JP2010189671A - Method for manufacturing suspension-supporting member - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a method for manufacturing a suspension-supporting member which dispenses with welding of a spring-receiving part and an apron part while the spring-receiving part is allowed to have higher strength and higher rigidity than that of the apron part. <P>SOLUTION: In a heating process, a blank-material 20 is heated while turning on electricity by connecting an electrode 30 to almost center part 22 in the metal-made blank material 20 formed into almost circular-shape and also, connecting an electrode 32 to a circumferential part 26. Then, in a forming process, on a die, the almost center part 22 side of the blank material 20, is arranged at the position for forming into the spring-supporting part and also, this outer circumferential part is arranged at the position for forming into the apron part, and the blank-material 20 is formed by pressing and cooling. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a suspension support member applied to manufacture of a suspension support member for supporting a suspension.

  The suspension support member includes a spring receiving portion that constitutes a top portion thereof and receives a load from a coil spring of the suspension, and an apron portion that forms a space for accommodating the upper portion of the suspension below the spring receiving portion. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). Here, since the spring receiving part is required to have higher strength and higher rigidity than the apron part, the spring receiving part and the apron part may be welded after being configured as separate members.

JP 2000-211152 A

  However, in this structure, it is necessary to sufficiently consider the welding strength, and the mass increases by the amount that the welding allowance must be provided.

  In view of the above fact, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a suspension support member that can eliminate the need for welding between the spring receiving portion and the apron portion while making the spring receiving portion stronger and more rigid than the apron portion. The purpose is to obtain.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a suspension supporting member manufacturing method comprising: a spring receiving portion for receiving a load from a coil spring of the suspension; and a part of the suspension bent from a peripheral end portion of the spring receiving portion. An apron portion for forming a space for accommodating the suspension, and a suspension support member for suspension support configured to include a substantially central portion and a peripheral portion of a metal plate formed in a substantially disc shape. A heating step of heating the plate material by connecting an electrode to each of them, and placing the substantially central portion side of the plate material on the mold at a position where the spring receiving portion is molded, and the outer peripheral side thereof A molding step in which the plate material is pressed and cooled and molded at a position to be molded in the apron portion.

  According to the method for manufacturing a suspension support member of the present invention described in claim 1, first, in the heating step, electrodes are provided on each of a substantially central portion and a peripheral portion of a metal plate formed in a substantially disc shape. The plate material is heated by connecting and energizing. At this time, since the current density of the plate material is higher on the substantially central side than on the peripheral side, the plate material is not heated uniformly, but is heated at a higher temperature on the substantially central side than on the peripheral side.

  Next, in the molding step, the plate material is pressed and cooled by placing the substantially central portion side of the plate material on the mold at a position where the spring receiving portion is formed and the outer peripheral side thereof being arranged at the position where the apron portion is formed. To mold. Here, by cooling the plate material, the substantially central portion side of the plate material, in other words, the spring receiving portion is quenched. As a result, the spring receiving portion becomes stronger and more rigid than the apron portion, and welding between the spring receiving portion and the apron portion becomes unnecessary.

  As described above, according to the method for manufacturing a suspension support member according to claim 1 of the present invention, the spring receiving portion and the apron portion are made stronger and more rigid than the apron portion. It has the outstanding effect that welding can be made unnecessary.

It is a typical top view for explaining the heating process in the manufacturing method of the suspension tower bracket concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the suspension tower bracket manufactured by the manufacturing method of the suspension tower bracket which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the suspension tower bracket arrange | positioned at the vehicle body rear part.

  A method for manufacturing a suspension tower bracket to which a method for manufacturing a suspension support member according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a suspension tower bracket 10 (also referred to as “strut bracket”, “spring support”, etc.) as a suspension support member manufactured by the method for manufacturing a suspension tower bracket according to the present embodiment. Has been. In the figure, arrow FR indicates the vehicle front side of the vehicle to which the suspension tower bracket 10 is applied, arrow UP indicates the vehicle upper side of the vehicle, and arrow IN indicates the vehicle width direction of the vehicle. Shown inside.

