Front structure of the vehicle body

Abstract

The present invention provides a front body structure capable of properly bearing a frontal collision load at the connection between the lower member and the upper member. The front body structure (1) includes: a lower member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and facing upward as it tends to the rear; and an upper member (7) extending from the rear end of the lower member along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The lower member and the upper member are connected to each other by multiple surfaces, and the connection points (B1, B2, B3) of each surface of the lower member and the upper member (7) are offset in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the front structure of a vehicle body. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, from the perspective of improving the Earth's environment to mitigate natural disasters, there has been a demand for improved fuel efficiency in automobiles. On the other hand, there is a demand to maintain or improve vehicle crash safety. To meet these requirements, high-strength and lightweight vehicle body structures have been developed. For vehicle structural components, namely the frame that forms the body skeleton, in order to achieve lightweighting of the body structure while maintaining existing crash performance, the steel plates forming the frame have been developed to be of high strength and thinner wall thickness. As a front body structure, Patent Document 1 describes a structure including a lower member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and facing upwards towards the rear, and an upper member connected to the rear end of the lower member and extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-193572 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In this configuration, during a vehicle collision, a portion of the forward collision load is transferred from the lower member to the upper member. Here, if there is localized load concentration at the connection between the lower and upper members, there is a possibility of breakage at that connection point.

[0008] The present invention was made in view of the aforementioned problems, and the objective is to provide a front body structure capable of properly bearing forward collision loads at the connection between the lower and upper components.

[0009] Methods for solving problems

[0010] To address the aforementioned issues, the front structure of the vehicle body of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a lower member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and facing upward as it tends to the rear; and an upper member extending from the rear end of the lower member along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein the front end of the front side frame and the front end of the lower member are connected to each other, the lower member and the upper member are connected to each other by a plurality of surfaces, and the connection portions of each surface of the lower member and the upper member are offset in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0011] Invention Effects

[0012] According to the present invention, the connection between the lower member and the upper member can be appropriately subjected to forward collision load. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a side view schematically illustrating the front structure of a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a top view schematically illustrating the front structure of a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The enlarged view is a partial sectional perspective view of the connection between the lower and upper components, viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 The enlarged view is a partial sectional perspective view of the lower component and the connection between the upper component, viewed from above.

[0017] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 VV-line sectional view.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0019] 1. Front structure of the vehicle body

[0020] 2. Bumper crossbeam

[0021] 3. Protruding part

[0022] 4 brackets

[0023] 5. Front side frame

[0024] 6 Lower component

[0025] 6F Lower component front part

[0026] Rear part of 6R lower component

[0027] 7. Upper component

[0028] 8 Shock absorber mount

[0029] 9. Shock absorber housing

[0030] 10. Front side frame internal components

[0031] 20 Front side frame outer components

[0032] 40 Upper component of the extension

[0033] 50 Lower component front interior

[0034] 60 Lower component front exterior

[0035] 70 Lower component interior

[0036] 80 Lower component rear exterior

[0037] 90. Internal components

[0038] 100 External components

[0039] Edges A1, A2, A3, and A4

[0040] Connection points of B1, B2, and B3

[0041] C1 First junction point

[0042] C2 Second junction point Detailed Implementation

[0043] Next, taking the application of the front body structure of the present invention to the left side of a vehicle as an example, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, "front and rear" refers to the front-rear direction in the vehicle's direction of travel, and "left and right" refers to the left and right direction (vehicle width direction) as viewed from the driver's seat.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the front body structure 1 of the present invention includes a bumper beam 2, an extension 3, a bracket 4, a front side frame 5, a lower component 6, an upper component 7, a shock absorber seat 8, and a shock absorber housing 9.

[0045] <Bumper beam>

[0046] The bumper beam 2 is a metal frame component that extends along the width of the vehicle at the front end.

[0047] <Extended part>

[0048] The protrusion 3 is a metal frame component that extends rearward from the end of the bumper beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. When viewed from the front, the protrusion 3 has a roughly rectangular closed cross-section shape and transmits the frontal collision load applied to the bumper beam 2 to the rearward front frame 5 and lower component 6 via the bracket 4.

[0049] <Bracket>

[0050] The bracket 4 is a metal plate-shaped component used to connect the rear end of the protrusion 3 to the front end of the front frame 5 and the lower component 6.

