Vehicle strut tower

Abstract

To provide a strut tower for a vehicle which has a tower portion advantageous for efficiently absorbing collision load when the front side of the vehicle collides while securing the strength and the rigidity against load input from a suspension.SOLUTION: A plurality of reinforcement ribs 36 which is formed in a convex shape and which extends and is present along a side surface panel 34 in the vertical direction is provided on the outer surface of the side surface panel 34 of a tower portion 24 of a strut tower 10. Recesses 50 which extend and are present along the plurality of reinforcement ribs 36, and which are formed by concaving the respective back sides of the plurality of reinforcement ribs 36 so as to reduce the respective thicknesses of the plurality of reinforcement ribs 36 are provided in the inner surface of the side surface panel 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a strut tower for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A strut tower for a vehicle comprises a tower portion that supports the upper part of a strut-type suspension. The tower portion has a top panel that covers the upper part of the suspension, and a side panel that protrudes downward from the edge of the top panel and covers the sides of the upper part of the suspension. The tower section needs to have sufficient strength and rigidity to withstand the vertical loads input from the suspension. Therefore, a strut tower has been proposed that has a tower section that includes a cylindrical inner reinforcement that protrudes downward from the central inner surface of the top panel, and a number of outer reinforcements that connect multiple circumferentially spaced locations on the outer peripheral surface of the inner reinforcement to the inner surfaces of the side panels (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-189183 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] On the other hand, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, the tower portion is required to deform and efficiently absorb the collision load (collision energy) input from the front of the vehicle. However, while the above-mentioned conventional technology ensures the strength and rigidity of the tower section, no particular consideration is given to efficiently absorbing the collision load input from the front of the vehicle, and some kind of improvement is therefore required. The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a strut tower for a vehicle that has a tower portion that is advantageous for efficiently absorbing collision loads during a frontal collision of the vehicle while ensuring strength and rigidity against loads input from a strut-type suspension. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of the present invention is a strut tower for a vehicle which is joined to a side member of the vehicle and comprises a tower portion which is located on the vehicle width outer side of the side member of the vehicle and supports a suspension, the tower portion having an upper panel to which an upper portion of the suspension is fixed, and a side panel which extends downward from the periphery of the upper panel and has its lower side joined to the side member, the outer surface of the side panel being provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs which are convex and extend in the vertical direction along the side panel, and the inner surface of the side panel being provided with recesses which extend along the reinforcing ribs and have recesses formed by recessing the back sides of the reinforcing ribs to reduce the thickness of the reinforcing ribs. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a collision load is input to the tower portion during a frontal collision, the side panel deforms at the reinforcing rib where the recess is provided, thereby accelerating deformation of the side panel. In other words, even though reinforcing ribs are provided to ensure the strength and rigidity of the tower section against the vertical loads input from the suspension, the collision load during a frontal collision is efficiently absorbed due to the deformation of the side panels of the tower section, which is advantageous in effectively mitigating the impact during a frontal collision. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a front portion of a vehicle to which a strut tower of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of a strut tower of a vehicle according to an embodiment, as viewed from the inside in a vehicle width direction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the inside of a strut tower of a vehicle according to an embodiment, viewed from below. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the symbol FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the symbol UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, the symbol IN indicates the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the symbol OUT indicates the outside in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 1, a strut tower 10 supports the upper part of a strut-type suspension for the front wheels. A strut-type suspension comprises a strut (not shown) that is disposed between the strut tower 10 and the front wheel and supports the front wheel by suspending it, and a coil spring (not shown) that is wound around the top of the strut. The strut-type suspension absorbs the load input through the front wheel and suppresses rolling and pitching of the vehicle body. FIG. 1 shows a strut tower 10 provided on the right side of the front of the vehicle, and a similar strut tower 10 is also provided on the left side of the front of the vehicle. First, the structure of the front part of the vehicle where the strut tower 10 is provided will be described. A pair of front side members 12 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle are provided at the front of the vehicle and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, and a pair of upper frames 14 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle are provided above the pair of front side members 12, respectively. An upper bar side 16 extending forward is connected to the front end of each upper frame 14, and the front ends of each upper bar side 16 are linked by a front end upper bar 18 extending in the vehicle width direction. In the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes a dash panel that separates the space in front of the vehicle from the passenger compartment, and reference numeral 22 denotes a cowl top 22 that is connected to the upper end of the dash panel 20, extends in the vehicle width direction, and has both ends connected to the middle portion of the upper frame 14.

