JP7135805B2 - vehicle undercarriage - Google Patents

Description

This specification discloses a vehicle lower structure having a sliding door that slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to be opened and closed.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle having a sliding door that slides in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to be opened and closed has been widely known. In such vehicles, there is a demand for lowering the height of the lower end of the door opening in order to make it easier for passengers to get in and out of the vehicle and to load and unload luggage, and to secure a wide door opening.

In order to satisfy such a demand, it has been conventionally proposed to provide a lower door rail (hereinafter referred to as "lower rail") that guides the movement of the sliding door at approximately the same height as the rocker. The rockers are frame members arranged at both ends of the floor of the passenger compartment and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. Such a rocker is generally constructed by joining a substantially hat-shaped rocker inner opening outward in the vehicle width direction and a substantially hat-shaped rocker outer opening outward in the vehicle width direction.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique for arranging a lower rail inside a side sill (corresponding to a rocker). Specifically, in Patent Document 1, an opening for a door slide mechanism is formed on the side surface of a side sill outer (corresponding to a rocker outer). A box member that opens outward in the vehicle width direction through the opening for the door slide mechanism is disposed inside the side sill. Furthermore, a lower rail having a U-shaped cross section is welded to the ceiling wall of the box member. According to the technique of Patent Document 1, the lower rail can be arranged at substantially the same height as the rocker, and as a result, the height of the lower end of the door opening can be reduced.

JP-A-2006-15928

By the way, some vehicles have a fuel tank arranged under the floor of the passenger compartment. In this case, the fuel tank is supported from below by a tank band, and both ends of this tank band are attached to the vehicle body via fastening brackets. Such a tank band and a fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as "tank band and the like") are normally located at substantially the same height as the rocker and further inward than the rocker in the vehicle width direction.

Therefore, as described above, when the lower rail is arranged at substantially the same height as the rocker, the tank band and the like are aligned with the lower rail substantially in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in this state, if an obstacle collides with the side of the vehicle, the lower rail may move inward in the vehicle width direction and further toward the tank band, etc., and the lower rail may collide with the tank band, etc. was there. Here, generally, the lower rail has a hard and strong structure so as not to be distorted even when a strong force is applied. If such a lower rail collides with the tank band or the like during a side collision, the tank band or the like may be damaged.

Therefore, the present specification discloses a vehicle lower portion structure capable of appropriately protecting the tank band and the fuel tank while keeping the lower end height of the door opening low.

The vehicle lower structure disclosed in the present specification includes a rocker provided below a door opening that is opened and closed by a sliding door and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction; A lower rail provided at a lower position, a fuel tank arranged under the floor of the vehicle compartment and inward of the lower rail in the vehicle width direction, and a tank band supporting the fuel tank from below, the width of the vehicle It is characterized by comprising a tank band fastened at both ends thereof to fastening brackets fixed to a vehicle body, and a cover member at least partially interposed between the lower rail and the tank band.

By providing the lower rail at the same height position as the rocker, the lower end of the door opening can be lowered and the door opening can be enlarged. On the other hand, since the cover member interposed between the lower rail and the tank band is provided, it is possible to effectively prevent interference between the lower rail and the tank band or the like in the event of a side collision. As a result, the tank band and the fuel tank can be properly protected while keeping the lower end height of the door opening low.

Further, a door pocket is provided in the rocker, a part of which protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the rocker, the door pocket having the lower rail installed thereon, and the cover member extends at least in the vehicle width direction of the rocker. It may extend from an inner side surface and a position below the door pocket to the fastening bracket.

By configuring the cover member to extend from the lower side of the door pocket to the fastening bracket, it is possible to more reliably prevent the lower rail from colliding with the tank band or the like.

Further, a part of the door pocket protrudes further inward in the vehicle width direction than the rocker, and a side opening that allows the door pocket to protrude is formed on an inner side surface of the rocker in the vehicle width direction. A member may cover the protrusion of the door pocket and the fastening bracket from below to isolate them from the outside space.

Since the cover member isolates the projection of the door case from the outside space, the side opening allowing the projection of the projection is also isolated from the outside space. As a result, moisture in the exterior space can be effectively prevented from entering the locker through the gap between the side space and the door pocket. In other words, with the above configuration, the cover member also functions as a water stop cover.

