Vehicular frame member

Abstract

To provide a vehicular frame member that can easily absorb an impact load as intended, by performing axial compression of the load uniformly, when the impact load is inputted.SOLUTION: A vehicular frame member, which extends in a longitudinal direction, comprises: a frame main body part 20A whose closed cross section 7a orthogonal to an extending direction is formed of an upper wall part 20a, a lower wall part 20b and a pair of side wall parts 20c and 20d, in a predetermined range in a longitudinal direction; groove parts 25 and 26 in which the pair of side wall parts 20c and 20d respectively are recessed toward the inside of the closed cross section 7a; and flanges 20e and 20f protruding outward from the closed cross section 7a. The pair of side wall parts 20c and 20d define the groove parts 25 and 26 and comprise a plurality of side wall parts which have groove upper wall parts 25a and 26a, groove lower wall parts 25b and 26b and groove bottom wall parts 25c and 26c, where the plurality of side wall parts are formed so that respective bending rigidity thereof becomes roughly equal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a frame member for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle frame member having an inner panel that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body and has a hat-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extension direction that opens outward in the vehicle width direction, and an outer panel that has a hat-shaped cross section perpendicular to the extension direction that opens inward in the vehicle width direction, and is formed by joining the upper and lower flanges of the inner panel and outer panel together in the vehicle width direction, and has a closed cross section perpendicular to the extension direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-166697 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the vehicle frame member of Patent Document 1, the flange is located outward in the vehicle width direction, so the outer panel has a higher buckling strength than the inner panel, and when an impact load is applied from one side in the front-to-rear direction, the inner panel is more likely to buckle than the outer panel. Therefore, when an impact load is applied, it is difficult to apply uniform axial compression to the vehicle frame member, and it is difficult to absorb the intended impact load.

[0005] The present invention provides a vehicle frame member that is easily able to absorb the intended impact load by uniformly compressing it axially when an impact load is input. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle frame member extending in a front-rear direction, a frame main body portion, the cross section of which perpendicular to the extending direction is formed as a closed cross section by an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, and a pair of side wall portions within a predetermined front-rear direction range; a groove portion formed by recessing each of the pair of side wall portions toward the inside of the closed cross section; a flange protruding outward from the closed cross section, the pair of side wall portions define the groove portion and include a plurality of side wall portions each having an upper groove wall portion located on an upper side and extending in the vehicle body width direction, a lower groove wall portion located on a lower side and extending in the vehicle body width direction and facing the upper groove wall portion, and a groove bottom wall portion connecting the upper groove wall portion and the lower groove wall portion in the up-down direction, The side wall portions are formed so that the bending stiffness of each is approximately equal. A frame member for a vehicle is provided.

[0007] According to the present invention, the bending rigidity of each of the side wall portions constituting a pair of side wall sections is generally equal, thereby suppressing the difference in the buckling strength of the vehicle frame member in the vehicle width direction against a load from the front-rear direction. As a result, when an impact load is input to the vehicle frame member, the vehicle frame member is easily axially compressed with stable behavior, and the vehicle frame member is easily able to absorb the intended impact load. Furthermore, the moment of inertia of the vehicle frame member can be increased, and the buckling strength can be increased, compared to when no grooves are provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle frame member that is easily able to absorb the intended impact load by uniformly compressing the frame member axially when an impact load is input. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a front vehicle body structure having a vehicle frame member according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the vehicle frame member taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3; FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle frame member taken along line VV in FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 6 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of the vehicle frame member taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged view of the vicinity of a suspension housing of the front body structure. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of a connecting member between a vehicle frame member and a subframe and its surrounding area. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a first modified example of a vehicle frame member. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section of a second modified example of a vehicle frame member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses.