[0009] The strut tower 10 includes a tower portion 24, a lower panel 26, a fender shield panel 28, and a connecting panel 30. In this embodiment, the tower portion 24, the lower panel 26, the fender shield panel 28, and the connection panel 30 are integrally formed by aluminum die casting, and therefore the strut tower 10 is made of an aluminum alloy.

[0010] The tower portion 24 is located on the outer side of the front side member 12 in the vehicle width direction, and includes an upper panel 32 that covers the upper part of the strut-type suspension, and a side panel 34 that protrudes downward from the edge of the upper panel 32 and covers the sides of the upper part of the suspension. The upper panel 32 has a leading edge 3202 and a trailing edge 3204 which extend approximately in the vehicle width direction at the front and rear of the upper panel 32, an outer edge 3206 which connects the vehicle width outer ends of the leading edge 3202 and the trailing edge 3204 and extends in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction along the upper frame 14, and an inner edge 3208 which connects the vehicle width inner ends of the leading edge 3202 and the trailing edge 3204 and extends in a convex arc shape toward the inside in the vehicle width direction. A circular opening 3210 is provided in the center of the upper panel 32, through which the upper ends of the struts protrude, and the upper ends of the struts are attached to the opening 3210 via mounts (not shown). In other words, the upper panel 32 is the location where the upper part of the suspension is fixed. A rear mounting piece 3212 stands up from a location near the rear edge 3204 of the upper panel 32 , and this rear mounting piece 3212 is attached to the cowl top 22 .

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the side panel 34 has a side front panel 3402 and a side rear panel 3404 extending downward from the leading edge 3202 and the trailing edge 3204, an outer side panel 3406 extending downward from the outer edge 3206 as shown in Figure 3 and connecting the vehicle width directional outer ends of the upper parts of the side front panel 3402 and the side rear panel 3404, and an inner side panel 3408 extending downward from the inner edge 3208 and connecting the vehicle width directional inner ends of the side front panel 3402 and the side rear panel 3404, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In other words, the side inner panel 3408 extends downward from the inner surface of the top panel 32 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and forms the inner side surface of the side panel 34 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the side surface inner panel 3408 has a cylindrical surface shape that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction, but the shape of the side surface inner panel 3408 is not limited to a cylindrical surface shape. The lower panel 26 extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the side surface inner panel 3408, and the inner end of the lower panel 26 in the vehicle width direction is attached to the front side member 12. In other words, the side panel 34 extends downward from the peripheral edge of the upper panel 32, and the lower side of the side panel 34 is joined to the front side member 12.

