Vehicle rear structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle rear part structure that can further improve rigidity of a vehicle rear part.SOLUTION: A vehicle rear part structure comprises: a pair of rear part constituting members 28; a pair of rear side members 60 respectively extending from rear ends of the rear part constituting members to a rear side of a vehicle; a cross connection member 70 connecting the pair of rear part constituting members 28 to each other; and a pair of vertical columns 90. The rear part constituting members 28 are hollow member in which a main body part 30, a tower part 50 and a suspension member 40 are integrally casted. The cross connection member 70 has a connection part 74 extending in a vehicle width direction, at a side closer to a rear part of the vehicle than the rear part constituting members 28, and a pair of arm parts 72 extended from both ends in the vehicle width direction of the connection part 74 to a front side of the vehicle and connected to the tower part 50, which is formed in a nearly U-shape protruding towards the rear side of the vehicle in a planar view. The vertical columns 90 connect the arm parts 72 to the rear side members 60, in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a vehicle rear structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a suspension, a suspension member, a suspension tower, and a rear side member are arranged at the rear of a vehicle. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for integrally molding the suspension member and the suspension tower by casting, with the aim of improving collision safety, etc. This technique can improve collision safety to a certain extent. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-286652 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, Patent Document 1 does not fully consider the structure behind the cast member of the vehicle. Therefore, this specification discloses a vehicle rear structure that can further improve the rigidity of the vehicle rear. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification comprises a pair of rear structural members spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, a pair of rear side members spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, each of the pair of rear side members extending rearward from a rear end of the rear structural member, a cross connecting member connecting the pair of rear structural members to each other, and a pair of vertical pillars, wherein the rear structural members are hollow members formed by integrally casting a main body portion, a tower portion, and a suspension member portion, the main body portion having a front end connected to a rear pillar and a rear end connected to the rear side member, and the tower portion has The cross-connecting member has a tower shape that opens downward to receive part of the suspension device and stands upward from the main body portion, the suspension member portion has a front end that is connected to a rocker and extends downward from the main body portion to support the suspension device, the cross-connecting member has a connecting portion that extends in the vehicle width direction behind the rear component member and a pair of arm portions that extend from both ends of the connecting portion in the vehicle width direction towards the front of the vehicle and are connected to the tower portion, and has a roughly U-shape that convex towards the rear of the vehicle in a plan view, and the vertical pillar connects the arm portions and the rear side member vertically.

[0006] With this configuration, the rigidity of the vehicle can be improved in the area behind the rear structural member.

[0007] In this case, the rear side member may extend from the rear end of the main body portion toward the rear of the vehicle, and when viewed from the side of the vehicle, a square ring shape may be formed by the rear side member, the vertical pillar, the arm portion, and the tower portion.

[0008] By forming a square ring shape, the rigidity of the rear part of the vehicle can be further improved.

[0009] Furthermore, the rear end of the rear side member may be located rearward of the rear end of the cross-connection member.

[0010] With this configuration, in the event of a rear collision, the collision load can be borne by the highly rigid rear side members, thereby suppressing deformation of the rear portion of the vehicle.

[0011] In addition, the arm portion may be inclined relative to the rear side member in a plan view so that its front end is located outside the rear side member in the vehicle width direction and its rear end is located inside the rear side member in the vehicle width direction, and the vertical pillar may be positioned at a point where the arm portion and the rear side member intersect in a plan view.

[0012] By adopting such a configuration, the shape of the vertical pillar can be simplified.

[0013] In this case, there is provided an access opening to the luggage space and a rear door for opening and closing the access opening, the access opening extends approximately horizontally at approximately the same height as the cross-connecting member, the cross-connecting member surrounds part of the periphery of the access opening, the rear door is positioned above the cross-connecting member, and the rear side member and the cross-connecting member may be cylindrical extruded members.

