Vehicle rear structure and vehicle trailer coupling structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle rear part structure that makes it possible to easily attach a hitch member even in a vehicle with a small amount of overhang from a rear axle and that is less likely to cause deformation, cracks, etc., in a vehicle body and to provide a trailer coupling structure for a vehicle equipped with the same.SOLUTION: A vehicle rear part structure having an attachment portion of a hitch member 190 for connecting a trailer 200 includes an interposition member disposed on a center side in a vehicle width direction below a floor panel of a vehicle body and interposed between at least one floor lower component 140 and the vehicle body. The attachment portion of the hitch member 190 for the trailer 200 is attached to a rear end of the interposition member, on the center side in the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle rear structure having a mounting portion for a hitch member for a trailer and a trailer connection structure of a vehicle equipped with the same.

Background Art

[0002] As a trailer connection structure of a vehicle, a fixed bar as a hitch member extending in the vehicle width direction is fixed to a connection bar extending in the vehicle width direction and integrated with the vehicle body frame at the rear end of the vehicle, and the front end portion of the base of the trailer is pivotally connected to a hook provided on the fixed bar (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, as a trailer connection structure, a hitch member extending in the vehicle width direction is fixed to a side frame extending in the front-rear direction at the rear end of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the trailer connection structure of the vehicle described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to secure a mounting space for the hitch member on the rear end side of the vehicle body, and it is difficult to mount the hitch member on a vehicle having a small overhang amount from the rear axle to the rear. Further, when the hitch member is mounted on the rear end side of the vehicle body, there is also a problem that the vehicle body is likely to be deformed or cracked.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle rear structure in which a hitch member can be easily and simply mounted even on a vehicle having a small overhang amount from the rear axle, and the vehicle body is unlikely to be deformed or cracked, and a trailer connection structure of a vehicle equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle rear structure comprising: an intervening member positioned on the vehicle width-direction center side below the floor panel of the vehicle body, interposed between at least one underfloor component and the vehicle body; and a mounting portion for a trailer hitch member provided at the rear end of the intervening member on the vehicle width-direction center side.

[0007] According to this vehicle rear structure, the hitch member for the trailer is attached to the mounting point at the rear end of an intervening member located below the floor panel. This allows the hitch member to be mounted at a lower position than in conventional systems where it is attached to the vehicle body. This lowers the vehicle's center of gravity when a trailer is attached, improving the vehicle's handling performance and preventing the trailer from tipping over. Furthermore, when a load is applied from the trailer to the vehicle, the load is transmitted to the vehicle body via an intermediary member from the hitch member. This reduces vibration and noise inside the vehicle compared to conventional systems where the load is directly transmitted from the hitch member to the vehicle body. In addition, there is no need to secure mounting space for the hitch member at the rear end of the vehicle body, increasing the design flexibility of the rear end of the vehicle body. Moreover, it makes it easy to install the hitch member on vehicles with a small amount of overhang from the rear axle to the rear. Furthermore, since the intervening member below the floor panel is exposed to the outside of the vehicle, it is not necessary to remove the bumper when installing the hitch member to the vehicle, as is the case with conventional hitch members that are attached to the vehicle's frame, thus improving the ease of hitch member installation. Furthermore, since the hitch member is attached to the vehicle body with an intermediary member in between, it is less likely to cause deformation, cracks, etc. in the vehicle body compared to conventional systems where the hitch member is attached to the rear end of the vehicle frame.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-described rear vehicle structure, the underfloor components may include components of the rear suspension.

[0009] This vehicle rear structure allows the hitch member to be attached to the vehicle using the suspension frame as an intermediary. Since the suspension frame has relatively high rigidity, it is suitable for attaching the hitch member.

[0010] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned rear vehicle structure, the underfloor components may also include components of the rear differential.

[0011] This vehicle rear structure allows the hitch member to be attached to the vehicle using the rear differential bracket as an intermediary. The rear differential bracket is suitable for attaching the hitch member because it has relatively high rigidity.

[0012] Furthermore, in the above-described rear vehicle structure, the underfloor components may include components of the motor unit.

[0013] This vehicle rear structure allows the hitch member to be attached to the vehicle using the motor unit bracket as an intermediary member. Since the motor unit bracket has relatively high rigidity, it is suitable for attaching the hitch member.

[0014] Furthermore, the present invention provides a trailer coupling structure for a vehicle, comprising the above-mentioned rear vehicle structure and a hitch member having a member body extending horizontally in the front-rear direction, the front end of which is attached to the mounting portion of the intervening member, and a hitch mount including a hitch ball connected to the rear end.

