Vehicle undercarriage
The moving structure and receiving member in the vehicle undercarriage prevent the arm portion from hitting internal components by redirecting and deforming it during a collision, maintaining rocker rigidity and compactness.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2022189913
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2022-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-01-21
- Estimated Expiration
- 2042-11-29
AI Technical Summary
The arrangement of a slide rail under the rocker in a vehicle undercarriage increases the rocker's rigidity and compactness but poses a risk of the arm portion of the sliding door hitting internal components during a collision.
A moving structure that moves the vehicle-inboard end of the arm portion in a direction intersecting the vehicle interior/exterior direction, and a receiving member to receive the arm portion's impact load, along with a weakened portion to facilitate bending and deformation.
Prevents the arm portion from strongly hitting internal components by moving and deforming it away from the interior during a collision, ensuring the rocker's rigidity and compactness.
Smart Images

Figure 0007803255000001 
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Figure 0007803255000003
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle undercarriage in which a slide rail for a sliding door is provided under a rocker that forms the lower edge of a door opening, with the slide rail connected to the arm portion of the sliding door. [Background technology]
[0002] A related technology is described in Patent Document 1. In the vehicle of Patent Document 1, a door opening provided in the vehicle body is configured to be opened and closed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by a sliding door. A cylindrical side sill, which corresponds to the locker of the present application, is provided at the lower edge of the door opening so as to extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In addition, a battery case is disposed as an internal component under the floor of the vehicle, and this battery case is disposed on the inside of the side sill in the transverse direction of the vehicle so as to fit along the side sill.
[0003] A slide rail that supports the sliding door so that it can slide is provided inside the side sill and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. A portion of the side sill (cross-sectional shape) is formed in a concave shape that opens outward in the vehicle width direction, and the slide rail is fixed to this concave portion. In addition, an arm portion is provided at the lower end of the sliding door so that it protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction, and a roller journaled on this arm portion is slidably fitted to the slide rail. This allows the sliding door to slide in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle by sliding the roller along the slide rail. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0004] [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-18822 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0005] In the above-mentioned vehicle, there is a demand for arranging the slide rail under the rocker. That is, arranging the slide rail under the rocker increases the freedom of rocker shape selection, making it easier to ensure the rocker's rigidity. Furthermore, ensuring the rocker's rigidity allows for a more compact vertical dimension of the vehicle, making it easier to ensure the rocker's ground clearance (height from the ground). However, when the slide rail is arranged under the rocker as described above, the arm portion of the sliding door connected to the slide rail protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction, i.e., toward the interior components. Therefore, in the above-mentioned configuration, consideration must be given to preventing the arm portion from moving inward in the vehicle width direction and strongly hitting the interior components when an impact load is applied during a vehicle collision, etc. The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and the problem to be solved by the present invention is to prevent the arm portion under the rocker from strongly hitting the interior components under the floor during a vehicle collision, etc. [Means for solving the problem]
[0006] As a means for solving the above problems, a vehicle undercarriage of the first invention includes a sliding door that opens and closes a door opening in a vehicle body, and a cylindrical locker that forms the lower edge of the door opening. A slide rail that supports the sliding door so that it can slide in an opening and closing direction is provided on the vehicle underside of the locker and is connected to the arm portion of the sliding door. When a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction is defined as the vehicle interior / exterior direction in a plan view in the vehicle's vertical direction, the arm portion extends inward toward an internal component disposed under the vehicle floor. In this type of configuration, it is desirable to prevent the arm portion under the rocker from strongly hitting the internal component under the floor during a vehicle collision or the like. Therefore, the vehicle undercarriage of the present invention includes a moving structure that moves the vehicle-inboard end of the arm portion, when an impact load is applied, in a direction intersecting the vehicle interior / exterior direction. In this invention, when an impact load is applied to the arm portion from outside the vehicle, the moving structure functions to move the vehicle-inboard end of the arm portion in a direction intersecting the vehicle interior / exterior direction, i.e., in a direction away from the internal component. This makes it less likely that the arm portion to which an impact load is applied will come into strong contact with the internal member. Furthermore, the vehicle undercarriage of the first invention is the vehicle undercarriage of the first invention, and in the moving structure, a receiving member is provided at a position that can receive the vehicle inside end of the arm portion to which an impact load is applied. In this invention, the arm portion to which an impact load is applied is received by the receiving member and becomes less likely to move toward the vehicle inside, so that it bends and deforms in a direction different from the vehicle inside-outside direction. Then, as the arm portion to which the impact load is applied bends and deforms, the vehicle inside end of the arm portion can be moved in a direction that intersects with the vehicle inside-outside direction.
[0007] The vehicle understructure of the second invention is the vehicle understructure of the first invention, which is provided with a moving structure that moves the end of the arm portion on the inside of the vehicle to which an impact load is applied to the upper or lower side of the vehicle of the internal member. In this invention, the end of the arm portion on the inside of the vehicle can be moved to the upper or lower side of the vehicle of the internal member by the action of the moving structure.
[0009] No. 3 The undercarriage of the vehicle of the present invention is 1 In the vehicle undercarriage structure of the present invention, the receiving member has a receiving portion that can receive the vehicle-inside end of the arm portion between the arm portion and the internal member in the vehicle inside-outside direction. In this invention, when an impact load is applied to the arm portion, the vehicle-inside end of the arm portion is received by the receiving portion of the receiving member before it reaches the internal member.
