member, a single-cut line inclined along the one direction is formed on one surface of the bending portion and the other surface thereof, the single-cut line in one surface of the bending portion and the single-cut line in the other surface of the bending portion intersect when projected in the thickness direction. 
     In the shield plate, the single-cut line can improve movability of the bending portion, and can also improve durability of the bending portion because the single-cut lines in one surface and the other surface of the bending portion are intersecting when projected in the thickness direction. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that an elastic member is provided in at least one portion of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member. 
     In the shield plate, the elastic member is positioned in the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member. Therefore, when the shield plate is mounted in the space in the structural member, the elastic member deforms into the shape of the space in the structural member to firmly stick to the structural member. 
     As a result, the shielding effect can be improved by firmly sticking the shield plate to the structural member with simple construction. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the elastic member includes a fitting portion which fits over the peripheral portion so as to sandwich the peripheral portion, and an elastic portion positioned on the opposite side of the flat plate shaped member relative to the fitting portion. 
     In the shield plate, the elastic member includes a fitting portion which fits over the peripheral portion so as to sandwich the peripheral portion, and an elastic portion positioned on the opposite side of the flat plate shaped member relative to the fitting portion. 
     Therefore, the elastic member can be reliably fixed to the flat plate shaped member by sandwiching the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member with the fitting portion, and when the shield plate is attached to the space in the structural member, the elastic portion can be reliably firmly stuck to the structural member. 
     In the shield plate of the present invention, it is preferable that the elastic member includes an elastic layer and an adhesive layer formed on a surface of the elastic layer, and the elastic member has an overlapping portion positioned outside the peripheral portion and overlapped by mutually bonding the elastic layer via the adhesive layer, and an attached portion stuck to the peripheral portion by continuously bonding one surface and the other surface of the peripheral portion. 
     In the shield plate, the attached portion allows the overlapping portion to fix to the flat plate shaped member, and the overlapping portion can reliably firmly stick to the structural member to which the shield plate is attached. 
     It is preferable that the shield plate of the present invention further includes a flexible sheet laminated on at least one surface of the flat plate shaped member, includes an extending portion and extended outward from the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member. 
     In the shield plate, the flexible extending portion can be reliably attached to the structural member where the shield plate is mounted. 
     On the other hand, bending of the flexible extending portion allows the shield plate to be reliably positioned in the structural member having a complex shape, or bending of the flexible extending portion allows a liquid and/or a solid in the space in the structural member to pass through, and the space in the structural member can be reliably shut off. 
     It is preferable that the shield plate of the present invention further includes a fixing member attached to the flat plate shaped member and fixable to the space in the structural member. 
     The shield plate is provided with the fixing member fixable to the space in the structural member in the flat plate shaped member. Therefore, even if the fixing member is not formed separately, the shield plate can be installed in the space in the structural member. 
     As a result, the shield plate can be easily installed in the space in the structural member. 
     The vehicle structure of the present invention is provided with a shield plate comprising a flat plate shaped member and a stress-concentrating portion which is formed over the entire surface of the flat plate shaped member and bends when an external force is applied. 
     Therefore, the vehicle structure can reliably absorb an impact at the time of a collision. 
     EFFECT OF THE INVENTION 
     The shield plate of the present invention can reliably absorb an impact and can also improve production efficiency. 
     The vehicle structure of the present invention can reliably absorb an impact at the time of a collision. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view illustrating a shield plate of a first embodiment according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a major portion of a vehicle seen from the upper left as an example of a vehicle structure provided with the shield plate shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a left side view of the major portion of the vehicle shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the major portion seen from the upper left illustrating the case where an external force is applied to the vehicle shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of the shield plate on the left side shown in  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view from the upper left illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a left side view illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 9  shows drawings for explaining a method for adhesively bonding an elastic member to the peripheral portion in a fourth embodiment of the present invention, 
       (a) showing the step of opening the front end of a fitting portion toward both sides in a thickness direction, and 
       (b) showing the step of adhesively bonding the front end of the fitting portion to the peripheral portion; 
         FIG. 10  shows drawings for explaining a method for adhesively bonding an elastic member to the peripheral portion in a fifth embodiment of the present invention, 
       (a) showing the step of abutting an adhesive layer on the inner surface of the elastic member against a peripheral portion of a flat plate shaped member, and 
       (b) showing the step of bonding the widthwise end of the elastic member to the left side surface and the right side surface of the flat plate shaped member; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 12  is a sectional view, taken along the line B-B shown in  FIG. 11 , illustrating a first recess and a second recess of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 13  is a sectional view, taken along the line C-C shown in  FIG. 11 , illustrating a filling portion of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 14  is a sectional view, taken along the line D-D shown in  FIG. 11 , illustrating a bending portion of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 15  shows a perspective view for explaining bending in the bending portion of  FIG. 11 ; 
         FIG. 16  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of a seventh embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 17  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of an eighth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of a ninth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 19  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of a tenth embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 20  is a perspective view illustrating an eleventh embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 21  is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a flexure portion of  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 22  is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line E-E shown in  FIG. 20 , illustrating an elastic member of  FIG. 20 ; 
         FIG. 23  shows drawings for explaining a method for adhesively bonding an elastic member to the peripheral portion, 
       (a) showing the step of preparing an elastic adhesive sheet, 
       (b) showing the step of peeling off a release film at the widthwise center, 
       (c) showing the step of bonding the widthwise center to each other, 
       (d) showing the step of facing the attached portion to the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member, and 
       (e) showing the step of adhesively bonding the attached portion to the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member. 
