Assembled body of outer panel of vehicle

Abstract

The present application provides an assembly of an outer panel of a vehicle, which can suppress a decrease in rigidity of an opening periphery of the outer panel. The assembly of the outer panel of the vehicle is provided with an outer panel of a vehicle, i.e., a fender lower portion (50), and a bracket (70) that reinforces the fender lower portion (50). A frame (61) is formed by perforating a portion of the fender lower portion (50). The frame (61) includes a narrow rear frame (64) that is formed at an end edge of the fender lower portion (50). The bracket (70) is fixed in overlap with the rear frame (64).

Description

Vehicle outer panel assembly Technical Field

[0001] This specification discloses an assembly of an outer panel formed by assembling multiple components. Background Technology

[0002] The vehicle's outer panel is partially open to accommodate a fuel inlet or a charging port. For example, in Patent Document 1, an opening is provided in the front fender of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) to which a charging unit is embedded.

[0003] Prior technology literature

[0004] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 5715708 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [Summary of the Invention]

[0007] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, when an opening is provided in the outer panel, depending on the arrangement, the rigidity around the opening may decrease. Therefore, this specification discloses an assembly of an outer panel that can suppress the decrease in rigidity around the opening.

[0009] [Solution to the problem]

[0010] This specification discloses an assembly of a vehicle's outer panel. The assembly includes a vehicle's outer panel and a support frame for reinforcing the outer panel. A frame is formed by perforating a portion of the outer panel. The frame includes a narrow border formed at an end edge of the outer panel. The support frame is overlapped and fixed to the border.

[0011] According to the above structure, the narrow frame with relatively low rigidity is reinforced by the bracket, thereby improving the rigidity of the frame perimeter.

[0012] Additionally, in the above structure, a portion of the border can be cut out. In this case, the adjacent segments of the border separated by the cut out are connected to each other by supports.

[0013] According to the above structure, in the forming process of the outer panel, when the frame must be cut out, the cut-out segments of the frame are connected to each other by a bracket, thereby avoiding a decrease in rigidity.

[0014] Additionally, in the above structure, the outer panel may include a lower fender portion, which is the lower part of a segmented body obtained by dividing the fender into upper and lower parts. In this case, a frame is formed at the upper end of the lower fender portion. A protrusion coinciding with the frame edge is provided at the lower end of the upper fender portion, where the upper fender portion is the upper part of the segmented body. The frame edge of the lower fender portion, the protrusion of the upper fender portion, and the bracket are fixed together in an overlapping manner.

[0015] According to the above structure, the lower part and the upper part of the fender are fixed to the bracket in an overlapping manner. As a result, compared with the case where only the two plates are fixed, the amount of deformation (e.g., bending deformation) at the fixing point can be suppressed, and thus, the breakage of the fixing point can be suppressed.

[0016] [Invention Effects]

[0017] According to the vehicle outer panel assembly disclosed in this specification, it is possible to suppress the decrease in rigidity around the opening of the outer panel. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle that exemplifies an assembly of the outer panel of this embodiment, namely a front fender.

[0019] Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the assembly of the outer panel of this embodiment, namely the front fender and the vehicle's frame structure.

[0020] Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the front fender.

[0021] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the front fender viewed from the opposite direction of Figure 3.

[0022] Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the bracket.

[0023] Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the assembly structure of the front fender.

[0024] [Explanation of Labels in the Attached Image]

[0025] 10 Front fender, 40 Upper fender, 41 Main body of upper fender, 44, 45 Upper fender tabs, 50 Lower fender, 51 Main body of lower fender, 54, 57, 59 Lower fender tabs, 55, 56, 58 Flanges, 60 Box opening, 61 Frame, 62 Front frame, 63 Upper frame, 64 Rear frame, 66 Cutout, 70 Bracket, 71, 72 Support plates Detailed Implementation

[0026] The following description uses the accompanying drawings to illustrate an assembly of the vehicle's outer panel according to an embodiment. The shapes, materials, quantities, and values ​​described below are illustrative examples and may be varied depending on the specifications of the assembly. Furthermore, throughout all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals will be used to label the same elements.

[0027] In addition, in Figures 1-6, an orthogonal coordinate system consisting of the FR axis, RW axis, and UP axis is used to represent the position and orientation of each structure. The FR axis is the vehicle's front-to-rear direction axis with the front of the vehicle as the positive direction. The RW axis is the vehicle's width direction axis with the right side of the vehicle as the positive direction. The UP axis is the vehicle's vertical direction axis with the top as the positive direction.

