Vehicle body structure

Abstract

This vehicle body structure comprises: a main frame that supports the body of a vehicle; and a sub-frame which is fixed to the main frame and from which a motive power source of the vehicle is suspended. The main frame has a pair of side members. The sub-frame has: a first cross member which has at least a portion thereof fixed to the upper surfaces of the side members and which connects the pair of side members to each other; a second cross member that is arranged apart from the first cross member in front of the first cross member, that has at least a portion thereof fixed to the upper surfaces of the side members, and that connects the pair of cross members to each other; and a connection member that connects the first cross member and the second cross member. A support member that supports a suspension of the vehicle is disposed between the first cross member and the second cross member.

Description

Body structure

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle body structure.

[0002] Conventionally, a vehicle body structure having a subframe for mounting a motor is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The vehicle body structure of Patent Document 1 includes a subframe and a bracket for fixing the subframe to a side member. The subframe is lifted from the underside of the vehicle and fixed to the bracket. A power source is supported on the subframe by a pendulum system that suspends the power source from the subframe.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 08-310252

[0004] The vehicle body structure of Patent Document 1 is used for the body structure of an electric vehicle having a monocoque frame in which the body and chassis are integrally formed and the body rigidity is maintained by the body and chassis. However, in the body structure of a frame vehicle in which the body is mounted on a lattice-shaped frame, the body rigidity must be maintained only by the frame, so the vehicle body structure of Patent Document 1 is not optimal.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure suitable for frame vehicles.

[0006] The vehicle body structure disclosed herein comprises a main frame that supports the body of a vehicle, and a subframe that is fixed to the main frame and suspends the vehicle's power source, wherein the main frame has a pair of side members, and the subframe has a first cross member that is fixed at least in part to the upper surface of the side members and connects the pair of side members, a second cross member that is arranged in front of the first cross member and spaced apart from the first cross member, and at least a portion of which is fixed to the upper surface of the side member and connects the pair of cross members, and a connecting member that connects the first cross member and the second cross member, and a support member that supports the vehicle's suspension is arranged between the first cross member and the second cross member.

[0007] With this configuration, the subframe can be fixed onto the side members and the power source can be suspended underneath, thereby supporting the power source while improving the body rigidity of the main frame in a frame vehicle.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle body structure suitable for frame vehicles can be provided.

[0009] 2 is a side view of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a top view of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG.

[0010] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description and drawings, the right side relative to the direction of travel of the frame vehicle C will be referred to as R, the left side as L, the front side as F, the rear side as B, the upper side as U, and the lower side as D. Note that Figure 2 is a top view of the vehicle body structure 1 with the control device 9 removed.

[0011] 1, 2, and 3, a vehicle body structure 1 includes a main frame 2, a subframe 4, a battery 6, a power source 8, and a control device 9 that controls the power source 8. The vehicle body structure 1 of this embodiment is a structure of the front side F of a frame vehicle (an example of a vehicle) C in which a body 5 is mounted on the main frame 2. In this embodiment, the power source 8 is a motor. The control device 9 is an inverter that controls the motor.

[0012] The main frame 2 has at least a pair of side members 10, a body mount 11, a turret (an example of a support member) 12, a rear suspension carrier 13, a front suspension carrier 14, a towing hook 15, and a front end cross member 16.

[0013] As shown in Figure 2, the pair of side members 10 are arranged with a gap in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction). The body mount 11 is a member that supports the body 5. The body mount 11 protrudes from the right side member 10 on the right side R to the right side R, and protrudes from the left side member 10 on the left side L to the left side L. In other words, the body mount 11 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from each of the left and right side members 10.

