JP6944421B2 - Vehicle support structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle support structure.

The vehicle support structure is a structure that is attached to the vehicle side to suspend the vehicle body, and is, for example, a component of a steering axle. The vehicle support structure is required to have rigidity and weight reduction for improving fuel efficiency and the like.

Conventionally, a vehicle support structure having a structure in which a lower arm connecting portion is formed and a lower arm is fixed by bolts and nuts is known (Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 6116191, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 6046450). ..

Japanese Patent No. 6116191 Japanese Patent No. 6046450

The vehicle support structure described in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 is a lower arm connecting portion having a structure (bolt and nut structure) in which the lower arm is fixed by bolts and nuts. Therefore, seating surfaces are provided on both sides of the lower arm connecting portion. However, since the seating surfaces are provided on both sides of the lower arm connecting portion, there is a problem that the build-up for stiffening (reinforcement) cannot be performed. In addition, the fastening structure using bolts and nuts has a large number of parts, which leads to an increase in assembly man-hours.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a vehicle support structure capable of reducing the number of parts and assembling man-hours while enabling overlaying for stiffening on the tie rod connecting portion side of the lower arm connecting portion. The purpose is.

As an embodiment, the problem is solved by a solution means as disclosed below.

The vehicle support structure of the present invention has a main body attached to the vehicle side, a lower arm connecting portion having a structure in which a lower arm is inserted through the lower part of the main body and fastened with bolts, and one of the front and rear directions of the vehicle. A female that includes a joint portion that joins a first piece extending from the upper part of the main body portion and a second piece extending from the lower arm connecting portion, and the bolt is screwed into the lower arm connecting portion. The structure is such that a screw portion is formed , the female screw portion is formed in a bag shape on the joint portion side, and a build-up is provided at the end portion of the female screw portion on the joint portion side. The piece is integrally formed with a rib portion extending along the second piece from the end portion of the female screw portion toward the joint portion .

According to this configuration, since the female screw fastening structure is formed in which the female screw portion is formed in the lower arm connecting portion, it is possible to build up the portion adjacent to the female screw portion for stiffening, and a nut is not required. Therefore, the number of parts and assembly man-hours can be reduced.

The female screw portion is formed on the joint portion side, and the second piece has a rib portion extending from the end portion of the female screw portion toward the joint portion along the second piece. It is preferable that they are integrally formed. According to this configuration, since the rib portion from the end portion of the female screw portion to the joint portion is integrally formed to form a reinforcing structure, rigidity can be reliably imparted to the second piece that requires rigidity. In addition, the weight is reduced while ensuring rigidity compared to the conventional product (support structure with bolt and nut structure) that has a build-up for stiffening on parts other than the second piece that requires rigidity. Can be planned.

It is preferable that the rib portion is inclined from the end portion of the female screw portion toward the joint portion. According to this configuration, the rib portion is inclined from the end portion of the female screw portion toward the joint portion, so that it is necessary to secure the rigidity as compared with the conventional support structure of the bolt and nut structure. It can be made to the minimum weight.

As an example, the vehicle support structure is formed by casting aluminum or an aluminum alloy. As a result, high rigidity unique to castings can be obtained, and weight reduction unique to aluminum or aluminum alloys can be achieved.

According to the disclosed vehicle support structure, by adopting a female screw fastening structure in which the female screw portion is formed in the lower arm connecting portion, it is possible to build up the portion adjacent to the female screw portion for stiffening. , Nuts are no longer required, and the number of parts and assembly man-hours can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a vehicle support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing an example of a state in which bolts are fastened in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the area III surrounded by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2 in a side view.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of the vehicle support structure 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. For convenience of explanation, the front-rear direction and the vertical direction of the vehicle support structure 1 and the main body 2 are shown in the arrow directions in each drawing. Further, in all the drawings for explaining the embodiment, members having the same function may be designated by the same reference numerals, and the repeated description thereof may be omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle support structure 1 of the present embodiment is, for example, a steering knuckle that supports both ends of the vehicle. The vehicle support structure 1 is attached to either the main body 2 attached to the vehicle side, the lower arm connecting portion 3 having a structure in which the lower arm is inserted through the lower part of the main body 2 and fastened with bolts, or the vehicle in the front-rear direction. The first piece 4 extending from the upper part of the main body 2 and the second piece 5 extending from the lower arm connecting part 3 are connected to each other. The vehicle support structure 1 is formed by casting aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

A strut connecting portion 11 is formed in the upper portion of the main body portion 2, and a through hole 17 for attaching the strut mounting portion and fastening with bolts and nuts is formed in the strut connecting portion 11. Further, a tie rod connecting portion 12 is formed at the rear portion of the main body portion 2, and a through hole 18 for attaching the tie rod is formed at the tie rod connecting portion 12. Here, the connecting portion 6 extends in the rear direction to form the tie rod connecting portion 12.

