Rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and preparation process thereof, body in white and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly, a manufacturing process thereof, a body-in-white, and a vehicle. The rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly includes an integral rear wheelhouse inner panel body, the rear wheelhouse inner panel body being provided with a plurality of first and second reinforcing ribs. The first and second reinforcing ribs are transverse ribs and are located on either side of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body in the X direction, respectively. The plurality of first and second reinforcing ribs are spaced apart along the Z direction. The first reinforcing ribs are convex ribs, the plurality of second reinforcing ribs have varying widths, and the cross-section of the second reinforcing ribs is an arc-shaped concave surface. The ends of the second reinforcing ribs extend in the X direction and form transitional surfaces with the rear wheelhouse inner panel body. The present invention can reduce the development of molds and fixtures. The integrally formed rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly reduces the redundancy of the welded edges of conventional rear wheelhouse inner panels, reduces the number of sub-assemblies, thereby shortening the product manufacturing process and reducing the accumulated errors of the dimensional chain, thereby improving the precision of the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automobile bodies, and in particular to a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and a preparation process thereof, a body-in-white and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] The rapid development of the domestic automobile market and increasingly fierce competition among auto brands have led to an increasing trend toward a "short, flat, and fast" approach to automotive product development. The body-in-white (BIW) welded assembly typically consists of the floor assembly, front cabin assembly, left and right side panels, roof assembly, and rear panel assembly. The BIW's C- and D-pillars, located at the junction of the vehicle's rear and roof, significantly impact the vehicle's torsional rigidity and must withstand impacts from the rear or rear flank. Consequently, the C- and D-pillar structures are typically complex and comprise a large number of parts. The side panel inner panel assembly is part of the BIW, and the rear section's structure significantly impacts vehicle weight, torsional rigidity, and BIW accuracy. The entire rear panel assembly primarily withstands the upward force exerted by the rear shock absorbers. Furthermore, the entire rear panel assembly must provide the necessary bending, torsional rigidity, and strength for the entire vehicle. At the same time, for automobile manufacturing, structural simplification and lightweighting have always been the industry's key research directions. Therefore, how to simplify and lightweight the structure as much as possible while ensuring the rigidity and strength of the vehicle is an important research topic for technicians in the automotive field.

[0003] In the prior art, the side panel inner assembly includes the rear side panel structure, with the rear side panel inner assembly being the key component. Within the vehicle body, the rear side panel connects the B-pillar, C-pillar, and D-pillar structures, playing a crucial role in the vehicle's bending and torque resistance. It is particularly critical in terms of torque resistance, making it a key component. The rear side panel inner assembly comprises the rear side panel inner, D-pillar inner, rear wheelhouse inner, and rear wheelhouse outer panels. The front welded edge of the D-pillar upper reinforcement is located at the rear side window flange, while the rear welded edge is located at the tailgate opening sealing surface. The rear side panel inner has a complex shape, a deep stamping depth, and numerous punching steps. Furthermore, the punching process limits the punching direction, making the rear side panel hole profile even more complex, further increasing the difficulty of the stamping and drawing process. Consequently, the material used must be steel with better formability. The D-pillar inner panel is a monolithic component with a complex structure, precluding the use of high-strength steel to reduce thickness and weight. The D-pillar upper reinforcement plate is welded to the rear side window flange. The cavity formed by the D-pillar reinforcement plate and the rear side panel inner panel creates a large cross-section, which does not improve the stiffness of the D-pillar upper joint. This increased cross-section of the D-pillar cavity has no effect on the torsional stiffness of the body-in-white (BW) and actually increases weight. Consequently, the side panel inner panel assembly suffers from structural complexity and low welding precision. Furthermore, the large number of parts increases assembly weight, reduces part material utilization, increases mold fixtures, and increases costs. Furthermore, the weld dimension chain is long, and assembly precision is relatively low, reducing both stiffness and strength.

[0004] At present, one of the effective ways for OEMs to improve their competitiveness is to reduce the number of parts by increasing the integration of body parts, thereby reducing the use of molds, inspection tools, and fixtures, shortening the product development cycle, saving production space, and reducing management costs.

[0005] Prior art, such as Chinese patent application number CN110104072A, provides a vehicle body side C-pillar inner panel reinforcement structure, comprising a rear wheelhouse outer panel, a C-pillar front inner panel body, a C-pillar rear inner panel body, a C-pillar roof rear crossbeam connecting plate, a C-pillar rear reinforcement upper panel, a C-pillar rear reinforcement lower panel, and a C-pillar front reinforcement panel body. The C-pillar rear reinforcement upper panel and the C-pillar rear reinforcement lower panel overlap the outer sides of the C-pillar roof rear crossbeam connecting plate and the C-pillar rear inner panel body, forming a first cavity structure of the tailgate frame structure. The outer periphery of the C-pillar front reinforcement panel body overlaps the outer sides of the rear wheelhouse outer panel, the C-pillar front inner panel body, the C-pillar roof rear crossbeam connecting plate, and the tailgate frame structure, forming a second cavity structure that connects to the first cavity structure. By configuring the C-pillar front reinforcement panel body as an integrated structure, this reinforcement structure improves the overall stiffness of the C-pillar upper reinforcement area and the torsional stiffness of the tailgate frame structure. However, its disadvantages are that the degree of parts integration is not high, the number of tooling and fixtures is still large, the development cycle is long, and the management cost needs to be further reduced.

