JP2000318655A - Traction hook structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To secure sufficient tractive strength, and to sufficiently absorb colli sion energy by a nonstrengthened part of a side member at the time of collision. SOLUTION: Each rear side member 10 extended along a longitudinal direction of a body in both left and right side parts of the body is composed of a rear side member body 12 of high strength and a rear side extension 14 arranged adjacently in a body-longitudinal-directional end part side of the rear side member 12 and having strength lower than a traction strength part, a traction hook 16 extended more lowersides than the side member 10 is attached to the extension 14, and a hook enegaging hole 16a is formed in a position lower than the side member 10 in the traction hook 16. A reinforcing member 20 is laid between the vicinity of the hook engaging hole 16a of the traction hook 16 and the rear side member body 12, and a bead 22 is provided in an intermediate part of the reinforcing member 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a traction hook structure which is attached to a front end or a rear end of a vehicle body of a side member of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 shows a conventional tow hook structure of this type. In the figure, reference numeral 30 is
A rear side member which is a side member extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on both left and right sides of the vehicle body, and includes a rear side member main body 32 and a rear side extension 34 joined to a rear end of the rear side member main body 32. The rear side extension 34 is crushed in the axial direction at the time of a rear collision to absorb energy, and thus has lower strength than the rear side member main body 32.

A traction hook 36 is attached to the rear side extension 34 by welding.
The towing hook 36 extends below the rear side member 30, and has a hook engaging hole 36 a formed below the rear side member 30.

At the time of towing, a moment proportional to the distance from the rear side extension 34 to the engaging hole 36a of the towing hook 36 acts on the mounting portion of the towing hook 36 to the rear side extension 34, and the moment acting when this distance becomes longer. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the mounting strength of the traction hook 36.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional structure, in order to increase the mounting strength of the towing hook 36, the mounting length L of the mounting portion of the towing hook 36 to the rear side extension 34 in the front-rear direction is increased. On the other hand, if the attachment length L is increased, the strength of the rear side extension 34 to which the towing hook 36 is attached increases, so that the rear side extension 34 is sufficiently crushed during a rear collision. There is a problem that the generation cannot be taken, and it is difficult to make these two problems compatible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a traction hook structure capable of sufficiently securing traction strength and sufficiently absorbing collision energy by a non-strength portion of a side member at the time of a collision. That is its purpose.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle vehicle comprising: a vehicle body having a side member extending in a front-rear direction on both right and left sides of a vehicle body; Part, a non-strength part having a strength lower than that of the strength part and being connected to an end of the strength part in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
A tow hook structure is provided, wherein a tow hook extending below the side member is attached to the non-strength portion of the side member, and the tow hook has a hook engagement hole formed at a position below the side member. A reinforcing member is provided between a portion near or below the hook engaging hole of the towing hook and the strength portion of the side member, and a weak portion is provided at an intermediate portion of the reinforcing member. And

The fragile portion may have any structure. According to the invention of claim 2, the fragile portion of claim 1 is a bead, and the protruding ridge of the bead extends in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member. It is characterized in that it extends at an angle to it.

The invention according to a third aspect is characterized in that the projecting ridge of the bead according to the second aspect projects in a direction away from the side members.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when viewed in a cross section orthogonal to the projecting ridge of the third aspect, the radius of curvature or the angle of projection at the peak of the bead is larger than the radius of curvature at the foot of the projecting mountain. Alternatively, the angle is smaller than the standing angle.

[0011] The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claims 2 to 4.
Wherein the projecting ridge of the bead extends in a direction substantially parallel to the vehicle body vertical direction.

The invention according to claim 6 is the invention according to claims 2 to 5
The bead width at the lower edge of the bead measured along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member according to any one of the above, is smaller than the bead width at the upper edge of the bead.

The reinforcing member may be an integral part of the side member or the towing hook. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing member according to any one of the first to sixth aspects includes a side member and a towing member. It is a separate component from the hook, and both ends of the reinforcing member are fixed to the side member and the towing hook by fastening means, respectively.

