Integrated rear wheel cover and its preparation process, automobile side assembly and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to an integrated rear wheel cover, a manufacturing process thereof, an automobile side panel assembly, and a vehicle. The integrated rear wheel cover comprises a rear wheel cover body, a patch plate, an inner reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover, and an outer reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover. The rear wheel cover body and the patch plate are integrally formed, and the patch plate is provided with a plurality of shock absorber mounting points. The inner reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover and the outer reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover are both vertically arranged above the shock absorber mounting points. The upper halves of the inner reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover and the outer reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover are fixedly connected together and enclose a first cavity with an open upper end with the patch plate. The lower end of the inner reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover is connected to the lower end of the patch plate, and the lower half of the inner reinforcement beam for the rear wheel cover and the lower half of the patch plate enclose a second cavity structure. The first cavity structure is connected to the second cavity structure. The present invention can solve the sealing problem between the inner and outer panels of a conventional rear wheel cover, reduce production costs, improve the accuracy of the shock absorber mounting points, and avoid the problems of cracking of the vehicle body structure and weld failure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile design and automobile manufacturing, and in particular to an integrated rear wheel cover and a preparation process thereof, an automobile side panel assembly and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The rear wheelhouse, located behind the bodyside and above the rear wheels, is a critical structural component of the vehicle. It connects the lower body and side assembly, provides a mounting point for the rear shock absorber, and prevents external noise and water from entering the vehicle interior. Therefore, high requirements are placed on the mounting point precision, rigidity, and sealing performance of the rear wheelhouse. With the increasing popularity of automobiles, consumers are demanding higher quality and a superior driving experience, which requires the support of a high-performance, high-precision, high-sealing, and lightweight body-in-white.

[0003] As a crucial component of the vehicle, the body-in-white (BIW) directly impacts its safety and comfort through its stiffness, joint dynamic stiffness, and fatigue durability. The rear bodyside structure, a crucial component of the vehicle's frame, comprises structural components such as the rear wheelhouse inner and outer panels, the rear shock absorber support assembly and reinforcement plate, the rear pillar inner panel, and the A-pillar rear reinforcement, forming the rear load-bearing unit. In terms of its local function, the rear shock absorber support assembly receives force from the chassis shock absorber, which is then transferred to the surrounding structural components via the wheelhouse inner and outer panels and wheelhouse inner panel reinforcement. As the mounting point for the rear shock absorber, the rear shock absorber support assembly bears the loads of the vehicle body and occupants. If the force transmission path is poor, weld failure may occur, leading to fatigue cracking and failure of the rear shock absorber mount, potentially resulting in a serious safety accident.

[0004] The traditional rear wheel cover structure is composed of inner and outer wheel covers and various reinforcements welded together. The multi-part and multi-process welding design significantly increases the investment in product development and production costs, increases product debugging time, and is not conducive to achieving high performance, high precision, high sealing and lightweight of the car, which seriously restricts the development of the car. Therefore, an integrated rear wheel cover structure is needed to solve the above problems.

[0005] Existing research, such as Chinese patent application number CN105818869A, provides a rear wheelhouse overlap structure and a vehicle body-in-white. The overlap structure comprises a rear wheelhouse inner panel, a rear wheelhouse outer panel, a shock absorber mount, a rear wheelhouse reinforcement plate, and a support plate on the wheelhouse inner panel. The upper portion of the rear wheelhouse reinforcement plate and the upper portion of the rear wheelhouse inner panel are connected to the rear wheelhouse outer panel. The lower portion of the support plate on the wheelhouse inner panel is connected to the rear wheelhouse reinforcement plate, extending past the bend of the rear wheelhouse reinforcement plate and connecting to the rear wheelhouse outer panel. The middle portion protrudes away from the upper portion of the rear wheelhouse reinforcement plate to form a cavity with the rear wheelhouse reinforcement plate and the rear wheelhouse outer panel. The cavity is provided with reinforcing ribs on both the front and rear sides. The rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement plate is a flat plate with reinforcing ribs. This invention has a compact structure. The support plate on the wheelhouse inner panel does not occupy space inside the vehicle, making it easy to arrange interior trim panels and seats, improving interior space utilization, and facilitating vertical impact load resistance, thereby reducing weight, achieving lightweight goals, and improving fuel economy. For example, the Chinese patent with patent number CN214057721U discloses a rear wheel cover assembly, including a wheel cover rear plate, a wheel arch fitted on the wheel cover rear plate, and a wheel cover front plate connected to the wheel arch; a wheel cover inner reinforcement plate is provided on the inner surface of the wheel cover rear plate, and a wheel cover left reinforcement plate and a wheel cover right reinforcement plate are provided on the outer surface of the wheel cover rear plate; the rear wheel cover assembly of this technical solution realizes overlap with the vehicle body through a "Z"-shaped overlap plate, and achieves targeted reinforcement of fragile and stress-concentrated parts by integrating the wheel cover inner reinforcement plate, the left reinforcement plate and the wheel cover right reinforcement plate on the wheel cover rear plate, effectively improving the process problems of the rear wheel cover reinforcement plate assembly, such as many reinforcement parts, high tooling and mold development costs, complex welding process, and low production efficiency, thereby saving production costs.