  The suspension tower bracket 10 shown in FIG. 2 is used for supporting a front suspension (hereinafter simply referred to as “suspension”), and is a front side member (not shown) vehicle having a longitudinal direction in the vehicle front-rear direction at the front of the vehicle body. It is arrange | positioned in the width direction outer side. As shown in FIG. 2, the suspension tower bracket 10 is composed of one part, and is erected substantially along the vertical direction of the vehicle. As a whole, the suspension tower bracket 10 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with the vehicle lower side open. Yes. That is, the suspension tower bracket 10 is also referred to as a spring support portion 12 (“strut support portion”, “spring support upper portion”, “suspension upper support portion”, etc.) as a spring receiving portion constituting the top portion (top surface portion). ) And a skirt-like apron portion 14 constituting the side wall portion.

  The spring support portion 12 is a portion to which the suspension is attached and a portion for receiving a load from a coil spring (also referred to as “suspension spring”, not shown) of the suspension, and is formed in a substantially disc shape. Has been. The coil spring is a compression coil spring that constitutes the suspension, and is disposed on the lower side of the spring support portion 12 in such a posture that its axis substantially coincides with the vehicle vertical direction. Thereby, the back surface side (lower surface side) of the spring support part 12 is made into the receiving surface side which receives a load from the said coil spring. For this reason, the spring support part 12 is hardened and set to high strength and high rigidity. In FIG. 2, the hardened portion is indicated by hatching.

  A relatively large-diameter circular hole 12A is formed through a predetermined position of the spring support portion 12. An upper end side of a shock absorber (not shown) in the suspension is arranged in the circular hole 12A.

  The apron portion 14 that is bent and continuous from the peripheral end portion 12B of the spring support portion 12 is set to have lower strength and rigidity than the spring support portion 12 from the viewpoint of formability and the like. This apron portion 14 has an outer end in the vehicle width direction joined to a front fender (not shown) and a wheel house inner (not shown), and forms a space for accommodating the upper portion of the suspension below the spring support portion 12. ing. That is, the coil spring provided on the upper part of the suspension is disposed in a housing space formed by the apron portion 14.

  The coil spring has a different location depending on the suspension type, and may be provided separately from the shock absorber or may be wound around the outer periphery of the shock absorber. The form is the latter case.

  As described above, the suspension tower bracket 10 supports the shock absorber and the coil spring constituting the suspension on the vehicle body side. In other words, loads from the shock absorber and the coil spring are supported on the vehicle body side via the suspension tower bracket 10.

  Next, the operation and effect of the present embodiment will be described through the description of the method for manufacturing the suspension tower bracket according to the present embodiment.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a blank material 20 as a plate material to be energized in a heating process in the suspension tower bracket manufacturing method. As shown in FIG. 1, the blank material 20 is a metal plate (metal plate) made of a metal (made of steel in the present embodiment) formed in a substantially disc shape, and has a constant plate thickness. It is said that. In the present embodiment, a circular hole 12 </ b> A is formed in advance in the center of the blank material 20.

  A rod-shaped electrode 30 (energization terminal) is connected to the substantially central portion 22 which is the center side of the blank member 20 in a state of being inserted so as to fit into the circular hole 12A. In the present embodiment, the electrode 30 is inserted into the circular hole 12A, but the electrode 30 may be connected in contact with the outer peripheral portion of the circular hole 12A. Further, the substantially central portion 22 is a portion that is recognized as a portion that belongs to a substantially central region of the blank material 20. On the other hand, on the peripheral edge portion 26 (outer peripheral portion) of the blank member 20, a ring-shaped electrode 32 (conduction terminal) is connected over the entire periphery of the blank member 20. As is clear from FIG. 1, the contact area between the rod-shaped electrode 30 and the blank member 20 is set to be smaller than the contact area between the ring-shaped electrode 32 and the blank member 20. The electrode 30 is connected to a negative pole of a power supply unit (not shown) via a conductive wire, and the electrode 32 is connected to a positive pole of the power supply unit via a conductive wire.

  In the heating step, the electrodes 30 and 32 are connected to the blank material 20 as described above and energized, so that the edge portion 26 side of the blank material 20 is directed toward the substantially central portion 22 side of the blank material 20 (in the direction of arrow i). (Refer to) A current is passed and the blank 20 is heated.

