JP2005206121A - Front suspension member structure for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a front suspension member for an automobile capable of storing a stabilizer and a power steering gear box on the inside while ensuring rigidity. <P>SOLUTION: Lower surfaces of a front cross member and a rear cross member extending in a vehicle width direction respectively are connected by a share panel to constitute the front suspension member. A recessed part extending along the vehicle width direction and capable of arranging the stabilizer and the power steering gear box is formed between the front cross member and the rear cross member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a front suspension member structure of an automobile that supports a suspension lower arm and is attached to a vehicle body, and particularly relates to a structure including a front cross member and a rear cross member.

  Generally, an automobile is provided with a front suspension member that supports a suspension lower arm on both left and right sides, supports an engine mount on an intermediate portion on both sides, and is attached to a vehicle body on both left and right sides. A load in the width direction of the vehicle body is mainly applied from the lower arm to the front suspension member, and a load in the vertical direction is mainly applied from the engine mount. For this reason, sufficient rigidity is required for the front suspension member.

  Patent Document 1 describes a front suspension member having a closed structure in which an upwardly projecting upper panel 91 and a downwardly projecting lower panel 92 are joined together by welding, as shown in FIG.

  In Patent Document 2, as shown in FIG. 13, a recess 93 is formed in the lower surface of the front suspension member in the vehicle width direction, a steering gear box 94 is accommodated in the recess 93, and the recess 93 is formed by a pair of left and right reinforcing brackets 95. A cross-linked structure is shown.

  In addition, the automobile is provided with a stabilizer in order to reduce the roll of the vehicle body and improve the running stability. This stabilizer is generally U-shaped when viewed from above, and is arranged so as to avoid the front suspension member. Specifically, the stabilizer shaft that extends in the vehicle width direction, which fulfills the original purpose of the stabilizer, is arranged behind the front suspension member, and the left and right ends of the shaft are connected to the left and right shock absorbers by the arms extending in the front-rear direction. Connected.

JP 2000-118435 A JP-A-6-122378

  In the above configuration, in order to avoid the front suspension member, the arm portion of the stabilizer extends to the rear of the front suspension member. However, since the effect of the stabilizer becomes weaker as the arm portion becomes longer, it is desirable that the arm portion be shorter. In other words, if the arm portion can be made shorter, the diameter of the shaft portion of the stabilizer can be made smaller.

  In recent years, research and development have been conducted on an electric power steering system that uses the driving force of an electric motor to assist steering. The electric power steering gearbox has a very large diameter compared to the conventional hydraulic type. Therefore, a front suspension member structure capable of accommodating such a large-diameter electric power steering gear box is required.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a front suspension member structure for an automobile that can improve the effectiveness of the stabilizer.

  The present invention also provides a front suspension member structure for an automobile in which large-diameter parts extending in the vehicle width direction can be arranged while ensuring rigidity.

  The front suspension member structure for an automobile according to the present invention is characterized in that a stabilizer is housed inside a front suspension member that supports a lower arm and is attached to a vehicle body.

  Further, the present invention is a front suspension member structure that supports the lower arm and is attached to the vehicle body, and has a front cross member and a rear cross member that extend in the vehicle width direction, and the lower surfaces of the two cross members are shared. It is connected with the panel, The recessed part was formed along the vehicle width direction between the said cross members, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a stabilizer and a power steering gear box are disposed in the recess.

  Preferably, the front cross member includes a first lower arm support portion that supports a front end portion of the lower arm on the left and right sides, and a first vehicle body mounting portion that is attached to the vehicle body on the left and right sides, and the rear cross member. Includes a second lower arm support portion that supports a rear end portion of the lower arm and a second vehicle body attachment portion that is attached to the vehicle body on the left and right sides, and a set height between the first lower arm support portion and the share panel. It is substantially the same.

  Preferably, the front cross member includes an upper panel having a ridge line extending in the vehicle width direction and a lower panel assembled with the first lower arm support portion interposed therebetween, and an input from the lower arm is The ridge line formed on the first lower arm support portion is transmitted to the two ridge lines of the upper panel and the lower panel.

