Vehicle rear structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle rear part structure that can make both improvement in strength and reduction in weight compatible.SOLUTION: A vehicle rear part structure comprises: a rear part constituting member 12 connected to a rear end of a locker 16 and a rear pillar 18 and extended rearward; a floor cross member 34 arranged at a rear end of a floor panel 30 and extended from an inside end of the rear part constituting member 12 to an opening end 64 for a floor tunnel; and a reinforcement member 36 extended from the floor cross member 34 obliquely to the outside and rearward and connected to an inside surface of the rear part constituting member 12. The rear part constituting member 12 is an integrally casted hollow member, which is constituted of a main body part 20, a tower part 22 and a suspension member 24. The main body part 20 has a closed cross section and is connected to the rear pillar 18 and a rear member 26. The tower part 22 is connected to an upper end of the main body part 20 and stores a portion of a suspension. The suspension member part 24 has a closed cross section and is arranged below the main body part 20, whose front end is connected to the locker 16 and the rear pillar 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rear structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, various structures have been proposed for improving the strength and rigidity of vehicle rear structures.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle body structure equipped with a reinforcing member having a brace fixed to a rear side member and a rear cross member. With this configuration, when the vehicle is hit from the side, the input load can be absorbed by the reinforcing member, thereby suppressing deformation of the rear side member and sufficiently improving the reaction force of the vehicle.

[0004] Generally, the rear of a vehicle is provided with a suspension, a suspension member, a suspension tower, and a rear side member. For example, the strength of the rear structure of the vehicle can be improved by increasing the thickness of the members used for the suspension tower, etc. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-120063 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of a vehicle rear structure, structural improvements to increase strength can sometimes result in other problems. For example, increasing the thickness of components can increase the vehicle weight. Furthermore, the increased complexity of the structure can lead to increased man-hours and costs.

[0007] Therefore, this specification provides a vehicle rear structure that can ensure strength and rigidity while achieving weight reduction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification is a vehicle rear structure comprising: a rear component connected to a rear end of a rocker and a rear pillar attached to the rear end of the rocker and extending rearward of the vehicle; a floor cross member disposed at the rear end of a floor panel and extending inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner end of the rear component in the vehicle width direction toward the floor tunnel opening end of the floor panel; and a member connected to the floor cross member and the rear component, extending obliquely outward and rearward in the vehicle width direction from the floor cross member and attached to the inner surface of the rear component in the vehicle width direction. and a reinforcing member to which the rear component is connected, the rear component being a hollow member that is integrally cast and is composed of a main body portion, a tower portion, and a suspension member portion, the main body portion being a member with a closed cross section that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and is connected to the rear pillar and a rear member that is arranged at the rear of the vehicle, the tower portion being connected to the upper end of the main body portion and having a space that accommodates part of the suspension, and the suspension member portion being a member with a closed cross section that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle below the main body portion and has a front end that is connected to the rocker and the rear pillar.

[0009] With the above-mentioned configuration, the rear component is integrally formed by casting, and further, the main body and the suspension member have a closed cross section, which makes it possible to increase strength and reduce weight by making the walls thinner than when assembled by spot welding, etc. Furthermore, with the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to reduce the number of steps required for joining, such as welding, and to reduce costs by eliminating the need for separate parts.

[0010] The vehicle rear structure is also characterized in that the reinforcing member is connected to the inner surface of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction, and the reinforcing member, the floor cross member, and the suspension member form a truss structure.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the truss structure makes it possible to realize a vehicle rear structure with higher strength and rigidity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification can achieve a configuration that ensures strength and rigidity while reducing weight. Furthermore, by forming the structure integrally by casting, it is possible to reduce the number of steps required for joining and to reduce costs by eliminating the need for separate parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing the vehicle rear structure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle rear structure of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the vehicle rear structure of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The vehicle rear structure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description will focus on the rear structure on the right side of the vehicle. The rear structure on the left side of the vehicle is generally symmetrical to the rear structure on the right side, so a description of it will be omitted. In addition, in each drawing, "Fr," "Up," and "Rh" indicate the front, upper, and right sides of the vehicle, respectively.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a side view that schematically illustrates a vehicle rear structure. More specifically, Fig. 1 illustrates a rear structural member 12, which is a structural member of the rear structure of a vehicle 10, and the main members surrounding it. Therefore, illustration and description of other members are omitted as appropriate. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the vehicle rear structure of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the vehicle rear structure of Fig. 1.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle rear structure includes a rear structural member 12, a connecting member 14, a rocker 16, and a rear pillar 18.

