JP2009241709A - Vehicle body front part structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lay a comparatively large catalyst container so as not to stimulate the intrusion of a dash panel into a cabin even if an engine is moved backward on a frontal impact of a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: A vehicle body front part structure of an automobile includes a perimeter frame 50, which is provided at a lower position than front side frames 4 and to which lower arms 45, 46 of a front wheel suspension device 40 are attached; an engine E supported by the perimeter frame and the front side frames; and a catalyst container 74 connected to an exhaust pipe 73 extended from the engine. The perimeter frame is formed in roughly a quadrilateral shape in plan view with right and left longitudinal members 51 and front and rear lateral members 52, 54 and furthermore is provided with an intermediate lateral member 53 positioned at the attachment part of the lateral link 45 closest to the front wheel axle of the lower arms. The catalyst container 74 of a slender shape is arranged so as to be extended along the intermediate lateral member in the vehicle width direction immediately behind the intermediate lateral member. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention includes a vehicle body front structure, in particular, a power train supported by a subframe to which a lower arm of a front wheel suspension device is attached and a front side frame, and a catalyst container connected to an exhaust pipe extending from the engine. The present invention relates to a front body structure of an automobile.

  Conventionally, as a vehicle body front structure, a subframe to which a lower arm of a front wheel suspension device is attached is disposed below a pair of front side frames extending in the front-rear direction on the left and right sides of the front of the vehicle body. A structure in which a so-called power train (a structure in which an engine and a transmission are integrated) is mounted on and supported by the front side frame is generally well known.

  When an engine exhaust system catalyst device is disposed in the front part of the vehicle body, it is important how to lay out the space efficiently in an engine room that originally has little space. In particular, in the case of a catalyst unit using an oxidation catalyst (usually provided with a so-called DPF), the degree of reaction changes depending on the temperature, so that it is relatively upstream of the engine exhaust system (and therefore in the engine room). It is required to provide.

  For example, in Patent Document 1, a catalyst unit is connected to an exhaust pipe passing through the front of an engine of a vertically placed type, and this catalyst unit is disposed in the vehicle width direction in the front of the engine and considerably above the subframe. A layout designed to do this is disclosed.

As is well known, particularly in recent years, with the further increase in environmental awareness, the demand for improving the exhaust gas purification performance by the catalytic device has become more severe, and a catalyst unit is accommodated to meet such demand. The size of the catalyst container has to be increased. Therefore, further ingenuity is required for the layout of the catalyst container in the engine room.
JP 2003-326981 A

In order to efficiently lay out a large-sized catalyst container in the engine room, it is conceivable that the engine is horizontally placed and the catalyst container is disposed in a space behind the horizontally placed engine.
FIGS. 1 to 4 are explanatory views showing examples of arrangement of catalyst containers using the rear space of a horizontally mounted engine. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the engine room, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the engine room, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the engine room viewed from the direction of the arrows Y3-Y3, and FIG. 4 is a rear view of the engine room viewed from the directions of the arrows Y4-Y4 in FIG.

  In the vehicle according to the arrangement example of the catalyst container shown in these drawings, for example, a diesel engine 10E with a turbo is arranged horizontally in an engine room 102 of a car that is a front engine-front drive system (FF system). The engine 10E and the transmission 10Tm are integrally connected to form a so-called power train 10PT.

  The engine 10E is of a so-called front intake / rear exhaust type in which air is supplied to the cylinder (not shown) from the front side of the vehicle and discharged rearward. An intake manifold 167 is provided on the front side of the cylinder head 10Eh. The exhaust manifold 171 is disposed on the rear side. In addition to the exhaust side turbine 172 connected to the exhaust manifold 171, an intake side turbine 168 connected to the intake manifold 167 is also arranged on the rear side of the cylinder head 10 </ b> Eh.

  Inside the engine room 102, the upper part of which is covered by the bonnet 103, a pair of front side frames 104 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body on the left and right sides thereof, and a suspension device 140 for the front wheels 10Wf positioned below the front side frames 104. And the sub-frame 150 to which the lower arms 145 and 146 are attached.

