Vehicle suspension structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle suspension structure that enables alignment adjustment to be easily performed without increasing costs and weight.SOLUTION: A vehicle suspension structure 100 includes: an arm holding portion 102 that holds a trailing arm 101; and a fixed portion 103 that forms a vehicle body above the arm holding portion 102 and to which the arm holding portion 102 is fixed. The arm holding portion 102 includes: one or more elongated bolt holes 122a to 122c formed to be elongated in a vehicle width direction and into which bolts for fixing the arm holding portion 102 to the fixed portion 103 are inserted from below; and a tool hole 122x into which a predetermined tool 600 can be inserted from below. The fixed portion 103 includes: one or more bolt fastening holes 103a1 to 103c1 into which a bolt inserted into an elongated bolt hole 102a is fastened; and a tool elongated hole 103x formed to be elongated in the vehicle width direction and having a length equal to or greater than the elongated bolt holes 122a to 122c and into which the tool 600 inserted into the tool hole 122x can be inserted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which a suspension arm is fastened to a bracket on the vehicle body side with a bolt and nut, and the bolt is displaced in a direction perpendicular to the axis by rotating a pair of cams located at both ends of the bolt, thereby adjusting the wheel alignment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-62425 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the cam described in Patent Document 1 is used exclusively for alignment adjustment and has no other uses, so the cost and weight of a structure that uses such a cam to adjust alignment increases.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a vehicle suspension structure that allows alignment to be easily adjusted without increasing costs or weight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the present invention is a vehicle suspension structure comprising an arm holding portion that holds a vehicle trailing arm, and a fixed portion that forms the vehicle body above the arm holding portion and to which the arm holding portion is fixed, wherein the arm holding portion has one or more elongated bolt holes formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction and into which bolts that fix the arm holding portion to the fixed portion are inserted from below, and a tool hole into which a predetermined tool can be inserted from below, and the fixed portion has one or more bolt fastening holes into which bolts inserted into the elongated bolt holes are fastened, and a tool elongated hole formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction with a length equal to or greater than that of the elongated bolt hole and into which a tool inserted into the tool hole can be inserted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle suspension structure that allows alignment to be easily adjusted without increasing costs or weight. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle suspension structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure of FIG. 1 as seen from below. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle suspension structure of FIG. 1, seen obliquely from above. [Figure 4] 4 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure of FIG. 3 with the trailing arm removed, as viewed from below. [Figure 5] 5 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure of FIG. 4 with the arm holding portion removed, as viewed from below. [Figure 6] 6 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure of FIG. 5 with a fixing portion removed, as viewed from below. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle suspension structure comprising an arm holding portion that holds a vehicle trailing arm, and a fixed portion that forms the vehicle body above the arm holding portion and to which the arm holding portion is fixed, wherein the arm holding portion has one or more elongated bolt holes formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction and into which bolts that secure the arm holding portion to the fixed portion are inserted from below, and a tool hole into which a predetermined tool can be inserted from below, and the fixed portion has one or more bolt fastening holes into which bolts inserted into the elongated bolt holes are fastened, and a tool long hole formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction with a length equal to or greater than the bolt long hole and into which a tool inserted into the tool hole can be inserted.

[0010] According to the present invention, an operator can insert a tool into the tool hole and the elongated tool hole from below and pry the tool in the vehicle width direction, thereby moving the tool within the length of the elongated tool hole to move the position of the arm holding portion relative to the fixed portion. This allows the operator to adjust the position of the elongated bolt hole relative to the bolt fastening hole. In other words, the operator can position (adjust the alignment of) the arm holding portion relative to the fixed portion with a simple procedure, without increasing cost or weight by using unnecessary members.

[0011] The one or more bolt elongated holes of the arm holding portion may include a front elongated hole and an outer elongated hole formed in a front portion and an outer portion of the arm holding portion in the vehicle width direction, respectively, and the tool elongated hole of the fixing portion may be positioned forward of the rotation axis of the trailing arm and outer side in the vehicle width direction, between the front elongated hole and the outer elongated hole.

[0012] By locating the tool slot between the front and outer slots, the position where the tool is operated in the tool slot, the position where the bolt is inserted into the front slot, and the position where the bolt is inserted into the outer slot are close to each other. This makes it easy for the worker to check these positions simultaneously. Therefore, even if the worker is forced to assume an unfavorable position on an assembly line, for example, the worker can easily operate the tool to accurately adjust the bolt position, which is expected to improve work accuracy.

[0013] The vehicle suspension structure further includes a reinforcing member that reinforces the fixed portion and has a retaining hole that can hold the tip of a tool inserted into the tool long hole of the fixed portion, and the reinforcing member preferably has a flange whose end in the vehicle width direction is bent vertically.