[0006] Prior art, such as Chinese patent number CN214823646U, provides a vehicle body rear wheelhouse assembly and a vehicle body rear structure. The vehicle body rear wheelhouse assembly includes a wheelhouse inner panel and a wheelhouse outer panel that are fixedly connected to each other. A rear shock absorber support reinforcement portion in a herringbone shape is fixedly connected to the inner side of the wheelhouse inner panel, and a rear wheelhouse inner panel reinforcement plate in a herringbone shape is fixedly connected to the outer side of the wheelhouse inner panel. The rear shock absorber support reinforcement portions and the rear wheelhouse inner panel reinforcement plate on both sides are arranged opposite each other, and a rear shock absorber mounting portion is provided on the rear wheelhouse inner panel reinforcement plate. The rear wheelhouse assembly can effectively disperse the force transmitted by the shock absorber support through the herringbone-shaped force transmission channel formed, the rear wheelhouse inner panel lower reinforcement plate disposed between the wheelhouse inner panel and the rear wheelhouse inner panel reinforcement plate, and the connections between the various sheet metal parts, thereby improving the strength and torsional rigidity of the entire vehicle and achieving good performance. However, the rear wheel cover assembly still uses the traditional multi-part welding composition, and cannot change the mode of the thin plate area of ​​the rear wheel cover inner plate. The structural strength of the front and rear parts of the rear wheel cover assembly cannot be improved by the rear shock absorber support reinforcement.

[0007] As one of the important components of the vehicle body structure, the rear wheel arch inner panel constitutes the main frame of the passenger compartment and also bears various loads transmitted by the rear overhang. Designing a rear wheel arch inner panel structure that meets the requirements of durability and lightweight has always been one of the important challenges for automobile manufacturers.

[0008] Therefore, if a body-in-white including a rear wheelhouse inner panel and other structures can be provided, which can solve the problems of the existing automobile side rear inner panel welding assembly, including the C-pillar inner panel welding assembly or the D-pillar inner panel welding assembly and the wheelhouse welding assembly, as well as numerous reinforcing plate structures, resulting in numerous parts and welding processes, it will be more conducive to reducing the occupation of production sites and reducing management costs, and promoting the development of automobile manufacturing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0009] One of the purposes of the present invention is to provide a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly to solve the problems in the prior art such as the large number of rear wheel cover inner panel parts, many welding processes, low dimensional accuracy and strength of parts, and long product development cycle; the second purpose is to provide a method for preparing the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly; the third purpose is to provide a body-in-white, which solves the problems in the prior art such as the low degree of integration of body-in-white parts, the large number of tooling fixtures, the long development cycle, the high management cost, and the insufficient torsional stiffness, ride comfort and handling of the vehicle; 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 a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, which is installed on the white body of a car and includes an integrated rear wheel cover inner panel body. The integrated rear wheel cover inner panel body is provided with multiple first reinforcing ribs and second reinforcing ribs. The first reinforcing ribs and the second reinforcing ribs are transverse reinforcing ribs and are respectively located on both sides of the rear wheel cover inner panel body in the X direction. The multiple first reinforcing ribs and the second reinforcing ribs are respectively distributed at intervals along the Z direction; the first reinforcing ribs are convex ribs, the multiple second reinforcing ribs have different widths, the cross-section of the second reinforcing ribs is an arc-shaped concave surface, and the two ends of the second reinforcing ribs extend respectively along the X direction and form a transition surface with the rear wheel cover inner panel body.

[0012] According to the above technical means, the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly of the present invention is an integrated structure, while the conventional rear wheel housing inner panel assembly is composed of an upper rear wheel housing inner panel and a lower rear wheel housing inner panel. The upper and lower rear wheel housing inner panels are split in the X direction and overlapped in the Y direction by spot welding. The welds are subject to large Z-direction shear forces from the shock absorption of the suspension, and the risk of component fatigue weld failure is high. The present invention integrates the upper and lower rear wheel housing inner panels through an integrated rear wheel housing inner panel assembly, avoiding the X-direction split, reducing the shear forces from the shock absorption of the suspension during use, and thus improving its structural strength. The present invention provides multiple reinforcing ribs to avoid the problem of low structural strength of the rear wheel housing inner panel body and improve the rigidity of the part. The arrangement of the multiple reinforcing ribs on the rear wheel housing inner panel body of the present invention can further improve the formability of the part and avoid stress concentration, thereby improving the modal state of the thin plate area of ​​the rear wheel housing inner panel body.

