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, and a pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs 26 that are arranged to sandwich the through-hole 24 formed in the frame body 10 from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, each extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and integrally formed with the frame body 10. By reinforcing the area around the through-hole 24 with the through-hole reinforcing ribs 26, deformation is suppressed.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a suspension housing formed by aluminum die casting, and this suspension housing is fixed to skeleton members such as a front frame and an apron rail so as to cover the upper part of the wheel house.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in a structure in which a skeleton including a wheel house of a vehicle is formed by casting as in Patent Document 1, when forming a through hole in the 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 skeleton structure capable of suppressing deformation around a through hole in a skeleton formed by casting.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The vehicle skeleton structure according to claim 1 includes a skeleton main body integrally formed by casting including a wheel house part, and a pair of through hole reinforcing ribs arranged so as to sandwich a through hole formed in the skeleton main body from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, each extending in the up-down direction of the vehicle and integrally formed with the skeleton main body.

[0007] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, the frame body is integrally formed by casting, including the wheel well portion, and through holes are formed in the frame body. Furthermore, a pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs are formed in the frame body so as to sandwich the through holes from the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Here, each of the through-hole reinforcing ribs extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and is integrally formed with the frame body. This allows for effective reinforcement around the through holes.

[0008] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 2 is as described in claim 1, wherein the through-hole is formed in a region surrounded by a plurality of ridges in the wheelhouse portion, and the through-hole reinforcing rib is stretched between the ridges.

[0009] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 2, the area around the through-hole can be reinforced more effectively by extending the through-hole reinforcing rib between the ridges.

[0010] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 3 is as described in claim 1, wherein the upper end of the wheel well portion has an inclined surface that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower side of the vehicle to the upper side of the vehicle, and the through hole and the through hole reinforcing rib are formed on the inclined surface.

[0011] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 3, even when through holes are formed on an inclined surface where strength is likely to be insufficient, material loss around the through holes can be suppressed.

[0012] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 4 is as described in claim 3, wherein a plurality of lower reinforcing ribs are provided in the lower part of the wheel well portion along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the through-hole reinforcing ribs and the lower reinforcing ribs are connected by connecting ribs that extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0013] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 4, load can be transmitted from the through-hole reinforcing rib to the lower reinforcing rib via the connecting rib.

[0014] The vehicle frame structure according to claim 5 is as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the surface of the pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs facing the through-hole is inclined in a direction that approaches the through-hole from the tip side towards the base side.

[0015] In the vehicle frame structure according to claim 5, the ribs can guide the machining tool to the machining position when machining through holes. [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. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the state after cutting along line 2-2 in Figure 1. [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 RR, UP, and RH in the figure indicate the rear, top, and right 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 FIG. 1, the skeleton main body 10 constituting the vehicle skeleton structure is a component arranged at the rear part of the vehicle, and is formed by casting including the wheel house part 12. In addition, in the present embodiment, the case where the vehicle skeleton structure is applied to the rear part of the vehicle will be described, but it is not limited thereto, and it may be applied to the front part of the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle skeleton structure is integrally formed by casting including the front side wheel house.

[0021] A pair of left and right wheel house parts 12 are provided, and each extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle up-down direction. In addition, the lower ends of the left and right wheel house parts 12 are connected in the vehicle width direction by the rear panel part 14.

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

[0023] A plurality of lower reinforcing ribs 18 are formed along the vehicle front-rear direction, and each is formed in a substantially X shape when viewed from the vehicle width direction.

[0024] Here, the outer edge of the wheel house part 12 is formed in a substantially arch shape in which the central part in the vehicle front-rear direction bulges upward from the vehicle width direction, and a flange part 20 is provided along the upper edge of the wheel house part 12.

[0025] The flange part 20 is provided over the entire outer edge of the wheel house part 12 and extends upward from the outer edge of the wheel house part 12. In addition, 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 wheel house part 12.

[0026] An inclined surface 22 is formed at the uppermost part of the wheel well section 12. The inclined surface 22 is formed below the flange section 20 and slopes inward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the upper side of the vehicle to the lower side of the vehicle. In addition, a ridge 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, through-hole reinforcing ribs 26 are formed on the inclined surface 22 of the frame body 10. The through-hole reinforcing ribs 26 are provided in pairs, front and rear, so as to sandwich the through-hole 24 from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and each extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and is formed integrally with the frame body 10.

[0029] Furthermore, the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 is formed to span between the inclined surface 22 and the adjacent ridge. Specifically, the lower end of the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 is connected to the ridge between the surface below the inclined surface 22 and the inclined surface 22, and the upper end of the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 is connected to the ridge between the surface above the inclined surface 22 and the inclined surface 22.

[0030] Furthermore, connecting ribs 28 are formed between the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 and the lower reinforcing rib 18. Multiple connecting ribs 28 are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and each extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In Figure 1, as an example, five connecting ribs 28 are formed at intervals in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, but the design is not limited to this.