[0028] Referring to FIG1, the vehicle outer panel assembly of this embodiment is configured to include, for example, a front fender 10 and a bracket 70 (see FIG6). The front fender 10 is a panel member that covers the front side of the vehicle.

[0029] As described below, the front fender 10 is divided into upper and lower parts. That is, the front fender 10 has an upper part 40 as the upper part of the split body. Moreover, the front fender 10 has a lower part 50 as the lower part of the split body. Their detailed construction will be described later.

[0030] The front fender 10 is located in front of the front door 14 and the door sill molding 17, and behind the headlight 12 and the front bumper 11.

[0031] The front fender 10 has an arc-shaped portion along the front tire 16, and flanges 42 and 52 (see Figure 3) are provided on the arc-shaped portion. The flanges 42 and 52 are fastened with components for removing mud and small stones, namely the front fender molded part 19 (see Figure 1) and the front fender liner 15.

[0032] Referring to Figure 2, the front fender 10 is securely supported to the vehicle's frame structure. For example, the inner side of the front fender 10 in the vehicle width direction is secured to the upper beam 23 of the bulkhead. The front end of the upper beam 23 is connected to a radiator support member (not shown). Furthermore, the rear end of the front fender 10 is secured to the lower part 21 of the front pillar.

[0033] Referring to Figure 1, a cover 30 is provided as a cover on the front fender 10. For example, if the vehicle's drive source includes an internal combustion engine, the cover 30 is a fuel filler cap for opening and closing a fuel tank with a fuel inlet. Furthermore, if the vehicle is a fuel cell vehicle (FCEV), the cover 30 is a fuel filler cap for opening and closing a fuel tank with a hydrogen fuel inlet. Moreover, if the vehicle is a battery electric vehicle (BEV) or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) capable of external charging, the cover 30 is an inlet cap for opening and closing an inlet with a charging inlet.

[0034] For example, the front fender 10 is roughly triangular in shape, which widens vertically as it moves from front to rear when viewed from the side. Based on this construction, for example, a cover 30 is provided in the rear portion of the front fender 10, which has relatively generous dimensions.

[0035] Referring to Figure 2, when a cover 30 and a fuel tank or insert box are provided on the front fender 10, a box opening 60 is formed on the front fender 10 by perforating a portion of it. For example, as illustrated in Figure 4, the box opening 60 is located at the upper end of the lower part 50 of the fender. The detailed construction of the box opening 60 will be described later.

[0036] Upper Fender

[0037] Figure 3 illustrates a partial perspective view of the front fender 10, a component of the outer panel assembly of this embodiment. The front fender 10 comprises an upper portion, namely the upper fender 40, and a lower portion, namely the lower fender 50, which serve as the outer panel of the vehicle. Furthermore, the outer panel assembly of this embodiment includes a bracket 70 (see Figure 6), which is disposed at the connection between the upper fender 40 and the lower fender 50 to reinforce the two panels. It should be noted that the bracket 70 is omitted from the illustration in Figures 3 and 4 to clearly show the overlap between the upper fender 40 and the lower fender 50.

[0038] The upper part 40 of the fender is made of a metal sheet such as resin or aluminum. The upper part 40 of the fender has a main body 41 and flanges 42 and 43. The main body 41 has a curved exterior surface 41A and a generally flat exterior surface 41B that forms part of the side of the vehicle.

[0039] A flange 42 is located at the lower end of the exterior design surface 41B and is arc-shaped following the shape of the front tire 16 (see Figure 1). The flange 42 is formed into the upper fender 40 by extending inward relative to the exterior design surface 41B in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of fastening holes 42A are provided in the flange 42 along its thickness direction. Clips (not shown) of the front fender molding 19 (see Figure 1) are inserted into these fastening holes 42A. Moreover, referring to Figure 4, the rear end portion of the flange 42 coincides with the upper end portion of the flange 52 of the lower fender 50.

[0040] Referring to Figure 4, a flange 43 is provided at the upper end of the exterior design surface 41A. The flange 43 is formed inward in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of fastening holes 43A are provided through the flange 43 along its thickness direction. These fastening holes 43A are axially aligned with the fastening holes (not shown) of the upper beam 23 of the fender (refer to Figure 2), and fastening members such as clips are inserted into these holes, thereby fastening the upper fender 40 to the upper beam 23 of the fender.

