A multi-material hybrid truck body structure

Abstract

The application discloses a truck body structure mixed with multiple materials, which comprises a front wall assembly, a floor assembly, a side wall assembly, a rear wall assembly and a roof assembly; the front end of the floor assembly is smaller, and the rear end of the floor assembly is larger; the front end of the floor assembly is connected with the front wall assembly; the rear end of the floor assembly is connected with the rear wall assembly; and the two sides of the floor assembly are respectively connected with a side wall assembly; and the top of the front wall assembly, the rear wall assembly and the side wall assembly is connected with the roof assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of vehicle body structure, and specifically relates to a multi-material hybrid truck body structure. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, truck bodies on the market are mainly constructed using stamped steel sheets, with a relatively low proportion of high-strength steel. Collision safety is improved by increasing local material thickness, and integrated design is achieved by increasing the size of stamped parts, reducing the number of components. The left and right side panels are generally arranged in a parallel configuration. Existing truck body structures have the following problems:

[0003] 1. In existing technical solutions, there are many stamped parts, large investment in tooling and dies, and complex assembly and welding;

[0004] 2. Existing technical solutions mainly improve vehicle body performance by increasing material thickness, primarily using low-strength steel, which leads to an increase in vehicle body weight;

[0005] 3. Existing technical solutions reduce the number of parts by designing large-sized stamped parts, which increases the difficulty of mold manufacturing and adds stamping processes;

[0006] 4. In the existing technical solutions, the outer contours of the left and right sides are basically arranged in parallel, which is not conducive to reducing the drag coefficient of the whole vehicle and increases the weight of the vehicle body. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a truck body structure with multiple materials, which has the advantages of fewer parts, lighter weight, less tooling investment, higher assembly efficiency and lower drag coefficient.

[0008] To address the aforementioned problems in the existing technology, the technical solution adopted by this invention is as follows:

[0009] A multi-material hybrid truck body structure includes: a front bulkhead assembly, a floor assembly, a side bulkhead assembly, a rear bulkhead assembly, and a roof assembly;

[0010] The front end of the floor assembly is smaller and the rear end is larger. The front end of the floor assembly is connected to the front bulkhead assembly, the rear end of the floor assembly is connected to the rear bulkhead assembly, and a side panel assembly is connected to each side of the floor assembly.

[0011] The tops of the front fascia assembly, rear fascia assembly, and side fascia assembly are all connected to the top cover assembly.

[0012] Furthermore, the front bulkhead assembly is provided with an air conditioning intake and a firewall mounting hole. The air conditioning intake is located in the middle of the front bulkhead assembly, and the front bulkhead assembly is provided with a suspension connection structure for connecting the floor assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, the floor assembly includes longitudinal beams, transverse beams, and floor panels. The longitudinal beams include a left beam, a left longitudinal beam, a right longitudinal beam, and a right beam. The left and right longitudinal beams are both located between the left and right beams. The transverse beams are all connected to the left beam, the left longitudinal beam, the right longitudinal beam, and the right beam. The transverse beams are connected to the longitudinal beams through joints.

[0014] Furthermore, the transverse beam includes a first transverse beam, a second transverse beam, a third transverse beam, and a rear transverse beam. The first transverse beam, the second transverse beam, and the third transverse beam are all connected to the longitudinal beam through a first cast aluminum joint, and the rear transverse beam is connected to the longitudinal beam through a second cast aluminum joint.

[0015] Furthermore, both the left and right beams are provided with an intermediate transition section, which is used to change the distance between the two ends of the left and right beams. The distance between the ends of the left and right beams closer to the front of the vehicle is smaller, and the distance between the ends of the left and right beams farther from the front of the vehicle is larger.

[0016] Furthermore, the rear enclosure assembly includes a rear outer panel, a crossbeam, and uprights. The crossbeam and uprights form the rear enclosure frame. The rear outer panel is connected to the rear enclosure frame, and the rear enclosure frame is connected to the side enclosure assembly via cast aluminum joints. The crossbeam includes an upper crossbeam and a middle crossbeam. The upper crossbeam has a fourth cast aluminum joint and a fifth cast aluminum joint connected to its two ends, and the middle crossbeam has a first cast aluminum joint connected to its two ends. The uprights include a left upright and a right upright. Both the left and right uprights are connected to the crossbeams via the first cast aluminum joints.

[0017] Furthermore, the side panel assembly includes an outer side panel sub-assembly and an inner side panel sub-assembly; the outer side panel sub-assembly includes a front section of the outer side panel and a rear section of the outer side panel; the inner side panel sub-assembly includes an A-pillar inner panel, an upper side beam inner panel, a B-pillar inner panel, an aluminum profile upper side beam, an aluminum profile C-pillar, and a middle side beam.

