JP2004306883A - Front fender apron of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reinforce a front spring support part without increasing the number of parts. <P>SOLUTION: This front fender apron 30 is constituted of a thick part 40 and a thin part 42. The thick part 40 constitutes a spring plate part 32A to be an upper part of a front spring support part 32, an outer peripheral upper part 32D of the front spring support part 32, and a vehicle width direction center part 32E of the front spring support part 32 by gently reducing a width from the outer peripheral upper part 32D of the front spring support part 32 toward a lower side of a vehicle body. The thin part 42 constitutes portions except the thick part 40 in the front fender apron 30. A joining part P of the thick part 40 and the thin part 42 is line-joined by laser welding in a butting state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a front fender apron of a vehicle, and more particularly to a front fender apron of a vehicle having a spring support portion in a vehicle such as an automobile.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a front fender apron of a vehicle having a spring support portion in a vehicle such as an automobile, a configuration in which reinforcing members extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle body are provided on both sides of the front spring support portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body to improve body rigidity. It is known (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 2557897
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the front fender apron of this vehicle, the reinforcing members extending in the vehicle vertical direction are provided on both sides of the front spring support portion in the vehicle front-rear direction, so that the number of parts increases and the weight increases significantly.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to provide a front fender apron for a vehicle that can reinforce the front spring support portion without increasing the number of parts in consideration of the above fact.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The front fender apron of the vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention includes an upper portion, a thick portion gently reduced in width from the upper portion to the lower side of the vehicle body to form a central portion of the front spring support portion in the vehicle front-rear direction,
A thin portion constituting a portion other than the thick portion,
And the thick part and the thin part are line-joined.
[0007]
Therefore, the front spring support portion can be reinforced by the upper portion of the front fender apron and the thick portion that is gradually reduced in width from the upper portion toward the vehicle body and constitutes the center portion of the front spring support portion in the vehicle front-rear direction. As a result, the front spring support portion can be reinforced without increasing the number of parts. In addition, the front fender apron can be configured by a thin portion except the upper portion and a portion that is gently reduced in width from the upper portion to the lower side of the vehicle body and forms a central portion of the front spring support portion in the vehicle front-rear direction. Can also be suppressed.
[0008]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the front fender apron for a vehicle according to the first aspect, the bead having the lower portion reaching the joint portion with the side member, the lower portion reaching the thick portion and extending along the vehicle body vertical direction. It is characterized by having.
[0009]
Therefore, in addition to the contents described in claim 1, a bead extending along the vehicle body up-down direction at the thick portion and having a lower end reaching the junction with the side member allows the apron upper member and the front side member to be connected to each other. The bonding strength can be further improved.
[0010]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle front fender apron according to any one of the first and second aspects, the thick portion and the thin portion are line-joined by laser welding. .
[0011]
Therefore, in addition to the contents described in any one of claims 1 and 2, by joining the thick part and the thin part in the front fender apron by laser welding, the joining strength is improved, and the welding strength of the welded part is improved. Breakage can be suppressed.
[0012]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of a front fender apron for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0013]
In the drawings, an arrow FR indicates a forward direction of the vehicle body, an arrow UP indicates an upward direction of the vehicle body, and an arrow IN indicates an inward direction of the vehicle width.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 1, an apron upper member 12 is disposed along a vehicle front-rear direction on both ends of a front portion 10 of a vehicle body according to the present embodiment in a vehicle width direction. A front side member 14 is provided on the lower inner side along the vehicle longitudinal direction. The apron upper member 12 includes an apron upper member upper 16 and an apron upper member lower 18, and has a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front side member 14 includes a front side member outer 20 and a front side member inner 22, and has a closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.
[0015]
A front fender apron 30 is disposed between the apron upper member 12 and the front side member 14, and an upper end edge 30 </ b> A of the front fender apron 30 is provided on an inner side wall 12 </ b> A of the apron upper member 12 in the vehicle width direction. Are combined. A front spring support portion 32 bulging inward in the vehicle width direction is formed at a front-rear middle portion of the front fender apron 30.
