JP2020152188A - Automobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a front body structure superior in collision performance.SOLUTION: An intermediate wall 24w extending in a longitudinal direction of a front side member 24 is disposed at an intermediate position in an up-down direction inside the front side member 24. A gasset 30 includes a first cylindrical portion 32 into which a front end of the front side member 24 is inserted, a second cylindrical portion 34 into which a rear end of a crash box is inserted, a third cylindrical portion 36 into which one end of a cross member 26 is inserted, and plural reinforcement ribs 40 disposed between the first cylindrical portion 32 and the second cylindrical portion 34. The plural reinforcement ribs 40 include an upper rib 40a, a middle rib 40b, and a lower rib 40c. The middle rib 40b is located between the upper rib 40a and the lower rib 40c, and is positioned on the same level as the intermediate wall 24w of the front side member 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The techniques disclosed herein relate to the body of an automobile, especially the structure of the front body.

Patent Document 1 discloses an automobile body. This body is a body for an electric vehicle, and the front body located in front of the body is provided with a motor room (motor compartment) for accommodating a motor or the like.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-20627

For the front body, it is required to absorb energy at the time of collision (so-called collision performance), and various structures for that purpose have been developed. However, many conventional structures are premised on an engine-powered vehicle. On the other hand, in an electric vehicle using a motor as a drive source, the load mounted on the front body is relatively small, so that the degree of freedom in designing the structure of the front body is high. Therefore, in electric vehicles (or various vehicles with a small front body mounted; hereinafter referred to as electric vehicles, etc.), the collision performance of the front body is further improved by utilizing the degree of freedom in design. There is room.

Based on the above, the present specification provides a technique capable of improving the collision performance of the front body for a body such as an electric vehicle.

The vehicle body disclosed herein includes a bumper information that extends laterally on the front end of the vehicle, a pair of left and right crash boxes that extend from the bumper infoment to the rear of the vehicle, and a gusset at the rear end of the crash box. It is provided with a pair of left and right front side members extending from the gusset to the rear side of the vehicle and a cross member extending in the left and right direction of the vehicle and connecting the pair of left and right gussets to each other. Inside the front side member, an intermediate wall extending along the longitudinal direction of the front side member is provided at an intermediate position in the vertical direction. The gusset has a first tubular part into which the front end of the front side member is inserted, a second tubular part into which the rear end of the crash box is inserted, and a third tubular part into which one end of the cross member is inserted. It has a plurality of reinforcing ribs provided between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion. The plurality of reinforcing ribs include an upper rib, a middle rib and a lower rib. The middle rib is located between the upper rib and the lower rib, and is located at the same height as the intermediate wall of the front side member.

As described above, in an electric vehicle or the like, since the load on the front body is relatively small, the compartment for accommodating the front body can be relatively small. Therefore, in the above-mentioned body, a cross member extending in the left-right direction of the vehicle is provided by utilizing the space created by the miniaturization of the compartment, and each front end of the pair of left and right front side members is the cross member. Are connected to each other by. The gusset that connects the front side member, the crash box, and the cross member to each other has a deformation between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion (that is, between the front side member and the crash box). A plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided to suppress the breakage. In particular, the plurality of reinforcing ribs include at least three reinforcing ribs, of which the middle ribs are arranged according to the intermediate wall of the front side member. According to these combinations, even in a situation where a large load can be applied to only one front side member, such as a small overlap collision, the front side member is suppressed from being deformed so as to bend. As a result, the front side member is mainly axially compressed while receiving the load, so that the crash box and the front side member can absorb more energy at the time of collision.

The plan view which shows the front body 12 of the body 10 of an Example. The perspective view which shows the front body 12 of the body 10 of an Example. The perspective view which shows the structure of the main part including a gusset 30. The perspective view which shows the structure of the main part including a gusset 30 from another viewpoint. The perspective view which shows the gusset 30 alone. A perspective view showing the gusset 30 alone from another viewpoint.

In one embodiment of the present technology, the upper rib may be located at the same height as the upper wall portion of the first tubular portion. In addition, or instead, the upper rib may be located at the same height as the upper wall portion of the second tubular portion. According to such a configuration, the strength against bending deformation between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion can be further increased.