[0011] 1 and 2 show a front vehicle body structure 1 for a vehicle including a vehicle frame member according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1 and 2, the front vehicle body structure 1 includes a dash panel 10 that separates a passenger compartment C from an engine compartment E, a pair of left and right front side frames 20 that extend forward from the dash panel 10, and a pair of left and right apron reinforcements (hereinafter also referred to as apron reinforcements) 30 that extend toward the front of the dash panel 10, outside and above the front side frames 20 in the vehicle width direction. The apron reinforcements 30 are connected at their front ends by a shroud upper 31 that extends in the vehicle width direction.

[0012] The front body structure 1 includes a pair of left and right shroud members 32 that connect the shroud upper 31 and the front ends of the front side frames 20 in the vertical direction, a pair of left and right suspension housings (hereinafter also referred to as suspension housings) 40 that are arranged between the dash panel 10 and the shroud members 32 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, a subframe 50 arranged below the front side frames 20, and a pair of left and right connecting members 51 that connect the subframe 50 and the front side frames 20 in the vertical direction.

[0013] A main crash can 61 made of a cylindrical body or the like that absorbs impact loads from the front of the vehicle body extends forward from the front end of each front side frame 20. The pair of left and right main crash cans 61 are connected to each other via a bumper reinforcement 62 that extends in the vehicle body width direction. A sub crash can 63 made of a cylindrical body or the like that absorbs impact loads from the front of the vehicle body extends forward from the front end of each sub-frame 50. The pair of left and right sub crash cans 63 are connected to each other via a sub-bumper reinforcement 64 that extends in the vehicle body width direction.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 2, each front side frame 20 has a straight portion 2a extending substantially horizontally forward, and an inclined portion 2b extending obliquely downward from the rear end of the straight portion 2a toward the rear of the vehicle body.

[0015] When an impact load is input to the bumper reinforcement 62 from the front of the vehicle body, the impact load is partially absorbed by the main crash can 61 and the front side frame 20, and is also dispersed to the rear vehicle body frame.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the front side frame 20 alone. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3 (a cross section of the front portion 2c of the straight portion 2a of the front side frame 20). In this embodiment, the left and right front side frames 20 have a generally symmetrical structure. Therefore, in this embodiment, the structure of the front side frame 20 on the right side in the vehicle width direction will be described.

[0017] 3 and 4, the front side frame 20 is configured to absorb an impact load by being axially compressed when an impact load is input in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The front side frame 20 is formed of, for example, iron or aluminum. The front side frame 20 includes a frame main body 20A having an upper wall portion 20a, a lower wall portion 20b, and a pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d. The frame main body 20A has a closed cross section 7a with multiple vertices and perpendicular to the extension direction. The front side frame 20 has grooves 25, 26 that recess each of the side wall portions 20c, 20d toward the inside of the closed cross section 7a, and the grooves 25, 26 extend in the longitudinal direction. The front side frame 20 has an upper flange 20e and a lower flange 20f that protrude outward (in the vertical direction in this embodiment) from the closed cross section 7a.

[0018] 4, the front side frame 20 is formed, for example, by welding a plurality of plate members. In this embodiment, the front side frame 20 has an inner panel 21 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and an outer panel 22 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] The inner panel 21 has an inner upper wall portion 21a extending in the vehicle width direction, an inner lower wall portion 21b facing the inner upper wall portion 21a and extending in the vehicle width direction, an inner wall portion 21c connecting the inner ends of the inner upper wall portion 21a and the inner lower wall portion 21b, and upper and lower flanges 21e, 21f extending in the vertical direction from the outer end of the inner upper wall portion 21a and the outer end of the inner lower wall portion 21b, respectively, and is formed in a hat shape with a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction bulging inward in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] The outer panel 22 has an outer upper wall portion 22a extending in the vehicle width direction, an outer lower wall portion 22b facing the outer upper wall portion 22a and extending in the vehicle width direction, an outer wall portion 22c connecting the outer ends of the outer upper wall portion 22a and the outer lower wall portion 22b, and upper and lower flanges 22e, 22f extending in the vertical direction from the inner end of the outer upper wall portion 22a and the inner end of the outer lower wall portion 22b, respectively, and is formed in a hat shape with a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction bulging outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0021] The upper flanges 21e, 22e of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22, and the lower flanges 21f, 22f of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22 are joined together in the vehicle width direction, for example, by welding, to form a front side frame 20 having a closed cross-section 7a that is approximately rectangular in cross section.