[0016]
A wheel house 34 swelling inward in the vehicle width direction is formed below the front fender apron 30, and a lower end edge 30 </ b> B of the front fender apron 30 is connected to a joining flange 14 </ b> A formed above the front side member 14. Is bound to
[0017]
The upper wall portion of the front spring support portion 32 is a spring plate portion 32A for supporting the shock absorber of the front suspension. A flange 32B is formed outwardly in the vehicle width direction at a front portion in the vehicle width direction of the spring plate portion 32A. The flange 32B is connected to the upper wall portion 12B of the apron upper member 12. A flange 32C is formed at the rear of the spring plate portion 32A on the outer side in the vehicle width direction toward the lower side of the vehicle body. The flange 32C is connected to the inner wall portion 12A of the apron upper member 12 in the vehicle width direction. I have.
[0018]
That is, in the present embodiment, the front spring support portion 32 is integrated with the front fender apron 30.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 2, the front fender apron 30 includes a thick portion 40 and a thin portion 42, and the thick portion 40 includes a spring plate portion 32 </ b> A which is an upper portion of the front spring support portion 32, The outer peripheral upper portion 32D of the support portion 32 and the outer peripheral upper portion 32D of the front spring support portion 32 are gradually reduced in width toward the lower side of the vehicle body to form a central portion 32E of the front spring support portion 32 in the vehicle width direction. The thin portion 42 constitutes a portion other than the thick portion 40 in the front fender apron 30.
[0020]
3, the thickness M1 of the thick portion 40 of the front fender apron 30 is greater than the thickness M2 of the thin portion 42 (M1> M2), and the thick portion 40 and the thin portion 42 are joined. The part P is line-joined by laser welding in the abutting state.
[0021]
The front fender apron 30 is formed into a final shape after the thick portion 40 and the thin portion 42 are joined to each other at a joining portion P in a state of a material (flat plate).
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 2, an upper portion P <b> 1 at a joint P between the thick portion 40 and the thin portion 42 in the front fender apron 30 extends in the vehicle front-rear direction along an upper portion of the front fender apron 30. A lower portion P2 of the joint P extends along the vehicle body vertical direction. Further, an intermediate portion between the upper portion P1 and the lower portion P2 at the joint portion P is gradually reduced in width from the upper portion of the front fender apron 30 toward the lower side of the vehicle body, and in plan view, from the upper side of the vehicle body to the lower side of the vehicle body. Thus, an inclined portion P3 is formed.
[0023]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.
[0024]
In the present embodiment, the front fender apron 30 has a spring plate portion 32A, which is an upper portion of the front spring support portion 32, an outer peripheral upper portion 32D of the front spring support portion 32, and an outer peripheral upper portion 32D of the front spring support portion 32, which is directed downward from the vehicle body. The front spring support portion 32 can be reinforced by the thick portion 40 which is gently reduced in width and forms the central portion 32E of the front spring support portion 32 in the vehicle width direction.
[0025]
As a result, the front spring support portion 32 can be reinforced without increasing the number of parts. Further, since the apron upper member 12 and the front side member 14, which are frame members at the front part of the vehicle body, are connected by the thick part 40, the strength and rigidity of the front part 10 and the front suspension mounting part of the vehicle body can be improved. In addition, in terms of vehicle crash safety, the apron upper member 12 and the front side member 14 may be bent by joining the two skeletal members of the apron upper member 12 and the front side member 14 by the thick portion 40. It is suppressed and the collision energy can be stably absorbed.
[0026]
In addition, the front fender apron 30 has a spring plate portion 32A, which is an upper portion of the front spring support portion 32, an outer peripheral upper portion 32D of the front spring support portion 32, and an outer peripheral upper portion 32D of the front spring support portion 32 gently downward from the vehicle body. Since the width of the front spring support portion 32 is reduced and the portion other than the central portion 32E in the vehicle width direction can be constituted by the thin portion 42, an increase in weight can be suppressed.
[0027]
Further, at the time of molding, in the vehicle vertical direction which is the main elongation direction, since the thick portion 40 is disposed while having a portion where the joining portion P is not provided in the middle, it is possible to prevent the joint breakage at the time of molding. , Can greatly improve productivity.
[0028]
Further, in the present embodiment, the thick portion 40 and the thin portion 42 of the front fender apron 30 are linearly joined by laser welding, so that the joining strength is improved and the fracture of the welded portion can be suppressed.
[0029]
Further, in the present embodiment, the front spring support portion 32 is integrally formed with the front fender apron 30, so that the number of welding steps, the number of molds and the number of parts at the time of molding can be greatly reduced, and the cost can be significantly reduced. It becomes.
