JP2000085626A - Body front structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicle body front structure which can restrain deformation in the vehicle width direction of front side members at front collision and collapsingly deform it in the axial direction. SOLUTION: Because right and left strut towers 8, 8 are set as connecting base shafts, and right and left front side members 4, 4 are connected together through a lower cross member 11, an upper cross member 10, and a support stay 12, at front collision of a vehicle, deformation of the front side members 4, 4 in the vehicle width direction can be restrained, and collapse deformation in the axial direction can be promoted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some vehicles include, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-28.
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 6354, by connecting strut tower bars across the tops of strut towers arranged on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle body, the inward collapse deformation of the strut tower due to suspension input is suppressed. Known to do so.

[0003]

The strut tower bar can increase the inward falling rigidity of the right and left strut towers. However, when a frontal collision of the vehicle occurs, a collision input is directed rearward to a front side member on which these strut towers are erected. When acted, the strut tower bar does not contribute much as a drag member that suppresses the deformation of these front side members outward in the vehicle width direction, and ideally crushes the front side members in the axial direction. Requires a structural change of the front side member itself, especially in vehicles where the front overhang is small and the distance between the front end and the strut tower is limited, such as small cars, in the width direction of the front side member. There is a strong demand for a deformation suppressing structure.

In such a small car, a collision load may be applied to the upper part of the front of the vehicle body at the time of a frontal collision. In this case, it is necessary to transmit the collision load to the front side member in the axial direction. It will be difficult.

Accordingly, the present invention suppresses the deformation of the front side member in the vehicle width direction at the time of a frontal collision without changing the structure of the front side member, and enables the front side member to be smoothly crushed and deformed in the axial direction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body front structure capable of transmitting an input of the collision load to a front side member in an axial direction even when the collision load acts on an upper portion of the front portion.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a first cross member extending between the front ends of a front side member having a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the front-rear direction on both sides of a front portion of the vehicle body. At the rear, the upper cross member is joined across the upper front sides of the left and right strut towers which are erected and joined to the front side members, and the left and right front side members are offset at a position offset rearward from the upper cross member. The lower cross member is connected between the members, and the support stay is connected to the upper cross member and the lower cross member in an oblique manner.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the front side member according to the first aspect is characterized by using a hollow extruded material formed by extruding a hollow body from a lightweight metal material.

[0008] According to the invention of claim 3, claims 1 and 2 are provided.
The lower cross member described in (1) is characterized in that a notch is provided on the lower surface side of both ends thereof, and the notch is engaged and joined over the upper wall and the side wall of the front side member.

According to the invention of claim 4, claims 1 to 3 are provided.
The support stay described in (1) is disposed at the vehicle center.

In the invention of claim 5, claims 1 to 3 are provided.
Are provided in the vehicle width direction.

According to the invention of claim 6, claims 1 to 5 are provided.
The charging support for inserting and removing the charging coupler is provided so as to be substantially parallel to the support stay over the upper cross member and the support stay.

In the invention of claim 7, claims 1 to 6 are provided.
The support stay described in (1) is characterized in that a mounting flange for connecting to the upper cross member and the lower cross member is provided at the front and rear ends thereof, and at least the mounting flange at the rear end is connected to the upper wall of the lower cross member. I have.

According to the invention of claim 8, claims 1 to 7 are provided.
Is directly joined to the strut tower.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the first to eighth aspects are provided.
And a drive auxiliary component having a rigid structure is connected and arranged so as to straddle the lower cross member and the upper cross member and / or the front side member.

In the tenth aspect of the present invention,
9 is provided with a collision detection sensor in the support stay.

[0016]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first cross member is joined across the front end portions of the left and right front side members, but is provided behind the first cross member in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle. The left and right front side members tend to be deformed outward in the vehicle width direction, and this is particularly noticeable in an offset collision in which a collision input acts on one side of the front of the vehicle body. The lower cross member is connected across the side members, and the lower cross member is connected to the upper cross member connected across the upper front sides of the left and right strut towers via the support stays, Since the left and right front side members are connected using these rigid left and right strut towers as connection base axes, Deformation in the vehicle width direction outer side of the cement side members may of course, it is possible to reliably suppress the deformation in the vehicle width direction inner side.

