JPH11208207A - Axle housing for vehicle and manufacture thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an axle housing, which is conventionally made of four parts, to be composed of two parts by forming a flat sheet to integrate a housing body and a cover portion. SOLUTION: This axle housing comprises a housing body 2 and a ring member 10. The housing body 2 is manufactured by making press forming a metal flat sheet that has been cut along an exploded shape of the housing body 2 to form by bending a cover portion 5 that is depressed at the center of the flat sheet, then by folding a portion that surrounds an opening 7 of the cover portion 5 and extends in all directions to make a cylinder with a center line in the longitudinal direction as a reference. Then a disc body portion 4 linking a hollow portion of the cover portion 5, being set as a large diameter, and provided with an opening at the outer surface thereof, and a cylinder portion 6 linking a hollow portion of the disc body portion 4 and extending toward the center line are formed. The housing body 2 is, then, formed by mounting a connecting portion of the cylinder portion 6 in a fixed condition. The axle housing is then assembled by mounting a ring member 10 in a fixed condition in a riblike form on the opening 7 of the disc body portion 4 of the housing body 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an axle housing for a vehicle and an improvement in a manufacturing method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, axle housings for vehicles such as automobiles are made by cutting a sheet material such as a single steel plate along an outer peripheral shape. Then, the material is formed into a channel shape in the longitudinal direction, and the material is bent into a substantially semicircular shape at the center.
The upper and lower two side plates 12, 12 are vertically symmetrically arranged, joined and fixed to form a housing body, and a ring member 20 is fixed to one circular opening 17 of the housing body in a rib shape. The axle housing 11 is formed by fixing a cover 15 having a hollow hemisphere and a flange at an edge to the other circular opening 17. In the above-described configuration, the housing is composed of four parts: a housing main body composed of upper and lower divided side plates 12 and 12; a ring member 20; and a cover part 15, and it is necessary to process and mold each of them. Further, the joint portion is a side plate, and four portions of the cylindrical portion 16 and two portions of the cover portion 15 and the ring member 20.
There were 6 places in total, which was a complicated operation. Further, the necessary tools for processing are also required for each part and joint.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a main problem thereof is to form an axle housing consisting of four parts into a flat plate by forming a flat plate into a housing body and a cover part. Another object of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable vehicle axle housing with a simple configuration by reducing the number of parts by making the whole into two parts, and setting the joint at the center of the cylindrical part. Another object of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing an axle housing for a vehicle, which can be formed easily and accurately by using a mold and an O-shaped forming (U-O form) process.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an axle housing for a vehicle according to the first aspect of the present invention.
The cover portion that is concave at the center of the flat plate is bent by press molding on a metal flat plate, and the portion that surrounds the opening of the cover portion and extends in all directions is formed into a cylindrical shape with reference to the center line in the longitudinal direction. By bending, a board body having a large diameter communicating with the hollow portion of the cover portion and having an opening on the outer surface and a tubular portion extending along the center line communicating with the hollow portion of the board body portion are formed. Forming
A technical means is provided in which the housing is formed by fixing the joint portion of the cylindrical portion and a ring member, and the ring member is fixed to the opening of the board body of the housing main body in a rib shape. ing. Further, in the above configuration, the cover portion is formed in a substantially hemispherical shape, the disk body portion has a disk shape having a circular opening in the center of the outer surface, and the cylindrical portion has a frusto-conical hollow cylindrical body. A configuration may be used.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of manufacturing a vehicle axle housing, wherein a cover forming step of bending a cover which is recessed by pressing on a metal flat plate, and forming an outer periphery of the flat plate having the cover with a housing. A trimming step of cutting along the developed shape of the main body, and bending a portion extending in four directions around the opening of the cover portion so as to face a center line in the longitudinal direction thereof to form a substantially U-shaped cross section. In the molding step, the opposite ends formed into a substantially U-shaped cross section are bent so as to be on the same surface, communicate with the hollow portion of the cover portion, have a large diameter, and have an opening on the outer surface. An O-shaped forming step of forming a disc body part and a tubular part communicating with a hollow part of the disc body part and extending along the center line, and a main body forming a housing body by fixing a joint portion of the tubular parts. Forming process and board of the housing body Along the circular opening of the part to secure the ring member to the rib-like comprising a housing assembly forming a axle housing takes the following technical means of. Further, in the above configuration, the flat plate having the cover portion trimmed in the trimming step may include an arc-shaped central edge portion that curves a central portion surrounding the cover portion substantially along the outer periphery of a circular hole of the cover portion, It may be constituted by a side edge formed by forming a piece connected to the portion and extending in the longitudinal direction into a tubular expanded shape.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the step of the third aspect, before the step of forming the cover portion, a metal flat plate such as a steel plate is provided with a slightly extra length based on the developed shape of the housing body. Technical measures are taken to provide a material cutting step of cutting the material slightly larger including the material. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, a technical measure is taken in which the flat plate has a rectangular shape in the material cutting step. Further, in the invention according to claim 7, after the trimming step, a preforming step of symmetrically bending in a direction opposite to the projecting direction of the cover portion along a longitudinal center line of the flat plate having the cover portion is provided. It has taken the technical measures.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an axle housing for a vehicle and a method for manufacturing the same according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the axle housing 1 includes a housing body 2 press-formed from a single metal flat plate, and a separate ring member 1 fixed to the housing body 2.
It consists of 0.