In one embodiment of the present technology, the lower rib may be located at the same height as the lower wall portion of the first tubular portion. In addition, or instead, the lower rib may be located at the same height as the lower wall portion of the second tubular portion. According to such a configuration, the strength against bending deformation between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion can be further increased.

In one embodiment of the art, the gusset may further have at least one second reinforcing rib provided between the first tubular portion and the third tubular portion. According to such a configuration, the rigidity between the first tubular portion and the third tubular portion is increased, so that the bending deformation of the front side member can be further suppressed.

In one embodiment of the present technology, each front side member may be angled with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle so that it is displaced outward in the left-right direction as it moves toward the front of the vehicle. According to such a configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress bending deformation of the front side member, particularly in a small overlap collision.

In one embodiment of the present technology, the cross-sectional area of the second tubular portion may be larger than the cross-sectional area of the first tubular portion. With such a configuration, a relatively large crash box can be adopted. In such an embodiment, a plurality of reinforcing ribs may be provided between the side wall portion of the first tubular portion and the bottom wall portion of the second tubular portion. In this case, although not particularly limited, each reinforcing rib is a triangular plate material, one side of which is joined to the side wall portion of the first tubular portion, and the other side is the bottom wall portion of the second tubular portion. It may be joined to.

In one embodiment of the present technology, the gusset may be made of an aluminum alloy, and in particular, may be die-cast aluminum. The term "aluminum die casting" as used herein means a cast product of an aluminum alloy molded using a mold. Similarly, bumper reinforcements, crash boxes, front side members and cross members may also be made of aluminum alloy.

The body 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The body 10 is a body mainly adopted for an electric vehicle, but the structure described in this embodiment is not limited to the adoption for an electric vehicle. In the drawings, the arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow W indicates the left-right direction of the vehicle, the arrow OUT indicates the outside of the left-right direction W, and the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle. Therefore, in the present specification, the rear side (or simply rearward) of the vehicle means the opposite side of the arrow FR, and the lower side (or simply lower side) of the vehicle means the opposite side of the arrow UP, and the left-right direction. The inside of W means the opposite side of the arrow OUT.

The body 10 of this embodiment has a monocoque structure, and has a front body 12, a center body (not shown), and a rear body (not shown). The front body 12 is located in front of the center body constituting the cabin, and is required to have collision performance to absorb energy at the time of collision. Further, the front body 12 is provided with a motor compartment 14 in which a power unit 2 including a motor and a radiator 4 are mounted and the power unit 2 is housed. In the following, among the structures of the body 10, the main parts related to the present technology will be mainly described, and the description of other parts will be omitted. However, various known structures can be adopted for the body 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front body 12 includes a bumper reinforcement 20. The bumper reinforcement 20 is located on the front end side of the vehicle and extends in the left-right direction W of the vehicle. Although not particularly limited, the bumper reinforcement 20 in this embodiment is a hollow material having a rectangular cross section and is made of an aluminum alloy. Further, an intermediate wall 20w is provided inside the bumper reinforcement 20 (see FIG. 3). The intermediate wall 20w is provided at an intermediate position (not limited to the central position) in the vertical direction, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the bumper reinforcement 20. The bumper reinforcement 20 may be curved, for example, according to the design of the vehicle.

The front body 12 further includes a pair of left and right crash boxes 22. The front end of the crash box 22 is connected to the bumper reinforcement 20 and extends rearward from the bumper reinforcement 20. The crash box 22 is deformed at the time of a frontal collision of the vehicle to alleviate the impact and absorb energy. Although not particularly limited, the crash box 22 in this embodiment has a rectangular cross section and is made of an aluminum alloy. Each crash box 22 is slightly tilted with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is displaced to the outside of the vehicle in the left-right direction W from the rear end to the front end.

The front body 12 further includes a pair of left and right front side members 24. The front end of the front side member 24 is connected to the rear end of the crash box 22 via a gusset 30, and extends from the gusset 30 toward the rear side of the vehicle. The rear end (not shown) of the front side member 24 is directly or indirectly connected to the dash panel of the center body. Although not particularly limited, the front side member 24 in this embodiment is a hollow material having a rectangular cross section, and is made of an aluminum alloy. Further, an intermediate wall 24w is provided inside the front side member 24 (see FIG. 3). The intermediate wall 24w is provided at an intermediate position (not limited to the central position) in the vertical direction, and extends along the longitudinal direction of the front side member 24.