As a result, the front side member can be smoothly crushed and deformed in the axial direction, so that the collision energy absorption characteristics can be improved, and the crushing deformation of the front part of the vehicle body is suppressed to the vicinity of the strut tower. A cabin space can be secured.

Further, the lower cross member is offset behind the upper cross member, and the support stays are connected obliquely across the upper cross member and the lower cross member. When a collision load is applied to the upper portion, the support stay functions as a strut and transmits input from the upper cross member to the lower cross member so that input can be transmitted to the front side member in the axial direction. The crush deformation of the front part can be reliably suppressed to the vicinity of the strut tower, and the cabin space can be secured.

Therefore, the present invention is particularly effective when applied to a vehicle having a small front overhang and a small distance between the front end and the strut tower, such as a small vehicle.

Further, as described above, since the upper cross member is joined across the upper front sides of the left and right strut towers, the upper cross member functions as a strut tower bar to increase the inward falling rigidity of the strut tower. Also,
Since the upper cross member, the lower cross member, and the support stay connect the left and right front side members and the upper portions of the left and right strut towers in a cross-girder configuration, the torsional rigidity of the front portion of the vehicle body can be increased. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the first aspect is provided.
In addition to the effects of the invention, the front side member is formed of a hollow integrally extruded material made of a lightweight metal material, and the hollow extruded material has a crushing property of being crushed and deformed in a bellows shape by an axial load. Therefore, it is possible to further utilize the inherent crushing characteristics of the hollow extruded material to further enhance the impact energy absorbing effect.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effects of the first and second aspects of the present invention, the lower cross member has cutouts on the lower surfaces at both ends thereof formed on the upper wall and the side wall of the front side member. And receiving the collision load input from the support stay via the lower cross member as a shear load that is advantageous in strength at the connection portion and transmitting the input to the front side member. Therefore, the load transmission characteristics to the front side member can be improved.

According to the invention described in claim 4, according to claim 1,
In addition to the effects of the inventions of (1) to (3), since the support stay is disposed at the vehicle center, when the collision load acts locally on the vehicle center like a pole collision, the upper cross member and the lower cross Load transmission between members can be performed favorably.

According to the invention described in claim 5, according to claim 1,
In addition to the effects of the third to third aspects, since a plurality of support stays are arranged in the vehicle width direction, the load transmission characteristics between the upper cross member and the lower cross member can be improved.

According to the invention described in claim 6, according to claim 1,
In addition to the effects of the inventions of (5) to (5), in the case of an electric vehicle, a charging support for inserting and removing a charging coupler is provided in a vehicle body for charging a vehicle-mounted battery. Since the support stay is straddled substantially parallel to the support stay, the input at the time of insertion of the charging coupler can be applied to the support stay in the direction in which the support stay is disposed. The mounting stability can be increased without using a special reinforcing structure for mounting the charging support.

According to the invention of claim 7, according to claim 1,
In addition to the effects of the sixth to sixth aspects of the present invention, the support stay has a mounting flange at the rear end thereof connected to the upper wall of the lower cross member, so that a collision load input from the support stay to the lower cross member can be strengthened at the connection portion. Since the shear load can be received as an economically advantageous load and transmitted to the lower cross member, the load transmission characteristics to the lower cross member can be improved.