[0006] Both of the above-mentioned rear wheel covers adopt the traditional multi-part welding method, and optimize the local structure, which saves costs and improves performance to a certain extent. However, the following problems still exist: 1. The wheel cover is welded by the inner panel and the outer panel of the wheel cover, and is sealed with spot welding sealant and weld sealant. It is easy to cause sealing problems due to defects in the glue coating, affecting the comfort and experience of the whole vehicle; 2. The shock absorber mounting point has multiple parts welded through multiple processes, and the size chain is long. The cumulative tolerance affects the accuracy of the shock absorber mounting point and affects the performance of the rear suspension; 3. In order to meet the stiffness of the shock absorber mounting point, the number of reinforcing plates is too large, and the number of molds, fixtures, inspection fixtures and other tooling is increased. The complex welding process affects the improvement of production efficiency and increases production costs.

[0007] To address at least one of the aforementioned issues, existing research, such as Chinese Patent No. CN218021856U, further provides a rear wheel cover, rear floor assembly, and vehicle. The rear wheel cover comprises: a wheel cover body including a first side surface facing the wheel hub and a second side surface facing the rear shock absorber and disposed opposite the first side surface; a rear shock absorber mounting portion disposed on the wheel cover body for mounting and securing the rear shock absorber; and a first reinforcing structure disposed on the first side surface, including a first reinforcing rib extending in a first direction and a second reinforcing rib disposed at an angle to the first reinforcing rib. The first and second reinforcing ribs are located between the rear shock absorber mounting portion and the bottom edge of the wheel cover body. The first direction is the vertical direction when the rear wheel cover is actually installed. The rear wheel cover is die-cast as a single piece. While the aforementioned rear wheel cover can solve the welding problem and improve the strength and rigidity of the rear shock absorber mounting portion, it also disperses the impact stress of the rear shock absorber mounting portion, thereby improving the structural strength and rigidity of the rear wheel cover, preventing damage to the rear wheel cover, and enhancing vehicle driving safety. However, the above-mentioned rear wheel cover does not solve the problem of installation hard point accuracy, and the rear wheel cover also needs to be equipped with connecting ribs to improve the stability of the second reinforcement ribs, which increases the number of tooling to a certain extent, and requires comprehensive consideration of the number of second reinforcement ribs, inclination angles, etc. in the design, which is not conducive to improving production efficiency.

[0008] Therefore, if an integrated rear wheel cover can be provided that can solve the sealing problem between the inner and outer panels of the rear wheel cover, the accuracy problem of the shock absorber mounting point, reduce the investment in tooling such as molds, fixtures, and inspection tools, shorten the product development cycle, and reduce production costs, and effectively ensure the stiffness requirements of the shock absorber mounting point and avoid cracking and failure of the body structure, it will be more conducive to the development of automobile manufacturing technology and meet the market needs of the new era. Summary of the Invention

[0009] One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide an integrated rear wheel cover to solve the problems existing in the prior art, such as the sealing problem between the inner and outer panels of the rear wheel cover, the accuracy problem of the shock absorber mounting point, the large investment in tooling such as molds, fixtures, and inspection tools, the long product development cycle, and the high production cost; the second purpose is to provide a preparation process for the integrated rear wheel cover; the third purpose is to provide a vehicle side assembly; and the fourth purpose is to provide a vehicle.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0011] A first aspect of the present invention provides an integrated rear wheel cover, which is arranged on the rear floor assembly of the vehicle and includes a rear wheel cover body, a patch plate, a rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam arranged on the inner side of the rear wheel cover, and a rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam arranged on the outer side of the rear wheel cover. The rear wheel cover body and the patch plate are formed as one piece, and the patch plate is provided with multiple shock absorber mounting points; the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam are both vertically arranged above the shock absorber mounting points, and the upper parts of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam are fixedly connected together, and enclose with the patch plate to form a first cavity structure with an open upper end in the shape of a U-shaped cavity; the lower end of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam is connected to the lower end of the patch plate, and the lower half of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam and the lower half of the patch plate enclose to form a second cavity structure, and the first cavity structure is connected to the second cavity structure.

[0012] Based on the above-mentioned technical means, the rear wheel cover body of the present invention integrates the traditional rear wheel cover inner and outer panels, forming them into one piece through a thermoforming process. This replaces the traditional welded structure of the components and eliminates the welds and glue coating between the rear wheel cover inner and outer panels, effectively solving the sealing problem between the inner and outer panels. Because the rear wheel cover body of the present invention is integrally formed, the number of tooling such as molds, fixtures, and gauges can be reduced, reducing human resource investment and shortening the product development cycle of the integrated rear wheel cover, thereby effectively reducing development and production costs. Furthermore, the multiple shock absorber mounting points of the present invention are also directly formed on the rear wheel cover body. The precision of the mounting points is directly guaranteed by the thermoforming mold, thus shortening the dimensional chain and avoiding the cumulative errors caused by the welding process and the mounting point precision issues. The present invention uses a patch plate to replace the rear shock absorber mounting plate of the traditional rear wheel cover structure and is integrally formed with the rear wheel cover body, further reducing the amount of tooling used. At the same time, the patch plate is used to meet the stiffness requirements of the shock absorber mounting points, ensuring that the vehicle body structure does not crack or weld failure under the impact load of the rear shock absorber. The present invention sets cavity structures on the upper and lower sides of the rear wheel cover body to ensure that the impact load of the rear shock absorber is dispersedly transmitted upward and downward simultaneously through the first cavity structure and the second cavity structure, avoiding stress concentration at the shock absorber installation point.

