JP2001030947A - Automobile body structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automobile body structure to realize the deceleration effective to reduce the deceleration of an occupant while suppressing the increase in weight and cost to a minimum. SOLUTION: This automobile body structure comprises a main frame 4 having a part easy to deform under the collision load, a control frame 5 having a part hard to deform by the collision in the initial stage compared with the part easy to deform of the main frame and a part movable along the applying direction of the collision load to the main frame, a seat 9 having a seat belt 8 to restrict a seated occupant P and coupled with the movable part of the control frame, and a force generating means 11 provided on the main frame 4 to apply the force opposite to the collision load to the movable part in the middle stage of the collision, and at least a movable part 6 of the control frame is of beam shape extending along the longitudinal direction of the automobile body. The mass of the control frame to transmit the collision load to the seat can be minimized thereby.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure improved to further improve the occupant protection performance in the event of a collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a vehicle collides head-on with a rigid body, for example, although the occupant is restrained from moving using a seat belt, the vehicle body stops because the seat belt cannot be completely slackened. After that, it continues to move forward due to the inertial force. Then, the occupant moves forward to extend the seat belt, and when the occupant reaches the maximum, the occupant deceleration reaches a peak. It is said that the peak value of the occupant deceleration increases as the occupant's movement amount increases, and is generally higher than the average deceleration of the vehicle body.

[0003] In order to reduce the damage to the occupant when a vehicle collides, it is important to reduce the occupant deceleration as much as possible. In order to lower the occupant deceleration, a deceleration higher than the average deceleration is generated for the vehicle body (or seat) for a certain period (short time) in the early stage of the collision, and then the reverse deceleration ( It has been found that it is effective to use a deceleration pattern in which the acceleration (acceleration) is generated for a certain period of time (short time) and then decelerated at a constant deceleration at the end of the collision (see FIG. 5).

The applicant of the present invention has proposed a vehicle body structure for realizing such a deceleration pattern, in which a first floor to which a seat integrally incorporating a seat belt is connected is formed by a first floor constituting an outer shell of the vehicle body. There has already been proposed a vehicle body structure in which each floor is separated from and independent of the second floor and each floor is connected to a frame having different deformation strengths due to a collision load (see Japanese Patent Application No. 10-233749).

[0005]

However, the vehicle body structure of the prior application has the disadvantage that the weight of the vehicle body is greatly increased and the manufacturing cost is increased due to the duplex floor.

[0006] The present invention has been devised to solve such inconveniences, and its main purpose is to reduce the occupant deceleration while minimizing the increase in weight and cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body structure capable of realizing a specific deceleration.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a main frame (4) having a portion (a front portion of the side frame 1) which is easily deformed by receiving a collision load. A control frame (5) having a portion that is hardly deformed in the early stage of the collision as compared with a portion of the main frame that is easily deformed, and a portion that can move along the direction of action of the collision load with respect to the main frame; And a seat (9) coupled to the movable portion of the control frame, the seat (9) having a seat belt (8) for restraining the vehicle, and a main frame for applying a force opposing a collision load to the movable portion in the middle stage of the collision. And at least a movable portion (beam-shaped portion 6) of the control frame is provided in the vehicle longitudinal direction. It was assumed to form a beam shape extending along.

According to this, the mass of the control frame transmitting the collision load to the seat can be minimized. Moreover, since the mass of the control frame can be reduced, the weight of the force generating means can also be reduced.

In particular, if the connecting point (stay 7) between the movable portion of the control frame and the seat is located immediately below the position of the center of gravity of the seat, the inertial force of the seat and the occupant extends the beam-like portion. It acts in the existing direction, and the moment in the horizontal plane does not act on the beam portion, so that the load on the strength of the control frame can be reduced.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the principle of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2 more specifically, the vehicle body structure includes a main frame 4 including a side frame 1, a front dashboard 2, and a front floor 3 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and a main frame 4. The control frame 5 is divided into a control frame 5 that can move a certain distance backward.

The control frame 5 is provided with a pair of beam-shaped portions 6 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction immediately below the width center of each of a driver seat and a passenger seat, and a stay fixed to the rear end side. A seat 9 to which both ends of a seat belt 8 for restraining the occupant P are connected is connected to the seat 7.

The front ends of the left and right side frames 1 of the main frame 4 and the control frame 5 are connected by a front member 10 extending in the vehicle width direction.

The front portions of the left and right side frames 1 and the front portion of the control frame 5 in the main frame 4 are both compressed and deformed by receiving an impact load at the time of a collision to reduce the deceleration acting on the living space of the vehicle. While reducing
It has the function of absorbing impact energy before the living space is deformed.

The beam-like portion 6 in the main frame 4
At the position facing the rear end face, the control frame 5
Is provided with a stopper 11 for defining a moving distance of the rearward. A damper member D is provided on a front surface of the stopper 11 for appropriately setting a negative deceleration (acceleration) given to the control frame 5.

On the front floor 3 of the main frame 4, as shown in FIG.
Has been fixed. These left and right guide rails 12
Each extends in the front-rear direction, and a slide shoe 13 fixed to the lower surface of the seat 9 slides on each of the pair of guide rails 12. As a result, the driver's seat 9 and the passenger's seat 9 can move back and forth within the range defined by the guide rails 12 on the front floor 3.