[0015] According to the trailer coupling structure of this vehicle, the hitch member body extends in the front-to-rear direction below the floor panel, and the trailer coupler is connected to the hitch ball of the hitch mount, which is connected to the rear end of the hitch member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, even in a vehicle with a small overhang amount from the rear axle, the hitch member can be easily attached, and deformation, cracks, etc. are less likely to occur in the vehicle body.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic explanatory view of a vehicle and a trailer showing an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory view of the bottom surface of the rear vehicle structure in a state where the hitch member is attached. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory view of the rear cross-section of the rear vehicle structure in a state where the hitch member is attached. [Figure 4] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory view of the rear cross-section of the rear vehicle structure before attaching the hitch member.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] FIGS. 1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a vehicle and a trailer showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of the bottom surface of the rear vehicle structure in a state where the hitch member is mounted, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the rear cross-section of the rear vehicle structure in a state where the hitch member is mounted, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory view of the rear cross-section of the rear vehicle structure in a state where the hitch member is not mounted.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, this vehicle 100 towes a trailer 200 connected to the rear portion. The vehicle 100 and the trailer 200 are connected by a hitch ball 110 and a coupler 210. The hitch ball 110 is provided at the upper part on the rear end side of a ball mount 115 extending in the front-rear direction. Further, the coupler 210 is disposed to protrude forward at the front end of the trailer 200 and receives the hitch ball 110 from above at the front end side. The connection portion between the hitch ball 110 and the coupler 210 is the same as that of a conventionally well-known one, and thus will not be described in detail here.

[0020] Vehicle 100 has two axles, and a total of four wheels, i.e., a pair of left and right front wheels 120 and rear wheels 125, are in contact with the ground. On the other hand, trailer 200 has one axle, and a pair of left and right wheels 220 are in contact with the ground. In the present embodiment, vehicle 100 has a power unit 130 disposed on the front side, transmits power to the front wheels 120, and also transmits power to the rear wheels 125 via a drive shaft 135. A rear differential 140 that allows for rotational differences of each rear wheel 125 is disposed at the rear end of the drive shaft 135. As shown in FIG. 2, an axle 145 that transmits power to the rear wheels 125 is connected to the rear differential 140.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, rear differential 140 is supported by a suspension frame 150. A lower arm 160 and an upper arm 161 of the rear suspension are attached to the suspension frame 150. In the present embodiment, suspension frame 150 is disposed on the center side in the vehicle width direction below the floor panel 171 of the vehicle body 170, and forms an intervening member interposed between at least one floor lower part and the vehicle body 170. In the present embodiment, the floor lower parts are the housing of the rear differential 140, the lower arm 160, and the upper arm 161 of the rear suspension.

[0022] In the present embodiment, suspension frame 150 has a first cross member 151 extending in the left - right direction, a second cross member 152 extending in the left - right direction behind the first cross member 151, and a pair of left and right side members 153 extending in the front - rear direction with their front ends and rear ends connected to the first cross member 151 and the second cross member 152. In the present embodiment, the rear end of the housing of the rear differential 140 is supported by the second cross member 152.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, the first cross member 151 and the second cross member 152 are fixed to the vehicle body 170 of the vehicle 100 via rubber mounts 180. The vehicle body 170 has a floor panel 171 and a pair of left and right side frames 172 provided on the lower surface of the floor panel 171, and the floor panel 171 and the side frames 172 form a closed cross section. In this embodiment, the first cross member 151 and the second cross member 152 are fixed to the side frames 172 via rubber mounts 180.

[0024] The lower arm 160 of the rear suspension is rotatably mounted to the rear wheel knuckle (not shown) and the second cross member 152. The upper arm 161 of the rear suspension is rotatably mounted to the rear wheel knuckle and the side member 153. The rear suspension also has a strut 162 interposed between the floor panel 171 and the lower arm 160, which includes a spring and a shock absorber.

[0025] As shown in Figure 2, a hitch member 190 can be attached to the back of the second cross member 152. The hitch member 190 has a member body 191 that extends horizontally in the front-rear direction and a bracket portion 192 that fixes the member body 191 to the second cross member 152. The member body 191 is formed in a rectangular tubular shape and receives the front end of the ball mount 115 through an opening 191a at its rear end. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, pin holes 191b are formed on each side of the member body 191, and with the ball mount 115 inserted into the member body 191, they can be fixed by inserting a pin (not shown) into the ball mount 115 and the member body 191.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the bracket portion 192 is formed in a roughly hat-shaped plate form when viewed from below, and has a holding portion 192a that holds the front and rear predetermined positions of the member body 191, a pair of left and right extending portions 192b that extend forward and outward from both left and right ends of the holding portion 192a, and fixing portions 192c that extend outward from the front end of each extending portion 192b along the back surface of the second cross member 152. The bracket 192 is fixed to the second cross member 152 by bolts 193, with each fixing portion 192c being fixed by bolts 193.