     
    
    
     EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a shield plate of a first embodiment according to the present invention and  FIG. 2  is a sectional view taken along the line A-A in  FIG. 1 . The shield plate  1  will be based on the directions when a shield plate  1  is fixed in a vertical direction, specifically, based on the directional arrows shown in the drawings, if the directions are noted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the shield plate  1  includes a flat plate shaped member  2 , an elastic member  3  provided around the perimeter of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 , and a clip  4  attached to the flat plate shaped member  2  as a fixing member fixable to a space in a structural member. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the flat plate shaped member  2  has a ladder-shaped cross-section (a harmonica-shaped cross-section), and integrally includes a left side plate  5  serving as a first flat plate, a right side plate  6  serving as a second flat plate spaced in opposed relation to the left side plate  5  in the left-and-right (horizontal) direction, and a plurality of struts  7  installed between the left side plate  5  and the right side plate  6 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the flat plate shaped member  2  is formed in a specified shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the space in the structural member to be described later, for example, with its rear side being formed in a generally rectangular shape in side view extending along an up-and-down direction and its front side being formed in a generally pentagonal shape in side view projecting forward from the upper end portion of its rear side to the center in the up-and-down-direction. 
     The left side plate  5  and the right side plate  6  are formed in a flat plate shape corresponding to the outer shape of the flat plate shaped member  2 . 
     A plurality of the struts  7  are spaced in parallel to one another in the front-and-rear-direction (a direction orthogonal to the thickness direction of the flat plate shaped member  2 ) across the entire surface of the flat plate shaped member  2 . Each of the struts  7  is formed in a straight line so as to be inclined toward the rear side as it extends upward. Further, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the struts  7  are formed in a flat plate extending along the left-and-right direction. 
     In the flat plate shaped member  2 , each of the portions between the struts  7  is partitioned as a frangible portion  8  (a stress-concentrating portion) which is more frangible than the portions in which the struts  7  are formed. 
     Specifically, each of the frangible portions  8  is formed along one direction (shown as a frangible portion formation direction F in  FIG. 1 ) between the struts  7  formed in a straight line, each frangible portion  8  being formed over the entire flat plate shaped member  2  so as to be spaced in a direction orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F. 
     The flat plate shaped member  2  can be formed in the following manner. First, a synthetic resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, polyester, polystyrene, or acrylic is integrally molded into a sheet shape having the above-mentioned cross-sectional shape by extrusion molding, and then the molded resin is punched into the above-mentioned shape, so that the flat plate shaped member  2  can be formed. Preferably, the flat plate shaped member  2  is formed from polypropylene and polycarbonate. 
     The flat plate shaped member  2  can be formed by, for example, punching a commercially available corrugated plastic sheet (Danpla sheet) into the above-mentioned shape. The area weight of the flat plate shaped member  2  is in the range of, for example, 200 to 2000 g/m 2 , or preferably 300 to 1500 g/m 2 . When the area weight of the flat plate shaped member  2  is less than the above range, the strength of the flat plate shaped member  2  becomes disadvantageously too low. On the other hand, when the area weight of the flat plate shaped member  2  is more than the above range, the flat plate shaped member  2  becomes disadvantageously difficult to bend. 
     The edgewise crush resistance of the flat plate shaped member  2  in a direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged is, for example, 0.02 to 0.9 times, or preferably 0.05 to 0.5 times higher than that in the frangible portion formation direction F. When the edgewise crush resistance of the flat plate shaped member  2  in a direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged is lower than the above range, it may be difficult to maintain the shape of the flat plate shaped member  2 . On the other hand, when the edgewise crush resistance of the flat plate shaped member  2  in a direction in which the frangible portions are parallely-arranged is higher than the above range, it may be difficult to bend the flat plate shaped member  2  along an intended direction. 
     The edgewise crush resistance (endcrash) in the above-mentioned direction is determined in accordance with JIS Z0403-2. 
     The left side plate  5  and the right side plate  6  are opposed at a spacing of, for example, 0.8 to 10 mm, or preferably 2 to 5 mm, and have a thickness of, for example, 0.1 to 1 mm, or preferably 0.2 to 0.6 mm. 
     The struts  7  are spaced, for example, 0.8 to 10 mm, or preferably 2 to 5 mm apart in parallel, and have a thickness of, for example, 0.1 to 1 mm, or preferably 0.2 to 0.6 mm. When the struts  7  are positioned at a spacing wider than the above-mentioned spacing to one another, the strength of the flat plate shaped member  2  becomes disadvantageously too low. On the other hand, when the struts  7  are positioned at a spacing narrower than the above-mentioned spacing to one another, the strength of the flat plate shaped member  2  becomes disadvantageously difficult to bend. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the elastic member  3  includes a fitting portion  9  which fits over the peripheral portion so as to sandwich the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 , and an elastic portion  10  positioned on the opposite side of the flat plate shaped member  2  relative to the fitting portion  9 . 
     The fitting portion  9  is formed in a generally flat-bottomed U-shape in cross section opening toward the flat plate shaped member  2  so as to correspond to the peripheral end of the flat plate shaped member  2 . 
