JP2003261061A - Front car body structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide front car body structure of an automobile, in which collision energy absorption at a time of frontal collision is certainly implemented as well as a compact engine room, without restriction in layout of a vehicle is compatibly abailable. <P>SOLUTION: The front car body structure of an automobile comprises: a suspension member 7 disposed to a power unit 1 on a rear side of the vehicle and elastically supported under a side frame 6 through an insulator 8; and a suspension link 9 attached to the suspension member 7. In the structure, the insulator 8 has a fitting shaft 8a whose upper end is attached to the side frame 6 to vertically extend and whose lower end portion is fixed to an insulator side interfering member 12, a front end portion 12a of the insulator side interfering member 12 is opposite to a rear end portion 9a of the suspension link 9 in a vertical direction of the vehicle. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of a front body structure of an automobile, which is excellent in both the impact energy absorption at the time of a frontal collision of the automobile and the compactness of the engine room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At the present time, in the case of a frontal collision of a vehicle, the collision energy is absorbed by deforming a side frame extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to reach the passenger compartment (hereinafter referred to as a cabin). It is common to protect passengers by preventing
For example, it is described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-192642.

[0003]

However, in the conventional front body structure of an automobile, parts such as an engine, a transmission, a suspension member, etc., which are hard and are not easily crushed, are arranged in parallel in the front and rear direction of the vehicle in the engine room. When side by side and the suspension members are attached to the vehicle body on the cabin side, the collision energy is transmitted after passing through the transmission and the suspension members, so that the side frames may not be deformed efficiently. There is.

Here, in order to efficiently perform the deformation of the side frame, the engine room layout should have a sufficient clearance in advance so that the transmission, which is a component in the engine room, and the suspension member do not interfere with each other at the time of collision. Therefore, it is necessary to take measures such as ensuring the crush stroke of the side frame.

However, in this measure, since the clearance between the parts in the engine room is widened, the volume required for the engine room becomes large and it becomes difficult to realize a compact engine room.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is possible to achieve both reliable collision energy absorption at the time of a collision and compactness of the engine room without restricting the vehicle layout. It is an object of the present invention to provide a front body structure of an automobile that can be manufactured.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a power unit, a suspension member elastically supported below a vehicle body via an insulator, and a suspension link attached to the suspension member, In the front vehicle body structure of an automobile having the above-mentioned insulator, the insulator has a mounting shaft whose upper end is mounted on the vehicle body and extends in the vertical direction, and the lower end of the mounting shaft is in the vehicle front-rear direction with the rear end of the suspension link. And the means to face.

Here, the mounting shaft is a shaft extending substantially vertically, and may be a shaft slightly inclined from the vertical axis.

[0009]

In the vehicle body structure for a vehicle according to the present invention, the suspension link moving to the rear of the vehicle interferes with the mounting shaft of the insulator at the initial stage of the collision, and the mounting shaft is tilted rearward of the vehicle. . Inclination of the mounting shaft of the insulator in this manner causes the collision input to axially break the rubber portion of the insulator and disengage the rear end portion of the suspension member downward.

As a result, the vehicle body is efficiently deformed at the time of a collision, and it is not necessary to secure a sufficient clearance in advance between the power unit and the suspension member. It is possible to achieve both compactness of the engine room.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment for realizing a front body structure of an automobile according to the present invention will be described based on a first embodiment corresponding to the invention described in claims 1 to 6. .

(First Embodiment) First, the configuration will be described. 1 is a side view showing the front body structure of an FF vehicle (horizontal front engine / front drive vehicle) according to the first embodiment, FIG.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the front body structure of the FF vehicle of the first embodiment.

1 and 2, 1 is an engine room, 2 is a dashboard, 3 is a cabin, 4 is an engine, 5 is a transmission, 6 is a side frame (vehicle body), 7 is a suspension member, 8 is an insulator, 9 Is a suspension link, 10 is a front side link bush, 11 is a rear side link bush, and 12 is an insulator side interference member.

The engine room 1 is a space on the front side of the vehicle in which the engine 4 and the like are arranged, and is separated from the cabin 3 by a dashboard 2.

The engine 4 and the transmission 5
Is horizontally arranged at a position on the front side of the vehicle in the engine room 1. The generic name of the combination of the engine 4 and the transmission 5 is called the power unit P / U.

Although not shown, the side frames 6 are arranged at both sides of the engine room 1 so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the tip portion 6a of the side frame 6 is a power unit.
It is located ahead of the P / U in the vehicle.

