Body structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle body structure made of a composite material using FRP that can ensure rigidity and strength of a fastening location of a pitching stopper.SOLUTION: A vehicle body structure for supporting a power unit component mounted in a front compartment of a vehicle comprises a pitching stopper which is provided in the front compartment and regulates oscillation of the power unit component. The pitching stopper is fixed to a pitching stopper bracket which is attached to a partition wall between a passenger compartment and the front compartment. The pitching stopper bracket is fixed to the partition wall together with a bearing member that is fixed on a vehicle body rear side with respect to the pitching stopper bracket.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventional steel car bodies are provided with pitching stoppers (also called torque rods) to restrict the inclination (pitching) and vibration of power unit components such as the engine, transmission, and drive motor mounted in the front compartment in the fore-and-aft direction of the car body. The pitching stoppers are connected to the power unit components and fastened to a cross member toe board (also called a dash cross member) that is provided on the inclined portion of the toe board. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-52876 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, the use of fiber-reinforced plastics (hereinafter referred to as FRP), such as carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, in the body structure has been considered in order to reduce the weight of vehicles such as passenger cars. When the body structure is made of composite materials using FRP, the heat in the front compartment can reduce the rigidity or strength of the part where the pitching stopper is fastened, and the function of restricting the pitching of the power unit components may not be fully performed. Since conventional body structures do not have any framework other than the cross member toe board, a structure that ensures the function of the pitching stopper is required when using a body structure made of composite materials using FRP.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure made of a composite material using FRP, which can ensure the rigidity or strength of the fastening points of a pitching stopper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a vehicle body structure for supporting power unit components mounted in a front compartment of a vehicle, the vehicle body structure including a pitching stopper provided in the front compartment to restrict the swinging of the power unit components, the pitching stopper being fixed to a pitching stopper bracket attached to a partition wall between the passenger compartment and the front compartment, and the pitching stopper bracket being fixed to the partition wall together with a support member fixed to the vehicle body rearward of the pitching stopper bracket. Effect of the Invention

[0007] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to ensure the rigidity or strength of the fastening points of the pitching stopper in a vehicle body structure made of a composite material using FRP. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a plan view of a portion of a cabin of the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment, viewed from above. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a portion of a cabin of the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure of a fastening portion of a pitching stopper of the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a support member of the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment, as viewed from above. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 5 in accordance with II. [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the structure of the fastening portion of the pitching stopper according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations may be denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

[0010] <1. Overall composition> First, an example of an overall configuration of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIG.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a vehicle body structure 1. In each drawing, the X direction corresponds to the vehicle length direction, the Y direction corresponds to the vehicle width direction, and the Z direction corresponds to the vehicle height direction.

[0012] The vehicle body structure 1 includes a chassis 10 and a cabin 30, and is configured as a so-called floating mount type vehicle body structure. However, the vehicle body structure to which the technology of the present disclosure can be applied is not limited to the floating mount type vehicle body structure, and may be other vehicle body structures such as a so-called monocoque structure vehicle body structure. In addition, the vehicle body structure 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a vehicle body structure of a four-wheeled passenger car provided with one door on each side, but the type of vehicle to which the vehicle body structure 1 of the present disclosure can be applied is not particularly limited.

[0013] The chassis 10 is a component having a predetermined rigidity against impact during a vehicle collision. The chassis 10 is formed, for example, using steel, light metal, or FRP such as carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). In order to increase the rigidity of the chassis 10, it is preferable to form the chassis 10 using steel. On the other hand, in order to further reduce the weight of the vehicle body structure 1, it is preferable to form the chassis 10 using light metal or fiber reinforced plastic.

[0014] Furthermore, in the vehicle body structure 1 according to this embodiment, at least the chassis 10 has a predetermined rigidity against impact during a collision, and even if the rigidity of the cabin 30 is reduced, the rigidity of the vehicle body structure 1 as a whole is maintained. For this reason, the cabin 30 is mainly constructed using a CFRP or an aluminum frame, and the weight of the vehicle body structure 1 as a whole is reduced. Instead of CFRP, other FRP containing aramid fiber, glass fiber, etc. may be used.

[0015] The chassis 10 includes left and right side frames 11L, 11R arranged along the vehicle length direction, and cross members 13a, 13b suspended between the left and right side frames 11L, 11R. At least one of power unit components, such as an engine, a drive motor, a fuel cell, and a transmission (not shown), is mounted on the chassis 10. The power unit components are components that make up a drive system that generates driving force for the vehicle, and include components made of relatively heavy rigid bodies.

