Vehicle frame structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle frame structure in which projecting of a position of a mounting member to the outside in a width direction of a vehicle is suppressed while an interval of a pair of side frames in the width direction of the vehicle is made to be longer.SOLUTION: A vehicle frame structure supports a body via a mount member on a frame. The frame includes a pair of side frames arranged with an interval in a vehicle width direction of a vehicle and extending in a front and rear direction of the vehicle. The side frame includes: a pair of first frames extending in a front part of the vehicle; a pair of second frames behind the pair of first frames and extending at a position offset to the outside of the width direction of the vehicle from the first frames; and a pair of third frames located between the first frames and the second frames and connecting the first frames and the second frames. The mount member is arranged in an upper part of the third frames.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a frame structure of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, frame-mounted vehicles have been known in which the frame and the body are provided separately. Such frame-mounted vehicles have a frame structure in which the body is fixed to the frame via a mount member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-153697 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The vehicle frame structure of Patent Document 1 includes a mount bracket that secures a mount member. The mount bracket extends from the side frame toward the outside in the vehicle's width direction. With recent advances in vehicle electrification technology, even in such frame-mounted vehicles, a battery pack may be mounted between a pair of side frames. In such cases, it is preferable that the distance between the pair of side frames in the vehicle's width direction is as long as possible.

[0005] However, if the widthwise distance between the pair of side frames is increased, the mounting brackets are positioned further outward in the widthwise direction, which results in an increase in the width of the body.

[0006] The object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle frame structure that can increase the widthwise spacing of a pair of side frames while preventing the position of a mounting member from protruding outward in the widthwise direction of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle frame structure of the present disclosure is a vehicle frame structure that supports a body on a frame via a mounting member, and the frame has a pair of side frames that are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction and extend in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, and the side frames include a pair of first frames extending at the front of the vehicle, a pair of second frames that extend rearward of the pair of first frames and offset outward in the vehicle width direction from the first frames, and a pair of third frames that are positioned between the first frames and the second frames and connect the first frames to the second frames, and the mounting member is arranged on top of the third frames. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this vehicle frame structure, a mount member is disposed on the third frame. The third frame is disposed between the first frame and the second frame, which is positioned outboard of the first frame in the vehicle width direction, and therefore the mount member is positioned inboard of the second frame in the vehicle width direction. This allows the length of the pair of second frames in the vehicle width direction to be increased while preventing the mount member from protruding outboard in the vehicle width direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a frame structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] Top view of the third frame. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view II of Figure 4. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of II-II in Figure 4. [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view of FIG. 3 taken along line III-III. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the front side of the vehicle is designated F, the rear side B, the right side R, the left side L, the upper side U, and the lower side D. In the following description, the left-right direction will be referred to as the vehicle width direction.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle C includes a frame 1. The vehicle C is a separate frame type vehicle in which a body (cabin) C1 is fixed onto the frame 1 via a mount member.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the frame 1 includes a pair of side frames 2 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The side frame 2 includes a right side frame 2R and a left side frame 2L. The right side frame 2R and the left side frame 2L are arranged with a gap in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle C. The pair of side frames 2 includes a pair of front side frames (an example of a first frame) 3, a pair of center side frames (an example of a second frame) 4, a rear side frame (an example of a fourth frame) 6, a pair of front connecting frames (an example of a third frame) 8, a pair of rear connecting frames (an example of a fifth frame) 10, a pair of mounting members 12, and a cross member 14. In this embodiment, the side frame 2 has a divided structure in which the front side frame 3, the center side frame 4, the rear side frame 6, the front connecting frame 8, and the rear connecting frame 10 are configured as separate bodies.

[0013] The front side frames 3 are disposed at the front of the vehicle C and extend in the longitudinal direction. The pair of front side frames 3 includes a right front side frame 3R and a left front side frame 3L. The right front side frame 3R and the left front side frame 3L are disposed with a gap in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] The right front side frame 3R and the left front side frame 3L are symmetrical about the center line in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in the following description, only the right front side frame 3R will be described, and a description of the left front side frame 3L will be omitted. The same applies to the pair of center side frames 4, the pair of rear side frames 6, the pair of front connecting frames 8, and the pair of rear connecting frames 10.

