Bracket for coil spring of automobile, and support structure of suspension arm equipped with same

Abstract

To provide a support structure of a suspension arm characterized in that a coil spring does not interfere a coil spring bracket.SOLUTION: A coil spring bracket of an automobile bears the other end of a coil spring having one end borne by a suspension arm which fluctuates in the vertical direction of a vehicle body. The bracket includes a tabular strike plate that receives the other end of the coil spring, and a tabular storage part that has one end connected to the strike plate and incorporates the other end of the coil spring. The storage part encloses at least part of the coil spring, and has an opening, which receives the coil spring, formed at the other end. The storage part has an elongated hole extending in a direction in which the wired of the coil spring extend. The elongated hole is a through hole that pierces a metal plate forming the storage part. A support structure of the suspension arm includes the coil spring bracket.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a bracket for a coil spring of an automobile, and a support structure for a suspension arm equipped with the bracket. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a suspension tower for mounting the upper end of a shock absorber and the upper end of a coil spring. The suspension tower in Patent Document 1 has a portion that protrudes upward from the vehicle body, and the upper end of the shock absorber and the upper end of the coil spring are fixed to this portion. The suspension tower in Patent Document 1 has an interference-avoiding through-hole provided in a position adjacent to the portion where the upper end of the shock absorber is fixed. The through-hole is said to prevent the ball joint of the vehicle's front suspension device from interfering with the suspension tower. The portion where the shock absorber is mounted to the suspension tower is reinforced with a reinforcing patch. When an upward thrust load is input from the shock absorber, local deformation of a portion known as the upper wall portion is said to be kept small. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-35059 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the suspension tower shown in Patent Document 1, when a thrust load is applied from the wheel, interference between the upper wall and the ball joint is likely to occur. If a through-hole is provided to avoid interference, the upper wall is likely to deform. It is believed that reinforcement with a reinforcing patch is provided to prevent such deformation.

[0005] The device in Patent Document 1 is not a coil spring bracket that supports the other end of the coil spring by incorporating the other end of the coil spring into a storage section. In a coil spring bracket that supports the other end of the coil spring by incorporating the other end of the coil spring into a storage section, when a load is input from the wheel, the coil spring may interfere with the inner wall of the coil spring bracket, causing abnormal noise.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a coil spring bracket for an automobile, which supports the end of a coil spring and has a long hole to prevent the coil spring from interfering with the inner wall of the coil spring bracket when an input is applied from the wheel, and which has such a long hole that the coil spring bracket can be welded to a member on the vehicle body side, and a support structure for a suspension arm equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The above-mentioned problem is solved by a bracket for a coil spring (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a bracket) for an automobile coil spring, which supports one end of a coil spring, the other end of which is supported by a suspension arm that swings up and down in the vehicle body, and the bracket has a plate-shaped receiving seat that receives the other end of the coil spring, and a plate-shaped storage section that has one end connected to the receiving seat and has the other end of the coil spring built in, the storage section surrounding at least a part of the coil spring and having an opening at the other end that receives the coil spring, and the storage section is provided with an elongated hole that extends in the direction of the extension of the wires of the coil spring, and the elongated hole is a through-hole that passes through the metal plate material that makes up the storage section.

[0008] The above-mentioned problem is solved by a suspension arm support structure that includes the above-mentioned automotive coil spring bracket and a frame bracket for fixing the coil spring bracket, wherein the frame bracket and the coil spring bracket are shaped such that the edge of the elongated hole and the frame bracket exposed from the elongated hole are joined by welding.

[0009] In the above-mentioned automotive coil spring bracket and suspension arm support structure, when the coil spring is compressed and deformed by input from the wheel, the filaments that make up the coil spring are allowed to escape through the elongated holes provided in the inner wall of the bracket. This prevents the coil spring from colliding with the inner wall of the bracket and also prevents the generation of abnormal noise. Because the elongated holes are through-holes, they can be used as welding points for connecting the bracket to a vehicle body component, such as a frame bracket.