  This sub-frame 150 is a so-called frame-like shape in plan view, with left and right vertical members 151 extending in the front-rear direction and front and rear horizontal members 152 and 154 connecting the left and right vertical members 151 in the vehicle width direction. It is configured as a perimeter frame. The power train 10PT is supported by the subframe 150 and the front side frame 104. In this case, the rear portion of the power train 10PT is the rear portion of the clutch 10 and the differential casing 10Cd located between the engine 10E and the transmission 10Tm, and the rear portion of the subframe 150 is connected to the rear portion of the subframe 150 via a known elastic bush. It is supported by the horizontal member 154.

  Further, a bumper reinforcement 108 of a front bumper 107 is supported at a front end of the front side frame 104 via a crash can 106, and the front lateral member 152 of the side frame 150 and the bumper reinforcement 108 are supported. Between these, the shroud panel 111 which accommodated the radiator is arrange | positioned.

  In this example, exhaust pipes 173 and 175 are connected to the front and rear of the engine 10E using the rear space of the horizontally mounted engine 10E, that is, between the dash panel 125 that partitions the vehicle compartment 122 and the engine room 102 and the engine 10E. A large catalyst container 174 is arranged. The upstream exhaust pipe 173 of the catalyst container extends from the exhaust manifold 171, and the downstream exhaust pipe 175 is connected to the lower floor exhaust pipe 177 via the flexible joint 176. Therefore, the catalyst container 174 is laid out in an obliquely inclined state between the dash panel 125 and the engine 10E so that the front part is located above and the rear part is located below.

  However, in such an arrangement structure, when the vehicle 10 undergoes a frontal collision (frontal collision), if the engine 10E is retracted due to the input of an impact load from the front, the engine 10E is pushed and moved to the large catalyst container 174. Will also retreat and collide with the dash panel 125. That is, there is a possibility that the dash panel 125 may be invaded into the passenger compartment 122 when the engine retreats at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle, which is not preferable for protecting passengers in the passenger compartment 122. It was.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a technical problem. Even when the engine retreats at the time of a vehicle frontal collision, the catalyst container can be laid out so that the catalyst container can be laid out so as not to promote the intrusion of the dash panel into the vehicle interior. The basic purpose is to provide a partial structure.

For this reason, the first invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 1) includes a pair of front side frames extending in the vehicle front-rear direction at the left and right side portions of the vehicle body front portion, and a front wheel positioned below the front side frame. A subframe to which a lower arm of a suspension device is attached; a power train in which an engine and a transmission supported by the subframe and the front side frame are integrated; and a catalyst container connected to an exhaust pipe extending from the engine A vehicle body front structure with
The sub-frame includes a left and right vertical member that extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction below the front side frame and has the lower arm attachment portion, and a front and rear lateral member that joins the left and right vertical members in the vehicle width direction at the vehicle longitudinal position. An intermediate member that connects the left and right vertical members in the vehicle width direction at a lateral link mounting portion located closest to the front wheel axle of the lower arm. A horizontal member,
The catalyst container is formed in an elongated shape with exhaust pipes connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the catalyst container extends in the vehicle width direction along the intermediate lateral member immediately after the intermediate lateral member. It is arranged so that it is arranged.

  Further, according to a second invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 2), in the first invention, the engine is of a lateral exhaust type with rear exhaust, and an upper portion is located rearward with respect to a lower portion. The intermediate lateral member is positioned substantially vertically below the exhaust port of the rear exhaust laterally-positioned engine.

  Further, according to a third invention of the present application (the invention according to claim 3), in the second invention, the intermediate lateral member is sandwiched between the lower part of the engine and the catalyst container at the front and rear thereof. It is characterized by.

  Still further, according to a fourth invention (invention according to claim 4) of the present application, in the second or third invention, a steering rack device for steering a front wheel is attached to an upper portion of the rear side member. The catalyst container is located obliquely below and forward of the steering rack device, and the catalyst container and the steering rack device partially overlap each other in plan view.

  According to the first invention of the present application, the longitudinally formed left and right vertical members of the sub-frame extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body below the front side frame are connected to the longitudinally formed catalyst container to which the exhaust pipe is connected at both ends. The left and right vertical members can be arranged using the space behind the intermediate horizontal member that joins the left and right vertical members in the vehicle width direction. Moreover, since the catalyst container is arranged to extend in the vehicle width direction along the intermediate lateral member immediately after the intermediate lateral member located below the front side frame, the engine is Even if the retreat occurs, the catalyst container does not collide with the dash panel. In other words, the catalyst container can be disposed at a position that is not related to the intrusion of the dash panel into the vehicle compartment at the time of a vehicle front collision. In addition, the middle horizontal member is located closest to the front wheel axle in the lower arm, and the left and right vertical members are coupled in the vehicle width direction at the lateral link mounting portion where a large lateral force acts, so the rigidity of the front wheel suspension device is increased. Can be increased.