[0013] Furthermore, a plurality of first reinforcing ribs are provided on the rear wheel cover body and are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and a first reinforcing rib is provided at each shock absorber mounting point.

[0014] Based on the above technical means, the present invention improves the overall stiffness of the rear wheelhouse and enhances NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) performance by providing multiple first reinforcing ribs throughout the rear wheelhouse body, thereby enhancing the overall vehicle comfort and ride quality. The first reinforcing ribs extend vertically, i.e., in the direction of force applied at the shock absorber mounting point. Thus, the first and second first reinforcing ribs c and d enhance the strength and stiffness at this location, while the remaining first reinforcing ribs distribute the impact stress at the shock absorber mounting point.

[0015] Furthermore, the patch plate has an L-shaped structure, and is provided with a plurality of second reinforcing ribs spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the second reinforcing ribs overlap one by one with the first reinforcing ribs at the shock absorber mounting points.

[0016] According to the above technical means, the present invention ensures that when the shock absorber mounting point is impacted, the impact load of the rear shock absorber is transmitted along the rib direction through the above arrangement.

[0017] Furthermore, the lower end of the inner reinforcing beam of the rear wheel cover is provided with a third connecting edge formed by bending and extending toward the outside of the rear wheel cover, and the lower end of the patch plate is provided with a second connecting edge formed by bending and extending toward the inside of the rear wheel cover. The lower end of the inner reinforcing beam of the rear wheel cover and the lower end of the patch plate are fixedly connected by the third connecting edge and the second connecting edge.

[0018] According to the above technical means, the lower ends of the rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement beam and the patch plate are fixedly connected by the second and third connecting edges of the present invention, and the second and third connecting edges of the present invention are jointly connected to the rear floor frame of the vehicle body. Only when the second and third connecting edges are bent and extended in the present invention can the second cavity structure be enclosed.

[0019] Furthermore, a plurality of third reinforcing ribs are provided on the lower half of the reinforcing beam inside the rear wheel housing and are spaced apart along its axial direction. The third reinforcing ribs correspond to the second reinforcing ribs one by one and enclose to form a second cavity structure.

[0020] Furthermore, nuts for fixing and installing the shock absorbers are provided at corresponding shock absorber mounting points on the patch plate.

[0021] According to the above technical means, the third and second reinforcing ribs of the present invention are both located in the second cavity structure, thereby increasing the rigidity of the local cavity structure. The present invention utilizes multiple shock absorber mounting points to collectively mount a shock absorber, each of which is provided with a nut. The nut of the present invention can be pre-fixed to the patch plate by projection welding or other methods.

[0022] Furthermore, the rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam also includes a plurality of rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam connecting edges, and the plurality of third reinforcement ribs are located between the plurality of rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam connecting edges and form an integral structure with the rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam connecting edges.

[0023] Furthermore, the rear wheelhouse outer reinforcement beam includes a rear wheelhouse outer reinforcement beam connecting edge, and the rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement beam also includes a fourth connecting edge, which is arranged circumferentially along the rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement beam and located between the third reinforcement rib and the upper portion of the rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement beam. The patch plate also includes a first connecting edge, which is located above the second reinforcement rib. The first cavity structure is vertically connected to the first connecting edge through the rear wheelhouse outer reinforcement beam connecting edge and the fourth connecting edge, and overlaps with the second cavity structure.

[0024] Specifically, the reinforcing beam inside the rear wheel arch includes a fourth connecting edge, a third connecting edge, and a third reinforcing rib, and the patch plate includes a first connecting edge and a second connecting edge, wherein the fourth connecting edge is connected to the first connecting edge, the third connecting edge is connected to the second connecting edge, and forms a second cavity structure with the third reinforcing rib and the second reinforcing rib.

[0025] According to the above technical means, the second cavity structure of the present invention is overlapped and connected with the first cavity structure, and the overall cavity structure runs through from top to bottom, thereby ensuring that when the shock absorber mounting point is impacted, the impact load of the rear shock absorber is dispersed and transmitted upward and downward through the first cavity structure and the second cavity structure, so as to better disperse the buffering and avoid stress concentration at the shock absorber mounting point.

[0026] Furthermore, the second cavity structure is connected to the rear floor frame through the third connecting edge and the second connecting edge.

[0027] According to the above technical means, in the current rear wheel housing of a vehicle, the rear spring disc in the rear overhang area of ​​the rear wheel housing is arranged on the rear longitudinal beam, and the rear shock absorber mounting plate is arranged on the rear wheel housing. The two are independent of each other and have no connection structure, which does not form a good force transmission path and cannot provide good reinforcement and support. When the vehicle travels on rough roads, it not only affects the riding comfort of the driver and passengers, but also causes cracking and weld failure in the vehicle structure. However, the present invention connects the integrated rear wheel housing to the rear floor frame via the third connecting edge and the second connecting edge to establish support and form a force transmission path, thus ensuring the reinforcement and support effect of the integrated rear wheel housing.

[0028] The second aspect of the present invention provides a preparation process for an integrated rear wheel cover, wherein the rear wheel cover includes a rear wheel cover body and a patch plate. A plurality of shock absorber mounting points are provided on the rear wheel cover body, and the rear wheel cover body and the patch plate are integrally formed by a thermoforming process.

