JP5344124B2 - Manufacturing method of automobile body - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing an automobile body capable of executing the mixed production of an automobile body of a space frame structure with an automobile body of a monocoque structure in a common production line while the automobile body of the space frame structure can be assembled by sub assembly. <P>SOLUTION: An inclined part 21 of a center pillar 15 is positioned so as to be immediately above a recessed part S of a side sill 9. Thereafter, an upper body 3 is lowered so that the inclined part 21 is fitted in the recessed part S. Boundary parts L1, L2 of the inclined part 21 and the side sill 9 are continuously welded to each other by the beam welding. By employing this automobile body structure, independent assembly works of an under body 2 and an upper body 3 can be executed, and the space frame structure automobile body can be subjected to the mixed production by using an existing production line for the monocoque structure having a sub assembly station. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an automobile body capable of producing a monocoque structure vehicle body and a space frame structure vehicle body in a mixed flow using the same production line.

Conventionally, a monocoque structure having a light weight and relatively high rigidity has been a mainstream as a body structure of an automobile. There is also a space frame structure that uses a tubular frame as a skeleton member of a vehicle body. This space frame structure is less affected by external input than the monocoque structure combined with thin plates, and has excellent rigidity, but the structure differs greatly from the monocoque structure vehicle body. It was used for low-volume car bodies.

  In recent years, a space frame structure vehicle body with high rigidity has attracted attention because of the widespread use of lightweight materials such as aluminum and the improvement of collision safety needs. Along with this, various proposals for improving the collision characteristics of the space frame structure vehicle body have been made.

  In Patent Document 1, when a lateral load is input to the pillar member, the cross member of the roof or floor, the frame member, and the pillar member are cross-coupled to prevent the pillar member from being greatly displaced in the cabin. In addition, a technique has been proposed in which the continuity of the bending strength between the pillar member and the cross member is relatively lower than the continuity of the torsional strength between the pillar member and the frame member.

JP 2004-338419 A

According to Patent Document 1, since the continuity of the bending strength of the pillar member and the cross member is relatively is lower than the continuity of the torsional strength of the pillar member and the frame member, bending deformation in the cross member, frame members By generating the torsional deformation, the input load can be dispersed and the inward displacement of the cabin can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, since the body structure of the monocoque structure vehicle body and the space frame structure vehicle body are different, the assembly production lines also have their own forms. As shown in FIG. 9, a production line for a general monocoque structure includes a station S21 for sub-assembling the front frame of the vehicle body, a station S22 for sub-assuring the front floor panel, a station S23 for sub-assuring the rear frame, and a sub-assembly for the rear floor panel. Stations S24 are arranged in parallel and are provided so as to be able to work independently.

  The front frame and the front floor panel sub-assembled at the sub-assembly stations S21 and S22 are conveyed to the front body assembly station S25 and assembled to the front body. Similarly, the rear floor is assembled at the rear floor assembly station S26.

  The front body and the rear floor assembled at the respective assembly stations S25 and S26 are assembled at the underbody assembly station S27 to form an underbody. Stations S21 to S27 are under provisional processes, and assembling position accuracy is assured with a minimum number of dots by spot welding. In the stations S28 and S29, an under-strike process is performed in which additional spot welding is performed between portions welded in the under-tacking process.

  The underbody that has completed the under-strike process is transported to station S30. Substation S31 for assembling the side frame assembly and substation S32 for assembling the roof assembly are installed adjacent to station S30, respectively, and the side frame assembly and the roof assembly are transported to station S30 and assembled to the underbody. A body shell is formed.

  Station S30 is an upper temporary attachment process, and assembling position accuracy is guaranteed with the minimum number of hit points by spot welding. Stations S33 to S35 are an upper striking step in which additional spot welding is performed between the portions welded in the upper tacking step, and a monocoque structure vehicle body is completed by this series of steps.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, a production line having a general space frame structure is provided with a station S41 for sub-assembling the front frame of the vehicle body and a station S42 for sub-assuring the rear frame. The front frame and the rear frame are conveyed to the next station S43, and a dash panel is assembled. At the stations S44 and S45, a front floor panel and a rear floor panel are assembled, and an underbody is formed at the station S46.