[0014] According to the above configuration, since the reinforcing member is fixed to the fixed portion, there is no need for additional processing (e.g., drilling holes) on the vehicle body (e.g., rear side frame) to which the fixed portion is fixed. As a result, the degree of freedom in vehicle body design is increased compared to when additional processing is required on the vehicle body. Furthermore, since the reinforcing member has a flange that bends in the vertical direction, the strength of the reinforcing member is improved. As a result, the tip position of the tool does not wobble, allowing the operator to stably swing the tool. [Example]

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle suspension structure 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure 100 of Fig. 1, viewed from below. In Fig. 1 and all other figures, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right directions in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward). In the following explanation, the vehicle suspension structure on the right side in the vehicle width direction will be mainly described, but it is assumed that the left side in the vehicle width direction is also configured symmetrically.

[0017] 1 and 2, a vehicle suspension structure 100 includes a trailing arm 101 and an arm holder 102 that holds the trailing arm 101 from above. As shown in Fig. 1, the trailing arm 101 is inclined downward from the front of the vehicle to the rear of the vehicle.

[0018] The vehicle suspension structure 100 includes a fixed portion 103 that supports the arm holding portion 102 from above, and a rear side frame 104 that supports the fixed portion 103 from above. The fixed portion 103 is fixed to the rear side frame 104 and a side sill 111. The fixed portion 103 and the rear side frame 104 form the vehicle body.

[0019] Vehicle suspension structure 100 includes bolts 501 to 503. Bolts 501 to 503 fix arm holding portion 102 to fixed portion 103. The positions of arm holding portion 102 and fixed portion 103 in the vehicle width direction are determined by bolts 501 to 503, thereby adjusting alignment, i.e., adjusting the position of trailing arm 101 in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle suspension structure 100 of Fig. 1, seen obliquely from above. Fig. 4 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure 100 of Fig. 3, with the trailing arm 101 removed, seen from below. As shown in Fig. 3, the arm holding portion 102 holds the trailing arm 101 of the vehicle. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the arm holding portion 102 has a substantially horizontal holding plate 121 and a shaft support portion 123 that pivotally supports the trailing arm 101. The shaft support portion 123 is fixed to the underside of the holding plate 121 by welding or the like.

[0021] 4, the retaining plate 121 has three elongated bolt holes, namely, a front elongated hole 122a, an outer elongated hole 122b, and a rear elongated hole 122c, and a tool hole 122x. For convenience of description, the front elongated hole 122a, the outer elongated hole 122b, and the rear elongated hole 122c will be collectively referred to as the "elongated bolt holes 122a to 122c." In this embodiment, the number of elongated bolt holes is three, but is not limited to this number and may be any other number.

[0022] The bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c are holes into which the bolts 501 to 503 can be inserted from below, respectively, and are formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction. As shown in Fig. 4, the bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c are inclined so that the inner side (the side in the direction of arrow L) is located further forward than the outer side (the side in the direction of arrow R). The front elongated hole 122a is formed in the front part of the arm holding part 102, the outer elongated hole 122b is formed in the outer part of the arm holding part 102 in the vehicle width direction, and the rear elongated hole 122c is formed in the rear part of the arm holding part 102.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 3, the tool hole 122x is a hole into which a predetermined tool 600 can be inserted from below. In this embodiment, the tool hole 122x is a round hole. In this embodiment, the tool 600 is a round bar, and the rod portion of a screwdriver, for example, may be used as the round bar. Also, in this embodiment, the tool hole 122x is formed smaller than the bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c. Note that the tool hole 122x is not limited to the above configuration, and may be a square hole if the tool is a square bar, or a triangular hole if the tool is a triangular bar.

[0024] 4, the shaft support portion 123 is formed in a rectangular cylindrical shape. The shaft support portion 123 has first inclined plates 123a and 123b that incline inward in the vehicle width direction toward the front of the vehicle, and second inclined plates 123c and 123d that incline inward in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle. The first inclined plates 123a and 123b have holes 123e through which the bolts 105 can be inserted.

[0025] 4, the bolt 105 has a head 105a, a body 105b, and a threaded portion 105c. The body 105b of the bolt 105 is inserted through a hole 123e in the pair of first inclined plates 123a, 123b and a hole (not shown) formed on the base end side of the trailing arm 101. The threaded portion 105c of the bolt 105 is fastened to a nut 106. As a result, the trailing arm 101 is supported by the bolt 105 and the nut 106 fixed to the shaft support portion 123.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, the fixing portion 103 is disposed above the arm holding portion 102. The arm holding portion 102 is fixed to the underside of the fixing portion 103. As shown in Fig. 3, the fixing portion 103 has three bolt fastening portions 103a to 103c and a tool slot 103x. In this embodiment, the number of bolt fastening portions 103a to 103c is three, but is not limited to this number and may be any other number.

