Vehicle body component

Abstract

The disclosure provides a vehicle body component for a vehicle. A vehicle body member for a vehicle is provided with an annular portion in a cross-section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body member, the annular portion having a hollow portion and being configured in an annular shape. The hollow portion is set such that a neutral axis with respect to a pre-assumed bending direction in the cross section passes through the hollow portion. Each portion of the annular portion through which the neutral axis passes and which is disposed with the hollow portion therebetween is defined as a passing portion, each portion of the annular portion separated from the neutral axis and which is disposed with the hollow portion therebetween is defined as a separating portion, and each separating portion is provided with a thickened portion. The thickened portion is configured to be thicker than the thickness of the passing portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a body component for a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-030676 discloses a body component that is cylindrical, extruded from aluminum, and has a hollow portion in its cross section. The body component is formed so that one side of the neutral axis in the cross section is thicker than the other side. Summary of the invention

[0003] In recent years, vehicles have been required to be lighter and safer. In particular, vehicle body parts are required to have a structure that can withstand bending moments because when a vehicle has a minor overlap collision, the vehicle frame is subjected to a strong bending moment.

[0004] One aspect of the present disclosure is to ensure that a vehicle body component has necessary strength to withstand bending moment while achieving weight reduction.

[0005] One scheme of the present disclosure is a vehicle body component. The vehicle body component includes an annular portion having a hollow portion and configured in an annular shape. The hollow portion is formed by a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body component. The hollow portion is set so that the neutral axis relative to a pre-assumed bending direction in the cross section passes through the hollow portion. Here, each portion of the annular portion through which the neutral axis passes and which is arranged with the hollow portion spaced apart from each other is referred to as a passing portion, and each portion of the annular portion that is separated from the neutral axis and configured with the hollow portion spaced apart from each other is referred to as a separating portion. Each separating portion includes a thickened portion, and the thickened portion is configured to be thicker than the passing portion.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the thickened portion is provided at the location where stress is applied in the assumed bending direction, and the portion near the neutral axis where stress is not easily applied is relatively thin. Therefore, the vehicle body component can withstand bending stress while being lightweight.

[0007] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the annular portion can be seamlessly formed as a whole in cross section. According to the above structure, since the annular portion has a seamless structure, it can easily withstand greater impacts compared to a structure in which the annular portion has seams. In addition, the seamless cross-sectional structure can be formed by, for example, extrusion molding.

[0008] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle body component may further include at least one fixing portion configured to be fixed to another component other than the vehicle body component. The fixing portion may be seamlessly integrated with the annular portion.

[0009] According to the above configuration, since the annular portion and the fixing portion are integrally formed, the number of components can be reduced compared to a case where the annular portion and the fixing portion are separately formed.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the body component is configured with its longitudinal direction along the front-rear direction of the vehicle to constitute at least a portion of the front pillar and the roof rail. Furthermore, the body component is seamlessly integrated so that the cross-sectional shape is the same at any position in the longitudinal direction.

[0011] According to the above configuration, since the vehicle body member seamlessly and integrally forms at least a portion of the front pillar and the roof side rail, the rigidity of the vehicle body can be improved.

[0012] In one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle body component may be formed of a material containing aluminum as a main component.

[0013] According to the above configuration, the vehicle body component can be made lighter in weight and can be easily formed by extrusion using aluminum in the manufacturing process. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a side view of an example in which the vehicle body component according to the embodiment is arranged in a vehicle.

[0015] Figure 2A It is the IIA-IIA section view of the vehicle body component.

[0016] Figure 2B It is the IIB-IIB cross-sectional view of the vehicle body component.

[0017] Figure 3A It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body member according to a first modified example.

[0018] Figure 3B It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body member according to a second modified example.

[0019] Figure 4A It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body member according to a third modified example.

[0020] Figure 4B It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body member according to a fourth modified example.

[0021] Figure 5A It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body component according to a fifth modified example.

[0022] Figure 5B It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body component according to a sixth modified example.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle body component according to a seventh modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings as an example.