  The underbody is conveyed to the station S47, and the side frame inner supplied from the substation S48 is assembled. In the underbody, the roof frame, the side frame outer, the roof panel, and the rear end panel are assembled in stations S49 to S52, respectively, and the body shell of the space frame structure vehicle body is completed in station S53.

  As mentioned above, the production line for monocoque construction is the assembly of the space frame structure, while the sub-assemblies are assembled at the substations arranged in parallel for each part, and then the parts are assembled and assembled on the main line. The line has a so-called serial station arrangement in which a panel is assembled after a frame is formed.

  Although the production line for the monocoque structure is already widespread, it is necessary to newly establish a production line for the space frame structure when newly producing the space frame structure vehicle body. In order to change the production line of the current space frame structure, it is necessary to review the existing space frame structure itself. Patent Document 1 proposes an improvement in collision characteristics, but no study on productivity is made.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an automobile body that allows a space frame structure vehicle body to be assembled by a sub-assembly and can be mixedly produced on a production line common to a monocoque structure vehicle body.

The invention of claim 1 is a method for manufacturing an automobile body in which a monocoque structure vehicle body and a space frame structure vehicle body composed of a tubular frame are assembled on a common production line having a plurality of production stations, wherein the space frame structure vehicle body is closed. previously divided into a upper body side structure including a side frame with pillars forming the under body side structure and the closed cross section comprising a side sill and a cross member forming a cross-section to cover the surface of the pillar, the pillar, the underbody side structure the lower end portion of the horizontal portion is formed to extend toward the vehicle body inner side from a portion integrally formed lower end portion and the lower end portion of the cross member, assembling the upper body side structure on the underbody side structure, the pillar Are joined to the side sill, the inner end of the horizontal portion of the vehicle body and the underbody side structure Characterized by bonding the outside of the vehicle body side end portion of the Sumenba.

In the invention of claim 1, since the divided space frame structure body in the underbody side structure and the upper body side structure, it is possible to separate the assembly work in the sub ASSY station. Also, since disposing the side sill and the cross member to the underbody side structure, can be ensured the rigidity of the underbody side structure itself, it can be prevented deformation during individual transfer.

According to a second aspect of the invention, in the invention according to the first cross member of the pillar lower portion, the side sill to the bonding result both underbody side structure to extend the horizontal portion on the side sill inner side floor It joins to the edge part of this.

A third aspect of the present invention, in claim 1 or 2, and characterized in that pre-formed recesses in closed section of the side sill, the pillar is joined to the side sill in a state of being fitted into the recess of the sill To do.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the space frame structure vehicle body is divided into an underbody side structure including a side sill and a cross member forming a closed cross section, and an upper body side structure including a pillar forming a closed cross section, and a pillar lower end portion. Since it is joined to the side sill and formed integrally with a part of the cross member of the underbody side structure , the space frame structure vehicle body can be assembled by a sub-assembly, and can be produced in a mixed flow on the same production line as the monocoque structure vehicle body .

That is, the underbody side structure and the upper body side structure can be assembled independently, and the space frame structure vehicle body can be produced using the existing production line for monocoque structure having the sub assembly station. Moreover, since disposing the side sill and the cross member to the underbody side structure, can be ensured the rigidity of the underbody side structure itself, it can be transported between the individual stations without causing underbody side structure and the upper body side structure Togaotto s modified It becomes. Furthermore, it becomes possible to move the joint between the pillar lower end portion and the side sill to a portion hidden by the interior material, and the appearance can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 2, since the pillar lower portion, the side sill to the bonding result both joining the horizontal portion at an end portion of the cross member of the under body side structure to extend over the sill of the inner side floor A vehicle body that is strong against side collision can be obtained. Furthermore, a node can be formed in the cross member, and the torsional rigidity of the cross member can be improved.