[0022] The upper wall portion 20a, the lower wall portion 20b, and the pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d of the front side frame 20 are respectively formed by the upper wall portions 21a, 22a, the lower wall portions 21b, 22b, and the side wall portions 21c, 22c of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22. The upper flange 20e and the lower flange 20f of the front side frame 20 are respectively formed by the upper flanges 21e, 22e and the lower flanges 21f, 22f of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22.

[0023] The position where the upper flange 20e protrudes from the closed cross section 7a is located on one side, outside or inside, of the centroid Z in the vehicle width direction, and the position where the lower flange 20f protrudes from the closed cross section 7a is located on the other side. In this embodiment, the upper flange 20e is located outside the lower flange 20f in the vehicle width direction. The upper flange 20e and the lower flange 20f have generally the same distances L1 and L2 from the centroid Z of the closed cross section 7a in the vehicle width direction. In this specification, the terms "generally the same" and "generally equal" include errors that may occur in manufacturing the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22.

[0024] In this specification, the centroid Z of the closed cross section 7a refers to the intersection of a straight line C1 passing through the middle (center) in the up-down direction between the upper wall portion 20a and the lower wall portion 20b and a straight line C2 passing through the middle (center) in the vehicle width direction between the pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d in the cross section of a predetermined region of the front side frame 20 shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the predetermined region is the front portion 2c of the straight portion 2a of the front side frame 20.

[0025] Groove portions 25, 26 are formed in each side wall portion 21c, 22c of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22, respectively, and are recessed toward the inside of the closed cross section 7a (recessed toward the other side wall portion 21c, 22c) and extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

[0026] 4, the grooves 25, 26 are disposed at positions facing each other in the vehicle body width direction. In this embodiment, the vertical width W of the grooves 25, 26 is set to 1 / 3 of the height H of the closed cross section 7a. The vertical middle (center) P of the width W of the grooves 25, 26 coincides with the straight line C1, and the grooves 25, 26 are located at the vertical middle of the closed cross section 7a.

[0027] In this embodiment, the depth D of the grooves 25, 26 is approximately equal to the width W of the grooves 25, 26. The depth D of the grooves 25, 26 is set to be smaller than the distance W2 in the vehicle width direction from the side wall portions 20c, 20d to the centroid Z. The grooves 25, 26 are located outside a straight line C2 that passes through the centroid Z and extends in the up-down direction. The depth D of the grooves 25, 26 is approximately equal to the dimensions L3, L4 in the vehicle width direction of the outer upper wall portion 22a and the inner lower wall portion 21b.

[0028] Each groove portion 25, 26 has an upper groove wall portion 25a, 26a located on the upper side and extending in the vehicle body width direction in the closed cross section 7a, a lower groove wall portion 25b, 26b located on the lower side and extending in the vehicle body width direction in the closed cross section 7 and facing the upper groove wall portion 25a, 26a, and a bottom groove wall portion 25c, 26c connecting the inner ends of the upper groove wall portion 25a, 26a and the lower groove wall portion 25b, 26b in the vertical direction.

[0029] 4, the side wall portion 21c of the inner panel 21 and the side wall portion 22c of the outer panel 22 are configured to have approximately the same bending rigidity. Specifically, each of the side wall portions 21c, 22c of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22 is configured with a plurality of side wall portions formed to have approximately the same bending rigidity, and the bending rigidity of each of the plurality of side wall portions is approximately the same. In this embodiment, the bending rigidity of each of the plurality of side wall portions is the bending rigidity in the direction perpendicular to the surface of each side wall portion (thickness direction).