[0014] This configuration improves the rigidity of the vehicle around the access opening, and also allows the vertical pillar to support the downward force generated when the rear door is closed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the rigidity of the vehicle rear can be further improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example of a cross-connection member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] The vehicle rear structure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a right side view of the vehicle rear structure. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle rear structure. In each drawing, "Fr," "Up," and "Rh" indicate the front, upper, and right sides of the vehicle, respectively. In Fig. 2, the rear pillar 10, rocker 12, roof rail 16, and rear door 94 are not shown.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle rear structure is generally symmetrical. Therefore, many of the elements included in the vehicle rear structure are arranged in pairs with a gap between them in the vehicle width direction. For example, there are two of each of the rear pillar 10 (not shown in Fig. 2), rocker 12 (not shown in Fig. 2), roof rail 16 (not shown in Fig. 2), rear structural member 28, rear side member 60, and connecting member 80.

[0019] 1, the rear pillar 10 is a frame member extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The lower end of the rear pillar 10 is connected to the vicinity of the rear end of a rocker 12. The upper end of the rear pillar 10 is connected to a roof rail 16.

[0020] The rocker 12 is a frame member that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at the bottom of the vehicle. The roof rail 16 is a frame member that is disposed at the boundary between the side and top surfaces of the vehicle. The rear pillar 10 is connected to the middle portion of the roof rail 16.

[0021] A rear component 28 is disposed behind the rear pillar 10. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear component 28 is hatched gray. The rear component 28 is a cast member made of a metal such as aluminum. The rear component 28 is a hollow member that has a thickness in the vehicle width direction and has a space formed therein. The front end of the rear component 28 is connected to the rear pillar 10 and the rocker 12. To reinforce this connection, a connecting plate 14 is joined to the rear component 28, the rear pillar 10, and the rocker 12.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1 , the rear structural member 28 is broadly divided into a main body portion 30, a suspension member portion 40, and a tower portion 50. The main body portion 30 has a front end connected to the rear pillar 10 and a rear end connected to a rear side member 60. In other words, the main body portion 30 is a long portion extending rearward of the vehicle. The main body portion 30 functions as a side member. A first assembly portion 32 is formed at the front upper corner of the main body portion 30. The first assembly portion 32 is a portion to which the front end of a connecting member 80 (described later) is attached. The first assembly portion 32 extends obliquely upward and rearward from the front upper corner of the main body portion 30. A second assembly portion 34 is formed at the rear end of the main body portion 30. The second assembly portion 34 is a portion to which the front end of a rear side member 60 (described later) is attached. The second assembly portion 34 has a rectangular cylindrical shape into which the rectangular cylindrical rear side member 60 can be inserted.

[0023] The suspension member portion 40 extends downward from the main body portion 30. The front end of the suspension member portion 40 is connected to the rear pillar 10 and the rocker 12. The suspension member portion 40 functions as a suspension member that supports a suspension system (not shown). An opening 42 is formed in approximately the center of the suspension member portion 40 for passing a drive shaft (not shown) of the rear wheels. In addition, a plurality of fastening seats 44 are formed in the main body portion 30 and the suspension member portion 40. In FIG. 1, the fastening seats 44 are indicated by dark gray hatching. The fastening seats 44 are the locations to which arm portions 72 of the suspension system are fastened.

[0024] The tower section 50 stands upright from the upper end of the main body section 30. The tower section 50 functions as a suspension tower that houses part of a shock absorber (not shown) of the suspension system. The tower section 50 has a tower shape that opens downward. In other words, the tower section 50 has a mounting recess 52 that opens downward. The shock absorber is inserted into this mounting recess 52 from below and fixed to the tower section 50.

[0025] The tower section 50 is provided with a third assembly section 54, a fourth assembly section 56, and a fifth assembly section 58. The third assembly section 54 is disposed on the top surface of the tower section 50. The rear end of the roof rail 16 is attached to the third assembly section 54. The fourth assembly section 56 is disposed near the upper end and at the rear end of the tower section 50. The rear end of the cross connection member 70 is attached to the fourth assembly section 56. The fourth assembly section 56 has a rectangular cylindrical shape, into which the cross connection member 70 can be inserted. The fifth assembly section 58 is disposed near the upper end and at the front end of the tower section 50. The front end of the connection member 80 is attached to the fifth assembly section 58. The fifth assembly section 58 has a rectangular cylindrical shape, into which the connection member 80 can be inserted.