[0017] The rear component 12 is a hollow member that is integrally cast and is composed of a main body portion 20, a tower portion 22, and a suspension member portion 24. The rear component 12 is a cast member made of a metal such as aluminum. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear component 12 is connected to the rear end of the rocker 16 and the rear pillar 18, and extends toward the rear of the vehicle. An assembly portion 20a is formed at the front upper corner of the main body portion 20. The assembly portion 20a is a portion to which the front end of the connecting member 14 is assembled. A receiving seat 22a is formed at the front end near the upper end of the tower portion 22. The receiving seat 22a is a portion to which the rear end of the connecting member 14 is assembled. Details of the rear component 12 will be described later with reference to FIG. 4.

[0018] The connecting member 14 is a longitudinal member with a closed cross section. In this example, the connecting member 14 is a rectangular extruded member. The connecting member 14 may be a cast member made of the same metal as the rear structural member 12, such as aluminum, or may be a steel pipe. The connecting member 14 may also be cylindrical. The connecting member 14 is connected at its front end to the rear pillar 18 and the rear structural member 12, and at its rear end to the tower section 22. In other words, the connecting member 14 is a member that connects the main body section 20 of the rear structural member 12 to the tower section 22. More specifically, the connecting member 14 is connected above the position where the rear pillar 18 and the main body section 20 of the rear structural member 12 are connected (the assembly section 20a shown in FIG. 1 ). The connecting member 14 extends obliquely upward and rearward from above the connection position between the rear pillar 18 and the main body section 20, and is connected to the upper end of the tower section 22 (the receiving seat 22a shown in FIG. 1 ).

[0019] The rocker 16 has a rectangular closed cross section and is a member that is provided at the side end of the lower part of the vehicle 10 (specifically, directly below the left and right doors) and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0020] The rear pillar 18 has a closed cross-sectional shape and is a member that is provided at the rear of the vehicle 10 and extends in the vehicle vertical direction. More specifically, the rear pillar 18 is attached to the rear end of the rocker 16 and is disposed so as to extend upward from the rocker 16.

[0021] Next, a further description will be given of the members surrounding the rear structural member 12. As shown in Figures 1-3, the vehicle rear structure further includes a rear member 26, roof rails 28, a floor panel 30, a floor tunnel 32, a floor cross member 34, and a reinforcing member 36.

[0022] The rear member 26 is disposed at the rear of the vehicle, and a part of its tip is connected to the rear end of the rear structural member 12 .

[0023] The roof rail 28 is a member disposed at the boundary between the roof and the side of the vehicle 10. The roof rail 28 is a longitudinal member with a closed cross section, and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle at the side edge of the upper part of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1 , a central portion of the roof rail 28 is connected to the upper end of the rear pillar 18. Furthermore, a rear portion of the roof rail 28 extends obliquely rearward of the vehicle from this connection portion toward the upper end of the tower section 22, and its rear end is connected to the upper end of the tower section 22.

[0024] The floor panel 30 is a member that forms the lower floor of the vehicle 10.

[0025] The floor tunnel 32 is a member that is provided at approximately the center in the vehicle width direction on the underside of the vehicle 10 and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The configuration of the rear part of the floor tunnel 32 and its surrounding area will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0026] The floor cross member 34 is disposed at the rear end of the floor panel 30 and extends from the rear structural member 12 toward the floor tunnel 32. More specifically, the floor cross member 34 extends from the inner side of the suspension member 24 in the vehicle width direction toward the rear end opening of the floor tunnel 32. The floor cross member 34 is disposed approximately parallel to the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the floor cross member 34 is connected to the vicinity of the front end of the suspension member 24.

[0027] The reinforcing member 36 is a member that spans between the floor cross member 34 and the suspension member 24 of the rear structural member 12. As shown in Figure 3, the reinforcing member 36 extends diagonally rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the floor cross member 34 and is connected to the inner surface of the suspension member 24 in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the floor cross member 34 is connected forward of the center of the suspension member 24 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction and rearward of the connection between the floor cross member 34 and the suspension member 24.

[0028] Next, the rear component 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 1-4. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear component. As described above, the rear component 12 is a hollow member that is integrally cast and is composed of a main body section 20, a tower section 22, and a suspension member section 24. In Fig. 1-3, in order to distinguish the main body section 20, the tower section 22, and the suspension member section 24 from each other for ease of viewing, the tower section 22, which is located at the top in the vehicle vertical direction, is shown as a light-colored portion, and the suspension member section 24, which is located at the bottom, is shown as a dark-colored portion. The main body section 20 in the middle is shown in a color intermediate between these two.

