Rear component for vehicle

Abstract

To make a vehicle lightweight and upgrade strength and rigidity.SOLUTION: A rear constitutional member 100 for vehicles extends rearward in a vehicle while being connected to a rocker box 81 and rear pillar 84, and includes a main body 10, a tower part 40, and a suspension member 50. At least part of the main body 10 extends in a vehicular for-and-aft direction on a closed section, and connects the rear pillar 84 to a rear member 92 located rearward in the vehicle. The tower part 40 is connected to the top of the main body 10, and has a space where part of a suspension 200 is stored. At least part of the suspension member 50 has a closed section, extends in the vehicular for-and-aft direction under the main body 10, and has a front end connected to the rocker box 81 and rear pillar 84. Arm brackets 31, 32, 34, and 36 to which an arm of the suspension 200 is connected are formed on a periphery in a vehicle width direction of the main body 10 and a periphery in the vehicle width direction of the suspension member 50.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the structure of a rear component of a vehicle. More specifically, it relates to the structure of a rear component for a vehicle to which a suspension arm is attached.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, a vehicle structure has been studied in which the skeletal structure of a vehicle is formed of cast products such as aluminum and these are joined to form a vehicle body frame. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure in which left and right rear frames extending in the front-rear direction on both sides in the rear of the vehicle, left and right shock towers, and a cross member connecting the left and right rear frames in the vehicle width direction are integrally formed by casting.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the cast product described in Patent Document 1 is a cast product having the same shape as in the case of a rear frame, shock tower, and cross member formed of plate members, and the thickness of the member is large, leaving room for improvement from the viewpoint of weight reduction of the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to achieve weight reduction of a vehicle and improvement of strength and rigidity.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The rear vehicle component of the present invention is a vehicle component that extends to the rear of the vehicle, connected to the rear end of a rocker and a rear pillar, and is a hollow member formed by integral casting, comprising a main body portion, a tower portion, and a suspension member portion, wherein at least a portion of the main body portion has a closed cross-section and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, connecting the rear pillar and the rear member at the rear of the vehicle, the tower portion is connected to the upper part of the main body portion and has a space for housing a part of the suspension device, and the suspension member portion has a closed cross-section and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the lower part of the main body portion, with its front end connected to the rocker and the rear pillar, and arm brackets are provided on the outer surface of the main body portion in the vehicle width direction and the outer surface of the suspension member portion in the vehicle width direction, respectively, to which the arms of the suspension device are connected. Furthermore, the suspension member portion is provided with a cylindrical opening in the center, surrounded by the arm bracket, through which the drive shaft passes. There are 、 It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] This invention can reduce the weight of a vehicle and improve its strength and rigidity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a side view showing the rear structure of a vehicle equipped with the rear components of the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the suspension system attached to the rear component of the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the rear component. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following description will explain the rear component 100 for a vehicle according to the embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the rear component 100) with reference to the drawings. First, the rear structure 310 of a vehicle 300 equipped with the rear component 100 will be described with reference to Figure 1. In the following description, the rear structure 310 on the right side of the vehicle 300 will be described. The rear structure 310 on the left side of the vehicle 300 is symmetrical to the rear structure 310 on the right side, so its description will be omitted. The arrows FR, UP, and RH shown in each figure indicate the front, top, and right sides of the vehicle 300, respectively. The opposite directions of each arrow FR, UP, and RH indicate the rear, bottom, and left sides. In the following description, when simply using the front / rear, left / right, and up / down directions, unless otherwise specified, they refer to the front / rear in the front-rear direction, the left / right in the left-right direction, and the up / down in the up / down direction of the vehicle 300.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the rear structure 310 of the vehicle 300 includes a rocker 81, a rear pillar 84, a rear pillar outer 82, a rear component 100, a rear member 92, a cross connecting member 93, a support column 94, a connecting member 76, and a roof rail 91.

