Vehicle body structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle body structure configured to absorb collision energy by using an energy absorption member and prevent the entry of a wheel toward the inside of a vehicle.SOLUTION: The present invention includes: a side sill 10 disposed on the vehicle rear side of a front wheel; and an energy absorption member 20 disposed inside the side sill and at least at a front end side. A distance d1 between the vehicle inner side surface of the energy absorption member and the vehicle inner side wall surface of the side sill is smaller than a distance d2 between the vehicle outer side surface of the energy absorption member and the vehicle outer side wall surface of the side sill.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Vehicles are designed and developed with various types of collisions in mind, one of which is a small overlap collision (hereinafter referred to as SOL collision), in which approximately 25% of the width of the front of the vehicle hits a barrier. In an SOL collision, the front wheels located in the overlap area move backward relative to the vehicle body due to the load from the colliding object, and the collision load can act from the front wheels to the side sills, etc.

[0003] In relation to an SOL collision, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the buckling strength of the inner and outer side sills is different. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-037843 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present inventor has been studying components that absorb energy during an SOL collision, and has been actively studying how to prevent the wheel from penetrating into the interior of the vehicle while absorbing energy during a collision using an energy absorbing component.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to suppress intrusion of the wheels into the interior of the vehicle while absorbing energy during a collision using an energy absorbing member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention includes a side sill disposed rearward of the front wheels, and an energy absorbing member disposed inside the side sill and at least on the front end side thereof, the distance between the vehicle inner surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill being smaller than the distance between the vehicle outer surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle outer wall surface of the side sill. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the above vehicle body structure, the energy absorbing member can absorb the energy during a collision, while preventing the wheels from entering the interior of the vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a side sill constituting a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment and components housed in an internal space of the side sill, with the inner side sill and the outer side sill separated so that the components can be seen. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the side sill. [Diagram 3] 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between an outer guide bracket and an energy absorbing member that constitute the vehicle body structure. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the state before and after deformation of the tip portion of the side sill according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating a collision between a tip end of a side sill according to an embodiment and a colliding object. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a collision of a vehicle body structure according to a comparative example; [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram illustrating a collision of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment; [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating deformation of an energy absorbing member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and ratio of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiment, and may differ from the actual size and ratio.

[0011] In each figure, arrows represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the orientation of members constituting the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment. X indicates the vehicle front-rear direction and is indicated as the front-rear direction X. Y indicates the vehicle width direction and is indicated as the vehicle width direction Y. Z indicates the vehicle up-down direction and is indicated as the up-down direction Z.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a side sill 10 constituting the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment and components housed in the internal space of the side sill 10, with the inner side sill 11 and the outer side sill 15 separated so that the components can be seen. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the side sill 10. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a guide bracket 32 ​​and an energy absorbing member 20 constituting the vehicle body structure. FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing before and after deformation of the tip of the side sill 10 according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a collision between the tip of the side sill 10 according to the embodiment and a colliding object b. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a collision of a vehicle body structure according to a comparative example. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing deformation of the energy absorbing member 20.

[0013] Vehicle types to which the vehicle body structure according to this embodiment can be applied are not particularly limited, and include gasoline vehicles, vehicles equipped with secondary batteries (EVs), hybrid vehicles, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle body structure according to this embodiment has a side sill 10, an energy absorbing member 20, a support bracket 30, and a base bracket 40. The details will be described below.

[0014] (Side sill) The side sill 10 is provided on a lower side of the vehicle, rearward of the wheels (front wheels) of the vehicle. The side sill 10 includes an inner side sill 11 and an outer side sill 15, as shown in FIG.

[0015] 2, the inner side sill 11 includes a horizontal wall 12, a vertical wall 13, and a flange 14. One end of the horizontal wall 12 is connected to the flange 14, and the other end is connected to the vertical wall 13. The horizontal walls 12 are provided at both ends of the vertical wall 13, thereby forming semi-closed spaces for accommodating the energy absorbing member 20, the support bracket 30, and the base bracket 40.

[0016] The outer side sill 15, like the inner side sill 11, includes a horizontal wall 12, a vertical wall 13, and a flange 14. The vertical dimension of the vertical wall 13 of the outer side sill 15 can be configured to be approximately the same as the dimension of the vertical wall 13 of the inner side sill 11, but the dimension of the horizontal wall 12 of the outer side sill 15 in the vehicle width direction Y may be the same as or different from the dimension of the inner side sill 11 in the vehicle width direction Y. It is preferable that the outer side sill 15 has a relatively large R shape formed by crushing the tip so that the vehicle moves away from the collision object b during an SOL collision as shown in Fig. 5 etc.

