Lower part rear structure of vehicle body

Abstract

To prevent water from entering the plate joint part between a rear floor panel and a lower back inner regardless of a lower back structure and thereby suppress generation of rust.SOLUTION: A lower part rear structure 10 of a vehicle body is formed by sealing a space between a rear floor panel 11 and a lower back inner 14 with a sealer 18, and a receding surface portion 23 that recedes downward toward the rear side of the vehicle body is provided on a portion of a bumper bracket 13 attached to the lower back inner 14, the portion extending in the vertical direction and being located below the rear floor panel 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a lower rear structure of a vehicle body, and more particularly to a bumper bracket structure to which a bumper is attached. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, a structure for attaching a rear bumper to an automobile is known in which the upper end of a bumper bracket is connected to the lower flange of a lower back inner member with high cross-sectional rigidity, and the lower end of the rear bumper can be attached to the portion of the bumper bracket that extends toward the rear of the vehicle body. In this case, the lower back inner member is joined to a rear floor panel located on the lower rear side of the vehicle body (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 4-67558 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 3-108562 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, at the joint (joint portion) between the lower back inner member and the rear floor panel, exposure to water can cause rust problems. Fig. 5 shows an example of a cross-sectional structure around joint portion 53 between lower back inner member 51 and rear floor panel 52. As shown in this figure, when rear end portion 52a of rear floor panel 52 is joined to lower back inner member 51 and lower floor panel 52, and lower back inner member 51 extends downward across bottom surface portion 52b of rear floor panel 52, opening 54 that opens downward is provided adjacent to bottom surface portion 52b at joint portion 53 between rear end portion 52a of rear floor panel 52 and lower back inner member 51. With this structure, a sealer gun (not shown) can be inserted into opening 54 from below to apply sealant 55, making it possible to easily apply sealant 55 to the entire gap 56 between rear end 52a of rear floor panel 52 and lower back inner 51 in the vehicle width direction (the direction through the paper in FIG. 5). Therefore, even if water W blows up from the road surface and splashes toward the rear of the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling, hits bumper bracket 57 located below rear floor panel 52, and runs upward, sealer 55 can prevent the water from entering gap 56.

[0005] On the other hand, if the lower back structure is changed so that the lower portion of lower back inner 51 is shortened and its lower end 51a is positioned higher than the bottom surface 52b of rear floor panel 52 (see FIG. 6), the joint 53 between rear end 52a of rear floor panel 52 and lower back inner 51 will move upward as a whole, making it difficult to insert a sealer gun from below and apply sealant 55 (FIG. 5). In this case, the sealer gun will be approached from the rear of the vehicle body to apply sealant 55 to the lower end of joint 53, but sealant 55 cannot be applied to the portion of joint 53 where bumper bracket 57 is attached because bumper bracket 57 gets in the way. As described above, at the location where the bumper bracket 57 is attached (the vehicle width direction position), it is expected that water W that splashes particularly toward the rear of the vehicle will collide with the bumper bracket 57 and run upward, so if there is no sealant 55 at the plate joint 53, it is difficult to prevent water W from entering the gap 56.

[0006] In view of the above circumstances, the technical problem to be solved in this specification is to prevent water from entering the joint between the rear floor panel and the lower back inner, regardless of the lower back structure, thereby suppressing the occurrence of rust. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problem is solved by the vehicle lower rear structure according to the present invention, which is a vehicle lower rear structure formed by sealing the gap between a rear floor panel and a lower back inner with a sealant, and characterized in that a bumper bracket attached to the lower back inner is provided with a recessed surface portion that recesses toward the rear of the vehicle body as it extends downward, at a portion that extends in the vertical direction and is located below the rear floor panel.

