JPH0911933A - Structure of side rail - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To simplify the layout of an exhaust pipe and improve the freedom in designing the strength of a frame by using a side rail as the exhaust pipe. CONSTITUTION: A side rail 1a is integrally formed of aluminum based metal to have a partitioning wall 7b for forming a closed sectional part 7a in the cross section of channel shape over the whole length in the longitudinal direction thereof. The closed section 7a in the front end of the side rail 1a is closed by welding e.g. a plate 7c serving as the closing member, and the plate 7c and the closed sectional part 7a compose a pipe part of which rear end part is open as an outlet. On the partitioning wall 7b forming the closed sectional part 7a of the side rail 1a a hole is formed to be connected to an exhaust pipe 5b leading exhaust gas to the rear part, and the pipe 5b and the rail 1a are connected by welding.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a side rail in a vehicle frame, and more particularly to a technique of using the side rail as an exhaust pipe.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a ladder frame is most often used as a truck frame. The most basic form of this ladder-type frame is to arrange two side rails (vertical members) in parallel with the traveling direction of the vehicle and to arrange an appropriate number of cross members (horizontal members) at right angles to the side rails. And a cross member are joined by an appropriate method to form a ladder shape.

Further, the exhaust system of the engine includes an exhaust manifold that guides the exhaust gas discharged from each cylinder to an exhaust pipe, an exhaust pipe that guides the exhaust gas to the rear, and a muffler excluding exhaust noise.
The exhaust pipe is attached to a side rail or a cross member of the frame via a bracket.

[0004]

However, in the recent vehicles, the number of parts around the frame such as the retarder increases, and it has become difficult to secure a gap around the frame for arranging the exhaust pipe. Further, when the bracket mounting hole for supporting the exhaust pipe is opened in the frame, stress is concentrated on the hole due to the load and moment applied to the frame, so that it is necessary to increase the wall thickness of the frame, leading to an increase in weight. That is, the degree of freedom in the strength design of the frame is lost.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use the side rails as an exhaust pipe to simplify the layout of the exhaust pipe and to improve the degree of freedom in designing the strength of the frame.

[0006]

Therefore, according to the invention of claim 1, in a vehicle frame including a side rail and a cross member, at least one side rail extends over the entire length in the longitudinal direction. Formed integrally with an aluminum-based metal so as to have a closed cross section in the cross section, and providing a closing member that closes at least the front end of the side rail, and a pipe section that becomes an exhaust pipe by the closed cross section and the closing member. I configured it.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the aluminum-based metal side rails are used as the exhaust pipe, so that the layout of the exhaust pipe is simplified, and at the same time, the bracket mounting hole for supporting the exhaust pipe is provided. You no longer need to leave the side rail.

Further, since the side rail is made of aluminum-based metal, the closed cross-section portion which becomes the exhaust pipe can be easily integrally formed by extrusion molding or drawing molding.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a vehicle frame having aluminum-based metal side rails having the function of an exhaust pipe according to the present invention. This frame is the most commonly used ladder type frame, and has two side rails (vertical members) 1a,
1b are arranged in parallel to the traveling direction of the automobile, and a plurality of cross members (horizontal members) 2 (2a to 2f) are arranged at right angles to the traveling direction of the automobile to arrange side rails 1a and 1b and cross members 2 (2a to 2a).
2f) is joined by a suitable method such as bolts, rivets or welding.

In this structure, the side rail 1a is used as an exhaust pipe, and the exhaust system of the vehicle has an exhaust manifold 4 and an exhaust gas that guide exhaust gas exhausted from each cylinder of the engine 3 to the exhaust pipe 5a together. Exhaust pipe 5 that guides the muffler 6
a, a muffler (silencer) 6 excluding exhaust noise, an exhaust pipe 5b for guiding exhaust gas discharged from the muffler 6 to the side rail 1a according to the present invention, and a side rail 1a.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cross-sectional shape of the side rail 1a used here has a partition wall 7b for forming a closed cross-section portion 7a in the cross section of the channel shape over the entire length in the longitudinal direction. As described above, the aluminum-based metal is integrally molded. The closed cross section 7a at the front end of the side rail 1a is closed, for example, by welding a plate 7c as a closing member, and the plate 7c and the closed cross section 7a open the rear end as an outlet. To form the pipe part. This pipe portion functions as an exhaust pipe. Also, side rail 1
By having the closed cross-section portion 7a in the transverse cross section of a, there is also a secondary effect that the strength of the side rail 1a is improved.

