JP3860357B2 - Method for forming reinforcing member for automobile - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
The present invention relates to forming shape methods of the reinforcing member for an automobile.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 13 shows a structure of a skeleton member of an automobile, for example, a skeleton structure of a center pillar. In FIG. 13, the center pillar 1 includes members such as an outer panel 2, a second outer ring force 3, a first outer ring force 4, a seat belt reinforcement 5, a belt line reinforcement 6, an inner reinforcement 7 and an inner panel 8. Are stacked in order and welded and fixed to provide a structure having strength. Each component is drawn with the details omitted for easy understanding.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the center pillar having the above structure is composed of a large number of parts (seven parts), the manufacturing process of each part increases, and the preparation cost for the press mold or the like increases, and the cost increases accordingly. Get higher. The second outer ring force 3, the seat belt reinforcement 5, the belt line reinforcement 6, the inner reinforcement 7 and the inner panel 8 constitute a reinforcement as a skeleton member. For this reason, there is a problem that when the strength of the reinforcement is constant, the weight per part increases, and the weight of the entire reinforcement increases.
[0004]
In addition, it may be possible to integrally form a reinforcement with a closed cross-sectional structure whose cross-sectional shape has changed along the longitudinal direction from the pipe-shaped material by the hydroforming method, but the hydroforming method will be very expensive. There is a big problem.
Therefore, in the present invention, that by reducing the number of parts constituting the frame member achieving structural simplification, which provides a formed shape how the reinforcing member for an automobile which is adapted reduced and weight of the cost It is an object.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the invention 請 Motomeko 1, the sheet metal material was cut into blanks of predetermined shape, by recessing downward along the central portion of the blank in the longitudinal direction while forming a bottom, longitudinal its widthwise ends A pair of side edges are formed by bending upward along the line. Then, Rutotomoni bottom bent bottom and middle portions of the side edges so that both side edges facing, inside provided bulkhead or internal reinforcement surrounded by the side and top, the pair of side edges from the tip It is pressed into contact to form a closed cross-sectional shape whose cross-sectional shape changes along the longitudinal direction.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a center pillar to which a reinforcing member for an automobile is applied as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of a reinforcement as a skeleton member of the center pillar shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an assembled perspective view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the inside of the vehicle, FIG. 4 is a front view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5 is a side view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing in each site | part of the reinforcement shown in FIG. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same member as FIG.
[0008]
In FIG. 1, the center pillar 10 includes an outer panel 2, a first outer ring force (hereinafter simply referred to as “outer ring force”) 4, and a reinforcement 11 as a skeleton member. The reinforcement 11 is formed by one part, and is formed by the second outer reinforcement 3, the seat belt reinforcement 5, the belt line reinforcement 6, the inner reinforcement 7 and the inner panel 8 shown in FIG. It is equivalent to the reinforcement.
[0009]
As shown in FIGS. 2 to 6, the reinforcement 11 is integrally formed of a rectangular sheet metal and has a closed cross section whose sectional shape changes along the longitudinal direction so as to be substantially along the inner surface of the outer reinforcement 4. It is molded into a shape. That is, the reinforcement 11 includes an inner bottom surface 11a corresponding to the inner panel, side portions 11b and 11b formed by bending both sides of the bottom surface 11a outward, and upper portions of the both side portions 11b and 11b respectively inward. A closed cross-sectional structure in which upper surfaces 11c and 11c formed by bending and side edge portions 11g and 11g of the upper surfaces 11c and 11c are bent inward and brought into contact with each other at an upper center to form a joint portion 11d. Has been. And the appropriate location (for example, location shown with a broken line in FIG. 4) of the junction part 11d is welded by arc welding.
[0010]
A hole 11e for screwing a seat belt anchor bolt is formed at a predetermined position on the bottom surface 11a of the reinforcement 11 (FIG. 3), and a nut 12 (FIG. 6C) is welded from the inside. Yes. 6 (a) to 6 (g) show cross-sectional shapes in the portions A to G of the reinforcement 11 shown in FIG.
Further, since the base end portion 11f of the reinforcement 11 has a sudden change in cross-sectional shape and it is difficult to integrally form it by press molding, the reinforcing member 13 separately formed by press molding is welded and closed. It has a cross-sectional structure. Therefore, when the cross-sectional shape of 11f of the base end part of the reinforcement 11 changes gently, it can be press-molded integrally.
[0011]
Next, a method for forming the reinforcement 11 will be described with reference to FIG.