[0030] The side wall portions include upper wall portions 21g, 22g located above the grooves 25, 26, lower wall portions 21h, 22h located below the grooves 25, 26, groove upper wall portions 25a, 26a, groove lower wall portions 25b, 26b, and groove bottom wall portions 25c, 26c in the side wall portions 21c, 22c of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22. The thickness t1 of each of the side wall portions and the side length L5 of the closed cross section 7a are formed to be approximately the same. Furthermore, the thickness t2 and side lengths L4, L3 of each of the upper wall portions 22a, 21b of the inner panel 21 and the outer panel 22 are formed to be approximately the same as those of the side wall portions.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 4, the closed cross section 7a has multiple vertices (vertices 1 to 12) P1 to P12. The first vertex P1 is the intersection of the outer upper wall portion 22a and the upper side wall portion 22g. The second vertex P2 is the intersection of the upper side wall portion 22g and the groove upper wall portion 26a. The third vertex P3 is the intersection of the groove upper wall portion 26a and the groove bottom wall portion 26c. The fourth vertex P4 is the intersection of the groove bottom wall portion 26c and the groove lower wall portion 26b. The fifth vertex P5 is the intersection of the groove lower wall portion 26b and the lower side wall portion 22h. The sixth vertex P6 is the intersection of the lower side wall portion 22h and the outer lower wall portion 22b. The seventh vertex P7 is the intersection of the inner lower wall portion 21b and the lower side wall portion 21h. The eighth vertex P8 is the intersection of the lower side wall portion 21h and the groove lower wall portion 25b. The ninth vertex P9 is the intersection of the groove lower wall portion 25b and the groove bottom wall portion 25c. The tenth vertex P10 is the intersection of the groove bottom wall portion 25c and the groove upper wall portion 25a. The eleventh vertex P11 is the intersection of the groove upper wall portion 25a and the upper wall portion 21g. The twelfth vertex P12 is the intersection of the upper wall portion 21g and the inner upper wall portion 21a.

[0032] The closed cross section 7a is point symmetrical with respect to the centroid Z of the closed cross section 7a, including the protruding positions of the upper and lower flanges 20e, 20f, and is asymmetrical with respect to all lines that pass through the centroid Z and are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. Point symmetry with respect to the centroid Z means that when the closed cross section 7a is rotated 180 degrees around the centroid Z, the protruding positions of the first to sixth vertices P1 to P6 and the upper flange 20e roughly coincide with the protruding positions of the seventh to twelfth vertices P7 to P12 and the lower flange 20f before the rotation, respectively.

[0033] 5 and 6, the grooves 25, 26 are deeper at the rear side of the vehicle body than at the front side. More specifically, the depth D2 of the grooves 125, 126 of the closed cross section 7b located in the rear portion 2d of the front side frame 20 shown in Fig. 6 is deeper than the depth D2 of the grooves 25, 26 of the closed cross section 7a located in the front portion 2c of the front side frame 20 shown in Fig. 4. The side length L15 of the groove upper wall portions 125a, 126a and the groove lower wall portions 125b, 126b of the closed cross section 7b is longer than the side length L5 of the groove bottom wall portions 125c, 126c, the upper wall portions 21g, 22g, and the lower wall portions 21h, 22h of the closed cross section 7b.

[0034] 3, 4, and 5, the upper flange 20e of the rear portion 2d of the front side frame 20 protrudes upward more than the upper flange 20e of the front portion 2c. More specifically, the upper flange 22e of the outer panel 22 is longer at the rear portion 2d than at the front portion 2c.

[0035] In this embodiment, the front portion 2c of the front side frame 20 is the portion of the straight portion 2a that is forward of the suspension housing 40, as shown in Figure 2, and the rear portion 2d is the portion of the straight portion 2a where the suspension housing 40 is attached.

[0036] 1, 2, and 7, a suspension housing 40 is attached to the front side frame 20. The suspension housing 40 supports the upper end of a front suspension (not shown) disposed at a desired position on the vehicle body forward of the dash panel 10. The suspension housing 40 is disposed across the apron reinforcement 30 and the front side frame 20.