The housing body 2 has a hollow disk-shaped disk body 4 having a circular opening 7 in the center, and a cover which is integrally bent at the bottom side of the disk body 4 and has a semispherical concave shape. Part 5
And a pair of cylindrical portions 6 connected to the board portion 4 and extending left and right.
It consists of In this embodiment, the cylindrical portion 6 is formed of a frusto-conical hollow body that is gradually narrowed toward the distal end. Further, the ring-shaped member 10 is formed in an annular shape having a diameter set along the peripheral edge of the circular opening 7, and is fixed in a rib shape along the edge of the circular opening 7.

Next, a process of forming the housing body 2 will be described. FIG. 2 shows a material cutting step. First, as a first step, a flat plate 3 made of metal such as a steel plate is cut into a slightly larger schematic shape including a slightly longer length based on the developed shape of the housing body (see FIG. 2A). Here, the flat plate 3 has a rectangular shape including the developed shape of the housing body (FIG. 2).
(B)). Since the accurate outer peripheral shape of the flat plate is trimmed in the third step, in this step, the material is cut into the above general shape in order to efficiently use the material. That is, in the illustrated example, it has an outer peripheral shape in which arc-shaped depressions are provided on the upper and lower sides and the left and right sides of the horizontally long flat plate 3.

Next, as a second step, as shown in a cover forming step by press forming in FIG. 3, the center of the flat plate 3 is formed into a substantially hemispherical concave shape by press working (drawing). To form the cover part 5. Thereby, the cover part 5 projecting outward at the center of the flat plate 3 is integrally formed.

As a third step, as shown in a trimming step of FIG. 4, the outer peripheral shape of the flat plate 3 after the formation of the cover portion 5 is accurately cut in accordance with the developed shape of the housing body. The flat plate 3 trimmed by the trimming step has a central portion surrounding the cover portion 5 and a central edge portion 3a of an arc shape curved substantially along the outer periphery of the circular hole 5a of the cover portion 5.
And an inclined side edge 3b that gradually and narrowly inclines toward an end in the longitudinal direction so that a piece connected to the central edge 3a and extending in the longitudinal direction has a tubular expanded shape. It has an arc-shaped edge 3c. Since the outer peripheral shape of the flat plate 3 is determined at this stage, even if the outer peripheral shape of the flat plate 3 is slightly deformed by the press molding in the second stage, it can be handled.

Next, as a fourth step, as shown in the preforming step of FIG. 5, the flat plate 3 having the cover part 5 is symmetrically arranged along the longitudinal center line with the projecting direction of the cover part 5. Fold it in the reverse direction in a substantially U-shaped cross section. That is, the flat plate 3
Is raised so as to surround the opening edge of the cover portion 5 in the short direction, and is raised in a substantially U-shaped cross-section so as to become gradually narrower along the longitudinal direction.

As a fifth step, as shown in a U-shaped forming (intermediate forming) step of FIG. Form into a letter shape. Then, as shown in the O-type molding (finish molding) step of FIG. 7, the opposing central edges 3a, 3a are formed into a continuous circular shape on the same surface and the inner peripheral edge of the circular opening 7 is formed. A hollow disk-shaped disk body portion 4 is formed.

The edge 3c is joined endlessly to form a circular inner peripheral edge, and the inclined side edge 3 opposing in the short direction.
b, 3b are joined on the same surface to form a frusto-conical cylindrical portion 6, 6
Formed. Accordingly, a hollow disk-shaped disk body 4 having a diameter larger than that of the cover 5 and having the circular opening 7 on the outer surface, communicating with the hollow part of the cover 5 at the center, and a hollow part of the disk body 4 And a cylindrical portion 6 extending in the longitudinal direction.