[0031] Of the five connecting ribs 28, two are connected to the through-hole reinforcing ribs 26. Specifically, the lower end of each connecting rib 28 is connected to the upper end of the lower reinforcing rib 18, and the upper end of each connecting rib 28 is connected to the lower end of the through-hole reinforcing rib 26. As a result, the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 and the lower reinforcing rib 18 are connected vertically by the connecting ribs 28.

[0032] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the state when cut along line 2-2 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 of this embodiment has a surface on the through-hole 24 side that is inclined in a direction that approaches the through-hole from the tip side towards the base side.

[0033] (action) Next, the operation of the vehicle frame structure according to this embodiment will be explained.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the frame body 10 is integrally formed by casting, including the wheelhouse portion 12, and a through hole 24 is formed in the frame body 10. In addition, a pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs 26 are formed in the frame body 10 so as to sandwich the through-hole 24 from the front-rear direction of the vehicle. Here, each of the through-hole reinforcing ribs 26 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and is integrally formed with the frame body 10. This effectively reinforces the area around the through-hole 24. In other words, deformation around the through-hole can be suppressed in a frame formed by casting.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the area around the through-hole 24 can be reinforced more effectively by extending the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 between the ridges. In particular, in this embodiment, the through-hole 24 is formed on an inclined surface 22 which tends to have insufficient strength, but even in such cases, the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 can suppress material loss around the through-hole 24.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 and the lower reinforcing rib 18 are connected vertically by a connecting rib 28. This allows the load to be transmitted from the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 to the lower reinforcing rib 18 via the connecting rib 28.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the surface of the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 on the through-hole 24 side is inclined, so that the machining tool can be guided to the machining position by the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 when machining the through-hole 24. In other words, the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 can be used as a guide.

[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 invention. For example, in this embodiment, a through hole 24 is formed at the upper end of the wheelhouse portion 12, but it is not limited to this. For example, a through hole may be formed in the central portion of the wheelhouse portion 12, and through hole reinforcing ribs may be formed to sandwich the through hole.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a plurality of lower reinforcing ribs 18 are formed along the vehicle's longitudinal direction at the lower part of the wheelhouse portion 12, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, the lower reinforcing ribs 18 may not be provided, and connecting ribs 28 may be extended from the through-hole reinforcing rib 26 to the lower end of the frame body 10. Even in this case, the load applied around the through-hole 24 can be borne by the lower part of the frame body 10 via the connecting ribs 28.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lower reinforcing rib 18 is formed in a substantially X shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle, but it is not limited to this and may be in other shapes. For example, the lower reinforcing rib may be formed in a substantially grid shape when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

[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 pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs are arranged to sandwich the through-hole formed in the frame body from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, each extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and integrally formed with the frame body, A vehicle frame structure having the following characteristics. (Note 2) The through-hole is formed in the area surrounded by multiple ridges in the wheelhouse portion. The through-hole reinforcing rib is stretched between the ridges, as described in Appendix 1, for the vehicle frame structure. (Note 3) The upper end of the wheel well portion has an inclined surface that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower side of the vehicle to the upper side of the vehicle. The vehicle frame structure according to Appendix 1 or Appendix 2, wherein the through-holes and the through-hole reinforcing ribs are formed on the inclined surface. (Note 4) The lower part of the wheel well section is provided with a plurality of lower reinforcing ribs along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle frame structure according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 3, wherein the through-hole reinforcing rib and the lower reinforcing rib are connected by a connecting rib that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. (Note 5) The vehicle frame structure according to any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 4, wherein the surface of the pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs facing the through-hole is inclined in a direction that approaches the through-hole from the tip side towards the base side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10 Skeleton 12 Wheelhouse section 18 Lower reinforcing ribs 22 Slope 24 Through holes 26 Through-hole reinforcing ribs 28 connecting ribs

Claims

1. The skeletal body, including the wheelhouse section, is integrally formed by casting, A pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs are arranged to sandwich the through-hole formed in the frame body from the front-rear direction of the vehicle, each extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle and integrally formed with the frame body, A vehicle frame structure having the following characteristics.

2. The through-hole is formed in the area surrounded by multiple ridges in the wheelhouse portion. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, wherein the through-hole reinforcing rib is stretched between the ridge lines.

3. The upper end of the wheel well portion has an inclined surface that slopes outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower side of the vehicle to the upper side of the vehicle. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 1, wherein the through holes and the through hole reinforcing ribs are formed on the inclined surface.

4. The lower part of the wheel well section is provided with a plurality of lower reinforcing ribs along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle frame structure according to claim 3, wherein the through-hole reinforcing rib and the lower reinforcing rib are connected by a connecting rib that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle frame structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the surface of the pair of through-hole reinforcing ribs facing the through-hole is inclined in a direction that approaches the through-hole from the tip side towards the base side.

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