The suspension member 7 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the power unit P / U, and is provided on the side frame 6
Is elastically supported below the through the insulator 8.

The suspension link 9 is provided at the left and right positions of the suspension member 7, and the front side link bush 10 is provided.
And the rear side link bush 11 is swingably attached.

An upper end of the insulator 8 is attached to the side frame 6 and extends vertically.
In addition, the insulator side interference member 12 is fixed to the lower end portion of the mounting shaft 8a, and the front end portion 12a of the insulator side interference member 12 and the rear end portion 9a of the suspension link 9 are arranged in the vehicle front-rear direction. It is arranged facing each other.

The rear end portion 9a of the suspension link 9
And the front end portion 12a of the insulator-side interference member 12 are arranged so as to face each other with a first clearance t1 allowing the maximum displacement of the suspension link 9 in the vehicle rearward direction under normal conditions.

The insulator 8 has a mounting shaft 8a, a cylindrical rubber portion 8b (cylindrical rubber portion) and a stepped outer cylinder 8c (outer cylinder), and is fixed only to the upper surface of the suspension member 7. ing.

The mounting shaft 8a is a shaft member whose upper end is fixed to the side frame 6 by screwing or the like and whose lower end penetrates the suspension member 7 and reaches the height position of the suspension link 9.

The stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b is attached to the mounting shaft 8
It is attached around a by vulcanization adhesion, etc., and its outer peripheral shape is that the upper part has a large diameter cylindrical surface, the middle part to the lower part has a small diameter cylindrical surface, and the part connecting the large diameter cylindrical surface and the small diameter cylindrical surface is a step surface. It has a stepped shape.

The stepped outer cylinder 8c is fixed so as to cover the stepped surface and the small diameter cylindrical surface of the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b and to lock the stepped surface in the insulator mounting through hole 7a of the suspension member 7. ing. The insulator mounting through hole 7a is formed by the inner surface of the cylindrical bracket 7b fixed to the vertical through hole of the suspension member 7.

The vehicle front end 9c of the suspension link 9 is a vehicle front end 7c of the suspension member 7.
The vehicle is located in front of the vehicle.

The vehicle rear end 5 of the power unit P / U
a and the vehicle front end portion 9b of the suspension link 9 are a second one that allows relative displacement in the vehicle front-rear direction between the power unit P / U and the suspension link 9 during normal times including engine startup, acceleration / deceleration traveling, and the like. Clearance t2
Are arranged to face each other in the vehicle front-rear direction.

Next, the operation will be described.

[Sound and Vibration Performance in Normal Time] A side view of the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment in a normal state is as shown in FIG. 1, and a lower surface of the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment in a normal state. The visual state is as shown in FIG.

First, the rear end portion 9 of the suspension link 9
The a and the front end portion 12a of the insulator-side interference member 12 are arranged to face each other with a first clearance t1 that allows the maximum displacement of the suspension link 9 in the vehicle rearward direction in normal times.

By setting this first clearance t1,
The unsprung vibration from the suspension link 9 is not transmitted to the side frame 6 via the mounting shaft 8a of the insulator 8.

For example, even if the suspension link 9 vibrates violently while traveling on an uneven road, its unsprung vibration is
It is damped by the front link bush 10 and the rear link bush 11. And both link bushes 10 and 11
The vibration input to the suspension member 7 via
It is absorbed by the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b of the insulator 8.

Therefore, the sound and vibration performance during normal running,
It is possible to achieve compatibility with collision safety performance in the case of a frontal collision.

[Strength and reliability performance in normal time] In the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment, the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b of the insulator 8 is set as a damaged portion at the time of a collision in order to ensure collision safety performance. Since the limited configuration is adopted, the connecting portion of the suspension member 7 and other portions can have sufficient strength and rigidity with respect to an input during normal traveling.

As a result, both collision safety performance and strength reliability during normal running can be achieved.

[Compact engine room]
In the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment, as a structure for ensuring collision safety performance, the power unit and the suspension member in the engine room are arranged so as not to interfere with each other at the time of a collision and transfer the collision energy to the cabin side. It does not employ a structure that secures a crush stroke of the side frame by taking sufficient clearance in advance.

Therefore, there is no need to widen the clearance between the power unit P / U and the suspension member 7 in the engine room 1, and the compact engine room 1
Can be realized.

[Collision Energy Absorbing Action] The side view state of the front body structure of the first embodiment before collision is as shown in FIG. 1, and the side view of the front body structure of the first embodiment at the initial stage of collision is shown. The state is as shown in FIG.

