Vehicle body structure

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a vehicle body structure capable of suppressing intrusion of wheels into a vehicle while absorbing energy at collision by means of an energy absorption member. [Solution] The present invention has: a side sill 10 that is disposed rearward of a front wheel in a vehicle; and an energy absorption member 20 that is disposed inside the side sill and on at least a front end side of the side sill. A distance d1 between a surface of the energy absorption member on a vehicle inner side and a wall surface of the side sill on a vehicle inner side is smaller than a distance d2 between a surface of the energy absorption member on a vehicle outer side and a wall surface of the side sill on a vehicle outer side.

Description

Body structure

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

[0002] Vehicles are designed and developed with various collision scenarios in mind, including a small overlap collision (hereinafter referred to as an SOL collision), in which approximately 25% of the width of the front of the vehicle collides with a barrier. In an SOL collision, the front wheels located in the overlap area move backward relative to the vehicle body due to the load from the impact object, and the collision load may act on the side sills, etc.

[0003] In relation to a side-on collision, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which the buckling strength of the inner and outer side sills is different.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-037843

[0005] The present inventor has been studying components that absorb energy during a SOL collision, and has been actively studying how to prevent the wheel from penetrating into the interior of the vehicle while absorbing the energy during the collision using an energy absorbing component.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to prevent the wheel from entering the interior of the vehicle while absorbing energy during a collision using an energy absorbing member.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention includes a side sill disposed rearward of the front wheels, and an energy absorbing member disposed inside the side sill and at least toward the front end thereof, wherein the distance between the vehicle-inner surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle-inner wall surface of the side sill is smaller than the distance between the vehicle-outer surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle-outer wall surface of the side sill.

[0008] According to the above vehicle body structure, the energy absorbing member can absorb the energy at the time of a collision, while suppressing the intrusion of the wheels into the interior of the vehicle.

[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a side sill constituting a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment and a component housed in the internal space of the side sill, with the inner side sill and outer side sill separated so that the component can be seen. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the inside of the side sill. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between an outer guide bracket and an energy absorbing member constituting the vehicle body structure. FIG. 6 is a diagram viewed from above of FIG. 3. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing before and after deformation of the tip end of the side sill according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a collision between the tip end of the side sill according to the embodiment and a colliding object. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a collision of a vehicle body structure according to a comparative example. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a collision of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing deformation of the energy absorbing member.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0011] In each figure, arrows represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the orientation of members constituting the vehicle body structure according to the embodiment. X indicates the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and is referred to as the longitudinal direction X. Y indicates the transverse direction of the vehicle, and is referred to as the transverse direction Y. Z indicates the vertical direction of the vehicle, and is referred to as the vertical direction Z.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a side sill 10 constituting a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment, and components housed in the internal space of the side sill 10, with the inner side sill 11 and outer side sill 15 separated so that the components can be seen. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the interior of the side sill 10. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between a guide bracket 32 ​​and an energy absorbing member 20 constituting the vehicle body structure. FIG. 4 is a top view of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state before and after deformation of the tip of the side sill 10 according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a collision between the tip of the side sill 10 according to an embodiment and a colliding object b. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a collision of a vehicle body structure according to a comparative example. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing deformation of the energy absorbing member 20.

[0013] The vehicle types to which the vehicle body structure according to this embodiment can be applied are not particularly limited, and include gasoline vehicles, vehicles equipped with secondary batteries (EVs), hybrid vehicles, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle body structure according to this embodiment has a side sill 10, an energy absorbing member 20, a support bracket 30, and a base bracket 40. These will be described in detail below.

[0014] (Side Sill) The side sill 10 is provided on a lower side of the vehicle, rearward of the front wheels. As shown in FIG. 2 , the side sill 10 includes an inner side sill 11 and an outer side sill 15.

[0015] As shown in Figure 2, the inner side sill 11 includes a horizontal wall 12, a vertical wall 13, and a flange 14. One end of the horizontal wall 12 is connected to the flange 14, and the other end is connected to the vertical wall 13. The horizontal walls 12 are provided at both ends of the vertical wall 13, thereby forming a semi-closed space that houses the energy absorbing member 20, the support bracket 30, and the base bracket 40.