[0017] (Energy absorbing material) The energy absorbing member 20 is disposed in the internal space of the side sill 10 and at least at the front end thereof, and is configured to absorb energy from the tire (wheel) to the side sill 10 during a frontal collision, including a vehicle SOL collision. As shown in Fig. 2, the energy absorbing member 20 is configured by joining together corrugated members 21, each of which has a series of corrugated and uneven shapes, with an adhesive or by welding to form a plurality of hexagons, in other words, a honeycomb structure. It can also be said that the outer recessed portions of the honeycomb of the energy absorbing member 20 form constrictions 23 (unevenness).

[0018] 2, a corrugated member 21 constituting the energy absorbing member 20 is provided with recesses 22. However, as long as the energy absorbing function can be exerted during an SOL collision, the corrugated member 21 does not need to be provided with recesses 22. The material of the energy absorbing member 20 is not particularly limited, but it can be made of GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) or the like.

[0019] A distance d1 between the vehicle inner surface of the energy absorbing member 20 and the vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill 10 is configured to be smaller than a distance d2 between the vehicle outer surface of the energy absorbing member 20 and the vehicle outer wall surface of the side sill 10, as shown in Fig. 2. This makes it possible to absorb energy from the wheel during an SOL collision while suppressing intrusion of the wheel into the vehicle interior. It is preferable that the energy absorbing member 20 deforms in small increments during an SOL collision (see Fig. 9).

[0020] (Support bracket) The support bracket 30 is disposed outward from the energy absorbing member 20 in the vehicle width direction Y. As shown in Fig. 2, the support bracket 30 includes an inner bracket 31 and a guide bracket 32. The support bracket 30 has a predetermined width in the up-down direction Z in a side view of the vehicle and is formed in a plate shape extending in the front-rear direction X. The support bracket 30 is formed along the contour shape of the honeycomb structure of the energy absorbing member 20, such as the waist 23, and is disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20.

[0021] If the support bracket 30 is not disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20 as described above, the welded portion of the energy absorbing member 20 may open up as shown in Fig. 9 during an SOL collision or the like, which may impair the energy absorbing performance of the energy absorbing member 20. In contrast, by disposing and joining the support bracket 30 to the outside of the energy absorbing member 20, it is possible to prevent or suppress the opening of the energy absorbing member 20 during an SOL collision.

[0022] The inner bracket 31 is disposed between the energy absorbing member 20 and the side sill 10 at its tip in the front-rear direction X on the inside of the vehicle. The inner bracket 31 is joined to the inner side sill 11 by welding, and is joined to the corrugated member 21 of the energy absorbing member 20 by an adhesive bn or the like.

[0023] Like the corrugated member 21 of the energy absorbing member 20, at least a portion of the inner bracket 31 is formed to conform to the shape of the honeycomb structure constituting the energy absorbing member 20. By thus matching at least a portion of the shape of the inner bracket 31 to the honeycomb structure of the energy absorbing member 20, the rigidity of the support bracket 30 can be improved. Also, displacement in the vertical direction Z can be prevented.

[0024] The guide bracket 32 ​​is disposed rearward of the tip of the inner bracket 31 in the front-rear direction X on the vehicle outer side, between the energy absorbing member 20 and the side sill 10, and outboard of the inner bracket 31. The guide bracket 32 ​​is formed along the outer shape of the honeycomb structure of the energy absorbing member 20, and disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20 on the vehicle outer side. This makes it possible to suppress the opening of the energy absorbing member 20.

[0025] The guide bracket 32 ​​has an end in the front-rear direction X connected to a base bracket 40 (described later) by welding. The guide bracket 32 ​​is joined to the energy absorbing member 20 by an adhesive bn, similar to the inner bracket 31. The guide bracket 32 ​​is disposed outside the inner bracket 31 in the vehicle width direction Y, between the energy absorbing member 20 and the outer side sill 15. The guide bracket 32 ​​is formed in approximately the same shape as the contour shape of the waist 23 of the energy absorbing member 20 in the up-down direction Z. This can improve the rigidity of the guide bracket 32. The guide bracket 32 ​​is formed by bending a rear end 33 in the front-rear direction X so as to be joined to the base bracket 40.

[0026] 1, 3, etc., the front end of the guide bracket 32 ​​in the front-rear direction X is configured to be located rearward of the front end of the energy absorbing member 20. By configuring it in this way, the collapse of the energy absorbing member 20 when absorbing energy is not hindered, and the guide bracket 32 ​​can prevent or suppress opening of the welded portion of the energy absorbing member 20 that may occur in the latter half of the collapse.

[0027] Furthermore, although the energy absorbing member 20 alone may be prone to collapse due to an oblique input, by sandwiching it with the support bracket 30, it is possible to prevent the energy absorbing member 20 from collapsing. It is desirable that the front end P1 of the guide bracket 32 ​​is located near a straight line L that connects the front end of the vehicle inner surface of the inner side sill 11 and the outer edge of the vehicle outer side of the base bracket 40 in a plan view, or further rearward than the straight line L. The angle θ between the straight line L and the fore-and-aft direction X is, for example, 40° (see FIG. 4). This configuration makes it possible to suppress the guide bracket 32 ​​from hindering the collapse of the energy absorbing member 20.