According to the invention described in claim 8, claim 1 is provided.
In addition to the effects of the seventh to seventh aspects, since the upper cross member is directly connected to the strut tower, the load transmission characteristics between the upper cross member and the strut tower can be improved.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the first aspect is provided.
In addition to the effects of the inventions of the above-described embodiments, since the rigid auxiliary driving accessory parts are effectively used as a coupling reinforcing member between the lower cross member and the upper cross member or the lower cross member and the front side member, these lower cross members are used. Since the coupling strength between the member, the upper cross member, and the front side member can be increased, the effect of suppressing deformation of the front side member in the vehicle width direction at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle can be further enhanced.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effects of the first to ninth aspects, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the upper cross member, the lower cross member and the support stay are arranged to provide a vehicle body. Considering that the front crush deformation can be suppressed to the vicinity of the strut tower,
Since the collision detection sensor is provided on the support stay that extends to the rear of the upper cross member, it is possible to avoid damage to the collision detection sensor at the time of the frontal collision and to reliably perform the sensor function.

[0030]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail by taking an electric vehicle as an example.

In an electric vehicle, since a battery for driving a motor occupies a considerable weight and mounting space, the battery is hermetically housed in a battery frame BF having a dedicated rigid structure as shown in FIGS. The battery frames BF are mounted below the floor 2 of the vehicle body 1.

As shown in this example, in a small car having almost no front overhang from the front wheels F and W of the vehicle body 1, the drive motor is provided in a motor room M provided at the lower part of the rear floor to protect the drive motor in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle.・ A rear motor / rear drive system is adopted, which is mounted on the R to drive the rear wheels RW.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a vehicle body front structure in such a small vehicle. Front side members 4 having a closed cross-sectional structure as front-rear skeletal members are provided on both front sides of the vehicle body. I have.

The front side member 4 has its rear end wrapped around from the front to the lower surface of the dash lower panel 3 and is joined, and its side is joined along the lower end of the hood ridge panel 5. A first cross member 6 having a closed cross-sectional structure, which is a frame member in the vehicle width direction, is connected between the front ends of the members 4 via gussets 7.

The hood ridge panel 5 is provided with a strut tower 8 which rises from the vicinity of the upper portion of the front side member 4 at a position adjacent to the dash lower panel 3, and an upper edge portion of the hood ridge panel 5 has a hood ridge upper. 9 reinforced.

At the top of the hood ridge panel 5, a shelf 5a is formed adjacent to the front of the top of the strut tower 8, and the upper cross member having a closed cross-sectional structure extends between the left and right shelves 5a. The left and right front side members 4, 4 are offset from the upper cross member 10 and substantially in the vicinity of the center axis of the strut tower 8 by being connected to each other in the vehicle width direction.
The lower cross member 11 having a closed cross-sectional structure is connected and arranged in the vehicle width direction across the gap.

The upper cross member 10 and the lower cross member 11 also function as a radiator mount member for mounting and supporting a radiator (not shown), and the upper cross member 10 and the lower cross member 11 are inclined at the vehicle center. The support stays 12 are connected to each other.

The front side member 4 is made of a lightweight metal material such as aluminum, and is integrally extruded into a hollow body. In this embodiment, the first cross member 6, the upper cross member 10, and the lower cross member 11 are also made of the same material and are hollow. Extruded integrally.

The upper cross member 10 is connected to the shelf 5a by bolts and nuts through the notch 10a on the upper surface of the end, while the lower cross member 11 is connected to the front side member 4 on the lower surface of the end. A notch 11a is formed so as to engage with the upper wall and the inner side wall, and the notch 11a is engaged and joined from the upper wall to the side wall.

The support stay 12 is provided with mounting flanges 13 and 14 at the front and rear ends thereof.
3 is superimposed on the rear wall of the upper cross member 10 and bolts
In addition to the nut connection, the mounting flange 14 at the rear end is overlapped with the upper wall of the lower cross member 11 and connected by a bolt and a nut.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 15 denotes a suspension mount bracket connected to the lower side of the front side member 4.