According to the invention of claim 3, since a recess is formed in advance in the closed cross section of the side sill and the pillar is joined to the side sill in a state of being fitted into the recess of the side sill, a side effect can be expected on the side sill, A vehicle body that is strong against a straight collision can be obtained.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view of a space frame structure vehicle body according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the space frame structure vehicle body according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

The space frame structure vehicle body 1 has a structure of a space frame in which a hollow long material having a predetermined cross-section extruded with an optimal cross-sectional shape corresponding to each part is lightly combined with a light metal material such as aluminum and welded as appropriate. and is roughly composed of upper body 3 which as underbody 2 and the upper body side structure as underbody side structure.

  The underbody 2 includes a first cross member 5, a second cross member 6, a third cross member 7, and a fourth cross member 8 having different cross-sectional areas on the floor panel 4 including the front floor panel 4 a and the rear floor panel 4 b. In order from the front of the vehicle body floor, they are arranged extending in the vehicle width direction. Side sills 9 made of a pair of left and right tubular members extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body are disposed at the left and right ends of the cross members 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively.

A pair of left and right front side frames 11 provided with a bumper reinforcement 10 at the tip are provided on the front side of the underbody 2, and a pair of left and right rear side frames 12 are provided on the rear side. With the above arrangement, since the skeleton of the outer periphery of the Andabode-2 while side sill 9, and the side sill 9 in the tubular having a closed cross section has a lattice shape in which each cross member is connected to the vehicle width direction, Andabode-2 Even if it is independent, it retains a predetermined rigidity, and even if individual conveyance is performed, deformation of the underbody shape associated with conveyance does not occur.

  The upper body 3 includes a pair of left and right front pillars 13, a roof side member 14 extending rearward from the front pillar 13, a center pillar 15 connected to a substantially central portion of the roof side member 14 and extending vertically, and a roof A pair of rear pillars 16 connected to the rear of the side members 14 and extending in the vertical direction, and side frames 17 provided on the surfaces of the left and right pillars and the like are provided.

  A plurality of roof cross members 18 and a roof panel 19 are disposed on the upper end portion of the upper body 3, and a dash panel 23 is disposed on the front side. With the above configuration, the skeleton of the outer edge end portion of the upper body 3 is composed of tubular pillars and members having a closed cross section, and the upper body 3 alone has a predetermined rigidity and is transported even if individual transport is performed. There is no deformation of the shape associated with.

  Based on FIG. 3, the joining structure of the center pillar 15 and the side sill 9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the center pillar 15 of the upper body 3 includes a vertical portion 20 extending in the vertical direction, an inclined portion 21 inclined from the vertical portion 20 toward the inside of the vehicle body, and a lower end of the inclined portion 21 from the inside of the vehicle body. It is comprised from the horizontal part 22 extended in the horizontal direction toward the direction. The center pillar 15 and the side sill 9 are joined at the boundary portions L1 and L2 between the inclined portion 21 and the side sill 9, and the horizontal portion 22 and the third cross member 7 are joined at the boundary portion L3.

  The side sill 9 is formed with a triangular columnar recess S in an upper part inside the vehicle body. The recess S is composed of triangular surfaces 9a and 9b perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and an inclined surface 9c continuous from the bottom sides of the triangular surfaces 9a and 9b.

  As shown in FIG. 4 a, when the upper body 3 is disposed above the fixed underbody 2, the position is adjusted so that the inclined portion 21 of the center pillar 15 is directly above the concave portion S of the side sill 9. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4 b, the upper body 3 is lowered and disposed so that the inclined portion 21 is fitted into the recess S. At this time, the front and rear surfaces 21a and 21b of the inclined portion 21 are in surface contact with the triangular side surfaces 9a and 9b of the recess S without a gap, and the inclined surface 21c of the inclined portion 21 is in surface contact with the inclined surface 9c of the recess S. . In this manner, the boundary portions L1 and L2 between the inclined portion 21 and the side sill 9 are continuously welded by beam welding in a state where the three surfaces are in surface contact.

