Vehicle

Abstract

The present application relates to a vehicle. A vehicle is provided, which is structured so that impact absorbability is improved at a portion where impact force is concentrated at the time of a side collision, and unintended brittle failure of a fiber-reinforced resin member is avoided. A vehicle of an embodiment of the present application has a fiber-reinforced resin member having a fragile portion at least in a part thereof, a reinforcing member provided so as to cover and reinforce the fragile portion, and a fixing portion for fastening the reinforcing member to the fiber-reinforced resin member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle having a body body at least partially composed of fiber-reinforced resin components. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, in order to reduce the weight of vehicle platforms, the use of carbon fiber reinforced resin to construct the vehicle body structure has been discussed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a center pillar structure made of carbon fiber reinforced resin. Patent Document 1 shows that an aluminum casting connecting part is placed at the connection point between the center pillar and the side beam, where impact forces are predicted to concentrate in a side collision (also known as a side impact). Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses that it improves the impact absorption effect during a side collision and minimizes the deformation of the vehicle cabin.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-193637 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] Patent document 1 disclosed the following: the connecting parts of the aluminum casting undergo ductile deformation by bending inward in the vehicle width direction due to collision load, and at the same time generate a large reaction force, effectively absorbing the collision load through this ductility.

[0008] However, due to the significantly different behavior of the impact force on the fiber-reinforced resin component and the metal component, or the fact that the failure mode of the fiber-reinforced resin component is generally brittle, when the connection is made via a metal component as described in Patent Document 1 above, the metal component does not deform ductilely as expected depending on the direction or magnitude of the impact force, and the fiber-reinforced resin component around the metal component may suffer unexpected brittle failure.

[0009] The present invention was created by way of example in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a vehicle with a structure that can improve impact absorption at the location where the impact force is predicted to be concentrated in a side collision, and avoid accidental brittle failure of fiber-reinforced resin components.

[0010] Technical solutions for solving the problem

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle, (1) the vehicle having: a fiber-reinforced resin component having a vulnerable portion therein at least a portion; a reinforcing component provided for covering and reinforcing the vulnerable portion; and a fixing portion that fixes the reinforcing component to the fiber-reinforced resin component.

[0012] Furthermore, in the vehicle described in (1) above, it is preferable that (2) the vulnerable part is located in a region of relatively high impact stress in the fiber-reinforced resin component during a collision.

[0013] In addition, in the vehicle described in (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the vulnerable part (3) is located in the area of ​​the fiber-reinforced resin component where the wrinkling rate is relatively high during manufacturing.

[0014] In addition, in any one of the vehicles described in (1) to (3) above, it is preferred that (4) the plurality of fiber-reinforced resin components are connected by the reinforcing member.

[0015] In addition, in any one of the vehicles described in (1) to (4) above, it is preferable that (5) a spare vulnerable part is provided at a location different from the vulnerable part, which is paired with the vulnerable part.

[0016] Invention Effects

[0017] According to the present invention, the impact absorption capacity during a side collision of a vehicle can be improved, and accidental brittle failure of fiber-reinforced resin components can be avoided. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a partial representation of a vehicle equipped with fiber-reinforced resin components according to this embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 It means Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of section A-A in the diagram.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a vehicle with fiber-reinforced resin components installed in various locations.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle with fiber-reinforced resin components, partially representing a modified example 1.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle with fiber-reinforced resin components, partially representing variation 2. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, in this specification and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional structure are labeled with the same symbols, thereby omitting redundant descriptions. Additionally, in this specification and the drawings, sometimes different letters are used after the same symbol to distinguish multiple constituent elements having substantially the same functional structure. However, when it is not necessary to specifically distinguish each of the multiple constituent elements having substantially the same functional structure, only the same symbol is used.

[0024] <Implementation Method>

[0025] First, refer to Figures 1-3 The structure of a vehicle 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described. The vehicle 100 of this embodiment is as follows... Figure 1 The figures shown represent a portion (pillar) of the passenger vehicle body. Furthermore, as shown in the figures, in this specification, the vehicle's longitudinal direction (length direction) is defined as the X direction, the vehicle width direction as the Y direction, and the vehicle's height direction as the Z direction.

[0026] Representative parts of vehicle 100, such as Figure 3 For example, the vehicle body is constructed including front pillars, middle pillars, roof pillars, side beams, roof components, etc. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 uses fiber-reinforced resin components 10 in at least a portion of the aforementioned vehicle body.