[0029] Furthermore, the rear wheel cover also includes a stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam and a rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam. The upper half of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam are placed vertically relative to each other above the shock absorber mounting point, and the upper halves of the two are assembled together through a fixed connection, and enclosed with the patch plate to form a U-shaped first cavity structure.

[0030] Furthermore, the lower end of the reinforcing beam in the rear wheel housing and the lower end of the patch plate are assembled together by fixed connection to form a second cavity structure connected to the first cavity structure.

[0031] A third aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle side panel assembly, comprising the integrated rear wheel cover as described above.

[0032] Furthermore, the vehicle side assembly includes a roof beam structure and a rear floor frame. The upper ends of the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam and the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam of the integrated rear wheel cover are connected to the roof beam structure; the lower end of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam and the lower end of the patch plate of the integrated rear wheel cover are connected to the rear floor frame.

[0033] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle comprising the vehicle side assembly as described above.

[0034] The beneficial technical effects of the present invention are:

[0035] (1) The present invention effectively solves the sealing problem between the inner and outer plates of a traditional rear wheel cover by forming an integrally formed rear wheel cover body and a patch plate integrally formed with the rear wheel cover body, reduces the investment in tooling such as molds, fixtures, and inspection tools, shortens the product development cycle, and reduces production costs; the shock absorber mounting point is directly formed on the rear wheel cover, and the accuracy of the mounting point is directly guaranteed by a thermoforming mold, thereby shortening the dimensional chain while avoiding the mounting point accuracy problem caused by the cumulative error generated by the welding process.

[0036] (2) The first cavity structure and the second cavity structure of the present invention, which are connected to each other in an upper and lower overlapping manner, effectively ensure the stiffness requirements of the shock absorber mounting point, and can effectively disperse and transmit the impact load of the rear shock absorber, thereby avoiding damage to the various components of the integrated rear wheel cover due to the impact stress, and also avoiding cracking of the vehicle body structure and failure of the welds; when the impact load of the rear shock absorber is dispersed to different parts of the vehicle body through the first cavity structure and the second cavity structure, the vehicle performance is reliable, and the deformation of the vehicle body during long-term use can be effectively avoided, thereby ensuring the performance of the rear part of the vehicle body assembly and effectively ensuring the structural strength of the various components of the integrated rear wheel cover.

[0037] (3) The rear wheel cover of the present invention adopts an integrated one-piece structure as a whole, which is beneficial to improving the rigidity of the vehicle body. The rear wheel cover structure has a high degree of integration, simple connection, high installation efficiency and installation accuracy, and is also beneficial to increasing the driving comfort and experience of the entire vehicle.

[0038] (4) The vehicle with the integrated rear wheel cover of the present invention has good NVH performance and fatigue durability performance, can reduce the manufacturing cost of the entire vehicle, has good product competitiveness, and has high driving safety performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrating embodiments consistent with the present application and, together with the specification, serving to explain the principles of the present application. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of the present application, and a person of ordinary skill in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort. In the drawings:

[0040] Figure 1 A front view of an integrated rear wheel cover structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 2 A rear view of an integrated rear wheel cover structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0042] Figure 3 A perspective view of an integrated rear wheel cover structure according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 4 A perspective view of an integrated rear wheel cover structure according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 5 An exploded view of an integrated rear wheel cover according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 6 for Figure 1 Bottom view of the view;

[0046] Figure 7 for Figure 1 Sectional view at view A;

[0047] Reference numerals

[0048] 1: rear wheel cover body; 2: rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam; 3: rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam; 4: patch plate; 5: nut; 101: first reinforcement rib a; 102: first reinforcement rib b; 103: first reinforcement rib c; 104: first reinforcement rib d; 105: first reinforcement rib e; 201: rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam connecting edge; 301: fourth connecting edge; 302: third connecting edge; 303: third reinforcement rib a; 304: third reinforcement rib b; 401: first connecting edge; 402: second connecting edge; 403: second reinforcement rib a; 404: second reinforcement rib b. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] The following describes the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings and preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate the other advantages and benefits of the present invention from the disclosure herein. The present invention may also be implemented or applied through various other specific embodiments, and the various details in this specification may be modified or altered based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be understood that the preferred embodiments are intended only to illustrate the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0050] It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are merely schematic illustrations of the basic concept of the present invention. Therefore, the illustrations only show components related to the present invention and are not drawn according to the number, shape, and size of components in actual implementation. In actual implementation, the type, quantity, and proportion of each component may be changed arbitrarily, and the component layout may also be more complex.

[0051] First of all, it should be noted that the stamping direction can be the force direction at the shock absorber mounting point, that is, when the integrated rear wheel cover is actually used, the shock absorber acts on the vertical direction of the rear shock absorber mounting point on the rear wheel cover body 1, which is the Z direction mentioned in the description of this application.

[0052] NVH performance (Noise, Vibration and Harshness) is a comprehensive issue to measure the quality of automobile manufacturing. It gives car users the most direct and superficial experience.