[0015] The pair of center side frames 4 are disposed in the center portion of the vehicle C in the longitudinal direction and extend in the longitudinal direction. The pair of center side frames 4 are disposed rearward and lower than the pair of front side frames 3. The pair of center side frames 4 extend at positions offset outward in the vehicle width direction from the pair of front side frames 3. The pair of center side frames 4 include a right center side frame 4R and a left center side frame 4L. The right center side frame 4R and the left center side frame 4L are disposed with a gap between them in the vehicle width direction.

[0016] The pair of rear side frames 6 are disposed at the rear portion of the vehicle C in the longitudinal direction and extend in the longitudinal direction. The pair of rear side frames 6 are disposed rearward of the pair of center side frames 4. The pair of rear side frames 6 are disposed inward in the vehicle width direction of the pair of center side frames 4. The pair of rear side frames 6 include a right rear side frame 6R and a left rear side frame 6L. The right rear side frame 6R and the left rear side frame 6L are disposed with a gap between them in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] The pair of front side frames 3, the pair of center side frames 4, and the pair of rear side frames 6 are formed of hollow, tubular metal structural members divided in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the right center side frame 4R has a right structural member 4Ra and a left structural member 4Rb. The right structural member 4Ra is a member with a generally C-shaped cross section, with an opening facing inward in the vehicle width direction. The left structural member 4Rb is a member with a generally C-shaped cross section, with an opening facing outward in the vehicle width direction. The right center side frame 4R is positioned so that the opening of the right structural member 4Ra aligns with the opening of the left structural member 4Rb, forming a hollow tubular shape. Although not shown, the left center side frame 4L, the pair of front side frames 3, and the pair of rear side frames 6 also have a similar structure.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2 , the pair of front connecting frames 8 are disposed between the pair of front side frames 3 and the pair of center side frames 4, and extend downward from the front side frames 3 toward the center side frames 4 and outward in the vehicle width direction. The pair of front connecting frames 8 are formed of a member with higher rigidity than the pair of front side frames 3 and the pair of center side frames 4. That is, the pair of front connecting frames 8 are formed of a material with a greater plate thickness or higher strength than the front side frames 3 and the pair of center side frames 4. The pair of front connecting frames 8 include an inclined portion 9 that is displaced outward in the vehicle width direction toward the rear of the vehicle C. The front connecting frame 8 is formed so that its width is greatest at the center portion in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction (see 8Rm in FIG. 4 ). In this embodiment, the pair of front connecting frames 8 function as connecting members that connect the pair of front side frames 3 and the pair of center side frames 4. The pair of front connecting frames 8 includes a right front connecting frame 8R and a left front connecting frame 8L. The right front connecting frame 8R and the left front connecting frame 8L are disposed with a gap therebetween in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the right front connecting frame 8R has a recess 16 recessed downward, a reinforcement 18 (see FIG. 6), and a frame widening portion 20.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the right front connecting frame 8R has an upper structural member 8Ra (an example of an upper member) and a lower structural member 8Rb (an example of a lower member). As shown in FIG. 5, the upper structural member 8Ra is a metal member with a U-shaped cross section, with its opening facing downward (opening downward). The lower structural member 8Rb is a metal member with a U-shaped cross section, with its opening facing upward (opening upward). The right front connecting frame 8R is positioned so that the opening of the upper structural member 8Ra aligns with the opening of the lower structural member 8Rb, forming a hollow cylindrical shape. The left front connecting frame 8L has a similar structure. In this way, by making the pair of front connecting frames 8 have an upper and lower divided structure, the load-bearing capacity of the front connecting frame 8 from above is improved.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 3, the recess 16 is a portion where the upper surface 22 of the right front connecting frame 8R is recessed downward. By providing the recess 16 in this manner, the height when the mount member 12 is attached can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 4, the right front connecting frame 8R is formed so that its width is greatest at the center portion 8Rm in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle C. In other words, the right front connecting frame 8R is widest at the center portion 8Rm when viewed in the fore-and-aft direction, and the width of the front-to-back portions of the center portion 8Rm is narrower than that of the center portion 8Rm. The recess 16 is located in the center portion 8Rm.