[0041] The rear and lower end of the main body 41 coincides with the upper part of the frame 61 of the box opening 60. More specifically, referring to FIG6, the upper frame 63, which is part of the skeleton of the frame 61, coincides with the lower end of the main body 41. Furthermore, protrusions 45, 45 protruding into the box opening 60 are provided at the rear and lower end of the main body 41. Moreover, protrusions 65, 65 protruding into the box opening 60 are also provided on the upper frame 63 of the frame 61.

[0042] The tabs 45, 45 on the upper part of the fender 40 are aligned with the tabs 65, 65 on the frame 61, and the tabs 45, 65 are welded together as indicated by the X mark in the figure. In this way, the upper frame 63 is aligned and joined with the lower end of the upper part of the fender 40, thereby strengthening the upper frame 63.

[0043] Additionally, referring to Figures 2 and 3, a protrusion 46 extending toward the flange 42 is provided on the upper part 40 of the fender, in front of the box opening 60. Referring to Figure 6, the protrusion 46 coincides with the front frame 62 of the frame 61, and the two are welded together as indicated by the X mark in the figure. This strengthens the front frame 62.

[0044] Additionally, referring to Figure 3, a tab 44 is provided at the lower end of the upper fender 40, overlapping with the rear frame 64 of the frame 61. A fastening hole 44A is provided in the tab 44 along its thickness direction. Referring to Figure 6, the tab 44, the rear frame 64 of the frame 61, and the bracket 70 are overlapped, and these three are fastened together using bolts, nuts, or other fastening components. This strengthens the rear frame 64. Furthermore, when the viewing method is changed, the fastening portion between the tab 44 and the rear frame 64 is reinforced by the bracket 70. It should be noted that the tab 44, the rear frame 64, and the bracket 70 can be fixed together by spot welding or other welding methods instead of bolts and nuts. Details of this reinforcement structure will be described later.

[0045] <Lower fender>

[0046] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the lower fender 50 includes a main body 51 and flanges 52, 53, 55, and 56. The main body 51 has an exterior design surface 51A. The upper fender 40 and the lower fender 50 are assembled to the vehicle body in such a way that the exterior design surface 51A and the exterior design surface 41B of the upper fender 40 are arranged in the same plane.

[0047] The flange 52 is formed into the lower part 50 of the fender by extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the exterior design surface 51A. The flange 52 is connected to the flange 42 of the upper part 40 of the fender and is formed in an arc shape. Similar to the flange 42, a plurality of fastening holes 52A are provided in the flange 52 along its thickness direction. The clips (not shown) of the front fender molded part 19 (see Figure 1) are inserted into the fastening holes 52A.

[0048] A flange 53 is provided at the front end of flange 52, perpendicular to the cross section of flange 52. A tab 54 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from flange 53. A fastening hole 54A is provided through tab 54 along its thickness direction. A clip (not shown) of front fender liner 15 (see Figure 1) is inserted into the fastening hole 54A.

[0049] A flange 55 is provided at the lower end of the main body 51, and the flange 55 is formed into the lower part 50 of the fender by extending inward in the vehicle width direction than the main body 51. A fastening hole 55A is provided through the flange 55 along its thickness direction. A clip (not shown) of the mudguard 18 (see Figure 1) is inserted into the fastening hole 55A.

[0050] The lower part 50 of the fender is perforated in a portion of its upper part to form a frame 61. For example, as illustrated in FIG4, the upper part of the main body 51 is perforated to form a box opening 60. The frame 61 of the box opening 60 is generally rectangular in shape, formed at the end edge of the lower part 50 of the fender, and has a front frame 62, a top frame 63, and a rear frame 64, all of which are narrow.

[0051] As described above, the front bezel 62 (see Figure 6) is reinforced by overlapping and welding with the protrusion 46 of the upper fender 40. The upper bezel 63 is reinforced by overlapping and welding the tabs 45 and 65 to each other with the lower end of the main body 41 of the upper fender 40. Furthermore, the rear bezel 64 is reinforced by overlapping and fixing the brackets 70.

[0052] Referring to Figure 4, a flange 56 is provided at the rear end of the main body 51. The flange 56 is bent relative to the main body 51. For example, referring to Figure 6, the flange 56 is formed with a slightly curved shape relative to the UP-RW plane.