[0025] [1. First embodiment]

[0026] [1-1. Structure]

[0027] The vehicle body component 1A according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is one of the components used in the vehicle 100. The vehicle body component 1A is a part of the side structure of the vehicle 100. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle body member 1A is a long strip-shaped member, and is arranged to constitute at least a part of the roof side rail 105. The roof side rail 105 is a structure arranged to connect the upper parts of the front pillar 101, the center pillar 102, and the rear pillar 103.

[0028] In addition, in this embodiment, the roof rail 105 and the front pillar 101 are formed into a whole, and the boundary between them is not clear. If they are to be distinguished, the roof rail 105 is located higher than the windshield 42 (refer to Figure 2A ) is a structural body of the upper frame of the side window glass of the driver's seat, the co-pilot's seat, the rear seat, etc. In addition, the front pillar 101 is a structural body of the frame of the side of the windshield 42 and the frame of the front side of the side window glass.

[0029] The front pillar 101 is arranged in front of the front door opening 111, and the center pillar 102 is arranged in front of the rear door opening 112 and in the rear of the front door opening 111. The front door opening 111 is an opening for arranging the front door, and the rear door opening 112 is an opening for arranging the rear door. The rear pillar 103 is arranged in the rear of the rear door opening 112.

[0030] The vehicle body member 1A extends along the longitudinal direction L, and is set such that the longitudinal direction L is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100 .

[0031] The body member 1A is arranged to span the upper portion of the front door opening 111 and the upper portion of the rear door opening 112. For example, the front end of the body member 1A may be larger than the front end of the front door opening 111 ( Figure 1 In addition, the front end of the vehicle body component 1A may be connected to other components constituting the front pillar 101.

[0032] For example, the rear end of the vehicle body member 1A may be larger than the rear end of the connection portion between the vehicle body member 1A and the center pillar 102 ( Figure 1 In addition, the rear end of the vehicle body component 1A may be connected to a component constituting the rear pillar 103.

[0033] The vehicle body member 1A is made of a material containing aluminum as a main component. As the material of the vehicle body member 1A, any aluminum alloy can be used. For example, aluminum alloys such as 1000 series which is almost pure aluminum and 3000 series which is an aluminum-manganese alloy can be used.

[0034] The body member 1A is manufactured by aluminum extrusion. The shape of the cross section (hereinafter also referred to as "cross section") perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the body member 1A formed by aluminum extrusion is the same at any position in the longitudinal direction L. The body member 1A is seamlessly formed as a whole in the longitudinal direction L. The body member 1A may also be formed by other processing methods such as cutting.

[0035] Here, Figure 2A yes Figure 1 IIA-IIA sectional view of the body part 1A, Figure 2B yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the body part 1A taken along the line IIB-IIB. Figure 2A and 2B As shown, the vehicle body member 1A includes an annular portion 10. The vehicle body member 1A may include at least one fixing portion (for example, a first fixing portion 14 and a second fixing portion 15).

[0036] The annular portion 10 includes penetration portions 12A, 12B and separation portions 13A, 13B, 13C. Figure 2A and Figure 2B That is, when the front of the vehicle 100 hits an object, a bending moment is applied to the body part 1A, causing the front side of the body part 1A to displace in a vertical direction (e.g., downward) with the rear side of the vehicle 100 as a support point.

[0037] The neutral axis N in this case can be represented as a straight line extending substantially horizontally. Alternatively, the neutral axis N can be obtained by simulating stress distribution using the bending direction and the shape of the vehicle body member 1A.

[0038] The annular portion 10 has a hollow portion 11A. The hollow portion 11A is a space surrounded by the material constituting the annular portion 10 and is a portion formed as a hollow (cavity). In other words, the annular portion 10 forms a hollow closed cross section. The neutral axis N is set to pass through the hollow portion 11A. The through portions 12A and 12B are portions of the annular portion 10 through which the neutral axis N passes and are arranged opposite to each other with the hollow portion 11A interposed therebetween. Figure 2A Among them, a portion adjacent to the hollow portion 11A and located on the left side of the hollow portion 11A is the through portion 12A, and a portion adjacent to the hollow portion 11A and located on the right side of the hollow portion 11A is the through portion 12B.