     Examples of the fitting portion  9  include adhesive sheets, adhesive films, and hard molded articles formed from synthetic resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, nylon, polyurethane, and epoxy; and adhesive sheets formed from synthetic rubber foam such as ethylene-propylene rubber foam and ethylenepropylenediene rubber foam. Of these, an adhesive sheet formed from synthetic rubber foam is preferable. More preferable is an adhesive sheet formed from ethylenepropylenediene rubber foam. 
     The elastic portion  10  is formed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section. The elastic portion  10  is formed of synthetic rubber foam such as polyurethane rubber foam, ethylene-propylene rubber foam, and ethylenepropylenediene rubber foam, and is preferably formed from ethylenepropylenediene rubber foam. 
     The elastic member  3  is formed by bonding the elastic portion  10  to the fitting portion  9  with an adhesive or the like. 
     The clip  4  is formed from, for example, hard synthetic resin molded article or the like, integrally includes a clamping portion  11  which clamps the flat plate shaped member  2  and the elastic member  3  from the left-and-right direction, and a fixing portion  12  for fixing the clip  4  in the space in the structural member as shown in  FIG. 1 , and is positioned one in each lower position on the front and rear sides of the flat plate shaped member  2 . 
     The clamping portion  11  integrally includes a bottom  13  having a generally rectangular shape in plan view and two clamping pieces  14  extending upward from both edges of the bottom in the left-and-right direction. The bottom  13  has a length in the left-and-right direction of 2 to 18 mm, or preferably 4 to 12 mm. The bottom  13  has a thickness in the range of, for example, 0.5 to 5 mm, or preferably 1 to 3 mm, and the clamping piece  14  has a thickness in the range of, for example, 0.5 to 3 mm, or preferably 1 to 2 mm. 
     The fixing portion  12  is formed in a generally cylindrical shape so as to protrude downward from the lower end face of the bottom  13 . Further, the radial length of the fixing portion  12  is formed shorter than both the front-and-rear-direction length and the left-and-right direction length of the bottom  13 . 
     For production of the shield plate  1 , the fitting portion  9  of the elastic member  3  is first folded so as to clamp the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  formed in a specified shape and then adhesively bonded. Subsequently, the flat plate shaped member  2  and the elastic member  3  are inserted into the clamping piece  14  of the clip  4  until they abut against the bottom  13 . Therefore, the shield plate  1  is obtained. 
     The shield plate  1  thus obtained is used for a partition of the space of the structural member. Examples of the structural member include cowl members for vehicles. 
     The method of using the shield plate  1  shown in  FIG. 1  will now be described by reference to the following example applied to a cowl portion  24  of a vehicle  21  as an example of vehicle structure. 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a major portion of a cowl portion of a vehicle seen from the upper left as an example of a vehicle structure provided with the shield plate shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  FIG. 4  is a left side view of the major portion of the vehicle shown in  FIG. 3 . In  FIG. 3 , for convenience, the inner portion of the cowl portion  24  is directly illustrated, and the elastic member  3  of the shield plate  1  is omitted. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the vehicle  21  includes a windshield  22 , an engine hood  23 , and the cowl portion  24  provided between the windshield  22  and the engine hood  23 . 
     The cowl portion  24  is positioned along the left-and-right direction of the vehicle  21  and is provided with a cowl flame  25  having a structure recessed downward. The cowl flame  25  integrally includes an engine room-side groove  25   a  formed on the front side, and a vehicle compartment-side groove  25   b  communicated to the rear side of the engine room-side groove  25   a  and more deeply formed. A cowl space  26  as an example of the space in the structural member is partitioned with the engine room-side groove  25   a  and the vehicle compartment-side groove  25   b . An ambient air inlet port  27  for introducing ambient air into the vehicle compartment is formed in the rear wall of the vehicle compartment-side groove  25   b . As shown in  FIG. 4 , in the bottom wall of the engine room-side groove  25   a  and the vehicle compartment-side groove  25   b , a fixing portion insert hole  28  is formed in a position corresponding to each of the clips  4  positioned on the front and rear sides of the shield plate  1 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the shield plate  1  is positioned in the cowl space  26  so as to be positioned on both outsides of the ambient air inlet port  27  in the left-and-right direction. For positioning of the shield plate  1  in the cowl space  26 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , the fixing portion  12  of the clip  4  on the front side and the fixing portion  12  of the clip  4  on the rear side are inserted through the fixing portion insert hole  28  of the engine room-side groove  25   a  and the fixing portion insert hole  28  of the engine room-side groove  25   b , respectively, from above until the lower end face of the bottom  13  abuts against the bottom surface of the cowl flame  25 , so that the elastic member  3  is fixed to be firmly stuck to the inner peripheral surface of the cowl flame  25 . 
     Thus, in the cowl space  26 , portion in which the ambient air inlet port  27  is formed is shielded, so that hot air or odor from the engine room can be prevented from flowing into the vehicle compartment through the ambient air inlet port  27 . 
     An action of the shield plate  1  at the time of applying an impact force I as an external force to the vehicle  21  will be described below with reference to  FIGS. 5 and 6 . The direction (the direction indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 1 ) in which the impact force I is applied is assumed, for example, in the case where the vehicle  21  collides head-on and the collided object hits onto the engine hood  23  and the cowl portion  24  of the vehicle  21 . 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the major portion seen from the upper left illustrating the case where an external force is applied to the vehicle shown in  FIG. 3 ; and  FIG. 6  is an enlarged view of the shield plate on the left side shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the shield plate  1  bends when the impact force I is applied to the vehicle  21 . 