[0018] Furthermore, the side panel assembly includes a left side panel assembly and a right side panel assembly, which are mirror images of each other.

[0019] Furthermore, it also includes the windshield upper crossbeam assembly, which together with the aluminum profile side wall upper crossbeam and the upper crossbeam form a ring structure on the upper part of the vehicle body.

[0020] Furthermore, the roof assembly is made of non-metallic material and includes an outer roof panel and a lower ring beam. The roof assembly is connected to the upper ring structure of the vehicle body through the lower ring beam.

[0021] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: This invention optimizes the truck body structure and materials. The outer contours of the left and right side panels are arranged at acute angles, which helps to reduce the overall drag coefficient and weight of the vehicle. The front panel assembly adopts an integrated aluminum alloy die-casting process, realizing the integration of multiple parts, greatly simplifying the assembly process and improving production efficiency. The floor assembly and rear panel assembly adopt an aluminum profile frame structure, and reinforced with cast aluminum joints at the main connection points, greatly reducing the number of stamped parts, reducing mold investment, and easily realizing modular design of various vehicle body specifications, while also achieving excellent lightweighting. The inner and outer side panels are assembled into a complete door ring structure. The front section of the outer side panel adopts a laser-welded plate thermoforming process with unequal thickness, which helps to improve collision safety, reduces the number of parts, and achieves weight reduction. The roof assembly adopts a non-metallic integrated outer panel and lower ring beam structure, greatly reducing the number of parts, improving assembly efficiency, and achieving lightweighting. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is an exploded view of the truck body structure in this invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a top view of the truck body structure (coverless assembly) in this invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a front view of the front assembly in this invention.

[0025] Figure 4 This is a rear view of the front assembly in this invention.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a bottom view of the floor assembly in this invention.

[0027] Figure 6 This is an isometric view of the floor assembly (without floor panel) in this invention.

[0028] Figure 7 This is an isometric view of the rear assembly in this invention.

[0029] Figure 8 This is a right view of the left outer panel sub-assembly in this invention.

[0030] Figure 9 This is a right view of the left side inner panel sub-assembly in this invention.

[0031] Figure 10 This is an exploded view of the top cover assembly in this invention.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Front bulkhead assembly; 1-1. Left suspension connection structure; 1-2. Right suspension connection structure; 1-3. Air conditioning intake; 1-4. Firewall mounting hole; 1-5. Control pedal mounting structure; 2. Floor assembly; 2-1. Left side beam; 2-2. Left longitudinal beam; 2-3. Right longitudinal beam; 2-4. Right side beam; 2-5. First crossbeam; 2-6. Second crossbeam; 2-7. Third crossbeam; 2-8. Rear crossbeam; 2-9. Floor panel; 2-10. First cast aluminum joint; 2-11. Second cast aluminum joint; 3. Left side bulkhead assembly; 3-1. Left side bulkhead outer panel sub-assembly; 3-1-1. Front section of left side bulkhead outer panel; 3-1-2. Left side... 3-2. Rear section of outer panel; 3-2. Left side inner panel sub-assembly; 3-2-1. A-pillar inner panel; 3-2-2. Side upper crossbeam inner panel; 3-2-3. B-pillar inner panel; 3-2-4. Aluminum profile side upper crossbeam; 3-2-5. Aluminum profile C-pillar; 3-2-6. Side middle crossbeam; 4. Rear panel assembly; 4-1. Upper crossbeam; 4-2. Rear panel outer panel; 4-3. Middle crossbeam; 4-4. Right pillar; 4-5. Left pillar; 4-6. Fourth cast aluminum joint; 4-7. Fifth cast aluminum joint; 4-8. Third cast aluminum joint; 5. Top cover assembly; 5-1. Top cover outer panel; 5-2. Lower ring beam; 6. Right side panel assembly; 7. Windshield upper crossbeam assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and reference numerals.

[0034] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in these embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0035] The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., are used only to distinguish descriptions and should not be interpreted as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0036] In the description of this invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0037] The specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustration and explanation only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0038] Example 1:

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, a multi-material hybrid truck body structure includes: a front bulkhead assembly 1, a floor assembly 2, a side bulkhead assembly, a rear bulkhead assembly 4, and a roof assembly 5;

[0040] The front end of the floor assembly 2 is smaller and the rear end is larger. The front end of the floor assembly 2 is connected to the front enclosure assembly 1, the rear end of the floor assembly 2 is connected to the rear enclosure assembly 4, and a side panel assembly is connected to each side of the floor assembly 2.

