JP6664236B2 - Car body structure - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an automobile body structure in which one end of a tower bar is connected to an upper surface of a damper housing made of an aluminum alloy that supports an upper end of the damper.

  By connecting the left and right damper housings and the bracket provided at the center of the dash panel upper in the vehicle width direction with a pair of left and right suspension stays (tower bars) arranged in a V-shape, input is made from the front wheels via the dampers. A device for increasing the rigidity of a damper housing against a load is known from Patent Document 1 below.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-148978

  By the way, when the damper housing is made of an aluminum alloy casting, it is possible to freely set the thickness of each part, but in order to increase the strength of the tower bar mounting seat provided on the upper wall of the damper housing, If the entire upper wall of the damper housing is made thick, there is a problem that the weight of the damper housing increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to firmly connect an aluminum alloy damper housing and a tower bar while avoiding an increase in the number of parts and weight.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the invention described in claim 1, a plurality of ribs extending radially from the center are formed on the upper surface of an aluminum alloy damper housing supporting the upper end of the damper, and the plurality of ribs are formed. One end of a tower bar is connected to a mounting seat connecting the ribs adjacent to each other among the ribs, and a pair of support walls for supporting a suspension arm is provided on a lower surface of the damper housing, wherein the mounting seat includes the pair of support walls. body structure of deployed vehicles, characterized in Rukoto is proposed during.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect , a dash panel lower, a dash panel upper connected to an upper portion of the dash panel lower and opening upward, and the dash panel upper A dash cross member connected to a lower portion of the dash panel lower and extending in the vehicle width direction; a dash cross member connected to a lower portion of the dash panel lower; A vertical member connected to the bulkhead via a panel upper, and a lower end connected to the dash cross member; and the other end of the tower bar connected to the bulkhead via the dash panel upper. A vehicle body structure characterized by the following is proposed.

According to the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the configuration of the second aspect , the bulkhead has a hat-shaped cross section whose lower surface is connected to the upper surface of the dash panel upper. A vehicle body structure is proposed in which a windshield lower support is supported via a support member.

According to the invention described in claim 4 , in addition to the configuration of claim 3 , the support member is an upper support member connected to a windshield lower support, and a lower support member connected to the bulkhead. A body structure of an automobile characterized by the following is proposed.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of any one of the second to fourth aspects, the bulkhead is connected to the dash panel upper and the dash panel lower in three layers. A vehicle body structure is proposed in which the vertical members are connected to the dash panel upper and the dash panel lower in three layers.

  Note that the rod portion 28 of the embodiment corresponds to the first portion of the present invention, the connecting portion 29 of the embodiment corresponds to the second portion of the present invention, and the lower support member 39 of the embodiment corresponds to the present invention. The upper support member 40 of the embodiment corresponds to the support member of the present invention.

According to the configuration of the first aspect, the plurality of ribs extending radially from the center are formed on the upper surface of the aluminum alloy damper housing that supports the upper end of the damper, and connect the mutually adjacent ribs among the plurality of ribs. Since one end of the tower bar is connected to the mounting seat, the load at the connection between the one end of the tower bar and the upper surface of the damper housing is supported by ribs, thereby reducing the general thickness of the upper surface of the damper housing and reducing the weight. The tower bar can be connected firmly while reducing. Also, a pair of support walls for supporting the suspension arm are provided on the lower surface of the damper housing, and the mounting seat is disposed between the pair of support walls. Therefore, the mounting seat can be reinforced by using the strong support wall. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the dash panel lower, the dash panel upper connected to the upper portion of the dash panel lower and opening upward, and the bulkhead connected to the upper surface of the dash panel upper in the vehicle width direction central portion. A dash cross member connected to the lower portion of the dash panel lower and extending in the vehicle width direction; a dash cross member connected to the rear surface of the dash panel lower; an upper end connected to the bulkhead with the dash panel upper interposed; and a lower end connected to the dash cross member. Since the other end of the tower bar is connected to the bulkhead with the dash panel upper interposed, even if the cross member cannot be arranged inside the dash panel upper, Transfer the load to the dash cross member via the bulkhead and vertical members. In, it is possible to ensure the supporting rigidity of the tower bar.