Each front side member 24 may be parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle or may be angled with respect to the front-rear direction. The front side member 24 in this embodiment is angled with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle so as to be displaced outward in the left-right direction W toward the front FR side of the vehicle. In the body 10 of this embodiment, a relatively large crash box 22 is adopted, and the cross section of the front side member 24 is smaller than the cross section of the crash box 22.

The front body 12 further includes a cross member 26. The cross member 26 extends in the left-right direction W of the vehicle and connects a pair of left and right gussets 30 to each other. That is, each end of the cross member 26 in the left-right direction W is connected to the gusset 30. Although not particularly limited, the cross member 26 in this embodiment is a hollow material having a rectangular cross section, and is made of an aluminum alloy. The cross member 26 extends across the front of the motor compartment 14.

The front body 12 further includes a pair of left and right apron upper members 28. The front end of the apron upper member 28 is connected to the gusset 30, and extends upward from the gusset 30. The rear end (not shown) of the apron upper member 28 is connected to a front body (for example, a front pillar). Although not particularly limited, the apron upper member 28 in this embodiment is a hollow material having a rectangular cross section, and is made of an aluminum alloy.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the gusset 30 connects the front side member 24, the crash box 22, the cross member 26, and the apron upper member 28 to each other. The gusset 30 in this embodiment is an aluminum die-cast and is made of an aluminum alloy. The gusset 30 has a first tubular portion 32, a second tubular portion 34, a third tubular portion 36, and a fourth tubular portion 38. The front end of the front side member 24 is inserted into the first tubular portion 32. The rear end of the crash box 22 is inserted into the second tubular portion. One end of the cross member is inserted into the third tubular portion 36. The front end of the apron upper member 28 is inserted into the fourth tubular portion 38.

The four tubular portions 32, 34, 36, 38 extend in different directions. That is, the first tubular portion 32 extends toward the rear side of the vehicle. The second tubular portion 34 extends toward the front FR side of the vehicle. The third tubular portion 36 extends inward in the left-right direction W of the vehicle. Then, the fourth tubular portion 38 extends toward the upper UP of the vehicle. Each of the tubular portions 32, 34, 36, 38 has a cross section adapted to the corresponding member. Here, as described above, the cross section of the front side member 24 is smaller than the cross section of the crash box 22. Therefore, the cross section of the first tubular portion 32 is smaller than the cross section of the second tubular portion 34.

As shown in FIG. 5, the gusset 30 further includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs 40. The plurality of reinforcing ribs 40 are provided between the first tubular portion 32 and the second tubular portion 34. Each reinforcing rib 40 is a triangular plate-shaped member, one side of which is joined to a side wall portion 32c located outside the vehicle of the first tubular portion 32, and the other side is a second tubular portion. It is joined to the bottom wall 32e of. The shape, size, and number of the plurality of reinforcing ribs 40 are not particularly limited.

The plurality of reinforcing ribs 40 include an upper rib 40a, a middle rib 40b, and a lower rib 40c. The middle rib 40b is located between the upper rib 40a and the lower rib 40c, and is located at the same height as the intermediate wall 24w of the front side member 24. In addition, the upper rib 40a is located at the same height as the upper wall portion 32a of the first tubular portion 32 and at the same height as the upper wall portion 34a of the second tubular portion 34. There is. On the other hand, the lower rib 40c is located at the same height as the lower wall portion 32b of the first tubular portion 32 and at the same height as the lower wall portion 34b of the second tubular portion 34. .. The positions of the upper rib 40a and the lower rib 40c in the vertical direction are not particularly limited and can be changed as appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 6, the gusset 30 further includes a plurality of second reinforcing ribs 42. The plurality of second reinforcing ribs 42 are provided between the first tubular portion 32 and the third tubular portion 36. Each second reinforcing rib 42 is not particularly limited, but is a triangular plate material. One side of each of the second reinforcing ribs 42 is joined to the side wall portion 32d located inside the vehicle of the first tubular portion 32, and the other side is a side wall located behind the vehicle of the third tubular portion 36. It is joined to the portion 36a.