[0028] If not configured in this manner, the tip of the side sill would deform to wrap around the impact object b, and may behave as if it were plunging directly into the impact object b, as in the case of vehicle V shown in Fig. 7. In contrast, by configuring the guide bracket 32 ​​as described above, during an SOL collision, the outer side sill 15 is crushed, and the inner side sill 11 is barely deformed, allowing the tip shape to deform as shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6. This makes it easier to ensure the safety of occupants by applying a force in the direction away from the impact object b to the vehicle V, as shown by the arrow in Fig. 8.

[0029] Furthermore, the front end P1 of the guide bracket 32 ​​in plan view is configured to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction Y from the outer edge E1 of the base bracket 40 (see FIG. 4). This makes it possible to suppress the opening of the welded portions and the like without further impeding the collapse of the side sill 10. Note that, as long as the front end P1 of the guide bracket 32 ​​is positioned inward from the outer edge E1 of the base bracket 40 in plan view, θ shown in FIG. 4 does not necessarily have to be 40°.

[0030] (Base bracket) The base bracket 40 is disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20 on the vehicle rear side in the front-rear direction X, and is configured to support the energy absorbing member 20 from the rear. The base bracket 40 can be joined to the guide bracket 32 ​​and the outer side sill 15 by welding. With this configuration, the support by the highly rigid base bracket 40 can further ensure the rigidity of the welded portion against the opening.

[0031] The outer side of the base bracket 40 in the vehicle width direction Y can be formed with a flange 41 in accordance with the shape of the guide bracket 32. The inner side of the base bracket 40 in the vehicle width direction Y can be formed in the same manner as the inner bracket 31. The materials of the support bracket 30 and the base bracket 40 are not particularly limited, but they can be made of, for example, steel plate.

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above, it has been described that the base bracket 40 is joined to the guide bracket 32, and the inner bracket 31 is joined to the inner side sill 11, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to the above, the base bracket may be joined to the inner bracket, and the guide bracket may be joined to the outer side sill, but it is preferable to join the guide bracket to the side sill that is far from the mating surface so that a long welding length can be obtained.

[0033] Also, it has been explained that at least a part of the inner bracket is formed to conform to the shape of the corrugated member of the energy absorbing member. However, the shape of the inner bracket may be formed to more closely match the honeycomb shape of the energy absorbing member 20, similar to the shape of the guide bracket 32 ​​in FIG. 2, as long as the joining strength with the inner side sill and the energy absorbing member can be secured. Also, it has been explained above that the energy absorbing member 20 is disposed at the front end of the internal space of the side sill 10 in the front-rear direction X, but this is not limited thereto, and it may be disposed at a certain distance from the front end as long as it exerts its energy absorbing function during an SOL collision. Also, it has been explained above that the vehicle body structure has the support bracket 30 and the base bracket 40, but the vehicle body structure does not need to have the support bracket 30 and the base bracket 40 as long as it can absorb the energy during an SOL collision while suppressing the intrusion of the wheel into the vehicle interior. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 10 Side sill, 20 Energy absorbing member, 23 Constriction (unevenness), 30 Support bracket, 31 Inner bracket, 32 Guide bracket, 33 Rear end portion (junction between guide bracket and base bracket), 40 Base bracket, 41 Flange (joint between side sill and base bracket), d1 distance (distance between the vehicle inner surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill), d2 distance (distance between the outer surface of the energy absorbing member and the outer wall surface of the side sill), L straight line (a straight line connecting the front end of the side sill's inner wall surface and the outer edge of the base bracket on the outer side of the vehicle when viewed in a plan view), X Anteroposterior direction, Y Vehicle width direction.

Claims

1. A side sill located behind the front wheels; an energy absorbing member disposed inside the side sill and at least on the front end side thereof; a distance between a vehicle inner surface of the energy absorbing member and a vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill is smaller than a distance between a vehicle outer surface of the energy absorbing member and a vehicle outer wall surface of the side sill.

2. The energy absorbing member has a honeycomb structure formed by bonding or welding a plurality of plate materials to each other, 2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein a guide bracket having a shape conforming to the honeycomb structure is disposed adjacent to a surface of the energy absorbing member facing the vehicle exterior.

3. The guide bracket has a plate shape having a predetermined width in a vehicle up-down direction in a vehicle side view and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction, The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 , wherein a front end portion of the guide bracket is disposed rearward of a front end portion of the energy absorbing member.

4. a base bracket disposed adjacent to a rear side of the energy absorbing member and supporting the energy absorbing member from the rear; The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the guide bracket is connected to the base bracket.

5. The energy absorbing member has an outer surface on the vehicle side formed with projections and recesses, The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the guide bracket has a shape that follows a contour shape of the projections and recesses.

6. 5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 4, wherein a front end of the guide bracket is positioned, in a plan view, near a straight line connecting a front end of the vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill and an outer edge of the vehicle outer side of the base bracket, or further rearward than the straight line.

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