JPH10226363A - Side structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain deformation amount of the front part of a car body to ensure the occupant living space by providing a front wheel backward movement inhibiting member having a bearing surface for bearing a front wheel at the time of collision and a support part extended from the bearing surface to a side sill to be connected to the side sill on a side sill front end part opposite to the front wheel. SOLUTION: An automobile C comprises right and left front side members 11, 12 provided below an engine room ER, right and left side sills 22, 23 provided, and right and left rear side members 26, 27 connected to both side sills 22, 23 below a cabin R. Right and left front pillars 33, 34 are connected to the fronts of the right and left side sills 22, 23, front end parts 221, 231 are projected forward from the connecting positions to the respective front pillars 33, 34, and the parts are provied with front wheel backward movement inhibiting members 35, 36 projected forward. The respective front wheel backward movement inhibiting members 35, 36 are formed by a comparatively thick sheet metal materials and comprise a bearing part where a substantially vertical bearing surface is formed, and a support part extended backward from the end part of the bearing part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure for reliably dispersing and supporting, on a vehicle body side, a load applied to the vehicle body from a rearwardly displaced front wheel during a vehicle collision.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vehicle absorbs the collision energy of a vehicle by deforming and displacing a part of the vehicle body at the time of the collision, thereby reducing an impact applied to an occupant. In addition, when the load at the time of this collision is large, the collision load is dispersed throughout the body via the front side members and the like, which are strength members, to receive the load as a whole, thereby suppressing deformation reaching the cabin and allowing the occupant to survive. We try to secure space. By the way, when the front side of the vehicle collides with an colliding object such as an opponent vehicle, the front side members provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle are buckled and deformed, thereby absorbing the impact load in the front side and deforming the cabin. To secure the crew's living space.

However, a colliding vehicle rarely faces a collision object such as an opponent vehicle, and usually collides with an offset to one of the right and left sides of the vehicle.
In such a case, an impact force at the time of a collision is applied to one side of the front side member to cause a buckling deformation, and there is a disadvantage that the absorption amount of the impact energy is insufficient (halved).

In order to make up for this energy absorption shortage,
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-25357 discloses a device utilizing a front wheel as impact energy absorbing means. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, the front wheel 102, which has been displaced backward at the time of collision with the collision object A such as an opponent vehicle, is sandwiched between the load transmitting members 106 located at the front and rear and the side sill 100.
Function as impact energy absorbing means to compensate for the shortage of the impact energy absorption of the front side member 107.

Further, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-267148, as shown in FIG. 8, a shock absorbing portion a extending forward from the front pillar 101 is formed at the front end of the side sill 100, and the side sill 100 is displaced backward during a vehicle collision. The vehicle body structure in which the front wheel 102 is applied to the shock absorbing portion a to compress and deform the shock absorbing portion a to absorb a shock, and as shown in FIG. A vehicle body structure in which the vehicle body inclination restraining member 105 is protruded, and the front wheel 102, which is displaced backward at the time of a vehicle collision, is brought into contact with the upper portion of the vehicle body lean restraining member 105 so as to absorb the shock while suppressing the bouncing of the vehicle body rear. Is disclosed.

[0006]

The front wheels 102 of the vehicle used in each of the vehicle body structures shown in FIGS.
Are connected to a not-shown snake mechanism, so that the steering angle can be changed by the snake mechanism.

When a vehicle having such a structure collides with an offset vehicle, even if the front wheels are in a straight traveling state, the inclination of the front wheels increases as the amount of backward displacement of the front wheels increases, resulting in an unstable state. It will be displaced backward. In such a state, the front wheel 102, which is displaced backward, is
00, it is difficult to prevent further retreat of the front wheel. In the case of the vehicle body structure shown in FIG. 9, even if the front wheel 102 hits the vehicle body inclination suppressing member 105 at the time of a vehicle collision, the collision load is applied to the center of the front pillar 103 in the vertical direction and the side sill 10
It is not possible to hit 0, and in this case, bending deformation of the front pillar is likely to occur.

