JP2023111593A - Center bearing fitting structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

To decrease cost of manufacture for a bracket to which a center bearing is fitted.SOLUTION: A center bearing fitting structure in which a center bearing 20 rotatably supporting a propeller shaft 5 is fitted to a vehicle body frame 4 includes: right and left shaft support parts 41 on a vehicle body frame 4 side; a first bracket 21; and right and left second brackets 22. The first bracket 21 includes: a bearing support part 29 to which the center bearing 20 is fitted; and right and left first fitting parts 31 which are arranged at both sides in a vehicle width direction above the bearing support part 29. The right and left second brackets 22 include: tabular second fitting parts 34 which are fitted to the first fitting parts 31; and tabular third fitting parts 35 which are fitted to the shaft support parts 41 above the second fitting parts 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle center bearing mounting structure.

Patent Literature 1 describes a structure in which a bearing member that rotatably supports a propeller shaft is fixed to a frame (cross member) via left and right brackets.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-99020

Since the propeller shaft differs depending on the type (vehicle type) of the vehicle, the position of the center bearing (bearing member) that rotatably supports the propeller shaft also differs for each vehicle type. In order to cope with the difference in the position of the center bearing, it is necessary to prepare as many types of brackets (center bearing brackets) to attach the center bearings to the vehicle body as the number of car models. type) increases. In addition, the center bearing bracket has a vehicle body side mounting portion to be mounted on the vehicle body side and a bearing mounting portion to which the center bearing is mounted on the top and bottom. Since it is necessary to match the shape of the center bearing, it is difficult to simplify the overall shape of the center bearing, increasing the cost of the die alone. Thus, it is necessary to prepare a large number of expensive molds, which increases the manufacturing cost.

Accordingly, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a center bearing mounting structure capable of reducing the manufacturing cost of the bracket.

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present disclosure is a center bearing mounting structure for mounting a center bearing that rotatably supports a propeller shaft to a vehicle body frame, comprising left and right shaft support portions on the vehicle body frame side. , a first bracket, and left and right second brackets. The left and right shaft support portions are provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction.

The first bracket has a bearing support portion to which the center bearing is attached, and left and right first attachment portions arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction above the bearing support portion. The left and right second brackets each have a plate-like second mounting portion attached to the first mounting portion, and a plate-like third mounting portion attached to the shaft support portion above the second mounting portion.

In the above configuration, the bracket that connects the left and right shaft support portions on the body frame side and the center bearing is divided into the first bracket on the center bearing side and the second bracket on the body frame side, so the position of the center bearing is It is possible to deal with the difference in the position of the center bearing by providing a plurality of types of second brackets having different shapes. Further, since both the second mounting portion and the third mounting portion of the second bracket are plate-shaped, the mold for manufacturing the second bracket is less expensive than the mold for manufacturing the first bracket. can be reduced to Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to the case where the first bracket and the second bracket are integrally formed.

A second aspect of the present disclosure is the center bearing mounting structure of the first aspect, wherein the second bracket is generally L-shaped or U-shaped.

In the above configuration, the second bracket is L-shaped or U-shaped as a whole, so that the second bracket can be manufactured using a less expensive mold, and the manufacturing cost can be further reduced.

According to the center bearing mounting structure of the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the bracket.

1 is a side view schematically showing a vehicle according to an embodiment of the invention; FIG. 1 is a front view of a center bearing mounting structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the front; FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the center bearing mounting structure of FIG. 2 as viewed obliquely from above; 4 is a perspective view in which the center bearing mounting structure of FIG. 3 is turned upside down with the center bearing omitted; FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view when a set of bolt insertion holes different from that in FIG. 5 is used; It is a front view which shows a modification.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the front-rear direction means the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the left-right direction means the left-right direction when the vehicle faces forward. In the drawings, the front and rear arrows indicate the vehicle front-rear direction, the up and down arrows indicate the vertical direction, and the left and right arrows indicate the vehicle width direction. Also, the direction of each member is the direction when it is assembled to the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 to which the center bearing mounting structure according to the present embodiment is applied is, for example, a cab-over type truck in which a cab 2 is arranged above an engine 3. A body frame 4, An engine 3 and a propeller shaft 5 are provided. The engine 3 is supported on the front portion of the body frame 4 below the cab 2 . A transmission 6 is arranged behind the engine 3 to change the speed of the rotational power output from the engine 3 and transmit it to the propeller shaft 5 .