[0027] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5, the hitch member mounting portion of the second cross member 152 is configured to include a seating surface 152a of the fixing portion 192c of the bracket portion 192 formed on the back surface of the second cross member 152, and a female threaded portion 152b formed on this seating surface 152a that engages with a bolt 193. That is, the seating surface 152a and the female threaded portion 152b constitute the mounting portion for the hitch member 190 for the trailer 200, which is provided at the rear end of the suspension frame 150 on the center side in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] With the vehicle rear structure configured as described above, the hitch member 190 for the trailer 200 is attached to the rear end mounting portion of the suspension frame 150, which is located below the floor panel 171. When the hitch member 190 is attached to the suspension frame 150, the member body 191 extends in the front-rear direction below the floor panel 171, and the coupler 210 of the trailer 200 is connected to the hitch ball 110 of the ball mount 115 connected to the rear end of the hitch member 190. This allows the hitch member 190 to be mounted at a lower position than in conventional systems where the hitch member is attached to the vehicle body, thereby lowering the center of gravity of the vehicle 100 when the trailer 200 is connected, improving the vehicle 100's handling performance, and suppressing the rollover of the trailer 200.

[0029] Furthermore, when a load is applied from the trailer 200 to the vehicle 100, the load is transmitted to the vehicle body 170 from the hitch member 190 via the suspension frame 150. This reduces vibration and noise inside the vehicle compared to conventional systems where the load is directly transmitted from the hitch member to the vehicle body. In this embodiment, since a rubber mount 180 is interposed between the suspension frame 150 and the vehicle body 170, vibration and noise originating from the trailer 200 are hardly transmitted to the vehicle interior. Moreover, there is no need to secure mounting space for the hitch member 190 on the rear end of the vehicle body 170, increasing the design freedom of the rear end of the vehicle body 170. Additionally, it becomes easy to attach the hitch member 190 to the vehicle 100, which has a small overhang from the rear axle 145.

[0030] Furthermore, since the suspension frame 150 below the floor panel 171 is exposed to the outside of the vehicle, it is not necessary to remove the bumper when installing the hitch member 190 on the vehicle, as is the case with conventional systems where the hitch member is attached to the rear end of the vehicle's frame, thus improving the ease of installation of the hitch member 190. In addition, since the hitch member 190 is attached to the vehicle body 170 via the relatively rigid suspension frame 150, deformation and cracking of the vehicle body are less likely to occur compared to conventional systems where the hitch member is attached to the rear end of the vehicle's frame. In addition, it is possible to achieve weight reduction and cost reduction by simplifying the component configuration.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the intervening member is shown to be interposed between the rear suspension and rear differential 140 components and the vehicle body 170. However, the intervening member may be interposed between one component and the vehicle body 170, for example, as a bracket that supports only the differential 140 components without being involved with the suspension. Furthermore, the underfloor components may be components other than the rear suspension and rear differential, for example, components of the motor unit that drives the rear wheels.

[0032] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments described above do not limit the invention as defined in the claims. Furthermore, it should be noted that not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential for solving the problem of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0033] 100 vehicles 110 Hitchball 115 Hitch Mount 160 Lower Arm 161 Upper Arm 150 Suspension Frame 170 car bodies 171 Floor Panel 190 Hitch Member 191 Member body 200 Trailer 210 Coupler

Claims

1. In a vehicle rear structure to which a trailer hitch member can be attached, With the hitch member not installed, an intervening member is positioned on the vehicle width side towards the center of the vehicle below the floor panel of the vehicle body, and interposed between at least one underfloor component and the vehicle body, The intervening member comprises a mounting portion for the hitch member for a trailer, which is provided at the rear end on the center side in the vehicle width direction of the intervening member, The intervening member is a suspension frame having a cross member extending in the vehicle width direction, The mounting portion is formed on the back of the cross member and includes a seating surface for the bracket portion of the hitch member and a female threaded portion formed on the seating surface. A rear vehicle structure in which, when a load is applied from the trailer to the vehicle, the load is transmitted to the vehicle body from the hitch member via the intervening member, and the load is not directly transmitted from the hitch member to the vehicle body.

2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, A trailer coupling structure for a vehicle, comprising a hitch member having a member body extending horizontally in the front-rear direction, the front end of which is attached to the mounting portion of the intervening member, and a hitch mount including a hitch ball connected to the rear end.

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