[0026] The rear side member 60 is a framework member that extends rearward from the rear end of the main body 30. The rear side member 60 is an extruded member having a rectangular cylindrical shape. An end plate 62 is joined to the rear end of the rear side member 60.

[0027] The cross connection member 70 is disposed above the rear side member 60 in the vehicle. The cross connection member 70 is a framework member formed from a rectangular cylindrical extruded member. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cross connection member 70 has a generally U-shape that protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle in a plan view. More specifically, the cross connection member 70 is broadly divided into a pair of arm portions 72 and a connecting portion 74. The arm portion 72 extends rearward from the fourth assembly portion 56 of the tower portion 50. More precisely, the arm portion 72 approaches the center of the vehicle width direction as it approaches the rear of the vehicle in a plan view. Furthermore, the arm portion 72 is inclined with respect to the rear side member 60 in a plan view. As a result, the front end of the arm portion 72 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear side member 60, and the rear end of the arm portion 72 is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the rear side member 60. Therefore, the arm portion 72 crosses the rear side member 60 in a plan view. As shown in FIG. 1, the arm portion 72 approaches the rear of the vehicle in a side view, and therefore approaches the rear side member 60. The connecting portion 74 connects the rear ends of the two arm portions 72 in the vehicle width direction. A support plate 78 (see FIG. 1) is attached to the center of the connecting portion 74 in the vehicle width direction. The support plate 78 is a plate member that connects the connecting portion 74 and a floor panel (not shown). The rear end of the cross connection member 70 is located further forward of the rear end of the rear side member 60 in the vehicle direction.

[0028] 1 and 2, the cross connection member 70 is illustrated as a single member. However, as shown in FIG. 3, the cross connection member 70 may be configured by combining a right cross connection piece 71R and a left cross connection piece 71L. In this case, the right cross connection piece 71R is bilaterally symmetrical to the left cross connection piece 71L. The right cross connection piece 71R and the left cross connection piece 71L are connected at a connecting portion 74 via a connecting plate 76.

[0029] 1, the arm portion 72 of the cross-connection member 70 and the rear side member 60 are vertically connected by a vertical pillar 90. The vertical pillar 90 is a rectangular cylindrical member. In a plan view, the vertical pillar 90 is disposed at the point where the arm portion 72 and the rear side member 60 intersect.

[0030] A floor panel (not shown) is disposed between the pair of rear side members 60. The space above the floor panel functions as a luggage space. An access opening 96 (see FIG. 2) is formed at the upper end of the luggage space to allow access to the luggage space. The access opening 96 extends in a substantially horizontal direction at a position approximately at the same height as the cross-connecting member 70. The cross-connecting member 70 surrounds part of the periphery of this access opening 96.

[0031] 1, a rear door 94 is disposed above the cross-connecting member 70. The rear door 94 is a cover member that closes the access opening 96. A swing shaft extending in the vehicle width direction is set near the front end of the rear door 94, and the rear door 94 is opened and closed by swinging around the swing shaft.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , a connecting member 80 is further disposed between the tower section 50 and the rear pillar 10. The connecting member 80 is a framework member that connects the upper front corner of the main body section 30 to the upper end of the tower section 50. The connecting member 80 is an extruded member having a rectangular cylindrical shape. The connecting member 80 extends obliquely upward from the upper front corner of the main body section 30, then curves and extends toward the rear of the vehicle. Therefore, the connecting member 80 is broadly divided into a rising portion 82 that stands upright from the upper front corner of the main body section 30, a curved portion 84, and a horizontal portion 86. The lower end of the rising portion 82 is assembled to the first assembly portion 32. The rear end of the horizontal portion 86 is assembled to the fourth assembly portion 56. As is clear from FIG. 1 , the horizontal portion 86 is located on an extension of the arm portion 72 of the cross-connecting member 70 in a side view.