[0014] The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claims 1 to 7.
The reinforcement member according to any one of the above, is provided between the towing hook and a portion of the strength member of the side member that is closest to the non-strength portion.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, at the time of towing, the traction force is dispersed to the strength portion of the side member by the reinforcing member connecting the strength portion of the side member and the traction hook. For this reason, the traction limit strength can be increased and traction performance can be improved. Therefore, it is not necessary to excessively lengthen the mounting length between the towing hook and the non-reinforcement portion of the side member, and a large allowance for crushing of the non-strength portion at the time of a rear collision can be secured. In addition, at the time of a rear collision, since the fragile portion is provided in the middle portion of the reinforcing member, the reinforcing member is deformed by using the fragile portion as a trigger, so that the non-strength portion of the side member is not crushed without being crushed. Both the strength part and the reinforcing member can absorb the collision energy. In this way, it is possible to achieve both improvement of the traction strength and maintenance of the performance of absorbing the collision energy.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the fragile portion of the reinforcing member is a bead, and the projecting ridge of the bead has an angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member. By extending the reinforcing member, the reinforcing member can be surely deformed by using the bead as a trigger without the reinforcing member stretching in the event of a rear collision. The deformation can be easily controlled by tuning the arrangement, angle, bead width, and the like of the protruding ridge of the bead by using the weak portion as a bead.

According to the third aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the second aspect, by projecting the projecting ridge of the bead in a direction away from the side member, the direction in which the bead is crushed and displaced at the time of a rear collision. Can be controlled in a direction away from the side members. This allows
At the time of a rear collision, the reinforcing member does not come into contact with the side member, and it is possible to prevent a situation where the crushing of the non-strength portion of the side member is prevented from progressing.

According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of the third aspect, the projecting peak of the bead is sharper than the foot of the projecting peak, so that the projecting peak is crushed at the time of a rear collision. Thus, the protruding peak can be displaced in the direction in which it protrudes more, and the direction of displacement can be more reliably controlled in a direction away from the side members.

According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the second to fourth aspects, a tensile force acts on the reinforcing member in the longitudinal direction during towing, but the ridge of the bead projects. Is extended in a direction substantially parallel to the up-down direction of the vehicle body, so that the protruding ridge of the bead has an angle with respect to this tensile force. Therefore, at the time of towing, deformation such as elongation due to beads is unlikely to occur in the reinforcing member, and the towing performance can be improved. Further, at the time of a rear collision, deformation can be caused by this bead.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect of any one of the second to fifth aspects, at the time of towing, a larger tensile force acts on the lower edge of the reinforcing member than on the upper edge. However, by measuring the bead width at the lower edge of the bead shorter than the bead width at the upper edge of the bead, measured along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member, the elongation of the reinforcing member due to the bead during towing is reduced. Such deformation is less likely to occur, and the traction strength can be improved. At the time of a rear collision, the upper edge of the bead is more deformed than the lower edge, and the reinforcing member as a whole is displaced downward at the bead, so that the reinforcing member can be displaced in a direction not approaching the side member, and It is possible to prevent a situation where the progress of the crushing of the strength portion is hindered.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing member is formed as a separate component from the side member and the towing hook, so that the conventional side member and the towing hook can be used in common, and a major design change is made. No need. Also,
When the reinforcing member is deformed, only the reinforcing member can be replaced.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the reinforcing member is provided between the towing hook and the portion of the side member closer to the non-strength portion of the strength portion, so that the reinforcement member can be effectively formed by the short reinforcement member. Traction strength can be improved.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 3 are views showing a first embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings, reference numeral 10 denotes a rear side member which is a side member extending in the front-rear direction on both left and right sides of the vehicle body. , The rear side member 10
A rear side member main body 12 having an inverted hat-shaped cross section, which serves as a high-strength portion, and a non-strength non-strengthened by connecting the rear side member main body 12 to a rear end side thereof and having a plate thickness smaller than that of the rear side member main body 12 and having reduced strength. And a rear side extension 14 having an inverted hat-shaped cross section. The front end of the rear side extension 14 is joined by spot welding to the rear end of the rear side member body 12, and the rear end of the rear side extension 14 is
It is joined to the rear panel 26 by spot welding. Behind the rear panel 26, a bumper fascia 28 is provided.