In an electric vehicle, the load on the front body 12 is relatively small. Therefore, the motor compartment 14 for accommodating it can be made relatively small. Therefore, in the body 10 of the present embodiment, a cross member 26 extending in the left-right direction W of the vehicle is provided by utilizing the space created by the miniaturization of the motor compartment 14. As a result, the front ends of the pair of left and right front side members 24 are connected to each other by the cross member 26. The gusset 30 that connects the front side member 24, the crash box 22, and the cross member 26 to each other is deformed between the first tubular portion 32 and the second tubular portion 34 (that is, the front side member). A plurality of reinforcing ribs 40 are provided to prevent breakage between the 24 and the crash box 22). In particular, the plurality of reinforcing ribs 40 include at least three reinforcing ribs 40a, 40b, and 40c, and the middle rib 40b is arranged so as to match the intermediate wall 24w of the front side member 24.

By these combinations, even in a situation where a large load can be applied to only one front side member 24, such as a small overlap collision, the front side member 24 is suppressed from being deformed so as to bend. As a result, the front side member 24 is mainly axially compressed while receiving the load, so that the crash box 22 and the front side member 24 can absorb more energy at the time of collision.

In the body 10 of this embodiment, the gusset 30 also has a plurality of second reinforcing ribs 42 between the first tubular portion 32 and the third tubular portion 36. According to such a configuration, the rigidity between the first tubular portion 32 and the third tubular portion 36 is increased, so that bending deformation of the front side member 24 can be further suppressed. Here, the number and shape of the second reinforcing ribs 42 are not particularly limited. The gusset 30 may be provided with a single or three or more second reinforcing ribs 42.

In the body 10 of this embodiment, each of the front side members 24 forms an angle with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is displaced to the outside of the left-right direction W toward the front FR of the vehicle. With such a configuration, it is possible to effectively suppress bending deformation of the front side member 24, particularly in a small overlap collision. Here, the specific angle formed by each front side member 24 with respect to the front-rear direction of the vehicle is not particularly limited. By carrying out an experiment or a simulation, the optimum angle according to the specific structure of the body 10 can be obtained.

In the body 10 of this embodiment, the cross member 26 is provided between the pair of left and right gussets 30, and the front ends of the pair of left and right front side members 24 are connected to each other. Instead of this, it is conceivable to move the position of the cross member 26 to the rear of the vehicle and connect the intermediate positions of the pair of left and right front side members 24 to each other by the cross member 26. However, rather than such a configuration, when the front ends of the pair of left and right front side members 24 are connected to each other by the cross member 26 as in the configuration adopted in the present embodiment, the front side member 24 is bent. It has been confirmed that deformation can be effectively suppressed.

Although specific examples of the techniques disclosed in the present specification have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of claims. The techniques described in the claims include various modifications and modifications of the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in the present specification or the drawings exhibit technical usefulness alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. The techniques illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve a plurality of objectives at the same time, and achieving one of the objectives itself has technical usefulness.

10: Automobile body 12: Front body 14: Motor compartment 20: Bumper reinforcement 20w: Bumper reinforcement middle wall 22: Crash box 24: Front side member 26: Cross member 28: Apron upper member 30: Gusset 32: No. 1 Cylindrical portion 34: 2nd tubular portion 36: 3rd tubular portion 38: 4th tubular portion 40: Reinforcing rib 40a: Upper rib 40b: Middle rib 40c: Lower rib 42: 2nd reinforcing rib

Claims (1)

Bumpar Reinforce that extends to the left and right on the front end side of the vehicle,
A pair of left and right crash boxes extending from the bumper reinforcement to the rear side of the vehicle,
A pair of left and right front side members, which are connected to the rear end of the crash box via a gusset and extend from the gusset to the rear side of the vehicle,
A cross member that extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle and connects the pair of left and right gussets to each other.
With
Inside the front side member, an intermediate wall extending along the longitudinal direction of the front side member is provided at an intermediate position in the vertical direction.
The gusset has a first tubular portion into which the front end of the front side member is inserted, a second tubular portion into which the rear end of the crash box is inserted, and a third tubular portion into which one end of the cross member is inserted. It has a tubular portion and a plurality of reinforcing ribs provided between the first tubular portion and the second tubular portion.
The plurality of reinforcing ribs include an upper rib, a middle rib, and a lower rib, and the middle rib is located between the upper rib and the lower rib and has the same height as the intermediate wall of the front side member. Located in,
Car body.

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