[0013] Furthermore, the plurality of first reinforcing ribs and the plurality of second reinforcing ribs are arranged opposite to each other, the size of each first reinforcing rib is the same, and the recessed depth of each second reinforcing rib is the same.

[0014] According to the above technical means, the present invention can further improve the strength and rigidity of each area of ​​the rear wheel cover inner panel body by designing the specific parameters such as the spatial arrangement, quantity, and size of the first and second reinforcing ribs on the rear wheel cover inner panel body.

[0015] Furthermore, the width of the first reinforcing rib is 30-55 mm, and the protruding height relative to the rear wheel housing inner plate body is 3-8 mm; the width of the second reinforcing rib is 20-100 mm, and the recessed depth relative to the rear wheel housing inner plate body is 3-8 mm.

[0016] Furthermore, the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly also includes a fork-shaped patch plate integrally formed with the rear wheel cover inner panel body, the fork-shaped patch plate includes at least three fork fingers pointing downward along the Z direction, and the first reinforcement rib and the second reinforcement rib are respectively located on both sides of the fork-shaped patch plate in the X direction.

[0017] According to the above technical means, the present invention can also add a patch plate integrally formed with the rear wheel cover inner panel body to further improve the integration and precision of the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, thereby further improving the strength of the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and the bending and torsional stiffness of the entire vehicle, and improving the safety and comfort of the entire vehicle.

[0018] Furthermore, when the rear wheel arch inner panel assembly is installed on the white body of the car, a cavity structure is formed between the fork-shaped patch plate and the rear inner panel of the side panel of the white body, and at least one fork finger and the rear floor beam of the white body form a C-ring force transmission channel.

[0019] Furthermore, at least one interdigital finger is connected to a rear floor longitudinal member of the body in white.

[0020] Based on the aforementioned technical approach, the present invention's multiple interdigitated fingers and cavity structure form multiple force transmission paths, enhancing the vehicle body's ability to resist deformation under the dynamic loads of the rear suspension. The present invention also utilizes multiple interdigitated fingers to enhance the structural stability of the patch plate, distributing dynamic loads in multiple directions through the fingers, further reducing the risk of cracking the patch plate.

[0021] Furthermore, a third reinforcing rib is provided on the rear wheel cover inner plate body, and the third reinforcing rib is arranged along the Z direction between the second reinforcing rib and the fork-shaped patch plate, or between the first reinforcing rib and the fork-shaped patch plate).

[0022] According to the above technical means, the setting direction of the third reinforcing rib of the present invention is consistent with the direction of the impact force transmitted from the vehicle shock absorber to the vehicle body, which can avoid stress concentration at the transition point between the patch plate and the rear wheel cover inner plate body and avoid the risk of cracking.

[0023] Furthermore, the thickness of the rear wheel house inner panel body is 0.7 to 2 mm, and the thickness of the patch plate is 1 to 2.5 mm.

[0024] Furthermore, connecting edges are provided on all four outer edges of the rear wheel housing inner panel body, and the connecting edges are used to integrate the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly with the side rear inner panel of the body-in-white and to fix them to the body-in-white.

[0025] A second aspect of the present invention provides a preparation process for a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, wherein the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly is integrally formed through a thermoforming process, and the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly includes a rear wheel cover inner panel body, and a plurality of transverse first reinforcing ribs and second reinforcing ribs are arranged on both sides of the rear wheel cover inner panel body in the X direction. The plurality of first reinforcing ribs and second reinforcing ribs are respectively arranged at intervals in a manner of distribution along the Z direction, the first reinforcing ribs are arranged as convex ribs, and the plurality of second reinforcing ribs are arranged with different widths and the cross-section of the second reinforcing ribs is an arc-shaped concave surface, and the two ends of the second reinforcing ribs extend along the X direction respectively and form a transition surface with the rear wheel cover inner panel body by chamfering.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention can also provide a fork-shaped patch plate integrally formed with the rear wheel cover inner plate body, and the multiple fork fingers at the upper and lower parts of the fork-shaped patch plate are set into an X-shaped structure by thermoforming.

[0027] Based on the aforementioned technical means, the manufacturing process of the present invention integrates the multiple components of the rear wheelhouse inner panel into one piece through thermoforming, improving upon traditional multi-part welding and other connection methods, reducing weld points and the risk of component cracking. Furthermore, the thermoforming mold ensures the precision of the rear wheelhouse inner panel. The rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly produced by the manufacturing process of the present invention boasts high integration, high precision, high strength, and excellent stability. Furthermore, the manufacturing process of the present invention reduces the development and cost of tooling fixtures, reduces production steps, and lowers production costs, making it suitable for large-scale production.