As described above, in the impact energy absorbing means provided in the conventional vehicle body structure, the front wheel 1
02 is sandwiched between the side sill 100 and the colliding object A such as the opponent vehicle, so that it functions sufficiently as an impact energy absorbing means, thereby absorbing the impact energy on the front side member 107 side at the time of the offset collision of the vehicle. The shortage cannot be compensated, and it is a problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to ensure that a front wheel is sandwiched between a collision object such as an opponent vehicle and a side sill at the time of a collision of an automobile, the front wheel functions as an impact energy absorbing means, a deformation amount of a front portion of the vehicle body is reduced, Another object of the present invention is to provide a side structure of an automobile which secures a living space of the automobile.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of the present invention is to provide a receiver provided at a front end of a side sill facing a front wheel and receiving the front wheel retreated by a collision. A front wheel retraction restraining member having a seat surface and a support extending from the seat surface toward the side sill and coupled to the side sill is provided. Therefore, the front wheel, which has been displaced backward during the collision of the automobile, is quickly and reliably received by the front receiving surface of the side sill, and the rotation of the front wheel is suppressed, and the load received by the receiving surface is transmitted through the support portion. This ensures transmission to the side wall of the side sill, thereby further preventing further retraction of the front wheel.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle side structure according to the first aspect, the seating surface includes:
It is characterized in that it is formed so as to have an extending portion which is coupled to at least the side sill peripheral wall and extends outward from the peripheral wall in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, even if the front wheel that has retreated is displaced outward in the vehicle width direction from the peripheral wall of the side sill, the extending portion extending outward from the peripheral wall portion of the side sill in the vehicle width direction can reliably receive the front wheel quickly. To prevent rotation of the front wheels.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle side structure structure according to the first aspect, the front wheel reverse restraining member is provided opposite to the periphery of the front wheel at an interval, and is supported by the body. It is characterized by being configured to be hidden by a member. Therefore, the front wheel retraction suppressing member is completely hidden by the vehicle body covering member supported by the body.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an automobile equipped with the automobile side structure structure of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle C is provided with an engine room ER and a vehicle room R along a front-rear direction X, and the two are separated by a dashboard 10 forming a vertical wall. Engine room ER
Is the lower left and right front side member 1 in the front-rear direction X
1 and 12, a front end cross member 13 for integrally connecting them, and a cross member 14 for supporting a power transmission system such as an engine (not shown) are provided, and a bumper 15 is mounted on the front end. .

The main part 1 of the steering device 16 is provided on the front wall of the dashboard 10 located behind the engine room ER.
The front wheel 1 is a left and right steering wheel.
7 and 18. The left and right front wheels 17 and 18 are supported by the cross member 14 and the left and right front side members 11 and 12 via a suspension device 19.

The lower part of the passenger compartment R has front and rear floors 20 and 21 disposed along the front and rear direction X, and left and right side sills 22 and 2 continuously disposed at left and right ends of the front and rear floors 20 and 21.
3 and a pair of front and rear center cross members 301, which connect the left and right side sills 22, 23 to each other at their central portions.
302 and the rear end 11 of the left and right front side members 11 and 12
Left and right box-shaped connecting brackets 24 and 25 connecting the front ends of the left and right side sills 22 and 23, and right and left rear side members 26 and 27 having the front ends connected to the rear ends of the left and right side sills 22 and 23. And left and right rear side members 2
The rear cross member 28 connects the rear portions of the rear members 6 and 27 to each other, and a rear bumper 29 is provided behind the rear cross member 28. The left and right rear wheels 31, 32 are connected to the left and right rear side members 26,
It is supported on the 27 side via a not-shown rear suspension device.

Here, the left and right side sills 22 and 23 enhance the rigidity of the left and right lower portions of the vehicle compartment R, and the left and right front pillars 33 and 34 are vertically integrated with the front portions of the left and right side sills 22 and 23. Is intended to enhance the rigidity of the left and right ends of the front part of the cabin R. Front ends 221 and 231 project from front portions of the left and right side sills 22 and 23 forward from a connection position with the left and right front pillars 33 and 34, and the front ends 221 and 231 prevent front wheel retreat. Member 3
5 and 36 are respectively protruded forward. As shown in FIG. 2, the front wheel backward restraining members 35 and 36 have a symmetrical shape. Here, the left front wheel backward restraining member 35 will be mainly described.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the left front wheel retraction restraint member 35 receives the left front wheel 17 and restrains further retreat, and is formed of a relatively thick sheet metal material, and is substantially vertical. It comprises a receiving portion 351 formed with a seating surface g, and a support portion 352 extending from the end of the receiving portion 351 to the front end 221 behind. This support portion 352 includes inner and outer portions b1,
b2 and a lower portion b3 (see FIG. 5), and the rear ends of the supports 352 are welded to the inner and outer walls s1, s2 and the lower wall s3, which are the peripheral walls of the front end 221 of the side sill.
As shown in FIG. 4, the seating surface g includes a facing portion g0 corresponding to a portion between the inner and outer walls s1 and s2 of the front end portion 221 and inner and outer extending portions g1 and g2 extending from the facing portion g0 toward the vehicle width direction Y. It is configured to be able to receive not only the left front wheel 17 that has receded while maintaining the straight traveling state, but also the left front wheel 17 that has receded while having changed its direction and the rear end is out of the facing portion g0. You.