[0037] As shown in Figure 7, the suspension housing 40 is a generally conical cylinder that widens downward from a generally disc-shaped upper surface. The suspension housing 40 has a generally disc-shaped suspension stop support portion 40a that supports the suspension, and a tower portion 40b that widens downward from the suspension stop support portion 40a. The suspension stop support portion 40a is fixed to the upper surface of the apron reinforcement 30 by welding or the like.

[0038] The tower portion 40b is formed to extend downward from the radially outer end of the suspension stop support portion 40a. The upper end of the tower portion 40b is fixed by welding or the like to the lower end of the suspension stop support portion 40a and the inner surface of the apron reinforcement 30. The lower end of the tower portion 40b is fixed by welding or the like to the upper flange 22e of the outer panel 22 of the front side frame 20 in a state where it is overlapped from the outer side in the vehicle width direction.

[0039] The suspension housing 40 is disposed adjacent to the front of the tower portion 40b, has a generally hat-shaped cross section that opens outward in the vehicle width direction, and includes a first reinforcing member 42 that extends in the vertical direction. An upper end 42a of the first reinforcing member 42 is joined by welding or the like to the front side of the tower portion 40b, which is fixed to the inner surface of the apron rain 30. A lower end 42b of the first reinforcing member 42 is fixed by welding or the like to the inner upper wall portion 21a and the inner wall portion 21c of the inner panel 21. The lower end 42b of the first reinforcing member 42 is provided with an upper surface fixing portion 42c that is fixed to the inner upper wall portion 21a and a side surface fixing portion 42d that is fixed to the inner wall portion 21c. A pair of flange portions 42e that extend in the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing member 42 are joined by welding or the like to the front side of the tower portion 40b.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, the suspension housing 40 includes a second reinforcing member 43 disposed on the outer surface of the tower portion 40b in the vehicle width direction. The second reinforcing member 43 is generally hat-shaped and extends in the vertical direction. A pair of flange portions 43a extending in the front-rear direction of the second reinforcing member 43 are joined by welding or the like to the tower portion 40b from the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The pair of flange portions 43a are joined by welding or the like to the upper flange 22e of the outer panel 22 at a lower end portion 43b of the second reinforcing member 43. The lower end portion 43b of the second reinforcing member 43 is provided with a side fixing portion 43c that is joined by welding or the like to the outer wall portion 22c.

[0041] 2 and 8, the subframe 50 and the front side frame 20 are connected by a connecting member 51. The connecting member 51 has a lower connecting member 52 located below and connected to the subframe 50, an upper connecting member 53 located above and connected to the front side frame 20, and a fastening member 56 that fastens the lower connecting member 52 and the upper connecting member 53 together.

[0042] The lower connecting member 52 has a generally U-shaped cross section that is open forward and extends in the vertical direction. The lower end of the lower connecting member 52 is fixed to the subframe 50 by welding or the like. A plate member 52a for arranging a fastening member 54 is joined to the upper end of the lower connecting member 52 by welding or the like.

[0043] The upper connecting member 53 has a pillar member 54 having a generally U-shaped cross section that opens outward in the vehicle width direction, and an L-shaped plate member 55 that covers the outer side and lower side of the pillar member 54 in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] The pillar member 54 has an inner wall 54a extending in the vertical direction, a front wall 54b and a rear wall 54c extending widthwise outward from the front and rear edges of the inner wall 54a, and a pair of front and rear flanges 54d extending forward and rearward, respectively, from the outer edges of the front wall 54b and the rear wall 54c.

[0045] The plate member 55 has a vertical wall 55a extending in the up-down direction and a bottom wall 55b extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the vertical wall 55a. The upper connecting member 53 is formed into a hollow box shape by joining a pair of flange portions 54d of the pillar member 54 and the vertical wall 55a of the plate member 55 in the width direction by welding or the like.

[0046] The pillar member 54 is provided with side fixing portions 54e that extend upward from the inner wall 54a and are fixed to the side wall portions 21c of the inner panel 21, and bottom fixing portions 54f that extend forward and rearward from the upper edges of the front wall 54b and the rear wall 54c, respectively, and are fixed to the bottom wall portion 21b of the inner panel 21. The plate member 55 has an upper end portion 55c joined to the bottom flange portion 21f of the inner panel 21 by welding or the like.