[0028] A third aspect of the present invention provides a body-in-white, comprising the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly as described above or a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and a side panel rear inner panel prepared according to the preparation process of the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly as described above, wherein the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly comprises a plurality of connecting edges located around the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, and is integrated with the side panel rear inner panel into a body-in-white structure through the plurality of connecting edges.

[0029] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle comprising the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly as described above, or comprising the body-in-white as described above.

[0030] Beneficial effects of the present invention:

[0031] (1) The rear wheel cover inner panel assembly of the present invention is integrally formed and prepared by a thermoforming mold, which can reduce the development of molds in product production. The rear wheel cover inner panel assembly integrates multiple parts such as the rear wheel cover inner panel body and reinforcing ribs, thereby reducing the development of tooling fixtures. The integrally formed rear wheel cover inner panel assembly reduces the redundancy of the welded edges of traditional rear wheel cover inner panels, reduces the number of sub-assemblies, and thus shortens the product manufacturing process and reduces the accumulated error of the dimensional chain, thereby improving the accuracy of the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and reducing production costs.

[0032] (2) The rear wheel arch inner panel assembly of the present invention is connected to the body-in-white through multiple connecting edges. By changing the traditional part overlap method, the failure of welds due to shear force is reduced; by arranging multiple reinforcing ribs and fork-shaped patch plates, the risk of cracking of the rear wheel arch inner panel assembly parts is reduced, and the stiffness and mode of the parts themselves are improved.

[0033] (3) The present invention can add a fork-shaped patch plate to the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly to improve the integration and precision, thereby improving the strength of the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and the bending and torsional stiffness of the entire vehicle, and further improving the safety and comfort of the entire vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] 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:

[0035] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial schematic diagram of

[0037] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a body-in-white is shown as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A partial schematic diagram of

[0039] Figure 5 for Figure 1 AA section view in;

[0040] Figure 6 for Figure 1 BB cross-section view in.

[0041] Reference numerals

[0042] 7100: Rear wheel arch inner panel body; 7200: Forked patch plate; 7111: First reinforcing rib; 7112: Second reinforcing rib a; 7113: Second reinforcing rib b; 7114: Second reinforcing rib c; 7115: Third reinforcing rib; 7121: First connecting edge; 7122: Second connecting edge; 7123: Third connecting edge; 7124: Fourth connecting edge; 7125: Fifth connecting edge; 7126: Sixth connecting edge; 7201: Forked patch plate connecting edge; 7202: First interdigital finger; 7203: Second interdigital finger; 7204: Third interdigital finger; 4520: Flanged edge structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] 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.

[0044] 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.

[0045] The same or similar numbers in the figures of the embodiments of the present invention correspond to the same or similar parts. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", etc. indicate an orientation or position relationship based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the figure, it is only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operate in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms describing the position relationship in the figures are only used for illustrative purposes and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0046] First, it should be noted that the X-direction of the present invention corresponds to the front-to-back direction of the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly, the Y-direction is the horizontal direction perpendicular to the X-direction, and the Z-direction is the vertical direction perpendicular to the X-direction. The Z-direction also corresponds to the up-down direction of the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly. The front of the present invention is the direction of the front of the vehicle body, and the rear is the direction of the rear of the vehicle body.

[0047] CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) refers to computer-aided engineering in engineering design. It involves using computers to analyze the structural mechanical properties of complex projects and products, as well as optimizing structural performance. This approach organically organizes all aspects of a project (or production). The key is integrating relevant information so that it exists throughout the entire lifecycle of the project (or product). CAE software can perform static and dynamic structural analysis, as well as study linear and nonlinear problems.

[0048] The present invention provides a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, which is installed on the white body of an automobile, including an integrated rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100. The integrated rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100 is provided with a plurality of first reinforcing ribs 7111 and second reinforcing ribs. The first reinforcing ribs 7111 and the second reinforcing ribs are transverse reinforcing ribs and are respectively located on both sides of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100 in the X direction. The plurality of first reinforcing ribs 7111 and the second reinforcing ribs are respectively distributed at intervals along the Z direction; the first reinforcing rib 7111 is a convex rib, the plurality of second reinforcing ribs have different widths, the cross section of the second reinforcing rib is an arc-shaped concave surface, and the two ends of the second reinforcing rib extend respectively in the X direction and form a transition surface with the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100.

[0049] In some embodiments, a one-piece rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly is manufactured through a thermoforming process, integrating the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, the rib structure, and other components. This is then integrated with the body-in-white (BIW) side panel rear inner panel, saving mold and fixture development time and reducing product development cycles and production costs. This embodiment utilizes a thermoforming mold to ensure precision, thereby improving the dimensional accuracy of each component within the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly. Furthermore, this one-piece rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly reduces the number of welds required in traditional manufacturing processes, effectively reducing the risk of structural vibration and noise.

