Vehicle body structure

Abstract

This vehicle body structure comprises: a pair of side members that extend in the front-rear direction of a vehicle; a cross member that extends in the width direction of the vehicle and connects the pair of side members; a spare tire that is supported by the cross member at a rear part of the vehicle and is disposed between the pair of side members; a structural body that extends from the side members rearward from the rear ends of the side members; and a tank that is arranged side by side with the spare tire in the vehicle width direction and that stores an additive for exhaust purification. The rear end of the tank is located further toward the rear side of the vehicle than the cross member and further toward the front side of the vehicle than the rear end of the spare tire and the rear end of the structure.

Description

Body structure

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

[0002] Vehicles equipped with tanks for storing additives used in exhaust purification systems are known. When the target substance to be purified is nitrogen oxides (NOx), additives such as urea solution or ammonia solution are stored inside the tank.

[0003] Patent No. 6772451

[0004] The vehicle body structure of Patent Document 1 fixes the tank to the rear of the wheelhouse and to the outside in the width direction of the side member. Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle body structure that takes into consideration tipping when such a tank is installed on a pickup truck. However, vehicles with bodies fixed to side members (frames) generally have a shorter rear overhang, which is the distance from the wheelhouse to the rear end of the rear bumper, compared to pickup trucks. For this reason, there is a demand for a vehicle body structure that ensures tank volume while preventing the tank from being damaged in a collision.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that can suppress damage to the tank.

[0006] The vehicle body structure of the present disclosure comprises a pair of side members extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connecting the pair of side members, a spare tire supported by the cross member at the rear of the vehicle and positioned between the pair of side members, a structure extending from the side member rearward of the rear end of the side member, and a tank for storing an exhaust purification additive positioned alongside the spare tire in the vehicle width direction, the rear end of the tank being located rearward of the cross member and forward of the vehicle from the rear end of the spare tire and the rear end of the structure.

[0007] In the vehicle body structure according to the present disclosure, when a collision occurs from behind, an impact object strikes the spare tire and the structure, thereby preventing the impact object from striking the tank, thereby suppressing damage to the tank.

[0008] 1 is a top view of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a side view of a vehicle body structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 1, and a diagram showing a state during a collision according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the front side of a vehicle C is designated as F, the rear side as B, the right side as R, the left side as L, the upper side as U, and the lower side as D. In the following description, the left-right direction will be referred to as the width direction of the vehicle C, or simply as the width direction.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle body structure 1 includes a pair of side members 2a and 2b, a spare tire 4, a structural body 6, a urea water tank (an example of a tank) 8, a wheel house 10, a body mount 12, an exhaust pipe 14, and a cross member 22.

[0011] As shown in Figure 2, the vehicle body structure 1 of this embodiment is a vehicle C with a separate frame structure in which a body 16 is fixed to a pair of side members 2a and 2b via a plurality of body mounts 12. The vehicle C of this embodiment has a body 16 that is a station wagon, hatchback, or minivan SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle). This vehicle C is equipped with a urea selective catalytic reduction system (urea-SCR system). The urea water tank 8 is a tank that stores urea water to supply urea water to a urea injection device of the urea selective catalytic reduction system.

[0012] 3, the body 16 of the vehicle C has a floor panel 16a, a side panel 16b, and a joint 16c that joins the floor panel 16a and the side panel 16b. The joint 16c is located outside the side member 2a in the width direction and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle C.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, a pair of side members 2a and 2b are arranged with a gap in the width direction. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3, the pair of side members 2a and 2b are formed of hollow tubular structural members and extend in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the side member 2a is arranged on the left side, and the side member 2b is arranged on the right side.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 1, the spare tire 4 is disposed between a pair of side members 2a and 2b. As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, in this embodiment, the spare tire 4 is fixed to a cross member 22 via bolts 24 or the like. The cross member 22 is disposed rearward of the axle 20 of the rear wheel 18 and extends in the width direction to connect the pair of side members 2a and 2b. The spare tire 4 is disposed offset to the right with respect to the center line Ow in the width direction of the vehicle C. This increases the space to the left of the spare tire 4, and by disposing the urea solution tank 8 in this space, it is easy to ensure the volume of the urea solution tank 8.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the structural body 6 is a member extending from the side member 2a. In this embodiment, the structural body 6 is a bracket for fixing a towing hook extending downward from the side member 2a. As shown in FIG. 2 , the bracket has an L-shaped towing hook 6a and a receiving portion 6b. The bracket is fixed to the underside of the side member 2a near its rear end. The towing hook 6a extends downward and toward the rear of the side member 2a. The receiving portion 6b is welded to the towing hook 6a and extends rearward beyond the rear end 2c of the side member 2a. In this embodiment, the receiving portion 6b includes a rearmost end 6c of the receiving portion 6b. When a colliding object enters the vehicle C from behind, the colliding object abuts against the rearmost end 6c of the receiving portion 6b, thereby receiving the colliding object. In the bracket of this embodiment, the towing hook 6a and the receiving portion 6b are formed of sheet metal members. However, the bracket may be formed, for example, by aluminum die casting.