     In particular, the impact force I is first applied from a direction nearly orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F, that is, from obliquely forward above (see  FIG. 1 .). 
     In response to the impact force I, a stress is generated in the flat plate shaped member  2 , and the stress thus generated is concentrated on any site of the flat plate shaped member  2  depending on how the impact force I is applied (amount of the impact force, direction, site to be applied, etc.). 
     Since the frangible portions  8  are formed over the entire flat plate shaped member  2 , the flat plate shaped member  2  bends in the frangible section  8  on which particularly a stress concentrates when either the left side plate  5  or the right side plate  6  bends in the left-and-right direction, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     In particular, the flat plate shaped member  2  bends at two frangible portions  8  including at the frangible portion  8  on the front side where it bends along the frangible portion formation direction F so that the right side plate  6  between the struts  7  projects toward the left side, and at the frangible portion  8  on the rear side where it bends along the frangible portion formation direction F so that the left side plate  5  between the struts  7  projects toward the right side. 
     Thus, the application of the impact force I causes the flat plate shaped member  2  to bend at the frangible portion  8  corresponding to the impact force I, thereby allowing the impact force I to be absorbed. 
     According to the shield plate  1 , the frangible portion  8  that bend when the impact force is applied is formed over the entire flat plate shaped member  2 , so that even if the impact force I is applied to any site of the flat plate shaped member  2 , the flat plate shaped member  2  can bend at the frangible portion  8 . Besides, since the frangible portions  8  are provided over the entire flat plate shaped member  2 , any shape of the flat plate shaped member  2  allows the impact force Ito act on the frangible portions  8 . 
     As a result, the shield plate  1  can reliably absorb the impact force I and also improve production efficiency. 
     According to the shield plate  1 , the flat plate shaped member  2  is formed from the left side plate  5 , the right side plate  6 , and the struts  7 , and the frangible portions  8  are formed between the struts  7 , so that the strength of the shield plate  1  can be maintained in the struts  7 , and the flat plate shaped member  2  can also reliably bend at the frangible portions  8  between the struts  7 . 
     In the shield plate  1 , the frangible portions  8  are formed along the frangible portion formation direction F. Therefore, the flat plate shaped member  2  can be reliably bent at a site to which the impact force I is applied, along the frangible portion formation direction F. 
     As a result, the shield plate  1  can more reliably absorb the impact force I. 
     In the shield plate  1 , a plurality of frangible portions  8  are parallely-arranged at spaced intervals in a direction orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F. Therefore, regardless of the sites to which the impact force I is applied, the flat plate shaped member  2  can be bent in the direction orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F. 
     As a result, the shield plate  1  can more reliably absorb the impact force I. 
     The edgewise crush resistance of the shield plate  1  in a direction in which the frangible portions  8  are parallely-arranged is, for example, 0.02 to 0.9 times higher than that in the frangible portion formation direction F. In other words, the edgewise crush resistance of the shield plate  1  in the direction in which the frangible portions  8  are parallely-arranged is set lower than that in the frangible portion formation direction F. Therefore, for example, in the case where the vehicle  21  collides head-on and the collided object hits onto the engine hood  23  and the cowl portion  24  of the vehicle  21 , the impact force I is applied from the direction in which the frangible portions  8  are parallely-arranged, which in turn the flat plate shaped member  2  can easily bend. 
     As a result, the shield plate  1  can more reliably absorb the impact force I applied from the direction in which the frangible portions  8  are parallely-arranged. 
     In the shield plate  1 , the elastic member  3  is positioned around the perimeter of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 . Therefore, when the shield plate  1  is attached to the cowl space  26 , the elastic member  3  deforms into the shape of the cowl space  26  to firmly stick to the cowl flame  25 . 
     As a result, the shielding effect can be improved by firmly sticking the shield plate  1  to the cowl flame  25  with simple construction. 
     In the shield plate  1 , the elastic member  3  includes a fitting portion  9  which fits over the peripheral portion so as to sandwich the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  and an elastic portion  10  positioned on the opposite side of the flat plate shaped member  2  relative to the fitting portion  9 . 
     Therefore, the elastic member  3  can be reliably fixed to the flat plate shaped member  2  by sandwiching the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  with the fitting portion  9 , and when the shield plate  1  is attached to the cowl space  26 , the elastic portion  10  can be reliably firmly stuck to the cowl flame  25 . 
     The shield plate  1  is provided with the clip  4  fixable to the cowl space  26  at the flat plate shaped member  2 . Therefore, even if the clip  4  is not formed separately, the shield plate  1  can be installed in the cowl space  26 . 
     As a result, the shield plate  1  can be easily installed in the cowl space  26 . 
     Since the vehicle  21  is provided with the shield plate  1 , the impact force I at the time of a collision can be reliably absorbed. 
     (Variations) 
       FIG. 7  is a perspective view seen from the upper left illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals are used in  FIG. 7  for the same members as the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. 
     In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the shield plate  1  is provided with the clip  4  fixable to the cowl space  26 . However, for example, as shown in  FIG. 7 , in the case where the cowl flame  25  is provided with a crosslinking plate  32  installed between the front wall and rear wall thereof, and a first projection  34  having a cylindrical shape is formed on the crosslinking plate  32 , the cowl frame  25  does not necessarily have the clip  4 . 
     In such case, the crosslinking plate  32  has two first projections  34  formed in spaced relation in the front-and-rear-direction. 