The front wheel retreat inhibiting member 35 is mounted in the vehicle width direction Y.
Is covered with a left front fender 37 that covers the left inner wall component of the engine room ER (see FIG. 4), and the front portion of the outer portion is a vehicle body covering member supported by the left front fender 37 and the left inner wall component. Splash shield D
Covered in. As described above, since the front wheel backward restraint member 35 is completely concealed by the existing splash shield D and the left front fender 37, the appearance of the vehicle C can be favorably maintained without increasing the number of parts. In the above description, the structure of the front wheel retraction restraint member 35 on the left side of the body has been described. However, the right front wheel retraction restraint member 36 is also formed symmetrically and is similarly mounted, so that redundant description is omitted here. .

It is assumed that the vehicle C having the side structure structure of the vehicle shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has an offset collision with a collision object (not shown) such as an opponent vehicle at the front left side. In this case, the destruction of the bumper 15 and the left front side member 1
1 and other left inner wall constituting members are bent and the cross member 14 and the like are displaced, whereby the steering device 16 and the suspension device 19 are deformed, and the left front wheel 17 is displaced backward in an unstable state.

At this time, when the front wheel 17 is displaced backward while traveling straight, the receiving portion 35 is connected via the splash shield D.
1, the front wheel 17 is displaced left and right,
When it is displaced backward, it comes into contact with the inner and outer extending portions g1 and g2,
In any case, the receiving portion 351 can reliably receive the front wheel 17 that is displaced backward, and it is possible to suppress the rotation of the front wheel such as the oblique displacement in the steering direction. At the same time, the receiving portion 351 having the vertical receiving surface g receives the load W from the front wheel 17 via the supporting portion 352 and the inner and outer walls s1 and s1 of the side sill.
s2 and the lower wall s3, etc. are reliably transmitted to most peripheral walls. At this time, the side sill 22 applies another body component joined to the rear side sill, that is, a pair of front and rear center cross members 301 and 30, when the collision load is applied.
2. It can be dispersed and supported by the left rear side member 26 and the like.

The front wheel retraction restraining member 35 supported by the side sill 22 restrains the front wheel 17 from turning, such as a skew displacement in the steering direction, and can reliably prevent further retreat. In addition, the front wheel 17, which has been further prevented from retreating, functions as an impact energy absorbing means in a state where it is sandwiched between the side sill 22 and a collision object such as an opponent vehicle. in this way,
Since the front wheel 17 functions as an impact energy absorbing means for the automobile C in which the left front portion has an offset collision, it is possible to compensate for the insufficient absorption of the impact energy on the left side member 11 side which is a constituent member of the left vehicle body front portion. It is possible to reduce the amount of buckling or bending deformation of the side member, reduce the amount of deformation of the dashboard or the like at the front of the cabin, and secure a living space for the occupant on the cabin R side.

When the vehicle C mainly collides with an opposing object (not shown) on the right side, the same behavior at the time of the collision occurs, and the same operation and effect can be obtained by the components at the front portion of the right vehicle body. In the above description, the automobile C shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a layout in which the positions of the left front wheel 17 and the left side sill 22 in the vehicle width direction Y substantially coincide with each other. A modified example of the present invention shown in FIG. Note that this car C ′ includes many of the same components as the car C in FIGS. 1 and 2,
The same members are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description will be omitted.

In the vehicle C ', the center line L1 of the left front wheel 17a is particularly aligned with the left side sill 22 in the vehicle width direction Y.
It is located outside the center line L2 of FIG.
Here, the front wheel retreat suppressing member 35a has a vertical seating surface g.
Receiving portion 351 provided with a front end portion 2
21 and a support portion 352 extending to the support 21. The seat surface g here faces the facing portion g0 facing between the inner and outer walls s1 and s2, and extends outward from the facing portion g0 in the vehicle width direction Y, and faces the ground contact surface e of the left front wheel 17a. It has an outer extension g2.