[0047] The fastening members 56 are, for example, weld nuts and bolts fixed to tongue portions 55d formed by cutting out the vertical wall of the plate member 55 and folding it back inward in the vehicle width direction. The upper connecting member 51 and the lower connecting member 52 are connected by inserting a bolt through the plate member 52a from below and screwing it into the weld nut.

[0048] The vehicle frame member 20 according to the above embodiment provides the following advantages.

[0049] The front side frame 20 extending in the longitudinal direction includes a frame main body 20A, a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the frame main body 20, and a pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d, which define a closed cross section 7a within a predetermined longitudinal range. The frame main body 20A includes grooves 25, 26 formed by recessing the pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d toward the inside of the closed cross section 7a, and flanges 20e, 20f protruding outward from the closed cross section 7a. The pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d define an upper side wall portion 20a, a lower side wall portion 20b, and a pair of side wall portions 20c, 20d. The groove support member 21 has a plurality of side wall portions each having upper groove wall portions 25a, 26a located on the upper side and extending in the vehicle body width direction, lower groove wall portions 25b, 26b located on the lower side and extending in the vehicle body width direction and facing the upper groove wall portions 25a, 26a, and groove bottom wall portions 25c, 26c connecting the upper groove wall portions 25a, 26a and the lower groove wall portions 25b, 26b in the vertical direction, and the plurality of side wall portions 21g, 22g, 21h, 22h, 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, 26c are formed so that their respective bending rigidities are approximately equal.

[0050] According to the present invention, the bending rigidities of the side wall portions 21g, 22g, 21h, 22h, 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, and 26c constituting the pair of side wall portions 20c and 20d are generally equal to each other, thereby minimizing the difference in the buckling strength of the front side frame 20 in the vehicle width direction against a load applied from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. As a result, when an impact load is applied to the front side frame 20, the front side frame 20 is easily axially compressed with stable behavior and easily absorbs the intended impact load. Furthermore, the second moment of area of ​​the front side frame 20 can be increased, and the buckling strength can be increased, compared to when the grooves 25 and 26 are not provided.

[0051] The thickness t1 of each of the side wall portions 21g, 22g, 21h, 22h, 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, and 26c and the side length L5 of the closed cross section 7a are generally the same.

[0052] This configuration makes it easy to make the bending rigidities of the side wall portions 21g, 22g, 21h, 22h, 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, and 26c of the pair of side wall portions 20c and 20d all approximately equal.

[0053] The vehicle frame members are a pair of left and right front side frames 20 located on both sides of the engine room E in the vehicle width direction.

[0054] According to this configuration, when an impact load is input from the front of the vehicle, the front side frame 20 can be easily and stably axially compressed.

[0055] The flanges 20e, 20f include an upper flange 20e that protrudes from the upper wall portion 20a and is located outside the centroid Z of the closed cross section 7a in the vehicle body width direction, and a lower flange 20f that protrudes from the lower wall portion 20b and is located inside.

[0056] According to this configuration, by displacing the upper flange 20e toward the outside in the vehicle width direction (one side of the centroid Z of the closed cross section 7a), an upper mounting member such as a suspension housing 40 can be attached to the upper wall portion 20a and the upper flange 20e, and by displacing the lower flange 20f toward the inside in the vehicle width direction (the other side of the centroid Z of the closed cross section 7a), a lower mounting member such as a subframe 50 can be attached to the lower flange 20f.

[0057] The outer upper wall portion (one side upper wall portion) 22a, which is located outside the vehicle width direction of the upper flange 20e of the upper wall portion 20a, and the inner lower wall portion (other side lower wall portion) 21b, which is located inside the vehicle width direction of the lower flange 20f of the lower wall portion 20b, have a plate thickness t2 and side lengths L3, L4 of the closed cross section 7a that roughly coincide with those of the side wall portions 21g, 22g, 21h, 22h, 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, 26c.