  In addition, according to the second invention of the present application, basically, the same operational effects as the first invention can be achieved. In particular, by arranging a horizontally installed engine with rear exhaust so as to be inclined rearward so that the upper part is located rearward with respect to the lower part, a space can be created in the lower rear part of the engine. The intermediate horizontal member and the catalyst container can be arranged using the lower rear space of the engine by arranging the intermediate horizontal member substantially vertically below the exhaust port of the engine.

  Furthermore, according to the third invention of the present application, basically the same function and effect as those of the second invention can be achieved. In particular, the intermediate lateral member is sandwiched between the lower part of the engine and the catalyst container on the front and rear sides thereof, so that the lower part of the engine is disposed rearwardly inclined so that the upper part is located rearward with respect to the lower part. By extending the intermediate lateral member in the vehicle width direction in the space between the catalyst container and the catalyst container, a compact arrangement structure can be achieved in both the vertical direction and the front-rear direction.

  Still further, according to the fourth invention of the present application, basically, the same operational effects as those of the second or third invention can be achieved. In particular, a steering rack device for steering the front wheels is attached to the upper part of the rear side member, and the catalyst container is located obliquely in front of the steering rack device. The catalyst container and the steering rack device are connected to each other. By partially overlapping in plan view, the catalyst container and the steering rack device, both of which are elongated in the vehicle width direction, can be disposed close to each other in the front-rear direction, and the layout length in the front-rear direction can be increased. Can be reduced.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, the first embodiment will be described. 5 is a perspective view showing the engine room of the automobile according to the first embodiment of the present invention as viewed obliquely from the rear, FIG. 6 is a plan view of the engine room, FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the engine room, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a side view of the engine room as seen from the direction of arrows Y8-Y8 in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a view of the rear view of the engine room as seen from the directions of arrows Y9-Y9 in FIG.

  As shown in these drawings, the automobile according to the present embodiment is, for example, a so-called front engine-front drive system (FF system) in which an engine E is mounted on a front portion of a vehicle to drive front wheels. Inside, for example, a diesel engine E that is a horizontal type and has a turbo is disposed. That is, the engine E is laid out so that a cylinder row (not shown) extends substantially along the vehicle width direction.

The engine E and a manual transmission Tm, for example, are integrally connected to form a so-called power train PT. A clutch mechanism and a differential gear device housed in the casing Cd are located between the engine E and the transmission Tm. An oil pan Ep (see FIG. 7) is attached below the engine E.
In the power train PT, in order from the front side, the primary shaft S1 whose axis coincides with the output shaft of the engine E1, the secondary shaft S2 meshing with the primary shaft S1, and the differential gear of the differential gear mechanism whose axis coincides with the front wheel drive shaft. The output shaft S3 is arranged (see FIG. 8).

  The engine E is of a so-called front intake / rear exhaust type in which air is supplied to the cylinder from the front side of the vehicle and discharged rearward. An intake manifold 67 for introducing intake air into each cylinder of the engine E is a cylinder. An exhaust manifold 71 that is disposed on the front side of the head Eh (see FIG. 7) and exhausts exhaust gas from each cylinder is disposed on the rear side of the cylinder head Eh (see FIG. 9). In addition to the exhaust side turbine 72 connected to the exhaust manifold 71, an intake side turbine 68 connected to the intake manifold 67 is also arranged on the rear side of the cylinder head Eh.

By adopting the intake / exhaust method of the front intake / rear exhaust method in this way, the distance from the exhaust port to the catalyst unit 74 (described later) can be made shorter than that of the rear intake / front exhaust method. Therefore, it is advantageous for activating the catalyst earlier.
In this specification, when the exhaust system of the engine E including the exhaust manifold 71 or each part thereof is referred to as “upstream side” or “downstream side”, the flow direction of the exhaust gas flowing through the exhaust manifold 71 or each exhaust pipe In agreement, the side where the exhaust gas faces the muffler (not shown) located at the rear end of the vehicle body is referred to as the “downstream side”.