[0012] The fender shield panel 28 constitutes a part of the wheel house, and extends from the lower end of the front side panel 3402 toward the front of the vehicle. The connection panel 30 stands up from the outer edge of the fender shield panel 28 in the vehicle width direction, and is connected to the outer edge of the side front panel 3402 in the vehicle width direction. A front mounting piece 3002 stands upright at the front of the upper edge of the connection panel 30, and the front mounting piece 3002 is attached to the upper frame 14. The fender shield panel 28 is provided with a mount support portion 2802 that serves as a base for supporting the engine mount, located immediately in front of the lower portion of the tower portion 24. The mount support portion 2802 is shaped like a platform that is raised one step higher than other portions of the fender shield panel 28. An attachment hole 2804 for attaching an engine mount is provided at a location of the mount support portion 2802 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction toward the front of the vehicle.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outer surfaces of the top panel 32 and the side panel 34 are provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 which are convex on the outer surfaces of the top panel 32 and the side panel 34, are thicker than other portions of the top panel 32 and the side panel 34, and extend radially from the opening 3210. The reinforcing ribs 36 include a plurality of front reinforcing ribs 38 and a plurality of side reinforcing ribs 40 . A plurality of front reinforcing ribs 38 are formed extending from the upper panel 32 to the front side panel 3402, and are spaced apart in the vehicle width direction. A plurality of side reinforcement ribs 40 are formed extending from the upper panel 32 to the side inner panel 3408, and are provided at intervals in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. In other words, the multiple side reinforcing ribs 40 extend in the vertical direction along the side inner panel 3408 . The multiple side reinforcement ribs 40 are composed of a first side reinforcement rib 40A located at the frontmost part of the vehicle, a second side reinforcement rib 40B located at the rearmost part of the vehicle of the first side reinforcement rib 40A, and a third side reinforcement rib 40C located at the rearmost part of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, two upper outer reinforcement ribs 42 extend from the opening 3210 onto the upper panel 32 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, and two upper rear reinforcement ribs 44 extend from the opening 3210 onto the upper panel 32 toward the rear of the vehicle and are connected to the rear mounting piece 3212.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, on the inner surface of the tower section 24, four interior reinforcing ribs 46 are provided at intervals across the top panel 32 and the side panel 34 at the intersection between the panels. The inner reinforcing ribs 46 are provided at positions different from the front reinforcing ribs 38 and the side reinforcing ribs 40 in the vehicle width direction or the vehicle front-rear direction. The multiple front reinforcement ribs 38, multiple side reinforcement ribs 40, two upper outer reinforcement ribs 42, two upper rear reinforcement ribs 44, and inner reinforcement rib 46 provided on the tower section 24 described above improve the strength and rigidity of the tower section 24 against the vertical loads input from the suspension, and at the same time, are advantageous in reducing the thickness of the tower section 24 to make it lighter while maintaining the strength and rigidity of the tower section 24.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of fender shield reinforcing ribs 48 formed in a convex shape extend on the inner surface of the fender shield panel 28, thereby increasing the strength and rigidity of the fender shield panel 28. In particular, on the inner surface of the mount support portion 2802, fender shield reinforcement ribs 48 are provided which extend in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle fore-and-aft direction and intersect with each other, reinforcing the fender shield panel portion 28 so as to provide greater rigidity and strength than other portions of the fender shield panel portion 28. That is, an engine mount is attached to the mounting hole 2804, and the strength and rigidity of the fender shield panel 28 against the dynamic load of the engine input through the engine mount is improved.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface of the side panel 34 is provided with three recesses 50 extending along the three side reinforcing ribs 40 and recessing the backsides of the three side reinforcing ribs 40 to reduce the thickness of the three side reinforcing ribs 40. The three recesses 50 are provided along at least three side reinforcing ribs 40 that extend along the outer surface of the inner face panel 3408 . The three recesses are provided at the lower end portions of the three side reinforcing ribs 40 within a predetermined range from the lower ends of the side reinforcing ribs 40 . That is, a first recess 50A, a second recess 50B and a third recess 50C are provided corresponding to the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the second side reinforcement rib 40B and the third side reinforcement rib 40C, respectively. As shown in FIG. 3, the length of the first recess 50A is shorter than the length of the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the length of the second recess 50B is shorter than the length of the second side reinforcement rib 40B, and the length of the third recess 50C is shorter than the length of the third side reinforcement rib 40C. The lengths of the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C are gradually increased in that order. Moreover, the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C are formed so that their widths become narrower toward the bottom. By providing such first recess 50A, second recess 50B, and third recess 50C, the thickness of the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the second side reinforcement rib 40B, and the third side reinforcement rib 40C becomes thinner, but by adjusting the lengths of the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C, the shapes of the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the second side reinforcement rib 40B, and the third side reinforcement rib 40C ensure sufficient strength and rigidity against vertical loads acting on the side inner panel 3408. At the same time, the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C make the thickness of the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the second side reinforcement rib 40B, and the third side reinforcement rib 40C thinner, which is advantageous in promoting deformation of the side inner panel 3408 with the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C as the deformation starting points during a frontal collision described below. The vertical positions of the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C are positions that intersect with the direction of a collision load that is input from the fender shield panel 28 through the side front panel 3402 during a frontal collision of the vehicle. In other words, the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C are provided at a height that intersects with an extension plane of the fender shield panel 28. That is, three recesses 50A, 50B, 50C are provided on the rear surface of the portions of the three side reinforcing ribs 40A, 40B, 40C which overlap the mount support portion 2802 in the front-rear direction when viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] Since the strut tower 10 is formed by aluminum die casting, due to the die-cut structure, the portion of the reinforcing rib 36 extending in the vertical direction is formed in a tapered shape that becomes wider as it extends downward. That is, the portions of the multiple front reinforcement ribs 38 extending over the side front panel 3402, and the portions of the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the second side reinforcement rib 40B, and the third side reinforcement rib 40C extending over the side inner panel 3408 are formed in a tapered shape that becomes wider as it extends downward.