[0050] In some embodiments, the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly is provided on the inner side of the rear wheel of the body-in-white. The outer edges of the rear wheel housing inner panel body 7100 are all provided with connecting edges, which are used to integrate the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly with the rear inner panel of the body-in-white and fix them to the body-in-white. Figures 1 to 4The connecting edges of this embodiment include but are not limited to a first connecting edge 7121 located at the front and upper part of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100, a second connecting edge 7122 and a third connecting edge 7123 located at the front part of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100, a fourth connecting edge 7124 located at the upper part of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100, a fifth connecting edge 7125 located at the rear part of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100, and a sixth connecting edge 7126 located at the lower part of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100. In this embodiment, the front part of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is spot-welded to the double door ring structure of the integrated side rear inner panel of the body-in-white through the first connecting edge 7121 in the Y direction; it is spot-welded to the double door ring structure of the side rear inner panel through the second connecting edge 7122 in the Y direction; it is connected to the flange structure 4520 of the side rear inner panel in the Z direction through the third connecting port, and the rigidity and strength of this area are improved; the upper part of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is spot-welded to the D-pillar of the body-in-white through the fourth connecting edge 7124; the rear part of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is connected to the rear wheelhouse outer panel of the body-in-white through the fifth connecting edge 7125; the lower part of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is connected to the rear floor longitudinal beam of the body-in-white through the sixth connecting edge 7126. In conventional methods of connecting the rear wheelhouse inner panel to the side panel rear inner panel, the rear wheelhouse inner panel is generally composed of upper and lower rear wheelhouse inner panels. These panels are joined internally by spot welding in the Y direction and an X-axis seam. These welds are subject to significant Z-axis shear forces from the impact of the suspension damper, posing a high risk of weld failure due to component fatigue. However, in this embodiment, the upper and lower rear wheelhouse inner panels are integrated through a thermoforming process. The first and second connecting edges 7121, 7122 are joined to the longitudinal Z-axis seam of the integrated side panel rear inner panel's double door ring structure through spot welding in the Y direction. The lower portion of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is joined in the Z direction by a sixth connecting edge 7126, avoiding an X-axis seam and reducing shear forces on the rear of the body-in-white side panel from the impact of the suspension damper. In this embodiment, the connecting edges are fixed to the side panel rear inner panel using welding or other methods.

[0051] In some embodiments, this embodiment reduces the redundancy of the welding edges through the connection method between the above-mentioned rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100 and the side panel rear inner panel, thereby reducing the number of sub-assemblies, shortening the production process, reducing the accumulated errors of the dimension chain, and thus improving its installation accuracy.

[0052] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1In this embodiment, multiple first reinforcing ribs 7111 and multiple second reinforcing ribs are located at the front and rear of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, respectively. Both the first and second reinforcing ribs 7111 are transversely arranged strip-shaped structures and are spaced apart along the Z-direction, thereby enhancing the strength of the thin plate area of ​​the rear wheelhouse inner panel. More specifically, the multiple first reinforcing ribs 7111 can be evenly distributed across the front of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, while the second reinforcing ribs, positioned opposite the first reinforcing ribs 7111, conform to the arched structure of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, forming a concave arc-shaped structure with a cross-section that presents an arcuate concave surface. The ends of the second reinforcing rib extend along the X-direction, forming a transitional curved surface with the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100. The ends of the second reinforcing rib are rounded to create a smooth curved surface at the transition to the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, creating a gradual, vanishing effect. This improves part formability and avoids stress concentration. Furthermore, since the front and rear portions of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 bear relatively little load within the vehicle, this arrangement prevents the second reinforcing rib from penetrating the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 along the X-direction, creating a gradual, vanishing effect and improving the modal properties of the thin plate area of ​​the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100. The multiple first and second reinforcing ribs 7111 of this embodiment also enhance part rigidity.

[0053] In some embodiments, multiple first reinforcing ribs 7111 are positioned opposite multiple second reinforcing ribs. Each first reinforcing rib 7111 has the same dimensions, and each second reinforcing rib has the same recessed depth. The width of the first reinforcing rib 7111 ranges from 30 to 55 mm, and its protrusion relative to the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is 3 to 8 mm. The width of the second reinforcing rib ranges from 20 to 100 mm, and its recessed depth relative to the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is 3 to 8 mm. More specifically, in this embodiment, at least three first reinforcing ribs 7111 are provided. The width of the first reinforcing rib 7111 can be 35 mm, 45 mm, 50 mm, etc., preferably 45 mm. The protrusion height of the first reinforcing rib 7111 can be 4 mm, 5 mm, 6 mm, etc., preferably 5 mm. In this embodiment, the recessed depth of the second reinforcing rib can be consistent with the protrusion height of the first reinforcing rib 7111, preferably 5 mm. The depth of the second reinforcing rib remains constant while creating a gradual fading effect. The widths of the multiple second reinforcing ribs spaced apart along the Z direction in this embodiment gradually change, and may increase or decrease sequentially from top to bottom. For example, the second reinforcing ribs in this embodiment include, but are not limited to, second reinforcing rib a7112, second reinforcing rib b7113, and second reinforcing rib c7114, which increase in width from top to bottom. The width of second reinforcing rib a7112 may be 38 mm, the width of second reinforcing rib b7113 may be 48 mm, and the width of second reinforcing rib c7114 may be 68 mm. The width of the recesses of the multiple second reinforcing ribs in this embodiment may vary arithmetically or amorphously. This arrangement allows for targeted regional structural strength enhancement of the front or rear portion of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100.