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front pillar (A-pillar) is exemplified as an application part of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 to the vehicle body. However, the present invention is not limited to the example described above where the front pillar is made of fiber-reinforced resin component 10, and may also be applied locally to various parts of the vehicle body such as the center pillar and side beams, or the entire vehicle body may be made of fiber-reinforced resin component 10.

[0028] That is, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment is configured to include at least a fiber-reinforced resin component 10, a reinforcing component 20, and a fixing part 30.

[0029] The fiber-reinforced resin component 10 is a carbon-reinforced plastic (CFRP) for which the resin is reinforced by, for example, carbon fiber, and has a weak portion 11 in at least a portion thereof.

[0030] Furthermore, the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 is not limited to the CFRP mentioned above. In addition to GFRP, which is made by reinforcing the resin with glass fiber, various known fiber-reinforced resins such as BFRP (boron fiber reinforced plastic), KFRP (Kevlar fiber reinforced plastic), or AFRP (aramid fiber reinforced plastic) can also be used.

[0031] Moreover, such as Figure 1 As illustrated, the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 of this embodiment has a fragile portion 11 with relatively lower strength compared to other regions.

[0032] The vulnerable part 11 is a portion of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 that is preferentially damaged by impact forces during, for example, a side impact as described above. As for the specific structure of such a vulnerable part 11, various known structures can be used as long as the above-described function can be performed, but in this example, it is a rectangular opening obtained by reducing weight.

[0033] Furthermore, as described above, in this example, since the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 is used as the front pillar, the vulnerable portion 11 is formed with its long side oriented in a direction intersecting the long side direction (Z direction) of the pillar. Therefore, in the aforementioned side impact, the front pillar (fiber-reinforced resin component 10) bends via the vulnerable portion 11. In other words, in this embodiment, by providing this vulnerable portion 11, the deformation pattern of the front pillar during a side impact of the vehicle 100 is predetermined.

[0034] The reinforcing member 20 is provided to cover the aforementioned vulnerable portion 11 and to reinforce the area near the vulnerable portion 11. Thus, in the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the reinforcing member 20 is provided to strengthen the structure near the vulnerable portion 11. The specific material of this reinforcing member 20 is not particularly limited as long as it has higher strength than the fiber-reinforced resin member 10, and various known metal materials such as carbon steel plate, aluminum, and titanium can be used.

[0035] The fixing part 30 has the function of fixing the reinforcing member 20 to the fiber-reinforced resin member 10. As a specific example of such a fixing part 30, various known fixing methods such as bolt fastening, adhesive-based fixing, or welding can be applied. In this embodiment, as a specific example of the fixing part 30, the reinforcing member 20 is fixed to the fiber-reinforced resin member 10 by bolt fastening.

[0036] Next, also refer to Figure 2 The arrangement of the reinforcing member 20 and the fixing part 30 in this embodiment will be described. As can be understood from the same figure, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 20 is disposed on the fiber-reinforced resin member 10 from multiple sides via the fixing part 30. More specifically, the vulnerable part 11 is formed by inserting through the front pillar (fiber-reinforced resin member 10). Furthermore, the reinforcing member 20 is provided on both the inner and outer sides of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10 to cover the vulnerable part 11 (opening).

[0037] At this time, as Figure 2As shown, preferably, a pair of reinforcing members 20 are provided to clamp the front pillar (fiber-reinforced resin component 10), and fixing parts 30 (bolt fastening) are respectively provided at the upper and lower ends of the reinforcing members 20. By adopting this structure, the relatively low strength caused by the formation of weak parts 11 on the front pillar (fiber-reinforced resin component 10) can be strengthened by the reinforcing members 20.

[0038] In the vehicle of this embodiment, when an impact force is input to the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 from the outside of the vehicle body during a collision, the vulnerable part 11 will break and break first. However, since the reinforcing member 20, which is provided in a manner that covers the vulnerable part 11, is fixed to the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 via the fixing part 30, the movable fracture end of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 is prevented.