[0033] As shown in Figure 2, multiple cross members are also arranged at the rear of the vehicle. Specifically, from the front of the vehicle, a second cross member 20, a first cross member 18, and a third cross member 22 are arranged at intervals in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The three cross members 18, 20, and 22 are arranged at approximately the same height.

[0034] The first cross member 18 connects the pair of rear components 28 near the lower ends of their respective tower sections 50 in the vehicle width direction. The second cross member 20 connects the pair of rear components 28 near the front ends thereof in the vehicle width direction. The left and right ends of the third cross member 22 connect the pair of rear components 28 near the rear ends thereof in the vehicle width direction.

[0035] As is clear from the above explanation, in the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the suspension tower, suspension member, and side member are integrally cast as a rear component 28. This configuration reduces the number of vehicle parts. Furthermore, the connection portions between the components are prone to becoming weak points where stress is easily concentrated. By integrally casting the three components, these connection portions can be eliminated, thereby improving the rigidity of the vehicle body around the suspension system.

[0036] Furthermore, in the case of the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the rear side members 60, the cross connecting members 70, and the connecting members 80 are all rectangular tubular extruded members. When such extruded members are used as frame members, the vehicle rigidity can be improved more than when frame members made by joining multiple panel materials are used.

[0037] Furthermore, a cross-connecting member 70 that is generally U-shaped and protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle in plan view is disposed rearward of the tower section 50. This cross-connecting member 70 surrounds a portion of the periphery of the access opening 96. Typically, the area around the access opening 96 is prone to low rigidity. By surrounding the periphery of the access opening 96 with the cross-connecting member 70, the rigidity of the rear portion of the vehicle is further improved. In this case, the rear door 94 is supported by the cross-connecting member 70, and therefore the rigidity of the rear door 94 is improved.

[0038] 1, the vertical pillar 90 connects the arm portion 72 and the rear side member 60 in the vertical direction. This means that the rear side member 60 is reinforced by the vertical pillar 90 and the cross connecting member 70. As a result, the rigidity of the vehicle behind the rear structural member 28 can be improved.

[0039] Here, if a rear-end collision occurs and the rear side member 60 buckles early, the collision energy will be transmitted to the vehicle interior without being sufficiently dissipated by the rear side member 60. In the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the rear side member 60 is reinforced by the vertical pillars 90, which prevents the rear side member 60 from buckling early. As a result, the collision energy is sufficiently dissipated in the rear side member 60, and the vehicle interior is appropriately protected.

[0040] 1, in a side view, a substantially rectangular ring shape C is formed by the rear side member 60, the vertical pillar 90, the arm portion 72, and the tower portion 50. The four members 60, 90, 72, and 50 constituting the ring shape C mutually suppress deformation. Furthermore, the four members 60, 90, 72, and 50 constituting the ring shape C mutually transmit and disperse an applied collision load. As a result, deformation of the four members 60, 90, 72, and 50 constituting the ring shape C is effectively prevented, and the rigidity of the vehicle at the rear of the vehicle is further improved.

[0041] Furthermore, by providing the vertical pillar 90, the rigidity of the vehicle body around the access opening 96 can be further improved. That is, typically, the rigidity of the vehicle body around an opening tends to decrease. In the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the cross connection member 70 surrounds a portion of the periphery of the access opening 96. Therefore, the vehicle body around the access opening 96 is reinforced by the cross connection member 70. As a result, the rigidity of the vehicle body around the access opening 96 is improved. In addition, in the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the cross connection member 70 is supported from below by the vertical pillar 90. Therefore, by providing the vertical pillar 90, the rigidity of the vehicle body around the access opening 96 is further improved. In particular, when the rear door 94 is closed, a downward force is applied to the cross connection member 70. Because the cross connection member 70 is supported from below by the vertical pillar 90, even when this downward force is applied, the cross connection member 70 and the surrounding vehicle body do not deform.