[0029] The main body 20 is a portion that has at least a closed cross section and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The front end of the main body 20 is connected to the rocker 16 and the rear pillar 18. Here, the main body 20 is connected to the rocker 16 and the rear pillar 18, but this is not limiting, and the main body 20 may be connected via, for example, a connecting member. The rear end of the main body 20 is connected to a portion of the tip of the rear member 26 (more specifically, the tip of the rear side member that constitutes the rear member 26).

[0030] 4, pedestals 38, 40 are provided on the surface of the right side plate of the main body 20. The pedestals 38, 40 are portions to which an arm bracket (not shown) to which an upper arm (not shown) of a suspension (not shown) is connected is fixed. The pedestals 38, 40 are provided with bolt holes for fixing the arm bracket.

[0031] The tower section 22 is connected to the upper end of the main body section 20 and includes a recess 42 that accommodates a portion of the suspension. The tower section 22 is composed of a right side panel, a left side panel, a front panel, a rear panel, and a ceiling panel. The right side panel, the left side panel, the front panel, and the rear panel form a closed cross-sectional structure extending upward from the main body section 20. The roof rail 28 is connected to the right end of the ceiling panel (see FIG. 2). As described above, the tower section 22 includes a receiving seat 22a (see FIG. 1). The receiving seat 22a is the portion to which the rear end of the connecting member 14 is attached (i.e., the connecting member 14 is fixed). The receiving seat 22a is preferably open at the top and closed at the bottom. This configuration allows the connecting member 14 to be inserted from above and fixed. As described above, the connecting member 14 may be made of the same material as the rear component 12, or may be made of a different material. Furthermore, the connecting member 14 may be integral with the rear component 12 .

[0032] The suspension member 24 has at least a partially closed cross section and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle below the main body 20. As shown in FIG. 4 , the suspension member 24 is made up of a right side panel 44, a left side panel (not shown), a rear panel 46, and a lower panel 48. The suspension member 24 is a hollow member with a closed cross section whose right side, left side, rear side, front side, lower side, and upper side are surrounded by the right side panel 44, the left side panel, the rear panel 46, the front panel (not shown), the lower panel 48, and the lower panel (not shown) of the main body 20. The front panel of the suspension member 24 includes a portion connected to the rocker 16 and the rear pillar 18.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 4 , a cylindrical opening 50 is provided in the center of the suspension member 24, through which the drive shaft (not shown) of the vehicle 10 passes. A cone-shaped recess 52 is provided in front of the right side plate 44. The bottom of the recess 52 is flat. A pedestal 54 is provided at the bottom. A recess 56 is provided at the lower rear side of the right side plate 44, recessed in a stepped shape from the surface of the right side plate 44. A pedestal 58 is provided at the bottom of the recess 56. An oval opening 60 is provided at the upper rear side of the right side plate 44. The periphery of the opening 60 and the surface of the right side plate 44 are connected by an inclined curved surface. Pedestals 62 are provided at the top and bottom of the opening 60. The pedestals 54 and 58 are portions to which arm brackets to which a lower arm (not shown) of the suspension is connected are fixed. The pedestal 62 is a portion to which an arm bracket to which a middle arm (not shown) of the suspension is connected is fixed. The bases 54, 58, and 62 are each provided with a bolt hole for fixing an arm bracket.

[0034] As described above, the rear component 12 is a hollow component, making it lighter than a solid component. Furthermore, the above-described configuration improves its strength. In general, the connection portions between the three components that make up the rear component 12 tend to be weak areas where stress concentrates. However, by integrally casting the three components, these connection portions can be eliminated, improving the strength of the vehicle body around the suspension. As a result, the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification can ensure both strength and weight reduction. Furthermore, by integrally casting the rear component 12, it is possible to reduce the number of steps required for joining and to reduce costs by eliminating separate components. Furthermore, eliminating separate components can further reduce the weight of the vehicle.

[0035] Next, the configuration of the rear part of the floor tunnel 32 and its surrounding area will be described with reference to Figure 3. The area surrounded by a two-dot chain line in Figure 3 is an opening provided at the rear end of the floor tunnel 32. Hereinafter, this area will be referred to as the "floor tunnel opening end" and indicated by reference numeral 64. As shown in Figure 3, the rear part of the floor tunnel 32, including the floor tunnel opening end 64, is covered by a tunnel assembly member 66. Therefore, the floor tunnel opening end 64 is shown surrounded by a two-dot chain line as an imaginary line.