[0030]
In the present embodiment, the front fender apron 30 is formed into a final shape after the thick portion 40 and the thin portion 42 are joined to each other in a material (flat) state. For this reason, compared with the case where the thick part 40 and the thin part 42 are joined to each other in a three-dimensional state after molding the thick part 40 and the two thin parts 42 in the reverse operation procedure. The welding work is easy, and the productivity can be greatly improved.
[0031]
Next, a second embodiment of the front fender apron of the vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0032]
The same members as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, a bead 50 extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction central portion 32 </ b> E of the front spring support portion 32 formed by the thick portion 40 of the front fender apron 30 along the vehicle longitudinal direction. Have been. The upper end 50A of the bead 50 reaches the outer periphery upper part 32D of the front spring support part 32, and the lower end 50B of the bead 50 is formed between the front fender apron 30 and the joining flange 14A formed on the upper part of the front side member 14. The junction S has been reached.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 5, the cross-sectional shape of the bead 50 as viewed from the vehicle up-down direction is a U-shape bulging inward in the vehicle width direction with the opening directed outward in the vehicle width direction. The height H increases linearly from the upper end 50A toward the lower end 50B, as shown in FIG.
[0035]
Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described.
[0036]
In the present embodiment, in addition to the functions and effects of the first embodiment, the front fender apron 30 is formed in the vehicle front-rear direction central portion 32E of the front spring support portion 32 formed by the thick portion 40 along the vehicle body vertical direction. The bead 50 reaches the joint S between the front fender apron 30 and the flange 14A of the front side member 14 from the outer periphery upper part 32D of the front spring support part 32. As a result, the strength of the center portion 32E of the front spring support portion 32 in the vehicle longitudinal direction can be further improved by the bead 50. For this reason, the coupling strength between the apron upper member 12 and the front side member 14, which are frame members at the front of the vehicle body, can be further improved.
[0037]
In the present embodiment, the height H of the bead 50 is increased from the upper end 50A toward the lower end 50B. However, the height H of the bead 50 may be constant.
[0038]
In the above, the present invention has been described in detail with respect to a specific embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention. Some will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, in the above-described embodiment, laser welding is used for performing line welding, but line welding may be performed by another welding such as arc welding instead of laser welding.
[0039]
【The invention's effect】
A front fender apron for a vehicle according to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, wherein a thick portion which gradually narrows from the upper portion to the lower side of the vehicle body and forms a central portion of the front spring support portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; Since the thick portion and the thin portion are linearly joined to each other, the front portion has an excellent effect that the front spring support portion can be reinforced without increasing the number of parts. Also, it has an excellent effect that breakage during molding can be prevented.
[0040]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a front fender apron for a vehicle according to the first aspect, further comprising a bead extending along a vertical direction of the vehicle body at a thick portion and a lower end reaching a joint with a side member. Therefore, in addition to the effect described in claim 1, there is an excellent effect that the coupling strength between the apron upper member and the front side member can be further improved.
[0041]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the front fender apron of the vehicle according to any one of the first and second aspects, the thick part and the thin part are line-joined by laser welding. In addition to the effects described in any one of the above, there is an excellent effect that fracture of the welded portion can be suppressed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front fender apron of a vehicle according to a first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from an obliquely front inner side of the vehicle.
FIG. 2 is a side view showing a front fender apron structure of the vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a front fender apron of a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention, as viewed obliquely from the front inside the vehicle.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 3, illustrating a front fender apron of a vehicle according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
12 Apron Upper Member 14 Front Side Member 30 Front Fender Apron 32 Front Spring Support Portion of Front Fender Apron 40 Thick Portion of Front Fender Apron 42 Thin Portion of Front Fender Apron 50 Bead of Front Fender Apron

Claims (3)

An upper portion, a thick portion gently reduced in width from the upper portion toward the lower side of the vehicle body and constituting a central portion in the vehicle front-rear direction of the front spring support portion,
A thin portion constituting a portion other than the thick portion,
Wherein the thick part and the thin part are line-joined to each other. 2. A front fender apron for a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a bead extending from the thick portion along the vehicle body vertical direction and having a lower end reaching a joint with a side member. The front fender apron for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the thick part and the thin part are linearly joined by laser welding.

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