[0010] No. 4The undercarriage of the vehicle of the present invention is 1 Invention or 3 In the vehicle undercarriage of the present invention, a protruding portion is provided as the moving structure, in which a portion of the arm portion protrudes outward from the fixed portion of the arm portion to the sliding door. In this invention, by receiving an impact load at the protruding portion, the arm portion provided at this protruding portion can bend and deform more reliably. Furthermore, by increasing the length of the arm portion at the protruding portion to ensure excess length, the arm portion can bend and deform even more reliably.
[0011] No. 5 The undercarriage of the vehicle of the present invention is 1 Invention or 3 In the vehicle undercarriage of the present invention, the moving structure is provided with a weakened portion that promotes deformation of the arm portion in a direction intersecting the vehicle interior / exterior direction. In the present invention, the weakened portion acts to allow the arm portion to bend and deform smoothly when an impact load is applied. [Effects of the Invention]
[0012] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the arm portion under the rocker can be prevented from hitting hard against an internal member under the floor in the event of a vehicle collision or the like. Furthermore, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the arm portion can be bent and deformed to prevent it from coming into strong contact with the internal member. Furthermore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reliably prevent the arm portion from coming into strong contact with the internal member. 3 According to the present invention, the arm portion can be more reliably bent and deformed. 4 According to the present invention, the arm portion can be more reliably bent and deformed. 5 According to the present invention, the arm portion can be bent and deformed more smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a partial perspective side view of a vehicle showing a locker. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle corresponding to the cross section taken along line II-II in FIG. 1. [Figure 3]FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a vehicle showing internal components. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective top view of the lower portion of the vehicle showing the slide rails. [Figure 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle corresponding to the cross section taken along line VV in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the lower part of a vehicle at the beginning of a vehicle collision. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the underside of a vehicle at a later stage of a vehicle collision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7. In each figure, arrows indicating the front-rear direction, left-right direction (vehicle width direction), and up-down direction (vehicle height direction) of the vehicle are appropriately illustrated. Note that in Figs. 1 and 3, only the components on the left side of the vehicle are assigned corresponding symbols. Furthermore, based on Fig. 3 (plan view in the vehicle up-down direction), the front-rear direction corresponds to the opening and closing direction of the sliding door, and the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction corresponds to the vehicle inward-outward direction. In each figure, the left side, which is on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, corresponds to the vehicle outer side, and the right side, which is on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, corresponds to the vehicle inner side.
[0015] [Vehicle Overview] Before describing the vehicle's undercarriage, an overview of a vehicle 2 shown in FIG. 1 will be first described. A vehicle body 10 of the vehicle 2 is formed with a front door opening 11 corresponding to the front seats and a rear door opening 12 corresponding to the rear seats. The front door opening 11 is configured to be opened and closed by a front door 15 that can rotate about a door hinge (not shown). The rear door opening 12 is configured to be opened and closed by a sliding door 20 that slides in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. A rocker 30, which is a cylindrical frame, is provided at the lower edge of the rear door opening 12 so as to extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. A center pillar 13 extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle is provided between the front door opening 11 and the rear door opening 12, and the lower end of the center pillar 13 is connected to the rocker 30.
[0016] 1 is provided at appropriate positions with a plurality of slide rails 17, 18, 19 that support a sliding door 20 so that the sliding door 20 can slide in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle (opening and closing direction). For example, in the vehicle 2, an upper slide rail 17 is provided on the upper side of the rear door opening 12. A center slide rail 18 is provided at the center position in the height direction on the rear side of the rear door opening 12. A lower slide rail 19 is provided on the lower side of the rear door opening 12, i.e., on the lower side of the rocker 30.
[0017] 1 and 2, the sliding door 20 is provided with guide roller units 25 and the like at its upper end position, lower end position, and intermediate position (for convenience, in FIG. 1, only the position where the lowest guide roller unit is provided is denoted by the corresponding reference numeral 25). The corresponding guide roller units 25 and the like move (slide, etc.) along the slide rails 17 to 19, so that the sliding door 20 can slide along these slide rails 17 to 19. The sliding door 20 moves linearly in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle near the fully open position, and then gradually moves diagonally inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the fully closed position (see the movement locus Do of the sliding door in FIG. 4).
[0018] [Vehicle undercarriage] In the vehicle undercarriage structure of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower slide rail 19 is disposed on the vehicle underside (below the rocker) of the rocker 30. This increases the degree of freedom in selecting the shape of the rocker 30, making it easier to ensure rigidity. In addition, an internal member 3, such as a battery installed under the floor of the vehicle 2, is disposed on the inner side (right side) of the rocker 30 in the vehicle width direction. The rocker 30 is disposed at a height position higher than the height position H of the internal member 3, which makes it easy to ensure a sufficient distance from the ground in the height direction (ground clearance). The internal member 3 is formed in a rectangular shape that is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle when viewed from above as shown in Fig. 3, and is disposed in the area from the front door opening 11 to the rear door opening 12.