[0010] In the above-mentioned automotive coil spring bracket and the above-mentioned suspension arm support structure, the storage section is preferably made of multiple metal plates joined by welding. This reduces the likelihood of forming defects, such as local stretching of portions of the metal plate, when forming the bracket by metal bending, thereby improving yield. Furthermore, even if the bracket has a complex shape, it can be formed by metal bending. Furthermore, the thickness of the metal plate can be changed for each portion depending on the strength and rigidity required for the bracket.

[0011] In the suspension arm support structure described above, the side wall portion of the automotive coil spring bracket is sandwiched between first and second mounting portions made of metal plates spaced apart in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, and the frame bracket and the coil spring bracket are preferably joined by welding at the edge of the elongated hole and the portion of the frame bracket exposed through the elongated hole, the welding being performed on one of at least two long sides and two short sides of the elongated hole. This configuration reduces stress concentration at the connection portions between the first and second mounting portions and the bracket side wall portions, improving long-term strength and reducing distortion of the members at the connection portions.

[0012] The suspension arm support structure may further include an upper arm mounting portion and a lower arm mounting portion. The lower arm mounting portion may be a journal portion provided on a first cross member and a second cross member extending in the vehicle width direction. The upper arm mounting portion may be a journal portion provided above the coil spring bracket. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, in a coil spring bracket that supports the end of a coil spring, a long hole is provided to prevent the coil spring from interfering with the inner wall of the coil spring bracket when an input is received from the wheel, and the long hole allows the coil spring bracket to be welded to a component on the vehicle body side, making it possible to provide a coil spring bracket for an automobile, and a support structure for a suspension arm that includes the same. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a bracket for a coil spring and a support structure for a suspension arm including the bracket, viewed from above as seen from the rear of a vehicle body. FIG. [Figure 2]2 is a perspective view showing the suspension arm support structure of FIG. 1 from below as viewed from the rear of the vehicle body with the suspension arm and coil spring removed. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first member, a second member, a third member, and a fourth member that constitute a bracket for a coil spring. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view of the suspension arm support structure with the first, second, third, and fourth members that make up the coil spring bracket disassembled. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the welding points between the coil spring bracket and the frame bracket. [Figure 6] 10 is a side view showing welding points of the coil spring bracket to the frame bracket according to the reference example. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a support structure for a suspension arm provided with the bracket for the coil spring shown in FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An embodiment of a suspension arm support structure of the present invention will be described below. The embodiment described below is merely a limited example of the embodiment of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the exemplified embodiment.

[0016] 1 to 5 show one embodiment of a coil spring bracket (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a bracket) 5 of the present invention and a suspension arm support structure 1 (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as a support structure) having the bracket. The support structure 1 of this embodiment is for supporting the base end of an upper arm that constitutes a double wishbone suspension system in a state that allows it to swing in the vertical direction. Note that the upper arm is not shown in the drawings.

[0017] Although not shown in the figures, a typical upper arm has two arms attached to its base end, each of which has a rubber bushing for inserting the pivot shaft therethrough, and a wheel support member such as a knuckle attached to the tip of the upper arm.

[0018] The support structure 1 of this embodiment includes a first support portion 11 disposed in the front of the vehicle body, a second support portion 12 disposed in the rear of the vehicle body, a first reinforcing member 13 extending between the first support portion 11 and the second support portion 12, one end of which is connected to the first support portion 11 and the other end of which is connected to the second support portion 12, a second reinforcing member 14 having one end connected to a base end of the first support portion 11 and the first reinforcing member 13, and a third reinforcing member 15 having one end connected to a base end of the second support portion 12 and the first reinforcing member 13. In the support structure 1 of this embodiment, the first support portion 11 and the second reinforcing member 14 are continuous and formed by bending a single metal plate. Similarly, the second support portion 12 and the second reinforcing member 14 are continuous and formed by bending a single metal plate.