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 6 , the reinforcement 18 is provided below the upper surface 22 and connects the right side surface 24a and the left side surface 24b of the right front connecting frame 8R. In this embodiment, the reinforcement 18 is provided below the recessed portion 16 of the center portion 8Rm. The reinforcement 18 functions to reinforce the recessed portion 16 of the right front connecting frame 8R by connecting the left and right side surfaces of the upper structural member 8Ra. An opening 26a is provided in the bottom surface 26 at a position corresponding to the recessed portion 16, and is accessible by a tool used to tighten the bolts 12e (described later). The right front connecting frame 8R also has an opening 22a on its upper surface. Specifically, the opening 22a is provided on the upper surface 22 of the recessed portion 16. The reinforcement 18 is disposed inside the right front connecting frame 8R below the opening 22a and facing the upper surface. The mounting member 12 is disposed with at least a portion inserted into the right front connecting frame 8R through the opening 22a. In this embodiment, an opening 22a is provided in the mount member 12 through which a fixing bracket 12a (described later) of the mount member 12 can be inserted.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4 , the frame widening portion 20 is provided at the end of the right front connecting frame 8R. The frame widening portion 20 is a portion whose inner diameter is widened to match the outer shape of the rear end of the front side frame 3 or the front end of the center side frame 4 at the front end connected to the front side frame 3 or the rear end connected to the center side frame 4. The front side frame 3 or the center side frame 4 is connected to the right front connecting frame 8R with its rear or front end fitted inside the frame widening portion 20. In this embodiment, the frame widening portion 20 is a portion of the right front connecting frame 8R that opens in the vehicle width direction and up and down direction. The frame widening portion 20 has a front end frame widening portion 20a located at the front end of the right front connecting frame 8R and a rear end frame widening portion 20b located at the rear end of the right front connecting frame 8R. The front side frame 3 is inserted into the front end frame widening portion 20a and fixed by welding. The center side frame 4 is inserted into the rear-end frame widening portion 20b and fixed by welding. As shown in Fig. 7, the frame widening portion has a widening surface 20c that is positioned wider than the top surface 22, right side surface 24a, left side surface 24b, and bottom surface 26 of the front connecting frame 8, and an inclined surface (an example of an abutment surface) 20d that extends from the top surface 22, right side surface 24a, left side surface 24b, and bottom surface 26 toward the widening surface 20c.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 7 , the right side surface 24a and the left side surface 24b of the front connecting frame 8 connected to the frame widening portion 20 are positioned closer to the center of the front connecting frame 8 (see center line CL1) than the side surfaces 3c of the front side frames 3 or the side surfaces 4c of the center side frames 4. By positioning the side surfaces 3c of the front side frames 3 and the side surfaces 4c of the center side frames 4 in this manner, the side surfaces 3c of the front side frames 3 and the side surfaces 4c of the center side frames 4 are positioned to overlap with the inclined surfaces 20d when viewed in the front-to-rear direction. That is, when the front side frames 3 or the center side frames 4 are fitted into the frame widening portion 20, the rear ends of the front side frames 3 or the front ends of the center side frames 4 abut against the frame widening portion 20. This allows the inclined surfaces 20d to bear the load transmitted from the front side frames 3, for example, in the event of a collision of the vehicle C. Furthermore, the load applied to the front connecting frame 8 can be transmitted to the center side frames 4 via the inclined surfaces 20d. The inclined surface 20d transmits the load while guiding the side surface 3c and the side surface 4c toward the center, thereby more reliably transmitting the load from the front side frame 3 to the front connecting frame 8. Also, the load is more reliably transmitted from the front connecting frame 8 to the center side frame 4.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2 , the pair of rear side frames 6 extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle C at positions offset inward in the width direction of the vehicle C from the pair of center side frames 4. The pair of rear connecting frames 10 are disposed between the pair of center side frames 4 and the pair of rear side frames 6, and extend inward in the vehicle width direction from the center side frames 4 toward the rear side frames 6. The pair of rear connecting frames 10 are formed of members with higher rigidity than the pair of center side frames 4 and the pair of rear side frames 6. In other words, the pair of front connecting frames 8 are formed of a material with a thicker plate thickness or higher strength than the front side frames 3 and the pair of center side frames 4. The pair of rear connecting frames 10 are displaced inward in the vehicle width direction as they move toward the rear of the vehicle C. In this embodiment, the pair of rear connecting frames 10 function as connecting members that connect the pair of center side frames 4 and the pair of rear side frames 6. The pair of rear connecting frames 10 includes a right rear connecting frame 10R and a left rear connecting frame 10L. The right rear connecting frame 10R and the left rear connecting frame 10L are disposed with a gap in the vehicle width direction. The rear connecting frame 10 is formed of a hollow cylindrical metal structural member. The rear connecting frame 10 may be divided into upper and lower parts or left and right parts.