[0039] also, Figure 2 The middle figure shows a pair of reinforcing members 20 in the vehicle height direction that are almost the same size, but they can also be configured to have different shapes, such as the reinforcing member 20 on the outer side of the vehicle body being larger than the reinforcing member 20 on the inner side. In addition, in the figure, the thickness of the pair of reinforcing members 20 that hold the front pillar (fiber-reinforced resin member 10) is set to be approximately equal, but they can also be configured to have different thicknesses, such as the reinforcing member 20 on the outer side of the vehicle body being thicker than the reinforcing member 20 on the inner side.

[0040] <Location of vulnerable part 11 on vehicle 100>

[0041] Next, also refer to Figure 3 The location of the vulnerable portion 11 formed in the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 will be explained. As can be seen from the same figure, in the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the lower end of the front pillar is connected to the front end of the side beam, and the upper end of the front pillar is connected to the front end of the roof pillar. In this way, the front pillar is configured to form the front of the vehicle (constituting the passenger compartment (body)) and support both sides of the windshield.

[0042] On the other hand, in the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the lower end of the center pillar is connected to the central portion of the side beam in the X direction, and the upper end is connected to the central portion of the roof pillar in the X direction. Furthermore, the roof pillar extends along the X direction on the upper part of the vehicle body, forming both sides of the roof of the vehicle 100. Additionally, the side beam extends along the X direction on the lower part of the side of the vehicle.

[0043] As described above, the vulnerable part 11 in this embodiment is provided as a part that is preferentially fractured or destroyed by impact forces such as those during a side collision. Therefore, as shown in the figure, ideally, the vulnerable part 11 in this embodiment is provided in a region P1 in the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 where the impact stress during a collision (side collision, rollover, etc.) is relatively high.

[0044] As a specific example of this region P1, as an example, except for, for example Figure 3 In addition to the root of the front column shown, examples may also be the front or rear end of the top column, the upper end or root of the middle column, the two ends of the side beam, etc.

[0045] Furthermore, ideally, the vulnerable portion 11 of this embodiment is located in the region P2 where the wrinkling rate is relatively high during the manufacture of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10. That is, since the strength of the wrinkled portion is relatively low compared to other portions, it can be said that this region P2 itself contains the function of the vulnerable portion 11 of this embodiment. In addition, there is a general tendency for a high wrinkling rate in the curved (R) portions of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10.

[0046] As a specific example of this region P2, examples can be given as follows: Figure 3 The connection between the lower end of the central column and the side beam, the upper or lower end of the central column, or the lower end of the front column, etc., are shown.

[0047] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown in region P2, ideally, multiple fiber-reinforced resin components 10 are connected by the aforementioned reinforcing member 20. That is, in region P2, the lower end of the center column and the side beam are connected by the reinforcing member 20. In this way, the reinforcing member 20 of this embodiment can also have the function of connecting multiple different fiber-reinforced resin components 10 to each other (in the above example, the front column and the side beam).

[0048] In addition, such as Figure 3 As shown, in the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, it is ideal to provide a spare vulnerable part 12, which is paired with the vulnerable part 11, in a region (region P3) different from the vulnerable part 11 described above. Here, "paired" refers to the part that transmits the impact after the vulnerable part 11 during the collision (side collision) described above. That is, in this embodiment, since the vulnerable part 11 is provided at the lower end of the front pillar, the spare vulnerable part 12 is provided at the upper end of the front pillar on the opposite side. Furthermore, as specific examples of the region P3 where the spare vulnerable part 12 is provided, the front or rear end of the top pillar, both sides of the side beams, or the upper or lower end of the center pillar, etc., can be exemplified.

[0049] Thus, in a side collision of vehicle 100, for example, the vulnerable part 11 will break and fail preferentially (first), followed by the alternative vulnerable part 12 breaking and failing. Alternatively, even if the vulnerable part 11 does not break and fail preferentially (first) for some reason during a side collision of vehicle 100, the alternative vulnerable part 12, which is the second most vulnerable, will still break and fail supplementarily, thereby preventing accidental brittle fracture of other parts.

[0050] According to the vehicle 100 of this embodiment described above, since the impact force is concentrated at the vulnerable part 11 during, for example, a side collision, the impact force generated by the collision can be absorbed by the preferential fracture and destruction of the vulnerable part 11 during the side collision. Furthermore, since the vulnerable part 11 is pre-formed in this embodiment and this part preferentially (first) fractures and destroys, it is possible to suppress fracture or destruction of parts of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 other than the vulnerable part 11. Thus, accidental brittle fracture can be avoided in other parts.