[0011] The rocker 81 is a structural member that extends in the longitudinal direction at the side end of the vehicle 300. The rocker 81 has a square closed cross-section. A rear pillar 84 is attached to the upper surface of the rear end of the rocker 81. A rear pillar outer 82 is connected to the upper and front parts of the rear pillar 84. The lower end of the rear pillar outer 82 is connected to the upper surface of the rear end of the rocker 81. A rear end plate 85 is attached to the rear end of the rocker 81. Thus, the rear pillar 84 and the rear pillar outer 82 are attached to the rear end of the rocker 81. As shown in Figure 2, the rear pillar outer 82 is a hat-shaped closed cross-section structural member that extends upward from the rocker 81.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear component 100 is a structural member that extends to the rear of the vehicle, connected to the rear end of the rocker 81 and the rear pillar 84. The rear component 100 is a hollow member that is integrally cast and consists of a main body 10, a tower 40, a suspension member 50, and a front end block 70. Details of the structure of the rear component 100 will be explained later with reference to Figures 1 and 3.

[0013] The rear member 92 is a closed-section structural member that is connected to the rear end 19 of the rear component 100 and extends to the rear of the vehicle. A rear end plate 95 is attached to the rear end of the rear member 92.

[0014] The cross connecting member 93 is a cross member that connects the rear ends of the upper bases 47 of the tower sections 40 of the left and right rear components 100 to the left and right. The support column 94 is a closed section member that connects the upper surface of the rear member 92 to the lower surface of the cross connecting member 93. The connecting member 76 is a closed section member that connects the front end of the upper base 47 of the tower section 40 to the upper part of the front end block 70.

[0015] The roof rail 91 is a structural member that constitutes the roof of the vehicle 300. The roof rail 91 is a longitudinal member with a closed section that extends in the front-rear direction at the upper side end of the vehicle 300. The central part of the roof rail 91 is connected to the upper end 83 of the rear pillar outer 82. The roof rail 91 extends diagonally rearward from the upper end 83 of the rear pillar outer 82 toward the upper base 47 of the tower section 40. The rear end of the roof rail 91 is connected to the upper base 47 of the tower section 40.

[0016] Next, with reference to Figure 2, the suspension system 200 attached to the rear component 100 will be briefly described. The suspension system 200 consists of an upper arm 201, two lower arms 202, a middle arm 203, a coil spring 204, and a shock absorber 205. The upper arm 201 connects the arm brackets 31 and 32 fixed to the main body 10 to the upper part of the wheel 210. The rear lower arm 202 connects the arm bracket 34 fixed to the suspension member 50 to the rear lower part of the wheel 210. The front lower arm 202 (not shown) connects the arm bracket 34 (not shown) fixed to the front of the suspension member 50 to the front lower part of the wheel 210. The structure of the front arm bracket 34 (not shown) is the same as the rear arm bracket 34 shown. The middle arm 203 connects the arm bracket 36 fixed to the suspension member 50 to the vertical center of the wheel 210. The shock absorber 205 is connected to the lower part of the wheel 210. The upper part of the shock absorber 205 is housed in a recess 46 of the tower section 40. The upper end of the shock absorber 205 is connected to the upper part of the tower section 40. The coil spring 204, like the shock absorber 205, has its upper part housed in a recess 46 of the tower section 40. A drive shaft 211 is connected to the wheel 210, and the suspension member section 50 is provided with an opening 54 through which the drive shaft 211 passes in the vehicle width direction.

[0017] Next, the structure of the rear component 100 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 3. As explained earlier, the rear component 100 is a hollow member that is integrally cast and consists of a main body 10, a tower 40, a suspension member 50, and a front end block 70.

[0018] The main body part 10 is a part that at least partially has a closed cross-section and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front end of the main body part 10 is connected to the upper half part 71 of the front end block 70. As shown in FIG. 3, the general part of the main body part 10 is a square closed cross-section part composed of an upper plate 13, a lower plate 14, a right side plate 11, and a left side plate 12. Here, the right side plate 11 constitutes the outer side plate of the main body part 10 in the vehicle width direction. Also, the left side plate 12 constitutes the inner side plate of the main body part 10 in the vehicle width direction.