According to the structure of the above embodiment, the first cross member 6 is connected across the front end portions of the left and right front side members 4 and 4. Usually, when the frontal collision of the vehicle occurs, the first cross member 6 is connected. The rear left and right front side members 4 and 4 tend to be deformed outward in the vehicle width direction behind 6, and this tendency is particularly remarkable in an offset collision in which a collision input acts on one side of the front of the vehicle body.
A lower cross member 11 is connected to the left and right front side members 4 and 4 behind the first cross member 6, and the lower cross member 11 is straddled between the upper front sides of the left and right strut towers 8 and 8. The left and right front side members 4, 4 are connected to the upper cross member 10 joined by the support stays 12 via the support stays 12, and the right and left strut towers 8, 8 are used as connection base shafts. The deformation of the side members 4 and 4 to the outside in the vehicle width direction, as well as the deformation to the inside in the vehicle width direction, can be surely suppressed.

As a result, the front side members 4 and 4 can be smoothly crushed and deformed in the axial direction. In particular, if the front side members 4 and 4 are made of an integrally extruded aluminum hollow material as in the present embodiment. , The characteristics of collapsing and deforming in the bellows shape in the axial direction can be fully utilized, and the collision energy absorption characteristics can be improved.
The crush deformation of the front part of the vehicle body can be suppressed to the vicinity of the strut towers 8 and 8, and a cabin space can be secured.

Further, the lower cross member 11 is offset behind the upper cross member 10 and the support stays 12 are connected obliquely across the upper cross member 10 and the lower cross member 11. In the case of a frontal collision in which a collision load is applied to the upper part of the front part of the vehicle body, the support stays 12 function as an abutment member and move from the upper cross member 10 to the lower cross member 11.
To the front side members 4 and 4 so that the front side members 4 and 4 can be transmitted in the axial direction, so that the crushing deformation of the front portion of the vehicle body is reliably suppressed to the vicinity of the strut towers 8 and 8 to secure the cabin space. be able to.

Therefore, the present invention is particularly effective when applied to a vehicle in which the amount of front overhang is small and the distance between the front end and the strut towers 8 and 8 is limited as in the present embodiment. .

Further, as described above, the upper cross member 1
Since the strut towers 0 are straddled between the upper front sides of the right and left strut towers 8 and 8, they can function as strut tower bars to increase the inward falling rigidity of the strut towers 8 and 8. Since the members 10 and the lower cross member 11 and the support stays 12 connect the left and right front side members 4 and 4 and the upper portions of the left and right strut towers 8 and 8 in a cross-girder shape, the torsion at the front of the vehicle body is formed. The rigidity can be increased.

Here, the lower cross member 11 is joined by engaging the notches 11a on the lower surfaces at both ends thereof over the upper walls and the side walls of the front side members 4, 4.
Further, the support stay 12 is attached to the mounting flange 1 at the rear end.
4 is connected to the upper wall of the lower cross member 11, and the connection portion receives a collision load from the front as a shear load that is advantageous in strength, so that the load transmission characteristics can be improved. it can.

Further, since the support stays 12 are provided at the vehicle center, when the collision load acts locally on the vehicle center such as a pole collision, the upper cross member 10 and the lower cross member 11 are connected to each other. , The load can be transmitted satisfactorily.

In the above embodiment, one support stay 12 is provided at the center of the vehicle. However, if a plurality of support stays 12 are provided in the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG.
The load transmission characteristics between the upper cross member 10 and the lower cross member 11 can be further improved.

As shown in FIG. 3, a radiator core lower support member 17 is connected between the left and right front side members 4, 4 at substantially the same front-rear position of the upper cross member 10, and In this case, a radiator (not shown) may be mounted and supported substantially vertically. In this case, the radiator core lower support member 17
Can enhance the effect of suppressing deformation of the front side members 4 and 4 in the vehicle width direction.

FIG. 4 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

In an electric vehicle, a box-shaped charging support 20 for inserting and removing a charging coupler 19 is provided in the vehicle body 1 to charge a vehicle-mounted battery. In this embodiment, the charging support 20 is charged. In the front part of the vehicle body which is easy to mount, it is connected substantially parallel to the support stay 12 via the brackets 21 and 22 over the upper cross member 10 and the support stay 12.