[0051] <Variation Example 1>

[0052] Next, refer to Figure 4 The vehicle 110 of Modified Example 1, which is a modification of the above-described embodiment, will be described. Furthermore, components having the same function as those in the above-described embodiment will be labeled with the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted as appropriate (the same applies to Modified Example 2 described later).

[0053] That is, in the above-described embodiment, the reinforcing member 20 covering one side of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10 is composed of a single member. In contrast, in this modified example 1, as shown in the figure, multiple reinforcing members 20a and 20b cover one side of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10.

[0054] Thus, in this disclosure, a single reinforcing member 20 can be used to cover the vulnerable portion 11 of one side of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10 (e.g., the outer side of the vehicle body), or multiple reinforcing members 20 can be used to cover at least a portion of the vulnerable portion 11.

[0055] At this time, the multiple reinforcing components 20a and 20b can be made of the same material, or they can be made of materials with different strengths, such as steel plates and aluminum plates. In addition, the multiple reinforcing components 20a and 20b can be the same shape, or they can be different shapes, and they can have different thicknesses or the same thickness.

[0056] <Variation Example 2>

[0057] Next, refer to Figure 5 The vehicle 120 of Modified Example 2, which is obtained by modifying the above-described embodiment, will be described.

[0058] That is, in the above-described embodiment or variation 1, bolts are used for fastening as the fixing part 30. In contrast, in this variation 2, as shown in the figure, the reinforcing member 20 is fixed to one side of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10 by an adhesive-based fixing part 30. As such an adhesive, various known adhesives used in automobiles can be applied.

[0059] Furthermore, in this modified example 2, the vulnerable part 11 is not an opening obtained through weight reduction, but is composed of a part that is relatively thinner than other parts. That is, as... Figure 5 As shown, the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 of Modified Example 2 has different thicknesses (d1 to d3) in the vehicle width direction, wherein the area with the thinnest thickness d1 is designated as the weak part 11.

[0060] Thus, the vulnerable part 11 of the present invention does not necessarily have to be made vulnerable by weight reduction, but can also be made vulnerable by making its thickness different from other parts.

[0061] Furthermore, as can be understood from the same figure, the reinforcing member 20 is not provided on one side and the other side (in this example, the inside and outside of the vehicle body) of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10, but is only provided on one side of the fiber-reinforced resin component 10 (e.g., the outer side of the vehicle body).

[0062] Thus, the reinforcing member 20 of the present invention does not necessarily have to be arranged in pairs on both sides of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10, and can also be arranged on at least one side of the fiber-reinforced resin member 10.

[0063] As described above, preferred embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Of course, those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains can make further modifications to these embodiments or modifications within the scope of the technical concept set forth in the claims, and it should be understood that such further modifications also fall within the technical scope of this invention.

[0064] Symbol Explanation

[0065] 100 vehicles

[0066] 10 Fiber-reinforced resin components

[0067] 11 Ministry of Vulnerability

[0068] 20 Reinforced Components

[0069] 30. Fixing part.

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: a fiber-reinforced resin column having a weak portion at at least a portion thereof, the weak portion being formed in a manner that a long side thereof is oriented in a direction intersecting with a column long side direction and has a relatively low strength compared to other regions; a reinforcing member covering at least a portion of the weak portion from an inside or an outside of a vehicle body and reinforcing the weak portion; and a fixing portion provided at an upper end portion and a lower end portion of the reinforcing member, fixing the reinforcing member to the fiber-reinforced resin column.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the weak portion is provided at a region in which an impact stress at the time of a collision is relatively high in the fiber-reinforced resin column.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the weak portion is provided at a region of the fiber-reinforced resin column in which a wrinkle occurrence rate at the time of manufacturing is relatively high.

4. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the weak portion is provided at a region of the fiber-reinforced resin column in which a wrinkle occurrence rate at the time of manufacturing is relatively high.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the fiber-reinforced resin columns are connected by the reinforcing member.

6. The vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of the fiber-reinforced resin columns are connected by the reinforcing member.

7. The vehicle according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the fiber-reinforced resin columns are connected by the reinforcing member.

8. The vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the fiber-reinforced resin columns are connected by the reinforcing member.

9. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a backup weak portion paired with the weak portion is further provided at a portion different from the weak portion, the backup weak portion having a higher strength than the weak portion.

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