[0019] At least two structures including the above-mentioned first support portion 11, second support portion 12, first reinforcing member 13, second reinforcing member 14, third reinforcing member 15, and coil spring bracket 5 (described later) are provided, at least one corresponding to the wheel on the right side of the vehicle body and at least one corresponding to the wheel on the left side of the vehicle body. When such structures are provided at the front and rear of the vehicle body, a total of four may be provided per vehicle body.

[0020] Although the suspension arms are not shown, the first support portion 11 supports one suspension arm in a state in which it can swing up and down, and the second support portion 12 supports the other suspension arm in a state in which it can swing up and down. In the mounting structure 1 shown in Figures 1 to 5, the first support portion 11 and the second support portion 12 support two suspension arms provided at the base end of the upper arm. The first support portion 11 and the second support portion 12 function as mounting portions for the upper arm.

[0021] The first support portion 11 and the second support portion 12 have a pair of wall portions spaced apart in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, and the wall portions have through holes formed therein that communicate with holes in rubber bushings provided at the base ends of the upper arms. By inserting a shaft through the through holes and the holes in the rubber bushings, the upper arms are supported in a swingable state. The shaft inserted through the through holes in the wall portions of the first support portion or the second support portion is shaped to extend along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the frame portion 2 includes a pair of side members 22 extending along the vehicle body's longitudinal direction and spaced apart in the vehicle width direction, a first cross member 23 extending along the vehicle body's transverse direction and intersecting the side members 22, and a second cross member 24 extending along the vehicle body's transverse direction and intersecting the side members 22. The first cross member 23 and the second cross member 24 are spaced apart from each other in the vehicle body's longitudinal direction. Both ends of the first cross member 23 are fixed to the side members 22 by connecting portions 25 extending diagonally downward from the side members 22 toward the inside of the vehicle body. Depending on the layout, the connecting portions 25 may be omitted, and the side members 22 and the first cross member 23 may be directly joined. Both ends of the second cross member 24 extend diagonally downward from the side members 22 toward the inside of the vehicle body and are directly connected to the side members 22.

[0023] The pair of side members 22, the first cross member 23, the second cross member 24, and the connecting portion 25 are all formed by bending metal plates, and are generally rod-shaped components with a U-shaped cross section having a first wall, a second wall, and a third wall connecting the first and second walls. The bottoms of the first cross member 23 and the second cross member 24 are closed by welding flat plates 231, 241 to each other.

[0024] The left and right ends of the second cross member 24 are fixed by welding so as to be in contact with the undersides of the pair of side members 22. Coil spring brackets 5 are fixed by welding to the left and right ends of the second cross member 24. The left and right ends of the second cross member 24 have a shape in which the third wall on the upper side of the vehicle body is cut out, and the first and second walls are arranged to face each other. The first and second walls are made of metal plate material, are arranged with a gap in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, and function as first and second mounting portions 531 and 532 that sandwich the bracket 5. The first and second mounting portions 531 and 532 protrude outward from the lower part of the side members 22 toward the outside of the vehicle body, and have portions at their tips that extend in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle body. The first and second mounting portions may be provided on either the first cross member provided on the front side of the vehicle body or the second cross member provided on the rear side of the vehicle body.

[0025] In this embodiment, bracket 5 supports one end of coil spring 91, the other end of which is supported by a suspension arm (lower arm 9) that swings up and down in the vehicle body. Bracket 5 has plate-shaped receiving seat 51 that receives the other end of coil spring 91, and plate-shaped storage section 52 that has one end connected to receiving seat 51 and houses the other end of the coil spring. Receiving seat 51 is a flat, plate-shaped member having an area large enough to receive the other end of coil spring 91. Receiving seat 51 has a protrusion 511, which is a circular protrusion of plate material, at a portion corresponding to the axis of coil spring 91. A sheet (not shown) made of an elastic material such as vulcanized rubber is fixed to protrusion 511. The other end of the coil spring is fixed to receiving seat 51 via the sheet. Note that the term "plate-shaped" is intended to include a shape that is bent into a plate.

