JPH10244847A - Automobile power train reinforcing structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automobile power train reinforcing structure which can increase the rigidity of a transfer case in the back and forth direction of a car body and the rigidity of a mission joint case of a clutch housing. SOLUTION: In a reinforcing structure of an automobile power train 1, a clutch housing 3 is joined with bolts to a longitudinally mounted engine 2 provided with a crank shaft mounted in the back and forth direction of a car body, and a mission case 4 is jointed to the housing 3 with bolts, and a transfer case 5 is jointed to the mission case 4 such that an output shaft 11 thereof is shifted to the outside in the direction of a car width, and an extension 5c (shifted part) of the transfer case 5 is joined to a flange 3a of the clutch housing 3 jointed to the engine by a stiffener 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a reinforcing structure for a power train mounted on, for example, an FR-based four-wheel drive vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a power train mounted on an FR-based four-wheel drive vehicle, for example, as shown in FIG.
A clutch housing 52 is coupled to a vertically mounted engine 51 mounted with the crankshaft directed in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a transmission case 53 is coupled to the housing 52, and a transfer case 54 is coupled to the transmission case 53.
There is a structure that combines the two. The transfer case 54 includes a rear wheel output shaft 55 and a front wheel output shaft 56, and the front wheel output shaft 56 is arranged offset to the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0003] This type of power train has a structure in which many units are connected by bolting, so that the rigidity as a whole becomes insufficient.
In the case 4, since the front wheel output shaft 56 is offset to the outside in the vehicle width direction, vibrations in the vehicle body front-rear direction as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

In order to suppress the vibration of the transfer case 54, as shown in FIG.
The stiffener 60 may couple the offset portion of the clutch housing and the vicinity of the coupling portion of the clutch case 52 with the transmission case 53 to increase the rigidity of the transmission.

[0005]

However, in the case of the above-mentioned coupling structure, the rigidity of the transfer case 54 and the transmission case 53 against vibration in the direction indicated by the two-dot chain line can be improved, but the demand for further vibration reduction is increased. Is not enough. For example, deformation and vibration of the clutch housing cannot be sufficiently suppressed by the above structure. This is because the power train has a long overall length due to its structure, and when viewed from the clutch housing 52, the coupling portion with the engine 51 has a large diameter while the coupling portion with the transmission case has a small diameter. Therefore, it is considered that the rigidity of the coupling portion between the clutch housing and the transmission case is particularly low.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a stiffener coupling structure of an automobile power train that can improve the rigidity of the entire power train and further suppress the generation of vibration. .

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a clutch housing and a transmission case are sequentially connected to a vertical engine mounted with a crankshaft directed in the front-rear direction of a vehicle body, and a transfer case is attached to the transmission case. In the vehicle power train reinforcement structure, the offset portion is coupled to the outside in the vehicle width direction, and the offset portion of the transfer case and the vicinity of the clutch housing / engine coupling portion are coupled by a stiffener.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIGS. 1 to 3 are views for explaining a reinforcing structure of an automobile power train according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 1 and 2 are side views and plan views of the power train, and FIG. 3 is a transfer case. FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a power train mounted on an FR-based four-wheel drive vehicle. The power train 1 has a clutch housing of a clutch device 3 at a rear end of an engine 2 in which a crankshaft is arranged in a vehicle longitudinal direction. 3c, the transmission case 4a of the transmission 4 is bolted to the rear end of the clutch housing 3c, and the transmission device 5 for distributing the engine power to the front and rear wheels at the rear end of the transmission case 4a. The transfer case 5d is configured by bolting and coupling.

A flange 3a is integrally formed on the periphery of the front end of the clutch housing 3c, and bosses 3b, 3b are integrally formed on the rear surfaces of the left and right sides of the flange 3a so as to project rearward. I have. The flange part 3
a, and a large number of connecting bolts 6 having boss portions 3b, 3b circumferentially spaced on the rear mating surface of the engine 2.
., 6 ', 6'.

A lower portion of the flange portion 3a of the clutch housing 3c and a side wall of the engine 2 are connected to a front stiffener 7a.
This is for increasing the coupling rigidity between the engine 2 and the clutch housing 3c.

A mount bracket 8 is fixed to a lower side surface of the transfer case 5d by bolts 8a, and the bracket 8 is suspended and supported by a body frame (not shown) via a vibration isolating member.

The transfer case 5d has a front-rear two-part structure including a front case 5a and a rear case 5b, and the front case 5a is connected to the transmission case 4a. A rear wheel output shaft 10 is supported by the rear case 5b, and the output shaft 10 is connected to a rear wheel via a rear propeller shaft (not shown) and a rear differential.

One side of the transfer case 5 extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and a front wheel output shaft 11 is supported by the extension 5c. The front wheel output shaft 11 is offset to the outside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the rear wheel output shaft 10, and is connected to the front wheels via a front propeller shaft (not shown) and a front differential.