     A shield plate  31  includes a flat plate shaped member  2  and an elastic member  3 . In addition, the shield plate  31  has two through holes  33  formed near the center of the flat plate shaped member  2 , in the positioning corresponding to the first projecting portion  34 . 
     The shield plate  31  is attached by, for example, inserting the first projecting portion  34  through the penetration hole  33  toward the left side and fixing it to the crosslinking plate  32  on the right side. 
     The shield plate  31  has the same operations and effects as the shield plate  1  of the first embodiment. Besides, since the shield plate  31  does not require the clip  4 , production efficiency can be further improved. 
       FIG. 8  is a left side view illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals are used in  FIG. 8  for the same members as the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. 
     In the above-mentioned first embodiment, the shield plate  1  includes the struts  7  formed in a straight line positioned in parallel at spaced intervals to one another. However, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the shield plate  1  may include the struts  42  having, for example, a generally cylindrical shape in side view placed in staggered arrangement. 
     Portions between the struts  42  are partitioned as frangible portions  43  which are more frangible than portions in which the struts  42  are formed. 
     Specifically, the frangible portions  43  are formed between the struts  42  positioned in staggered form along three frangible portion formation directions F including a front-and-rear-direction, a direction in which the frangible portions  43  are inclined toward the rear side as they extend upward, and a direction in which the frangible portions  43  are inclined toward the front side as they extend upward. The frangible portion formation directions F intersect one another at an angle of 60 degrees. 
     The shield plate  41  has the same operations and effects as the shield plate  1  of the first embodiment. Besides, in the shield plate  41 , the frangible portions  43  are formed along three frangible portion formation directions F and are parallely-arranged at spaced intervals in each direction orthogonal to the each of respective frangible portion formation directions F. Therefore, regardless of the sites to which the impact force I is applied, the flat plate shaped member  2  can be bent in any direction. 
     As a result, the shield plate  41  can more reliably absorb the impact force I. 
       FIG. 9  shows drawings for explaining a method for adhesively bonding an elastic member to the peripheral portion in a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals are used in each of the subsequent figures for the same members as those in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the description thereof is omitted. 
     In the above-mentioned description of  FIG. 2 , the elastic member  3  is formed from separate members of the fitting portion  9  and the elastic portion  10 . However, as shown in  FIG. 9(   b ), the elastic member  3  may be formed, for example, from one member of an elastic layer  44 . 
     That is, the elastic layer  44  is formed from a foam used for forming the above-mentioned elastic portion  10 , and is integrally formed from the elastic portion  10  having a generally rectangular shape in cross section serving as a base portion, and a fitting portion  9  having a generally flat-bottomed U-shape in cross section serving as a play portion. 
     An adhesive layer  45  composed of known adhesives is laminated on the inner surface of the fitting portion  9 . 
     The elastic member  3  is adhesively bonded to the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  in the following manner. First, as indicated by dashed arrows in  FIG. 9(   a ), the front ends of the fitting portion  9  are opened toward both sides in the thickness direction of the flat plate shaped member  2 . Subsequently, as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 9(   a ) and shown in  FIG. 9(   b ), after the fitting portion  9  is inserted into the flat plate shaped member  2 , the inner surface of the fitting portion  9  is adhesively bonded to the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  via the adhesive layer  45 . 
     According to this method, since the elastic member  3  is integrally formed from one elastic layer  44 , the construction of the elastic member  3  can be simplified. 
       FIG. 10  shows drawings for explaining a method for adhesively bonding an elastic member to the peripheral portion in a fifth embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the above description, the elastic portion  10  and the fitting portion  9  are formed in a generally rectangular shape and a generally flat-bottomed U-shape in cross section, respectively. However, as shown in  FIG. 10(   a ), the elastic member  3  may be formed, for example, in a trapezoidal shape in cross section. 
     The elastic member  3  is formed in a generally trapezoidal shape in cross section gradually narrowing in width (a length in the thickness direction of the flat plate shaped member  2 ) as it extends toward the outside (outside of the peripheral portion). 
     The elastic member  3  is adhesively bonded to the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  in the following manner. First, as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 10(   a ), the adhesive layer  45  on the inner surface (a face opposed to the peripheral portion) of the elastic member  3  is brought into contact with the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 . This allows the widthwise center of the inner surface of the elastic member  3  to be bonded to the end face of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  with the adhesive layer  45 . 
     Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 10(   b ), both widthwise ends of the elastic member  3  are bonded to both the left side surface and the right side surface of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  via the adhesive layer  45 . Specifically, as indicated by the arrows in  FIG. 10(   b ), both the widthwise end portions of the elastic member  3  are bonded to both surfaces of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  via the adhesive layer  45  while being pulled inwardly toward the flat plate shaped member  2 . 
     The elastic member  3  is then formed in a generally circular shape (a curved shape expanding outward) in cross section by pulling both the widthwise end portions described above, so that the elastic section  10  positioned outside the peripheral portion and the fitting portion  9  positioned on both sides of the peripheral portion are formed. 
     Since the elastic member  3  is formed in a generally circular shape (a curved shape) in cross section after adhesively bonded to the peripheral portion, peeling resulting from contact with the cowl portion  24  can be effectively prevented at the time of the positioning to the cowl portion  24 , as compared with the elastic member  3  having a generally rectangular shape shown in  FIG. 9 . Therefore, adhesion between the elastic member  3  and the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  can be enhanced. As a result, the shielding effect of the shield plate  1  using the elastic member  3  can be further improved. 
       FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a sixth embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 12  is a sectional view, taken along the line B-B shown in  FIG. 11 , illustrating the recesses of  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 13  is a sectional view, taken along the line C-C shown in  FIG. 11 , illustrating a filling portion of  FIG. 11 ,  FIG. 14  is a sectional view, taken along the line D-D shown in  FIG. 11 , illustrating a bending portion of  FIG. 11 , and  FIG. 15  shows a perspective view for explaining bending in the bending portion of  FIG. 11 . The shield plate  1  shown in  FIG. 11  is applied with a proper posture corresponding to the shape of the cowl in the vehicle structure, and will be described based on the direction arrows shown in  FIG. 11  in each of the subsequent figures, for convenience. 
     In  FIG. 11 , the shield plate  1  has a ladder shape in cross section (cross section in the direction orthogonal to the front-and-rear-direction), and includes a flat plate shaped member  2  having a generally rectangular flat band in the front-and-rear-direction, provided with a second projection  53  of which the lower end portions of the front and rear end portions project toward the lower side. 
     The flat plate shaped member  2  includes a first recess  16 , a second recess  19 , and a filling portion  17  as reinforcing portions, and a bending portion  18 . 
     The first recess  16  is partially formed in the flat plate shaped member  2 , and specifically provided in the front end face of the flat plate shaped member  2  and formed so that the left-side front end edge is compressed in an inclined form. Specifically, as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the first recess  16  is formed in an inclined shape (a triangular shape in cross section) in which the left side surface is close to the right side surface as extends toward the front. 
     The first recess  16  can be formed by, for example, hot pressing the front end surface of the flat plate shaped member  2  from the upper side. 
     The second recess  19  is partially formed in the flat plate shaped member  2 , and specifically provided in the front end portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 , spaced apart in the rear of the first recess  16 , and formed so as to extend along the up-and-down direction (the direction orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F). The second recess  19  is formed so that the left side portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  is compressed toward the right side (partway in the thickness direction). Specifically, the second recess  19  is formed so as to be recessed in a generally rectangular shape in cross section. 
     The second recess  19  can be formed by, for example, hot pressing the left side of the flat plate shaped member  2  from the left side. 
     The filling portion  17  is partially formed in the flat plate shaped member  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 13 , and specifically, positioned in the upper portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 , and is formed in the flat plate shaped member  2  over the front-and-rear-direction. The filling portion  17  is formed by filling a space (filling space) partitioned with one pair of struts  7  opposed to each other, the left side plate  5  and the right side plate  6  installed therebetween, with a filler. Examples of the filler that is used for forming the filling portion  17  include the same materials as the above-mentioned synthetic resin that forms the flat plate shaped member  2 , and/or the above-mentioned synthetic rubber foam. 
     The filling portion  17  can be formed by pouring the above-mentioned synthetic resin into the above-mentioned filling space from the front end and/or the rear end thereof. 
     The bending portion  18  is partially formed in the flat plate shaped member  2 , as shown in  FIGS. 11 and 14(   a ), and specifically, provided in the rear end portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 , and formed extending in an inclined form relative to the frangible portion formation direction F. That is, the bending portion  18  is formed in a straight line in side view from the rear end face to the lower end face, and inclined toward the lower side as it extends frontward. The bending portion  18  is formed so that the left side portion (the left side plate  5  and the struts  7  indicated by dashed lines in  FIG. 14)  of the flat plate shaped member  2  is compressed rightward (partway in the thickness direction). Specifically, the bending portion  18  is formed so as to be recessed in a generally triangular shape in cross section. 
     Therefore, as referred to the arrow in  FIG. 14(   b ), the bending portion  18  is formed bendable along the above-mentioned inclined direction (a direction in which the bending portion  18  extends). 
     The bending portion  18  can be formed by, for example, pressing the left side of the flat plate shaped member  2  from the left side. 
     Different from the frangible portion  8  bent by applying the above-mentioned impact force I thereto, the bending portion  18  is formed as a portion which bends when an external force (stress) is applied by an operator as described later. 
     With the shield plate  1 , when the impact force I is applied to the front end portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  along the frangible portion formation direction F, the flat plate shaped member  2  is about to bend. At this time, the first recess  16  and the second recess  19  can reinforce themselves and the vicinity thereof. 
     Therefore, the strength of such site can be increased. 
     As a result, the flat plate shaped member  2  can absorb the impact force I with maintaining its specified shape. 
     In addition, even if a stress S along the frangible portion formation direction F is applied to the upper side of the flat plate shaped member  2 , the filling portion  17  can reinforce the left side plate  5 , the right side plate  6 , and the struts  7  which are adjacent to the filling portion  17 . 
     Therefore, the strength of such site can be increased. 
     As a result, the flat plate shaped member  2  can absorb the impact force I by bending with maintaining its specified shape. 
     In the case where the cowl portion  24  (see  FIG. 3 ) is formed in a complex shape, an operator bends the bending portion  18  as shown in  FIG. 14 , thereby allowing the shield plate  1  to be reliably positioned in the cowl portion  24 . 
     In particular, when there is a narrow space preceding a place for positioning the shield plate  1 , the flat plate shaped member  2  is folded by bending the bending portion  18  and is let pass through the narrow space in such folded state. Thereafter, the bending portion  18  is extended again, so that the flat plate shaped member  2  is finally placed in an unfolded state. 