According to the configuration of claim 3, the lower surface of the bulkhead is a hat-shaped cross section connected to the upper surface of the dash panel upper, and the windshield lower support is supported on the upper surface of the bulkhead via the support member. Since the support member is connected to the strong bulkhead and hardly falls right and left, the support rigidity of the windshield lower support and the tower bar is increased.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, since the supporting member is composed of the upper supporting member connected to the windshield lower support and the lower supporting member connected to the bulkhead, the supporting member is constituted by a single member. The assemblability is improved as compared with the case of performing.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the bulkhead is connected to the dash panel upper and the dash panel lower in three layers, and the vertical member is connected to the dash panel upper and the dash panel lower in three layers. , The dash panel upper, the dash panel lower and the vertical member can be firmly connected while avoiding the connection of four sheets.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front part of a vehicle body of an automobile. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a view in the direction of arrow 5 in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present specification, the front-rear direction, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and the up-down direction are defined with reference to an occupant seated in a driver's seat.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a front portion of a vehicle body of a vehicle includes a floor panel 11 constituting a floor surface of a passenger compartment, and a pair of left and right side sills 12, 12 extending in the front-rear direction along both sides in the vehicle width direction of the floor panel 11. A pair of left and right front pillars 13, 13 rising from the front ends of the left and right side sills 12, a pair of left and right front pillars 14, 14 extending rearward and upward from upper ends of the left and right front pillars 13, 13; A dash panel lower 15 that stands up from the front end of the floor panel 11 and connects the left and right front pillar lowers 13, a pair of left and right front side frames 16, 16 extending forward from the front end of the floor panel 11, and left and right front pillars A pair of left and right upper members 18, 18 extending forward from upper ends of the lowers 13, 13; And a pair of left and right lower member 19, 19 extending forward and downward and the vehicle width direction inner side from 8 front end of.

  Further, a front portion of the vehicle body includes a pair of left and right connecting members 20 and 20 connecting the front ends of the left and right front side frames 16 and 16 and the front ends of the left and right lower members 19 and 19 in the vehicle width direction. , 20, a pair of left and right bumper beam extensions 21, 21, a bumper beam 22 connecting the front ends of the left and right bumper beam extensions 21, 21 in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of left and right bumper beam extensions 21, 21. And a pair of left and right front bulkheads connecting the upper left and upper right corners of the front bulkhead 23 to the front-rear intermediate portions of the left and right lower members 19, 19. It has upper sides 24, 24 and the left and right front side frames 16, 16 and Fine left and right upper members 18, 18 while it is connected with the cast aluminum alloy of the pair of left and right dampers housings 25, 25.

  From the upper end of the dash panel lower 15, a dash panel upper 26 formed in a groove shape that opens upward projects forward, and the front of the dash panel upper 26 at the center in the vehicle width direction, the left and right damper housings 25, 25 is connected to the upper surface by a tower bar 27 expanding in a V-shape toward the front. The tower bar 27 includes a pair of left and right rods 28, 28 formed in a straight line, and a V-shaped connecting part 29 that integrally connects the left and right rods 28, 28.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, on the upper surface of the damper housing 25, a circular opening 25a into which an upper end of a damper (not shown) is fitted, and a plurality of ribs 25b extending radially around the opening 25a. It is formed. An elliptical mounting seat 25c is formed so as to connect between the two ribs 25b, 25b extending forward from the opening 25a, and the seat surface of the mounting seat 25c is larger than the upper ends of the two ribs 25b, 25b. Is getting higher.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a support wall 25e substantially parallel to a support wall 25d which is a part of a front wall extending in the vehicle width direction is formed on the lower surface of the damper housing 25, and extends in the vehicle width direction. A support wall 25g that is substantially parallel to a support wall 25f that is a part of the rear wall is formed, and joints 31, 32 at the front and rear ends of a U-shaped suspension arm 30 that supports the front wheels are connected to a pair of front sides. It is supported between the support walls 25d and 25e and between the pair of rear support walls 25f and 25g, respectively. The mounting seat 25c of the damper housing 25 is disposed so as to be sandwiched between a pair of front support walls 25d and 25e that support the front joint 31.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the rod-like portion 28 of the tower bar 27 is a vertically flat pipe member, and a bolt 34 that penetrates the collar 33 inserted at the tip thereof from above to below is screwed into the mounting seat 25c. Thus, the rod-shaped portion 28 is connected to the seating surface of the mounting seat 25c. At this time, since the seat surface of the mounting seat 25c is higher than the upper surfaces of the ribs 25b, 25b, the rod-shaped portion 28 does not interfere with the ribs 25b, 25b.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a bulkhead 35 is provided at the center of the dash panel upper 26 in the vehicle width direction. The bulkhead 35 is a member having a hat-shaped cross section, and includes a rectangular upper wall 35a extending in the front-rear direction, a pair of left and right trapezoidal side walls 35b, 35b extending downward from both side edges of the upper wall 35a in the vehicle width direction. A pair of left and right flanges 35c, 35c are provided by bending the lower ends of the left and right side walls 35b, 35b outward in the vehicle width direction.