  Next, based on FIG.5 and FIG.6, the assembly process of the body shell of a space frame structure vehicle body is demonstrated. Each assembly station also serves as an assembly station for a monocoque vehicle body, and this production line has the layout of the assembly station shown in FIG. 9 so that a space frame structure vehicle body and a monocoque vehicle body can be mixedly produced. ing.

  A station S1 for sub-assembling the front frame 11, the bumper reinforcement 10, the first cross member 5 and the dash panel 23 of the vehicle body 1, and a station for sub-assuring the front floor panel 4a, the second cross member 6 and the third cross member 7. S2, a station S3 for sub-assembling the rear side frame 12, and a station S4 for sub-assembling the rear floor panel 4b and the fourth cross member 8 are provided in parallel, and each station is provided so as to be able to work independently.

  The front frame 11 and the front floor panel 4a sub-assembled at the sub-assembly stations S1 and S2 are conveyed to the front body assembly station S5 and assembled into the front body unit U1. Similarly, the rear side frame 12 and the rear floor panel 4b are transported from the sub assembly stations S3 and S4, and the rear floor unit U2 is assembled at the rear floor assembly station S6.

  The front body unit U1 and the rear floor unit U2 assembled at the respective assembly stations S5 and S6 are assembled at the underbody assembly station S7, and side sills 9 are joined to the left and right ends of the front floor 4a and the rear floor 4b to form the underbody 2 It is formed. As described above, the side sill 9 is formed with the triangular columnar concave portion S in the upper portion inside the vehicle body.

  In each of the stations S1 to S7, which is an under provisional process, spot welding is performed, and assembling position accuracy is guaranteed with the minimum number of hit points. Note that an under-strike station (not shown) is arranged after the station S7, and the strength of the vehicle body is guaranteed by continuous joining such as additional laser welding between the parts welded in the under-tempering step.

  A substation S8 for assembling the side frame assembly P1 with the front pillar 13, the center pillar 15, the rear pillar 16, the roof side member 14 and the side frame 17, and a substation S9 for assembling the roof assembly P2 with the roof cross member 18 and the roof panel 19. Are installed. Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the center pillar 15 has an inclined portion 21 and a horizontal portion 22 that are inclined toward the inside of the vehicle body below the vertical portion 20 extending in the vertical direction. Yes.

  The underbody 2 that has finished the under-strike process is transported to the body shell station S10. On the other hand, the side frame assembly P1 and the roof assembly P2 are separately transported to the body shell station S10 by a transport jig (not shown). It is also possible to assemble the side frame assembly P1 and the roof assembly P2 in advance to form the upper body 3 and transport it to the body shell station S10.

  At the body shell station S10, the side frame assembly P1 is assembled to the underbody 2. The upper body 3 is arranged so that the inclined portion 21 of the center pillar 15 is directly above the concave portion S of the side sill 9, and after being lowered so that the inclined portion 21 of the center pillar 15 fits into the concave portion S, the boundary line portion is Beam welding. Similarly, the boundary line portion between the horizontal portion 22 of the center pillar 15 and the third cross member 7 is welded.

  Further, at the body shell station S10, the body shell B is formed by joining the other pillars and the side sill 9, joining the rear end panel, and joining the roof assembly P2. In addition, after the station S10, an upper beating station (not shown) is arranged, and the portion of the body shell B that is welded in S8 to S10 corresponding to the upper temporary attachment process is continuously joined by additional laser welding or the like. The vehicle strength is guaranteed.

The operation and effect of the manufacturing method according to the present embodiment will be described.
With the above configuration, the underbody 2 and the upper body 3 can be independently assembled, and the space frame structure vehicle body can be mixedly produced using an existing monocoque structure production line having a sub-assy station. In addition, since the side sill 9 and each cross member are disposed on the underbody 2, the underbody 2 itself can be secured, and the underbody 2 and the upper body 3 can be transported between the stations without causing deformation. Further, since it is joined to the end of the third cross member 7 of the underbody 2 and a node is formed in the cross member, a strong vehicle body can be obtained against a side collision. Since it can form, it is excellent also in the tangential property. In addition, although the triangular pillar-shaped recessed part S was provided in the side sill 9, the center pillar 15 should just be joinable, and a hole shape may be sufficient.

