Vehicle frame structure

Abstract

The objective is to obtain a vehicle frame structure that can suppress deformation around through holes in a frame formed by casting. [Solution] The vehicle frame structure includes a frame body 10 integrally formed by casting, including the wheelhouse portion 12; a flange portion 20 provided along the upper edge of the wheelhouse portion 12; an inclined surface 22 formed above the wheelhouse portion 12 and below the flange portion 20, with a through hole 24 formed therein; and at least one reinforcing rib 30 connecting the inclined surface 22 and the flange portion 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle skeletal structure.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a structure including a wheel house shell in which a wheel house and a side member are integrally formed, and reinforcing ribs are formed in the wheel house.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, it is known to form a skeleton including a wheel house of a vehicle by casting. However, when forming a through hole in such a skeleton, it is common to form the through hole by machining after casting. However, the periphery of the machined part may be deformed when forming the through hole.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle skeletal structure capable of suppressing deformation around a through hole in a skeleton formed by casting.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle skeletal structure according to claim 1 includes a skeleton body integrally formed by casting including a wheel house portion, a flange portion provided along an upper edge of the wheel house portion, an inclined surface formed above the wheel house portion and below the flange portion and having a through hole formed therein, and at least one reinforcing rib connecting the inclined surface and the flange portion.

[0007] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, the frame body is integrally formed by casting, including the wheel well portion, and a flange portion is provided along the upper edge of the wheel well portion. Furthermore, an inclined surface is provided above the wheel well portion and below the flange portion, and a through hole is formed in this inclined surface. In addition, the inclined surface and the flange portion are connected by at least one reinforcing rib. This reinforces the area around the through hole, and deformation can be suppressed even when the through hole is formed after casting.

[0008] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in claim 1, a plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided, and each of the reinforcing ribs is connected to the ridge line between the inclined surface and the adjacent surface.

[0009] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 2, the reinforcing ribs are connected to the ridge line between the inclined surface and the adjacent surface, thereby effectively reinforcing the inclined surface.

[0010] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 3 is as described in claim 1, wherein in the flange portion, a front rib is formed on the vehicle front side of the reinforcing rib, and a rear rib is formed on the vehicle rear side of the reinforcing rib.

[0011] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 3, the entire flange portion can be reinforced by the front rib and the rear rib.

[0012] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 4 is as described in claim 3, wherein the flange portion is formed in an arch shape, and the through hole is formed in the uppermost part of the wheel well portion.

[0013] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 4, even if through holes are formed in the uppermost part of the wheel well, which is a relatively low-strength area, the lack of strength can be compensated for by reinforcing ribs.

[0014] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in claim 4, a plurality of front ribs and rear ribs are provided and arranged radially.

[0015] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 5, the front ribs and rear ribs are arranged radially, which allows materials such as aluminum to flow easily during casting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As described above, the vehicle frame structure according to the present invention makes it possible to suppress deformation around through holes in a frame formed by casting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the main parts of the vehicle frame structure according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] A vehicle frame structure according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of the vehicle frame structure according to the embodiment. The arrows FR, UP, and LH in the figure indicate the front, top, and left directions of the vehicle, respectively. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions refer to the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions of the vehicle, respectively.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the frame body 10 constituting the vehicle frame structure is a component located at the rear of the vehicle and is formed by casting, including the wheel well portion 12. In this embodiment, the case in which the vehicle frame structure is applied to the rear of the vehicle is described, but it is not limited to this and may also be applied to the front of the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle frame structure is integrally formed by casting, including the front wheel well.

[0021] The pair of wheelhouse parts 12 are provided on the left and right, and each extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle vertical direction. Also, the lower ends of the left and right wheelhouse parts 12 are connected in the vehicle width direction by a rear panel part 14.

[0022] A rear side member part 16 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction is provided at the lower end of the wheelhouse part 12. The rear side member part 16 is integrally formed by casting together with the wheelhouse part 12, and a plurality of lower ribs 18 are formed along the vehicle longitudinal direction on the outer surface of the rear side member part 16 in the vehicle width direction.

[0023] A plurality of lower ribs 18 are formed at intervals in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and each is formed in a substantially X shape when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0024] Here, the outer edge of the wheelhouse part 12 is formed in a substantially arch shape in which the central part in the vehicle longitudinal direction bulges upward in the vehicle when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and a flange part 20 is provided along the upper edge of the wheelhouse part 12.

[0025] The flange part 20 is provided over the entire outer edge of the wheelhouse part 12 and extends upward from the outer edge of the wheelhouse part 12. Also, a plurality of bolt holes (not shown) are formed in the flange part 20, and by inserting bolts into these bolt holes, peripheral parts are fastened to the wheelhouse part 12.

[0026] An inclined surface 22 is formed at the uppermost part of the wheelhouse part 12. The inclined surface 22 is formed below the flange part 20 and inclines inward in the vehicle width direction as it goes from the upper side of the vehicle to the lower side of the vehicle. Also, a ridge line is formed between the inclined surface 22 and the adjacent surface.

[0027] A through-hole 24 is formed in the inclined surface 22. The through-hole 24 is a circular hole formed to penetrate the inclined surface 22 perpendicularly. In this embodiment, as an example, the through-hole 24 is formed by machining after casting, and a harness, brake wire, and cooling pipe (not shown) are passed through this through-hole 24. Through the through-hole 24, parts on the outside of the vehicle and parts on the inside of the vehicle are connected by the harness, brake wire, and cooling pipe. The through-hole 24 may also be used to pass a welding gun through during the assembly process, or it may be used as a service hole to access parts such as bolts.