  The dash panel upper 26 that opens upward is a bottom wall 26a, a front wall 26b that rises forward and upward from the front end of the bottom wall 26a, a rear wall 26c that rises upward and backward from the rear end of the bottom wall 26a, and a front end of the front wall 26b. Is bent forward, and a rear flange 26e is formed by bending the rear end of the rear wall 26c rearward. The left and right flanges 35c, 35c of the bulkhead 35 are connected to the upper surfaces of the front wall 26b, the rear wall 26c, and the rear flange 26e of the dash panel upper 26, and the front end of the upper wall 35a of the bulkhead 35 is in front of the dash panel upper 26. It is connected to the upper surface of the section flange 26d.

  At the connection between the lower end of the dash panel lower 15 and the front end of the floor panel 11, a dash cross member 36 having an L-shaped cross section and extending in the vehicle width direction is arranged. The dash cross member 36 forms a closed section.

  The vertical member 37 vertically arranged on the rear surface of the dash panel lower 15 is a member having a hat-shaped cross section, and includes a rear wall 37a and a pair of left and right side walls formed by bending both side edges of the rear wall 37a in the vehicle width direction forward. 37b, 37b, a pair of left and right flanges 37c, 37c with the front ends of the left and right side walls 37b, 37b bent outward in the vehicle width direction, and an upper wall 37d with the upper end bent rearward and upward. The vertical member 37 has an upper wall 37d and left and right flanges 37c, 37c connected to the rear surface of the dash panel lower 15, and an entire lower end connected to the upper surface of the dash cross member 36.

  At positions above the upper end of the vertical member 37, the flanges 35c, 35c of the bulkhead 35, the rear wall 26c of the dash panel upper 26, and the dash panel lower 15 are welded w1 and w1 (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

  Notches 35d, 35d are formed in left and right flanges 35c, 35c of the bulkhead 35 that abut on the rear wall 26c of the dash panel upper 26, and the notches 35d, 35d define the dash panel upper 26 with notches. The rear wall 26c, the dash panel lower 15, and the upper wall 37d of the vertical member 37 are welded w2 and w2 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) in a three-layer manner.

  The rear flange 26a of the windshield lower support 38 arranged to cover the upper part of the dash panel upper 26 is connected to the rear flange 26e of the dash panel upper 26. The upper end of the lower support member 39 whose lower end is connected to the upper wall 35 a of the bulkhead 35 is connected to the lower end of the upper support member 40 whose upper end is connected to the lower surface of the windshield lower support 38.

  The connecting portion 29 of the tower bar 27 connects the front member 41 and the rear member 42 and has a flat closed cross-section in the front-rear direction. The two collars 43, 43 sandwiched between the center portions in the vehicle width direction are provided. The bolts 44 that penetrate from the front to the rear are screwed into nuts 45 provided on the flanges 35c of the bulkhead 35, thereby being connected to the front surface of the front wall 26b of the dash panel upper 26.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described.

  When the load input to the front wheels from the road surface is transmitted to the upper surfaces of the aluminum alloy damper housings 25, 25 via the dampers and the suspension arms 30, 30, the load causes the damper housings 25, 25 to move in the vehicle width direction or front and rear. Although the right and left damper housings 25 and 25 are connected to the dash panel upper 26 via the tower bar 27, the support rigidity of the damper housings 25 and 25 with respect to the vehicle body is increased, so that the right and left damper housings 25 and 25 are prevented from falling. Is done.

  At this time, a large load is applied to the vicinity of the mounting seat 25c of the damper housing 25 to which the front end of the tower bar 27 is connected, but the mounting seat 25c has a plurality of ribs 25b radially formed on the upper surface of the damper housing 25. (See FIG. 1) so that the mounting seat 25c is reinforced by the ribs 25b, 25b, and the connection with the tower bar 27 is disconnected. Can be prevented.

  Since the thickness of each part of the damper housing 25, which is a cast member of an aluminum alloy, can be arbitrarily set, if the entire upper wall of the damper housing 25 is made thicker, the strength of the mounting seat 25c can be increased. However, this causes a problem that the weight of the damper housing 25 increases. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, since the mounting seat 25c can be effectively reinforced only by providing the thin ribs 25b, the strength of the mounting seat 25c can be increased while avoiding an increase in the weight of the damper housing 25. it can.

  In particular, since the seat surface of the mounting seat 25c is higher than the upper ends of the ribs 25b (see FIG. 6), the tower bar 27 can be firmly connected to the mounting seat 25c without interfering with the ribs 25b. Further, a pair of support walls 25d and 25e for supporting the joint 31 at the front end of the suspension arm 30 are provided on the lower surface of the damper housing 25, and the mounting seat 25c is disposed between the pair of support walls 25d and 25e (see FIG. 5). ), The mounting seat 25c can be reinforced by using the strong support walls 25d and 25e.