[0019] In the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, the arm portion 23 of the sliding door 20 is connected to the lower slide rail 19 disposed under the rocker. The arm portion 23 is disposed under the rocker so as to face the inside (right side) in the vehicle width direction, i.e., the internal member 3. In this type of configuration, care must be taken to prevent the arm portion 23, when subjected to an impact load from the outside (left side) in the vehicle width direction, from moving inward in the vehicle width direction and strongly hitting the internal member 3. Therefore, in this embodiment, a moving structure 60, which will be described later, is used to prevent the arm portion 23 under the rocker from strongly hitting the internal member 3 on the underfloor side. Below, the vehicle undercarriage structure will be described in detail in the order of the rocker 30, the lower slide rail 19, the sliding door 20, the internal member 3, and the moving structure 60.
[0020] [locker] First, the rocker 30 shown in FIG. 2 is cylindrically formed from an outer rocker 31 and an inner rocker 32, and is provided along the lower edge of the rear door opening 12. The outer rocker 31 has an upper plate surface 311, a lower plate surface 312, and a left plate surface 313, and is formed with a substantially horizontally U-shaped cross section, with the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction open. The upper plate surface 311 of the outer rocker 31 is bent inward and upward in the vehicle width direction. The lower plate surface 312 of the outer rocker 31 extends linearly inward in the vehicle width direction and protrudes more inward in the vehicle width direction than the upper plate surface 311. An upper flange portion 31a bent toward the upper side of the vehicle is formed at the upper end of the upper plate surface 311, and a lower flange portion 31b bent toward the lower side of the vehicle is formed at the lower end of the lower plate surface 312. The upper plate surface 311 and the lower plate surface 312 are continuous with a left plate surface 313 that extends in the vehicle vertical direction on the outer side (left side) of the outer rocker 31 in the vehicle width direction.
[0021] 2 has an upper plate surface 321, a lower plate surface 322, and a right side plate surface 323 that form a generally horizontal U-shaped cross section, with the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction open. Furthermore, the upper plate surface 321 of the inner rocker 32 juts outward relatively significantly, extending outward in the vehicle width direction and then sloping downward. Upper and lower flanges 32a, 32b that are bent in the vehicle vertical direction are also formed at the upper and lower end positions of the inner rocker 32.
[0022] The rocker 30 shown in FIG. 2 is formed with a generally rectangular cylindrical cross section by joining the outer rocker 31 and the inner rocker 32 together in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the upper flanges 31a, 32a and the lower flanges 31b, 32b of the rocker 30 are joined together by welding or other means. The rocker 30 is thus formed with a generally rectangular cylindrical cross section that eliminates the recesses for slide rails, resulting in a cross section that contributes to ensuring rigidity. Furthermore, the rocker 30's highly rigid cross section allows for a compact design, such as by reducing its vertical dimensions. This allows the rocker 30 to be installed at a height higher than the height position H of the internal member 3, thereby contributing to ensuring ground clearance. Furthermore, installing the rocker 30 at a relatively high height allows for the shortening of the center pillar 13 shown in FIG. 1, thereby suppressing an increase in the weight of the vehicle 2. Furthermore, since the rocker 30 does not need to be made higher than necessary, it also facilitates easy ingress and egress.
[0023] 2, the upper flanges 31a, 32a are located near the outer (left) end in the vehicle width direction. A scuff 40, which serves as a tread, is provided on the upper side of the rocker 30 so as to extend in the vehicle width direction. A weather strip WS is fitted in the gap between the front end of the scuff 40 and the rocker 30 (the upper flanges 31a, 32a). A planar carpet 41 is laid on the inner (right) side of the scuff 40 in the vehicle width direction so as to cover the floor side of the vehicle 2. A lower plate surface 312 of the outer rocker 31 forms the lower surface of the rocker 30, and the lower flanges 31b, 32b are located near the inner end of the lower plate surface 312 in the vehicle width direction.
[0024] [Lower slide rail (slide rail)] Next, the lower slide rail 19 is disposed below the rocker (below the vehicle of the lower plate surface 312) as shown in Fig. 2. Here, the lower slide rail 19 is formed so as to follow the movement locus Do of the sliding door 20 shown in Fig. 4, and has a bent portion 190 and a straight portion 191. The bent portion 190 is formed on the front side of the lower slide rail 19, and is gradually bent inward in the vehicle width direction (to the right) as it approaches the front of the vehicle. The lower slide rail 19 is formed with a proximity region 19A that is relatively close to the internal member 3 in a region from the front end of the bent portion 190 to the rear portion. The straight portion 191 is continuous with the rear end of the bent portion 190, and extends linearly so as to follow the opening and closing direction of the sliding door 20 (the vehicle longitudinal direction).
[0025] 2, the lower slide rail 19 is formed of an upper wall portion 192, a lower wall portion 193, and a vertical wall portion 194 connecting the upper and lower wall portions. The upper wall portion 192 is formed in an inverted U-shape in cross section with the vehicle lower side open, so that a guide roller 26 of a guide roller unit 25 (described later) can be slidably fitted therein. The lower wall portion 193 is a flat plate-like portion located on the vehicle lower side of the upper wall portion 192, and is capable of slidably supporting a load roller 27 of the guide roller unit 25 (described later). The upper wall portion 192 and the lower wall portion 193 are continuous with a vertical wall portion 194 extending in the vehicle up-down direction on the inner side (right side) of the upper wall portion 192 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the lower slide rail 19 is formed in a hollow column shape with the vehicle width outer side (left side) open, and is configured so that a guide roller unit 25 of a sliding door 20 (described later) can be inserted from the vehicle width outer side. In addition, the vertical wall portion 194 of the lower slide rail 19 defines an end portion 19E on the inner side in the vehicle width direction.