[0053] The present invention provides an integrated rear wheel cover, which is arranged on the rear floor assembly of a vehicle and includes a rear wheel cover body 1, a patch plate 4, a rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 arranged on the inner side of the rear wheel cover, and a rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam 2 arranged on the outer side of the rear wheel cover. The rear wheel cover body 1 and the patch plate 4 are formed as one piece, and the patch plate 4 is provided with multiple shock absorber mounting points; the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam 2 are both vertically arranged above the shock absorber mounting points, and the upper parts of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam 2 are fixedly connected together, and enclose with the patch plate 4 to form a first cavity with an open upper end in the shape of a U-shaped cavity; the lower end of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 is connected to the lower end of the patch plate 4, and the lower half of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 and the lower half of the patch plate 4 enclose to form a second cavity structure, and the first cavity structure is connected to the second cavity structure.

[0054] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the vehicle rear floor assembly of this embodiment includes two rear longitudinal beams, a front cross beam, a rear cross beam, an integrated rear wheel cover, etc., and the rear longitudinal beams, front and rear cross beams and other components form a rear floor frame, and the integrated rear wheel cover is connected to the rear floor frame. Figures 1 to 7 In this embodiment, the rear wheel cover body 1 replaces the traditional rear wheel cover inner plate and rear wheel cover outer plate welded structure, uses a thermoforming process to integrate the rear wheel cover inner plate and rear wheel cover outer plate into an integrated structure, and uses a patch plate 4 to replace the traditional rear shock absorber mounting plate.

[0055] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the rear wheel cover body 1 and the patch plate 4 of this embodiment are made of thermoformed materials. After the rear wheel cover body 1 sheet and the patch plate 4 sheet are connected, a thermoforming process is adopted to form them into one piece, and the traditional rear wheel cover inner panel, rear wheel cover outer panel and rear shock absorber mounting plate are integrated into an integrated structure. Among them, in order to ensure that the automobile body-in-white has certain rigidity, strength and toughness, and improve the anti-collision performance of the body-in-white, the thermoforming materials of this embodiment include but are not limited to 1500MPa and 1800MPa boron steel (high material strength, good bending fracture toughness, uniform organizational properties, suitable cost, good corrosion resistance and good heat treatment process performance, good spot welding, laser welding performance), high-strength 22MnB5, 28MnB5, 34MnB5 boron steel, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy and sheet metal. The thermoforming process includes, but is not limited to, a thermoforming strengthening zoning process to achieve functions of different areas and different strengths, etc. The thermoforming of the patch plate 4 and the rear wheel cover body 1 can be achieved through the patch plate 4 technology, etc. In the hot stamping of the rear wheel cover body 1, where the shock absorber mounting point area needs to be strengthened, another piece of hot stamping material is welded on the blank in advance, and then heated together and quenched and formed together in the same set of thermoforming molds, so as to achieve different structural strengths in different areas. The specific contents of the thermoforming materials and thermoforming processes of this embodiment are not limited here, and they are selected and prepared according to actual needs. This embodiment integrates the original rear wheel cover inner plate, rear wheel cover outer plate and rear shock absorber mounting plate into one part through the one-piece rear wheel cover body 1 and the patch plate 4, which can effectively solve the sealing problem at the rear wheel cover.

[0056] In one embodiment of this application, the position and accuracy of the shock absorber mounting points are directly ensured by a thermoforming die. This addresses the problem of traditional shock absorber mounting points being assembled from multiple parts through multiple welding processes, resulting in long dimensional chains and cumulative tolerances that affect shock absorber mounting accuracy and thus rear suspension performance. Furthermore, the high level of integration within the rear wheelhouse of this embodiment simplifies its structure, thereby reducing human resource investment, shortening product development cycles, and effectively lowering development and production costs.

[0057] In a specific embodiment of the present application, reference Figures 2 to 6In this embodiment, a plurality of first reinforcing ribs are provided on the rear wheel cover body 1 at intervals along the vertical direction, and a first reinforcing rib is provided at each shock absorber mounting point. In this embodiment, at least five first reinforcing ribs are provided on the rear wheel cover body 1 at intervals along the vertical direction, including a first reinforcing rib a101, a first reinforcing rib b102, a first reinforcing rib c103, a first reinforcing rib d104 and a first reinforcing rib e105, wherein the first reinforcing rib c103 and the first reinforcing rib d104 are respectively located at the shock absorber mounting points. In this embodiment, the plurality of first reinforcing ribs are arranged in parallel and parallel to the stamping direction, and the plurality of first reinforcing ribs have different heights to match the arc structure of the rear wheel cover body 1 and play a certain supporting role on the rear wheel cover body 1, so that its structure is stable. At the same time, this embodiment improves the overall stiffness of the rear wheel cover and the NVH performance through this arrangement, thereby increasing the driving comfort and experience of the entire vehicle. This embodiment utilizes multiple reinforcing ribs to mitigate the impact forces exerted on the rear shock absorber mounting point after installation. The vertical installation orientation of the multiple first reinforcing ribs corresponds to the direction of force exerted on the shock absorber mounting point. Therefore, in addition to enhancing stiffness, the first reinforcing ribs c103 and d104 also guide and distribute the shock absorber's impact load. The first reinforcing ribs a101, b102, and e105 of this embodiment also contribute to a certain degree of shock absorber impact load dispersion, but their impact is not as significant as the impact stress dispersion provided by the first reinforcing ribs c103 and d104. The multiple first reinforcing ribs of this embodiment effectively disperse and buffer the impact stress at the shock absorber mounting point, avoiding stress concentration there. The multiple first reinforcing ribs of this embodiment can be produced by stamping or other methods, and their placement can be freely defined and adjusted based on practical needs, providing greater design freedom and facilitating lightweight design.