[0018] According to this embodiment, a plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 that are convex and extend vertically along the side panel 34 are provided on the outer surface of the side panel 34 of the tower portion 24 of the strut tower 10, and a recess 50 is provided on the inner surface of the side panel 34 that extends along the plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 (side reinforcing ribs 40) and recesses 50 are provided by recessing the back sides of the plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 (side reinforcing ribs 40) to reduce the thickness of the plurality of reinforcing ribs 36 (side reinforcing ribs 40). Therefore, when a collision load is input to the tower section 24 from the front of the vehicle toward the rear of the vehicle during a frontal collision, the side panel 34 deforms at the reinforcing rib 36 where the recess 50 is provided, thereby accelerating the deformation of the side panel 34. In other words, even though the reinforcing ribs 36 are provided to ensure the strength and rigidity of the tower section 24 against the vertical loads input from the suspension, the collision load during a frontal collision is efficiently absorbed due to the deformation of the side panels 34 of the tower section 24, which is advantageous in effectively mitigating the impact during a frontal collision.

[0019] In addition, during a frontal collision, the collision load is input to the fender shield panel 28 first. On the other hand, since the strength and rigidity of the mount support portion 2802 of the fender shield panel 28 is ensured by the fender shield reinforcing rib 48, the mount support portion 2802 itself does not deform significantly. Therefore, the collision load is not largely absorbed by the mount support portion 2802 but is input from the mount support portion 2802 to the side surface front panel 3402 (side surface panel 34 ) of the tower portion 24 , and is then transmitted from the side surface front panel 3402 to the side surface inner panel 3408 . The part of the tower section 24 on which the largest moment acts due to the collision load input during a frontal collision is the part of the side inner panel 3408 that is located most inward in the vehicle width direction of the tower section 24. In addition, while the side front panel 3402 has strength and rigidity against loads input from the front of the vehicle ensured by the three front reinforcing ribs 38, the side inner panel 3408 has strength and rigidity weakened against loads input from the front of the vehicle by the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C provided in the first side reinforcement rib 40A, the second reinforcement rib 40B, and the third side reinforcement rib 40C. Therefore, due to the collision load, the side surface front panel 3402 itself is pushed and moved toward the rear of the vehicle without undergoing significant deformation, while the side surface inner panel 3408 deforms by bending at each of the first recess 50A, the second recess 50B, and the third recess 50C, and this deformation of the side surface inner panel 3408 absorbs the collision load, which is advantageous in effectively mitigating the impact during a frontal collision.

[0020] In addition, when considering the difference in the magnitude of the moment acting on each side reinforcement rib 40 due to the collision load input during a frontal collision of the vehicle, the moment acting on the third side reinforcement rib 40C (third recess 50C), which is located furthest inward in the vehicle width direction, is the largest, the moment acting on the second side reinforcement rib 40B (second recess 50B) is the next largest, and the moment acting on the first side reinforcement rib 40A (first recess 50A), which is located furthest outward in the vehicle width direction, is the smallest. In addition, the lengths of the recesses 50 are decreased in the order of the third recess 50C, the second recess 50B, and the first recess 50A. Therefore, the starting point of deformation of the side panel 34 that is most susceptible to deformation is the third side reinforcement rib 40C provided with the third recess 50C, followed by the second side reinforcement rib 40B provided with the second recess 50B, and then the first side reinforcement rib 40A provided with the first recess 50A. Therefore, the first recess 50A in the first side reinforcement rib 40A can be omitted, but providing recesses 50 in as many of the side reinforcement ribs 40 as possible of the side inner panel 3408 is advantageous in promoting deformation of the side inner panel 3408 due to the collision load input during a frontal collision.