Based on FIG. 7, the manufacturing method of the vehicle body which concerns on the reference technique 1 is demonstrated. The assembly station of this production line and the arrangement of each assembly station are the same as in the first embodiment.
The difference from the first embodiment is that in the first embodiment, the lower end portion of the center pillar 15 extends on the floor 4a on the inner side of the side sill 9 and is joined to the end of the third cross member 7. On the other hand, in Reference Technique 1 , the end portion of the third cross member 7 is joined to the side sill 9 and is integrally formed with the lower end portion of the center pillar 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the side sill 9 has a triangular prism-shaped recess S formed in an upper portion inside the vehicle body, as in the first embodiment. The concave portion S is composed of triangular side surfaces 9a, 9b perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and an inclined surface 9c continuous from the bottom sides of the side surfaces 9a, 9b.

  The third cross member 7 includes a central portion 25 that extends in the vehicle width direction on the front floor panel 4 a, a joint portion 26 that extends from the central portion 25 and is joined to the side sill 9, and is perpendicular to the joint portion 26. It comprises a rising portion 27 that rises upward in the direction and forms the lower end portion of the center pillar 15.

  Since the joint portion 26 also serves as a seat bracket, the joint portion 26 has a rectangular cross section and is configured such that the height in the vertical direction is higher than that of the central portion 25 and the side sill 9. An inclined surface 26a that can come into surface contact with the inclined surface 9c is formed on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The front and rear surfaces of the joint portion 26 are configured so as to be in surface contact with the triangular side surfaces 9a and 9b of the recess S without any gap, and in a state where the joint portion 26 and the recess S are fitted, a substantially L-shaped boundary line The portion L4 is continuously welded.

The rising portion 27 rises upward in the vertical direction from the end portion of the joint portion 26 in the vehicle width direction.
The rising portion 27 has a bowl-shaped cross section, is configured such that an end in the vehicle width direction is lower than the inside, and a lower end portion 20a of the vertical portion 20 of the bowl-shaped center pillar 15 and a boundary line portion. Welded continuously at L5. Reference numerals 28 and 29 denote door hinge mounting portions, and the center pillar 15 and the side sill 9 are covered by the side frame 17.

  With the above configuration, the side sill 9 and the cross member connected thereto are disposed on the underbody 2 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, so that the rigidity of the underbody 2 itself can be secured, and the underbody 2 and the upper body 3 are deformed respectively. It is possible to transfer between stations without causing any problems. Further, since the left and right side sills 9 are integrally and continuously connected by integrally forming the cross member with the pillar lower end portion, a vehicle body that is strong against side collision can be obtained. In addition, a large joining area with the side sill 9 can be obtained, and since a node in the front-rear direction can be formed in the side sill 9, it is excellent in the forward collision characteristics. Furthermore, a hook-shaped node can be formed in the pillar, and the torsional rigidity of the pillar can be improved.

A vehicle body manufacturing method according to Reference Technology 2 will be described with reference to FIG. The assembly station of this production line and the arrangement of each assembly station are the same as in the first and second embodiments. The difference from the second embodiment is that, in the second embodiment, the joint portion 26 of the third cross member 7 is fitted to the concave portion S of the side sill 9, whereas the third embodiment is the third in the reference technique 2 third embodiment. A rectangular recess is formed in the joint portion 26 of the cross member 7, and this recess is joined to the side sill 9.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the side sill 9 does not have a recess or the like in the region corresponding to the third cross member 7, and has a substantially rectangular cross section having an inner side 9d and an upper side 9e. The third cross member 7 includes a central portion 25 that extends in the vehicle width direction on the front floor panel 4 a, a joint portion 26 that extends from the central portion 25 and is joined to the side sill 9, and is perpendicular to the joint portion 26. It comprises a rising portion 27 that rises upward in the direction and forms the lower end portion of the center pillar 15.