At the rear end of the rear side extension 14, traction hooks 16 each composed of two brackets (see FIG. 3) are attached to the side and bottom surfaces of the rear side extension 14 by spot welding. The towing hook 16 is connected to the rear side member 10.
The hook engagement hole 16a is formed at a position below the rear side member 10.

The hook engaging hole 1 of the towing hook 16
A reinforcing member 20 is provided between the vicinity of 6a and a joint portion between the rear side extension 14 and the rear side member main body 12, which is a portion of the rear side member body 12 closest to the rear side extension 14. The reinforcing member 20 includes the traction hook 16 and the rear side member 1.
However, if they are separate parts as in this embodiment, the towing hook 16 and the rear side member 10 can be shared with conventional products, and the reinforcing member 2
When 0 is deformed due to interference or the like, only the reinforcing member 20 can be replaced, which is convenient. The reinforcing member 20 is fastened to the rear side member main body 12 and the traction hook 16 by bolts and nuts 21, respectively.

In the middle of the reinforcing member 20, a bead 22, which is a fragile portion, is provided. Ridge 2 of bead 22
2 a extends in a direction substantially parallel to the vehicle body up-down direction, and projects in a direction away from the rear side member 10. FIG.
As shown in the enlarged view of FIG.
2a, the projecting peak 2 of the bead 22 is viewed.
The protrusion angle θ1 at 2b is smaller than the upright angle θ2 at the protrusion foot 22c. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the protruding peak 22b and the protruding peak 22c are formed.
Is curved, and when the angle cannot be defined, the radius of curvature r1 of the protruding peak 22b may be set to be smaller than the radius of curvature r2 of the protruding foot 22c. Also, the protruding peak 22b is sharper than the protruding foot 22c.

In the towing hook structure configured as described above, at the time of towing, the towing force input from the hook engaging hole 16a is transmitted to the rear side member main body 12 by the reinforcing member 20 and dispersed, so that the limit strength is reached. Can be increased. Immediately after the action of the traction force, the reinforcing member 20
The bead 22 is pulled, and the reinforcing member 20 is slightly stretched.
This is within the elastic deformation range of the entire vicinity of the traction hook 16 including the hook 4, and no residual stress remains. The protruding ridge 22a of the bead 22 is substantially parallel to the up-down direction of the vehicle body and has an angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member 20, so that the extension can be minimized.

At the time of a rear collision, the rear side extension 14 is crushed in the axial direction, and the reinforcing member 20 is
As a result, the collision energy can be absorbed by both the rear side extension 14 and the reinforcing member 22 without preventing the rear side extension 14 from being crushed. Since the projecting ridge 22a projects in a direction away from the rear side member 10 when the bead 22 is deformed, the bead 22 is urged to be displaced in the direction in which the projecting ridge 22a projects more. Sometimes, the reinforcing member 20 does not come into contact with the rear side extension 14, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which the progress of the crushing of the rear side extension 14 is hindered. In particular, since θ1 <θ2, the protruding peak 22b of the protruding ridge 22a is crushed,
Control can be performed such that the protruding ridge 22a is more reliably displaced in the protruding direction during deformation.

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views showing a second embodiment of the present invention. The same members and portions as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. I do.

The bead 2 of the reinforcing member 20 of this embodiment
4 is a bead 2 measured along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member 20.
4 is set such that the bead width 24a at the lower edge of the bead 24 is shorter than the bead width 24b at the upper edge of the bead 24, in other words, the length of the slope of the bead 24 gradually decreases as it goes down. ing.

At the time of towing, a tensile force larger than the upper edge acts on the lower edge of the reinforcing member 20, so that the bead width 24a at the lower edge of the bead is changed to the bead width 2 at the upper edge of the bead.
By making the length shorter than 4b, deformation such as elongation caused by beads on the reinforcing member is less likely to occur immediately after the action of the traction force during traction, and traction performance can be improved. At the time of a rear collision, the upper edge of the bead 24 is more deformed than the lower edge, and the reinforcing member as a whole is displaced downward at the bead 24 (indicated by the phantom line in FIG. 5), so that the reinforcing member 20 approaches the rear side extension 14. The rear side extension 14 can be displaced in a direction in which the rear side extension 14 is not crushed.