[0014] The turret 12 is a substantially cylindrical member that supports a suspension (not shown). The turret 12 is provided on the right side R of the right side member 10 and on the left side L of the left side member 10. The rear suspension carrier 13 supports the rear side B of a suspension arm (not shown). The front suspension carrier 14 supports the front side F of a suspension arm (not shown). The rear suspension carrier 13 and the front suspension carrier 14 are fixed to a pair of side members 10 by welding, respectively.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the main frame 2 includes a rear suspension cross member 13a (an example of a lower cross member), a bump stopper bracket 13b, and a front suspension cross member 14a (an example of a lower cross member). The rear suspension cross member 13a extends below the pair of side members 10. The rear suspension cross member 13a connects the pair of side members 10 near the rear suspension carrier 13, increasing rigidity near the rear suspension cross member 13a. The bump stopper bracket 13b holds a bump stopper that restricts swing of the suspension arm toward the upper side U. The front suspension cross member 14a extends below the pair of side members 10. The front suspension cross member 14a connects the pair of side members 10 near the front suspension carrier 14, increasing rigidity near the front suspension cross member 14a. In addition, the main frame 2 may include other member members that connect the pair of side members 10. The main frame 2 is thus configured in a grid shape by the pair of side members 10 and the member members connecting the pair of side members 10 .

[0016] As shown in Fig. 2, the subframe 4 has a first cross member 20, a second cross member 21, a third cross member 22, a connecting member 23, and an absorbing member 24. As shown in Fig. 3, the subframe 4 is a structural member for suspending the power source 8 from the underside D of the subframe 4 via a mount bracket 8a.

[0017] At least a portion of the first cross member 20 is fixed to the upper surface 10a of the side member 10, connecting the pair of side members 10 together. In this embodiment, the first cross member 20 has portions of both end portions 20a thereof covering the upper surface 10a of the side member 10. This allows the load of the power source 8 to be received by the upper surface 10a of the side member 10.

[0018] The second cross member 21 is disposed on the front side F of the first cross member 20 at a distance from the first cross member 20. Similar to the first cross member 20, at least a portion of the second cross member 21 is fixed to the upper surface 10a of the side member 10, connecting the pair of side members 10 together. In this embodiment, similar to the first cross member 20, portions of both end portions 21a of the second cross member 21 cover the upper surface 10a of the side member 10.

[0019] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the control device 9 is disposed above the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21 that are lined up in the front and rear, and is supported by the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21.

[0020] 2 , the third cross member 22 is disposed on the front side F of the second cross member 21 and spaced apart from the second cross member 21. Similar to the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21, at least a portion of the third cross member 22 is fixed to the upper surface 10a of the side member 10, connecting the pair of side members 10 together. In this embodiment, similar to the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21, both end portions 22a of the third cross member 22 partially cover the upper surface 10a of the side member 10.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first cross member 20, the second cross member 21, and the third cross member 22 are all structures formed by processing plate-shaped metal members into hollow members with rectangular cross sections. However, the first cross member 20, the second cross member 21, and the third cross member 22 in this embodiment may also be formed by aluminum die-casting or the like.

[0022] In this embodiment, the first cross member 20, second cross member 21, and third cross member 22 all have their ends 20a, 21a, and 22a fixed to the upper surface 10a of the side member 10 with bolts. In this embodiment, for example, if an internal combustion engine is mounted on the main frame 2 as the power source 8, a frame different from the subframe 4 is used. On the other hand, if a motor is mounted as the power source 8, the subframe 4 is used. This increases the versatility of the main frame 2.

[0023] 1 and 2, the first cross member 20 is positioned so as to overlap the rear suspension cross member 13a in the vertical direction. The second cross member 21 is positioned so as to overlap the front suspension cross member 14a in the vertical direction. The turret 12 is positioned between the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21.

[0024] 2, the connecting member 23 extends in the front-rear direction and connects the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21. In this embodiment, two connecting members 23 are arranged with a gap between them in the left-right direction. At least a portion of the power source 8 is arranged in a space located below the first cross member 20 and the second cross member 21.

[0025] The absorbing members 24 extend in the front-rear direction and connect the second cross member 21 and the third cross member 22. In this embodiment, two absorbing members 24 are arranged with a gap in the left-right direction. The absorbing members 24 are members that can absorb the impact received by the third cross member 22. In this embodiment, the absorbing members 24 are crash tubes.