[0026] Storage portion 52 surrounds the other end of coil spring 91. Storage portion 52 is provided with cutout 521 along the vertical direction of the vehicle body. When coil spring 91 is formed as a cylinder, most of the circumference of the cylinder, i.e., more than half of the circumference, is covered by approximately cylindrical storage portion 52 made of a metal plate extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle body. In bracket 5 of this embodiment, cutout 521 is provided for the purpose of avoiding interference with other components, but cutout 521 may be omitted. In this way, the storage portion may have a shape that surrounds at least a portion of the other end of coil spring 91 and has opening 522 at the other end of the storage portion that receives coil spring 91, or may have a shape that surrounds the entire circumference of the other end of coil spring 91.

[0027] Storage section 52 has a generally cylindrical shape extending along the axial direction of coil spring 91, and the gap between the coil spring at the upper end of the storage section and the inner wall of the storage section is the same as the gap between the coil spring at the lower end of the storage section and the inner wall of the storage section. As described above, storage section 52 is provided with notch 521, and in that respect it is not completely cylindrical but generally cylindrical.

[0028] Coil spring 91 is supported by its upper end contacting receiving seat 51 via the seat, and is not fastened with screws or the like. Plate-shaped receiving portion 52 extending from receiving seat 51 along the axial direction of coil spring 91 prevents coil spring 91 from falling out, so screws or the like can be omitted. This structure simplifies the assembly work of the coil spring.

[0029] In the bracket 5 of this embodiment, the storage section 52 is made up of a plurality of metal plates and has a shape formed by joining the plurality of metal plates by welding. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , the storage section 52 has a first member 523 that functions as a connecting portion that contacts the frame bracket 16, a second member 524 that is fixed by welding to one end of the first member 523 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, a third member 525 that is fixed by welding to the other end of the first member 523 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and a fourth member 526 that is fixed to one end of the third member 525. The second member 524 and the third member 525 form side walls of the bracket 5. The fourth member may be fixed by welding to an end of the second member instead of the third member.

[0030] The first member 523 has a flat portion and a protrusion formed by bending the edge of a metal plate so that both ends protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the flat portion. Below the flat portion of the first member 523, there is an inclined portion that slopes toward the outside of the vehicle body. The second member 524 and the third member 525 are flat plate-like, have an inclined portion, and are shaped so that their widths decrease toward the bottom of the vehicle body. The fourth member 526 has a shape formed by bending a metal plate into an arc. The other end of the second member 524 and the other end of the third member 525 are fixed to the protrusion of the first member 523 by welding. One end of the fourth member 526 is fixed to one end of the third member 525 by welding. The first member 523, the second member 524, the third member 525, and the fourth member 526 have their upper ends fixed to the receiving seat 51 by welding. In this embodiment, the storage section 52 is configured in this manner.

[0031] Dividing the storage section 52 as described above allows the storage section to be easily formed by bending a metal plate. For example, even if the storage section has a complex shape, dividing it into multiple metal plates allows it to be formed by bending the metal plate, and the phenomenon of the metal plate being locally stretched and locally reducing in thickness during bending is relatively unlikely to occur.

[0032] A catch 51 made of a flat metal plate is fixed by welding to the upper end of the storage section 52, and the opening at the upper end is closed. An opening 522 at the lower end of the storage section 52 is left open and has a shape suitable for receiving the coil spring 91 inside the storage section 52.

[0033] An elongated hole 7 extending in the direction in which the filaments 911 of the coil spring 91 extend is provided at the portion where the storage section 52 comes into contact with the frame bracket 16. The elongated hole 7 is long in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and short in the up-down direction of the vehicle body, and is a through-hole that penetrates the metal plate material that constitutes the storage section 52.

[0034] The width of the slot in the short direction is preferably larger than the diameter of the filament of the coil spring, and is not particularly limited, but is, for example, 1.1 to 5 times, preferably 1.2 to 4 times the diameter of the filament of the coil spring.