[0051] <Front Side Frame>

[0052] The front side frame 5 is a metal skeleton component extending along the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction. Viewed from the front, the front side frame 5 has a generally rectangular closed cross-section. The rear end of the front side frame 5 connects to the instrument panel D, which divides the engine compartment and the passenger compartment. The outer end of the front side frame 5 in the vehicle width direction slopes outwards towards the front of the vehicle. The front side frame 5 includes an inner front side frame member 10, an outer front side frame member 20, a lower extension member (not shown), and an upper extension member 40.

[0053] Front side frame internal components

[0054] The front frame internal component 10 integrally includes an inner wall portion 11, a lower wall portion 12 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the inner wall portion 11, and an upper wall portion 13 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the inner wall portion 11. Additionally, the front frame internal component 10 integrally includes a lower flange portion extending downward from the outer end of the lower wall portion 12 in the vehicle width direction and an upper flange portion extending upward from the outer end of the upper wall portion 13 in the vehicle width direction.

[0055] Front side frame external components

[0056] The outer component 20 of the front frame forms the outer wall of the front frame 5. The lower end of the outer component 20 of the front frame is joined to the lower flange of the inner component 10 of the front frame by welding or the like. The upper end of the outer component 20 of the front frame is joined to the upper flange of the inner component 10 of the front frame by welding or the like.

[0057] Components under the extension section

[0058] The lower extension member forms the front end portion of the outer wall portion and the lower wall portion of the front frame 5 in the vehicle width direction. The lower extension member integrally includes the lower wall portion and a rear wall portion extending upward from the rear end portion of the lower wall portion. The front end portion of the lower wall portion is joined to the bracket 4 by welding or the like.

[0059] Upper component of the extension section

[0060] The upper extension member 40 forms the outer portion of the front end of the upper wall of the front frame 5 in the vehicle width direction. The upper extension member 40 integrally includes: an upper wall portion 41; an outer flange portion 42 extending upward from the outer end of the upper wall portion 41 in the vehicle width direction; a front flange portion 43 extending upward from the front end of the upper wall portion 41; and a rear flange portion 44 extending upward from the rear end of the upper wall portion 41. The inner end of the upper wall portion 41 in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the upper wall portion 13 of the inner member of the front frame 10 in the vehicle width direction by welding or the like. The rear portion of the outer flange portion 42 is joined to the inner wall portion 51 of the front inner part 50 of the lower member (described later) by welding or the like. The front portion of the outer flange portion 42 is joined to the outer wall portion 61 of the front outer part 60 of the lower member (described later) by welding or the like. The front flange portion 43 is joined to the bracket 4 by welding or the like. The rear flange 44 is joined to the upper end of the rear wall of the lower member of the extension by welding or the like.

[0061] <Lower component>

[0062] The lower component 6 is a metal frame member extending along the front of the vehicle in the longitudinal direction. The lower component 6 is located on the outer side of the front frame 5 in the vehicle width direction and tilts upward as it moves towards the rear. The inner end of the lower component 6 in the vehicle width direction extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle and does not tilt inward in the vehicle width direction as it moves towards the front of the vehicle.

[0063] The lower component 6 is constructed by combining the front part 6F of the lower component with the rear part 6R of the lower component.

[0064] <Front part of lower component>

[0065] The front part 6F of the lower component is the part that constitutes the front of the lower component 6. The front part 6F of the lower component slopes upward as it moves towards the rear. The front part 6F of the lower component is formed by combining the front inner part 50 of the lower component and the front outer part 60 of the lower component.

[0066] Interior before lower component

[0067] The lower component's front interior 50 integrally includes an inner wall portion 51 and a lower wall portion 52 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the inner wall portion 51. The lower wall portion 52 has a shape that narrows in width as it moves forward. The front end of the lower wall portion 52 is located rearward compared to the front end of the inner wall portion 51. The front end of the lower wall portion 52 is joined to the rear wall portion of the extension lower component by welding or the like.

[0068] Front exterior of the lower component

[0069] The lower component front outer portion 60 integrally includes an outer wall portion 61 and an upper wall portion 62 extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the outer wall portion 61. The upper wall portion 62 has a shape that narrows as it moves forward and disappears at a point rearward than the front end of the lower component front outer portion 60. The front end of the outer wall portion 61 is located in front of the front end of the inner wall portion 51, and in the vehicle width direction, the outer wall portion of the protrusion 3 and the inner wall portion 51 of the lower component front inner portion 50 are positioned at the same location. That is, the front end of the lower component 6 and the outer wall portion (outer end in the vehicle width direction) of the protrusion 3 are continuous in the vehicle body longitudinal direction.