  In the engine room 2, a pair of front side frames 4 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body on the left and right sides thereof, and lower arms 45 and 46 (lateral links) of the front wheel suspension device 40 positioned below the front side frame 4 are provided. An attached subframe 50 is disposed. As will be described in detail later, the subframe 50 is configured as a so-called perimeter frame formed in a substantially quadrangular frame shape in plan view. The perimeter frame 50 is coupled to the front side frame 4 via a connection bracket 5 (see FIG. 8).

  The power train PT is coupled to the perimeter frame 50 and the front side frame 4 via a known elastic bush, and is supported by these in a mounted state. A bumper reinforcement 8 of a front bumper 7 is supported at the front end of the front side frame 4 via a so-called crash can 6, and the front side of the bumper reinforcement 8 is covered with a bumper face 9. (See FIG. 8).

  Between the bumper reinforcement 8 and the front side of the perimeter frame 50, for example, a resin shroud panel 11 containing a radiator is disposed. The upper part of the engine room 2 is covered with a bonnet 3, while at least the lower part of the front part of the engine room 2 is covered with an outer cover 12. In FIG. 5, the shroud panel 11 is not shown for the sake of clarity.

  The front wheel suspension device 40 that suspends the left and right front wheels Wf from the vehicle body includes, for example, an A-type upper arm 41, a knuckle arm 42 integrated with a wheel hub 43, and front and rear lower front lateral links 45. , 46 and a buffer spring (not shown), and the buffer spring is located in the so-called suspension tower 13. The inner ends of the front and rear lower front lateral links 45 and 46 are supported by the perimeter frame 50 through elastic bushings, respectively.

  The left and right wheel hubs 43 are connected to front end portions of a steering rod 61 that steers the front wheels Wf. The rear end portions of the steering rods 61 are supported on the rear upper side of the perimeter frame 50 and extend in the vehicle width direction. The steering rod drive unit 62 is connected. The steering rod drive unit 62 is a conventionally known one, and includes, for example, a steering rack that meshes with a gear at the tip of a steering shaft (not shown), and the steering rack moves in the vehicle width according to the rotation of the steering shaft (not shown). By moving in the direction, the left and right front wheels Wf are steered.

  Behind the bonnet 3, a cowl member 23 having a closed cross section that supports the front end portion of the front window glass 21 and extends in the vehicle width direction is located, and the engine room 2 and the vehicle compartment are located at the lower end of the cowl member 23. The upper end portion of the dash panel 25 that divides 22 is joined (see FIG. 8). The lower end side of the dash panel 25 is integrally coupled to the floor panel 26 of the passenger compartment 22. The left and right ends of the floor panel 26 are supported by a pair of side sills 27 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the inner side is supported by a pair of left and right floor frames 28 extending in parallel with the side sills 27 (see FIGS. 6 and 7). . The rear end of the wheel house 14 of the front wheel Wf is located at the front end of the side sill 27.

A so-called tunnel portion 29 formed in a part of the floor panel 26 and extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is formed at a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction of the floor panel 26. The tunnel portion 29 is formed by pressing a substantially central portion of the floor panel 26 in the vehicle width direction into an inverted U shape that opens downward, and an under-floor exhaust pipe extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is formed inside the tunnel portion 29. 77 etc. are arranged.
An instrument panel 31 is disposed at the upper part of the front end of the passenger compartment, and the upper end of the brake pedal 32 is swingably supported inside the instrument panel 31 (see FIG. 8).

The exhaust system of the automobile includes the exhaust manifold 71, the exhaust side turbine 72, and a catalyst unit 74 in order from the upstream side, and the catalyst unit 74 has exhaust pipes 73, It is formed in an elongated shape to which 75 is connected. That is, the upstream end of the catalyst container 74 is connected to the exhaust turbine 72 via the upstream exhaust pipe 73, and the downstream end is connected to the floor via the downstream exhaust pipe 75 and the flexible flexible joint 76. It is connected to the lower exhaust pipe 77. An exhaust gas purifying device (not shown) that purifies the middle portion of the exhaust pipe 77 below the floor by catalytically reacting nitrogen oxides (NO _x ) in the exhaust gas with a reducing substance such as ammonia by a so-called SCR method. ) Is provided. Since this purification device cannot be exposed to high temperatures, it is disposed as downstream as possible in the exhaust system.