[0035] As described above, the support structure 1 of this embodiment includes the frame portion 2. The frame bracket 16 is fixed to the side member 22 of the frame portion 2 by welding. The frame bracket 16 is a flat metal plate that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body, and one surface of the frame bracket 16 is fixed to the side member 22 by welding. The first reinforcing member 13, the second reinforcing member 14, the third reinforcing member 15, and the coil spring bracket 5 are fixed to the other surface of the frame bracket by welding.

[0036] The bracket 5 is fixed to the second cross member 24 by the first mounting portion 531 and the second mounting portion 532, and is also fixed to the frame bracket 16 by welding. Specifically, both ends of the bracket 5 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle body are welded to the frame bracket 16 along the up-down direction of the vehicle body, and the bracket 5 is also fixed to the frame bracket 16 by welding at the edge of the elongated hole 7, which will be described later.

[0037] The bracket 5 and the frame bracket 16 are joined by welding the edge of the elongated hole 7 to the frame bracket 16 exposed from the elongated hole 7. Specifically, as shown by the thick line in FIG. 5, the edge of the elongated hole 7 and the frame bracket exposed from the elongated hole are joined by welding. The welding is performed on one of at least two long sides and two short sides of the elongated hole 7. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, welding is performed on the upper long side and both left and right arc-shaped short sides. Note that in FIG. 5, the fourth member 526 is omitted from the diagram to clearly show the welding locations.

[0038] The first reinforcing member 13, the second reinforcing member 14, and the third reinforcing member 15 are also fixed by welding to the frame bracket 16. Specifically, these members are fixed to the frame bracket 16 at the locations indicated by the thick lines in FIG.

[0039] The first reinforcing member 13 is configured as a long member in which one dimension is larger than the other when comparing width and length. As shown in FIG. 1 , one longitudinal side of the first reinforcing member 13 is fixed to the frame bracket 16 by welding along the longitudinal direction. The other longitudinal side of the first reinforcing member 13 is fixed to the upper surface of the receiving seat 51 by welding along the longitudinal direction. This increases the weld length when welding to the frame bracket 16 or the flat receiving seat 51, thereby increasing rigidity and strength against input. The first reinforcing member 13 is fixed to the frame bracket 16 so that the longitudinal direction is the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body.

[0040] Both ends of the first reinforcing member 13 each have a protrusion extending toward the second reinforcing member 14 or the third reinforcing member 15. By welding the edge of the protrusion to the second reinforcing member 14 or the third reinforcing member 15, the first reinforcing member 13 and the second reinforcing member 14 or the third reinforcing member 15 are more firmly fixed together.

[0041] The second reinforcing member 14 and the third reinforcing member 15 are configured as elongated members in which one dimension is greater than the other when comparing width and length. Furthermore, the second reinforcing member 14 or the third reinforcing member 15 is configured to be longer than the first support part 11 or the second support part 12, respectively.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 1 , one longitudinal side of the second reinforcing member 14 is fixed to the frame bracket 16 by welding along the longitudinal direction. The other longitudinal side of the second reinforcing member 14 is fixed to the side wall of the bracket 5 by welding along the longitudinal direction. Similarly, one longitudinal side of the third reinforcing member 15 is fixed to the frame bracket 16 by welding. The other longitudinal side of the third reinforcing member 15 is fixed to the side wall of the bracket 5 by welding. This increases the weld length when welding the second reinforcing member 14 or the third reinforcing member 15 to the frame bracket 16, thereby increasing rigidity and strength against input. The second reinforcing member 14 and the third reinforcing member 15 are fixed to the frame bracket 16 so that their longitudinal directions are aligned with the vertical direction of the vehicle body. In this case, the longitudinal axes of the second reinforcing member 14 and the third reinforcing member 15 do not necessarily need to be aligned with the vertical direction, and the angle can be changed as appropriate.