[0041] The tops of the front enclosure assembly 1, the rear enclosure assembly 4, and the side enclosure assembly are all connected to the top cover assembly 5.

[0042] This application significantly reduces the number of body parts and body weight by changing the body structure, thereby improving assembly efficiency.

[0043] Example 2:

[0044] Based on Example 1, such as Figure 3 and 4 As shown, the front assembly 1 is provided with an air conditioning inlet 1-3 and a firewall mounting hole 1-4. The air conditioning inlet 1-3 is located in the middle of the front assembly 1. The front assembly 1 is provided with a suspension connection structure, which is used to connect the floor assembly 2.

[0045] The back of the front assembly 1 is provided with reinforcing ribs.

[0046] The front assembly 1 is made of aluminum alloy through die casting. The front assembly 1 has raised structures on the upper, lower, left and right sides, and horizontal and vertical reinforcing ribs are provided on the inner side of the raised structures. The left and right raised structures are provided with left and right suspension connection structures 1-2 below the left and right raised structures, and are connected to the floor longitudinal beam through the structure.

[0047] The left side of the front assembly 1 is a closed structure, integrating the control pedal mounting structure 1-5; the right side of the front assembly 1 is provided with firewall mounting holes 1-4; the middle of the front assembly 1 is provided with air conditioning inlet 1-3; the left closed structure and the right open structure can be interchanged.

[0048] The integrated die-casting process allows many vehicle parts to be die-cast into a single unit, reducing the number of vehicle parts and resulting in higher structural strength and a heavier vehicle body for the same strength.

[0049] Example 3:

[0050] Based on Example 2, such as Figure 2 , 5As shown in Figure 6, the floor assembly 2 includes longitudinal beams, transverse beams, and floor panels 2-9. The longitudinal beams include a left beam 2-1, a left longitudinal beam 2-2, a right longitudinal beam 2-3, and a right beam 2-4. The left longitudinal beam 2-2 and the right longitudinal beam 2-3 are both located between the left beam 2-1 and the right beam 2-4. The transverse beams are all connected to the left beam 2-1, the left longitudinal beam 2-2, the right longitudinal beam 2-3, and the right beam 2-4. The transverse beams are connected to the longitudinal beams through joints.

[0051] The transverse beams include a first transverse beam 2-5, a second transverse beam 2-6, a third transverse beam 2-7, and a rear transverse beam 2-8. The first transverse beam 2-5, the second transverse beam 2-6, and the third transverse beam 2-7 are all connected to the longitudinal beams through a first cast aluminum joint 2-10, and the rear transverse beam 2-8 is connected to the longitudinal beams through a second cast aluminum joint 2-11.

[0052] Both the left beam 2-1 and the right beam 2-4 are provided with intermediate transition sections. The intermediate transition sections are used to change the distance between the two ends of the left beam 2-1 and the right beam 2-4, so that they form a structure with a large distance at one end and a small distance at the other end. The distance between the ends of the left beam 2-1 and the right beam 2-4 closer to the front of the vehicle is smaller, and the distance between the ends of the left beam 2-1 and the right beam 2-4 farther from the front of the vehicle is larger.

[0053] The floor assembly 2 is designed with a smaller front end and a larger rear end. The side assembly of the vehicle is also arranged according to the structure on both sides of the floor, making the whole structure more streamlined, which can better reduce wind resistance and improve fuel economy.

[0054] The floor assembly 2 includes a left longitudinal beam 2-2, a right longitudinal beam 2-3, a left left beam 2-1, a right right beam 2-4, a first crossbeam 2-5, a second crossbeam 2-6, a third crossbeam 2-7, and a rear crossbeam 2-8. The first crossbeam 2-5, the second crossbeam 2-6, and the third crossbeam 2-7 are connected to the left longitudinal beam 2-2 and the right longitudinal beam 2-3 via a first cast aluminum joint 2-10. The rear crossbeam 2-8 is connected to the left longitudinal beam 2-2 and the right longitudinal beam 2-3 via a second cast aluminum joint 2-11, which has a triangular structure. The front section of the left beam 2-1 and the front section of the right beam 2-4 are arranged at an acute angle, and the rear section of the left beam 2-1 and the rear section of the right beam 2-4 are arranged parallel to each other. The left longitudinal beam 2-2 and the right longitudinal beam 2-3 are manufactured using an aluminum alloy extrusion process and have the same cross-section. The first crossbeam 2-5, the second beam 2-6, and the third beam 2-7 are also manufactured using an aluminum alloy extrusion process and have the same cross-section.

