JPH06144292A - Strut fitting structure in strut type suspension - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To heighten supporting rigidity to vertical load and vibration applied to a suspension tower from a strut. CONSTITUTION:A support 12 is fitted to a suspension tower 10 formed of a wheel house inner panel 18 with a flange 19 provided at the upper end part thereof and a support bracket 22 connected to the flange 19, and the upper end part 14 of a strut is fitted to the support 12. In such strut fitting structure, a plate 16 is disposed on the upper face of the suspension tower 10 in such a way as to cover the overlapped part of the flange 19 and support bracket 22 and fixed to the support bracket 22 and the support 12 by a bolt 38 and a nut 52, and the flange 19 is held in between the plate 16 and the support bracket 22.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a strut mounting structure for an automobile strut suspension, and more particularly to an inner panel of a wheel house having a flange at an upper end thereof and a support bracket connected to the flange. The present invention relates to a structure in which a strut is attached to a suspension tower formed by and via a support.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vehicle equipped with a strut suspension, a flange is generally provided at an upper end portion of an inner panel of a wheel house of a vehicle body, and a support bracket is spot-welded to the flange to form a suspension tower. Is attached to the suspension tower (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-100270).

Further, in the above-mentioned publication, a bracket having a shape along the upper surface of the suspension tower is provided on the performance rod, and the bracket is fixed to the suspension tower so as to cover the upper surface of the suspension tower.

According to the mounting structure described in the above publication, the load and vibration applied from the struts are transmitted to another suspension tower or the cowl of the vehicle body via the performance rod, thereby preventing the suspension tower from being deformed in the front-rear direction or the lateral direction. However, there are the following problems.

[0005]

As described above, since the flange of the inner panel and the support bracket are joined by spot welding, there is a gap between the flange and the support bracket at a place other than the spot welding spot. ing. Therefore, it is difficult for the vertical load and vibration applied from the struts to the suspension tower to be effectively transmitted to the inner panel of the wheel house.
Microscopic deformation of the flange is likely to occur, and the supporting rigidity is reduced.

By the way, it is apparent from the drawings that the bracket described in the above publication is arranged inward of the flange of the inner panel in the lateral direction and is fixed to the strut. It has no function to do. Therefore, vertical load and vibration applied from the struts to the suspension tower are difficult to be effectively transmitted to the inner panel of the wheel house, and the support rigidity is still reduced.

An object of the present invention is to provide a strut mounting structure in a strut suspension which can enhance the support rigidity against vertical load and vibration applied from the strut to the suspension tower.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an inner panel of a wheel house, having an upper end provided with a flange,
A mounting structure of a strut for mounting a support to a suspension tower formed by a support bracket connected to the flange by a tightening means, and mounting an upper end of a strut on the support, the strut mounting structure comprising: the flange and the support bracket. The support bracket is provided on the upper surface of the suspension tower so as to cover at least a portion of the overlapping portion in the vicinity of the tightening means, and the support bracket and a plate fixed to the support by the tightening means are provided. The flange is sandwiched by and.

[0009]

[Operation and effect] Since there is no clearance between the flange and the support bracket in at least the portion near the tightening means in the overlapping portion of the flange of the inner panel of the wheel house and the support bracket, the tightening means is removed from the strut. Vertical loads and vibrations that are applied to the suspension tower after that are effectively transmitted to the inner panel of the wheel house. As a result, the flange of the inner panel can be prevented from being microscopically deformed, and the support rigidity is increased.
As a result, steering stability can be improved.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 1, a strut mounting structure is such that a support 12 is mounted on a suspension tower 10 and an upper end portion 14 of the strut is mounted on the support 12, and a plate 16 is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the suspension tower 10 comprises an inner panel 18 having a flange 19 at the upper end of the wheel house, and a support bracket 22. The support bracket 22 is applied to the lower surface of the flange 19, and the flange 19 and the support bracket 22 are spot-welded to join them.