A support portion 12a of a coupling bracket 12 is fixedly fastened by a bolt 12d to an upper portion of a side wall of the extension portion 5c of the transfer case 5. In addition, 12b
Is a cable attachment portion that stands upright on the support portion 12a and supports a power transmission cable (not shown). A coupling portion 12c is formed integrally with the lower edge of the support portion 12a.

A coupling bracket 15 is fixed to the boss 3b of the flange 3a of the clutch housing 3 by bolting. The coupling bracket 15 includes a support portion 15a that contacts the rear surface of each of the boss portions 3b and the support portion 1a.
It is made of sheet metal and comprises a connecting portion 15b bent rearward following 5a. The support portion 15a is fixedly fastened to the engine 2 together with the boss portion 3b and the flange portion 3a by the respective connection bolts 6 '.

A reinforcing stiffener 16 is provided between the connecting bracket 15 and the connecting bracket 12. The stiffener 16 has flat front and rear fastening portions 16a, 16a formed by crushing the hollow pipe at both ends.
b, thereby achieving weight reduction while securing necessary rigidity.

The front fastening portion 16a of the stiffener 16 is provided with two bolts 2 on the connecting portion 15b of the connecting bracket 15.
0, 20 and the rear fastening portion 16b is connected to the connecting portion 12c of the connecting bracket 12 by two bolts 2
1,21.

Here, the rear fastening portion 16b of the stiffener 16
The two bolt holes 17, 21 for the bolts 21, 21 are co-located on one straight line parallel to the longitudinal axis of the power train, while the bolts 20,
The 20 holes 18a and 18b are arranged at positions deviated in the vertical direction with respect to the parallel straight line. Thereby, when the stiffener 16 is bolted and fixed, the front and rear fastening portions 1 are used.
6a and 16b are prevented from being fixed upside down. Incidentally, when the front and rear positions of the stiffener 16 are reversed, there is a concern that the power train may be distorted due to the coupling of the stiffeners, leading to a reduction in rigidity.

Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described. According to the present embodiment, since the extension 5c of the transfer case 5d and the flange 3a of the clutch housing 3c are connected by the stiffener 16, the rigidity of the engine 2 and the clutch housing 3c having the highest rigidity as a whole in the power train 1 is determined. This means that the transfer case 5d has been connected to the connection portion, and the front wheel output shaft 1
The rigidity against vibration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body when 1 is offset in the vehicle width direction can be improved, and the generation of vibration and noise can be reduced.

Since the engine / clutch connecting portion having the large dimension in the width direction and the portion 5c of the transfer case 5d extending in the vehicle width direction are connected by the stiffener 16, the power train 1 and the stiffener 16 are omitted in plan view. A rectangular closed cross section is formed, and the rigidity of the entire power train 1 can be increased. As a result, deformation and vibration of the clutch housing 3c can be suppressed, and vibration and noise as a whole can be further reduced.

In this embodiment, the stiffener 16 is bolted and fixed to the engine 2 together with the clutch housing 3c by the connecting bolt 6 'via the connecting bracket 15, so that the number of bolts is reduced to the clutch housing 3c of the stiffener 16. Can be increased in bonding strength. Further, in this case, it is not necessary to separately form a seat for connection, so that an increase in cost can be avoided. Further, since the rear fastening portion 16b of the stiffener 16 is connected by using the bracket 12 necessary for supporting the cable, it is possible to avoid an increase in cost due to another component.

In the above embodiment, the case where the front fastening portion 16a of the stiffener 16 is jointly fastened to the engine 2 together with the flange portion 3a of the clutch housing 3c has been described. The housing 3c may be coupled to a side wall near the flange 3a. Also in this case, the rigidity of the entire power train can be improved, and substantially the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained.

In the above embodiment, the stiffener 16 is connected to the clutch housing 3c and the transfer case 5d via the connecting brackets 12 and 15, but the stiffener is directly connected to the clutch housing and the transfer case without the bracket. You may.

[0025]

As described above, according to the stiffener coupling structure of the power train for an automobile according to the present invention, the offset portion in the vehicle width direction of the transfer case and the vicinity of the engine coupling portion of the clutch housing are coupled by the stiffener. The transfer case can be connected to the rigid clutch housing-engine coupling portion, and a substantially rectangular closed cross section is formed by a power train and a stiffener in a plan view. And the generation of vibration and noise can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a vehicle power train reinforcement structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the reinforcing structure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a transfer case of the power train.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a conventional reinforcing structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Power train 2 Engine 3c Clutch housing 4a Transmission case 5d Transfer case 5c Extension part (offset part) 6 'Coupling bolt 11 Front wheel output shaft 16 Stiffener

Claims (1)

[Claims] A clutch housing and a transmission case are sequentially coupled to a vertically mounted engine having a crankshaft directed in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and a transfer case is offset from the transmission case to an outer side in a vehicle width direction. A reinforcement structure for an automobile power train, wherein the offset portion of the transfer case and the vicinity of the clutch housing / engine coupling portion are coupled by a stiffener.