[0055] The transverse and longitudinal beams of the floor assembly 2 adopt an aluminum alloy frame and are equipped with cast aluminum joints at the connection points. This not only improves the load-bearing strength but also reduces the number of stamped parts, enabling modular design and adaptability to various vehicle models.

[0056] The floor assembly 2 and rear bulkhead assembly 4 adopt an aluminum profile frame structure and are reinforced with cast aluminum joints at the main connection points, which greatly reduces the number of stamped parts, reduces the investment in molds, and can easily realize modular design of various body specifications, while also having a good lightweight effect.

[0057] Example 4:

[0058] Based on Example 3, such as Figure 7 As shown, the rear enclosure assembly 4 includes a rear outer panel 4-2, a crossbeam, and a column. The crossbeam and the column form the rear enclosure frame. The rear outer panel 4-2 is connected to the rear enclosure frame. The rear enclosure frame is connected to the side enclosure assembly through a cast aluminum joint.

[0059] The crossbeam includes an upper crossbeam 4-1 and a middle crossbeam 4-3. The upper crossbeam 4-1 is connected to a fourth cast aluminum connector 4-6 and a fifth cast aluminum connector 4-7 at both ends. The middle crossbeam 4-3 is connected to a first cast aluminum connector 2-10 at both ends.

[0060] The columns include a left column 4-5 and a right column 4-4, both of which are connected to the crossbeam via a first cast aluminum joint 2-10.

[0061] The rear assembly 4 includes a left column 4-5, a right column 4-4, an upper crossbeam 4-1, a middle crossbeam 4-3, and a rear outer panel 4-2. The middle crossbeam 4-3 is connected to the left column 4-5 and the right column 4-4 via a first cast aluminum joint 2-10, and the upper crossbeam 4-1 is connected to the left column 4-5 and the right column 4-4 via a third cast aluminum joint 4-8. The left column 4-5 and the right column 4-4 are made of aluminum alloy extrusion process, have the same cross-section, and are arranged in parallel. The lateral distance between the left and right columns 4-4 is equal to the lateral distance between the left and right longitudinal beams 2-3 of the floor assembly 2. The lower ends of the left column 4-5 and the right column 4-4 are connected to the left and right longitudinal beams 2-3 of the floor assembly 2 via a second cast aluminum joint 2-11.

[0062] Example 5:

[0063] Based on Example 4, such as Figure 8 and 9 As shown, the side panel assembly includes an outer side panel sub-assembly and an inner side panel sub-assembly;

[0064] The side panel sub-assembly includes a front section of the side panel and a rear section of the side panel;

[0065] The side panel sub-assembly includes A-pillar inner panel 3-2-1, side upper crossbeam inner panel 3-2-2, B-pillar inner panel 3-2-3, aluminum profile side upper crossbeam 3-2-4, aluminum profile C-pillar 3-2-5, and side middle crossbeam 3-2-6.

[0066] The side enclosure assembly includes a left side enclosure assembly 3 and a right side enclosure assembly 6, which are mirror images of each other.

[0067] The left side panel assembly 3 includes an outer side panel sub-assembly and an inner side panel sub-assembly; the outer side panel sub-assembly includes a front section and a rear section of the outer side panel, and the front section of the outer side panel adopts a laser-welded plate thermoforming process with unequal material thickness; the inner side panel sub-assembly includes an A-pillar inner panel 3-2-1, a B-pillar inner panel 3-2-3, an upper side beam inner panel 3-2-2, an aluminum profile upper side beam 3-2-4, a middle side beam 3-2-6, and an aluminum profile C-pillar 3-2-5; The front section of the side outer panel forms an A-pillar structure with the inner A-pillar panel 3-2-1, and the front section of the side outer panel forms a B-pillar structure with the inner B-pillar panel 3-2-3; the aluminum profile C-pillar 3-2-5, the aluminum profile side upper crossbeam 3-2-4, and the upper crossbeam 4-1 are connected by the fourth cast aluminum joint 4-6, and the aluminum profile C-pillar 3-2-5 is connected to the rear middle crossbeam 4-3 by the first cast aluminum joint 2-10; the left side panel assembly 3 and the right side panel assembly 6 are symmetrical about the vehicle's transverse center plane;

[0068] Example 6:

[0069] Based on Example 5, such as Figure 10 As shown, it also includes a windshield upper crossbeam assembly 7, which together with the aluminum profile side wall upper crossbeam 3-2-4 and the upper crossbeam 4-1 form a ring structure on the upper part of the vehicle body.