First, in the first step (blank and piercing), a blank material 11 as a reinforcement having a predetermined shape (deployed shape of the reinforcement 11) is cut from a coil material (steel material) (not shown), and necessary processing, for example, a seat belt anchor bolt For example, a hole 11e for attaching a welding nut 12 for screwing is formed. In the first step, since the blank material 11 is a flat plate, processing such as drilling can be easily performed. Next, in the second step (foam), the center portion of the blank material 11 is recessed downward along the longitudinal direction by the press machine 30 to form the bottom surface 11a corresponding to the inner panel, and both side edges 11g in the width direction, 11 g is bent upward in a flange shape. The reinforcement 11 is substantially straight when viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 4, and is curved when viewed from the side as shown in FIG. That is, the reinforcement 11 is curved two-dimensionally. Therefore, in the second step, the blank material 11 is warped (camber) along the curved shape.
[0012]
Next, in the third step (form), both sides of the bottom surface 11a are raised, and each intermediate portion between the bottom surface 11a and both side edge portions 11g, 11g is bent to form both side portions 11b, 11b and top surfaces 11c, 11c. . Further, the side portions 11b and 11b and the respective upper portions are bent inward at a predetermined angle so that the side edge portions 11g and 11g are slightly separated and opposed to each other. And after completion | finish of shaping | molding of a 3rd process, the nut 12 for screwing a seatbelt anchor bolt from the inside to the hole 11e drilled in the 1st process is welded. Thereby, the nut 12 can be easily and firmly welded in the closed cross section without providing a hole on the upper surface.
[0013]
Next, in the fourth step (form) which is the final step, the upper surfaces 11c and 11c are gradually pressed and bent inward. At this time, the side edge portions 11g and 11g are pressed while gradually coming into contact with each other, so that a reaction force acts between the tips of the side edge portions 11g and 11g, and both side portions 11b, 11b, The upper surfaces 11c and 11c receive a force that expands outward, and are formed into a predetermined cross-sectional shape without being crushed. For the sake of clarity, the side edge portions 11g and 11g are drawn apart from each other, but are actually in pressure contact. In this way, the reinforcement 11 having a closed sectional shape whose sectional shape is changed along the longitudinal direction along the inner side of the outer reinforcement 4 is formed. Next, appropriate portions of the joint portion 11d, which is a joining portion of the side edge portions 11g and 11g, are welded (see FIGS. 4 and 6).
[0014]
The molding method shown in FIG. 7 is for explaining the basic method of reinforcement. The cross-sectional shape of the reinforcement 11 molded in the fourth step, which is the final step, is shown in FIGS. Although it is slightly different from the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcement 11, only the mold of the press machine is different and the molding method is the same.
Thus, since the reinforcement 11 is changing the cross-sectional shape in the longitudinal direction along the inner side of the outer reinforcement 4, the cross-sectional area can be increased according to the size of the cross section at each part ( 6), the strength is improved. In addition, the reinforcement 11 has a closed cross-sectional structure by bending a single sheet metal, thereby reducing weight and increasing design freedom. Furthermore, since the nut 12 and the like can be welded from the inside during the molding as described above, post-processing is not necessary, deformation after the molding can be prevented, and workability can be improved.
[0015]
Further, the reinforcement 11 can be easily formed even by a thick plate like a skeleton member of a center pillar using a material having a large amount of carbon or a material such as a high-strength steel plate by bending press molding. Is possible. In addition, since a material having a large amount of carbon can be used, sufficient hardening can be expected by induction hardening after molding, and further improvement in strength can be achieved.
[0016]
Further, the reinforcement 11 can be formed by press molding to join different kinds of materials (materials), change the plate thickness according to the part of the skeleton member, or use a high-strength steel plate. It is possible to secure sufficient strength without increasing the weight of the entire skeleton member.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the reinforcement 11 is provided with an internal reinforcement 14 for reinforcement, a bulkhead 15 or the like during the molding, for example, between the third step and the fourth step in FIG. (Third step) , and local reinforcement can be performed efficiently. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a bent portion 11a ′ may be provided in a part of the bottom surface 11a so that the bottom surface is joined to the upper portion. In this case, the bent portion 11 a ′ has an effect of preventing the cross-sectional deformation of the reinforcement 11.
[0017]
Next, the assembly procedure will be described.
As shown in FIG. 11, the reinforcement 11 is mounted on the vehicle body side inner side of the outer reinforcement 4 as an outer member forming a part of the skeleton member. At this time, the reinforcement 11 is mounted toward the inner side of the outer reinforcement 4 so that the joint portion 11d of the reinforcement 11 is located on the outer side of the vehicle. Then, the open end side portions 4 a and 4 a of the outer reinforcement 4 and the side portions 11 b and 11 b of the reinforcement 11 are welded together by arc welding 17 and 17. In this way, the outer reinforcement 4 and the reinforcement 11 are joined together to form a reinforcement assembly. By arc welding the outer reinforcement 4 and the reinforcement 11, separation of the welded portion when an impact load is applied is greatly reduced. Further, by directing the joint portion 11d of the reinforcement 11 to the vehicle outer side, when an impact load is applied from the outside, a compressive load acts on the joint portion 11d, so that the opening of the joint portion 11d is suppressed.