[0016] Like the inner side sill 11, the outer side sill 15 includes a lateral wall 12, a vertical wall 13, and a flange 14. The vertical dimension of the vertical wall 13 of the outer side sill 15 can be configured to be approximately the same as the dimension of the vertical wall 13 of the inner side sill 11, but the dimension of the lateral wall 12 of the outer side sill 15 in the vehicle width direction Y may be the same as or different from the dimension of the inner side sill 11 in the vehicle width direction Y. It is preferable that the outer side sill 15 has a relatively large R-shape formed by crushing its tip so that the vehicle moves away from a collision object b in the event of a collision on the left-hand side, as shown in FIG. 5 and other figures.

[0017] (Energy Absorbing Member) The energy absorbing member 20 is disposed in the interior space of the side sill 10 and at least at the front end thereof, and is configured to absorb energy from the tire (wheel) to the side sill 10 during a frontal collision, including a frontal collision of the vehicle. As shown in Fig. 2, the energy absorbing member 20 is configured by joining together corrugated members 21, each having a series of corrugated and concave portions like waves, with an adhesive or by welding to form a plurality of hexagons, in other words, a honeycomb structure. It can also be said that the outer recessed portions of the honeycomb of the energy absorbing member 20 form constrictions 23 (concavities and recesses).

[0018] 2, a corrugated member 21 constituting the energy absorbing member 20 is provided with recesses 22. However, as long as the corrugated member 21 can exhibit its energy absorbing function during an SOL collision, the recesses 22 do not have to be provided in the corrugated member 21. The material of the energy absorbing member 20 is not particularly limited, but it can be made of GFRP (glass fiber reinforced plastic) or the like.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, the distance d1 between the vehicle-inside surface of the energy absorbing member 20 and the vehicle-inside wall surface of the side sill 10 is smaller than the distance d2 between the vehicle-outside surface of the energy absorbing member 20 and the vehicle-outside wall surface of the side sill 10. This makes it possible to absorb energy from the wheel during an SOL collision while preventing the wheel from entering the vehicle interior. It is preferable that the energy absorbing member 20 deforms slightly during an SOL collision (see Figure 9).

[0020] (Support Bracket) The support bracket 30 is disposed outward in the vehicle width direction Y relative to the energy absorbing member 20. As shown in FIG. 2 , the support bracket 30 includes an inner bracket 31 and a guide bracket 32. The support bracket 30 has a predetermined width in the up-down direction Z when viewed from the side of the vehicle, and is formed in a plate shape extending in the front-rear direction X. The support bracket 30 is formed along the contour shape of the honeycomb structure of the energy absorbing member 20, such as the constriction 23, and is disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20.

[0021] If the support bracket 30 is not disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20 as described above, the welded portion of the energy absorbing member 20 may open up as shown in Fig. 9 during an SOL collision or the like, which may impair the energy absorption performance of the energy absorbing member 20. In contrast, by disposing and joining the support bracket 30 outside the energy absorbing member 20, it is possible to prevent or suppress the opening of the energy absorbing member 20 during an SOL collision.

[0022] The inner bracket 31 is disposed between the energy absorbing member 20 and the side sill 10 at its tip in the longitudinal direction X on the inside of the vehicle. The inner bracket 31 is joined to the inner side sill 11 by welding, and is joined to the corrugated member 21 of the energy absorbing member 20 by adhesive bn or the like.

[0023] Like the corrugated member 21 of the energy absorbing member 20, at least a portion of the inner bracket 31 is formed to conform to the shape of the honeycomb structure that constitutes the energy absorbing member 20. By thus matching at least a portion of the shape of the inner bracket 31 to the honeycomb structure of the energy absorbing member 20, the rigidity of the support bracket 30 can be improved. Also, displacement in the vertical direction Z can be prevented.