[0026] As shown in FIG. 2 , the lower slide rail 19 is fixed to the rocker 30 via connecting members 35, 36, etc., which extend in the vehicle width direction. For example, a front connecting member 35 is disposed on the front end side of the bent portion 190 of the lower slide rail 19. This front connecting member 35 is bent in a crank shape in cross section, and its left end portion 350 on the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction is one step higher. The one step higher left end portion 350 of the front connecting member 35 is fixed to the lower plate surface 312 of the rocker 30. The lower slide rail 19 is fixed to the one step lower right end portion 351 of the front connecting member 35 so as to protrude toward the bottom of the vehicle. The front end side of the bent portion 190 of the lower slide rail is disposed directly below the flange portions 31b, 32b on the lower side of the rocker 30.
[0027] 2. Contrary to the front connecting member 35, this rear connecting member 36 has a left end (reference numeral omitted) that is one step higher on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction and is fixed to the underside of the rocker 30. The rear connecting member 36 is formed to extend outward (left side) in the vehicle width direction than the rocker 30, and the lower slide rail 19 is fixed to its right end (reference numeral omitted) that is one step lower so as to protrude toward the underside of the vehicle. Referring to FIG. 5, the straight portion 191 of the lower slide rail 19 is also fixed to the rocker 30 via another connecting member 37.
[0028] 2 and 5, the lower slide rail 19 is disposed below the rocker 30 via the connecting members 35-37 fixed to the rocker 30. In the vehicle undercarriage, the lower slide rail 19 is disposed on the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction by utilizing the space below the sliding door 20, etc., to avoid interference with the internal member 3. That is, in the lower slide rail 19, the front end side of its bent portion 190 is disposed directly below the flange portions 31b, 32b on the lower side of the rocker 30 to avoid interference with the internal member 3. Furthermore, the portion from the rear of the bent portion 190 to the straight portion 191 is disposed on the outer side of the rocker 30 in the vehicle width direction, thereby ensuring the dimension of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction.
[0029] [Sliding door] The sliding door 20 shown in FIG. 2 is formed by joining a door outer panel 20a and a door inner panel 20b at their peripheral edges. A slide rail connecting arm portion 23 is fixed to the lower end of the door inner panel 20b of the sliding door 20. The arm portion 23 has a generally L-shaped cross section and is fixed to the lower end of the sliding door 20 by a vertical wall-like fixing portion 23a extending in the vehicle up-down direction. The arm portion 23 is also formed to extend substantially horizontally from the lower end of the fixing portion 23a toward the inside of the vehicle (the details of a protruding portion 62 forming a part of a moving member will be described later). With a guide roller unit 25 (described later) disposed thereon, the arm portion 23 extends toward the front and inside (right side) of the vehicle width direction as shown in FIG. 4.
[0030] [Guide roller unit (end of arm section on the inside of the vehicle)] 2 and 4, the guide roller unit 25 has front and rear guide rollers 26 and a load roller 27 (for convenience, the front and rear guide rollers are denoted by the common reference numeral 26 in FIG. 4). An upper support portion 261 for the guide rollers and a lower support portion 271 for the load rollers are provided at an end 23E of the arm portion 23 on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction shown in FIG. 4. The upper support portion 261 is formed in a substantially U-shape in plan view, and a vertically oriented first shaft member 260 is provided at the bifurcated free end side. A horizontally oriented guide roller 26 is rotatably supported by each first shaft member 260, and each guide roller 26 is slidably fitted in the upper wall portion 192 of the lower slide rail 19 shown in FIG. 2.
[0031] 4 is provided with a vertically oriented second shaft 270 at its end 23E on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction, and a lower support portion 271 is rotatably supported by this vertically oriented second shaft 270. The lower support portion 271 supports a horizontally oriented third shaft 272 that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction, and a vertically oriented load roller 27 is rotatably supported by this third shaft 272. The load roller 27 can be turned so as to follow the lower slide rail 19 by the lower support portion 271 that supports it rotating around the second shaft 270. The load roller 27 is slidably supported by the lower wall portion 193 of the lower slide rail 19 shown in FIG. 2.
[0032] [Internal parts] 2 and 3, the inner member 3 is disposed under the floor, i.e., on the inner side of the rocker 30 in the vehicle width direction (to the right in FIG. 2), as described above. Examples of this type of inner member 3 include an in-vehicle battery and a fuel storage member that stores liquid or gaseous fuel. The inner member 3 is disposed at a height lower than the rocker 30 as shown in FIG. 2, so that a side surface portion 300 of the inner member 3 in the vehicle width direction faces the lower slide rail 19 and the arm portion 23. The side surface portion 300 of the inner member 3 has a flange portion 301 that protrudes outward (leftward) in the vehicle width direction at a central position in the vehicle up-down direction. An upper portion 302 of the side surface portion 300, which is located above the flange portion 301, is disposed at approximately the same height as the lower slide rail 19 and the arm portion 23. The lower portion 303 of the side surface portion 300, which is located below the flange portion 301, has a stepped shape that is recessed relatively inward in the vehicle width direction. The recessed lower portion 303 of the side surface portion 300 is disposed at a height lower than the lower slide rail 19 and the arm portion 23 in a state in which an impact absorbing member 50 (described later) can be connected.