Here, the reason why the side rail 1a is made of aluminum-based metal is that it can be easily integrally formed into a complicated shape having the closed cross-section portion 7a by extrusion molding or pultrusion molding. This is because it is possible to suppress the rise in Next, a method of connecting the exhaust pipe 5b and the side rail 1a as the exhaust pipe will be described. A partition wall 7b forming the closed cross section 7a of the side rail 1a has a hole adapted to the outer diameter of the exhaust pipe 5b. After that, the exhaust pipe 5b and the side rail 1a are joined by welding.

According to this structure, the exhaust gas discharged from each cylinder of the engine 3 passes through the exhaust manifold 4, the exhaust pipe 5a, the muffler 6 and the exhaust pipe 5b, and serves as an exhaust pipe formed on the side rail 1a. It is guided into the closed cross section 7a. Since the front end of the side rail 1a is closed by the plate 7c as a closing member, the exhaust gas passes through the closed cross section 7a of the side rail 1a and is discharged from the rear end that is open as an outlet. It

That is, in the configuration shown in FIG.
The pipes after the exhaust pipe 5b are unnecessary, and the degree of freedom in layout of the exhaust pipe around the frame is increased. Further, since it is not necessary to open the mounting hole of the bracket supporting the exhaust pipe in the side rail 1a, it is not necessary to consider the stress concentration in the hole portion, and the degree of freedom in the strength design of the frame can be improved.

In this embodiment, the closed cross section 7a as an exhaust pipe formed on the side rail 1a is
Although the side rail 1a is formed by using the entire web, it may be formed by using a part of the upper portion or the lower portion of the web as shown in FIG. In this case, two partition walls 7b are required to form the closed cross section 7a, but since the side rails 1a are integrally formed of aluminum-based metal, there is no problem in manufacturing. In addition, since the entire web of the side rail 1a is not used as an exhaust pipe, the unused web portion can be used for attaching another chassis component 8.

By the way, in this embodiment, the muffler 6 is arranged in the front part of the vehicle, but the muffler 6 may be arranged in the rear part of the vehicle as shown in FIG. In this case, the front end portion and the rear end portion of the side rail 1a are, for example,
Welding the plate 7c as a closing member to close each,
The plate portion 7c and the closed cross-section portion 7a form a pipe portion as an exhaust pipe. Further, the exhaust pipe 5a is joined by welding to a hole formed in the partition wall 7b of the side rail 1a in the front part of the vehicle, and the hole connecting the exhaust pipe 5b for guiding the exhaust gas to the muffler 6 in the rear part of the vehicle is formed in the side rail 1a. This hole and the exhaust pipe 5b are opened in the partition wall 7b.
Are joined by welding.

With this structure, the exhaust gas discharged from each cylinder of the engine 3 passes through the exhaust manifold 4 and the exhaust pipe 5a and is guided into the closed cross section 7a of the side rail 1a. Then, the exhaust gas passes through the closed cross section 7a up to the hole formed in the rear portion of the side rail 1a, passes through the exhaust pipe 5b, the muffler 6 and the exhaust pipe 5c, and is discharged.

That is, in the configuration shown in FIG.
The pipe that connects the exhaust pipes 5a and 5b is not required, and the degree of freedom in layout of the exhaust pipes around the frame is increased. Further, since it is not necessary to open the mounting hole of the bracket supporting the exhaust pipe in the side rail 1a, it is not necessary to consider the stress concentration in the hole portion, and the degree of freedom in the strength design of the frame can be improved.

[0019]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, by using the aluminum-based metal side rails as the exhaust pipe, the layout of the exhaust pipe is simplified, and at the same time, the exhaust pipe is Since it is not necessary to open the mounting hole of the bracket that supports the frame on the side rail, the degree of freedom in the layout of parts around the frame is increased, and it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the frame considering stress concentration in the hole. The degree of freedom in strength design can be improved.

Further, since the side rail is made of aluminum-based metal, the closed cross-section portion which becomes the exhaust pipe can be easily integrally formed by extrusion molding or drawing molding, and the cost for providing the side rail with the function as the exhaust pipe. It is possible to suppress the rise of.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle frame and an exhaust system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a side rail according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a side rail according to another embodiment of the same.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle frame and an exhaust system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 (1a, 1b) Side rail 2 (2a-2f) Cross member 7a Closed cross-section part 7c Plate

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle frame including a side rail and a cross member, wherein at least one side rail is made of an aluminum-based metal so as to have a closed cross-section portion in a transverse section over the entire length in the longitudinal direction. Integrally formed,
A structure of a side rail, wherein a closing member for closing at least a front end portion of the side rail is provided, and the closed cross-section portion and the closing member constitute a pipe portion serving as an exhaust pipe.