Therefore, according to the structure of the present embodiment, the input at the time of inserting the charging coupler 19 into the charging support 20 can be made to act on the support stay 12 in the direction in which it is disposed. The mounting stability can be increased without using a high and special reinforcing structure for mounting the charging support.

Further, in this embodiment, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, as described above, the upper cross member 10, the lower loss member 11 and the support stay 12 are disposed to prevent the front body from collapsing and deforming by the strut towers 8, 8. In consideration of the fact that the collision detection sensor 23 can be kept close to the vicinity, the collision detection sensor 23 is disposed on the support stay 12 projecting to the rear of the upper cross member 10, so that the damage of the collision detection sensor 23 at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle is prevented. By avoiding this, the sensor function can be reliably exhibited.

FIG. 5 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The lower cross member 11 is provided on one side of the front part of the vehicle body.
The power converter 24 having a rigid structure protected by a housing is mounted on the brackets 25, 26, and 2 by straddling the power converter 24 and the upper cross member 10 and one of the front side members 4.
An ABS actuator 28, which is also protected by a housing, is connected via a bracket 29 to the other side portion across the lower cross member 11 and the other front side member 4.

Therefore, according to this embodiment, the rigid auxiliary drive parts such as the power converter 24 and the ABS actuator 28 are connected to the lower cross member 11, the upper cross member 10, the front side member 4, or the lower cross member 11, Since the lower cross member 11 and the upper cross member 10 and the front side member 4 are effectively used as a reinforcing member for coupling with the front side member 4, the coupling strength between the lower cross member 11 and the upper cross member 10 and the front side member 4 can be increased. The effect of suppressing deformation of the members 4 and 4 in the vehicle width direction can be further enhanced.

In the above-described embodiment, the upper cross member 10 is connected to the shelf 5a of the hood ridge panel 5. However, if the upper cross member 10 is directly connected to the strut tower 8, the upper cross member 10 is connected to the strut tower 8. The load transfer characteristics between the strut tower 8 and the strut tower 8 can be enhanced.

In the above embodiment, a small electric vehicle having a small front overhang has been described as an example. However, the present invention can be applied not only to a vehicle having a large front overhang and an electric vehicle but also to an engine driven vehicle.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of an automobile to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 7 is a view as viewed in the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Body 4 Front side member 6 First cross member 8 Strut tower 10 Upper cross member 11 Lower cross member 11a Notch 12 Support stay 13, 14 Mounting flange 19 Charging coupler 20 Charging support 23 Collision detection sensor 24, 28 Driving auxiliary parts

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A front cross member extending between front ends of a front side member having a closed cross section extending in the front-rear direction on both sides of a front portion of a vehicle body, and is erected and joined to the front side members. The upper cross member is connected across the upper front side of the left and right strut towers, and the lower cross member is connected across the left and right front side members at a position offset rearward from the upper cross member, and A front body structure of an automobile, wherein a support stay is connected to the upper cross member and the lower cross member so as to extend diagonally. 2. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein a hollow extruded member made of a lightweight metal material and extruded into a hollow is used as the front side member. 3. The lower cross member has a notch on the lower surface of both ends thereof, and the notch is engaged with and joined to the upper wall and the side wall of the front side member. Item 4. A vehicle body front structure according to item 1 or 2. 4. A vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein said support stay is provided at a vehicle center portion. 5. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of support stays are arranged in a vehicle width direction. 6. A charging support for connecting and disconnecting a charging coupler is provided so as to extend across the upper cross member and the support stay and substantially in parallel with the support stay. The vehicle body front structure according to the above description. 7. The support stay has mounting flanges at its front and rear ends for connecting to the upper cross member and the lower cross member, and at least the rear end mounting flange is connected to the upper wall of the lower cross member. A vehicle body front structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein the upper cross member is directly joined to the strut tower. 9. A driving auxiliary machine component having a rigid structure, which is connected to a lower cross member and an upper cross member and / or a front side member. Car body front structure. 10. The vehicle body front structure according to claim 1, wherein a collision detection sensor is provided on the support stay.