[0043] The first support part 11 is provided at the upper end part of the second reinforcing member 14. The second support part 12 is provided at the upper end part of the third reinforcing member 15. The second reinforcing member 14 and the third reinforcing member 15 are both elongated members, and are fixed to the bracket 5. The first support part 11 and the second support part 12, which function as mounting parts for the upper arm, are disposed above the bracket 5.

[0044] A bracket 8 for a bump stopper for fixing a bump stopper (not shown) is fixed to the bracket 5. The bump stopper is provided at a position facing the upper surface of the lower arm, and restricts excessive swinging of the lower arm.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2 , the left and right ends of the first cross member 23 and the second cross member 24 have through holes 232, 242 formed in the first wall and through holes 233, 243 formed in the second wall. The through holes 232, 233 are also formed in the connecting portion 25. The through holes of the first cross member 23 and the through holes of the connecting portion 25 are overlapping and communicate with each other. As shown in FIG. 1 , when the lower arm 9 is attached, the through holes 232, 233 of the first cross member 23 communicate with a through hole of a bushing provided at one of the base ends of the lower arm 9. By inserting and fixing a shaft through these through holes, the left and right ends of the first cross member 23 function as a pivotal support that supports one of the base ends of the lower arm 9 in a state where the shaft can swing up and down. The pivotal support functions as a mounting portion for the lower arm 9.

[0046] Similarly, when the lower arm 9 is attached, the through holes 242, 243 of the second cross member 24 communicate with the through holes of a bush provided at the other of the base ends of the lower arm 9. By inserting and fixing a shaft through these through holes, the left and right ends of the second cross member 24 function as a pivotal support that supports the other of the base ends of the lower arm 9 in a state where it can swing up and down. This pivotal support functions as a mounting portion for the lower arm 9.

[0047] The first reinforcing member 13, the second reinforcing member 14, and the third reinforcing member 15 described above are all made of metal plates. In the mounting structure of this embodiment, each has a shape that includes a bent portion of the metal plate. This improves the rigidity and strength of each member. In this embodiment, the second reinforcing member 14 and the third reinforcing member 15 are members with an L-shaped cross section, formed by joining a plate-shaped first wall and a plate-shaped second wall. The first reinforcing member 13 is also a member with an L-shaped cross section, formed by joining a plate-shaped first wall and a plate-shaped second wall. The first reinforcing member may be bent in multiple stages.

[0048] In the mounting structure of this embodiment, the first support portion 11, the second support portion 12, the first reinforcing member 13, the second reinforcing member 14, the third reinforcing member 15, the coil spring bracket 5, and the frame portion 2 are formed by press molding or bending a metal plate. Therefore, each member has a hollow structure, which contributes to reducing the weight of the vehicle body. The frame portion includes a side member 22, a first cross member 23, a second cross member 24, and a connecting portion 25.

[0049] In the coil spring bracket 5, the elongated hole prevents the coil spring 91 from interfering with the inner wall of the joint that joins the bracket 5 to a vehicle body member when an input from the wheel is applied. When an input from the wheel is applied, the lower arm swings upward, compressing the coil spring 91. At this time, the coil spring 91 may bend and deform, interfering with the joint and generating noise. The bracket 5 of this embodiment is provided with an elongated hole 7 extending in the direction of the filament 911 of the coil spring 91. The elongated hole 7 is a through-hole that penetrates the metal plate that constitutes the storage section 5. Therefore, when the coil spring 91 is bent and deformed, the filament 911 of the coil spring 91 can escape into the elongated hole 7. This prevents interference between the inner wall of the joint and the filament 911 of the coil spring 91. Furthermore, the upper part of the elongated hole is not open but is a plate-like portion. This ensures rigidity.