  The catalyst unit 74 is basically the same as a conventionally known one, and includes an oxidation catalyst and an exhaust particulate collector (so-called DPF), and hydrocarbons (HC) in the exhaust gas by the oxidation catalyst. ) And carbon monoxide (CO) are oxidized, and particulate matter (so-called PM) in the exhaust gas is collected by passing through a DPF provided with a porous filter to purify the exhaust gas. .

  In this embodiment, in order to meet further demands for improving exhaust gas purification performance, the catalyst container containing the catalyst unit 74 is also enlarged. In the case of this catalyst unit 74, the degree of reaction depends on the temperature. And a shorter distance from the exhaust port of the engine E is advantageous for activating the catalyst earlier, so that it is arranged relatively upstream of the engine exhaust system (and therefore in the engine room 2). Established. In the present embodiment, the catalyst unit 74 is arranged using the configuration and layout of the perimeter frame 50 so that the catalyst unit 74 can be laid out without any trouble in an engine room that is inherently small and has little space. I have to.

Next, the configuration and layout of the perimeter frame 50 and the arrangement of the catalyst unit 74 will be described.
As can be clearly understood from FIGS. 5 to 7, the perimeter frame 50 as a sub-frame capable of supporting the front wheel suspension device 40 includes a left and right vertical member 51 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body below the front side frame 4, and A plurality of horizontal members 52, 53, 54 for connecting the vertical members 51 in the vehicle width direction. The left and right vertical members 51 and the front horizontal member 52 and the rear horizontal member 54 that connect the vertical members 51 in the vehicle width direction at the vehicle front-rear position are formed in a substantially quadrangular frame shape in plan view. .

  More preferably, at least the left and right vertical members 51 and the front horizontal member 52 of the perimeter frame 50 are integrally formed by using, for example, a hydraulic molding method. The horizontal member 53 is joined. Attachment portions 56 to the front side frame 4 of the vehicle body are formed at the left and right corner portions of the front side of the perimeter frame 50, and attachment portions 57 to the floor panel 26 of the vehicle body are formed at the left and right corner portions of the rear side. Yes.

The rear part of the power train PT is supported by the intermediate lateral member 53 at the connecting part B via a known elastic bushing at the rear part of the engine E near the transmission Tm. Accordingly, the connection span can be shortened and the support rigidity can be increased as compared with the case where the rear side member is supported further away. Moreover, the connection part B can also be made compact.
The steering rod drive unit 62 extending in the vehicle width direction is supported on the rear lateral member 54 of the perimeter frame 50. Accordingly, a wider space between the rear side member 54 and the intermediate side member 53 can be secured, and the capacity of the catalyst container 74 can be set larger.

  The intermediate lateral member 53 is disposed at an appropriate position in the front-rear direction between the front lateral member 52 and the rear lateral member 54. In the present embodiment, of the front and rear lower front lateral links 45 and 46 constituting the lower arm, immediately after the mounting portion of the front lower front lateral link 45 located closest to the front wheel axle 36, An intermediate horizontal member 53 that couples the left and right vertical members 51 in the vehicle width direction is provided.

  In this way, the intermediate horizontal member 53 is located on the left and right vertical members 51 at the mounting portion of the front lower front lateral link 45 that is positioned closest to the front wheel axle 36 among the lower arms 45 and 46 and that exerts a large lateral force. Since it couple | bonds with a vehicle width direction, the rigidity of the front-wheel suspension apparatus 40 can be improved.

Further, it is formed in a slender shape behind the intermediate horizontal member 53 (that is, in a space between the intermediate horizontal member 53 and the rear horizontal member 54), and exhaust pipes 73 and 75 are connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction. A catalyst container 74 is disposed.
More specifically, the catalyst container 74 overlaps the intermediate horizontal member 53 in the vehicle front view so as to extend in the vehicle width direction along the intermediate horizontal member 53 immediately after the intermediate horizontal member 53. It is arranged at a height position.