[0053] The flange 56 is fixed to the lower part 21 of the front pillar via a tab 59 (see Figure 2). The lower part 21 of the front pillar also supports the front door 14 via a hinge mechanism not shown (see Figure 1). In order to avoid interference with the rotation trajectory of the front end of the front door 14, the flange 56 opposite to the front end of the front door 14 is curved relative to the UP-RW plane.

[0054] The upper end of the flange 56 extends to the frame 61. Furthermore, a tab 57 extends upward from its upper end. The tab 57 is formed, for example, in a planar shape. A flange 58 is provided above it, separated by a notch 66. This flange 58 is part of the rear frame 64, and a notch is formed in the flange 58 relative to the lower part of the rear frame 64 due to the notch 66.

[0055] That is, a portion of the rear frame 64 is cut out, and a tab 57 and a flange 58 are provided as opposing segments separated by the cut 66. As described later, the tab 57 and the flange 58 are connected by a bracket 70. Thus, the rear frame 64 is reinforced.

[0056] Furthermore, when welding flange 58 to bracket 70 (indicated by the X symbol in FIG. 6), flange 58 is required to be planar. On the other hand, as mentioned above, to avoid interference with the rotation trajectory of front door 14, flange 56 is required to be curved. To meet the shape requirements of both, flanges 56 and 58 are cut apart by notch 66. In addition, flanges 56 and 58 are connected via bracket 70, thereby reinforcing the rear frame 64 of frame 61.

[0057] <Standard>

[0058] Figure 5 illustrates a single-unit perspective view of the bracket 70. The bracket 70 is an L-shaped component with a support piece 71 and a support piece 72 that is bent approximately perpendicular to the support piece 71. Fastening holes 71A, 71B, and 71C are provided along the thickness direction in the upper portion of the support piece 71. Protrusions 73, 74, and 75 are provided on the outer side of the support piece 72 in the vehicle width direction. Fastening holes 73A, 74A, and 75A are provided in the protrusions 73, 74, and 75.

[0059] Referring to Figure 6, the support piece 71 is aligned with the rear frame 64. Furthermore, the fastening holes 71A, 64A of the rear frame 64 of the frame 61 (refer to Figure 4), and 44A of the protrusion 44 on the upper fender 40 (refer to Figure 3) are axially aligned and fastened using bolts, nuts, or other fastening methods. Additionally, the fastening holes 71B and 71C of the bracket 70 (refer to Figure 5) are axially aligned with the fastening holes 64B and 64C of the rear frame 64 (refer to Figure 4) and fastened using bolts, nuts, or other fastening components. It should be noted that, instead of bolts and nuts, these components can also be fixed by spot welding or other welding methods.

[0060] Additionally, referring to Figure 6, the support piece 72 coincides with the flange 58 and the tab 57, as indicated by the X mark in the figure, and is welded to these segments. Furthermore, the fastening hole 75A of the tab 75 of the support piece 71 is axially aligned with the fastening hole 59A of the tab 59 of the lower fender 50. The fastening holes 73A and 74A are fastened to the lower part 21 of the front pillar by fastening components such as bolts and nuts (refer to Figure 2).

[0061] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0062] In the above embodiment, the front fender 10 is exemplified as an assembly of the outer panel; however, the assembly of the outer panel in this embodiment is not limited to this method. For example, the assembly of the outer panel can be a rear fender. In this case, the rear fender is also divided into upper and lower parts.

[0063] A roughly rectangular box opening is provided at the upper end of the lower part of the fender, which is the lower part of the segment. For example, the box opening is located at the upper and front end of the lower part of the fender, and the front border of the box opening frame is a narrow border. A fixing bracket 70 overlaps with this front border.

Claims

1. An assembly for a vehicle outer panel, comprising a vehicle outer panel and a bracket for reinforcing the outer panel, wherein, A frame is formed by perforating a portion of the outer panel. The frame includes a narrow border formed at the end edge of the outer panel. The bracket is fixed to the border in an overlapping manner. The outer panel includes a lower part of a fender, which is the lower part of a segmented body obtained by dividing the fender into upper and lower parts. The frame is formed at the upper end of the lower part of the fender. A protrusion that coincides with the border of the frame is provided at the lower end of the upper part of the fender. The upper part of the fender is the upper part of the segmented body. The border of the lower part of the fender, the protrusion of the upper part of the fender, and the bracket are fixed together in an overlapping manner.

2. The assembly of the vehicle's outer panel according to claim 1, wherein, A portion of the frame is cut out, and the opposite segments of the frame separated by the cut out are connected to each other by the support.

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