[0042] As described above, the vertical pillar 90 is disposed at the point where the arm portion 72 and the rear side member 60 intersect in a plan view. By disposing it in this way, the vertical pillar 90 has a simple shape that extends straight in the vertical direction, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. With this configuration, the rear side member 60 can reliably bear the downward force applied to the cross-connection member 70. Furthermore, because the vertical pillar 90 does not have a portion where stress concentrates, such as a curved portion, the rigidity of the vertical pillar 90 and, therefore, the rigidity of the rear portion of the vehicle is improved.

[0043] Furthermore, the rear side members 60 have a larger cross-sectional area than the cross connecting members 70, and are therefore more rigid than the cross connecting members 70. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rear ends of the rear side members 60 are located further rearward on the vehicle than the rear ends of the cross connecting members 70. Therefore, in the event of a rear collision, the rear side members 60 will receive the collision load before the cross connecting members 70. Since the highly rigid rear side members 60 receive the collision load, deformation of the rear portion of the vehicle can be effectively suppressed, and ultimately the vehicle interior can be appropriately protected.

[0044] The configurations described above are merely examples, and other configurations may be modified as long as they have the configuration described in claim 1. For example, the shape and position of the vertical columns 90 may be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the shape of the cross-connecting members 70 may also be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10 rear pillar, 12 rocker, 14 connecting plate, 16 roof rail, 18 first cross member, 20 second cross member, 22 third cross member, 28 rear structural member, 30 main body portion, 32 first assembly portion, 34 second assembly portion, 40 suspension member portion, 42 opening, 44 fastening seat, 50 tower portion, 52 mounting recess, 54 third assembly portion, 56 fourth assembly portion, 58 fifth assembly portion, 60 rear side member, 62 end plate, 70 cross connection member, 72 arm portion, 74 connection portion, 76 connection plate, 78 support plate, 80 connection member, 82 rising portion, 84 curved portion, 86 horizontal portion, 90 vertical pillar, 94 rear door, 96 access opening, C-ring shape.

Claims

1. a pair of rear structural members arranged at an interval in the vehicle width direction; a pair of rear side members arranged at an interval in the vehicle width direction, each of which extends rearward from a rear end of the rear component member; a cross-connecting member connecting the pair of rear components to each other; A pair of vertical columns and Equipped with the rear component is a hollow member in which a main body, a tower, and a suspension member are integrally cast, the main body portion has a front end connected to a rear pillar and a rear end connected to the rear side member, the tower portion has a tower shape that opens downward to receive a part of the suspension device, and stands upright from the main body portion, the suspension member portion has a front end connected to a rocker and extends downward from the main body portion to support a suspension device; the cross connection member has a connecting portion extending in a vehicle width direction rearward of the rear component member and a pair of arm portions extending forward of the vehicle from both ends of the connecting portion in the vehicle width direction and connected to the tower portion, and has a generally U-shape convex toward the rear of the vehicle in a plan view, The vertical pillar connects the arm portion and the rear side member in the vertical direction. A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

2. 2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, the rear side member extends rearward from a rear end of the main body portion, When viewed from the side of the vehicle, a square ring shape is formed by the rear side member, the vertical pillar, the arm portion, and the tower portion. A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

3. 2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, A vehicle rear structure, characterized in that a rear end of the rear side member is located rearward of the vehicle relative to a rear end of the cross connecting member.

4. The vehicle rear structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the arm portion is inclined with respect to the rear side member in a plan view so that a front end of the arm portion is located outward from the rear side member in the vehicle width direction and a rear end of the arm portion is located inward from the rear side member in the vehicle width direction, the vertical pillar is disposed at a location where the arm portion and the rear side member intersect in a plan view; A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

5. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 4, further comprising: An access opening for a luggage space and a rear door for opening and closing the access opening are provided, the access opening extends generally horizontally at approximately the same height as the cross-connection member; the cross-connect member surrounds a portion of the periphery of the access opening; the rear door is disposed above the cross-connecting member, the rear side members and the cross-connecting members are cylindrical extruded members, A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

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