  Preferably, the front cross member and the rear cross member are connected using an attachment member for attaching a component to the front suspension member. Here, the parts include a stabilizer, a power steering gear box, and the like.

  Preferably, each of the front cross member and the rear cross member is provided with an engine mount support surface for supporting an engine mount, and each engine mount support surface is substantially perpendicular to an input direction from the engine.

  According to the present invention, since the stabilizer is housed inside the front suspension member, the arm length of the stabilizer can be shortened, and the effectiveness of the stabilizer can be improved.

  In addition, according to the present invention, since the lower surface of the cross member before and after forming the concave portion is connected by the shear panel, a front suspension member structure capable of arranging large-diameter parts extending in the vehicle width direction while ensuring rigidity is provided. can do.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a basic configuration of a front suspension member structure of an automobile according to an embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In this front suspension member structure, a stabilizer 62 and an electric power steering gear box 63 (hereinafter referred to as a gear box) are housed inside the front suspension member 1. In FIG. 1, the stabilizer 62 and the gear box 63 are omitted.

  First, the basic configuration of the front suspension member structure will be described.

  The front suspension member 1 supports a suspension lower arm (not shown) and is attached to a vehicle body (not shown). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front suspension member 1 includes a front cross member 10 and a rear cross member 20 that extend in the vehicle width direction, and a share panel 30 that connects the lower surfaces of these two cross members. Between the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20, a concave portion 40 that is open upward and can accommodate the stabilizer 62 and the gear box 63 is formed.

  The front cross member 10 is substantially U-shaped and includes a first lower arm support portion 11 that supports a front end portion of a substantially L-shaped suspension lower arm (not shown) on the left and right and is attached to the vehicle body. The first vehicle body mounting portion 14 is provided on the upper left and right. Here, the front cross member 10 has, as a basic configuration, a configuration in which an upper panel 15 and a lower panel 16 each formed by pressing a steel plate are welded to each other.

  The rear cross member 20 includes a second lower arm support portion 21 that supports the rear end portion of the lower arm and a second vehicle body attachment portion 22 that is attached to the vehicle body on the left and right. Here, the rear cross member 20 has, as a basic structure, a panel in which a steel plate is press-formed in a convex shape upwards as a whole. More specifically, a step is provided on the surface of the rear cross member 20, and a low surface portion 23 and a high surface portion 24 are formed. The height of the high surface portion 24 is substantially the same as the height of the front cross member 10.

  The share panel 30 is a substantially flat panel that connects the lower surfaces of the two cross members 10 and 20. Here, the share panel 30 is obtained by press-forming a steel plate. The front cross member 10 and the shear panel 30 are joined to each other by welding, thereby forming a front cross section 51 shown in FIG. Further, the rear cross member 20 and the shear panel 30 are joined by welding, thereby forming the rear cross section 52 shown in FIG.

  The front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the vehicle front-rear direction. Thereby, the 1st recessed part 41 extended in the vehicle width direction above the share panel 30 is formed. The shaft portion of the long stabilizer 62 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed in the first recess 41. The left and right ends of the shaft portion of the stabilizer 62 are connected to a shock absorber (not shown) or the like via an arm portion (not shown) of the stabilizer 62.

  A second recess 42 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed above the lower surface portion 23 of the rear cross member 20. A long gear box 63 extending in the vehicle width direction is disposed in the second recess 42. The diameter of the gear box 63 is approximately twice that of the hydraulic type in order to obtain an assist force equivalent to that of the hydraulic type.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the stabilizer 62 is housed inside the front suspension member 1, so that the length of the arm portion of the stabilizer 62 can be shortened, and the effectiveness of the stabilizer 62 can be improved.

  Further, since the lower surfaces of the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 are connected by a flat-shaped shear panel 30, the rigidity is higher than when both are connected by a reinforcing bracket (also referred to as a side rail) having a rectangular cross section. A wider concave portion 40 can be formed while securing the above. For this reason, the shaft portion of the stabilizer 62 and the large-diameter gear box 63 can be accommodated in the recess 40 of the front suspension member 1.