[0054] In some embodiments, the present embodiment can adjust the specific parameters of the multiple reinforcing rib structures such as shape, size, concave and convex direction, and number according to their spatial arrangement on the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100 and the results of CAE analysis.

[0055] In some embodiments, the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly further includes a forked patch plate 7200 integrally formed with the rear wheel housing inner panel body 7100. The forked patch plate 7200 includes at least three forked fingers extending downward in the Z direction. The first reinforcing rib 7111 and the second reinforcing rib are respectively located on both sides of the forked patch plate 7200 in the X direction. The multiple forked fingers are located at the lower portion of the rear wheel housing inner panel body 7100. Figure 1 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6In this embodiment, the forked patch plate 7200 is disposed between the first reinforcing rib 7111 and the second reinforcing rib, located on the arch surface of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100. The upper end of the forked patch plate 7200 is adjacent to the upper end of the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, and the lower end of the forked patch plate 7200 is adjacent to the sixth connecting edge 7126. In this embodiment, the number of forked patch plates 7200 is N, where N ≥ 0 and is an integer. The forked patch plate 7200 has at least three interdigits, each of which may be of the same or different size, including but not limited to a first interdigit 7202, a second interdigit 7203, and a third interdigit 7204.

[0056] In some embodiments, when the rear wheel arch inner panel assembly is installed on a vehicle body-in-white, a cavity structure is formed between the forked patch plate 7200 and the rear inner panel of the body-in-white side panel, communicating along the Z-direction. At least one forked finger forms a C-ring force transmission channel with the rear floor cross member of the body-in-white, and the C-ring force transmission channel communicates with the cavity structure. At least one forked finger is connected to the body-in-white and to the rear floor longitudinal beam of the body-in-white. More specifically, in this embodiment, the forked patch plate 7200 is provided with a forked patch plate connecting edge 7201 on its upper portion, and a reinforcement structure is provided at the upper portion AA of the forked patch plate 7200, as well as at the lower portion BB of the forked patch plate 7200. When the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 of this embodiment is fixedly connected to the body-in-white, the upper part of the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 is connected to the D-pillar through the fork-shaped patch plate connecting edge 7201, and the reinforcing structure of the lower part of the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 is connected to the rear floor crossbeam of the body-in-white through the first fork finger 7202 to form a C-ring force transmission channel; it is connected to the rear floor longitudinal beam through the third fork finger 7204 to open up the upward force transmission path of the vehicle suspension shock absorber spring along the Z direction. More specifically, a wheelhouse under-reinforcement member is provided between the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 and the rear floor longitudinal beam, and the third fork finger 7204 connects the wheelhouse under-reinforcement member to the rear floor longitudinal beam; through the second fork finger 7203 arranged between the first fork finger 7202 and the third fork finger 7204, the C-ring force transmission channel and the shock absorber spring force transmission path are balanced, so that the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 and the body-in-white body longitudinal beam force transmission channel form a stable pyramid structure, thereby improving the body's anti-deformation ability under the dynamic load of the rear suspension.

[0057] In some embodiments, the reinforcement structure in the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 includes but is not limited to cross-shaped reinforcement ribs, herringbone reinforcement ribs, H-shaped reinforcement ribs, etc. This arrangement improves the torsional resistance and enhances the stiffness of the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 and the rear wheel arch inner plate.

[0058] In some embodiments, reference Figure 5 and Figure 6In this embodiment, the forked patch plate 7200 protrudes toward the inside of the body-in-white (BIW) relative to the rear inner panel of the side panel. The upper portion of the forked patch plate 7200 and each of the interdigitated fingers form a "F"-shaped structure. When the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 is fixedly connected to the BIW, a cavity structure is formed at the junction of the forked patch plate 7200, the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100, and the rear section of the body-in-white. This cavity structure is connected to the rear floor panel of the vehicle body through the action of the multiple interdigitated fingers, forming a force transmission path at each interdigitated finger. When the suspension shock absorber spring is subjected to impact stress during driving, the impact stress is transmitted upward along the Z direction to the corresponding interdigitated finger. The multiple interdigitated fingers effectively guide the impact stress and disperse it to the upper portion of the forked patch plate 7200, thereby preventing the impact load from being concentrated and causing cracks in the rear wheelhouse inner panel.