[0008] As described above, in the vehicle lower rear structure according to the present invention, a portion of the bumper bracket positioned below the rear floor panel is provided with a recessed surface portion that slopes backward toward the vehicle rear as it extends downward. Therefore, for example, when water splashes toward the rear of the vehicle, the recessed surface portion prevents water that strikes the bumper bracket from running upward along the surface of the bumper bracket. Furthermore, by providing the recessed surface portion, the portion of the bumper bracket where the recessed surface portion is provided and the portion connected to the recessed surface portion below it can be positioned further rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction than in the conventional structure. This allows the location where water splashing toward the rear of the vehicle strikes the bumper bracket to be moved farther rearward, thereby softening the impact of the water and weakening the force of the water running upward. As a result, water is prevented from entering the portion of the bumper bracket positioned above the bottom surface of the rear floor panel. Therefore, even if there is a portion of the joint between the rear floor panel and the lower back inner member where sealant is not applied, water can be prevented from entering the interior (gap) of the joint through that portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent rust from occurring on the surface of the unpainted joint.

[0009] In the rear lower portion structure of a vehicle body according to the present invention, a through hole may be provided in the receding surface portion or in a portion extending downward from the lower end of the receding surface portion.

[0010] By providing through holes in the bumper bracket at predetermined positions in this way, water that splashes toward the rear of the vehicle can be directed further toward the rear of the vehicle, thereby reducing the amount of water that hits the bumper bracket and making it more likely that the water will run up the surface of the bumper bracket. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As described above, the lower rear structure of the vehicle body according to the present invention makes it possible to prevent water from entering the joint between the rear floor and the lower back inner regardless of the lower back structure, thereby suppressing the occurrence of rust. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a view showing a main part of a rear lower structure of a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the rear of the vehicle body. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bumper bracket shown in FIG. [Figure 5] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a rear lower portion structure of a vehicle body according to a first example of the prior art, taken at a position where a bumper bracket is attached in the vehicle width direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a rear lower portion of a vehicle body according to a second example of the prior art, taken at a position where a bumper bracket is attached in the vehicle width direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A rear lower structure of a vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Fig. 1 shows a view of a vehicle body lower rear structure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention as seen from the rear side of the vehicle body. Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1) obtained by cutting the vehicle width direction central position of the vehicle body lower rear structure 10 shown in Fig. 1 with an imaginary cross-section extending vertically and in the vehicle body longitudinal direction, and Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 1) obtained by cutting the vehicle width direction mounting position of a bumper bracket 13 of the vehicle body lower rear structure 10 shown in Fig. 1 with an imaginary cross-section extending vertically and in the vehicle body longitudinal direction.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 , this vehicle body lower rear structure 10 includes at least a rear floor panel 11, a lower back 12, and a bumper bracket 13. Of these, the lower back 12 is composed of a lower back inner member 14 and a lower back outer member 15. The rear floor panel 11, bumper bracket 13, lower back inner member 14, and lower back outer member 15 are all panel-shaped and are joined to one another by known means such as welding, adhesive bonding, or crimping. In this embodiment, the lower back inner member 14 and the lower back outer member 15 are joined to one another, and the lower back inner member 14 and the bumper bracket 13 are also joined to one another. The rear floor panel 11 and the lower back inner member 14 are also joined to one another.

[0016] More specifically, the lower back inner 14 and the bumper bracket 13 are integrated by joining the upper end 13a of the bumper bracket 13 to the rear side of the vehicle body of the lower end 14a of the lower back inner 14 (see FIG. 3).

[0017] The rear floor panel 11 has a shape in which at least a portion of its rear end 11a in the vehicle width direction is bent upward. In this illustrated example, the bottom surface 11b and rear end 11a of the rear floor panel 11 are connected to each other via an inclined surface 11c, and a lower end 14a of a lower back inner 14 is joined to the rear side of the rear end 11a, which is located above the inclined surface 11c serving as the connecting portion. In this case, a plate joint 16 between the lower back inner 14 and the rear floor panel 11 is formed between the lower end 14a of the lower back inner 14 and the rear end 11a of the rear floor panel 11.

[0018] A sealant 18 is applied to this plate joint 16 so as to close a gap 17 between a lower end 14a of the lower back inner 14 and a rear end 11a of the rear floor panel 11 (see FIG. 2). On the other hand, the sealant 18 is not applied to a predetermined region of the plate joint 16 extending in the vehicle width direction where the bumper bracket 13 is attached (see FIGS. 1 and 3). Therefore, at the vehicle width direction attachment position of the bumper bracket 13, the gap 17 between the lower end 14a of the lower back inner 14, which forms the plate joint 16, and the rear end 11a of the rear floor panel 11 is open downward (see FIG. 3).