In the frontal collision with the barrier B, in the initial stage of the collision, first, the barrier B and the front end portion 6a of the side frame 6 interfere with each other and the front portion of the side frame 6 is crushed by the collision input. As a result, the barrier B moves to the rear side of the vehicle, the barrier B interferes with the power unit P / U, and the power unit P / U moves to the rear side of the vehicle.

This movement of the power unit P / U toward the rear of the vehicle eliminates the second clearance t2 between the vehicle rear end 5a of the power unit P / U and the vehicle front end 9b of the suspension link 9, and the power unit P / U is removed. And the suspension link 9 interfere with each other.

As the power unit P / U moves rearward of the vehicle, the suspension link 9 moves rearward of the vehicle while the front link bush 10 and the rear link bush 11 of the suspension link 9 elastically deform. The first clearance t1 between the rear end portion 9a of the insulator 9 and the front end portion 12a of the insulator-side interference member 12
Is eliminated, and the rear end portion 9a of the suspension link 9 and the insulator side interference member 12 interfere with each other.

As the power unit P / U moves rearward of the vehicle, the insulator-side interference member 12 moves rearward of the vehicle, and the mounting shaft 8a having the insulator-side interference member 12 at the lower end is pushed rearward of the vehicle. It will fall and deform (Fig. 3).

At the initial stage of this collision, as shown in FIG. 5, the collision input is F and the tilt angle of the mounting shaft 8a is P (d
eg), a component force of (F · sinP) acts on the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b of the insulator 8 in the mounting axial direction.

Then, component force in the mounting axis direction (F · sinP)
However, as the collision progresses, the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b of the insulator 8 is stretched and deformed by pulling it in the mounting axial direction, and this amount of extensional deformation limits the elastic deformation limit of the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b. When exceeded, as shown in Figure 4,
The stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b is broken in the axial direction, the rear end portion of the suspension member 7 is separated downward, and then the suspension member 7 is entirely connected to the side frame 6 only by the mounting shaft 8a inclined. And detach it to the lower rear.

By separating the suspension member 7 to the lower rear side, a space without obstacles for moving the power unit P / U to the rear side of the vehicle is formed, and accordingly, the side in response to a collision input from the barrier B is formed. Frame 6
A large crush stroke is secured.

As described above, by ensuring a large crushing stroke of the side frame 6, the collision energy at the time of collision is efficiently absorbed by the crushing deformation of the side frame 6.

In addition, since the collision energy is absorbed by the side frame 6, the collision energy transmitted to the cabin 3 via the side frame 6 becomes small,
It is possible to reinforce the cabin 3 with a minimum required amount.

Next, the effect will be described. As described above, in the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment, the effects listed below can be obtained.

(1) A suspension member 7 disposed on the vehicle rear side of the power unit 1 and elastically supported below the side frame 6 via an insulator 8, and a suspension link 9 attached to the suspension member 7. In the front vehicle body structure of the automobile that has, the insulator 8 has a mounting shaft 8a whose upper end is mounted on the side frame 6 and extends in the vertical direction,
The insulator side interference member 12 is attached to the lower end of the mounting shaft 8a.
Since the front end portion 12a of the insulator side interference member 12 and the rear end portion 9a of the suspension link 9 are arranged to face each other in the vehicle front-rear direction, the vehicle layout is not restricted, and a reliable collision is ensured. It is possible to achieve both the collision energy absorption and the compactness of the engine room (effect of the embodiment corresponding to claim 1).

(2) Rear end 9a of suspension link 9
And the front end portion 12a of the insulator side interference member 12,
Since the suspension links 9 are opposed to each other through the first clearance t1 that allows the maximum displacement of the suspension link 9 in the vehicle rearward direction during normal operation, both collision safety performance and sound vibration performance can be achieved during normal traveling (claim Effect of the embodiment corresponding to item 2).

(3) Insulator 8 having mounting shaft 8a
Is fixed only to the upper surface of the suspension member 7, so that the lower end of the mounting shaft 8a can be more reliably moved rearward of the vehicle in the event of a frontal collision (claim 3).
The effect of the embodiment corresponding to).