Then, as a main body forming step of a seventh step,
The housing body 2 is formed by fixing the joined portions of the cylindrical portions 6, 6 by welding or the like. Further, in a housing assembling step of an eighth step, a separately formed ring member 10 is welded along the circular opening 7 of the board 4 of the housing body 2 and fixed in a rib shape (see FIG. 8). Thus, the axle housing 1 is assembled.

In the above embodiment, the cylindrical portion has a circular cross section, but may have an elliptical cross section or a polygonal cross section. Also, the disk body is circular when viewed from the side, but may be similarly elliptical or polygonal. In the above embodiment, the material cutting step is cut into a schematic shape in FIG. 2, but may be a rectangular shape. In addition, it goes without saying that various design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, the axle housing, which has conventionally been composed of four parts, is made into two parts, thereby reducing the number of parts. It can be reduced to a total of three places, two places on the surface and one place joining the ring member to the periphery of the circular opening. And since a housing main body can be integrally molded, the processing process of a single article can be reduced. As a result, the cost can be reduced, and the reliability can be further improved due to the reduced number of welding points in assembly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an attached state of a housing body and a ring member.

2A and 2B are plan views showing a material cutting step, wherein FIG. 2A shows a schematic shape, and FIG. 2B shows a rectangular shape.

3 (a) is a perspective view, and FIG. 3 (b) is a cross-sectional view, showing a cover forming step.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a trimming step.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a preforming step.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a U-shaped forming (intermediate forming) step.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an O-shaped forming (finish forming) step.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a housing assembling step.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing an attached state of a conventional housing.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Axle housing 2 Housing main body 3 Flat plate 4 Board part 5 Cover part 6 Tube part 7 Circular opening 10 Ring member

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A cover having a concave portion at the center of a flat plate is formed by press molding on a single metal flat plate cut along the developed shape of a housing body, and the cover is surrounded by an opening of the cover. A board body part which is bent into a cylindrical shape based on a center line in the longitudinal direction of the part extending in all directions, communicates with the hollow part of the cover part, is set to have a large diameter, and has an opening on the outer surface, and the board body part A cylindrical body extending along the center line in communication with the hollow part of the housing body, and a housing body fixedly joined to the joint part of the cylindrical part; and a ring member; An axle housing for a vehicle, wherein a ring member is fixed to a portion in a rib shape. 2. A cover having a substantially hemispherical shape, a disk body having a disk shape having a circular opening in the center of the outer surface, and a cylindrical part formed of a hollow cylindrical body having a truncated cone shape. The vehicle axle housing according to claim 1, wherein 3. A cover part forming step of bending a cover part which is concaved by pressing on a metal flat plate, and a trimming step of cutting the outer periphery of the flat plate having the cover part along the developed shape of the housing body. A U-shaped forming step of bending a portion extending in all directions around the opening of the cover portion so as to face each other with respect to a center line in a longitudinal direction thereof to form a substantially U-shaped cross section; The opposite ends are bent so as to be flush with each other, and are connected to the hollow portion of the cover portion so as to be set to have a large diameter and have an opening provided on the outer surface thereof, and a hollow portion of the disk portion. An O-shaped forming step of forming a cylindrical portion extending along the center line in communication with the main body; a main body forming step of fixing a joint portion of the cylindrical portion to form a housing main body; Ring member is fixed in a rib shape along the circular opening Preparation of a vehicle axle housing, characterized in that it consists of a housing assembly forming a axle housing Te. 4. A flat plate having a cover portion trimmed in a trimming step, wherein a center portion surrounding the cover portion is curved substantially along the outer periphery of a circular hole of the cover portion, and an arc-shaped center edge portion; The vehicle axle housing manufacturing method according to claim 1, further comprising: a side edge formed by forming a piece extending in the longitudinal direction in connection with the cylindrical member in an expanded shape of a cylindrical body. 5. A material cutting step for cutting a metal flat plate such as a steel plate into a slightly large one including a marginal length based on the developed shape of the housing body before the cover part forming step. The method for manufacturing an axle housing for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein: 6. The method for manufacturing an axle housing for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the flat plate has a rectangular shape in the material cutting step. 7. A preforming step is provided after the trimming step, wherein a preforming step of symmetrically bending the plate having the cover in a direction opposite to the projecting direction of the cover is provided symmetrically along a longitudinal center line of the flat plate having the cover. A method of manufacturing the vehicle axle housing according to claim 4.