According to the vehicle lower portion structure disclosed in this specification, the tank band and the fuel tank can be appropriately protected while keeping the lower end height of the door opening low.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle body; FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view at the X position with the sliding door closed; It is the perspective view which looked at the X position periphery from the downward direction. It is a perspective view of the vicinity of the X position viewed from below, omitting illustration of the door pocket cover.

Hereinafter, the lower structure of the vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vehicle body. As shown in FIG. 1, a front door opening 10 and a rear door opening 12 are provided side by side in the front-rear direction on the side of the vehicle. A center pillar 14 extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle partitions the front door opening 10 and the rear door opening 12 .

The rear door opening 12 is opened and closed by a sliding door 16, which is a rear door. An upper rail 20 and a lower rail 18 are provided above and below the rear door opening 12 to guide the sliding movement of the sliding door 16 . Of these, the lower rail 18 is provided within a rocker 24 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. The rockers 24 are frame members extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and are provided on both left and right sides of the vehicle.

A front end of the lower rail 18 is curved inward in the vehicle width direction and protrudes further inward in the vehicle width direction than the rocker 24 . Below, the lower structure in the vicinity of the front end of the lower rail 18, that is, in the vicinity of the X position in FIG. 1 will be described. 2 is a cross-sectional view at the X position in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 and 4 are perspective views of the vehicle seen from below in the vicinity of the X position. 4, illustration of a door case cover 74 , which will be described later, is omitted.

The vehicle is provided with a pair of rockers 24 (only one rocker 24 is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4; the floor side member 34 is the same) spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. The rocker 24 is a frame member having a closed cross section extending in the vehicle front-rear direction. In this example, the rocker 24 is configured by joining a rocker outer 44 and a rocker inner 46 . The rocker outer 44 has a substantially hat-shaped cross section that opens inward in the vehicle width direction. Similarly, the rocker inner 46 has a substantially hat-shaped cross section that opens outward in the vehicle width direction.

An end portion of the floor panel 32 is joined to the upper surface of the rocker inner 46 . The floor panel 32 is a panel member forming the floor surface of the passenger compartment. A pair of floor side members 34 spaced apart in the vehicle width direction are provided inside the rocker 24 in the vehicle width direction. The floor side member 34 is a frame member that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction, and has a substantially hat-shaped cross section that opens upward. A floor side member 34 is joined to the lower surface of the floor panel 32 so as to block the opening. Thus, a closed cross section extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed between the floor panel 32 and the floor side member 34 .

A cross member 38 is connected to the inner side surface of the floor side member 34 in the vehicle width direction. The cross member 38 is a frame member that spans the pair of floor side members 34 and extends in the vehicle width direction. The cross member 38 has a substantially hat-shaped cross section that opens upward, and is joined to the lower surface of the floor panel 32 so as to block the opening.

An outrigger 36 is provided at a vehicle front-rear direction position substantially the same as the cross member 38 . The outrigger 36 is a reinforcing member that spans between the rocker 24 and the floor side member 34 . The outrigger 36 has a substantially dish shape that is open upward, and both left and right ends are joined to the rockers 24 and the floor side members 34 , and front and rear ends rise upward and are joined to the floor panel 32 . With such a configuration, a closed cross section is formed between the outriggers 36 and the floor panel 32 . The outrigger 36 functions as a transmission member for transmitting collision energy from the rocker 24 to the cross member 38 when an obstacle collides with the side of the vehicle, which will be described later.

A door pocket 30 is provided inside the locker 24 . The door pocket 30 is a box-shaped member that accommodates the guide roller unit 22 . More specifically, the door pocket 30 has a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens outward in the vehicle width direction. The door pocket 30 is composed of a lower door pocket 56 having a substantially L-shaped cross section and an upper door pocket 54 having a substantially inverted L-shaped cross section.