     In the above description, the bending portion  18  is formed in a shape inclined to the frangible portion formation direction F. However, for example, as indicated by phantom lines in  FIG. 11 , it can be formed in a shape orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F. 
     As indicated by solid lines in  FIG. 11 , the bending portion  18  is preferably formed in a shape inclined to the frangible portion formation direction F. 
     When the bending portion  18  is formed in the shape orthogonal to the frangible portion formation direction F, end portions  29  facing the bending portion  18  in the installation portions  20  which continuously erect on the struts  7  in the left side plate  5 , are opposed to each other in the frangible portion formation direction F, as referred to  FIG. 14(   a ). Therefore, at the time of bending of the bending portion  18 , the end portions  29  come into contact with each other, which may limit the movable range of the bending portion  18 , or such contact can cause the right side plate  6  of the bending portion  18  to be pulled, which may result in damage of the right side plate  6 . 
     On the other hand, when the bending portion  18  is formed in a shape inclined to the frangible portion formation direction F, the end portions  29  facing to the bending portions  18  of the installation portions  20  are not opposed to one another but positioned in a staggered form in the direction G orthogonal to the direction along the bending portions  18  as shown in  FIG. 15 . This can prevent the end portions  29  of the installation portions  20  from touching one another at the time of bending of the bending portion  18  and can also cause the end portions  29  on both sides of the bending portion  18  to approach in the staggered form (see  FIG. 14  ( b )), allowing the bending portion  18  to bend flexibly. In addition, damage (specifically, crack, etc.) to the right side plate  6  of the bending portion  18  described above can be prevented. 
       FIG. 16  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of a seventh embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 17  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of an eighth embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 18  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of a ninth embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 19  is a perspective view illustrating the bending portion of a tenth embodiment of the present invention. 
     In the above description, the bending portion  18  is formed so as to be notched in a triangular shape in cross section. However, the shape is not limited and, for example, as shown in  FIGS. 16 to 19 , the bending portion  18  may be formed in a generally rectangular shape ( FIGS. 16 ,  18 , and  19 ) in cross section and in a generally W shape in cross section ( FIG. 17 ) so as to be recessed. 
     In  FIG. 16 , the bending portion  18  is formed in a straight line extending orthogonally to the frangible portion formation direction F. The width (the front-and-rear-direction length) of the bending portion  18  is set longer than an acceptable level of length which does not cause any contact between the end portions  29  of the installation portion  20  described above at the time of bending, i.e., the spacing between the left side plate  5  and the right side plate  6  both described above. 
     The bending portion  18  is formed bendable along the up-and-down direction. 
     The bending portion  18  can be formed by, for example, hot pressing the left side portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  from the left side. 
     Thus, the bending portion  18  can flexibly bend. 
     Therefore, when any flow of a liquid (specifically, rain water and/or a cleaning liquid, etc.) and/or solid foreign matters which flow together with the liquid occur in the cowl space  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) of the cowl portion  24 , pressure resulting from such flow can bend the flat plate shaped member  2 , allowing the liquid and/or the foreign matters flowing into the cowl space  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) in the cowl portion  24  of the vehicle  21  to pass through. 
     In  FIG. 17 , the bending portion  18  is partitioned with two compressed portions  50  having a generally triangular shape. 
     Such bending portion  18  can more flexibly bend with these two compressed portions  50 . Therefore, the liquid and/or the foreign matters flowing into the cowl space  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) in the cowl portion  24  of the vehicle  21  as described above can be more reliably passed through. 
     In  FIG. 18 , a single-cut line  30  inclined along the up-and-down direction is formed on the left side surface and the right side surface of the bending portion  18 . Specifically, of the single-cut line  30 , a left single-cut line  51  formed in the left side surface of the bending portion  18  and a right single-cut line  52  formed in the right side surface of the bending portion  18  are projected to the left side and the right side, respectively, and a plurality of these folds are spaced apart from one another in the up-and-down direction. 
     The left single-cut line  51  and the right single-cut line  52  are orthogonal to each other when projected in the left-and-right direction (thickness direction). More specifically, the left single-cut line  51  inclines rearward as it extends upward while the right single-cut line  52  inclines forward as it extends upward. 
     These single-cut lines  30  are formed by hot pressing in the left-and-right direction, specifically, by simultaneously applying heat and pressure from the left-and-right direction using a heat press having two dies corresponding to the left single-cut line  51  and the right single-cut line  52 . 
     In the shield plate  1 , the single-cut line  30  can increase flexibility of the bending portion  18 . Therefore, the liquid and/or the foreign matters flowing into the cowl space  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) in the cowl portion  24  of the vehicle  21  as described above can be reliably passed through. 
     Since the left single-cut line  51  and the right single-cut line  52  of the bending portion  18  are orthogonal to each other when projected in the left-and-right direction, mechanical durability of the bending portion  18  can be improved. 
     In the description of  FIG. 18 , the bending portion  18  is formed over the entire up-and-down direction of the flat plate shaped member  2 . However, it may be formed, for example, in its end portion in the up-and-down-direction or partway in such direction. 
     In  FIG. 19 , the flat plate shaped member  2  has a slit  35  formed dividing it into two portions, and the bending portion  18  is formed with a first flexible sheet  36  which is installed on the left side surface of the flat plate shaped member  2  on both sides of the slit  35 . 