[0058] In a specific embodiment of the present application, reference Figures 1 to 5In this embodiment, the patch plate 4 has an L-shaped structure and is provided with multiple second reinforcing ribs spaced apart in the vertical direction. These second reinforcing ribs overlap one-to-one with the first reinforcing ribs at the shock absorber mounting points. Preferably, the patch plate 4 in this embodiment includes, but is not limited to, two second reinforcing ribs a403 and b404 connecting to the rear floor frame in the rear floor assembly. The second reinforcing rib a403 overlaps with the first reinforcing rib c103, and the second reinforcing rib b404 overlaps with the first reinforcing rib d104. To meet the stiffness requirements at the shock absorber mounting point and ensure that the vehicle body structure does not crack or weld failure under the impact load of the rear shock absorber, the shock absorber mounting point is arranged on the patch plate 4. Below the shock absorber mounting point, two load-bearing structural ribs, namely the second reinforcing ribs a403 and the second reinforcing ribs b404, are provided on the patch plate 4 to connect to the rear floor frame. This improves the local stiffness of the vehicle body-in-white. This arrangement ensures that when the shock absorber mounting point experiences impact stress, the shock load is transmitted along the ribs. This includes transferring the load downward along the second reinforcing ribs a403 and b404 to the rear floor frame, dispersing the stress and preventing rear wheelhouse cracking. The impact load is further cushioned by transferring the stress along the first reinforcing ribs c103 and d104. Furthermore, the rigidity of the rear wheelhouse body 1 is further enhanced by the overlap of the second reinforcing ribs a403 and c103, and the overlap of the second reinforcing ribs b404 and d104.

[0059] In a specific embodiment of the present application, reference Figure 7 In this embodiment, the lower end of the inner reinforcing beam 3 of the rear wheel cover is provided with a third connecting edge 302 formed by bending and extending toward the outside of the rear wheel cover, and the lower end of the patch plate 4 is provided with a second connecting edge 402 formed by bending and extending toward the inside of the rear wheel cover. The lower end of the inner reinforcing beam 3 of the rear wheel cover and the lower end of the patch plate 4 are fixedly connected by the third connecting edge 302 and the second connecting edge 402.

[0060] In a specific embodiment of the present application, a plurality of third reinforcing ribs spaced apart along the axial direction are provided on the lower half of the reinforcing beam 3 inside the rear wheel arch of this embodiment. The third reinforcing ribs correspond one-to-one with the second reinforcing ribs and enclose to form a second cavity structure.

[0061] In a specific embodiment of the present application, reference Figures 1 to 4In this embodiment, the rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam 3 has a stepped structure, and the rear wheel housing outer reinforcement beam 2 has an L-shaped structure. The second reinforcement ribs of the multiple patch plates are located between the first connecting edge 401 and the second connecting edge 402 and are an integral structure with the connecting edge of the patch plate 4. The rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam 3 includes a fourth connecting edge 301 and a third connecting edge 302, and the multiple third reinforcement ribs are located between the fourth connecting edge 301 and the third connecting edge 302 and are an integral structure with the connecting edge of the rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam 3. The rear wheel housing outer reinforcement beam 2 includes a rear wheel housing outer reinforcement beam connecting edge 201, and the first cavity structure is connected to the first connecting edge 401 in a vertical direction through the rear wheel housing outer reinforcement beam connecting edge 201 and the fourth connecting edge 301, and is overlapped with the second cavity structure.

[0062] In a specific embodiment of the present application, reference Figure 7 In this embodiment, the inner reinforcing beam 3 of the rear wheel housing includes a fourth connecting edge 301, a third connecting edge 302, and a third reinforcing rib a303, and the patch plate 4 includes a first connecting edge 401 and a second connecting edge 402, wherein the fourth connecting edge 301 is connected to the first connecting edge 401, and the third connecting edge 302 is connected to the second connecting edge 402, and forms a second cavity structure with the third reinforcing rib a303 and the second reinforcing rib a403. The second cavity structure is a local cavity structure, which is used to ensure the local stiffness at the shock absorber installation point. The second cavity structure of this embodiment can also improve the installation stability of the rear shock absorber, enhance the buffering effect of the impact load of the rear shock absorber, improve the stiffness of the rear wheel housing, and avoid deformation and cracking of the rear wheel housing due to insufficient stiffness.

[0063] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the second cavity structure of this embodiment is connected to the rear floor frame through the third connecting edge 302 and the second connecting edge 402, so that the overall structure of the integrated rear wheel cover and the rear floor assembly can form an effective connection relationship, thereby ensuring the stability of the overall structure of the integrated rear wheel cover.

[0064] In one embodiment of the present application, regarding the conventional rear wheel housing of a vehicle, the rear spring disc in the rear overhang area of ​​the rear wheel housing is arranged on the rear longitudinal beam, and the rear shock absorber mounting plate is arranged on the rear wheel housing. These two components are independent of each other and have no connection structure, thus failing to form a good force transmission path and providing insufficient reinforcement and support. This not only affects the ride comfort of the driver and passengers when the vehicle is traveling on rough roads, but can also lead to cracking of the vehicle structure and weld failure. In contrast, in this embodiment, the integrated rear wheel housing is connected to the rear floor frame via the third connecting edge 302 and the second connecting edge 402, establishing support and forming a force transmission path, thereby ensuring the reinforcing and supporting effects of the integrated rear wheel housing.