[0039] The separation portions 13A, 13B, and 13C are portions which are separated from the neutral axis N compared to the passing portions 12A and 12B and are disposed to face each other with the hollow portion 11A interposed therebetween.

[0040] exist Figure 2A Among them, a portion adjacent to the hollow portion 11A and located above the hollow portion 11A is the separation portion 13A, and portions adjacent to the hollow portion 11A and located below the hollow portion 11A are the separation portions 13B and 13C.

[0041] The separation portion 13B is a portion located on the inner side of the vehicle 100 among the portions of the annular portion 10 located below the hollow portion 11A. The separation portion 13C is a portion adjacent to the outer side of the separation portion 13B. Figure 2A The vehicle 100 in the embodiment is located at the center side in the width direction (ie, Figure 2A The left side of the vehicle 100 in the width direction (ie, the left side of the vehicle 100) is referred to as the "inner side" for short. Figure 2A The right side of the image (such as the outer side) is referred to as the "outer side".

[0042] The thickness of the partitions 13A and 13B is configured to be greater than the thickness of the through portions 12A and 12B. That is, the separation portions 13A and 13B constitute the thickened portion in the present disclosure. Here, the thickness refers to the distance from the end face on one side of the hollow portion 11A of the component to the end face on the opposite side of the hollow portion 11A. In addition, the "thickness" may be, for example, the average thickness of each part or the maximum thickness. In addition, the separation portion 13C is set to be substantially the same thickness as the through portions 12A and 12B. However, the thickness of the separation portion 13C may also be set to be greater than the thickness of the through portions 12A and 12B.

[0043] Here, in the body member 1A, a portion that is relatively close to the neutral axis N is a portion where stress generated by the bending moment is small. Therefore, in the body member 1A, a hollow portion 11A is formed along the neutral axis N. In addition, the thickness of the through portions 12A and 12B through which the neutral axis N passes is set to be relatively small. In addition, the length of the hollow portion 11A in the direction along the neutral axis N is set to be longer than the length in the direction orthogonal to the neutral axis N.

[0044] On the other hand, in the body member 1A, the portion that is relatively far from the neutral axis N is a portion where stress due to bending moment is large and structural load is large. Therefore, the thickness of the separated portions 13A and 13B in the body member 1A that are far from the neutral axis N is set to be relatively large so that the separated portions 13A and 13B can withstand the stress. That is, the separated portions 13A and 13B constitute the thickened portion in the present disclosure.

[0045] The annular portion 10 is seamlessly integrated in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L. The outer side of the body member 1A is covered by an outer member 30. The outer member 30 is also called a side member outer. The outer member 30 is arranged to cover the body member 1A, thereby protecting the body member 1A from wind, rain, ultraviolet rays, and the like. Figure 2A The front pillar 101 and Figure 2B The roof side rail 105 in the illustrated portion is composed of only two components, the vehicle body member 1A and the outer member 30. That is, the vehicle body member 1A is configured so that the number of components constituting the front pillar 101 and the roof side rail 105 can be reduced.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the vehicle body member 1A includes the first fixing portion 14 and the second fixing portion 15. The vehicle body member 1A may include only one of the first fixing portion 14 and the second fixing portion 15.

[0047] The first fixing portion 14 is a strip-shaped portion that protrudes from the upper separation portion 13A toward the inside of the vehicle 100 and extends along the longitudinal direction L. The upper portion of the first fixing portion 14 is connected and fixed to the windshield 42 and the roof member 40 via the outer member 30. The roof member 40 is a member that is located behind the windshield 42 and constitutes a part of the roof of the vehicle 100.