In the illustrated embodiment, the inner panel 18 is
The base 20 has a substantially U-shaped planar shape, and the flange 19 is formed by bending the upper end of the base 20. The base 20 is joined to a rigid member (not shown) such as a side member and stands up. On the other hand, the support bracket 22 includes two peripheral portions extending along the flange 19 from the upper end portion of the base portion 20 of the inner panel,
A portion 26 located between these peripheral portions and protruding upward
And a hole 27 is provided in the raised portion 26. The support bracket 22 is joined to the outer panel 24 of the wheel house at 24.

The support 12 is a rubber cushion 28.
And upper and lower stoppers 30 and 32, and a reinforcement 34 embedded in the cushion 28. These parts are integrated by vulcanizing and adhering the cushion 28. The inner peripheral portions of the upper and lower stoppers 30, 32 are butted against each other, and a through hole 36 is provided in the inner peripheral portions.
The support 12 is attached to the support bracket 20 by bolts 38 embedded in the reinforcement 34. In the illustrated embodiment, three bolts 38 are implanted in the reinforcement 34. A portion of the cushion 28 located outside the reinforcement 34 also serves as a spring bearing for the coil spring 39.

The strut comprises a shock absorber known per se, and comprises a cylinder (not shown) swingably connected to the suspension arm, and a piston rod 14 projecting from this cylinder. The upper end of the piston rod 14 is passed through the through holes 36 formed in the stoppers 30, 32 of the support 12, and the spacer 40
The nut 42 is screwed into the end of the piston rod 14 with the interposition of, and the strut is attached to the support 12.

The plate 16 is arranged on the upper surface of the suspension tower so as to cover at least a portion of the overlapping portion of the flange 19 of the inner panel 18 and the support bracket 22 in the vicinity of the bolt 38, and the bolt 38 as a tightening means. It is fixed to the support bracket 22 and the support 12 by the nut 52. Plate 1
By fixing 6, the plate 16 and the support bracket 2
The flange 19 is sandwiched between the two and the flange 19 and the support bracket 22 are in close contact with each other.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plate 16 has a first portion 44 having a substantially U-shaped planar shape,
The second portion 45 is tapered from the first portion and has a hole 46 at the center. The first portion 44 has two bolt holes 47 and the second portion 45 has one bolt hole 47. These bolt holes 47 are used for the support 1
3 bolts 3 planted in 2 reinforcement 34
8 respectively, while the support bracket 22 has three bolt holes 5 corresponding to the bolt holes 47.
Has 0. The plate 16 has a support bracket 22.
The shape is substantially the same as the shape of the raised portion 26.

The plate 16 is attached to the suspension tower 10.
4, the first portion 44 of the plate 16 covers the flange 19 of the inner panel 18 and the support bracket 22, and the second portion 45 covers the support bracket 22 as shown in FIG. Attach each of the three bolts 38 to the bolt holes 50 of the support bracket 22 and the plate 1
The nut 52 is screwed into the bolt 38, and is tightened. As a result, the flange 19 of the inner plate is sandwiched between the plate 16 and the support bracket 22, and the flange 19 and the support bracket 2
The two are in close contact with each other.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the flange 19 of the inner panel has notches 5 instead of bolt holes.
6 and escapes the bolt 38, but this is the bolt
This is to ensure the minimum surface required for tightening the nut and to maintain the rigidity of the suspension tower 18. That is, in terms of rigidity of the suspension tower 18, it is preferable to make the area of the upper surface of the suspension tower as small as possible. However, when the flange 19 is provided with a bolt hole, the peripheral portion of the hole is the raised portion 26 of the support bracket 22. Since they interfere with each other, it is necessary to push the entire flange 19 outward, which increases the area of the upper surface of the suspension tower.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the plate 16 has a substantially pentagonal front shape and is formed in a ring shape. Alternatively, the plate can be formed with only a substantial first portion 44, as shown in phantom in FIG.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the support 60 includes a rubber cushion 62, an outer member 64 vulcanized and bonded to the outer peripheral surface of the cushion 62, and the cushion 6
2 has an inner member 66 vulcanized and adhered to the inner peripheral surface thereof, and a bearing 68 is attached to the inner member 66. On the other hand, the flange 71 of the inner panel 70 of the wheel house
Apply the support bracket 74 to the lower side surface, spot weld the flange 71 and the support bracket 74,
A suspension tower 76 is formed.