[0028] Here, multiple reinforcing ribs 30 are formed on the flange portion 20. The reinforcing ribs 30 are formed on the inner surface of the flange portion 20 in the vehicle width direction and connect the inclined surface 22 and the flange portion 20. In this embodiment, as an example, four reinforcing ribs 30 are provided, but the number of reinforcing ribs 30 is not particularly limited.

[0029] Here, of the four reinforcing ribs 30, the foremost reinforcing rib 30 and the rearmost reinforcing rib 30 are connected to the ridge line between the inclined surface 22 in the wheelhouse section 12 and the surface adjacent to the inclined surface 22.

[0030] A front rib 32 is formed on the vehicle-front side of the reinforcing rib 30, and a rear rib 34 is formed on the vehicle-rear side of the reinforcing rib 30. The front rib 32 is formed on the inner surface of the flange portion 20 in the vehicle width direction, on the vehicle-front side of the inclined surface 22.

[0031] The rear rib 34 is formed on the inner surface of the flange portion 20 in the vehicle width direction, further rearward than the inclined surface 22. The reinforcing rib 30, front rib 32, and rear rib 34 are arranged substantially radially when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0032] (action) Next, the operation of the vehicle frame structure according to this embodiment will be explained.

[0033] In this embodiment, the frame body 10 is integrally formed by casting, including the wheelhouse portion 12, and a flange portion 20 is provided along the upper edge of the wheelhouse portion 12. Furthermore, an inclined surface 22 is provided above the wheelhouse portion 12 and below the flange portion 20, and a through hole 24 is formed in this inclined surface 22. In addition, the inclined surface 22 and the flange portion 20 are connected by at least one reinforcing rib 30. This reinforces the area around the through hole 24, and deformation can be suppressed even when the through hole 24 is formed after casting.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the reinforcing rib 30 is connected to the ridge line between the inclined surface 22 and the adjacent surface, the inclined surface 22 can be effectively reinforced.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the entire flange portion 20 can be reinforced by the front rib 32 and rear rib 34 formed before and after the reinforcing rib 30.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even if the through-hole 24 is formed in the uppermost part of the wheelhouse section 12, which has relatively low strength, the reinforcing rib 30 can compensate for the lack of strength.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the front rib 32 and rear rib 34 are arranged radially, materials such as aluminum can flow easily during casting. In other words, the flowability of the molten metal can be improved.

[0038] The vehicle frame structure according to the present invention has been described above, but it goes without saying that it can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in this embodiment, reinforcing ribs 30, front ribs 32, and rear ribs 34 are formed on the inner surface of the flange portion 20 in the vehicle width direction, but it is not limited to this, and ribs may also be formed on the inner surface of the flange portion 20 in the vehicle width direction. In this case, the flowability of the molten metal during casting can be further improved.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 30 are connected to the front and rear edges of the inclined surface 22, but this is not limited to this. For example, the reinforcing ribs 30 may be connected to only one of the front or rear edges of the inclined surface 22. Alternatively, a structure in which the reinforcing ribs 30 are connected near the edges may be adopted.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an inclined surface 22 and through holes 24 are formed in the uppermost part of the wheelhouse portion 12, but the embodiment is not limited to this, and an inclined surface 22 may be formed in other parts. Moreover, the shape of the through holes 24 is not limited to circular holes, and other shapes may be used, and the number of through holes 24 is not particularly limited.

[0041] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the above embodiment.

[0042] (Note 1) The skeletal body, including the wheelhouse section, is integrally formed by casting, A flange portion provided along the upper edge of the wheelhouse portion, An inclined surface formed above the wheelhouse portion and below the flange portion, with a through hole formed therein, At least one reinforcing rib connecting the inclined surface and the flange portion, A vehicle frame structure having the following characteristics. (Note 2) The vehicle frame structure as described in Appendix 1, wherein a plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided, and each of the reinforcing ribs is connected to the ridge line between the inclined surface and the adjacent surface. (Note 3) The vehicle frame structure according to Appendix 1 or 2, wherein in the flange portion, a front rib is formed on the vehicle front side of the reinforcing rib, and a rear rib is formed on the vehicle rear side of the reinforcing rib. (Note 4) The flange portion is formed in an arch shape, The through-hole is formed in the uppermost part of the wheel well portion, in the vehicle frame structure described in Appendix 3. (Note 5) Multiple front ribs and multiple rear ribs are provided, A vehicle frame structure arranged radially, as described in any one of the appendices 3 to 5. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10 Skeleton 12 Wheelhouse section 20 Flange section 22 Slope 24 Through holes 30 Reinforcement Ribs 32 Front Rib 34 Rear rib

Claims

1. The skeletal body, including the wheelhouse section, is integrally formed by casting, A flange portion provided along the upper edge of the wheelhouse portion, An inclined surface formed above the wheelhouse portion and below the flange portion, with a through hole formed therein, At least one reinforcing rib connecting the inclined surface and the flange portion, A vehicle frame structure having the following characteristics.

2. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided, and each of the reinforcing ribs is connected to the ridge line between the inclined surface and the adjacent surface.

3. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 2, wherein in the flange portion, a front rib is formed on the vehicle front side of the reinforcing rib, and a rear rib is formed on the vehicle rear side of the reinforcing rib.

4. The flange portion is formed in an arch shape, The vehicle frame structure according to claim 3, wherein the through hole is formed in the uppermost portion of the wheel well.

5. Multiple front ribs and multiple rear ribs are provided, The vehicle frame structure according to claim 4, arranged radially.

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