[0026] The frame 1 of this embodiment uses a front connecting frame 8 and a rear connecting frame 10, allowing the spacing between the pair of center side frames 4 in the vehicle width direction to be freely changed. For example, in the case of a vehicle C equipped with a battery pack B (described later), the front connecting frame 8 and the rear connecting frame 10 of this embodiment are used. On the other hand, in the case of a vehicle C not equipped with a battery pack B, the spacing between the pair of center side frames 4 in the vehicle width direction is made shorter than in this embodiment. In this case, the width of the center side frame 4 can be increased by changing only the front connecting frame 8 and the rear connecting frame 10, without changing the front side frame 3 and the rear side frame 6. In other words, multiple types of front connecting frame 8 and rear connecting frame 10 are prepared, each with a different amount of displacement in the vehicle width direction and a different length in the front-to-rear direction, depending on the spacing between the center side frames 4 in the vehicle width direction. The shape of the side frame 2 can be changed by changing the type of front connecting frame 8 and the rear connecting frame 10.

[0027] The mount member 12 is a device for elastically supporting the body C1 relative to the frame 1. As shown in Fig. 6, the mount member 12 has a fixed bracket 12a, an elastic body 12b, a body mounting seat 12c, and an elastic body support portion 12d. The mount member 12 secures the body C1 to the frame 1 by sandwiching the body-side bracket 3a between the body mounting seat 12c and the elastic body support portion 12d and tightening them with a bolt 12e.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 2, the pair of mount members 12 are respectively disposed on the pair of front connecting frames 8. The mount members 12 include a right mount member 12R and a left mount member 12L. The right mount member 12R and the left mount member 12L are symmetrical with respect to the center line in the vehicle width direction. For this reason, in the following description, only the right mount member 12R will be described, and a description of the left mount member 12L will be omitted.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 6, the right mount member 12R has a fixing bracket 12a that fits over the upper surface 22 or the reinforcement 18. The mount member 12 is bolted to the upper surface 22 or the reinforcement 18 via the fixing bracket 12a. In this embodiment, the mount member 12 is bolted to the upper surface of the reinforcement 18. This prevents the position of the body mounting seat surface 12c from becoming too high. This allows the floor height of the body C1 to be lowered. As a result, deterioration in the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle C can be prevented.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, in this embodiment, the right mount member 12R is disposed in the recess 16 of the central portion 8Rm. This further prevents the position of the body mounting seat surface 12c from becoming too high. This further reduces the height of the floor of the body C1. As a result, the ease of getting in and out of the vehicle C can be further reduced.