  Further, in the front suspension member 1, the share panel 30 and the first lower arm support portion 11 are both disposed below, and the set heights of both are substantially the same. That is, the set height of the share panel 30 is close to the lower arm input height, and there is almost no offset in the height of both. Therefore, the lower arm input received by the first lower arm support portion 11 can be efficiently transmitted to the rear cross member 20, and the front / rear / left / right rigidity of the first lower arm support portion 11 can be improved. Moreover, mass efficiency is also good.

  Next, the configuration of each part of the front suspension member structure according to the present embodiment will be described separately for each part.

[Lower arm input transmission structure]
FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining a lower arm input transmission structure. 4 is a schematic view showing a cross section taken along line BB of FIG. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a lower arm input transmission structure. Hereinafter, a description will be given with reference to FIGS.

  The lower panel 16 is formed with a ridge line 16a extending in the vehicle width direction. The first lower arm bracket 12 and the second lower arm bracket 13 constituting the first lower arm support portion 11 are attached to the left and right ends of the lower panel 16 by welding.

  Lower arm mounting holes 12b and 13b are provided in the two lower arm brackets, respectively. A shaft (not shown) is inserted through the two lower arm mounting holes 12b and 13b, and the front end portion of the lower arm is pivotally supported by the shaft.

  A ridge line 12 a is formed in the upper front portion of the first lower arm bracket 12. The ridge line 12a extends in the vehicle front-rear direction in the vicinity of the end portion on the vehicle outer side, but gently curves toward the vehicle inner side direction, and extends in the vehicle width direction near the end portion on the vehicle inner side. Further, the vehicle inner end portion of the first lower arm bracket 12 has a shape adapted to the surface of the lower panel 16. The vehicle inner end portion of the first lower arm bracket 12 is tightly welded to the surface of the lower panel 16. Thereby, the ridgeline 16a of the lower panel 16 and the ridgeline 12a of the first lower arm bracket 12 are joined at the vehicle inner side portion.

  The second lower arm bracket 13 is a substantially square flat plate member. The lower surface and the side surface in the vehicle outer direction are welded to the lower panel 16, and the upper surface is welded to the first lower arm bracket 12. Further, the side surface in the vehicle inner direction abuts on the inner side surface of the first lower arm bracket 12.

  An upper panel 15 is joined to the lower panel 16 by welding so as to sandwich the first and second lower arm brackets 12 and 13. A ridge line 15 a is formed in the upper front portion of the upper panel 15. The ridge line 15a extends in the vehicle front-rear direction in the vicinity of the end on the vehicle outer side, but gently curves toward the vehicle inner side, and extends in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle inner side. Further, the vehicle outer end of the upper panel 15 has a shape adapted to the surface of the first lower arm bracket 12. The vehicle outer end portion of the upper panel 15 is tightly welded to the surface of the first lower arm bracket 12. Therefore, the ridgeline 15a of the upper panel 15 and the ridgeline 12a of the first lower arm bracket 12 are joined at the vehicle outer end.

  Thus, in the present embodiment, the ridge line 12 a of the first lower arm bracket 12 is connected to the ridge line 15 a of the upper panel 15 and the ridge line 16 a of the lower panel 16. Therefore, the lower arm input received by the first and second lower arm brackets 12 and 13 is smoothly transmitted from the ridge line 12a of the first lower arm bracket 12 to the ridge line 15a of the upper panel 15 and the ridge line 16a of the lower panel 16. . Accordingly, the lower arm input can be efficiently received by the front cross member 10 and the left and right rigidity of the lower arm support portion 11 can be improved as compared with the case where the lower arm input is received by one ridge line.

[Stabilizer and gearbox mounting structure]
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a mounting structure of the stabilizer 62 and the gear box 63. As shown in FIG. 6, the stabilizer 62 is supported by the stabilizer bracket 65 via the rubber bush 64. The stabilizer bracket 65 is fastened and fixed to both the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 by bolts 66 and nuts 67. That is, the stabilizer bracket 65 supports the stabilizer 62 and connects the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 are connected by the stabilizer bracket 65, so that the rigidity of the front suspension member 1 can be improved. Here, since the stabilizer bracket 65 is necessary for fixing the stabilizer 62, the rigidity can be improved without increasing the number of parts.