[0036] The tunnel assembly member 66 is a member attached to the rear end of the floor tunnel 32. As described above, the floor cross member 34 extends from the inner side of the suspension member 24 in the vehicle width direction toward the rear-end opening of the floor tunnel 32. One end of the floor cross member 34 is joined to the tunnel assembly member 66. The reinforcing member 36 extends obliquely rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the floor cross member 34 and is connected to the inner surface of the suspension member 24 in the vehicle width direction. Here, the reinforcing member 36 is also joined to the tunnel assembly member 66 at the connection portion between the reinforcing member 36 and the floor cross member 34. In other words, the floor cross member 34 and reinforcing member 36, which extend toward the floor tunnel 32, are connected to the floor tunnel 32 via the tunnel assembly member 66.

[0037] Here, the floor tunnel 32 is a plate-like member with a hat-shaped cross section when viewed from the front. Therefore, the plate thickness of the floor tunnel 32 is not set to be large. Therefore, if the load from the floor cross member 34 and the reinforcing member 36 is directly transmitted to the floor tunnel 32 during a rear-end collision of the vehicle 10, the floor tunnel 32 will not be able to adequately withstand the load. On the other hand, the tunnel assembly member 66 can be made stronger than the floor tunnel 32 by, for example, setting its thickness in the vehicle width direction to be large. As a result, the input load transmitted from the floor cross member 34 and the reinforcing member 36 can be withstood by the tunnel assembly member 66 before being transmitted to the floor tunnel 32. In other words, the burden on each member constituting the vehicle rear structure is reduced, making it possible to improve the overall strength and rigidity.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the reinforcing member 36, floor cross member 34, and suspension member 24 form a truss structure in which the cross section perpendicular to the vehicle width direction forms a substantially triangular shape. In a truss structure, even when a load is applied to each member constituting the substantially triangular shape, only compressive or tensile force is generated in the axial direction, and bending moment is not easily exerted. In other words, the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, which includes such a truss structure, has a higher strength and rigidity.

[0039] The above description is merely an example, and the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification may include a rear component member that is an integrally cast hollow member and includes a main body portion, a tower portion, and a suspension member portion, a floor cross member that is disposed at the rear end of the floor panel and extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the inner end of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction toward the floor tunnel opening end, and a reinforcing member that extends diagonally outward and rearward in the vehicle width direction from the floor cross member and is connected to the inner surface of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, other configurations of the vehicle rear structure may be changed as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0040] 10 vehicle, 12 rear structural member, 14 connecting member, 16 rocker, 18 rear pillar, 20 main body portion, 22 tower portion, 24 suspension member portion, 26 rear member, 28 roof rail, 30 floor panel, 32 floor tunnel, 34 floor cross member, 36 reinforcing member, 64 floor tunnel opening end, 66 tunnel assembly member.

Claims

1. A vehicle rear structure, a rear component member connected to a rear end of the rocker and a rear pillar attached to the rear end of the rocker and extending rearward of the vehicle; a floor cross member disposed at a rear end of the floor panel and extending inward in the vehicle width direction from an inner end of the rear structural member in the vehicle width direction toward a floor tunnel opening end of the floor panel; a reinforcing member that is a member connected to the floor cross member and the rear component, extending obliquely rearward and outward in the vehicle width direction from the floor cross member and connected to an inner surface of the rear component in the vehicle width direction, The rear structural member is an integrally cast hollow member, and is composed of a main body, a tower, and a suspension member. the main body is a member having a closed cross section, extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and connected to the rear pillar and a rear member disposed at the rear of the vehicle; the tower portion is connected to an upper end of the main body portion and has a space for accommodating a part of the suspension; the suspension member is a hollow member having a closed cross section, extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction below the main body, and has a front end connected to the rocker and the rear pillar; The suspension member further includes an outer plate on the outer side in the vehicle width direction and an inner plate on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, The outer plate has a recess recessed inward in the vehicle width direction, The bottom of the recess is flat, a base to which a suspension arm is connected is provided at the bottom of the recess; A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

2. the reinforcing member is connected to an inner surface of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction, The reinforcing member, the floor cross member, and the suspension member constitute a truss structure.

2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1.

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