The support portion 352 has a straight inner portion b1 reaching the inner wall s1 and an inclined outer portion b2 reaching the outer portion s2.
And a lower part b3 reaching the lower wall s3 (see FIG. 5), and the rear ends of these bearings 352 are welded to the inner and outer walls s1, s2 and the lower wall s3. It is assumed that an automobile C 'having such an automobile side structure has an offset collision with an opposing object (not shown) on the left side, and the left front wheel 17a is displaced backward in an unstable state. At this time, if the front wheel 17a that has been displaced backward is in a straight-ahead state, the ground contact surface e of the front wheel 17a is reliably received by the outer extension g2. Furthermore, even if the direction of the left front wheel 17a is changed inward, the directly facing portion g0 can reliably receive the left front wheel 17a that is displaced backward.

As described above, even if the left front wheel 17a is located outside the left side sill 22a in the vehicle width direction Y, the left front wheel 17a which is displaced backward is provided by providing the outer extending portion g2 in the seating surface g. , The rotation of the front wheels such as the skew displacement in the steering direction can be suppressed, and further retreat can be suppressed. In addition, the front wheels 17 whose further retreat is suppressed
Functions as impact energy absorbing means in a state sandwiched between the side sill 22 and a collision object such as an opponent vehicle. The amount of deformation such as bending can be reduced, the deformation of the front part of the passenger compartment can be reduced, and the occupant's living space in the passenger compartment R can be secured.

[0025]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the front wheel, which has been displaced backward during the collision of the vehicle, is quickly and reliably received on the front seating surface of the side sill, and the rotation of the front wheel is suppressed.
The load received on the seating surface is reliably transmitted to the peripheral wall of the side sill via the bearing, thereby further preventing further retreat of the front wheel. For this reason, at the time of an offset collision, the front wheels can function as impact energy absorbing means, so that it is possible to compensate for a shortage of the impact energy absorption of the component members at the front part of the vehicle body on the offset collision side, for example, the side members.
The amount of buckling or bending deformation of the side member is reduced, and the amount of deformation of the component members at the front of the vehicle body is reduced, so that a living space for the occupant on the passenger compartment side can be secured.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in particular, even if the front wheel that has been displaced backward is displaced outward from the side sill peripheral wall in the vehicle width direction, the extending portion extending outward from the side sill peripheral wall in the vehicle width direction is provided. The front wheels can be promptly and reliably received, the rotation of the front wheels can be suppressed, and the further retreat of the front wheels can be reliably suppressed. For this reason, the deformation of the front part of the passenger compartment can be reduced, and the occupant's living space can be secured.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, in particular, the front wheel retraction suppressing member is concealed by the vehicle body covering member supported by the body. Therefore, the appearance can be favorably maintained without increasing the number of parts.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an automobile equipped with an automobile side structure structure to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle frame equipped with the vehicle side structure structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cutaway main part of a mounting portion of a front wheel retraction suppressing member in the side structure structure of the vehicle shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cutaway plan view of a main portion of a mounting portion of a front wheel retraction restraining member in the side structure structure of the vehicle shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a cutout main part of a mounting portion of a front wheel retraction suppressing member in the side structure structure of the automobile in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a cutaway main portion of a mounting portion of a front wheel retraction suppressing member in a side structure structure of an automobile according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cutaway side view of a main part of a conventional automobile side structure structure.

FIG. 8 is a cutaway side view of a main part of a conventional automobile side structure structure.

FIG. 9 is a cutaway plan sectional view of a main part of a conventional automobile side structure structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 dashboard 14 cross member 17 front wheel 22 left side sill 221 front end 23 right side sill 231 front end 33 left and right front pillars 34 left and right front pillars 35 front wheel retraction restraining member 351 receiving portion 352 support g receiving surface g0 Part g1 inner extension part g2 outer extension part s1 peripheral wall of side sill s2 peripheral wall of side sill peripheral wall of side sill D splash shield X front and rear direction R cabin W load

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A seating surface provided at a front end of a side sill facing a front wheel and receiving the front wheel retreated by a collision, extending from the seating surface toward the side sill and coupled to the side sill. A vehicle side structure structure comprising a front wheel backward restraint member having a support portion having a support portion. 2. The side structure structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the seating surface has an extending portion which is coupled to at least the peripheral wall of the side sill and extends outward from the peripheral wall in the vehicle width direction. A side structure structure of an automobile characterized by being formed as follows. 3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the front wheel retraction restraining member is concealed from the front wheel side by a vehicle body covering member supported by a body. Structure structure.