[0058] According to this configuration, in addition to the bending rigidity of each side wall portion 21g, 22g, 21h, 22h, 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, 26c, the bending rigidity of the outer upper wall portion 22a and the inner lower wall portion 21b are also matched, so that the front side frame 20 can be axially compressed more reliably and evenly.

[0059] The grooves 25 and 26 are deeper on the rear side of the vehicle body than on the front side of the vehicle body.

[0060] According to this configuration, the moment of inertia increases toward the rear of the vehicle body, and therefore the bending rigidity of the rear portion 2d of the front side frame 20 is increased compared to the front portion 2c. Therefore, the front portion 2c can absorb the impact load by deforming when it receives the impact load from the front of the vehicle body, and the impact load can be received by the rear portion 2d, which has increased rigidity, to ensure that the front portion 2c functions to absorb the impact load.

[0061] The side wall portions have upper wall portions 21g, 22g located above the groove portions 25, 26 and lower wall portions 21h, 22h located below the groove portions 25, 26, The groove upper wall portions 25a, 26a, the groove lower wall portions 25b, 26b, the groove bottom wall portions 25c, 26c, the upper wall portions 21g, 22g, the lower wall portions 21h, 22h, the outer upper wall portion 22a, and the inner lower wall portion 21b have the same plate thicknesses t1, t2 and side lengths L3, L4, L5.

[0062] According to this configuration, it is easier to suppress the difference in bending rigidity of each wall portion constituting the closed cross section 7a, and it is easier to stably compress the front side frame 20 axially, compared to when the plate thicknesses and side lengths of the three sides of each groove wall portion 25a, 26a, 25b, 26b, 25c, 26c constituting the groove portions 25, 26, the two sides of the upper wall portions 21g, 22g and the lower wall portions 21h, 22h, the outer upper wall portion 22a, and the inner lower wall portion 21b are different.

[0063] The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible.

[0064] In this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the flanges 20e, 20f extend in the vertical direction from the closed cross-section 7a, but this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the flanges 120e, 120f may extend in the width direction from the closed cross-section 7c.

[0065] In this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the vertical positions of the groove portions 25 and 26 are the same, but this is not limiting, and the groove portions 25 and 26 may be point-symmetrical with respect to the centroid Z. For example, as shown in Fig. 10, the vertical positions of the groove portions 225 and 226 may be offset.

[0066] In this embodiment, the grooves 25 and 26 are hat-shaped, but this is not limiting, and the grooves 25 and 26 may be trapezoidal, semicircular, or the like.

[0067] In this embodiment, the vehicle frame member has been described as having an inner panel 21 and an outer panel 22, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle frame member may be an extruded member made of aluminum or the like.

[0068] [Note] The present disclosure includes the following aspects.

[0069] [Aspect 1] A vehicle frame member extending in a front-rear direction, a frame main body portion, the cross section of which perpendicular to the extending direction is formed as a closed cross section by an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, and a pair of side wall portions within a predetermined front-rear direction range; a groove portion formed by recessing each of the pair of side wall portions toward the inside of the closed cross section; a flange protruding outward from the closed cross section, the pair of side wall portions define the groove portion and include a plurality of side wall portions each having an upper groove wall portion located on an upper side and extending in the vehicle body width direction, a lower groove wall portion located on a lower side and extending in the vehicle body width direction and facing the upper groove wall portion, and a groove bottom wall portion connecting the upper groove wall portion and the lower groove wall portion in the up-down direction, The side wall portions are formed so that the bending stiffness of each is approximately equal. Frame components for vehicles.

[0070] [Aspect 2] The thickness of each of the side wall portions and the side length of the closed cross section are approximately the same. The vehicle frame member according to embodiment 1.

[0071] [Aspect 3] The vehicle frame members are a pair of left and right front side frames located on both sides of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction. 3. The vehicle frame member according to claim 1 or 2.