[0033] [Shock absorbing material] Here, in the vehicle undercarriage, an impact absorbing member 50 can be provided on the outer side (left side) of the inner member 3 described above in the vehicle width direction. For example, the impact absorbing member 50 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is a member that can absorb impact loads applied from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and is connected to the side surface portion 300 of the inner member 3. This impact absorbing member 50 is provided with a connecting portion 51 that connects to the side surface portion 300 in a region on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction as shown in Figure 2. This connecting portion 51 is formed so as to protrude inward in the vehicle width direction from a lower portion of the impact absorbing member 50, and is fitted into a lower portion 303 of the side surface portion 300 of the inner member 3. Furthermore, a connecting plate portion 52 is fixed to the underside of the connecting portion 51 by fastening or the like (see first fastening point FX1 in Figure 2). This connecting plate portion 52 is formed to extend inward in the vehicle width direction from the connecting portion 51, and the portion of this connecting plate portion 52 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is fixed to the internal member 3 by fastening or the like (see second fastening point FX2 in Figure 2). As a result, the connecting portion 51 of the impact absorbing member 50 is sandwiched between the flange portion 301 of the internal member 3 and the connecting plate portion 52, and is connected to the lower portion 303 of the side surface portion 300 by recessed and projecting engagement.
[0034] 2 and 4, the impact absorbing member 50 is formed to extend outward (leftward) from the internal member 3 in the vehicle width direction and protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the rocker 30. In the proximity region 19A of the lower slide rail 19 shown in FIG. 4, the impact absorbing member 50 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction further than the lower slide rail 19. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 2, when the position of the vehicle width outer end of the bent portion 190 in the proximity region 19A is defined as a reference position 19X, the vehicle width outer end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 is located at the same position as the reference position 19X in the vehicle width direction or further outward in the vehicle width direction. The impact absorbing member 50 gradually protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction more than the lower slide rail 19 toward the front of the proximity region 19A. This allows the impact absorbing member 50 to be the first to receive an impact load applied to the proximity region 19A from the vehicle width outer side.
[0035] 3 and 4, the impact absorbing member 50 is formed to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and has a length dimension that can cover substantially the entire length of the inner member 3. This enables the impact absorbing member 50 to receive an impact load applied from the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction before the inner member 3. Furthermore, by being provided over substantially the entire length of the inner member 3, the impact absorbing member 50 is able to press against the center of gravity 3C of the inner member 3. In other words, the center position of the inner member 3 in the vehicle width direction and the vehicle longitudinal direction is the center of gravity 3C. When an imaginary line VL is set that passes through the center of gravity 3C of the inner member 3 and extends in the vehicle width direction, the impact absorbing member 50 is disposed so that a portion of the impact absorbing member 50 overlaps with the imaginary line VL.
[0036] [Moving structure] 2 and 4, the vehicle undercarriage is further provided with a moving structure 60 that moves the end 23E of the arm portion 23, located on the vehicle inner side (right side) when an impact load is applied, toward the upper side of the vehicle. This moving structure 60 can be composed of a receiving portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 and a protruding portion 62 and a weakened portion 63 of the arm portion 23. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the impact absorbing member 50 is provided with a vertical wall-shaped receiving portion 61 that protrudes toward the upper side of the vehicle, thereby constituting a receiving member that can receive the end 23E of the arm portion 23, located on the vehicle width direction inner side (right side). The vertical wall-shaped receiving portion 61 is provided so as to protrude toward the vehicle upper side on the vehicle width direction outer side (left side) of the connecting portion 51, and is therefore disposed between the arm portion 23 and the upper portion 302 of the internal member 3 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the receiving portion 61 is disposed at a position where it can receive the end 23E of the arm portion 23, located on the vehicle width direction inner side, so that it can also receive the end 19E of the lower slide rail 19, located on the vehicle width direction inner side.
[0037] 2 is provided with a protruding portion 62 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction (left side) as a moving structure 60. This protruding portion 62 of the arm portion 23 is formed by bending the lower end of the fixed portion 23a outward in the vehicle width direction, and protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction beyond the fixed portion 23a (the portion where the arm portion 23 is fixed to the sliding door 20). This enables the arm portion 23 to withstand impact loads applied from the outside in the vehicle width direction at the protruding portion 62. In addition, since the protruding portion 62 is formed by bending the lower end of the fixed portion 23a of the arm portion 23, the length dimension of the bent portion that forms the protruding portion 62 is increased.