[0027] The bolt fastening portions 103a to 103c are formed in a nut shape. The bolt fastening portions 103a to 103c are fixed to the upper surface of the fixing plate 103M by welding or the like. The bolt fastening portions 103a to 103c have bolt fastening holes 103a1 to 103c1. The bolt fastening holes 103a1 to 103c1 are threaded. Bolts 501 to 503 inserted into the bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c are fastened into the bolt fastening holes 103a1 to 103c1.

[0028] The tool elongated hole 103x is a hole into which the tool 600 inserted into the tool hole 122x can be inserted. The tool elongated hole 103x is formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction. The length X1 (see FIG. 5) of the tool elongated hole 103x is formed longer than the length X2 (see FIG. 4) of the bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c. In this embodiment, the bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c are formed to have the same size. Note that the length X1 (see FIG. 5) of the tool elongated hole 103x only needs to be equal to or greater than the length X2 (see FIG. 4) of the bolt elongated holes 122a to 122c. The size of the tool elongated hole 103x is larger than the diameter of the tool 600 and the tool hole 122x.

[0029] Since X1≧X2 is satisfied, for example, in the state of Fig. 3, when the tool 600 abuts against the right end of the tool elongated hole 103x in the vehicle width direction, the bolt fastening holes 103a1-103c1 can approach the left end of the bolt elongated holes 122a-122c in the vehicle width direction. Also, when the tool 600 abuts against the left end of the tool elongated hole 103x in the vehicle width direction, the bolt fastening holes 103a1-103c1 can approach the right end of the bolt elongated holes 122a-122c in the vehicle width direction.

[0030] The tool elongated hole 103x is disposed forward and outboard in the vehicle width direction of the body portion 105b, which serves as the rotation axis of the trailing arm 101 shown in Fig. 4. The tool elongated hole 103x is disposed between the front elongated hole 122a and the outer elongated hole 122b. The tool elongated hole 103x is provided near an imaginary extension line of the body portion 105b, which serves as the rotation axis of the trailing arm 101. The tool elongated hole 103x is provided between the imaginary extension line of the body portion 105b, which serves as the rotation axis of the trailing arm 101, and the front elongated hole 122a.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle suspension structure 100 includes a reinforcing member 107. The reinforcing member 107 is a member that reinforces the fixed portion 103. The reinforcing member 107 has a horizontal portion 107a and flanges 107b and 107c. The horizontal portion 107a has a holding hole 107x. The holding hole 107x is a hole that can hold the tip of a tool 600 inserted into the tool slot 103x of the fixed portion 103. The flanges 107b and 107c are portions of the horizontal portion 107a at the end in the vehicle width direction that are bent upward in the vertical direction. However, this configuration is not limited thereto, and the flanges 107b and 107c may also be formed by bending the end in the vehicle width direction of the horizontal portion 107a downward in the vertical direction.

[0032] The reinforcing member 107 is not an essential component of the vehicle suspension structure 100. This is because even without the reinforcing member 107, if there is a portion on a panel inside the vehicle body that can serve as a fulcrum for the tool 600, the worker can pry open the elongated tool hole 103x with the tool 600. However, the worker can more easily pry open the elongated tool hole 103x with the tool 600 in a configuration that has the reinforcing member 107 and the holding hole 107x.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the vehicle suspension structure 100 of Fig. 4 with the arm holding portion 102 removed. As shown in Fig. 5, the tool slot 103x of the fixed portion 103 and the holding hole 107x of the reinforcing member 107 are aligned horizontally. Therefore, the holding hole 107x of the reinforcing member 107 is positioned above the tool slot 103x of the fixed portion 103. The fixed portion 103 also has a recess 103e that recesses upward in relation to the vehicle. The recess 103e forms a space for the base end of the trailing arm 101 to swing.

[0034] Figure 6 is a rear view of the vehicle suspension structure 100 of Figure 5, seen from below with the fixing portion 103 removed. As shown in Figure 6, the reinforcing member 107 is arranged to extend in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle. The front end of the reinforcing member 107 is fixed to a front portion 108a of the wall 108 by welding or the like, and the rear end of the reinforcing member 107 is fixed to a curved portion 108b of the wall 108 by welding or the like.

[0035] Next, the actions that occur when a user aligns members using the vehicle suspension structure 100 will be described with reference to Figure 3. The worker aligns the tool hole 122x of the arm holding portion 102 with the tool elongated hole 103x of the fixed portion 103 and the holding hole 107x of the reinforcing member 107, and inserts the tool 600 into the tool hole 122x, the tool elongated hole 103x, and the holding hole 107x.