[0070] Furthermore, the lower component's front outer portion 60 integrally includes an outer flange portion extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the outer wall 61 and an upper flange portion extending upward from the upper end of the upper wall portion 62. The outer flange portion is joined to the outer end of the lower wall portion 52 in the vehicle width direction by welding or the like. The upper flange portion is joined to the upper end of the inner wall portion 51 by welding or the like.

[0071] <Rear section of lower component>

[0072] The lower component rear portion 6R is a part that constitutes the rear part of the lower component 6. The lower component rear portion 6R extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the rear end of the lower component front interior 50 is joined to its lower front end by welding or the like. The front end of the lower component rear portion 6R is joined to the front partition (not shown) by welding or the like. The lower component rear portion 6R is constructed by combining the lower component rear interior 70 and the lower component rear exterior 80.

[0073] Interior after lower component

[0074] The lower component's rear interior 70 integrally includes an inner wall portion 71 and a lower wall portion 72 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the inner wall portion 71.

[0075] The lower wall portion 72 has ridges A1 and A2 extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. In the lower wall portion 72, the part located inside the vehicle width direction of the ridge A1 is positioned higher than the part located outside the vehicle width direction of the ridge A2.

[0076] External components after assembly

[0077] The rear outer portion 80 of the lower component integrally includes an outer wall portion 81 and an upper wall portion 82 extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the outer wall portion 81. Furthermore, the rear outer portion 80 of the lower component integrally includes an outer flange portion 83 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the outer wall portion 81 and an upper flange portion 84 extending upward from the upper end of the upper wall portion 82. The outer flange portion 83 is joined to the outer end of the lower wall portion 72 in the vehicle width direction by welding or the like. The upper flange portion 84 is joined to the upper end of the inner wall portion 71 by welding or the like.

[0078] <Upper Component>

[0079] The upper component 7 is a metal frame member extending along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The rear end of the lower component 6R is joined to the front end of the upper component 7 by welding or the like. The rear end of the upper component 7 is joined to the front pillar (not shown) by welding or the like. The upper component 7 is constructed by combining the upper component interior 90, the upper component exterior 100, and the upper component upper part 110.

[0080] Interior of the upper component

[0081] The interior 90 of the upper component integrally includes an inner wall portion 91 and a lower wall portion 92 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the inner wall portion 91. In addition, the interior 90 of the upper component integrally includes a front flange portion 93 extending forward from the front ends of the inner wall portion 91 and the lower wall portion 92.

[0082] The lower wall portion 92 has ridges A3 and A4 extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Ridge A3 is located on the extension line of ridge A1, and ridge A4 is located on the extension line of ridge A1. In the lower wall portion 92, the portion located inside the vehicle width direction of ridge A3 is positioned higher than the portion located outside the vehicle width direction of ridge A4. The front flange portion 93 is formed inside the vehicle width direction compared to ridge A3.

[0083] External components of the upper part

[0084] The outer part 100 of the upper component integrally includes an outer wall portion 101, a lower flange portion 102 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the outer wall portion 101, and an upper flange portion 103 extending outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the outer wall portion 101. The lower flange portion 102 is joined to the outer end of the lower wall portion 92 in the vehicle width direction by welding or the like.

[0085] Upper component

[0086] The upper part 110 of the upper member constitutes the upper wall of the upper member 7. The inner end of the upper part 110 in the machine width direction is joined to the upper end of the inner wall 91 by welding or the like. The outer end of the upper part 110 in the machine width direction is joined to the upper flange 103 by welding or the like.

[0087] <Shock absorber mount>

[0088] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the shock absorber mount 8 is a component that supports the shock absorber that suspends the front wheels of the vehicle. The shock absorber mount 8 is joined to the rear end of the lower component 6F and the front end of the upper component 7 in the vehicle width direction by welding or the like.

[0089] <Shock absorber housing>

[0090] The shock absorber housing 9 is a component that covers the shock absorber that suspends the front wheel of the vehicle from the inside in the vehicle width direction. The upper end of the shock absorber housing 9 is joined to the lower end of the shock absorber seat 8 by welding or the like, and the lower end of the shock absorber housing 9 is joined to the front frame 5 by welding or the like.