[0038] 2, a weakened portion 63 that constitutes the movement structure 60 is provided on the upper surface of the arm portion 23 at approximately the middle position in the vehicle width direction. This weakened portion 63 is a groove-shaped thin-walled portion provided on the upper surface of the arm portion 23, and is made weaker and more easily bent than the other parts of the arm portion 23. The weakened portion 63 extends linearly in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle on the upper surface of the arm portion 23 so as to fit along the side surface portion 300 of the internal member 3 shown in FIG. 4. Thus, by providing the weakened portion 63 at the middle position in the vehicle width direction, the arm portion 23 is easily bent and deformed toward the bottom of the vehicle using this weakened portion 63 as a base point (see FIG. 7).
[0039] [Opening and closing operation of the sliding door (function of the lower slide rail)] Here, the opening and closing operation of the sliding door 20 by the lower slide rail 19 will be described. First, when the sliding door 20 is in the fully open position as shown in FIG. 5, the sliding door 20 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the rear door opening 12 as shown by the dashed lines in FIGS. 3 and 4. At this time, the guide roller unit 25 provided on the arm portion 23 is disposed at the rear end position of the straight portion 191 of the lower slide rail 19 as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4. Next, the sliding door 20 is slid toward the front of the vehicle (closing direction) to fully close the rear door opening 12. At this time, referring to FIG. 4, the guide roller unit 25 moves toward the front of the vehicle along the straight portion 191 of the lower slide rail 19, so that the sliding door 20 moves linearly toward the front of the vehicle (see the movement locus Do of the sliding door 20 shown in FIG. 4). Next, the guide roller unit 25 moves along the bent portion 190, so that the sliding door 20 gradually moves inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the fully closed position. When the sliding door 20 is fully closed, the guide roller unit 25 of the arm portion 23 is located at the front end position of the bent portion 190 (see the state indicated by the solid line in FIG. 4).
[0040] [Sliding door in fully closed state] As shown in FIG. 2 , when the sliding door 20 is in the fully closed position, an exterior portion (garnish) at the lower end of the sliding door 20 covers the outer side (left side) of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction. The arm portion 23 of the sliding door 20 is connected to the lower slide rail 19 below the rocker, and the underfloor internal member 3 is disposed on the inner side (right side) of the arm portion 23 in the vehicle width direction. In this type of configuration, as described above, it is necessary to take care so that the arm portion 23, which receives an impact load from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, does not move inward in the vehicle width direction and hit the internal member 3 hard. Therefore, the vehicle undercarriage is provided with a moving structure 60 that moves the inner end 23E of the arm portion 23, which receives the impact load, toward the upper side of the vehicle. In the above configuration, when an impact load is applied to the arm portion 23 from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, the inner end 23E of the arm portion 23 in the vehicle width direction is moved in a direction away from the internal member 3. Therefore, the function of the moving structure 60 (receiving portion 61, protruding portion 62, and fragile portion 63) will be described in more detail below.
[0041] [Moving structure function] 4 and 6, it is assumed that an impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision is applied to the front end position of the lower slide rail 19, i.e., the position where the arm portion 23 is disposed in the fully closed state. In the above-described configuration, when the impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision is applied to the arm portion 23, the arm portion 23 moves inward in the vehicle width direction (to the right) (see the direction indicated by reference symbol A2 in FIG. 6). Furthermore, the arm portion 23 has a protruding portion 62 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction (to the left), so that the impact load F1 can be more reliably received by this protruding portion 62. As described above, the receiving portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 is disposed at the destination of the arm portion 23. Therefore, the end portion 23E of the arm portion 23 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction is received by the receiving portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 (receiving member) before reaching the internal member 3.
[0042] 6, an impact load F1 is applied from the outer side (left side) in the vehicle width direction to the arm portion 23 while the end 23E on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction is supported by the support portion 61. The arm portion 23 is provided with a groove-shaped weakened portion 63 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction to promote bending deformation. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7, the arm portion 23 to which the impact load F1 is applied is smoothly bent and deformed in an inverted V shape toward the vehicle lower side, starting from the weakened portion 63 as a base point. At this time, the length of the arm portion 23 is increased at the protruding portion 62, ensuring an excess length that allows bending deformation toward the vehicle lower side. Therefore, the excess length allows the arm portion 23 to bend and deform toward the vehicle lower side more reliably. As the arm portion 23 bends and deforms in an inverted V shape, the end 23E on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the arm portion 23 moves toward the vehicle upper side of the inner member 3, i.e., in a direction away from the inner member 3 (see the arrow indicated by symbol A3 in FIG. 7). In this way, by moving the end 23E of the arm portion 23 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction in a direction away from the internal member 3 by the action of the moving structure 60, the arm portion 23 is less likely to come into strong contact with the internal member 3.
[0043] [Vehicle Undercarriage Advantages] In the above-described configuration, when an impact load is applied to arm portion 23 from the outside in the vehicle width direction (left side), end portion 23E of arm portion 23 on the inside in the vehicle width direction (right side) is moved by moving structure 60 in a direction intersecting the vehicle width direction, i.e., in a direction deviating from internal member 3. This makes it less likely that arm portion 23 to which an impact load is applied will strongly hit internal member 3. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to prevent arm portion 23 below the rocker from strongly hitting internal member 3 on the underfloor side during a vehicle collision, etc.