[0021] According to this embodiment, the length of the recess 50 is shorter than the length of the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40), and the recess 50 is provided below the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40) in a predetermined range from the position of the lower end of the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40). In other words, by providing the recess 50, which serves as the starting point of deformation, only on the lower side of the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40) which is close to the front side member 12 and has a large effect on absorbing the collision load, only the lower side of the tower part 24 is easily deformed in the front-rear direction. This makes it possible to suppress the tower part 24 from hindering the deformation of the front side member 12 while ensuring the strength and rigidity of the upper side of the tower part 24. Therefore, it is more advantageous to ensure the strength and rigidity of the tower part 24 against the load in the vertical direction by the side reinforcing rib 40 and to absorb the collision load at the same time.

[0022] In addition, according to this embodiment, when viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction, a recess 50 is provided on the back side of the portion (lower part) of the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40) that wraps in the fore-and-aft direction with the mount support portion 2802 whose inner surface is reinforced. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40) from impeding the retreat of the mount support portion 2802, which retreats together with the front side member 12 during a frontal collision, which is more advantageous in absorbing the collision load.

[0023] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the tower section 24 and the mount support section 2802 are integrally molded by aluminum die casting, and thus by forming the reinforcing rib 36, it is advantageous to ensure the strength and rigidity of the tower section 24 while reducing the thickness of the top panel 32 and the side panel 34 of the tower section 24, and further, by providing the recess 50 in the reinforcing rib 36 (side reinforcing rib 40), even though a thick reinforcing rib 36 is provided, the absorption of the collision load during a frontal collision is not hindered and the collision load is efficiently absorbed, which is advantageous for effectively mitigating the impact during a frontal collision. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] 10 Strut Tower 12 Front side member 14 Upper Frame 16 Upper Bar Side 18 Front end upper bar 20 Dash Panel 22 Cowl top 24 Tower section 26 Lower Panel 28 Fender shield panel 2802 Mount support 2804 Mounting hole 30 Connection Panel 3002 Front mounting piece 32 Top Panel 3202 Leading edge 3204 Trailing edge 3206 Outer edge 3208 Inner edge 3210 Opening 3212 Rear mounting piece 34 Side Panel 3402 Side front panel 3404 Side rear panel 3406 Outer side panel 3408 Inner side panel 36 Reinforcing rib 38 Front reinforcement rib 40 Side reinforcement rib 40A First side reinforcement rib 40B Second side reinforcing rib 40C 3rd side reinforcement rib 42 Upper outer reinforcement rib 44 Upper rear reinforcement rib 46 Inner reinforcing rib 48 Fender shield reinforcement rib 50 Recess 50A First recess 50B Second recess 50C 3rd recess

Claims

1. A strut tower for a vehicle includes a tower portion that is located on a vehicle width direction outer side of a side member of the vehicle and supports a suspension, and is joined to the side member, the tower portion has an upper panel to which an upper portion of the suspension is fixed, and a side panel extending downward from a peripheral edge of the upper panel and having a lower side on an inner side in a vehicle width direction joined to the side member, A plurality of reinforcing ribs are provided on an outer surface of the side panel on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, the reinforcing ribs being convex and thicker than other portions of the side panel and extending in the up-down direction along the side panel, A recess is provided on the inner surface of the side panel, the recess extending along the reinforcing rib and recessing the back side of the reinforcing rib to reduce the thickness of the reinforcing rib, The recess is provided within a predetermined range from the lower end of the reinforcing rib with a dimension shorter than the length of the reinforcing rib. A strut tower for a vehicle.

2. the strut tower includes a fender shield panel that is provided immediately in front of a lower portion of the tower portion and that constitutes a mount support portion to which an engine mount is attached, The mount support portion is formed in a raised platform shape and has a reinforced inner surface. When viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction, the recess is provided at a height intersecting with an extension plane of the fender shield panel.

2. The strut tower of claim 1.

3. The tower section and the mount support section are integrally formed by aluminum die casting.

3. The strut tower of claim 2.

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