[0024] The guide bracket 32 ​​is disposed rearward of the tip of the inner bracket 31 in the longitudinal direction X on the vehicle outer side, between the energy absorbing member 20 and the side sill 10, and further outward than the inner bracket 31. The guide bracket 32 ​​is formed to follow the outer shape of the honeycomb structure of the energy absorbing member 20, and is disposed adjacent to the energy absorbing member 20 on the vehicle outer side. This makes it possible to suppress the opening of the energy absorbing member 20.

[0025] The guide bracket 32 ​​has an end in the fore-aft direction X that is connected to a base bracket 40 (described later) by welding. Like the inner bracket 31, the guide bracket 32 ​​is joined to the energy absorbing member 20 with an adhesive bn. The guide bracket 32 ​​is disposed outward of the inner bracket 31 in the vehicle width direction Y, between the energy absorbing member 20 and the outer side sill 15. The guide bracket 32 ​​is formed in approximately the same shape as the contour of the constriction 23 of the energy absorbing member 20 in the up-down direction Z, so as to follow the contour of the constriction 23. This improves the rigidity of the guide bracket 32. The guide bracket 32 ​​has a rear end 33 in the fore-aft direction X that is bent so as to be joined to the base bracket 40.

[0026] 1, 3, etc., the front end of the guide bracket 32 ​​in the front-rear direction X is configured to be located rearward of the front end of the energy absorbing member 20. By configuring it in this way, the collapse of the energy absorbing member 20 when absorbing energy is not hindered, and the guide bracket 32 ​​can prevent or suppress opening of the welded portion of the energy absorbing member 20, which may occur in the latter half of the collapse.

[0027] Furthermore, although the energy absorbing member 20 alone may be prone to tipping over due to an oblique input, sandwiching it between the support brackets 30 prevents the energy absorbing member 20 from tipping over. It is desirable that the front end P1 of the guide bracket 32 ​​be located near a line L formed by connecting the front end of the vehicle-inside surface of the inner side sill 11 and the outer edge of the vehicle-outside of the base bracket 40 in a plan view, or further rearward of the line L. The angle θ between the line L and the fore-and-aft direction X is, for example, 40° (see FIG. 4 ). This configuration prevents the guide bracket 32 ​​from interfering with the collapse of the energy absorbing member 20.

[0028] If not configured in this manner, the tip of the side sill would deform to wrap around the impact object b, and could behave as if it were plunged directly into the impact object b, as in the case of vehicle V shown in Figure 7. In contrast, by configuring the guide bracket 32 ​​as described above, the outer side sill 15 is crushed during a side-on collision, while the inner side sill 11 is barely deformed, allowing the tip shape to deform as shown in Figures 5 and 6. This makes it possible to apply a force in the direction away from the impact object b, as shown by the arrow in Figure 8, making it easier to ensure the safety of the occupants.

[0029] Furthermore, the front end P1 of the guide bracket 32 ​​in plan view is configured to be positioned inward in the vehicle width direction Y from the outer edge E1 of the base bracket 40 (see FIG. 4). This makes it possible to suppress the opening of welded portions and the like without further hindering the collapse of the side sill 10. Note that, as long as the front end P1 of the guide bracket 32 ​​is positioned inward from the outer edge E1 of the base bracket 40 in plan view, θ shown in FIG. 4 does not necessarily have to be 40°.

[0030] (Base Bracket) The base bracket 40 is disposed adjacent to the rear of the energy absorbing member 20 in the front-rear direction X and is configured to support the energy absorbing member 20 from the rear. The base bracket 40 can be joined to the guide bracket 32 ​​and the outer side sill 15 by welding. With this configuration, the base bracket 40 is supported by the highly rigid base bracket 40, thereby further ensuring rigidity against opening of the welded portion, etc.

[0031] The outer side of the base bracket 40 in the vehicle width direction Y can be formed with a flange 41 that matches the shape of the guide bracket 32. The inner side of the base bracket 40 in the vehicle width direction Y can be formed in the same manner as the inner bracket 31. The materials of the support bracket 30 and the base bracket 40 are not particularly limited, but they can be made of steel plate, for example.