[0044] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the end 23E of the arm portion 23 on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction can be moved toward the vehicle upper side of the internal member 3 by the action of the moving structure 60. In this embodiment, when an impact load is applied to the arm portion 23, the arm portion 23 is supported by the impact absorbing member 50 (support member), making it difficult for the arm portion 23 to move inward in the vehicle width direction, and the arm portion 23 is bent and deformed in a direction different from the vehicle width direction. The bending and deformation of the arm portion 23 on which the impact load is applied can move the end 23E of the arm portion 23 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction in a direction intersecting the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, when an impact load is applied to the arm portion 23, the end 23E of the arm portion 23 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction can be supported by the support portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 (support member) before reaching the internal member 3. In this embodiment, the impact load is supported by the protruding portion 62, so that the arm portion 23 provided on the protruding portion 62 can be bent and deformed more reliably. Furthermore, by increasing the length of arm portion 23 at protruding portion 62 to provide an excess length, it becomes possible to more reliably bend and deform arm portion 23. In this embodiment, weakened portion 63 functions to allow arm portion 23 to bend and deform smoothly when an impact load is applied.
[0045] [Another benefit of the vehicle's undercarriage (the function of shock-absorbing members)] Furthermore, in the above-described configuration, the impact absorbing member 50 serves to prevent the lower slide rail 19 from strongly hitting the internal member 3. Now, with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, let us consider a case in which an impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision is applied to the proximity region 19A of the lower slide rail 19. In this case, in the above-described configuration, the outer (left) end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 in the vehicle width direction is located at the same position as the reference position 19X (the position of the outer end of the lower slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction) or protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from there, as described above. Therefore, the outer end 50X of the impact absorbing member 50 in the vehicle width direction is the first to bear the impact load F1 during a vehicle side collision. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the impact absorbing member 50 is crushed and deformed to absorb the impact load F1, thereby reducing the impact load F1 applied to the lower slide rail 19. As a result, the lower slide rail 19 is prevented from moving inward (to the right) in the vehicle width direction due to the reduction in the impact load F1, and is therefore less likely to come into strong contact with the internal member 3.
[0046] 6, the impact absorbing member 50 is connected to the side surface portion 300 of the inner member 3 at a connecting portion 51 on the inner side (right side) in the vehicle width direction. As a result, when an impact load F1 is applied to the impact absorbing member 50, the impact absorbing member 50 presses and moves the inner member 3, which is in contact with the connecting portion 51, inward in the vehicle width direction, i.e., in a direction away from the lower slide rail 19 (see the arrow indicated by symbol A1 in FIG. 6). At this time, a part of the impact absorbing member 50 can press against the center of gravity 3C of the inner member 3, allowing the inner member 3 to move inward in the vehicle width direction more stably. Furthermore, the impact absorbing member 50 is provided with a receiving portion 61 at a position that can receive the inner end portion 19E of the slide rail 19 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the lower slide rail 19, to which the impact load F1 is applied, is received by the receiving portion 61 of the impact absorbing member 50 just before the inner member 3. Then, the lower slide rail 19 to which the impact load F1 is applied presses the impact absorbing member 50, which is provided with the receiving portion 61, inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, the impact absorbing member 50 moves the inner member 3 further inward in the vehicle width direction, and by maintaining the distance between this inner member 3 and the slide rail 19, it is possible to avoid contact between them as much as possible.
[0047] The vehicle understructure of this embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment and may take various other forms. In this embodiment, the configuration of the moving structure is illustrated, but this is not intended to limit the configuration of the moving structure. For example, the moving structure may be configured to move the outer end of the arm portion in a direction intersecting the vehicle interior-exterior direction. In the case of FIG. 4 , the intersecting direction can be at least one of the vehicle upper side, vehicle lower side, vehicle front side, and vehicle rear side. Furthermore, when the outer end of the arm portion is bent by the moving structure, the movement direction (bending direction) can be determined taking into account the positional relationship between the arm portion, the impact absorbing member, and the rocker. That is, when the vertical gap between the arm portion and the impact absorbing member is relatively large, it is desirable to bend the arm portion toward the vehicle's lower side. In this case, it is desirable to provide a weakened portion on the upper surface of the arm portion. Furthermore, when the vertical gap between the arm portion and the rocker is relatively large, it is desirable to bend the arm portion toward the vehicle's upper side. In this case, it is desirable to provide a weakened portion on the lower surface of the arm portion. The weak portions may be groove- or hole-shaped thin portions or through-holes (including elongated holes) intermittently provided on the arm portion. When the arm portion is bent in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a notched weak portion extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction may be provided on either the front or rear periphery of the arm portion. The moving structure preferably includes at least one of the above-described configurations, particularly a receiving member. Examples of the receiving member include an impact absorbing member, as well as a member disposed on the vehicle exterior of the internal member (such as a locker, an underfloor framework member, or a receiving member separate from these). The receiving member (receiving portion) may be in contact with the arm portion before the impact load is applied. When a protruding portion is provided, examples of the protruding portion include a sidewall-shaped portion or a thick portion protruding from the arm portion toward the vehicle exterior. The opening and closing direction of the slide rail is not necessarily limited to the vehicle longitudinal direction. A vehicle may include multiple internal members of the same or different types, and the configuration of this embodiment may be applicable to at least one of the multiple internal members. The rocker only needs to be formed in a tubular shape without the recess for the slide rail, and various shapes such as a square tube or a cylindrical shape can be adopted.