The propeller shaft 5 has a front propeller shaft 7 and a rear propeller shaft 8 and extends in the longitudinal direction to connect the output shaft of the transmission 6 and the rear axle 9 . Rotational power transmitted from the engine 3 to the propeller shaft 5 via the transmission 6 is transmitted from the front propeller shaft 7 to the rear propeller shaft 8 and then to the rear wheels 10 via the rear axle 9 .

The front propeller shaft 7 is a substantially cylindrical member that extends linearly while being inclined rearwardly downward at substantially the center in the vehicle width direction. An intermediate portion and a rear portion of the front propeller shaft 7 are supported by the vehicle body frame 4 via front and rear shaft support mechanisms 11 and 12 . In this embodiment, the center bearing mounting structure of the present invention is applied to the shaft support mechanism 11 on the front side. Note that the center bearing mounting structure of the present invention may be applied to the shaft support mechanism 12 on the rear side.

As shown in FIG. 2, the body frame 4 includes left and right side members 13 and a plurality of cross members (other than the shaft support cross member 14) including a shaft support cross member 14 disposed above the front shaft support mechanism 11. Illustration of the cross member is omitted). The left and right side members 13 extend along the vehicle front-rear direction on both sides in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of cross members including the shaft support cross member 14 are spaced apart in the vehicle front-rear direction and extend in the vehicle width direction to connect the left and right side members 13 . The side member 13 is composed of a side member upper wall portion 15 and a side member lower wall portion 16 which are vertically spaced apart from each other and face each other. It has a side member vertical wall portion 17 connecting the direction outside.

The shaft support cross member 14 of this embodiment is an alligator type cross member, and includes a plate-like upper cross member 18 extending in the vehicle width direction, and left and right plates arranged below both sides of the upper cross member 18 in the vehicle width direction. and a lower cross member 19 having a shape. Both ends of the upper cross member 18 in the vehicle width direction are bent downward, overlapped with the side member vertical wall portions 17 from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and are fastened and fixed. The inner sides in the vehicle width direction of the left and right lower cross members 19 are fixed to overlap the lower surfaces of the upper cross members 18 from below, and the outer sides in the vehicle width direction are curved downward and separated from the upper cross member 18 . Outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the left and right lower cross members 19 overlap and are fastened to the side member vertical wall portions 17 from the inside in the vehicle width direction. It should be noted that the shaft support cross member 14 is not limited to an alligator shape, and may be of other shapes.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the front shaft support mechanism 11 includes a center bearing 20, left and right lower brackets (first brackets) 21, left and right middle brackets (second brackets) 22, and upper brackets ( and a third bracket) 23 . The center bearing 20 is attached to and supported by the shaft support cross member 14 via left and right lower brackets 21 , left and right middle brackets 22 and upper brackets 23 . The lower bracket 21, the middle bracket 22, and the upper bracket 23 are made of one or a plurality of metal plates (in the case of a plurality of metal plates, they are integrated by welding or the like) punched into a desired shape by press working and bent. Each is composed of

The front propeller shaft 7 fits into the inner ring 24 of the center bearing 20 and is rotatably supported by the center bearing 20 . A housing 25 of the center bearing 20 is provided with left and right plate-shaped bracket mounting portions 26 projecting outward in the vehicle width direction.