[0019] The closed cross-section shape of the general part of the main body part 10 and the closed cross-section shape of the rear member 92 are the same shape. Therefore, when the rear member 92 is connected to the rear end 19 of the main body part 10, the main body part 10 and the rear member 92 constitute a rear side member, which is a structural member extending rearward from the rear pillar 84 in the vehicle.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, the upper plate 13 is cut out at the part (the part other than the general part) where the main body part 10 is connected to the tower part 40. The upper plate 13 is divided into a front part located in front of the part connected to the tower part 40 and a rear part located behind the part connected to the tower part 40. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the tower part 40 is composed of a right side plate 41, a left side plate (not shown), a front plate 43, a rear plate 44, and a ceiling plate 45. The front part of the upper plate 13 is connected to the front plate 43 of the tower part 40. Also, the rear part of the upper plate 13 is connected to the rear plate 44 of the tower part 40. And the front plate 43 and the rear plate 44 are connected to each other front and rear by the ceiling plate 45. Also, the right side plate 11 of the main body part 10 is connected to the right side plate 41 of the tower part 40, and the left side plate 12 of the main body part 10 is connected to the left side plate (not shown) of the tower part 40. Therefore, the part where the main body part 10 is connected to the tower part 40 is composed of the front plate 43, the rear plate 44, the ceiling plate 45, the lower plate 14, the right side plates 11 and 41, and the left side plates 12 and the left side plate (not shown) of the tower part 40, and has a closed cross-section shape extending in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, pedestals 15 and 17 are provided on the surface of the right side plate 11 on which arm brackets 31 and 32 shown in FIG. 2 are fixed. Here, the surface of the right side plate 11 is the outer surface of the main body 10 in the vehicle width direction. Bolt holes 16 and 18 for fixing the arm brackets 31 and 32 are provided in the pedestals 15 and 17.

[0022] The tower portion 40 is a portion connected to the upper part of the main body portion 10 and having a recess 46 for accommodating a part of the suspension device 200. As described above, the tower portion 40 is composed of a right side plate 41, a left side plate (not shown), a front plate 43, a rear plate 44, and a ceiling plate 45. The front plate 43 and the rear plate 44 are connected to the upper plate 13 so as to rise from the upper plate 13 of the main body portion 10. Also, the right side plate 41 is connected to the right side plate 11 of the main body portion 10. Similarly, the left side plate (not shown) is connected to the left side plate 12 of the main body portion 10. A recess 46 is provided in the right side plate 41. The recess 46 is a cylindrical depression that is recessed inward in the vehicle width direction and whose central axis is inclined toward the outer side of the vehicle diagonally. The upper part of the recess 46 is connected to the ceiling plate 45. The upper part of the coil spring 204 and the upper part of the shock absorber 205 are accommodated in the space 46A inside the recess 46. An upper pedestal 47 is provided at the right end of the ceiling plate 45 of the tower portion 40. As described above, a roof rail 91, a connecting member 76, and a cross connecting member 93 are connected to the upper pedestal 47.

[0023] The suspension member portion 50 is a portion that at least partially has a closed cross-section and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction below the main body portion 10. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the suspension member portion 50 includes a right side plate 51, a left side plate 52, a rear plate 53A, and a lower plate 53B. And the suspension member portion 50 is a hollow member with a closed cross-section surrounded by the right side plate 51, the left side plate 52, the rear plate 53A, the front end block 70, the lower plate 53B, and the lower plate 14 of the main body portion 10 on the right side, left side, rear side, front side, lower side, and upper side. Here, the right side plate 51 constitutes the outer plate of the suspension member portion 50 in the vehicle width direction. Also, the left side plate 52 constitutes the inner plate of the suspension member portion 50 in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, a cylindrical opening 54 is provided in the center of the suspension member 50 through which the drive shaft 211 passes. A bowl-shaped recess 55 is provided in front of the right side plate 51. The bottom of the recess 55 is flat. A base 57 is provided at the bottom to which the front arm bracket 34 is fixed. The base 57 is provided with bolt holes 58 for fixing the front arm bracket 34. A recess 56 is provided on the lower rear side of the right side plate 51, recessed in a step shape from the surface of the right side plate 51. A base 59 is provided at the bottom of the recess 56 to which the rear arm bracket 34 is fixed. The base 59 is provided with bolt holes 60 for fastening bolts 37 (see Figure 2) that fix the rear arm bracket 34. An oval-shaped opening 61 is provided on the upper rear side of the right side plate 51. The periphery of the opening 61 and the surface of the right side plate 51 are connected by an inclined curved surface. The upper and lower parts of the opening 61 are provided with bases 62 to which the arm bracket 36 shown in Figure 2 is fixed. Each base 62 is provided with bolt holes 63 for fixing the arm bracket 36. Here, the bottom of recess 55 and the bottom of recess 56 are the outer surfaces of the suspension member portion 50 in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the front end block 70 is a rectangular closed-section member to which the front end of the main body 10 and the front end of the suspension member 50 are connected. As shown in Figure 2, the right end of the front end block 70 is connected to the left end of the rear pillar 84. The suspension member 50 is also connected to the lower half 72 of the front end block 70. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the left side plate 52 of the suspension member 50 and the front end block 70 are connected by ribs 73 and 74. Thus, the suspension member 50 is connected to the rear pillar 84 and the rocker 81 via the front end block 70. In addition, a receiving seat 75 is provided on the upper part of the front end block 70 to which the front end of the connecting member 76 is connected.