  The joint portion 26 is configured such that the height in the vertical direction is higher than that of the central portion 25 and the side sill 9, and the end in the vehicle width direction is in surface contact with the inner side 9 d and the upper side 9 e of the side sill 9 and is rectangular. Side part 26b and lower side 26c which form the recessed part. The substantially L-shaped boundary line portion L6 is continuously welded in a state where the side side 26b, the lower side 26c, the inner side 9d and the upper side 9e of the side sill 9 are in surface contact with each other.

Like the reference technique 1 , the rising portion 27 rises upward in the vertical direction from the end portion in the vehicle width direction of the joint portion 26, and has a bowl-shaped cross section so that the end portion in the vehicle width direction is higher than the inner side. Has been. The rising portion 27 is continuously welded at the lower end portion 20a of the vertical portion 20 of the center pillar 15 having a bowl shape and the boundary line portion L5.

With the above configuration, the side sill 9 and the cross member connected to the underbody 2 are arranged in the underbody 2 in the same manner as in the first embodiment and the reference technique 1. Therefore, the rigidity of the underbody 2 itself can be secured, and the underbody 2 and the upper body 3 are secured. Therefore, it becomes possible to transfer between stations without causing deformation. In addition, by integrally forming the cross member with the lower end portion of the pillar, the left and right side sills 9 are integrally and continuously connected and the joint area with the side sills 9 can be increased, so that a vehicle body that is strong against side collision can be obtained. Can do.

  In addition, those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various embodiments with various modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the space frame structure vehicle body is not made of light metal material but iron material or the like. It includes changes such as a configuration.

It is a perspective view of a space frame structure vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view from the lower part of the space frame structure vehicle body concerning the Example of this invention. It is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a figure which shows the assembly | attachment process of the center pillar and side sill which concern on Example 1, Comprising: (a) is the state before attaching a center pillar to a side sill, (b) is after attaching a center pillar to a side sill. It is a figure which shows a state. It is a figure explaining the production process of the underbody concerning Example 1. FIG. It is a figure explaining the production process from the underbody which concerns on Example 1 to a body shell. It is sectional drawing of the junction part of the center pillar which concerns on the reference technique 1 , and a side sill. It is sectional drawing of the junction part of the center pillar which concerns on the reference technique 2 , and a side sill. It is a figure explaining the production line in a monocoque structure vehicle body. It is a figure explaining the production line in a space frame structure vehicle body.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Car body 2 Underbody 3 Upper body 5 1st cross member 6 2nd cross member 7 3rd cross member 8 4th cross member 9 Side sill 13 Front pillar 15 Center pillar 16 Rear pillar 20 Vertical part 21 Inclined part 22 Horizontal part 25 Central part 26 Joining Part 27 Rising part S Concave part L1, L2, L3 Boundary line part L4, L5

Claims (3)

A vehicle body manufacturing method for assembling a monocoque structure vehicle body and a space frame structure vehicle body made of a tubular frame on a common production line having a plurality of production stations,
Space frame structure body is previously divided into the upper body side structure including a side frame with pillars forming the under body side structure and the closed cross section comprising a side sill and a cross member forming a closed cross section to cover the surface of the pillar,
The pillar to form a horizontal portion extending toward the vehicle body inner side from the lower end portion and a portion integrally formed lower end portion of the cross member of the underbody side structure,
Assembling the upper body side structure to the underbody side structure,
Joining the lower end portion of the pillar to the side sill,
A method for manufacturing an automobile body, comprising joining a vehicle body inner side end portion of the horizontal portion and a vehicle body outer side end portion of a cross member of the underbody side structure . The pillar lower portion, joining Then both the side sill, claim 1, characterized in that joining the horizontal portion at an end portion of the cross member of the under body side structure to extend over the sill of the inner side floor The manufacturing method of the motor vehicle body as described in 2. Previously forming a concave portion on the closed section of the side sill,
The method of manufacturing an automobile body according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the pillar is joined to the side sill in a state where the pillar is fitted in the recess of the side sill.