(4) The insulator 8 has an upper end attached to the side frame 6 and a lower end attached to the suspension member 7.
And a stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b mounted around the attachment shaft 8a by vulcanization adhesion or the like, and the insulator of the suspension member 7 while covering the outer periphery of the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b. Since it has the stepped outer cylinder 8c fixed to the mounting through hole 7a, the damaged portion at the time of a frontal collision can be limited to the stepped cylindrical rubber portion 8b of the insulator 8, whereby the collision safety performance and the normal running It is possible to achieve compatibility with strength reliability (effect of the embodiment corresponding to claim 4).

(5) The vehicle front end 9c of the suspension link 9 is the vehicle front end 7c of the suspension member 7.
Since the vehicle is positioned more toward the front of the vehicle, the collision input from the power unit P / U is input to the front side of the suspension link 9 during a frontal collision, and the mounting shaft 8
The lower end of a can be reliably moved to the rear of the vehicle (effect of the embodiment corresponding to claim 5).

(6) Vehicle rear end 5 of the power unit P / U
a and the vehicle front end 9b of the suspension link 9 are
Since the power unit P / U and the suspension link 9 are arranged so as to oppose each other in the vehicle front-rear direction via the second clearance t2 that allows relative displacement of the power unit P / U and the suspension link 9 in the vehicle front-rear direction, the power unit P / U and the suspension link 9 are normally disposed. It is possible to achieve the compactness of the engine room while preventing the interference with (the effect of the embodiment corresponding to claim 6).

(Other Embodiments) Although the front body structure of the automobile of the present invention has been described based on the first embodiment, the specific structure is not limited to this first embodiment. Modifications and additions to the design are permissible as long as they do not depart from the gist of the invention according to each of the claims.

In the first embodiment, the application example to the FF vehicle having the horizontal engine is shown. However, the power unit serving as a drive source is installed in the FF vehicle or FR vehicle having the front engine vertically installed engine or the engine room in the front of the vehicle. The present invention can also be applied to electric vehicles that have been installed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a front body structure of an FF vehicle according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a front vehicle body structure of the FF vehicle of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an operation explanatory diagram of a frontal collision initial stage in a vehicle including the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a collision energy absorbing action at the time of a frontal collision in a vehicle including the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of a component force in the mounting axial direction which acts on an insulator having a mounting shaft inclined in an initial stage of a frontal collision in a vehicle having the front vehicle body structure of the first embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 engine room 2 dashboard 3 cabins 4 engine 5 transmission 5a Rear end of vehicle 6 Side frame (car body) 6a Tip 7 Suspension member 7a Insulator mounting through hole 7b Cylindrical bracket 8 insulators 8a mounting shaft 8b Stepped cylindrical rubber part (cylindrical rubber part) 8c Stepped outer cylinder (outer cylinder) 9 Suspension link 9a rear end 9b Front end of vehicle 10 Front link bush 11 Rear link bush 12 Insulator side interference member 12a front end P / U power unit t1 first clearance t2 second clearance

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A power unit arranged in an engine room, a suspension member arranged on the vehicle rear side of the power unit and elastically supported below a vehicle body via an insulator, and a suspension link attached to the suspension member. A front vehicle body structure of an automobile having: an upper end of the insulator, which is attached to the vehicle body, has a mounting shaft extending in a vertical direction; and a lower end of the mounting shaft includes a rear end portion of the suspension link and the vehicle. A front body structure of an automobile, which is opposed to the front-rear direction. 2. The vehicle body structure for a front part of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the rear end portion of the suspension link and the lower end portion of the mounting shaft are displaced in the vehicle rearward direction of the suspension link during normal operation. A front vehicle body structure for an automobile, characterized in that they are arranged opposite to each other with a first clearance being allowed. 3. The front body structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the insulator is fixed only to an upper surface of a suspension member. 4. The front vehicle body structure for an automobile according to claim 3, wherein the insulator has an upper end attached to the vehicle body and a lower end extending through a suspension member, and an insulator mounted around the attachment shaft. A front vehicle body structure for an automobile, comprising: a cylindrical rubber portion; and an outer cylinder that covers an outer periphery of the cylindrical rubber portion and is fixed to an insulator mounting through hole of a suspension member. 5. The front body structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a vehicle front end portion of the suspension link is located at a vehicle front position with respect to a vehicle front end portion of the suspension member. The front body structure of an automobile characterized by the following arrangement. 6. The front vehicle body structure for an automobile according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle rear end portion of the power unit and the vehicle front end portion of the suspension link are vehicles including the power unit and the suspension link in a normal state. A front body structure of an automobile, characterized in that the front body structure of the vehicle is arranged so as to face in the vehicle front-rear direction via a second clearance that allows relative displacement in the front-rear direction.