     The first flexible sheet  36  is formed from, for example, the above-mentioned synthetic resins, synthetic rubber such as ethylene-propylene rubber and ethylenepropylenediene rubber, or foams, and is formed from fibers such as paper, nonwoven cloth, or textile fabric. 
     In the bending portion  18 , the first flexible sheet  36  can flexibly bend the bending portion  18 , allowing the liquid and/or the foreign matters flowing into the cowl space  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) in the cowl portion  24  of the vehicle  21  to pass through. 
       FIG. 20  is a perspective view illustrating an eleventh embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 21  is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a flexure portion of  FIG. 20 ,  FIG. 22  is an enlarged sectional view, taken along the line E-E shown in  FIG. 20 , illustrating an elastic member of  FIG. 20 , and  FIG. 23  shows drawings for explaining a method for adhesively bonding an elastic member to the peripheral portion. 
     In  FIG. 20 , the shield plate  1  further includes a second flexible sheet  37  as a flexible sheet. 
     The second flexible sheet  37  is laminated on the right side surface of the flat plate shaped member  2 , and specifically, positioned so as to include the second projection  53  of the flat plate shaped member  2  in side view. 
     In other words, the second flexible sheet  37  includes an extending portion  38  which extends outward (frontward, rearward, and downward) from the peripheral portion of the second projection  53  of the flat plate shaped member  2 . 
     The second flexible sheet  37  is formed from the same material as used for forming the above-mentioned first flexible sheet  36 , and is formed preferably from the above-mentioned synthetic rubber. 
     The second flexible sheet  37  includes a flexure portion  39  and a bellows-like portion  40 . 
     The flexure portion  39  is formed by deflecting the extending portion  38  partway in the extending direction toward the left side as indicated by the arrow in  FIG. 21 , and then bonding the front end portion of the extending portion  38  to the left side surface of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  via an adhesive, which is not shown. 
     As shown in  FIG. 20 , the bellows-like portion  40  is extended forward from the front end portion, and is formed in a bellows-like form in cross section. The bellows-like portion  40  has folds  54  formed in spaced relation in the up-and-down direction, each extending along the front-and-rear-direction. 
     The elastic member  3  includes the above-mentioned elastic layer  44  and the adhesive layer  45  as shown in  FIG. 22 , and also integrally includes an overlapping portion  46  and an attached portion  47 . 
     The overlapping portion  46  is positioned on the outside (the upper side) of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  and is partitioned as a portion in which the elastic layer  44  is overlapped by mutually bonding via the adhesive layer  45 . 
     The attached portion  47  is continuously bonded from the lower end portion of the overlapping portion  46  to the left and right side surfaces of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  via the adhesive layer  45 , to thereby be partitioned as a portion to be stuck on both side surfaces of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 . 
     The elastic member  3  is adhesively bonded to the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2  in the following manner. First, as shown in  FIG. 23(   a ), an elastic adhesive sheet  55  including the elastic layer  44 , the adhesive layer  45  formed on a surface thereof, and a release film  57  formed on a surface thereof is prepared. 
     Notches  58  are preliminarily formed between the widthwise center and both widthwise ends of the release film  57 . 
     Then, as shown in  FIG. 23(   b ), the release film  57  at the widthwise center is peeled off from the adhesive layer  45  along the notches  58 . 
     Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 23(   c ), the elastic layer  44  at the widthwise center is bonded to each other so as to be overlapped via the adhesive layer  45 . This can form the overlapping portion  46  and the attached portion  47  continuously extends therefrom in two directions. 
     Then, as shown in  FIG. 23(   d ), the release film  57  in the attached portion  47  is peeled off from the adhesive layer  45 , and the elastic layer  44  in the attached portion  47  is opposed to the end face of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 . Subsequently, as shown in  FIG. 23(   e ), the elastic layer  44  in the attached portion  47  is adhesively bonded to the left and right side surfaces of the peripheral portion via the adhesive layer  45 . 
     In the shield plate  1 , the flexible extending portion  38  can be reliably attached to the cowl portion  24  (see  FIG. 3 ) where the shield plate  1  is mounted. 
     On the other hand, bending of the flexible extending portion  38  allows the shield plate  1  to be reliably positioned in the cowl portion  24  having a complex shape, or bending of the flexible extending portion  38  in the left-and-right direction allows the liquid and/or the foreign matters in the cowl space  26  (see  FIG. 3 ) in the cowl portion  24  to pass through. 
     With the shield plate  1 , the attached portion  47  can fix the overlapping portion  46  to the flat plate shaped member  2 , and the overlapping portion  46  can also be reliably firmly stuck to the cowl portion  24 . 
     The overlapping width W of the overlapping portion  46  (see  FIG. 22 ) can be set to a fixed value, so that the shielding effect by the overlapping portion  46  can be further enhanced. 
     Further, the positioning (see  FIG. 23(   d )) of the elastic member  3  relative to the end face of the peripheral portion of the flat plate shaped member  2 , a continuing section of the overlapping portion  46  and the attached portion  47  is opposed to the center of the end face of the peripheral portion, whereby the attached portion  47  can be well-balanced and easily positioned on the right side surface and the left side surface of the peripheral portion and can be adhesively bonded thereto. 
     While the illustrative embodiments of the present invention are provided in the above description, such is for illustrative purpose only and it is not to be construed restrictively. Modification and variation of the present invention that will be obvious to those skilled in the art is to be covered by the following claims. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     A shield plate is for use as, for example, a space partition of cowl members of vehicles, or the like.