[0048] The second fixing portion 15 is a strip-shaped portion that protrudes further downward from the lower separating portion 13B and extends along the longitudinal direction L. Figure 2B As shown, the second fixing portion 15 is connected and fixed to the member constituting the center pillar 102 on the inner side. In addition, the manner of connecting the first fixing portion 14 to the roof member 40 and the manner of connecting the second fixing portion 15 to the member constituting the center pillar 102 are arbitrary. For example, the above-mentioned members can be connected by any means such as spot welding, adhesive, rivets, bolts, etc.

[0049] [1-2. Effect]

[0050] According to the embodiments described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained.

[0051] (1a) One aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle body component 1A for a vehicle 100. The vehicle body component 1A includes an annular portion 10 having a hollow portion 11A. The hollow portion 11A is formed by a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L of the vehicle body component 1A. The hollow portion 11A is set so that a neutral axis N with respect to a pre-assumed bending direction in the cross section passes through the hollow portion 11A.

[0052] The through portions 12A and 12B are portions of the annular portion 10 through which the neutral axis N passes and are disposed with the hollow portion 11A interposed therebetween. The separated portions 13A, 13B, and 13C are portions separated from the neutral axis N and disposed with the hollow portion 11A interposed therebetween. The separated portions 13A and 13B of the separated portions 13A, 13B, and 13C constitute thickened portions, and the thickened portions are configured to be thicker than the through portions 12A and 12B.

[0053] According to the above configuration, the thickened portion is provided at the location where stress is applied in the assumed bending direction, and the portion near the neutral axis N where stress is not easily applied is relatively thin. Therefore, the vehicle body member 1A can withstand bending stress while being lightweight.

[0054] (1b) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the annular portion 10 is seamlessly formed as a single unit in cross section.

[0055] According to the above configuration, since the annular portion 10 has a seamless structure, it can easily withstand a greater impact than a structure with a seam in the annular portion 10. In addition, according to the above configuration, since the annular portion 10 is composed of one component, the number of components can be reduced compared to a case where the annular portion 10 is composed of multiple components.

[0056] (1c) One aspect of the present disclosure may further include at least one fixing portion 14 or 15 configured to be fixed to a member other than the vehicle body member 1A. The fixing portion 14 or 15 is seamlessly integrated with the annular portion 10 .

[0057] According to the above configuration, since the annular portion 10 and the fixing portions 14 and 15 are integrally formed, the number of components can be reduced compared to a case where the annular portion 10 and the fixing portions 14 and 15 are separately formed.

[0058] (1d) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle body member 1A is arranged so that the longitudinal direction L is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle 100, so as to constitute at least a part of the front pillar 101 and the roof rail 105. Furthermore, the vehicle body member 1A is seamlessly integrally formed so that the cross-sectional shape is the same at any position in the longitudinal direction L.

[0059] According to the above configuration, since the vehicle body member 1A seamlessly and integrally constitutes at least a portion of the front pillar 101 and the roof side rail 105 , the rigidity of the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 can be improved.

[0060] (1e) In one aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle body member 1A is made of a material containing aluminum as a main component.

[0061] According to the above configuration, the vehicle body component 1A can be made lighter in weight and can be easily formed by extrusion using aluminum in the manufacturing process.

[0062] [2. Other embodiments]

[0063] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0064] (2a) In the vehicle body member 1A of the above embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the hollow portion 11A is a quadrilateral, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Figure 3A The vehicle body member 1B shown in the figure has a hollow portion 11B formed therein. In the hollow portion 11B, four corners of a quadrilateral are formed into rounded corners R.

[0065] In addition, for example, Figure 3B The body member 1C shown in the figure has a plurality of hollow portions 11C. The plurality of hollow portions 11C can be separated by partitions 16C. Figure 2A The partition 16C may extend in a direction perpendicular to the neutral axis N, and its upper end may be connected to the separation portion 13A, and its lower end may be connected to the separation portion 13C. The partition 16C may be formed integrally with the annular portion 10.

[0066] In addition, for example, Figure 4A The body member 1D shown has three hollow portions 11D formed therein. The three hollow portions 11D may be configured to be partitioned by two partitions 16D. The two partitions 16D may extend in a direction orthogonal to the neutral axis N and be configured to be parallel to each other.