[0070] The top cover assembly 5 is made of non-metallic material and consists of an outer top cover panel 5-1 and a lower ring beam, which is connected to the upper ring structure of the vehicle body through the lower ring beam.

[0071] This invention is not limited to the above-described optional embodiments. Anyone can derive other various forms of products under the guidance of this invention. However, regardless of any changes made in their shape or structure, any technical solution that falls within the scope of the claims of this invention shall be protected by this invention.

Claims

1. A truck body structure made of multiple materials, characterized in that: include: Front bulkhead assembly (1), floor assembly (2), side bulkhead assembly, rear bulkhead assembly (4) and roof assembly (5); The front end of the floor assembly (2) is smaller and the rear end is larger. The front end of the floor assembly (2) is connected to the front enclosure assembly (1), the rear end of the floor assembly (2) is connected to the rear enclosure assembly (4), and a side panel assembly is connected to each side of the floor assembly (2). The tops of the front enclosure assembly (1), rear enclosure assembly (4) and side enclosure assembly are all connected to the top cover assembly (5).

2. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The floor assembly (2) includes longitudinal beams, transverse beams and floor panels (2-9). The longitudinal beams include a left beam (2-1), a left longitudinal beam (2-2), a right longitudinal beam (2-3), and a right beam (2-4). The left longitudinal beam (2-2) and the right longitudinal beam (2-3) are both located between the left beam (2-1) and the right beam (2-4). The transverse beams are all connected to the left beam (2-1), the left longitudinal beam (2-2), the right longitudinal beam (2-3), and the right beam (2-4). The transverse beams are connected to the longitudinal beams through joints.

3. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transverse beams include a first transverse beam (2-5), a second transverse beam (2-6), a third transverse beam (2-7), and a rear transverse beam (2-8). The first transverse beam (2-5), the second transverse beam (2-6), and the third transverse beam (2-7) are all connected to the longitudinal beams through a first cast aluminum joint (2-10), and the rear transverse beam (2-8) is connected to the longitudinal beams through a second cast aluminum joint (2-11).

4. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: Both the left beam (2-1) and the right beam (2-4) are provided with an intermediate transition section. The intermediate transition section is used to change the distance between the two ends of the left beam (2-1) and the right beam (2-4). The distance between the ends of the left beam (2-1) and the right beam (2-4) closer to the front of the vehicle is smaller, and the distance between the ends of the left beam (2-1) and the right beam (2-4) farther from the front of the vehicle is larger.

5. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rear enclosure assembly (4) includes a rear outer panel (4-2), a crossbeam, and a column. The crossbeam and the column form a rear frame. The rear outer panel (4-2) is connected to the rear frame. The rear frame is connected to the side enclosure assembly through a cast aluminum joint. The crossbeam includes an upper crossbeam (4-1) and a middle crossbeam (4-3). The upper crossbeam (4-1) is connected to a fourth cast aluminum connector (4-6) and a fifth cast aluminum connector (4-7) at both ends. The middle crossbeam (4-3) is connected to a first cast aluminum connector (2-10) at both ends. The columns include a left column (4-5) and a right column (4-4), both of which are connected to the crossbeam via a first cast aluminum joint (2-10).

6. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The side panel assembly includes an outer side panel sub-assembly and an inner side panel sub-assembly; The side panel sub-assembly includes a front section of the side panel and a rear section of the side panel; The side panel sub-assembly includes the A-pillar inner panel (3-2-1), the side upper crossbeam inner panel (3-2-2), the B-pillar inner panel (3-2-3), the aluminum profile side upper crossbeam (3-2-4), the aluminum profile C-pillar (3-2-5), and the side middle crossbeam (3-2-6).

7. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The side enclosure assembly includes a left side enclosure assembly (3) and a right side enclosure assembly (6), which are mirror images of each other.

8. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes the windshield upper crossbeam assembly (7), which together with the aluminum profile side wall upper crossbeam (3-2-4) and the upper crossbeam (4-1) form a ring structure on the upper part of the vehicle body.

9. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top cover assembly (5) is made of non-metallic material. The top cover assembly (5) includes a top cover outer plate (5-1) and a lower ring beam (5-2). The top cover assembly (5) is connected to the upper ring structure of the vehicle body through the lower ring beam (5-2).

10. The multi-material hybrid truck body structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front assembly (1) is provided with an air conditioning inlet (1-3) and a firewall mounting hole (1-4). The air conditioning inlet (1-3) is located in the middle of the front assembly (1). The front assembly (1) is provided with a suspension connection structure for connecting the floor assembly (2).

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