A side opening 45 is formed in the side surface of the rocker outer 44 for communicating the opening of the door pocket 30 with the outside space. Further, as shown in FIG. 4 , the front end portion of the door pocket 30 protrudes further inward in the vehicle width direction than the rocker 24 . A side opening 47 is also formed in the side surface of the rocker inner 46 to allow the door pocket 30 to protrude inward. In other words, in the vicinity of the front end of the door pocket 30, the rocker 24 has a through hole penetrating in the vehicle width direction. A portion of the door pocket 30 that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the rocker 24 is hereinafter referred to as a door pocket protruding portion 31 .

A lower rail 18 is attached to the lower surface of the door pocket upper 54 . The lower rail 18 is a rail member that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and has a substantially U-shaped cross section that opens downward. Inside the lower rail 18, a lateral roller 58 that rolls while rotating around a vertical axis is assembled. The lateral rollers 58 roll along the lower rails 18 . Further, a vertical roller 60 that rolls around a horizontal axis is provided in the door pocket 30 . These horizontal rollers 58 and vertical rollers 60 are connected to a lower arm 62 via connecting members (not shown).

The lower arm 62 is a member having a substantially L-shaped cross section that extends horizontally within the door pocket 30, then protrudes outside through the side opening 45, and extends upward. The slide door 16 is joined to the tip of the lower arm 62, that is, the portion extending upward. As a result, the slide door 16 is connected to the horizontal rollers 58 and the vertical rollers 60 via the lower arms 62 , and the movement direction of the slide door 16 is regulated by the lower rails 18 .

A fuel tank 64 is arranged below the floor panel 32 . 2, the fuel tank 64 is located inside the rocker 24 and the lower rail 18 in the vehicle width direction. Also, the fuel tank 64 is supported by a tank band 70 . Both ends of the tank band 70 are fixed to the vehicle body via fastening brackets 66 . More specifically, the fastening bracket 66 has a substantially horizontal fastening surface, and fastening holes through which fastening bolts 72 (to be described later) are inserted are formed in the fastening surface. Also, the ends of the fastening bracket 66 are joined to the outriggers 36 and the floor side members 34 . Furthermore, a weld nut 68 is fixed on the back side of the fastening surface at a position corresponding to the fastening hole. The fastening bolt 72 is screwed into the weld nut 68 with the end of the tank band 70 sandwiched between its head and the fastening bracket 66 .

Here, as is clear from FIG. 2, the tank band 70 and the fuel tank 64 are located inside the lower rails 18 in the vehicle width direction and slightly below them. In this example, a door pocket cover 74 is interposed between the door pocket 30 and the tank band 70 . The door pocket cover 74 is a sheet metal member that completely covers the door pocket protruding portion 31 and the fastening bracket 66 from below. More specifically, one end of the door pocket cover 74 in the vehicle width direction is joined to the side surface of the rocker inner 46 at a position below the door pocket projecting portion 31 . The other end of the door pocket cover 74 in the vehicle width direction extends to the vicinity of the lower end of the floor side member 34 . Both ends of the door pocket cover 74 in the front-rear direction rise upward and are joined to the floor panel 32 . An insertion hole through which the fastening bolt 72 is inserted is formed in the middle of the door pocket cover 74 , and the door pocket cover 74 is fastened to the fastening bracket 66 together with the tank band 70 . In other words, the door pocket cover 74 extends from a position below the door pocket 30 on the inner side surface of the rocker 24 in the vehicle width direction to the fastening bracket 66 . By providing such a door pocket cover 74, the fastening state of the fuel tank 64 can be appropriately maintained. This will be explained in detail.

As described above, in this example, the door pocket 30 is provided inside the locker 24 . With such a configuration, the rear door opening 12 can be widened to just above the rocker 24, and the opening of the rear door opening 12 can be made large. On the other hand, in such an arrangement, the tank band 70 and the fuel tank 64 are positioned to the side of the lower rail 18 (more precisely, diagonally downward).

Without the door pocket cover 74 in this state, the lower rail 18 may collide with the tank band 70 , causing damage to the tank band 70 and the fuel tank 64 . That is, without the door pocket cover 74, there is no barrier between the door pocket 30 and the tank band 70. FIG. In this case, if a side collision of the vehicle occurs, the lower rail 18 together with the door pocket 30 may move significantly inward in the vehicle width direction or diagonally downward, and the door pocket 30 or the lower rail 18 may hit the tank band 70 strongly. In general, the lower rail 18 has a relatively hard and strong structure so as not to be distorted even if it receives force from the horizontal rollers 58 . If the lower rail 18 collides with the tank band 70 or the like, the tank band 70 or the fuel tank 64 may be damaged.