  That is, in the heating step, when an electric current is passed from the electrode 32 to the electrode 30 side through the blank material 20 (inward in the radial direction of the blank material 20), the blank material 20 is heated by the electrical resistance of the blank material 20. (Electric heating). At this time, the current density of the current flowing through the blank material 20 is higher on the substantially central portion 22 side (electrode 30 side) than on the peripheral portion 26 side (electrode 32 side). The substantially central portion 22 side is heated at a higher temperature than the peripheral edge portion 26 side without being heated. In the present embodiment, the blank material 20 is heated at a temperature at which a predetermined range (a portion surrounded by a two-dot chain line 24) on the substantially central portion 22 side can be quenched.

  The blank material 20 that is energized and heated in the heating process as described above is pressed and cooled in the molding process to be molded into the shape of the suspension tower bracket 10 (see FIG. 2). More specifically, in this molding step, first, the heated blank material 20 is set in a mold (not shown). At this time, on the mold, the substantially central portion 22 side of the blank material 20 is disposed at a position for forming the spring support portion 12 (see FIG. 2) and the outer peripheral side thereof is formed into the apron portion 14 (see FIG. 2). Place in position. On the other hand, a flow path (not shown) through which a coolant such as cooling water flows is formed in the mold, and when the heated and blank material 20 is pressed by the mold in the heating process, the blank material 20 is molded into the shape of the suspension tower bracket 10 (see FIG. 2), and is rapidly cooled (cooled) by the mold cooled by the refrigerant.

  Here, when the blank material 20 is rapidly cooled by the mold, the portion (the portion surrounded by the two-dot chain line 24) heated at a quenchable temperature on the substantially central portion 22 side of the blank material 20, In other words, the spring support 12 (see FIG. 2) is quenched (partially quenched). Thereby, the spring support portion 12 shown in FIG. 2 has higher strength and higher rigidity than the apron portion 14, and welding of the spring support portion 12 and the apron portion 14 becomes unnecessary. The suspension tower bracket 10 is then subjected to a finishing (trim) process.

  Comparing with the comparison, for example, in the comparison of welding the spring receiving part made of thick steel plate and the apron part made of thin steel plate, the spring receiving part has high strength and high rigidity. However, on the other hand, it is necessary to give sufficient consideration to the welding strength, and the mass increases by the amount of welding allowance. On the other hand, in the case of this embodiment, these problems can be solved and the suspension tower bracket 10 more excellent in terms of fatigue strength and weight reduction can be manufactured.

  As described above, according to the suspension tower bracket manufacturing method according to the present embodiment, the spring support portion 12 and the apron portion 14 are welded while the spring support portion 12 is stronger and more rigid than the apron portion 14. Can be made unnecessary.

  In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the manufacture of the suspension tower bracket 10 disposed in the front portion of the vehicle body has been described as an example. However, for example, as shown in FIG. The present invention may be applied to the manufacture of the suspension tower bracket 40 as a suspension support member for supporting the rear suspension disposed in the house inner 46. The suspension tower bracket 40 receives a load from a coil spring (not shown) of the suspension and is bent from the peripheral end of the spring receiving portion 42 to accommodate the upper portion of the suspension. And an apron portion 44 that forms a space. Further, in FIG. 3, as an example, the quenched portion is indicated by a hatched portion.

10 Suspension tower bracket (suspension support member)
12 Spring support (spring receiving part)
14 Apron section 20 Blank material (plate material)
22 substantially central part 26 peripheral part 30 electrode 32 electrode 40 suspension tower bracket (suspension support member)
42 Spring receiving part 44 Apron part

Claims (1)

A spring receiving portion for receiving a load from a coil spring of the suspension; and an apron portion bent from a peripheral end portion of the spring receiving portion to form a space for accommodating a part of the suspension. Applied to the manufacture of suspension support members for suspension support,
A heating step of heating the plate by connecting an electrode to each of the substantially central portion and the peripheral portion of the metal plate formed in a substantially disc shape, and energizing;
On the mold, the substantially central portion side of the plate material is disposed at a position where the spring receiving portion is molded, and the outer peripheral side thereof is disposed at a position where the apron portion is molded, and the plate material is pressed and cooled to be molded. Molding process;
A method of manufacturing a suspension support member having

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