[0067] In addition, for example, Figure 4B The vehicle body member 1E shown in the figure has three hollow parts 11E formed therein. The three hollow parts 11E may be arranged so as to be partitioned by two partition parts 16E arranged in a V-shape, and the distance between the two partition parts 16E increases as they approach the separation part 13A.

[0068] In addition, for example, Figure 5A The vehicle body member 1F shown in the figure may form three hollow portions 11F. The three hollow portions 11F may be arranged so as to be partitioned by two partition portions 16F arranged in an inverted V shape, and the distance between the two partition portions 16F increases as they are away from the separation portion 13A.

[0069] In addition, for example, Figure 5B The body part 1G shown can form more hollow parts 11G. Figure 5B In the example of FIG. 1 , five hollow portions 11G are arranged to be partitioned by four partitions 16G. In addition, the plurality of hollow portions 11B to 11G may be set so that the total length along the neutral axis N is longer than the length in the direction orthogonal to the neutral axis N.

[0070] In addition, for example, Figure 6 The body member 1H shown may be formed with a hollow portion 11H having an elliptical cross section. In this case, it is preferred that the major axis of the ellipse coincides with the neutral axis N.

[0071] (2b) Multiple functions of one component in the above-mentioned embodiment may be realized by multiple components, or one function of one component in the above-mentioned embodiment may be realized by multiple components. Multiple functions of multiple components may be realized by one component, or one function realized by multiple components may be realized by one component. In addition, part of the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment may be omitted. At least part of the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment may be added to the structure of the above-mentioned other embodiments, or at least part of the structure of the above-mentioned embodiment may be replaced with the structure of the above-mentioned other embodiments. In addition, all modes included in the technical ideas determined by the sentences recorded in the present disclosure are embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0072] (2c) In addition to the above-described vehicle body components 1A to 1H, the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms such as a system and a vehicle 100 that use the vehicle body components 1A to 1H as components.

Claims

1. A vehicle body component, which is a vehicle body component, characterized in that: An annular portion is provided on a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body member, wherein the annular portion has a hollow portion and is configured in an annular shape. The hollow portion is set so that a neutral axis with respect to a pre-assumed bending direction in the cross section passes through the hollow portion, The portions of the annular portion through which the neutral axis passes and which are arranged with the hollow portion interposed therebetween are defined as passing portions, and the portions of the annular portion that are separated from the neutral axis and which are arranged with the hollow portion interposed therebetween are defined as separating portions. Each of the separation portions includes an increased thickness portion, and the increased thickness portion is configured to be thicker than the penetration portion.

2. The vehicle body component according to claim 1, characterized in that The annular portion is seamlessly formed as a whole in the cross section.

3. The body part according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The vehicle body component further includes at least one fixing portion configured to be fixed to another component other than the vehicle body component. The fixing portion and the annular portion are seamlessly formed as one body.

4. The body component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The body member is arranged so that the longitudinal direction is along the front-rear direction of the vehicle to constitute at least a part of the front pillar and the roof rail, and the body member is seamlessly integrated so that the cross-sectional shape is the same at any position in the longitudinal direction.

5. The vehicle body component according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The vehicle body parts are made of a material containing aluminum as a main component.

6. The vehicle body component according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that The outer side of the body component is covered by an exterior component.

7. The vehicle body component according to claim 6, characterized in that The vehicle body member further includes a first fixing portion connected and fixed to a windshield and a roof member via the outer member at an upper portion of the vehicle body member.

8. The vehicle body component according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that The vehicle body member further includes a second fixing portion connected and fixed to a member constituting a center pillar on an inner side of the vehicle body member.

9. The vehicle body component according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The vehicle body member further includes a partition portion that partitions the hollow portion into a plurality of spaces.

10. The vehicle body component according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that The hollow portion is elliptical in the cross section, and the major axis of the ellipse is consistent with the neutral axis.

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