[0026] As described above, the rear component 100 of this embodiment is a hollow part that is integrally cast and comprises a main body 10 that constitutes a rear side member which is a structural member, a tower 40 that houses a part of the suspension device 200, and a suspension member 50 at the bottom of the main body 10. Arm brackets 31, 32, 34, and 36 are provided on the main body 10 and the suspension member 50 to which the arms of the suspension device 200 are connected. In this way, the rear component 100 is constructed as an integral hollow part that includes a structural member at the rear of the vehicle, a suspension tower, and a mounting portion for the suspension device 200. As a result, the rear component 100 can reduce the weight of the vehicle 300 with a simple configuration.

[0027] In the above description, the general portion of the main body 10 of the rear component 100 was described as a rectangular closed cross-section, but it is not limited to this, and for example, it may be an elliptical closed cross-section. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0028] 10 Main body, 11, 41, 51 Right side plate, 12, 52 Left side plate, 13 Top plate, 14, 53B Bottom plate, 15, 17, 57, 59, 62 Base, 16, 18, 58, 60, 63 Bolt hole, 19 Rear end, 31, 32, 34, 36 Arm bracket, 37 Bolt, 40 Tower section, 43 Front plate, 44, 53A Rear plate, 45 Ceiling plate, 46, 55, 56 Recess, 46A Space, 47 Upper base, 50 Suspension member section, 54, 61 Opening, 70 Front end block, 71 Upper half, 72 Lower half, 73, 74 Rib, 75 Receiving seat, 76 Connecting member, 81 Rocker, 82 Rear pillar outer, 83 Upper end, 84 Rear pillar, 85, 95 91 Rear end plate, 92 Roof rail, 93 Rear member, 94 Cross connecting member, 100 Rear component (rear component for vehicle), 200 Suspension system, 201 Upper arm, 202 Lower arm, 203 Middle arm, 204 Coil spring, 205 Shock absorber, 210 Wheel, 211 Drive shaft, 300 Vehicle, 310 Rear structure.

Claims

[Claim 1] A rear component for a vehicle that is connected to the rear end of the rocker and the rear pillar and extends to the rear of the vehicle, It is a hollow component cast in one piece, consisting of a main body, a tower section, and a suspension member section. The main body portion extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle with at least a portion of it having a closed cross-section, connecting the rear pillar and the rear member at the rear of the vehicle. The tower section is connected to the upper part of the main body and has a space for housing a part of the suspension system. The suspension member portion has at least a closed cross-section, extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction at the lower part of the main body, and its front end is connected to the rocker and the rear pillar. Arm brackets are provided on the outer surface of the main body in the vehicle width direction and on the outer surface of the suspension member in the vehicle width direction, respectively, to which the arms of the suspension device are connected. The suspension member portion has a cylindrical opening in the center, surrounded by the arm bracket, through which the drive shaft passes. A rear component for a vehicle characterized by the following features.

Images