[0059] In some embodiments, this embodiment includes at least three interdigitated fingers, with at least one interdigitated finger balancing multiple force transmission paths to prevent uneven force transmission across multiple paths, which could cause localized cracking of the rear wheelhouse inner panel, and improve the stability of forked patch plate 7200. Furthermore, forked patch plate 7200 is provided with reinforcement structures at both the top and bottom to enhance its rigidity and strength, preventing it from cracking under significant impact loads.

[0060] In some embodiments, this embodiment is connected to the rear floor longitudinal beam of the body in white through multiple forks, which can strengthen the connection, facilitate the transmission of the impact load on the shock absorber spring to the rear floor longitudinal beam, and can also disperse the impact load in multiple directions, thereby improving the overall stiffness and strength.

[0061] In some embodiments, the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 of this embodiment is integrally formed with the rear wheel arch inner plate body 7100 and fixedly connected to the body-in-white, which can effectively disperse the impact load transmitted by the shock-absorbing spring, thereby improving the strength and torsional stiffness of the entire vehicle, and improving the comfort and handling of the entire vehicle.

[0062] In some embodiments, the specific parameters of the multiple fingers of this embodiment, such as the shape, size, and number of the multiple fingers, can be adjusted according to their spatial arrangement on the inner panel of the rear wheel arch and the results of CAE analysis.

[0063] In some embodiments, reference Figure 1 and Figure 6The rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 also features a third reinforcing rib 7115. This rib is positioned along the Z-axis between the second reinforcing rib and the forked patch plate 7200, or between the first reinforcing rib 7111 and the forked patch plate 7200. More specifically, the orientation of the third reinforcing rib 7115 in this embodiment aligns with the direction of the impact force transmitted from the shock absorber to the vehicle body, thereby preventing stress concentration at the transition between the forked patch plate 7200 and the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 and minimizing the risk of cracking. The third reinforcing rib 7115 protrudes from the rear wheelhouse inner panel body 7100 and can connect to the interdigitated ends of the forked patch plate 7200. In this embodiment, there is at least one third reinforcing rib 7115, and its length is greater than the combined width of multiple second reinforcing ribs or multiple first reinforcing ribs 7111, thereby enhancing the rigidity and strength of the transition.

[0064] In some embodiments, the protruding height of the third reinforcing rib 7115 can be the same as the protruding height of the first reinforcing rib 7111 or the recessed depth of the second reinforcing rib, preferably 5 mm. The width of the third reinforcing rib 7115 can be the same as the width of the first reinforcing rib 7111 or the second reinforcing rib, preferably 45 mm.

[0065] In some embodiments, the thickness of the rear wheel housing inner plate body 7100 of this embodiment is 0.7 to 2 mm, and the thickness of the fork-shaped patch plate 7200 is 1 to 2.5 mm.

[0066] The present invention also provides a preparation process of a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, which is integrally formed by a thermoforming process. The rear wheel cover inner panel assembly includes a rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100, and a plurality of transverse first reinforcing ribs 7111 and second reinforcing ribs are arranged on both sides of the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100 in the X direction. The plurality of first reinforcing ribs 7111 and second reinforcing ribs are respectively arranged at intervals in a manner of distribution along the Z direction. The first reinforcing ribs 7111 are arranged as convex ribs, and the plurality of second reinforcing ribs are arranged with different widths and the cross-section of the second reinforcing ribs is an arc-shaped concave surface. The two ends of the second reinforcing ribs extend along the X direction respectively and form a transition surface with the rear wheel cover inner panel body 7100 by chamfering.

[0067] In some embodiments, this embodiment can also add a fork-shaped patch plate 7200 in the middle of the rear wheel cover inner plate body 7100 through a hot stamping process, and form a plurality of spaced-apart fork fingers along the Z direction by forking the lower part of the fork-shaped patch plate 7200.

[0068] In some embodiments, this embodiment uses thermoforming to form a third reinforcing rib 7115 along the Z-direction between the forked patch plate 7200 and the first or second reinforcing rib 7111. This manufacturing process utilizes integrated thermoforming technology combined with the forked patch plate 7200, integrating multiple parts into a single component. This reduces mold and fixture development, improves material utilization, and reduces product development cycles and production costs. Furthermore, this manufacturing process improves the dimensional accuracy and strength of the components, increasing the torsional stiffness of the vehicle, and enhancing ride comfort and handling.

[0069] The present invention also provides a body-in-white, comprising the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly as described above, or a rear wheel cover inner panel assembly and a side panel rear inner panel prepared according to the preparation process of the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly as described above, wherein the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly comprises a plurality of connecting edges located around the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly, and is integrated with the side panel rear inner panel into a body-in-white structure through the plurality of connecting edges.

[0070] In some embodiments, the body-in-white of this embodiment includes but is not limited to the rear floor crossbeam, rear floor longitudinal beam, D-pillar, side rear inner panel double door ring structure and other parts. The body-in-white of this embodiment has high integration and precision, and has a stable structure and good strength.