[0026] The vehicle body structure 1 configured in this manner improves vehicle body rigidity without changing the structure of the main frame 2, by fixing the first cross member 20, the second cross member 21, and the third cross member 22 to the main frame 2.

[0027] Furthermore, in the vehicle body structure 1 of the present disclosure, when the frame vehicle C collides from the front, the third cross member 22 receives the impact and the crash pipes absorb the impact, thereby increasing the energy absorption capacity of the vehicle body structure 1. In particular, when the power source 8 is a motor, the weight of the battery 6 that supplies power to the motor increases. This increases the load applied to the side members 10 when the frame vehicle C collides. In the vehicle body structure 1 of the present disclosure, the subframe 4 absorbs the impact, thereby improving the load-bearing capacity of the vehicle body structure 1 without changing the structure of the main frame 2.

[0028] Furthermore, in the vehicle body structure 1 of the present disclosure, the space in which the power source 8 is mounted is surrounded by the first cross member 20, the second cross member 21, the turret 12, the rear suspension cross member 13a, and the front suspension cross member 14a. This increases the vehicle body rigidity around the space in which the power source 8 is mounted. This makes this space less likely to collapse in the event of a collision with the frame vehicle C. In the vehicle body structure 1 of the present disclosure, the power source 8 is suspended so that at least a portion of the power source 8 is located in this space. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the power source 8 in the event of a collision with the frame vehicle C.

[0029] As described above, according to the present disclosure, a vehicle body structure 1 suitable for a frame vehicle C can be provided.

[0030] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. In particular, the multiple modifications described in this specification can be combined as needed.

[0031] (a) In the above embodiment, the power source 8 is described as a motor, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The power source 8 may be, for example, a combination of a motor and an internal combustion engine, or a fuel cell stack.

[0032] (b) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which two connecting members 23 are arranged with a gap in the left-right direction, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of connecting members 23 may be one or three or more.

[0033] (c) In the above embodiment, an example was described in which two absorbing members 24 were arranged with a gap in the left-right direction, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The number of absorbing members 24 may be one or three or more.

[0034] Although various embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0035] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2023-51240) filed on March 28, 2023, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0036] 1: Body structure 2: Main frame 4: Subframe 5: Body 8: Power source (motor) 9: On-vehicle equipment (control device) 10: Side member 10a: Top surface 11: Body mount 12: Turret 13: Rear suspension carrier 13a: Rear suspension cross member (lower cross member) 14: Front suspension carrier 14a: Front suspension cross member (lower cross member) 20: First cross member 21: Second cross member 22: Third cross member 23: Connecting member 24: Absorbing member C: Frame vehicle

Claims

1. a main frame that supports a vehicle body; a subframe fixed to the main frame and suspending a power source of the vehicle; Equipped with The main frame has a pair of side members, The subframe comprises: a first cross member at least a portion of which is fixed to an upper surface of the side member and which connects the pair of side members together; a second cross member disposed in front of the first cross member and spaced apart from the first cross member, at least a portion of which is fixed to an upper surface of the side member, and which connects the pair of side members together; a connecting member that connects the first cross member and the second cross member; and a support member for supporting a suspension of the vehicle is disposed between the first cross member and the second cross member; the subframe includes a third cross member disposed in front of the second cross member and spaced apart from the second cross member, at least a portion of which is fixed to an upper surface of the side member, and which connects the pair of side members together; an absorbing member that connects the second cross member and the third cross member and absorbs an impact applied to the third cross member; having Body structure.

2. (delete)

3. At least a portion of the power source is disposed in a space located below the first cross member and the second cross member. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 .

4. The vehicle further includes a plurality of lower cross members connecting the lower portions of the pair of side members, The first cross member and the second cross member are disposed at positions overlapping with the lower cross member when viewed in the vertical direction. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 .

5. the power source is a motor, The motor is disposed between the first cross member and the second cross member. The vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 1, 3 and 4.