[0018]
Next, the reinforcement assembly and the outer panel 2 are joined. That is, the outer force 4 of the reinforcement assembly is disposed inside the outer panel 2 on the vehicle body, and the flanges 4b and 4b provided on the outer force 4 and the flanges 2a and 2a provided on the outer panel 2 are spotted. The center pillar 10 is formed by welding. In addition, the welding process after producing the said reinforcement assembly may be conventional spot welding, there is no need to change the welding equipment, and mass productivity is not impaired. Further, since the joint portion 11d of the reinforcement 11 is covered with the outer reinforcement 4 or the outer panel 2 as the outer member, it is not necessary to finish the surface of the welded portion, and further, intermittent welding is performed as necessary. However, there is no problem of sealing properties such as intrusion of water, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.
[0019]
Since the reinforcement 11 has a structure in which the inner panel in the conventional structure is also integrally formed, the ratio of the cross-sectional area to the cross-sectional area of the center pillar 10 is increased, and the reinforcement effect by the reinforcement 11 is increased. In addition, the reinforcement 11 is formed such that the bottom surface 11a on the inner side of the vehicle body constitutes the interior wall and the outer side is formed along the outer reinforcement 4 in a state where the reinforcement 11 is welded to the outer panel 2. The bolt is directly fixed to the strong reinforcement 11. This eliminates the need for brackets.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 12, an inner panel 21 is provided on the indoor side of the reinforcement 11, and the flanges 21a and 21a are welded together with the flanges 4b and 4b of the outer reinforcement 4 and the flanges 2a and 2a of the outer panel 2 by spot welding. Also good. By providing the inner panel 21 and covering the reinforcement 11 in this manner, it is possible to provide energy absorption, that is, a cushion function when an impact load or the like is applied when an occupant collides from the indoor side, which is preferable. Further, a trim 22 may be provided on the indoor side of the inner panel 21 as indicated by a two-dot chain line. The trim 22 is preferable in order to provide a vehicle interior decoration, a cushion function, and the like.
[0021]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the skeleton member is applied to the reinforcement of the center pillar has been described. However, the skeleton member is not limited to this, and the skeleton member of another part, for example, the front pillar, the rear pillar, and the side of the floor is used. Of course, the present invention can also be applied to frame members such as side sills provided in the vehicle longitudinal direction and side roof rails provided around the roof. In the side sill, side roof rail, etc., the inner panel is not particularly required.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, in the invention of claim 1 , it can be manufactured by existing equipment by forming a skeletal member by bending a sheet metal to form a closed cross-sectional shape whose cross-sectional shape has changed along the longitudinal direction. next, a reduction in equipment cost, cost reduction is achieved, this time, in the course formed shapes, or bulkhead of a reinforcement member, by providing a reinforcement or the like therein, possible to efficiently improve the strength Can do.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective view of a center pillar to which a reinforcing member for an automobile according to the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is an assembled perspective view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the vehicle outer side.
3 is an assembled perspective view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the vehicle inner side. FIG.
4 is a front view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 2; FIG.
FIG. 5 is a side view of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 4;
6 is a cross-sectional view of each portion of the reinforcement shown in FIG.
7 is an explanatory view of a method for molding a reinforcing member according to the present invention, specifically, a method for molding a reinforcement as a skeleton member shown in FIG. 1. FIG.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram when a reinforcement as a reinforcing member is provided inside the reinforcement having the closed cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram in the case where a bulkhead as a reinforcing member is provided inside the reinforcement having the closed cross-sectional structure shown in FIG. 1;
10 is a perspective view showing another embodiment of the reinforcement shown in FIG. 1; FIG.
11 is a sectional view taken along arrows XI-XI in a state where the center pillar shown in FIG. 1 is assembled.
12 is a cross-sectional view of the center pillar shown in FIG. 11 provided with an inner panel.
FIG. 13 is an assembled perspective view of a center pillar as a skeleton member of a conventional automobile.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Outer panel 4 Outerlin force 10 Center pillar (reinforcing member)
11 Reinforce (framework member)
11d Joint 12 Nut (welding nut)
13 Reinforcing member 14 Reinforce 15 Bulkhead

Claims (1)

A first step of cutting a sheet metal material into a blank material having a predetermined shape;
A second step of forming a pair of side edges by bending the center portion of the blank material downward along the longitudinal direction to form a bottom surface and bending both widthwise end portions of the blank material upward;
A third step of bending the intermediate portion between the bottom surface and the side edge portion to form the side portion and the top surface;
A 3 ′ step of providing a bulkhead or internal reinforcement in the interior surrounded by the bottom surface, the side portion, and the top surface;
And a fourth step of bending the side portion and the upper portion inward to bring the pair of side edge portions into contact with each other and forming a closed cross-sectional shape whose cross-sectional shape has changed along the longitudinal direction. A method of forming a reinforcing member for an automobile.

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