JP2001010538A - Vehicle body structure for coping with tailer hitch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide vehicle body structure for coping with a trailer hitch for increasing the strength rigidity of the whole trough periphery, and also coping with the trailer hitch simply and at low cost. SOLUTION: In vehicle body structure for coping with a trailer hitch provided on a trough rear part, a hitch side bar 4 is attachably provided so as to be extended to nearby the end part of the trailer hitch from a roof side inner 3. Fitting brackets 5, 6, and 7 are provided on the inner 3 and trough upper and lower 1a and 1b respectively, to attachedly provide the bar 4 via these brackets 5, 6, and 7. The bar 4 can be attached later.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a body structure for accommodating a trailer hitch provided at a rear portion of a roof of a vehicle such as a passenger car.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle of this type, a trailer hitch 2 is provided at a rear portion of a troof 1 constituting a trunk room or the like as shown in FIG. The trailer hitch 2 is for towing another vehicle or the like, and a tow rope or the like is hooked on the hook 2a.
Accordingly, the trailer hitch 2 requires not only its own rigidity but also its mounting or bonding strength with the body.

Conventionally, as a countermeasure for attaching a trailer hitch, the thickness of a body is increased in order to improve stress dispersion and durability based on a design drawing draft and its evaluation at a development stage, or another reinforcement is used. Or increased reinforces.

[0004]

However, in the case of increasing the thickness or adding reinforce,
There is a restriction on production technology, and it is practically difficult to adopt the method from the viewpoint of mass (weight) and cost. In addition, when trying to respond during the middle of production, it is difficult to improve facilities and the like, so it is difficult in terms of schedule and cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a trailer hitch-compatible body structure that can easily handle a trailer hitch at a low cost.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a body structure corresponding to a trailer hitch, which is provided for a trailer hitch provided at a rear portion of a troof. A hitch sidebar is provided so as to extend to the vicinity of the part. In the invention according to claim 2,
In the configuration according to the first aspect, the hitch sidebar is fixed via a plurality of mounting brackets. According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the configuration of the second aspect, a mounting bracket is provided on each of the roof side inner, the troof upper and the true floor, and a hitch side bar is provided via these brackets. . Further, in the invention according to claim 4,
In the above configuration, the hitch sidebar can be retrofitted.

According to the present invention, the hitch sidebar can be mounted and fixed via the mounting bracket without adding a special reinforcing bracket or increasing the thickness of the plate. As a result, the trailer hitch capacity can be effectively and reliably increased only by small improvements in the equipment.
The trailer hitch can be effectively handled at low cost.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a body structure corresponding to a trailer hitch according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings, using the same reference numerals for members substantially the same as or corresponding to those of the conventional example.

FIG. 1 shows the vicinity of a troof constituting a trunk room and the like in this embodiment. At the rear of the troof 1, a trailer hitch 2 is provided as shown. The configuration of the trailer hitch 2 itself may be the same as that of the conventional one, and a tow rope or the like is hooked on a hook 2a provided at the center thereof.

In the body structure corresponding to the trailer hitch according to the present invention, the hitch side bar 4 is provided or can be provided so as to extend from the roof side inner 3 to the vicinity of the end of the trailer hitch 2. Has become. The hitch sidebar 4 is made of, for example, a metal pipe having a circular cross section, and is attached to the inner surface of the troof 1.

The hitch sidebar 4 is fixed via a plurality of mounting brackets. In this example, a hitch side bar 4 is attached via the roof side inner 3, the true upper 1a and the true floor 1b. As shown in the figure, they are arranged in a substantially key-like or "-" shape along the inner wall of the trunk room. One end 4a of the hitch side bar 4 is fixed to the roof side inner 3, and the other end 4b is fixed to the true floor 1b.

FIG. 2 shows a specific example of a mounting structure of the hitch sidebar 4. As shown in FIG. Mounting brackets 5, 6, and 7 are provided on each of the roof side inner 3, the troof upper 1a, and the true floor 1b, and the hitch side bar 4 is attached via these brackets 5, 6, and 7.
Each of the brackets 5, 6, 7 is fixed to a predetermined portion of the body by a bolt or welding. The hitch sidebar 4 is provided with mounting portions 8, 9, 10 corresponding to these brackets 5, 6, 7, respectively. Each of the mounting portions 8, 9, 10 is provided with a bolt 11, 12 or a nut 13 respectively. To the brackets 5, 6, and 7.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, two hitch side bars 4 may be provided on both sides of the troof 1, or the hitch side bars 4 may be provided only on one side.
When the hitch sidebar 4 is attached as described above, the hitch sidebar 4 may be attached to a predetermined portion of the body in advance, or may be attached later if necessary.

In the above configuration, when an external force F is applied when the tow rope or the like is hooked on the hook 2a of the trailer hitch 2 and a tow is applied, a load f (see a thick arrow) occurs between the trailer hitch 2 and the troof 1. . This load f is
It is transmitted to the roof side inner 3 along the body around the troof 1. According to the present invention, since the hitch sidebars 4 are attached as described above, the strength and rigidity of the entire area around the troof 1 are increased, and the load f based on the external force load F can be effectively handled.

Conventionally, this has been achieved by adding another special bracket for reinforcement or by increasing the thickness of the plate.
The hitch sidebar 4 can be easily attached and fixed via the members 6 and 7. Thus, the capacity of the trailer hitch 2 can be effectively and reliably increased only by making small improvements in the equipment.

Further, since the hitch side bar 4 can be retrofitted, the hitch side bar 4 can be appropriately mounted according to the use conditions of the user. As described above, the selection and use of the hitch sidebar 4 can be easily realized, the burden on the user can be reduced, and the equipment can be effectively dealt with with minimal changes in equipment.

The cross-sectional shape and the like of the hitch side bar 4 in the above embodiment is not limited to a circular shape, but may be made of, for example, a square pipe material. It is also possible to use, for example, a band-shaped plate in addition to the pipe. Further, the arrangement shape of the hitch sidebar 4 is not limited to the key shape or the like in the illustrated example, and can be appropriately changed as needed.

[0018]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In this type of body structure compatible with a trailer hitch, a trailer hitch countermeasure can be effectively and reliably implemented with a minimum change while substantially maintaining the existing structure. Further, in addition to the need for only a small improvement of the equipment, there is an advantage that it can sufficiently respond to the needs of the user, and as a result, the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing around a troof in a preferred embodiment of a body structure compatible with a trailer hitch of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a specific configuration example in the embodiment of the body structure corresponding to the trailer hitch of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the periphery of a trough in a conventional body structure compatible with a trailer hitch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Troof 1a Troof upper 1b True floor 2 Trailer hitch 2a Hook 3 Roof side inner 4 Hitch side bar 5,6,7 Mounting bracket 8,9,10 Mounting part 11,12 Bolt 13 Nut

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A body structure for accommodating a trailer hitch provided at a rear portion of a troof, wherein a hitch side bar is provided so as to extend from a roof side inner to near an end of a trailer hitch. Features a trailer hitch-compatible body structure. 2. The trailer hitch-compatible body structure according to claim 1, wherein the hitch sidebar is fixed via a plurality of mounting brackets. 3. The trailer hitch according to claim 2, wherein a mounting bracket is provided on each of the roof side inner, the troof upper and the true floor, and a hitch side bar is provided via these brackets. Corresponding body structure. 4. The body structure for a trailer hitch according to claim 1, wherein said hitch sidebar can be retrofitted.