[0072] [Aspect 4] The flange has an upper flange that protrudes from the upper wall portion and is located on one side, outside or inside, of the centroid of the closed cross section in the vehicle body width direction, and a lower flange that protrudes from the lower wall portion and is located on the other side. The vehicle frame member according to any one of the first to third aspects.

[0073] [Aspect 5] The thickness and the side length of the closed cross section of the one-side upper wall portion located on the one side of the upper flange in the upper wall portion and the other-side lower wall portion located on the other side of the lower flange in the lower wall portion are approximately the same as those of the side wall portion. A frame member for a vehicle according to embodiment 4.

[0074] [Aspect 6] The groove is deeper on the rear side of the vehicle body than on the front side of the vehicle body. A vehicle frame member according to any one of the first to fifth aspects.

[0075] [Aspect 7] the sidewall portion has an upper wall portion located above the groove portion and a lower wall portion located below the groove portion, The groove upper wall portion, the groove lower wall portion, the groove bottom wall portion, the upper wall portion, the lower wall portion, the one-side upper wall portion, and the other-side lower wall portion have the same plate thickness and the same side length of the closed cross section. The vehicle frame member according to any one of the first to sixth aspects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 7a Closed section 20 Front side frame (vehicle frame member) 20a Upper wall 20b Lower wall part 20c side wall part 20d side wall part 20e Upper flange 20f Lower flange 21b Inner lower wall (lower wall on the other side) 21g Upper wall part (side wall part) 21h Lower wall part (side wall part) 22a outer upper wall portion (one side upper wall portion) 22g Upper wall (side wall) 22h Lower wall part (side wall part) 25 Groove 25a Groove top wall (side wall) 25b Groove lower wall part (side wall part) 25c Groove bottom wall (side wall) 26 Groove 26a Groove top wall (side wall) 26b Groove lower wall (side wall) 26c Groove bottom wall (side wall) t1 Plate thickness t2 plate thickness L3 side length L4 side length L5 side length

Claims

1. A vehicle frame member extending in a front-rear direction, a frame main body portion, the cross section of which perpendicular to the extending direction is formed as a closed cross section by an upper wall portion, a lower wall portion, and a pair of side wall portions within a predetermined front-rear direction range; a groove portion formed by recessing each of the pair of side wall portions toward the inside of the closed cross section; a flange protruding outward from the closed cross section, the pair of side wall portions include a plurality of side wall portions that define the groove portion, each side wall portion having an upper groove wall portion located on an upper side and extending in the vehicle body width direction, a lower groove wall portion located on a lower side and extending in the vehicle body width direction and facing the upper groove wall portion, and a groove bottom wall portion that connects the upper groove wall portion and the lower groove wall portion in the up-down direction, The side wall portions are formed so that the bending stiffness of each is approximately equal. Frame components for vehicles.

2. The thickness of each of the side wall portions and the side length of the closed cross section are approximately the same. The vehicle frame member according to claim 1 .

3. The vehicle frame members are a pair of left and right front side frames located on both sides of the engine compartment in the vehicle width direction. The vehicle frame member according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The flange has an upper flange that protrudes from the upper wall portion and is located on one side, outside or inside, of the centroid of the closed cross section in the vehicle body width direction, and a lower flange that protrudes from the lower wall portion and is located on the other side. The vehicle frame member according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The thickness and the side length of the closed cross section of the one-side upper wall portion located on the one side of the upper flange in the upper wall portion and the other-side lower wall portion located on the other side of the lower flange in the lower wall portion are approximately the same as those of the side wall portion.

5. The vehicle frame member according to claim 4.

6. The groove is deeper on the rear side of the vehicle body than on the front side of the vehicle body. The vehicle frame member according to claim 1 or 2.

7. the sidewall portion has an upper wall portion located above the groove portion and a lower wall portion located below the groove portion, The groove upper wall portion, the groove lower wall portion, the groove bottom wall portion, the upper wall portion, the lower wall portion, the one-side upper wall portion, and the other-side lower wall portion have substantially the same plate thickness and the same side length of the closed cross section. The vehicle frame member according to claim 5.

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