In this embodiment, the plate 78 has a support portion 79 which is arcuate along the flange 71 and a support portion 7.
9 and two pressing portions 80 protruding outward in the radial direction. The two pressing portions 80 are embedded in the outer member 64 of the support 60 and penetrate the support bracket 74.
Each of the two bolts 82 extends outwardly with a step having a thickness substantially the same as the thickness of the flange 71.

The bolt 8 is inserted into the two bolt holes of the plate 78.
When 2 is inserted and the nut 84 is screwed into the bolt 82 and tightened, the flange 71 is sandwiched between the pressing portion 80 near the bolt 82 and the support bracket 74, and the flange 71 and the support bracket 74 come into close contact with each other.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the plate 90 is
A supporting portion 92 having substantially the same shape as the supporting portion 79, a first pressing portion 93 extending upward from the supporting portion 92 with a step, and a downward pressing portion 93 extending outward from the first pressing portion 93 with an outward step. And a second pressing portion 94 extending to. Bolt 8
When the nut 84 is screwed into the screw 2 and tightened, the second pressing portion 94 comes into close contact with the flange 712 and presses it, but the first pressing portion 93 comes into close contact with the sealing material 96 and attaches it to the flange 71 and the support bracket 74. Press down. The sealing material 96 is applied along the flange 71.

As shown in FIG. 8, by providing the plate 90 with two steps, the nut 84 is loosened due to the pinching of the sealing material 96, and the plate 90 based on the looseness.
It is possible to prevent the pressing force from decreasing.

A conventional mounting structure in which a flange of an inner panel and a support bracket are simply spot-welded,
According to the present invention, the plate is provided, the flange is sandwiched by the plate and the support bracket, and the result of a sensory evaluation of the mounting structure in which the flange and the support bracket are in close contact with each other is that the feeling at the time of running, the linear feeling of yaw, and the roll fit, It was found that the flat feeling on the spring can be improved.

As a result of comparing the dynamic vertical rigidity of the suspension towers, the surface rigidity expressed by the amount of displacement with respect to the load at the tire ground contact point was 0.12 mm in the conventional structure, but was 0.06 mm in the structure of the present invention. Virtually doubled. In addition, the axial force or damping force of the strut at the time of exciting the actual vehicle was 33.4 dN in the conventional structure as compared with the peak value / peak value of the axial force, but it was 36.6 dN in the structure of the present invention, increasing 10%. Became.

FIG. 9 shows the results of comparing the vertical vibrations on the spring by changing the frequency of the vertical vibrations applied to the tire. From this FIG. 9, it can be seen that the vibration with the plate shown by the solid line A is smaller than that without the plate shown by the chain line B. This indicates that steering stability is improved as a result of providing the plate according to the present invention.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of a strut mounting structure in a strut suspension according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plate.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a flange of an inner plate and a support bracket.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a suspension tower.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a main part of another embodiment of the strut mounting structure in the strut suspension according to the present invention.

7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7 of yet another embodiment of the strut mounting structure in the strut suspension according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a characteristic diagram of frequency and vibration.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10,76 Suspension tower 12,60 Support 14 Upper part of strut (piston rod) 16,78,90 Plate 18,70 Inner plate 19,71 Flange 22,74 Support bracket

Front Page Continuation (72) Inventor Masahide Dobashi, Toyota City, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 1 Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor, Masahiko Yamada, Toyota City, Toyota City Aichi Prefecture, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. (72) Invention Takashi Kiriyama 1 Toyota Town, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture Toyota Motor Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A support is attached to a suspension tower formed by an inner panel of a wheel house, which has a flange at an upper end thereof, and a support bracket connected to the flange by a fastening means, and the strut is attached to the support. A strut mounting structure for mounting an upper end portion, the strut mounting structure being disposed on an upper surface of the suspension tower so as to cover at least a portion of an overlapping portion of the flange and the support bracket in the vicinity of the fastening means, Strut mounting structure in strut suspension, comprising strut suspension comprising a plate fixed to said support bracket and said support by means, said flange sandwiched by said plate and said support bracket.