[0016] In the vehicle body structure 1 shown in FIG. 1, a front compartment, which is a loading space for at least one of the power unit components, is provided on the front side of the vehicle body structure 1. Upper mounts 15L, 15R of the left and right front wheel suspensions are arranged on both sides of the front compartment. The upper mounts 15L, 15R are members that support the upper parts of the front wheel suspensions and are joined to the side frames 11L, 11R. The upper mounts 15L, 15R have a cylindrical shape with an opening formed at the bottom, and the upper parts of the suspensions are received through the opening and fixed inside.

[0017] The cabin 30 is placed on the chassis 10 via a vibration damping member (not shown) and is a component that forms at least a passenger compartment. The cabin 30 is placed and fixed to a plurality of engaging elements formed on the chassis 10 by engaging with the plurality of engaging elements via vibration damping members such as rubber bushes. For example, a rubber bush (not shown) is placed in a hole (not shown) formed in a floor 39 of the cabin 30, and the chassis 10 and the cabin 30 are fixed using bolts and nuts in a state in which the rubber bush is engaged with a plurality of bush pins (not shown) formed on the chassis 10. However, the method of fixing the cabin 30 to the chassis 10 is not limited.

[0018] The cabin 30 is configured to include, for example, left and right front pillars 31L, 31R, a roof top 33, a roof pillar 35, left and right roof side rails 41L, 41R, left and right side sills 37L, 37R, and a floor 39. The roof pillar 35 is disposed along the vehicle width direction with both ends connected to the upper ends of the left and right front pillars 31L, 31R, respectively. An opening 32 in which a windshield is disposed is formed between the upper parts of the left and right front pillars 31L, 31R, and a front wall portion 34 raised from the floor 39 is provided below the opening 32.

[0019] The left and right roof side rails 41L, 41R are connected to the upper ends of the front pillars 31L, 31R, respectively, and are arranged along the vehicle length direction. A roof top 33 is provided between the left and right roof side rails 41L, 41R. The left and right side sills 37L, 37R are connected to the lower ends of the front pillars 31L, 31R, respectively, and are arranged along the vehicle length direction. A floor 39 is provided between the left and right side sills 37L, 37R. A tunnel portion 47 is provided along the vehicle length direction at the center of the floor 39 in the vehicle width direction. The tunnel portion 47 is a groove portion with a hat-shaped cross section that opens downward, and, for example, a propeller shaft for transmitting power output from the power unit components to the rear side of the vehicle body structure 1 is arranged therein. However, the tunnel portion 47 does not have to be provided in the floor 39.

[0020] At the left and right sides of the cabin 30, left and right side wall portions 45L, 45R are provided between the roof side rails 41L, 41R and the side sills 37L, 37R. At least a part of the side wall portions 45L, 45R functions as a rear pillar. Between the upper portions of the left and right side wall portions 45L, 45R, an opening 46 in which a rear glass is disposed is formed, and a cabin rear portion 49 used as, for example, a luggage compartment is formed behind the opening 46. At the left and right sides of the cabin 30, openings 43L, 43R for the front doors are formed by the front pillars 31L, 31R, the roof side rails 41L, 41R, the side sills 37L, 37R, and the side wall portions 45L, 45R, respectively.

[0021] 1 is a so-called two-door vehicle body structure, and thus has two openings 43L, 43R, but the vehicle body structure may be a so-called four-door vehicle body structure having a front door and a rear door on each side. In this case, an opening for the rear door is formed, and the multiple structural members constituting the cabin 30 may be further divided into multiple components.

[0022] <2. Pitching stopper support structure> Next, the support structure of the pitching stopper of the vehicle body structure 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the vehicle body structure 1 seen from above, showing a plan view of the front portion of the cabin 30 where the left and right front pillars 31L, 31R are located. Fig. 3 is a front perspective view of the front portion of the cabin 30. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the fastening portion of the pitching stopper 60.

[0023] A front wall 34 rising continuously from a floor 39 is formed in the front part of the cabin 30. The front wall 34 also functions as a toe board on which a driver or other occupant sitting in the front seat of the vehicle can place his / her feet. A duct complex 50 is provided on the upper part of the front wall 34 and functions as a partition wall separating a front compartment in which power unit components are loaded and a passenger compartment. The duct complex 50 is a member formed to extend in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the duct complex 50 has an XZ cross section formed in a U-shape or hat-shape, and has a bottom surface 51, a partition wall 53 rising from the front side of the bottom surface 51, and a rear wall 55 rising from the rear side of the bottom surface 51. A wiper device (not shown) is installed in the duct complex 50.

[0024] A front panel 57 is provided on the upper part of the rear wall 55 of the duct complex 50. The front panel 57 is a member formed extending in the vehicle width direction, and is used as a lower frame of the opening in which the windshield is disposed. In the vehicle body structure 1 according to this embodiment, the front wall 34, the duct complex 50, and the front panel 57 are all made of composite members using carbon fiber reinforced resin.