[0091] <Connecting structure of the rear part of the lower component and the upper component>

[0092] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the rear end of the outer wall portion (outer side in the vehicle width direction) 81 of the lower component rear portion 6R and the front end of the outer wall portion (outer side in the vehicle width direction) 101 of the upper component 7 are joined together at the connection point B1 by gas metal arc welding. Here, the lower end of the lower component rear portion 6R and the lower end of the upper component 7 are viewed from the side as having an upwardly convex arc shape, and the connection point B1 is located at the top of this arc shape. It should be noted that the joining of the connection point B1 based on gas metal arc welding is performed after the spot welding of the connection points B2 and B3 described later, thereby allowing for assembly errors.

[0093] The rear end of the upper wall (upper surface) 82 of the lower component rear part 6R and the front end of the upper part (upper wall, upper surface) 110 of the upper component 7 are joined together by spot welding at the connection part B2, which is located behind the connection part B1. At the connection part B2, the spot weld joints (marked by X in the figure) are arranged in two rows.

[0094] The rear ends of the inner wall portion (inner side in the vehicle width direction) 71 and the lower wall portion (lower surface) 72 of the rear part of the lower component 6R, and the front ends of the inner wall portion (inner side in the vehicle width direction) 91 and the lower wall portion (lower surface) 92 of the upper component 7, are joined together by spot welding at a connection point B3 located behind the connection point B2. At the connection point B3, the spot welded joint points (marked with X in the figure) are arranged in two rows. The first joint point C1, as the rear row, is formed at the front end of the base of the interior 90 of the upper component, and the second joint point C2, as the front row, is formed on the front flange portion 93 extending forward from the base of the interior 90 of the upper component. The first joint point C1 and the second joint point C2 are offset from each other in the vertical direction in the inner wall portion 71 of the rear part of the lower component 6R and the inner wall portion 91 of the upper component 7. In the lower wall portion 72 of the rear portion 6R of the lower member and the lower wall portion 92 of the upper member 7, the first joint point C1 and the second joint point C2 are located at the same position in the vehicle width direction.

[0095] When a frontal collision load is applied to the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the assembly of the rear part 6R of the lower member and the upper member 7 crushes at the connection point B1. Next, the assembly of the rear part 6R of the lower member and the upper member 7 crushes at the connection point B2. Then, the assembly of the rear part 6R of the lower member and the upper member 7 crushes at the connection point B3. In other words, the front structure 1 gradually crushes under the frontal collision load at multiple offset points in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, thereby preventing breakage at the connection point of the assembly of the rear part 6R of the lower member and the upper member 7 and appropriately withstanding the frontal collision load. Furthermore, the front structure 1 has a connection point B1 on an outer side further forward than the connection point B2 on the upper surface. Therefore, compared to the case where the connection point B2 bears the frontal collision load first, the frontal collision load transmitted to the connection point B2 can be reduced, suppressing upward breakage of the connection point B2. In addition, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body has a lower surface connection part B3 located at the rear of the vehicle body, which is closer to the upper surface connection part B2 than the upper surface connection part B2. Therefore, the forward collision load can be smoothly transmitted to the lower surface of the upper member 7, which is wider as it moves towards the rear and downward.

[0096] The front structure 1 of the vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a lower member 6, which extends along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and faces upward as it tends to the rear; and an upper member 7, which extends from the rear end of the lower member 6 along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The lower member 5 and the upper member 6 are connected to each other by a plurality of surfaces, and the connection portions of each surface of the lower member 5 and the upper member 6 are offset in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

[0097] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body prevents the frontal collision load from being concentrated at the same position in the longitudinal direction at the connection between the lower component 6 and the upper component 7, and can properly withstand the frontal collision load by gradually crushing without breaking.

[0098] In addition, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the connecting parts are arranged from the front of the vehicle body toward the rear of the vehicle body in the following order: connecting part B1 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, connecting part B2 on the upper surface, and connecting part B3 on the inner side and lower surface in the vehicle width direction.

[0099] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body distributes the frontal collision load in three parts staggered in the front-rear direction at the connection between the lower member 6 and the upper member 7, so it gradually crushes without breaking, thereby being able to properly withstand the frontal collision load.

[0100] Furthermore, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, at least one of the connecting parts B1 to B3 is engaged at multiple positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0101] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body widens the connecting part in the longitudinal direction, thereby appropriately suppressing the breakage of the connecting part.