  In addition, it is preferable that the stabilizer bracket 65 is provided at least in one place on the left and right. Further, the mounting position of the stabilizer bracket 65 in the vehicle width direction is not particularly limited, but is, for example, near the inside of the first and second lower arm support portions 11 and 21.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the gear box 63 is fastened and fixed to the lower surface portion 23 of the rear cross member 20 and the brace 71 disposed on the upper surface of the front suspension member 1 by bolts 68 and nuts 69. The brace 71 is fastened and fixed to both the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 by bolts 72 and nuts 73. That is, the brace 71 supports the gear box 63 and connects the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 together.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, since the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20 are connected by the brace 71, the rigidity of the front suspension member 1 can be improved. Further, since the gear box 63 is supported on the upper and lower surfaces by the brace 71 and the rear cross member 20, the rigidity of the gear box support portion can be improved as compared with the case where the gear box 63 is supported only on the lower surface.

  In addition, it is preferable that the brace 71 is provided at least in one place on the left and right. The mounting position of the brace 71 in the vehicle width direction is not particularly limited, but is, for example, near the inside of the first and second lower arm support portions 11 and 21.

  The above-described effects are not limited to the stabilizer bracket 65 and the brace 71, but can be obtained by other attachment members for attaching components to the front suspension member 1.

[Engine mount mounting structure]
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the mounting structure of the engine mount. As shown in FIG. 7, engine mount support portions 74 are formed on the front cross member 10 and the rear cross member 20, respectively. An engine mount support surface 75 formed on the upper surface of these engine mount support portions 74 is substantially perpendicular to the input direction from the engine indicated by an arrow X. The cross section of the engine mount support portion 74 of the front cross member 10 has a shape extending along the input direction X from the engine. Specifically, since the input direction X from the engine is inclined approximately 20 ° from the vertical line Y of the share panel 30 to the rear of the vehicle, the cross section of the engine mount support portion 74 of the front cross member 10 is inclined to the rear of the vehicle. doing.

  An engine mount bracket 78 is fastened and fixed to the engine mount support portion 74 by bolts 76 and nuts 77. At this time, the tightening direction substantially coincides with the input direction X from the engine. The engine mount 79 is supported by the engine mount bracket 78.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the engine mount support surface 75 is substantially perpendicular to the input direction X from the engine, so that the torsion input from the engine can be suppressed.

  Further, since the cross section of the engine mount support portion 74 of the front cross member 10 is inclined rearward of the vehicle along the input direction X from the engine, the cross section of the engine mount support portion 74 is made large while ensuring the space of the recess 40. Therefore, rigidity can be secured efficiently.

  Further, since the two engine mount support surfaces 75 are substantially parallel, even if the tightening position of the engine mount bracket 78 varies in the vehicle front-rear direction, the contact between the engine mount support surface 75 and the engine mount bracket 78 can be ensured. it can.

[Structure of front cross member]
FIG. 8 is a simplified view of the cross-sectional configuration of the front cross member 10 ′ of the comparative example. The front cross member 10 ′ of this comparative example is formed by joining an upper panel 15 ′ and a lower panel 16 ′ that are divided vertically. Here, the cross section of the upper panel 15 ′ is substantially U-shaped, and the cross section of the lower panel 16 ′ is substantially linear. Therefore, in the panel alignment structure of the comparative example, it is necessary to draw and mold the upper panel 15 ′ so as to have a substantially U-shaped cross section.

  FIG. 9 is a simplified view of the cross-sectional configuration of the front cross member 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the front cross member 10 is formed by joining an upper panel 15 and a lower panel 16 which are divided in the front-rear direction. Here, the cross sections of both the panels 15 and 16 are substantially L-shaped. Therefore, in the panel matching structure of the present embodiment, since any of the panels 15 and 16 can be formed by bending, the degree of freedom in forming is high.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the upper panel 15 and the lower panel 16 each formed in a substantially L-shape are joined to each other, so that the degree of freedom in forming the front cross member 10 can be increased. Thereby, in particular, the following effects can be obtained.