[0025] Pitching stopper 60 is fixed to the vehicle body front side of bulkhead portion 53 of duct complex 50. Specifically, one end 61 of pitching stopper 60 is connected to pitching stopper bracket 80 attached to the vehicle body front side surface of bulkhead portion 53 of duct complex 50, and the other end 63 of pitching stopper 60 is connected to a connecting portion 95 provided on a power unit component or a member to which a power unit component is fixed.

[0026] The pitching stopper bracket 80 is fixed to the partition wall 53 together with a support member 70 fixed to the vehicle body rearward of the pitching stopper bracket 80. Specifically, the support member 70 is fixed to the vehicle body rear side of the partition wall 53 to which the pitching stopper bracket 80 is attached. The pitching stopper bracket 80 and the support member 70 are fastened to each other by using common bolts and nuts across the partition wall 53. In this embodiment, a wiper bracket that fixes a wiper device (not shown) arranged in the duct complex 50 is used as the support member 70. The support member 70 is fixed to the rear wall 55 and the front panel 57 of the duct complex 50 on the vehicle body rearward of the pitching stopper bracket 80.

[0027] Figures 5 to 8 are explanatory diagrams showing the support structure of the pitching stopper 60 in further detail. Figure 5 is a plan view of the support member 70 seen from above the vehicle body. Figures 6 to 8 are cross-sectional views of the support structure of the pitching stopper 60 at positions corresponding to line II, line II-II, and line III-III shown in Figure 5, respectively. Note that in Figures 7 and 8, the pitching stopper 60, a portion of the pitching stopper bracket 80, and a portion of the connecting portion 95 are shown by dashed lines.

[0028] One end 61 of pitching stopper 60 is connected to pitching stopper bracket 80, and the other end 63 is connected to connecting portion 95 provided on power unit component 90 or on a member to which the power unit component is fixed. Pitching stopper bracket 80 has a flat portion extending parallel to the extension direction of partition portion 53 of duct complex 50, and pitching stopper bracket 80 and partition portion 53 are in surface contact.

[0029] The support member 70 has four mounting ends 71, 73, 75L, and 75R. The first mounting end 71 is provided on the vehicle body front side of the support member 70 and functions as a fastening part for the partition wall portion 53 of the duct compact 50. The first mounting end 71 has a planar shape extending parallel to the extension direction of the partition wall portion 53, and the first mounting end 71 and the partition wall portion 53 are in surface contact with each other. A pitching stopper bracket 80 is in surface contact with the back side (vehicle body front side) of the portion of the partition wall portion 53 with which the first mounting end 71 contacts. The pitching stopper bracket 80 and the first mounting end 71 are fastened by a common bolt 78 with the partition wall portion 53 sandwiched therebetween (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

[0030] The second mounting end 73 is provided at the center of the support member 70 in the vehicle length direction and the vehicle width direction, and functions as a fastening portion for the end of the front panel 57 on the front side of the vehicle body. The second mounting end 73 is fastened by a bolt 79 in a state of surface contact with the rear side of the end of the front panel 57 on the front side of the vehicle body (see FIG. 7). The third mounting end 75L and the fourth mounting end 75R are provided on the left and right of the support member 70 on the rear side of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, respectively, and function as a fastening portion for the rear wall portion 55 of the duct compact 50. The third mounting end 75L and the fourth mounting end 75R are fastened by a bolt 77 in a state of surface contact with the front side of the vehicle body of the rear wall portion 55 (see FIG. 8).

[0031] In the support structure of the pitching stopper 60 according to this embodiment, the pitching stopper bracket 80 and the first mounting end 71 are integrated at the fastening point of the pitching stopper bracket 80 and the first mounting end 71 to the bulkhead portion 53. That is, the pitching stopper 60 and the support member 70 are integrated. Therefore, the load acting on the pitching stopper 60 also acts on the support member 70 via the first mounting end 71. In addition, the support member 70 is fixed to the rear wall portion 55 and the front panel 57 of the duct complex 50 at multiple points (three points in this embodiment) on the vehicle body rear side from the pitching stopper bracket 80. Therefore, the pitching stopper 60 integrated with the support member 70 is supported by the rear wall portion 55 and the front panel 57 of the duct complex 50.

[0032] Therefore, compared to a case in which pitching stopper 60 is supported only by bulkhead portion 53 of duct compact 50 made of a composite material using FRP, the rigidity or strength of the fastening portion of pitching stopper 60 is improved. As a result, even in vehicle body structure 1 in which cabin 30 is formed of a composite material using FRP, rupture or destruction of the fastening portion of pitching stopper 60 due to the load applied to pitching stopper 60 is prevented.