  Thus, according to the present embodiment, the left and right vertical members 51 are arranged in the vehicle width direction between the left and right vertical members 51 of the perimeter frame 50 (subframe) extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction below the front side frame 4. The catalyst container 74 can be laid out by using the rear space of the intermediate lateral member 53 coupled to the. Moreover, behind the intermediate lateral member 53 located below the front side frame 4, it extends in the vehicle width direction along the intermediate lateral member 53, that is, overlaps with the intermediate lateral member 53 in the vehicle front view. Since the catalyst container 74 is disposed at the height position, the catalyst container 74 does not collide with the dash panel 25 even if the engine E is retracted at the time of a vehicle front collision. That is, the catalyst container 74 can be disposed at a position that is not related to the intrusion of the dash panel 25 into the vehicle compartment at the time of a vehicle front collision.

  Further, since the catalyst container 74 is disposed immediately after the intermediate lateral member 53, even if the catalyst container 74 is disposed in the lowest region of the engine room 2 below the front side frame 4, Since the intermediate horizontal member 53 is present immediately in front, when the interference with the road surface or the like occurs in the lowest region of the engine room 2, the horizontal member 53 first hits the road surface or the like. Can be protected.

  Further, by providing the intermediate lateral member 53 between the front and rear lateral members 52, 54 of the perimeter frame 50, the planar region of the perimeter frame 50 is disposed in the region where the engine E is disposed and the catalyst container 74. The engine E is disposed in the space between the front horizontal member 52 and the intermediate horizontal member 53, and the catalyst is disposed in the space between the intermediate horizontal member 53 and the rear horizontal member 54. By disposing the container 74, it is possible to reliably avoid interference between the catalyst container 74 and the engine E.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, components having substantially the same configuration as those in the first embodiment and having substantially the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and further description thereof is omitted. .

  In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, when a diesel engine E that is horizontally installed in the rear exhaust is mounted in the engine room, the cylinder head Eh that constitutes the upper part of the engine E is disposed at the lower part of the engine. On the other hand, it is inclined rearward so as to be positioned rearward. In other words, the axial center line Lc of each cylinder (not shown) of the engine E is not arranged so as to face straight in the vertical direction, but the axial center line Lc of each cylinder is diagonally upward from the front diagonally downward. And is inclined at a predetermined angle β with respect to the vertical direction Lv so that the upper portion of the engine E faces the rear side of the vehicle.

By arranging the engine E in such an inclined posture, a substantially triangular space portion is created on the upper front side of the engine E and the lower rear side of the engine E in a side view, respectively, and peripheral devices such as engine accessories Can be arranged in this space, which can contribute to the improvement of the layout of these peripheral devices.
This second embodiment is basically the same as the first embodiment described above both in configuration and function, except that the engine E is disposed in an inclined posture.

  In the present embodiment, the intermediate horizontal member 83 that connects the middle portions of the left and right vertical members 81 of the perimeter frame 80 (subframe) in the vehicle width direction is more specifically located behind the rear exhaust side-mounted engine E. Is located substantially vertically below the exhaust port of the engine E, and an exhaust pipe 93 (upstream exhaust pipe) extending from the engine E side extends from the exhaust side turbine 82 of the engine exhaust system so as to hang in a substantially vertical direction. Yes. The catalyst container 94 has an upstream exhaust pipe 93 connected to an upstream end thereof, and a downstream exhaust pipe 95 connected to a downstream end thereof.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the horizontally-exposed engine E with the rear exhaust is disposed to be inclined rearward so that the upper part is located rearward with respect to the lower part. You can create extra space. The intermediate lateral member 53 is disposed substantially vertically below the exhaust port of the engine E, and the exhaust pipe 73 extending from the engine side is suspended from the engine side in a substantially vertical direction, thereby utilizing the lower rear space of the engine E. Thus, the intermediate lateral member 83 and the catalyst container 94 can be arranged.

  In the present embodiment, since the engine E is disposed so as to be inclined rearward as described above, the lower portion of the power train PT moves forward by a predetermined amount K, and a marginal space is created behind the lower portion thereof. The horizontal member 83 can be positioned forwardly, and the interval between the intermediate horizontal member 83 and the rear horizontal member 84 can be set wide. For this reason, the cross-sectional shape of the catalyst container 84 arrange | positioned here is made into a horizontally long ellipse shape, and the volume is set larger.