As described above, the deformation of the reinforcing member 20 at the time of a rear collision can be easily controlled by providing the beads and tuning the arrangement, angle, bead width, and the like of the protruding ridge of the beads. The above beads 22, 2
In addition to the example of 4, the inclination of the bead can be changed, or the ratio of the bead width to the entire length of the reinforcing member 20 can be changed. By reducing the slope or decreasing the ratio of the bead width to the entire length of the reinforcing member 20, the traction strength can be improved. However, instead of providing a bead as a fragile portion, a notch or an opening may be provided at an intermediate portion of the reinforcing member 20.

In the above-described embodiment, the end of the reinforcing member 20 on the side of the towing hook 16 is connected to the hook engaging hole 1 of the towing hook 16.
Although it is provided in the vicinity of 6a, the present invention is not limited to this, and the end of the reinforcing member 20 on the towing hook 16 side may be positioned below the hook engaging hole 16a.
Thereby, the beads 22, 2 immediately after the action of the tractive force are applied.
Not only can the effect of elongation 4 be reduced,
Since the distance between the attachment point of the towing hook 16 to the rear side extension 14 and the end of the reinforcing member 20 on the side of the towing hook 16 becomes longer, the pulling force acting on the reinforcing member 20 can be reduced, and more traction can be achieved. It is advantageous for this. Further, by positioning the end of the reinforcing member 20 on the side of the rear side member body 12 closest to the rear side extension 14, the short reinforcing member 20 can effectively improve the traction strength.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the invention is applied to the rear side member as the side member has been described, but the invention can be similarly applied to the front side member. The strength member and the non-strength portion of the side member are not limited to the case where they are formed of different members. And a non-strength portion having a strength lower than that of the strength portion without being provided with a reinforcement and being continuously provided on an end side of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a first embodiment of a towing hook structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of the bead of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side view illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the reinforcing member of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a conventional towing hook structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Rear side member (side member) 12 Rear side member main body (strength part) 14 Rear side extension (non-strength part) 16 Traction hook 16a Hook engagement hole 20 Reinforcement member 22 Bead 22a Projection ridge 22b Projection peak 22c Projection foot 24a 24a Bead width 24b Bead width

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A side member extending in the front-rear direction of a vehicle body is provided on both left and right sides of the vehicle body. The side member is provided with a high-strength strength portion and a strength portion connected to an end portion of the strength portion in the vehicle front-rear direction. A non-strength portion having a lower strength than the side member, and a tow hook extending downward from the side member is attached to the non-strength portion of the side member.
In a tow hook structure in which a hook engaging hole is formed below a side member, a reinforcement is provided between a portion near or below the hook engaging hole of the towing hook and a strength portion of the side member. A traction hook structure, wherein a member is erected and a fragile portion is provided at an intermediate portion of the reinforcing member. 2. The traction hook structure according to claim 1, wherein the weakened portion is a bead, and a protruding ridge of the bead extends at an angle to a longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member. 3. The towing hook structure according to claim 2, wherein the projecting ridge of the bead projects in a direction away from the side member. 4. The cross-section orthogonal to the protruding ridge of the bead, wherein the radius of curvature or the protruding angle at the protruding peak of the bead is smaller than the radius of curvature or the upright angle at the protruding foot of the bead. The traction hook structure according to claim 3. 5. The tow hook structure according to claim 2, wherein the protruding ridge of the bead extends in a direction substantially parallel to a vertical direction of the vehicle body. 6. The bead width at the lower edge of the bead measured along the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member is smaller than the bead width at the upper edge of the bead. The tow hook structure according to 1. 7. The reinforcing member is a separate component from the side member and the towing hook, and both ends of the reinforcing member are fixed to the side member and the towing hook, respectively, by fastening means. The traction hook structure according to any one of the preceding claims. 8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member is provided between the traction hook and a portion of the side member that is closer to the lowest strength portion of the strength portion. Tow hook structure.