  FIG. 10 shows a schematic front view of the front cross member 10 ′ of the comparative example. FIG. 11 is a schematic front view of the front cross member 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, in the comparative example, the height H ′ of the corner portion 17 ′ of the front cross member 10 ′ cannot be increased too much for the convenience of press molding. For this reason, it is necessary to provide the front side member bracket 82 between the front cross member 10 ′ and the front side member 81. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, since the degree of freedom of molding of the front cross member 10 is high, the height H of the corner portion 17 of the front cross member 10 can be extended to the height of the front side member 81, The front side member bracket 82 can be eliminated.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was shown, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention is not limited to said embodiment. For example, various components constituting the front suspension member structure may be omitted, changed, or added as appropriate.

It is a perspective view which shows the basic composition of the front suspension member structure of the motor vehicle which concerns on embodiment. It is the sectional view on the AA line of FIG. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the transmission structure of a lower arm input. It is the schematic which shows the BB line cross section of FIG. It is a disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the transmission structure of a lower arm input. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of a stabilizer and a gear box. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment structure of an engine mount. It is the figure which simplified the cross-sectional structure of the front cross member of a comparative example. It is the figure which simplified the cross-sectional structure of the front cross member which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the schematic front view of the front cross member of a comparative example. The schematic front view of the front cross member which concerns on this Embodiment is shown. It is a perspective view of the conventional front suspension member. It is sectional drawing of the conventional front suspension member.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front suspension member, 10 Front cross member, 11 1st lower arm support part, 14 1st vehicle body attachment part, 20 Rear cross member, 21 2nd lower arm support part, 22 2nd vehicle body attachment part, 30 share Panel, 40 recess, 62 stabilizer, 63 electric power steering gear box, 65 stabilizer bracket, 71 brace, 74 engine mount support, 75 engine mount support surface, 78 engine mount bracket, 79 engine mount.

Claims (9)

  A front suspension member structure for an automobile, wherein a stabilizer is housed inside a front suspension member that supports a lower arm and is attached to a vehicle body. A front suspension member structure that supports the lower arm and is attached to the vehicle body,
Each has a front cross member and a rear cross member extending in the vehicle width direction,
A front suspension member structure for an automobile, wherein lower surfaces of the two cross members are connected by a shear panel, and a recess is formed between the cross members along a vehicle width direction.   The front suspension member structure for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein a stabilizer and a power steering gear box are disposed in the recess. The vehicle front suspension member structure according to claim 2 or 3,
The front cross member includes a first lower arm support portion that supports the front end portion of the lower arm on the left and right sides, and a first vehicle body attachment portion that is attached to the vehicle body on the left and right upper sides.
The rear cross member includes, on the left and right, a second lower arm support portion that supports a rear end portion of the lower arm and a second vehicle body attachment portion that is attached to the vehicle body.
A front suspension member structure for an automobile, wherein set heights of the first lower arm support portion and the share panel are substantially the same. The vehicle front suspension member structure according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The front cross member is formed by assembling an upper panel and a lower panel each having a ridge line extending in the vehicle width direction with the first lower arm support portion interposed therebetween,
2. A front suspension member structure for an automobile, wherein an input from the lower arm is transmitted to two ridge lines of the upper panel and the lower panel from a ridge line formed on the first lower arm support portion. The vehicle front suspension member structure according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
A front suspension member structure for an automobile, wherein the front cross member and the rear cross member are connected by using an attachment member for attaching a part to the front suspension member.   The front suspension member structure for an automobile according to claim 6, wherein the component is a stabilizer.   The front suspension member structure for an automobile according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the component is a power steering gear box. The vehicle front suspension member structure according to any one of claims 2 to 8,
The front cross member and the rear cross member are each provided with an engine mount support surface for supporting the engine mount,
Each of the engine mount support surfaces is substantially perpendicular to an input direction from the engine.

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