  Thus, the catalyst container 94 is disposed between the intermediate lateral member 83 and the rear lateral member 84. In other words, the intermediate horizontal member 83 is sandwiched between the lower part of the engine E and the catalyst container 94 at the front and rear thereof. Therefore, the intermediate lateral member 83 is extended in the vehicle width direction in a space between the lower portion of the engine E and the catalyst container 94 disposed so as to be inclined rearward so that the upper portion is located rearward with respect to the lower portion. Thereby, it can be set as a compact arrangement structure about both the up-down direction and the front-back direction.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a steering rod drive unit 62 having a steering rack for steering the front wheels Wf is arranged on the upper portion of the rear lateral member 84, and the catalyst container 94 is disposed obliquely in front of the steering rod drive unit 62. positioned. The position of the catalyst container 94 and the steering rod drive unit 62 is set so as to partially overlap in plan view.

  Thus, by arranging both 94 and 62 so as to partially overlap in plan view, the catalyst container 94 and the steering rod drive unit 62, both of which are elongated in the vehicle width direction, are close to each other in the front-rear direction. Thus, the layout length in the front-rear direction can be reduced accordingly.

  Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and changes and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

  The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure including a power train supported by a sub-frame to which a lower arm of a front wheel suspension device is attached and a front side frame, and a catalyst container connected to an exhaust pipe extending from an engine. For example, it can be effectively used as a vehicle body front structure such as a diesel engine vehicle which is an engine horizontal type and is an FF system.

It is a top view of the engine room which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the catalyst container using the back space of a horizontal engine. It is a bottom view of the engine room. FIG. 3 is a side view of the engine room viewed from the direction of arrows Y3-Y3 in FIG. 2. Fig. 4 is a rear arrow view of the engine room as seen from the direction of arrows Y4-Y4 in Fig. 3. It is the perspective view which showed the engine room of the motor vehicle based on the 1st Embodiment of this invention seeing from diagonally backward. It is a top view of the engine room. It is a bottom view of the engine room. FIG. 8 is a side view of the engine room as viewed from the direction of arrows Y8-Y8 in FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is a rear arrow view of the engine room as seen from the direction of arrows Y9-Y9 in FIG. It is a side view of the engine room which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Engine room 4 Front side frame 22 Car compartment 25 Dash panel 40 Front wheel suspension device 45 Front lower front lateral link 46 Rear lower front lateral link 50, 80 Perimeter frame (subframe)
51, 81 Vertical member 52, 82 Front horizontal member 53, 83 Intermediate horizontal member 54, 84 Rear horizontal member 73, 93 Upstream exhaust pipe 74, 94 Catalyst container (catalyst unit)
75,95 Downstream exhaust pipe E Engine PT Powertrain Tm Transmission Wf Front wheel

Claims (4)

A pair of front side frames extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body at the left and right side portions of the front portion of the vehicle body; a subframe that is positioned below the front side frame and to which a lower arm of a front wheel suspension device is attached; the subframe and the front side A vehicle body front structure including a power train in which an engine and a transmission supported by a frame are integrated, and a catalyst container connected to an exhaust pipe extending from the engine,
The sub-frame includes a left and right vertical member that extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction below the front side frame and has the lower arm attachment portion, and a front and rear lateral member that joins the left and right vertical members in the vehicle width direction at the vehicle longitudinal position. An intermediate member that connects the left and right vertical members in the vehicle width direction at a lateral link mounting portion located closest to the front wheel axle of the lower arm. A horizontal member,
The catalyst container is formed in an elongated shape with exhaust pipes connected to both ends in the longitudinal direction,
The catalyst container is disposed so as to extend in the vehicle width direction along the intermediate horizontal member immediately after the intermediate horizontal member.
A vehicle body front structure characterized by that.   The engine is of a horizontal type with rear exhaust, and is inclined rearward so that the upper part is located rearward with respect to the lower part. The intermediate horizontal member is an exhaust port of the rear exhaust horizontal type engine. The vehicle body front part structure according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle body front part structure is located substantially vertically downward.   The vehicle body front structure according to claim 2, wherein the intermediate lateral member is sandwiched between the lower part of the engine and the catalyst container on the front and rear thereof.   A steering rack device for steering the front wheels is attached to the upper portion of the lateral member on the rear side, the catalyst container is located obliquely in front of the steering rack device, and the catalyst container and the steering rack device are flat. The vehicle body front part structure according to claim 2, wherein a part of the vehicle body overlaps in view.

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