The left and right lower brackets 21 each include a lower bracket main body 27 and a lower bracket reinforcing plate 28 . The lower bracket main body 27 includes a lower bracket lower plate portion 29 that intersects with the vertical direction, and front and rear lower bracket vertical plate portions 30 that extend upward from the front and rear end edges of the lower bracket lower plate portion 29 by bending. , and front and rear lower bracket upper plate portions 31 integrally extending from the upper edge portions of the front and rear lower bracket vertical plate portions 30 while bending forward and rearward. The lower bracket reinforcing plate 28 connects and reinforces the front and rear lower bracket vertical plate portions 30 . The left and right lower bracket lower plate portions 29 overlap the left and right bracket mounting portions 26 of the center bearing 20 from above, and are fastened and fixed to the left and right bracket mounting portions 26 by bolts 32 and nuts 33, respectively. That is, the lower bracket lower plate portion 29 constitutes a bearing support portion to which the center bearing 20 is attached, and the left and right lower bracket upper plate portions 31 are arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction above the bearing support portion. 1 constitutes a mounting portion.

The left and right middle brackets 22 each include a middle bracket lower plate portion 34 that intersects with the vertical direction, and a middle bracket vertical plate portion 35 that bends and extends upward from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the middle bracket lower plate portion 34 . It is integrally formed and the whole is bent in an L shape. The left and right middle bracket lower plate portions 34 overlap the left and right lower bracket upper plate portions 31 from above, and are fastened and fixed to the left and right lower bracket upper plate portions 31 by bolts 36 and nuts 37, respectively. That is, the left and right middle bracket lower plate portions 34 constitute plate-like left and right second attachment portions that are attached to the left and right lower bracket upper plate portions 31 . In addition, the overall shape of the middle bracket 22 is not limited to the L shape, and may be other shapes.

The upper bracket 23 includes left and right upper bracket bodies 38 and upper bracket connecting plates 39, respectively. The left and right upper bracket main bodies 38 include an upper bracket lower plate portion 40 that intersects with the vertical direction, an upper bracket vertical plate portion 41 that bends and extends upward from the vehicle width direction outer edge of the upper bracket lower plate portion 40, Each integrally includes an upper bracket upper plate portion 42 that bends and extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end edge portion of the upper bracket vertical plate portion 41 . The upper bracket connecting plate 39 connects the upper bracket lower plate portion 40 .

The left and right upper bracket upper plate portions 42 overlap the lower surfaces of the left and right lower cross members 19 from below, and are fastened and fixed to the upper cross member 18 and the lower cross member 19 by bolts 43 and nuts 44 . The left and right middle bracket vertical plate portions 35 overlap the left and right upper bracket vertical plate portions 41 from outside in the vehicle width direction, and are fastened and fixed to the left and right upper bracket vertical plate portions 41 by bolts 45 and nuts 46, respectively. That is, the left and right upper bracket vertical plate portions 41 constitute left and right shaft support portions on the vehicle body frame 4 side provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the left and right middle bracket vertical plate portions 35 constitute the left and right middle bracket lower plate portions. Plate-like left and right third attachment portions attached to the left and right upper bracket vertical plate portions 41 above 34 are formed.

The upper bracket vertical plate portion 41 is formed with two bolt insertion holes (not shown) spaced apart in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the middle bracket vertical plate portion 35 has two bolt insertion holes 47 and 48 which are spaced apart in the front-rear direction in accordance with the pitch of the two bolt insertion holes of the upper bracket vertical plate portion 41. In the form, two sets) are formed. That is, four bolt insertion holes 47 and 48 are formed in the middle bracket vertical plate portion 35 of the present embodiment. The middle bracket vertical plate portion 35 is fixed to the upper bracket vertical plate portion 41 using one set of bolt insertion holes 47 (see FIG. 6) as shown in FIG. The position of the center bearing 20 is different when it is fixed to the upper bracket vertical plate portion 41 using a set of bolt insertion holes 48 (see FIG. 5).