Through holes 15 for attaching disc brake calipers are formed on the front side of the upper part and the front side of the lower part of the main body 2, respectively. Further, a through hole 14 through which the drive shaft is inserted is formed in the central portion of the main body portion 2, and a plurality of through holes 16 for attaching the hub are formed around the through hole 14.

A lower arm connecting portion 3 is formed in the lower portion of the main body portion 2, and a counterbore hole 13 for attaching the lower arm is formed in the lower arm connecting portion 3. Further, the lower arm connecting portion 3 is formed with a slit 32 connected to the counterbore hole 13.

FIG. 3 is a schematic partial cross-sectional view showing an example of the female screw fastening structure in the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, in the lower arm connecting portion 3, the bolt 51 is screwed into the through hole 19a through which the lower arm fastening bolt 51 is inserted in the direction orthogonal to the slit 32 (front-back direction) and the joint portion 6 side. A female screw portion 7 having a female screw 19b is formed. The female screw portion 7 has a bag nut structure. Since the female screw portion 7 has a bag shape, there is an effect of preventing rust at the tip of the screw portion of the bolt. Here, a flat surface 31 is formed at an end portion (front end portion in the front direction) of the lower arm connecting portion 3 opposite to the female screw portion 7. In the example of FIG. 3, the male screw of the bolt 51 and the female screw 19b of the female screw portion 7 are screwed together, and the washer 52 (or washer) attached to the bolt 51 abuts on the flat surface 31 of the lower arm connecting portion 3. In this state, a predetermined torque is applied to the bolt 51 to fasten the bolt 51 and the female screw portion 7.

According to the present embodiment, by adopting the female screw fastening structure in which the female screw portion 7 is formed on the lower arm connecting portion 3, it is possible to build up the portion adjacent to the female screw portion 7 for stiffening. No nuts are required, and the number of parts and assembly man-hours can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, the second piece of the main body 2 is integrated with a rib portion 8 extending from the end of the female screw portion 7 of the lower arm connecting portion 3 toward the joint portion 6 along the second piece. Is formed in. With this configuration, rigidity can be reliably imparted to the second piece 5 that requires rigidity. Moreover, it is not necessary to build up the stiffening-compatible portion other than the second piece 5 that requires rigidity, and the weight can be reduced while ensuring the rigidity.

In this embodiment, the rib portion 8 is inclined from the end portion of the female screw portion 7 toward the joint portion 6. In this case, the inclination direction is the direction from the front to the back in FIG. With this configuration, the minimum required weight can be achieved while ensuring rigidity.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the female screw portion 7 is formed on the joint portion 6 side, but the present invention is not limited to this example, and the female screw portion 7 is formed on the opposite side of the joint portion 6. There is also. For example, the shape of each part of the vehicle support structure 1 can be appropriately changed according to the specifications of the strut to be combined, the tie rod, the lower arm, and the like while ensuring the mechanical strength.

1 Vehicle support structure (steering knuckle)
2 Main body 3 Lower arm connecting part 4 First piece 5 Second piece 6 Joint part 7 Female screw part 8 Rib part 11 Strut connecting part 12 Tie rod connecting part 51 Bolt 52 Washer

Claims (3)

A main body portion attached to the vehicle side, a lower arm connecting portion having a structure in which a lower arm is inserted through the lower part of the main body portion and fastened with bolts, and a second portion extending from the upper part of the main body portion in either the front-rear direction of the vehicle. A joint portion for connecting one piece and a second piece extending from the lower arm connecting portion is provided.
A female screw portion into which the bolt is screwed is formed in the lower arm connecting portion .
The female screw portion is formed in a bag shape on the joint portion side, and a build-up is provided on the end portion of the female screw portion on the joint portion side, and the end portion of the female screw portion is provided on the second piece. A vehicle support structure characterized in that a rib portion extending from the joint portion along the second piece is integrally formed. In the vehicle support structure according to claim 1,
A vehicle support structure characterized in that the rib portion is inclined from an end portion of the female screw portion toward the joint portion. In the vehicle support structure according to claim 1 or 2.
A vehicle support structure characterized by being formed by casting aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

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