[0033] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, when the vehicle is traveling, an inertial force Fp acts on the power unit component 90, which is relatively heavy, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body in accordance with the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle. Accordingly, a force in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body also acts on the pitching stopper 60. In this embodiment, the force is transmitted to the bulkhead portion 53 and the rear wall portion 55 of the duct compact 50 and the front panel 57 via the pitching stopper bracket 80 and the support member 70. Therefore, the force acting on the pitching stopper 60 is dispersed, and the rigidity or strength of the fastening portion of the pitching stopper 60 can be improved. Also, in this embodiment, the rear side of the vehicle body of the support member 70 is fixed at multiple points (three points), so that the pitching stopper 60 can be supported more firmly via the support member 70.

[0034] In addition, at least the bottom surface portion 51 and the partition wall portion 53 of the duct complex 50 are preferably made of a fiber-reinforced resin composite material having a high content of fibers oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction. For example, the duct complex 50 is preferably made of a CFRP composite material containing 50% or more of continuous carbon fibers extending from at least the bottom surface portion 51 to the partition wall portion 53. It is known that a CFRP composite material containing continuous fibers has high strength against tensile forces oriented in the continuous fiber direction. For this reason, when a load in the vehicle longitudinal direction is transmitted from the pitching stopper 60 to the partition wall portion 53 via the pitching stopper bracket 80, the duct complex 50 can be prevented from breaking at the partition wall portion 53 or at the boundary between the partition wall portion 53 and the bottom surface portion 51. For the same reason, the rear wall portion 55 and the front panel 57 of the duct complex 50 are preferably made of a fiber-reinforced resin composite material having a high content of fibers oriented in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0035] 9, the joint surface S between the first mounting end 71, which is one of the fixing parts on the vehicle body rear side of the support member 70, and the front panel 57, which is the fixed part to which the fixing part is fixed, may be a surface extending along the vehicle body longitudinal direction. With this, when a load in the vehicle body longitudinal direction is transmitted from the pitching stopper 60 to the front panel 57 via the pitching stopper bracket 80 and the support member 70, a shear force along the joint surface S acts on the fastening point, preventing the front panel 57 from breaking or the fastening point from being damaged.

[0036] As described above, the vehicle body structure 1 according to this embodiment includes the chassis 10 having rigidity against impact during a collision, and the cabin 30 mounted and fixed on the chassis 10 via rubber bushes or the like serving as vibration damping members, and the weight of the entire vehicle body structure 1 can be reduced by reducing the weight of the cabin 30 in particular. In addition, in the vehicle body structure 1 according to this embodiment, the pitching stopper 60 that restricts the swing of the power unit component 90 is fixed to the pitching stopper bracket 80 attached to the partition wall between the passenger compartment and the front compartment, and the pitching stopper bracket 80 is fixed to the partition wall portion 53 together with the support member 70 fixed to the vehicle body rearward of the pitching stopper bracket 80. Therefore, the load acting on the pitching stopper 60 can be dispersed not only to the partition wall portion 53 but also to a plurality of other locations, and the strength or rigidity of the fastening location of the pitching stopper 60 can be increased.

[0037] Although the preferred embodiment of the present disclosure has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to the examples. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments and each modified example are also naturally included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0038] For example, in the above embodiment, the support member 70 fixed to the bulkhead together with the pitching stopper 60 is a member that functions as a wiper bracket, but the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to this example, and other members may be used as long as they satisfy the requirements of the present disclosure. However, by using the wiper bracket as the support member 70, the number of components of the vehicle can be reduced, the number of points that can become the starting point of damage can be reduced, and an increase in the vehicle weight can be prevented.

[0039] Furthermore, the shapes of the components described in the above embodiment are not limited to the above examples, and may be any shape. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1...vehicle body structure 1...chassis, 30...cabin, 34...front wall portion, 53...partition wall portion, 55...rear wall portion, 57...front panel, 60...pitching stopper, 70...support member (wiper bracket), 71...first mounting end portion, 73...second mounting end portion, 75L...third mounting end portion, 75R...fourth mounting end portion, 80...pitching stopper bracket, 90...power unit component

Claims

1. A vehicle body structure for supporting power unit components mounted in a front compartment of a vehicle, A pitching stopper is provided in the front compartment to restrict the swing of the power unit components, The pitching stopper is fixed to a pitching stopper bracket attached to a bulkhead made of a fiber-reinforced resin composite material provided between the vehicle interior and the front compartment, a wiper bracket for fixing a wiper device, the wiper bracket being fixed to the partition wall and being fixed to the vehicle body rear side of the pitching stopper bracket;

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the wiper bracket is fixed at a plurality of locations on a vehicle body rear side relative to the pitching stopper bracket.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the partition wall is made of the fiber-reinforced resin composite material having a high content of fibers whose orientation direction is along the vehicle front-rear direction.

4. 2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein a joint surface between the fixing portion of the wiper bracket on the vehicle body rear side and a fixed portion to which the fixing portion is fixed is a surface extending along a front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

Images