[0032] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above description, the base bracket 40 is joined to the guide bracket 32, and the inner bracket 31 is joined to the inner side sill 11, but this is not limiting. Alternatively, the base bracket may be joined to the inner bracket, and the guide bracket may be joined to the outer side sill. However, it is preferable to join the guide bracket to the side sill at a greater distance from the mating surface so that a longer welding length can be secured.

[0033] Furthermore, it has been described that at least a portion of the inner bracket is formed to conform to the shape of the corrugated member of the energy absorbing member. However, the shape of the inner bracket may be formed to more closely match the honeycomb shape of the energy absorbing member 20, similar to the shape of the guide bracket 32 ​​in FIG. 2, as long as the bonding strength with the inner side sill and the energy absorbing member is ensured. Furthermore, while the energy absorbing member 20 has been described above as being located at the front end of the interior space of the side sill 10 in the fore-and-aft direction X, this is not a limitation and the energy absorbing member 20 may be located some distance away from the front end as long as it can perform its energy absorbing function during an SOL collision. Furthermore, although the vehicle body structure has been described above as including a support bracket 30 and a base bracket 40, the vehicle body structure does not necessarily have to include a support bracket 30 or a base bracket 40 as long as it can absorb energy during an SOL collision while preventing the wheel from entering the vehicle interior.

[0034] The following embodiments are also included within the scope of the present invention: a vehicle structure according to claim 1 having the features of claim 2; a vehicle structure according to claim 1 having the features of claim 3; a vehicle structure according to claim 2 or 3 having the features of claim 4; a vehicle structure according to claim 2 or 3 having the features of claim 5; and a vehicle structure according to claim 4 or 5 having the features of claim 6. This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-147598 filed on September 12, 2023, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0035] 10 Side sill, 20 Energy absorbing member, 23 Constriction (concave / convex), 30 Support bracket, 31 Inner bracket, 32 Guide bracket, 33 Rear end (joint between guide bracket and base bracket), 40 Base bracket, 41 Flange (joint between side sill and base bracket), d1 Distance (distance between vehicle inner surface of energy absorbing member and vehicle inner wall surface of side sill), d2 Distance (distance between vehicle outer surface of energy absorbing member and vehicle outer wall surface of side sill), L Straight line (straight line connecting the front end of the vehicle inner wall surface of side sill and the vehicle outer outer edge of the base bracket when viewed in a plane), X Forward / backward direction, Y Vehicle width direction.

Claims

1. A vehicle body structure comprising: a side sill arranged rearward of the front wheels; and an energy absorbing member arranged inside the side sill and at least on the front end side, wherein the distance between the vehicle inner surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill is smaller than the distance between the vehicle outer surface of the energy absorbing member and the vehicle outer wall surface of the side sill.

2. A vehicle body structure as described in claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing member has a honeycomb structure formed by bonding or welding a number of plate materials together, and a guide bracket having a shape that conforms to the honeycomb structure is disposed adjacent to the vehicle outer surface of the energy absorbing member.

3. A vehicle body structure as described in claim 2, wherein the guide bracket has a plate shape that has a predetermined width in the vertical direction of the vehicle when viewed from the side, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the front end of the guide bracket is positioned rearward of the front end of the energy absorbing member.

4. A vehicle body structure as claimed in claim 2 or 3, further comprising a base bracket arranged adjacent to the rear of the energy absorbing member and supporting the energy absorbing member from the rear, the guide bracket being connected to the base bracket.

5. A vehicle body structure as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the surface of the energy absorbing member facing the outer side of the vehicle is uneven, and the guide bracket has a shape that follows the contour of the unevenness.

6. A vehicle body structure as described in claim 4, wherein the front end of the guide bracket is positioned, in a plan view, near a straight line connecting the front end of the vehicle inner wall surface of the side sill and the vehicle outer outer edge of the base bracket, or further rearward than the straight line.

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