[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the configuration of the slide rail and the impact absorbing member is exemplified as a structure related to the above-mentioned other advantages, but the configuration of these members is not intended to be limited. In a vehicle undercarriage, the vehicle-outside end of the impact absorbing member can be positioned at an appropriate position on the slide rail or over substantially the entire length of the slide rail, at the same position as the reference position (the position where the vehicle-outside end of the slide rail is positioned) or further outward from the reference position. For example, referring to FIG. 4, the vehicle-outside end of the impact absorbing member can be positioned over substantially the entire length of the bent portion or over a portion or substantially the entire length of the straight portion at the same position as the reference position or further outward from the reference position. Furthermore, the impact absorbing member may simply be adjacent to the internal member and does not necessarily need to be connected. Furthermore, as long as the impact absorbing member can contact the internal member when an impact load is applied, a gap may be provided between the two members (they may be close to each other). The impact absorbing member may also be provided on at least a portion of the internal member (side portion) in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In this case, it is desirable, but not limited to, that a portion of the impact absorbing member be positioned on an imaginary line passing through the center of gravity of the internal member. In this embodiment, an example in which the receiving portion is provided on the impact absorbing member has been described, but the receiving portion can also be provided on various members (such as the above-mentioned receiving member) arranged on the vehicle width direction outer side of the internal member. The receiving portion can have various shapes in addition to a vertical wall shape, and the surface on the vehicle outer side may be tapered (for example, a tapered shape that slopes upward to the upper right in FIG. 4). At least a portion of the structure related to another advantage can be omitted as needed. [Explanation of symbols]
[0049] 2 vehicles 3 Internal components 3C Center of gravity (of internal parts) 300 (Internal member) side part 301 flange part 302 (internal part) upper part 303 (Interior part) Lower part 10 Vehicle body 11 Front door opening 12 Rear door opening 13 Center pillar 15 Front Door 17 Upper slide rail 18 Center slide rail 19 Lower slide rail (slide rail of the present invention) 190 Bending section 191 Straight section 192 Upper wall section 193 Lower wall part 194 Vertical wall section 19X Reference position (position of the outer end of the slide rail) 19A Proximal Area 19E Inner end of lower slide rail in the vehicle width direction (inner end of slide rail) 20 Sliding Door 20a Door outer panel 20b Door inner panel 23 Arm section 23a Fixed area 23E End of arm on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (end of arm on the inner side of the vehicle) 25 Guide roller unit 26 Guide roller 27 Load Roller 30 Lockers 31 Rocker Outerwear 311 (rocker outer) upper surface 312 (Locker outer) bottom plate surface 313 (Outer rocker) left side panel 32 Rocker Inner 321 (Inner rocker) upper surface 322 (Locker inner) bottom plate surface 323 (Inner rocker) right side panel 31a, 32a Upper flange parts 31b, 32b Lower flange parts 35 Front connecting member 350 (Front connecting member) left end position 351 Right end position (of front connecting member) 36 Rear connecting member 37 Another connecting member 40 Scuff 41 Carpet 50 Impact absorbing member (receiving member) 50X Outer end of impact absorbing member in the vehicle width direction (outer end of impact absorbing member) 51 Connection site 52 Connecting plate part 60 Mobile structure 61 Receiving part 62 Protruding parts 63 Vulnerable parts 260 First shaft material 261 Upper support part 270 Second shaft material 271 Lower support part 272 Third shaft material FX1, FX2 fastening points WS Weather Strip VL Virtual Line
Claims
1. A vehicle undercarriage having a sliding door that opens and closes a door opening in a vehicle body, and a cylindrical locker that forms a lower edge of the door opening, A slide rail that supports the sliding door so that the sliding door can slide in an opening and closing direction is provided on the vehicle underside of the locker so as to be connected to an arm portion of the sliding door, and when a direction perpendicular to the opening and closing direction is defined as an inside-outside direction of the vehicle based on a plan view in the vehicle up-down direction, the arm portion extends toward the inside of the vehicle so as to face an internal member arranged on the underside of the floor of the vehicle, a moving structure is provided that moves the end portion of the arm portion on the inside of the vehicle to which the impact load is applied in a direction intersecting with the vehicle inward / outward direction, The moving structure is a vehicle undercarriage in which a receiving member is provided at a position capable of receiving the end of the arm portion on the inside of the vehicle when an impact load is applied.
2. 2. The vehicle undercarriage structure according to claim 1, further comprising a moving structure that moves the end of the arm portion on the vehicle inner side to which an impact load is applied to the vehicle upper side or lower side of the internal member.
3. A vehicle undercarriage structure as described in claim 1, wherein the receiving member has a receiving portion that can receive the inner end of the arm portion on the vehicle's inside, provided between the arm portion and the internal member in the inward / outward direction of the vehicle.
4. A vehicle undercarriage structure as described in claim 1 or 3, wherein the moving structure comprises a protruding portion that protrudes a portion of the arm portion outside the vehicle beyond the fixed point of the arm portion relative to the sliding door.
5. A vehicle undercarriage structure as described in claim 1 or 3, wherein the moving structure is provided with a weak portion that promotes deformation of the arm portion in a direction that intersects with the inward and outward directions of the vehicle.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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