[0065] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the first cavity structure of this embodiment can be a U-shaped cavity structure, and the first cavity structure is connected to the mounting surfaces corresponding to multiple shock absorber mounting points in the Z direction. Through this Z-direction connection, when the shock absorber mounting point is subjected to impact force, this embodiment can withstand the impact force through the rigid structures of various parts of the integrated rear wheel cover, rather than through the various welding points of the traditional rear wheel cover, thereby avoiding cracking of the vehicle body structure and failure of the welding points.

[0066] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the inner reinforcing beam 3 of the rear wheel housing of this embodiment includes a fourth connecting edge 301, a third connecting edge 302, and a third reinforcing rib b304, and the patch plate 4 includes a first connecting edge 401 and a second connecting edge 402, wherein the fourth connecting edge 301 is connected to the first connecting edge 401, and the third connecting edge 302 is connected to the second connecting edge 402, and together with the third reinforcing rib b304 and the second reinforcing rib b404, a second cavity structure is formed (not shown in the figure). The integrated rear wheel housing of this embodiment has at least two second cavity structures, that is, each shock absorber mounting point corresponds to a second cavity structure, which is more conducive to buffering and dispersing the impact load of the rear shock absorber, and improves the transmission efficiency of the impact stress, dispersing the impact load of the rear shock absorber to various parts of the vehicle body in white, and avoiding stress concentration.

[0067] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the upper ends of the rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement beam 3 and the rear wheelhouse outer reinforcement beam 2 of this embodiment can be connected to the roof beam system structure of the automobile body in white, and the lower end of the first cavity structure overlaps and connects with at least two second cavity structures to form an integral cavity structure that penetrates from top to bottom. When the shock absorber mounting point is subjected to impact stress, a part of the rear shock absorber impact load is transmitted upward through the first cavity structure along the first reinforcement rib c103 and the first reinforcement rib d104 to the roof beam system structure, and the other part of the rear shock absorber impact load is transmitted downward through the two second cavity structures along the second reinforcement rib a403 and the second reinforcement rib b404 to the rear floor frame respectively, thereby dispersing the impact stress at the shock absorber mounting point to components at different positions of the vehicle body, thereby ensuring the integrity of the vehicle body structure.

[0068] In a specific embodiment of the present application, reference Figure 7, a nut 5 for installing the shock absorber is provided at the corresponding shock absorber mounting point on the patch plate 4. The nut 5 is preferably a projection welding nut 5 to firmly mount the shock absorber on the integrated rear wheel cover, thereby improving the driving comfort of the car. The corresponding mounting surface formed at the multiple shock absorber mounting points is an inclined surface, which is convenient for the installation of the shock absorber, and the first connecting edge 401 and the second reinforcing rib a403 transition through the inclined surface. There is a gap between the two shock absorber mounting points, so that the patch plate 4 has good supporting strength, and is convenient for welding the first connecting edge 401, and the impact pressure at the shock absorber mounting point is further dispersed through the above-mentioned gap. Preferably, in this embodiment, two shock absorber mounting points on the rear wheel cover body 1 jointly install a shock absorber, which is suitable for the vast majority of spring shock absorbers on the market with the shock absorber mounting point arranged on the wheel cover. In this embodiment, a nut 5 can be set on each shock absorber mounting point.

[0069] In one specific embodiment of the present application, the first cavity structure is configured as a square-shaped cavity structure, which is relatively stable and helps increase the rigidity and strength of the patch plate 4, thereby improving the performance of the patch plate 4. Furthermore, when the impact load of the rear shock absorber is transmitted upward into the first cavity structure, the impact load is dispersed by the four rigid reinforcement beams of the square-shaped cavity structure, further reducing the impact stress transmitted to the roof beam system, thereby improving the smoothness of the vehicle's driving and enhancing driving comfort.

[0070] The present invention also provides a preparation process for an integrated rear wheel cover, wherein the rear wheel cover includes a rear wheel cover body 1 and a patch plate 4. A plurality of shock absorber mounting points are provided on the rear wheel cover body 1. The rear wheel cover body 1 and the patch plate 4 are integrally formed through a thermoforming process.

[0071] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the rear wheel cover also includes a stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 and a rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam 2. The upper half of the rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam 3 and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam 2 are placed vertically relative to each other above the shock absorber mounting point, and the upper halves of the two are assembled together by a fixed connection, and enclosed with the patch plate 4 to form a first U-shaped cavity structure.

[0072] In a specific embodiment of the present application, the lower end of the rear wheel housing inner reinforcement beam 3 and the lower end of the patch plate 4 are assembled together by fixed connection to form a second cavity structure connected to the first cavity structure.

[0073] The present invention also provides a vehicle side assembly, comprising the integrated rear wheel cover as described above.

[0074] In one embodiment of the present application, the vehicle side assembly further comprises a side inner panel, a side outer panel, a roof beam structure, a rear floor frame, and other related components. This vehicle side assembly effectively enhances the vehicle's side protection and safety. Furthermore, the integrated rear wheelhouse effectively improves the sealing performance of the vehicle's side and enhances driving comfort. The upper ends of the integrated rear wheelhouse's inner reinforcement beam 3 and outer reinforcement beam 2 are connected to the roof beam structure, while the lower ends of the rear wheelhouse inner reinforcement beam 3 and the lower end of the patch panel 4 are connected to the rear floor frame.