The stay 7 fixed to the beam-shaped portion 6 includes:
A rack member that enters the vehicle cabin through an opening 14 provided in the front floor 3 and engages with a latch claw 15 pivotally attached to the seat 9 to fix the seat 9 at an arbitrary position. 16 are attached. The mechanism for adjusting the seat position itself is not limited to the combination of the latch claw 15 and the rack member 16, and a known seat position adjusting mechanism can be applied as it is.

The important point here is that a pair of beam-shaped portions 6 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body pass right under the center of the seat 9 in the width direction, that is, immediately below the position of the center of gravity of the seat 9. 6 is to position the sheet 9. By doing so, the sheet 9
In addition, the inertial force of the occupant P acts in the direction in which the beam-shaped portion 6 extends in the control frame 5, and the moment in the horizontal plane does not act on the control frame 5, so that the strength load on the control frame 5 can be reduced. Benefits are obtained.

Although not shown, the control frame 5 can also be used as a sub-frame for a front wheel suspension.

Next, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, assuming a case where a vehicle collides head-on with a building on a road.

At the moment when the vehicle collides, both the front portion of the side frame 1 and the front portion of the control frame 5 receive an impact load and start to deform.
Since the mass on the control frame 5 side is sufficiently small with respect to the deformation stress generated at the front of the control frame 5, the control frame 5 has a large deceleration (region a in FIG. 5) that rises sharply compared to the main frame 4 side. The seat 9 fixed to the vehicle decelerates earlier. Therefore, sheet 9
Apparently, the front floor 3 moves rearward while the front floor 3 continues to move forward due to the compression deformation of the side frame 1 (FIG. 4-A).

In this state, the occupant P attempts to move forward due to the inertial force. However, the seat 9 integrated with the beam-shaped portion 6 instantaneously moves rearward with respect to the front floor 3, so that the occupant P As a result, the restraint force of the seat belt 8 is increased, and the occupant P is prevented from moving forward.

In the middle stage of the collision, the main body, which continues to move forward due to the compressive deformation of the side frame 1, is located at the rear end of the beam-shaped portion 6 where the front portion is stretched and a large deceleration is acting. The stopper 11 (damper member D) of the frame 4 strikes (FIG. 4-B). Then, the inertia of the main frame 4 is transmitted to the control frame 5,
Until the deformation of the damper member D bottoms out, the relative movement between the front floor 3 and the beam-shaped portion 6 continues. As a result, a force opposing the collision load acting on the main frame 4 is applied to the seat 9 via the beam-shaped portion 6, and the acceleration acting on the occupant P due to the acceleration in the vehicle traveling direction at the time of the collision. Of the inertia force is eliminated (region b in FIG. 5).

In the last stage of the collision, the deceleration increases at the moment when the deformation stress of the control frame 5 is applied to the deformation stress of the side frame 1 (the area c in FIG. 5), after which the front floor 3 and the seat 9 are integrated. And decelerate (Fig. 4
-C). And through the above process, front floor 3
The relative speed between the seat belt 9 and the seat 9 becomes zero, and the seat belt 8
Occupant P because the restraining load of
Also decelerates integrally with the front floor 3 and the seat 9, and this state continues until the vehicle body completely stops (FIG. 5).
D area).

When considering the reduction of the impact received by the occupant P at the time of a vehicle collision, it is important to first reduce the occupant deceleration. A deceleration waveform (solid line in FIG. 5) in which a speed is generated in the seat 9 for a short time, then a reverse deceleration (acceleration) is generated in the seat 9 for a short time, and then the vehicle decelerates at the average vehicle deceleration. As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5, the occupant deceleration can be suppressed lower than that of a vehicle having a conventional vehicle body structure when compared with the same vehicle body deformation amount.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, since it is not necessary to double the floor, the mass of the control frame for transmitting the collision load to the seat can be minimized. Further, by minimizing the mass of the control frame, the weight of the force generating means for applying acceleration to the seat substantially integral with the control frame can be reduced. Moreover, by coupling the seat to the control frame immediately below the position of the center of gravity of the seat, the inertial force of the seat and the occupant does not act as a moment on the control frame, so that the strength load on the control frame can be further reduced. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to promote a reduction in the weight of the vehicle body and to further reduce the manufacturing cost, and to achieve a great effect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of a vehicle body structure to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the vehicle body structure of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a seat mounting portion.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a behavior at the time of a collision.

FIG. 5 is a desirable waveform diagram of vehicle body deceleration and occupant deceleration.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Side frame 4 Main frame 5 Control frame 6 Beam-shaped part 7 Stay 8 Seat belt 9 Seat 11 Stopper

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Tatsuo Iwabe 1-4-1, Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. Inside of Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Makoto Tsuruta 1-4-1, Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Co., Ltd. Inside Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuya Yoshida 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Prefecture Co., Ltd. Inside Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Yasushi Kawamura 1-4-1 Chuo Wako-shi, Saitama Co., Ltd. 3D003 AA04 AA05 BB01 CA09 CA14 CA18 DA19

Claims (2)

[Claims] A main frame having a portion which is liable to be deformed by receiving a collision load; a portion of the main frame which is less liable to be deformed in an initial stage of collision than the easily deformable portion; A control frame having a portion movable along the direction of action, a seat having a seat belt for restraining a seated occupant, and a seat coupled to the movable portion; A vehicle body structure having a force generating means provided on the main frame to be added to a possible portion, wherein at least the movable portion of the control frame has a beam shape extending along a vehicle longitudinal direction. The body structure of an automobile, characterized in that: 2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein a connecting point between the movable portion and the seat is disposed immediately below a center of gravity of the seat.