In this example, the door pocket cover 74 is provided between the lower rail 18 (more precisely, the door pocket 30) and the tank band 70, as described above. Therefore, even if the door pocket 30 and the lower rail 18 try to move toward the tank band 70 due to the side collision of the vehicle, the side surface of the door pocket 30 collides with the door pocket cover 74 . Accordingly, movement of the lower rails 18 and the door pocket 30 toward the tank band 70 is inhibited or reduced, and the lower rails 18 are prevented from strongly colliding with the tank band 70 and the like. As a result, the tank band 70 and the fuel tank 64 are properly protected.

Further, as described above, the rocker inner 46 is formed with the side opening 47 for allowing the door pocket 30 to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction. A slight gap is formed between the side opening 47 and the door pocket 30 . Without the door pocket cover 74, this gap would be exposed to the outside space, and there was a risk that moisture would enter the locker 24 through the gap.

In this example, since the entire door case protruding portion 31 is covered with the door case cover 74 , the side opening 47 is also hidden by the door case cover 74 . As a result, water in the external space of the vehicle (for example, on the road surface) is prevented from entering the rocker 24 through the gap. That is, according to this example, the door pocket cover 74 functions as a barrier that prevents the lower rail 18 from colliding with the tank band 70 and also functions as a waterproof cover that prevents moisture from entering the locker 24 .

By the way, as is clear from FIG. 2, the door pocket 30 is arranged below the outriggers 36 in this example. This is for the purpose of efficiently dispersing the collision energy generated in the event of a side collision. That is, in this example, the door pocket 30 and the outrigger 36 are vertically offset. As a result, the outriggers 36 can be arranged at substantially the same height position and substantially the same longitudinal position as the cross member 38 . In other words, the outriggers 36 and cross members 38 can be substantially aligned.

Here, when the vehicle collides sideways, the collision load is transmitted from the rear door to the rocker 24 . Without the outriggers 36, the collision load would not be distributed from the rocker 24 to other members, and the rocker 24 might be damaged or broken. On the other hand, when the outriggers 36 are arranged in line with the cross member 38, the collision load transmitted to the rocker 24 is further transmitted and dispersed to the cross member 38 via the outriggers 36 and the floor side members 34. , is also transmitted and dispersed to the opposite floor side member 34 , outrigger 36 and rocker 24 via the cross member 38 . That is, by providing the outriggers 36 aligned with the cross member 38, the collision load can be efficiently distributed and transmitted to the various frame members. As a result, partial concentration of the load is prevented, so damage to the frame members such as the rocker 24 can be effectively prevented, and the vehicle interior is appropriately protected.

The configuration described so far is only an example, and other configurations may be changed as appropriate as long as at least the cover member (the door pocket cover 74) interposed between the lower rail 18 and the tank band 70 is provided. good too.

10 front door opening, 12 rear door opening, 14 center pillar, 16 sliding door, 18 lower rail, 20 upper rail, 22 guide roller unit, 24 rocker, 30 door pocket, 31 door pocket protrusion, 32 floor panel, 34 floor side member, 36 outrigger, 38 cross member, 44 rocker outer, 45, 47 side opening, 46 rocker inner, 54 door pocket upper, 56 door pocket lower, 58 horizontal roller, 60 vertical roller, 62 lower arm, 64 fuel tank, 66 fastening bracket, 68 weld nut, 70 tank band, 72 fastening bolt, 74 door pocket cover.

Claims (1)

a rocker provided below a door opening that is opened and closed by the sliding door and extending in the vehicle front-rear direction;
a lower rail provided at the same height position as the rocker to guide movement of the sliding door;
a fuel tank arranged under the floor of the vehicle compartment and on the inner side of the lower rail in the vehicle width direction;
a tank band that supports the fuel tank from below, the both ends of the tank band in the vehicle width direction being fastened to fastening brackets fixed to the vehicle body;
and a cover member at least partially interposed between the lower rail and the tank band.

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