[0075] The present invention also provides a vehicle comprising the vehicle side assembly as described above.

[0076] In one specific embodiment of the present application, the vehicle of this embodiment further comprises a vehicle body, a side panel assembly, a rear spring plate, a rear shock absorber, and other related components. The integrated rear wheel housing is positioned on the rear wheel of the vehicle body. The integrated rear wheel housing structure of this embodiment creates a superior path for transmitting impact loads from the rear shock absorber, providing excellent reinforcement and cushioning, thereby increasing both the overall and local strength and stiffness of the integrated rear wheel housing and improving the bending and torsional stiffness of the vehicle's body-in-white (BIW). The integrated rear wheel housing enhances passenger comfort when the vehicle of this embodiment travels on rough roads, prevents cracking of the vehicle body structure, and maintains the integrity of the vehicle structure.

[0077] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art may modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, any equivalent modifications or alterations made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and technical principles disclosed herein are intended to be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated rear wheel cover, which is arranged on the rear floor assembly of a vehicle, characterized in that: It comprises a rear wheel cover body (1), a patch plate (4), a stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) arranged on the inner side of the rear wheel cover, and a rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam (2) arranged on the outer side of the rear wheel cover; After the rear wheel cover body (1) and the patch plate (4) are connected, they are integrally formed by a thermoforming process; a plurality of shock absorber mounting points are provided on the patch plate (4), and the plurality of shock absorber mounting points are also directly formed on the rear wheel cover body (1); a plurality of first reinforcing ribs are provided on the rear wheel cover body (1) and are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and a first reinforcing rib is provided at each of the shock absorber mounting points; the patch plate (4) is an L-shaped structure, and a plurality of second reinforcing ribs are provided on the patch plate (4) and are spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the second reinforcing ribs overlap one by one with the first reinforcing ribs at the shock absorber mounting points; The stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam (2) are both vertically arranged above the shock absorber mounting point, and the upper halves of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam (2) are fixedly connected together and enclosed with the patch plate (4) to form a first cavity structure in the shape of a square with an open upper end; The lower end of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) is connected to the lower end of the patch plate (4), and the lower half of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the lower half of the patch plate (4) enclose a second cavity structure, and the first cavity structure and the second cavity structure are overlapped and connected up and down; a plurality of third reinforcement ribs are provided on the lower half of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and are distributed along the axial direction thereof at intervals, and the third reinforcement ribs correspond to the second reinforcement ribs one by one and enclose to form the second cavity structure.

2. The integrated rear wheel cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower end of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) is provided with a third connecting edge (302) formed by bending and extending toward the outer side of the rear wheel cover, and the lower end of the patch plate (4) is provided with a second connecting edge (402) formed by bending and extending toward the inner side of the rear wheel cover. The lower end of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the lower end of the patch plate (4) are fixedly connected via the third connecting edge (302) and the second connecting edge (402).

3. The integrated rear wheel cover according to claim 1, characterized in that: Nuts (5) for fixing and installing the shock absorber are provided at the corresponding shock absorber mounting points on the patch plate (4).

4. A process for preparing an integrated rear wheel cover, characterized in that: The rear wheel cover comprises a rear wheel cover body (1) and a patch plate (4), wherein a plurality of shock absorber mounting points are provided on the rear wheel cover body (1), and after the rear wheel cover body (1) and the patch plate (4) are connected, they are integrally formed by a thermoforming process, and the plurality of shock absorber mounting points are also directly formed on the rear wheel cover body (1); The rear wheel cover body (1) is provided with a plurality of first reinforcing ribs spaced apart in the vertical direction, and each of the shock absorber mounting points is provided with a first reinforcing rib; the patch plate (4) is in an L-shaped structure, and the patch plate (4) is provided with a plurality of second reinforcing ribs spaced apart in the vertical direction, and the second reinforcing ribs overlap one by one with the first reinforcing ribs at the shock absorber mounting points; The rear wheel cover further comprises a stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and a rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam (2), wherein the upper half of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam (2) are vertically positioned relative to each other above the shock absorber mounting point, and the upper half of the two are assembled together by a fixed connection, and enclosed with the patch plate (4) to form a first cavity structure in the shape of a square. The lower end of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the lower end of the patch plate (4) are assembled together by fixed connection to form a second cavity structure that is overlapped and connected with the first cavity structure; a plurality of third reinforcement ribs are provided on the lower half of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and are distributed at intervals along the axial direction thereof, and the third reinforcement ribs correspond to the second reinforcement ribs one by one and enclose the second cavity structure.

5. A side panel assembly for an automobile, characterized in that: An integrated rear wheel cover comprising the integrated rear wheel cover as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 or prepared by the preparation process of the integrated rear wheel cover as described in claim 4.

6. The automobile side panel assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vehicle side assembly comprises a roof beam structure and a rear floor frame, wherein the upper ends of the rear wheel cover outer reinforcement beam (2) and the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) of the integrated rear wheel cover are connected to the roof beam structure; and the lower ends of the stepped rear wheel cover inner reinforcement beam (3) and the patch plate (4) of the integrated rear wheel cover are connected to the rear floor frame.

7. A vehicle, characterized in that: It includes the automobile side panel assembly as described in claim 6.

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