  A bulkhead 35 is connected to the upper surface of the dash panel upper 26 at the center in the vehicle width direction, a dash cross member 36 extending in the vehicle width direction is connected to a lower portion of the dash panel lower 15, and a vertical member is connected to the rear surface of the dash panel lower 15. 37, the upper end of the vertical member 37 is connected to the bulkhead 35 with the dash panel upper 26 interposed, and the lower end is connected to the dash cross member 36, so that the cross member cannot be arranged inside the dash panel upper 26. Even so, by increasing the rigidity of the dash panel upper 26 to which the connecting portion 29 at the center in the vehicle width direction of the tower bar 27 is connected, the load input from the tower bar 27 to the dash panel upper 26 can be transferred to the bulkhead 35 and the vertical member. 37 to the dash cross member 36 efficiently, It is possible to ensure the supporting rigidity of the PowerBar 27.

  The bulkhead 35 is a rigid member having a hat-shaped cross section whose lower surface is connected to the upper surface of the dash panel upper 26, and the windshield lower support 38 is provided on the upper surface of the bulkhead 35 via a lower support member 39 and an upper support member 40. Are supported, the lower support member 39 and the upper support member 40 are less likely to fall left and right, and the support rigidity of the windshield lower support 38 and the tower bar 27 is increased. In addition, since the lower support member 39 and the upper support member 40 are divided as separate members, assembling into a narrow space sandwiched between the bulkhead 35 and the windshield lower support 38 as compared with the case where they are formed by a single member. Stickiness is improved.

  Four spot welding may not provide sufficient welding strength. However, among the four members of the bulkhead 35, the dash panel upper 26, the dash panel lower 15, and the vertical member 37, the bulkhead 35, The dash panel upper 26 and the dash panel lower 15 are welded w1 and w1 in three layers and the vertical member 37, the dash panel upper 26 and the dash panel lower 15 are welded w2 and w2 in three layers (FIG. 2 and FIG. 2). 3), sufficient welding strength can be obtained.

  Further, the tower bar 27 has bar-shaped portions 28, 28 having a horizontally long cross section connected to the mounting seats 25c, 25c of the damper housings 25, 25 (see FIGS. 2 and 6), and a connection portion having a vertically long cross section connected to the dash panel upper 26. 29 (see FIG. 3), loads in various directions input from the damper to the damper housing 25 can be efficiently transmitted to the dash panel upper 26.

  As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, various design changes can be made in the present invention without departing from the gist thereof.

15 dash panel lower 25 damper housing 25b rib 25c mounting seat 25d support wall 25e supporting wall 26 dash panel upper 27 Tawaba over
30 Suspension arm 35 Bulkhead 36 Dash cross member 37 Vertical member 38 Windshield lower support 39 Lower support member (support member)
40 Upper support member (support member)

Claims (5)

A plurality of ribs (25b) extending radially from the center are formed on an upper surface of a damper housing (25) made of an aluminum alloy that supports an upper end of the damper, and ribs (25b) adjacent to each other among the plurality of ribs (25b) are formed. One end of a tower bar (27) is connected to a mounting seat (25c) connecting the two , and a pair of support walls (25d, 25e) for supporting a suspension arm (30) is provided on a lower surface of the damper housing (25). body structure of a vehicle according to the arranged, characterized in Rukoto claim 1 or claim 2 between the mounting seat (25c) of the pair of support walls (25d, 25e). A dash panel lower (15), a dash panel upper (26) connected to an upper portion of the dash panel lower (15) and opening upward, and a dash panel upper (26) connected to an upper surface of a central portion in the vehicle width direction of the dash panel upper (26). A bulkhead (35), a dash cross member (36) connected to the lower part of the dash panel lower (15) and extending in the vehicle width direction, and a rear end of the dash panel lower (15) connected to the upper end. A vertical member (37) connected to the bulkhead (35) via the dash panel upper (26) and a lower end connected to the dash cross member (36); end is characterized in that it is connected to the bulkhead (35) across the dash panel upper (26), according to claim 1 Body structure of a moving car. The bulkhead (35) has a hat-shaped cross section whose lower surface is connected to the upper surface of the dash panel upper (26), and is provided on the upper surface of the bulkhead (35) via a support member (39, 40). 3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 , wherein the support is supported. The support members (39, 40) include an upper support member (40) connected to the windshield lower support (38) and a lower support member (39) connected to the bulkhead (35). The vehicle body structure of an automobile according to claim 3 , characterized in that: The bulkhead (35) is connected to the dash panel upper (26) and the dash panel lower (15) in three layers, and the vertical member (37) is connected to the dash panel upper (26) and the dash panel lower ( The vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , wherein three of the vehicle body structures are connected to each other in (15).

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