[0019] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of bumper bracket 13 according to this embodiment. Bumper bracket 13 is generally long and plate-shaped, and integrally includes first plate portion 19 having upper end 13a, second plate portion 21 having bumper mounting portion 20 at its lower end, and recessed portion 22 disposed between first plate portion 19 and second plate portion 21. Here, bumper mounting portion 20 extends toward the rear of the vehicle when bumper bracket 13 is attached to lower back inner member 14. Recessed portion 22 also protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle (see FIG. 2 for both). Therefore, when recessed portion 22 is configured with first inclined surface portion 23, bottom surface portion 24, and second inclined surface portion 25 as shown in FIG. 2, first inclined surface portion 23 constituting the upper side of recessed portion 22 corresponds to the recessed surface portion according to the present invention.

[0020] In this case, at least a portion of the first inclined surface portion 23 is located below the bottom surface 11b of the rear floor panel 11, and more preferably, is located on a rearward extension of the bottom surface 11b of the rear floor panel 11. That is, the first inclined surface portion 23 as a receding surface portion extends vertically across the bottom surface 11b of the rear floor panel 11 and in a direction that transitions toward the rear of the vehicle as it extends downward (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, the first inclined surface portion 23 is provided across the entire width of the bumper bracket 13 (see FIG. 4).

[0021] In this embodiment, a through hole 26 is formed in the bottom surface 24 of the recessed portion 22. This through hole 26 passes through the bottom surface 24 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

[0022] Even when a receding surface portion (first inclined surface portion 23) is provided as in this embodiment, by forming a shape that connects the bottom surface portion 24 and the second plate-shaped portion 21 with the second inclined surface portion 25 that extends in a direction that transitions toward the front of the vehicle body as it extends downward, that is, by forming the recessed portion 22 in a trapezoidal cross section, it is possible to maintain the position of the second plate-shaped portion 21 having the bumper mounting portion 20 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body in the same position as in the conventional configuration (FIGS. 5 and 6). Therefore, there is no change in the mounting position of the bumper, and it is possible to mount the bumper in the same position as before.

[0023] As described above, in the vehicle lower rear structure 10 according to this embodiment, the bumper bracket 13 is provided with a receding surface portion (first inclined surface portion 23) that recedes toward the rear of the vehicle body as it extends downward, at a portion thereof located below the rear floor panel 11. This prevents water W that strikes the bumper bracket 13 from running upward along the surface of the bumper bracket 13, as shown in FIG. 3, for example. Furthermore, by providing the receding surface portion, the position of the portion of the bumper bracket 13 where the receding surface portion is provided and the portion (bottom surface portion 24) connected to the receding surface portion below it can be lowered further rearward in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle than in the past (see FIGS. 3 and 6). This allows the portion of the bumper bracket 13 that is expected to collide with the water W to be moved rearward from the water W that has splashed toward the rear of the vehicle body, thereby softening the impact of the water W and weakening the force of the water W running upward. The above-mentioned action makes it possible to prevent water W from entering the portion of the bumper bracket 13 located above the bottom surface 11b of the rear floor panel 11 as much as possible, so even if there is a portion at the joint 16 between the rear floor panel 11 and the lower back inner 14 where the sealant 18 is not applied (FIG. 3), it is possible to prevent water W from entering the inside (gap 17) of the joint 16 through that portion. This makes it possible to prevent rust from occurring on the surface of the unpainted joint 16.

[0024] In particular, as in this embodiment, by setting the vertical position and range of the first inclined surface portion 23 so that the first inclined surface portion 23 is positioned on the rear extension of the bottom surface portion 11b of the rear floor panel 11, no matter how high the water W splashes toward the rear of the vehicle (the highest position of the bottom surface portion 11b of the rear floor panel 11), the splashed water W can be received by the first inclined surface portion 23 and reliably prevented from running upward.

[0025] Furthermore, by providing the through-holes 26 in the first inclined surface portion 23 or in the portion (here, the bottom surface portion 24) continuing downward from the first inclined surface portion 23 as in this embodiment, the water W that splashes toward the rear of the vehicle body can be further guided toward the rear of the vehicle body. This reduces the amount of water W that strikes the bumper bracket 13, making it possible to more effectively prevent the striking water W from running up the surface of the bumper bracket 13.