[0031] The mount member 12 is fixed at a position overlapping with the right side surface 24a, which is located at the outermost position in the vehicle width direction of the front connecting frame 8. The mount member 12 is disposed in the center portion 8Rm of the front connecting frame 8, close to the right side surface 24a side (an example of an outer side surface) of the front connecting frame 8. More specifically, the center of the mount member 12 (the center of the bolt 12e in FIG. 6) is disposed offset toward the right side surface 24a from the intersection O with the cross-sectional center line X2 of the front connecting frame 8 (see the center line X2 shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 7) at the widest position X1 of the front connecting frame 8 (see the imaginary line X1 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4). This allows the distance between the pair of left and right mount members 12 to be longer. As a result, the mount members 12 can stably support the body C1.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, the cross member 14 is disposed between a pair of left and right mount members 12. The cross member 14 connects a pair of front connecting frames 8 together. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, in this embodiment, a bracket 14a extends from the inside of the front connecting frame 8 in the vehicle width direction, and the cross member 14 is fixed to the bracket 14a. By disposing the cross member 14 between the mount members 12 in this way, the rigidity of the frame 1 is improved.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, in this embodiment, the vehicle C is an electric vehicle equipped with a battery pack B. The battery pack B is disposed between a pair of center side frames 4. The battery pack B is fixed to the center side frames 4 and a cross member 14. The battery pack B houses a plurality of drive batteries (e.g., lithium ion batteries) that serve as a power source for driving the motor. The battery pack B is formed from sheet metal or resin.

[0034] As explained above, according to the structure of the frame 1 of the vehicle C of the present disclosure, the mount members 12 are disposed on the front connecting frame 8. The front connecting frame 8 is a frame disposed between the front side frames 3 and the center side frames 4, which are positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction than the front side frames 3, and therefore the mount members 12 are positioned further inward in the vehicle width direction than the center side frames 4. This makes it possible to increase the length of the pair of center side frames 4 in the vehicle width direction while preventing the mount members 12 from protruding outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the battery pack B is disposed between the pair of center side frames 4. Therefore, by increasing the length of the pair of center side frames 4 in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to increase the amount of drive batteries that can be mounted, thereby increasing the cruising range of the vehicle C.

[0036] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention. In particular, the multiple modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

[0037] (a) In the above embodiment, the frame widening portion 20 is provided at the front and rear of the right front connecting frame 8R, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The frame widening portion 20 may be provided at either the front end or the rear end of the right front connecting frame 8R.

[0038] (b) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a pair of rear connecting frames 10 was used, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The center side frame 4 and the rear side frame 6 may be directly connected.

[0039] (c) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the vehicle C was equipped with the battery pack B, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The vehicle C may be an internal combustion engine vehicle that does not have a battery pack B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 1: Frame 2: Side frame 3: Front side frame, 4: Center side frame, 6: Rear side frame 8: Front connecting frame, 9: Inclined section, 10: Rear connecting frame 8Ra: Upper structural member, 8Rb: Lower structural member, 8Rm: Center section 12: Mounting member, 14: Cross member 16: Recess, 18: Reinforcement, 20: Frame widening part C: Vehicle C1: Body (cabin)

Claims

1. A frame structure of a vehicle that supports a body on a frame via a mount member, the frame includes a pair of side frames arranged at an interval in a vehicle width direction of the vehicle and extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, the side frames include a pair of first frames extending at a front portion of the vehicle, a pair of second frames extending rearward of the pair of first frames and offset outward in the width direction of the vehicle from the first frames, and a pair of third frames positioned between the first frames and the second frames and connecting the first frames to the second frames, The mount member is disposed on an upper portion of the third frame. Vehicle frame structure.

2. the third frame is formed so as to have a maximum width at a center portion in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, the mount member is disposed in the central portion of the third frame; The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 .

3. a cross member extending in a width direction of the vehicle and connecting the pair of third frames to each other; The cross member is disposed between the mount members provided on the third frame. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 .

4. the third frame has a recessed portion recessed downward on its upper surface, The mounting member is disposed in the recess. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 .

5. the third frame has an opening on its upper surface, The mount member is disposed in a state where at least a portion of the mount member is inserted into the third frame through the opening. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1 .

6. the third frame has a reinforcement therein that is disposed below the opening and faces the upper surface, The mount member is fixed to the reinforcement. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 5.

7. The side frame has a divided structure in which the first frame, the second frame, and the third frame are configured as separate bodies, and the third frame is formed of a member having higher rigidity than the first frame and the second frame. The vehicle frame structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. the third frame has an upper member that is formed in a U-shaped cross section that is open downward and that constitutes an upper portion of the third frame, and a lower member that is formed in a U-shaped cross section that is open upward and that constitutes a lower portion of the third frame, The mounting member is disposed on the upper member. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 7.

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