According to this embodiment, the bracket connecting the left and right upper bracket vertical plate portions 41 and the center bearing 20 is divided into the lower bracket 21 on the side of the center bearing 20 and the middle bracket 22 on the side of the vehicle body frame 4. The lower bracket 21 can be used in common regardless of the position of the center bearing 20, and the difference in the position of the center bearing 20 can be dealt with by preparing a plurality of types of middle brackets 22 having different shapes. Further, since the middle bracket 22 is L-shaped as a whole, it can be manufactured using a relatively inexpensive press die. Therefore, the manufacturing cost can be reduced compared to the case where the lower bracket 21 and the middle bracket 22 are integrally formed.

In addition, since a plurality of sets of bolt insertion holes 47 and 48 are formed in the middle bracket vertical plate portion 35, the bolt insertion holes 47 and 48 to be used can be changed when the position of the center bearing 20 is slightly different. can be addressed by

Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, etc. made by those skilled in the art based on this embodiment are naturally included in the scope of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the upper bracket 23 (see FIG. 2) is omitted, and the middle bracket 22 is formed in a U shape and attached to the lower surface of the shaft support cross member 14 (lower surface of the left and right lower cross members 19). Alternatively, the left and right lower brackets 21 may be connected by a lower bracket connecting plate 49 to be integrated. In this case, the lower surfaces of the left and right lower cross members 19 constitute the left and right shaft support portions, which extend from the upper end edges of the left and right middle bracket vertical plate portions 35 while being bent inward in the vehicle width direction, and bolts 43 and nuts 44 are provided. The left and right middle bracket upper plate portions 50 fastened and fixed to the shaft support cross member 14 by means of are configured as left and right third mounting portions.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely applied to vehicles in which a propeller shaft is rotatably supported by a center bearing.

1: Vehicle 2: Cab 3: Engine 4: Body Frame 5: Propeller Shaft 6: Transmission 7: Front Propeller Shaft 8: Rear Propeller Shaft 9: Rear Axle 10: Rear Wheel 11, 12: Shaft Support Mechanism 13: Side Member 14: Shaft supporting cross member 15: Side member upper wall portion 16: Side member lower wall portion 17: Side member vertical wall portion 18: Upper cross member 19: Lower cross member 20: Center bearing 21: Lower bracket (first bracket)
22: Middle bracket (second bracket)
23: Upper bracket 24: Inner ring of center bearing 25: Housing of center bearing 26: Bracket mounting portion 27: Lower bracket main body 28: Lower bracket reinforcing plate 29: Lower bracket lower plate portion (bearing support portion)
30: Lower bracket vertical plate portion 31: Lower bracket upper plate portion (first mounting portion)
32, 36, 43, 45: bolts 33, 37, 44, 46: nuts 34: middle bracket lower plate portion (second mounting portion)
35: Middle bracket vertical plate portion (third mounting portion)
38: Upper bracket main body 39: Upper bracket connecting plate 40: Upper bracket lower plate portion 41: Upper bracket vertical plate portion (shaft support portion)
42: Upper bracket upper plate portion 47, 48: Bolt insertion holes 49: Lower bracket connecting plate 50: Middle bracket upper plate portion

Claims (2)

A center bearing mounting structure for mounting a center bearing that rotatably supports a propeller shaft to a vehicle body frame,
Left and right shaft support portions on the vehicle body frame side provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction;
a first bracket having a bearing support portion to which the center bearing is mounted, and left and right first mounting portions arranged on both sides in the vehicle width direction above the bearing support portion;
left and right second brackets each having a plate-shaped second mounting portion attached to the first mounting portion, and a plate-shaped third mounting portion mounted to the shaft support portion above the second mounting portion; A center bearing mounting structure for a vehicle, comprising: The vehicle center bearing mounting structure according to claim 1,
The center bearing mounting structure for a vehicle, wherein the second bracket is generally L-shaped or U-shaped.

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