[0071] The present invention also provides a vehicle, comprising the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly as described above, or comprising the body-in-white as described above.

[0072] In some embodiments, the vehicle of this embodiment includes but is not limited to SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), MPV (Multi-Purpose Vehicle), large car, hidden D-pillar model, etc.

[0073] 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. A rear wheel housing inner panel assembly, mounted on a car body in white, characterized in that: Including the integrated rear wheel housing inner panel body (7100), The integrated rear wheel cover inner plate body (7100) is provided with a plurality of first reinforcing ribs (7111) and second reinforcing ribs, the first reinforcing ribs (7111) and the second reinforcing ribs being transverse reinforcing ribs and being respectively located on both sides of the rear wheel cover inner plate body (7100) in the X direction, and the plurality of first reinforcing ribs (7111) and the second reinforcing ribs being spaced apart along the Z direction; the first reinforcing rib (7111) being a convex rib, the plurality of second reinforcing ribs having different widths, the cross section of the second reinforcing rib being an arc-shaped concave surface, and the two ends of the second reinforcing rib respectively extending in the X direction and forming a transitional curved surface with the rear wheel cover inner plate body (7100); The rear wheel housing inner plate assembly further comprises a forked patch plate (7200) integrally formed with the rear wheel housing inner plate body (7100), the forked patch plate (7200) comprising at least three forked fingers pointing downward in the Z direction, the first reinforcing rib (7111) and the second reinforcing rib being respectively located on both sides of the forked patch plate (7200) in the X direction; When the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly is mounted on the automobile body-in-white, a cavity structure is formed between the fork-shaped patch plate (7200) and the side rear inner panel of the body-in-white, and at least one of the fork fingers and the rear floor beam of the body-in-white form a C-ring force transmission channel.

2. The rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the first reinforcing rib (7111) is 30-55 mm, and the protruding height relative to the rear wheel housing inner plate body (7100) is 3-8 mm.

3. The rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The width of the second reinforcing rib is 20-100 mm, and the depth of the depression relative to the rear wheel housing inner plate body (7100) is 3-8 mm.

4. The rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: At least one of the fingers is connected to the rear floor longitudinal member of the body in white.

5. The rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: A third reinforcing rib (7115) is also provided on the rear wheel cover inner plate body (7100), and the third reinforcing rib (7115) is arranged along the Z direction between the second reinforcing rib and the fork-shaped patch plate (7200), or between the first reinforcing rib (7111) and the fork-shaped patch plate (7200).

6. The rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the rear wheel housing inner plate body (7100) is 0.7-2 mm, and the thickness of the patch plate (7200) is 1-2.5 mm.

7. The rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer edges of the rear wheel cover inner panel body (7100) are all provided with connecting edges, and the connecting edges are used to integrate the rear wheel cover inner panel assembly with the side rear inner panel of the white body and fix them to the white body.

8. A process for preparing a rear wheel housing inner panel assembly, characterized in that: The rear wheel cover inner panel assembly is integrally formed by a thermoforming process, and comprises a rear wheel cover inner panel body (7100), and a plurality of transverse first reinforcing ribs (7111) and second reinforcing ribs are arranged on both sides of the rear wheel cover inner panel body (7100) in the X direction, wherein the plurality of first reinforcing ribs (7111) and second reinforcing ribs are arranged at intervals in a manner distributed along the Z direction, wherein the first reinforcing ribs (7111) are arranged as convex ribs, and the plurality of second reinforcing ribs are arranged to have different widths, and the cross section of the second reinforcing ribs is an arc-shaped concave surface, and the two ends of the second reinforcing ribs extend in the X direction and form a transitional curved surface with the rear wheel cover inner panel body (7100) by means of chamfering. The rear wheel housing inner plate assembly further comprises a forked patch plate (7200) integrally formed with the rear wheel housing inner plate body (7100), the forked patch plate (7200) comprising at least three forked fingers pointing downward in the Z direction, the first reinforcing rib (7111) and the second reinforcing rib being respectively located on both sides of the forked patch plate (7200) in the X direction; When the rear wheel arch inner panel assembly is mounted on the automobile body-in-white, a cavity structure is formed between the fork-shaped patch plate (7200) and the rear inner panel of the side panel of the body-in-white, and at least one of the fork fingers and the rear floor beam of the body-in-white form a C-ring force transmission channel.

9. A body in white, characterized in that: The vehicle body comprises a rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 7 or a rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly prepared by the preparation process of the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly according to claim 8, wherein the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly includes a plurality of connecting edges located around the rear wheelhouse inner panel assembly, and is integrated with the side rear inner panel into a one-piece structure through the plurality of connecting edges.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that: It comprises the rear wheel housing inner panel assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 7, or it comprises the body-in-white according to claim 9.

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