[0102] Furthermore, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the connecting portion B2 on the upper surface is engaged at multiple positions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0103] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body widens the connecting portion B2 on the upper surface in the longitudinal direction, thereby appropriately suppressing vertical breakage originating from the connecting portion.

[0104] Furthermore, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the connecting portion B3 in the inner side and lower surface in the vehicle width direction, the upper member 7 includes a base and a flange portion 93 extending forward from the base, the connecting portion B3 in the inner side and lower surface in the vehicle width direction has a first engagement point C1 where the lower member 6 and the base engage with each other and a second engagement point C2 where the lower member 6 and the flange portion 93 engage.

[0105] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body widens the rear connecting part B3 in the front-rear direction, thereby effectively preventing breakage originating from the connecting part.

[0106] In addition, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the first joint point C1 and the second joint point C2 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction are staggered.

[0107] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body can more effectively suppress the breakage originating from the rear connection part B3.

[0108] In addition, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the lower surface of the lower member 6 and the upper member 7 has ridges A1 and A3 extending along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The first joint point C1 and the second joint point C2 in the lower surface are located in the same position in the vehicle width direction, which is closer to the inside of the ridges A1 and A3 in the vehicle width direction.

[0109] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body suppresses the gap between the lower member 6 and the upper member 7 at the ridge lines A1 and A3, and the rigidity (connection strength) can be ensured by utilizing the shape of the ridge lines A1 and A3 and the joint point.

[0110] In addition, in the front structure 1 of the vehicle body, the connecting part B1 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is welded by a molten inert gas shielded welding.

[0111] Therefore, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body can tolerate component deviations and assembly deviations.

[0112] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the front structure 1 of the vehicle body may also be configured such that the connecting portion of the inner side surface in the vehicle width direction and the connecting portion of the lower surface are offset in the front-rear direction.

[0113] Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to the connection between the front portion 6F and the rear portion 6R of the lower member. In this case, the front portion 6F of the lower member can be considered the lower member, the rear portion 6R of the lower member can be considered the front portion of the upper member constituting the front portion of the upper member, and the upper member 7 can be considered the rear portion of the upper member constituting the rear portion of the upper member. In this case, at the foremost point, the upper wall portion of the lower member (the aforementioned front portion 6F of the lower member) is connected to the lower wall portion of the upper member (the aforementioned rear portion 6R of the lower member). Furthermore, at its rear, the outer wall portion of the lower member (the aforementioned front portion 6F of the lower member) is connected to the outer wall portion of the upper member (the aforementioned rear portion 6R of the lower member). Furthermore, at its rear, the inner wall portion and lower wall portion of the lower member (the aforementioned front portion 6F of the lower member) are connected to the inner wall portion and lower wall portion of the upper member (the aforementioned rear portion 6R of the lower member).

Claims

1. A vehicle body front structure characterized by comprising: Comprise: a lower member which is disposed extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction and which inclines upward as it tends toward the rear; and an upper member which is disposed extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction from a rear end portion of the lower member, the lower member and the upper member are joined to each other at a plurality of faces, the joining positions of the respective faces of the lower member and the upper member are offset in the vehicle body front-rear direction, at least one of the joining positions is engaged at a plurality of positions in the vehicle body front-rear direction, at the joining position in the vehicle width direction inner side face and the lower face, the upper member has a base portion and a flange portion which is disposed extending forward from the base portion, the joining position in the vehicle width direction inner side face and the lower face has a first engagement point at which the lower member and the base portion are engaged with each other and a second engagement point at which the lower member and the flange portion are engaged with each other.

2. The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the joining positions are disposed in the order of the joining position in the vehicle width direction outer side face, the joining position in the upper face, the joining position in the vehicle width direction inner side face and the lower face from the vehicle body front toward the vehicle body rear.

3. The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the joining position in the upper face is engaged at a plurality of positions in the vehicle body front-rear direction.

4. The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the first engagement point and the second engagement point in the vehicle width direction inner side face are disposed offset from each other.

5. The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower face of the lower member and the upper member has a ridge line which extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction, the first engagement point and the second engagement point in the lower face are disposed at the same position in the vehicle width direction on the inner side of the ridge line in the vehicle width direction.

6. The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the joining position in the vehicle width direction outer side face is joined by gas tungsten arc welding.

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