[0026] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the rear lower structure of a vehicle body according to the present invention can also have configurations other than those described above within the scope of the spirit thereof.

[0027] For example, in the above embodiment, a recessed portion 22 protruding toward the rear of the vehicle body is provided between the first plate-like portion 19 forming the upper end side of the bumper bracket 13 and the second plate-like portion 21 having the bumper mounting portion 20 at its lower end, and the first inclined surface portion 23 of this recessed portion 22, which is continuous with the first plate-like portion 19 below it, is shown as the recessed surface portion, but of course this is not limited to this. For example, as long as the mounting position of the bumper (not shown) in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body can be maintained, the first inclined surface portion 23 may be provided below the first plate-like portion 19 in a continuous manner, and the second plate-like portion 21 extending vertically may be provided below the first inclined surface portion 23 in a continuous manner (not shown).

[0028] In addition, in this embodiment, the receding surface portion is provided with the first inclined surface portion 23 that is tapered at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction, but of course, this is not limited to this. For example, although not shown, the receding surface portion may be formed of a curved plate-like portion that has an arc-shaped cross section with the rear side of the vehicle body as the convex side. In short, the receding surface portion may have any shape as long as it has a shape that recedes toward the rear side of the vehicle body as it extends downward.

[0029] In the above explanation, the receding surface portion is configured as part of the bumper bracket 13, but of course this is not limited to this. Although not shown in the drawings, it is also possible to use a plate-like body that is shaped to recede toward the rear of the vehicle body as it extends downward, or an object whose surface facing the front of the vehicle body has the above-mentioned shape, attached to the bumper bracket 13 at a predetermined position in the height direction.

[0030] Furthermore, in the above description, the upper end of the first inclined surface portion 23 is connected to the lower end of the first plate-shaped portion 19, which forms the upper end 13a of the bumper bracket 13, as an example. However, other configurations are also possible. For example, although not shown, a forward protrusion may be provided by deforming the boundary between the first plate-shaped portion 19 and the first inclined surface portion 23 so that it protrudes sharply (bead-like) toward the front of the vehicle, or by fastening a protruding plate formed separately from the bumper bracket 13 and protruding toward the front of the vehicle to the boundary. By providing such a forward protrusion, even if water W runs up the first inclined surface portion 23, the forward protrusion can prevent the water W from entering the gap 17. This further increases the probability of water W entering the inside of the plate joint 16.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the through hole 26 is provided in the bottom surface 24 of the recessed portion 22, but other configurations are of course possible. For example, although not shown in the drawings, the through hole 26 may be provided so as to penetrate the first inclined surface portion 23 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

[0032] Furthermore, in the above explanation, the lower back inner 14 and the bumper bracket 13 are formed separately, and the lower end 14a of the lower back inner 14 and the upper end 13a of the bumper bracket 13 are joined together to form an integrated unit. However, it is of course also possible to mold (form) these integrally from a single panel-like member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0033] 10 Lower rear structure 11 Rear floor panel 11a Rear end 11b Bottom part 11c Slope section 12 Lower back 13 Bumper bracket 13a Upper end 14 Lower back inner 14a Lower end 15 Lower back outer 16 Board joining section 17 Gap 18 Sheila 19 First plate-shaped portion 20 Bumper mounting part 21 Second plate-shaped portion 22 Concave part 23 First slope section 24 Bottom part 25 Second slope section 26 through holes 51 Lower back inner 51a Lower end 52 Rear floor panel 52a Rear end 52b Bottom part 53 Board joining section 54 Opening 55 Sheila 56 Gap 57 Bumper bracket W water

Claims

1. In a lower rear structure of a vehicle body, the gap between a rear floor panel and a lower back inner is sealed with a sealer, A rear lower structure of a vehicle body, characterized in that a portion of a bumper bracket attached to the lower back inner extends in the vertical direction and is located below the rear floor panel, and a recessed surface portion is provided that recesses toward the rear of the vehicle body as it extends downward.

2. The rear lower structure of a vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein a through hole is provided in the recessed surface portion or in a portion extending downward from a lower end of the recessed surface portion.

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