[0050] The elongated hole 7 is used as a portion for welding the bracket 5 to a vehicle body component, such as a frame bracket. As shown by the bold line in FIG. 5 , the edge of the elongated hole 7 is welded to the frame bracket 16 exposed through the elongated hole 7. By welding at least one of the two long sides and two short sides, stress concentration at the connection portion (the portion indicated by symbol A in FIG. 2 ) between the first and second mounting portions 531 and 532 and the side wall of the bracket 5 is reduced, improving long-term strength and reducing distortion of the component at the connection portion. Welding the edge of the elongated hole as described above increases the vertical weld width C ( FIG. 5 ), which prevents the upper end of the bracket from rotating toward the outside of the vehicle body around the first and second mounting portions 531 and 532 as fulcrums when subjected to wheel input. This reduces stress concentration at the connection portion between the first and second mounting portions 531 and 532 and the bracket.

[0051] In the suspension arm support structure including bracket 5 of this embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the stress value at welded portion A between second mounting portion 532 and the side wall of bracket 5 is reduced by 15% compared to the stress value at welded portion B between first mounting portion 531b and second mounting portion 532b and the side wall of bracket 5b in suspension arm support structure 1b including bracket 5b shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Bracket 5b has a shape in which, instead of an elongated hole, a rectangular opening 522 is cut out from the upper end toward the bottom of the vehicle body. Bracket 5b is not a divided shape, but has a shape in which the first member 523, second member 524, and third member described above are formed by bending a single continuous plate material. As shown by the thick lines in FIG. 6, an edge extending along the up-down direction of the vehicle body and an edge extending along the fore-aft direction of the vehicle body are fixed to frame bracket 16 by welding.

[0052] The suspension arms supported by the support structure are not limited to the upper and lower arms of a double wishbone suspension system. Any suspension system that has two suspension arms spaced apart in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle body can be supported by the support structure.

[0053] The support structure described above constitutes a cross member structure for mounting vehicle body components such as suspension arms, wheel support members, and engines. The support structure to which the coil spring bracket is applied is not limited to this cross member structure. The coil spring bracket may also be applied to other vehicle body components such as frames. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 91 Coil spring 911 Striae 5 Coil spring bracket 51 catch seat 52 Storage area 522 Opening 7 long hole 16 Frame bracket 1 Suspension arm support structure 531 First mounting part 532 Second mounting part 23 First cross member 24 Second cross member

Claims

1. A coil spring bracket supports one end of a coil spring, the other end of which is supported by a suspension arm that swings up and down in the vehicle body, the bracket has a plate-shaped receiving seat that receives the other end of the coil spring, and a plate-shaped storage portion that has one end connected to the receiving seat and that houses the other end of the coil spring, the storage portion surrounds at least a portion of the coil spring and has an opening at the other end thereof for receiving the coil spring; A bracket for an automobile coil spring, wherein the storage portion has a long hole extending in the direction in which the wires of the coil spring extend, and the long hole is a through hole that penetrates the metal plate material that constitutes the storage portion.

2. 2. The bracket for a coil spring of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the housing portion is made of a plurality of metal plates joined by welding.

3. A suspension arm support structure comprising the coil spring bracket for an automobile according to claim 1 or 2 and a frame bracket for fixing the coil spring bracket, The frame bracket and the coil spring bracket are formed by welding the edge of the elongated hole to the frame bracket exposed from the elongated hole.

4. the side wall portion of the bracket for a coil spring of an automobile is sandwiched between a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion made of metal plate material arranged at an interval in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, the frame bracket and the coil spring bracket are joined by welding an edge of the elongated hole and a portion of the frame bracket exposed from the elongated hole, 4. The suspension arm support structure according to claim 3, wherein the welds are formed on at least one of the two long sides and two short sides of the elongated hole.

5. 4. The suspension arm support structure according to claim 3, further comprising an upper arm mounting portion and a lower arm mounting portion.

6. 6. The suspension arm support structure according to claim 5, wherein the mounting portion of the lower arm is a support portion provided on a first cross member and a second cross member extending in the vehicle width direction.

7. 6. A suspension arm support structure according to claim 5, wherein the mounting portion of the upper arm is a support portion provided above the coil spring bracket.

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