[0036] The worker then pries the tip of the tool 600 along the tool hole 122x in the vehicle width direction, with the holding hole 107x as a fulcrum. With this action, the worker moves the holding plate 121 in the vehicle width direction relative to the fixed part 103. The worker then finds a positional relationship where the bolt fastening holes 103a1-103c1 are visible in the bolt elongated holes 122a-122c. The worker passes the threaded portions 501b-503b of the bolts 501-503 through the bolt elongated holes 122a-122c and rotates them so that the heads 501a-503a of the bolts 501-503 are positioned below the holding plate 121, thereby fastening the bolts into the bolt fastening holes 103a1-103c1. Finally, the tool 600 is removed from the vehicle suspension structure 100.

[0037] In this way, the worker can insert the tool 600 from below into the tool hole 122x and the elongated tool hole 103x and pry it in the vehicle width direction, thereby moving the tool 600 within the range of the length X1 of the elongated tool hole 103x to move the position of the arm holding part 102 relative to the fixed part 103. This makes it possible to adjust the positions of the elongated bolt holes 122a to 122c relative to the bolt fastening holes 103a1 to 103c1. In other words, the worker can position (adjust the alignment of) the arm holding part 102 relative to the fixed part 103 with a simple operation, without increasing cost or weight by using extra members such as cams.

[0038] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the tool slot 103x is located between the front slot 122a and the outer slot 122b. This allows the position where the tool 600 is operated within the tool slot 103x to be close to the positions where the bolt 501 is inserted into the front slot 122a and the bolt 502 is inserted into the outer slot 122b. This makes it easy for the worker to check these positions simultaneously. Therefore, even if the worker is forced to assume an unfavorable position on an assembly line, for example, the worker can easily operate the tool 600 to accurately adjust the positions of the bolts 501 to 503, which is expected to improve work accuracy.

[0039] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the reinforcing member 107 is fixed to the fixing portion 103, there is no need to perform additional processing (for example, forming a hole) on the vehicle body (for example, the rear side frame 104) to which the fixing portion 103 is fixed. As a result, the degree of freedom in designing the vehicle body is increased compared to when additional processing is performed on the vehicle body.

[0040] Furthermore, the reinforcing member 107 has flanges 107b and 107c that are bent in the vertical direction, thereby improving the strength of the reinforcing member 107. As a result, the position of the tip of the tool 600 does not wobble, and the operator can swing the tool 600 stably.

[0041] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0042] Furthermore, the present invention can be practiced by freely combining inventions described in claims and examples, regardless of the dependent relationships of the claims. [Industrial Applicability]

[0043] The present invention can be used in a vehicle suspension structure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 100...vehicle suspension structure, 101...trailing arm, 102...arm holding portion, 103...fixing portion, 103a to 103c...bolt fastening portion, 103a1 to 103c1...bolt fastening hole, 103e...recess, 103M...fixing plate, 103x...tool slot, 104...rear side frame, 105...bolt, 105a...head, 105b...body portion (rotating shaft), 105c...threaded portion, 106...nut, 107... Reinforcing member, 107a... horizontal portion, 107b, 107c... flange, 107x... retaining hole, 111... side sill, 121... retaining plate, 122a... front elongated hole, 122b... outer elongated hole, 122c... rear elongated hole, 123... shaft support portion, 123a, 123b... first inclined plate, 123c, 123d... second inclined plate, 123e... hole, 122x... tool hole, 501 to 503... bolt, 501a... head, 501b... threaded portion, 600... tool

Claims

1. A vehicle suspension structure including an arm holding portion that holds a trailing arm of a vehicle, and a fixing portion that forms a vehicle body above the arm holding portion and to which the arm holding portion is fixed, The arm holding portion is one or more bolt slots formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction and into which bolts for fixing the arm holding portion to the fixing portion are inserted from below; a tool hole into which a predetermined tool can be inserted from below, The fixing portion is one or more bolt fastening holes into which the bolts inserted into the bolt slots are fastened; a tool elongated hole formed longitudinally in the vehicle width direction and having a length greater than or equal to that of the bolt elongated hole, into which the tool inserted into the tool hole can be inserted.

2. the one or more bolt slots of the arm holding portion include a front slot and an outer slot formed in a front portion and an outer portion of the arm holding portion in a vehicle width direction, respectively; 2. The vehicle suspension structure according to claim 1, wherein the tool slot of the fixing portion is located forward of the rotation axis of the trailing arm and outward in the vehicle width direction, between the front slot and the outer slot.

3. The vehicle suspension structure further includes a reinforcing member that reinforces the fixed portion, the reinforcing member having a holding hole that can hold a tip end of the tool inserted into the tool elongated hole of the fixed portion, 3. The vehicle suspension structure according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing member has a flange whose end in the vehicle width direction is bent in the vertical direction.

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