[0016] The urea water tank 8 is a bag-shaped member formed of a resin member or a sheet metal member, and stores an additive for purifying exhaust gas therein. As shown in FIG. 1, the urea water tank 8 has a urea filler neck 8a, a main portion 8b, and an extension portion 8c. As shown in FIG. 2, the urea filler neck 8a is an inlet for injecting urea water into the urea water tank 8. In this embodiment, the urea filler neck 8a is arranged side by side in the front-rear direction with a fuel filler neck 26a, which is an inlet for injecting fuel into the fuel tank 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the urea filler neck 8a is connected to the extension portion 8c.

[0017] 1 and 3, the main portion 8b is a portion of the urea water tank 8 that extends from the lower side of the side member 2a toward the spare tire 4. As shown in Fig. 1, a right side surface 8d of the main portion 8b is formed in a shape that follows the shape of the spare tire 4. In other words, the right side surface 8d of the main portion 8b is formed so as to face the tread surface of the spare tire 4.

[0018] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rear surface 8e of the main portion 8b of the urea water tank 8 is the rearmost end of the urea water tank 8. Imaginary line X1 in Figure 2 indicates the longitudinal position of the rear surface 8e of the main portion 8b of the urea water tank 8. Imaginary line X2 in Figure 2 indicates the longitudinal position of the rear end 4b of the spare tire 4. Imaginary line X3 in Figure 2 indicates the longitudinal position of the rearmost end 6c of the structural body 6. Imaginary line X4 in Figure 2 indicates the longitudinal position of the rear end 2c of the side member 2a. Imaginary line X5 in Figure 2 indicates the longitudinal position of the front end 4d of the spare tire 4. Imaginary line X6 in Figure 2 indicates the longitudinal position of the front end 8k of the urea water tank 8. As shown in Figure 2, the rear surface 8e (see position X1) is located forward of the rear end 4b of the spare tire 4 (see position X2) and the rearmost end 6c of the structural body 6 (see position X3). The rear surface (rear end) 8e of the urea tank 8 is located rearward of the rear end 2c of the side member 2a (see the position X4). The front end 8k of the urea tank 8 (see the position X6) is located rearward of the front end 4d of the spare tire 4 (see the position X5).

[0019] 1 , the main portion 8b is fixed to the side member 2a and the cross member 22 via a plurality of fixing brackets 8f. In this embodiment, the main portion 8b is fixed to the side member 2a at one point and to the cross member 22 at two points. However, the main portion 8b may be fixed to either the side member 2a or the cross member 22.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the extension 8c is a portion of the urea water tank 8 that extends from the main portion 8b to a position outside the side member 2a in the width direction. As shown in Figure 2, the extension 8c is disposed between the wheel house 10 and the body mount 12. As shown in Figure 1, the extension 8c is supported by the body mount 12 via a fixing bracket 8f. By disposing the extension 8c in addition to the main portion 8b in this manner, it is easy to ensure the volume of the urea water tank 8. As shown in Figure 3, the left side surface 8j of the urea water tank 8 is located inside the joint 16c in the width direction.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3, the lower surfaces 8g of the main portion 8b and the extension portion 8c form the lowest end of the urea water tank 8. An imaginary line Y1 in Fig. 2 indicates the vertical position of the lower surface 8g of the urea water tank 8. An imaginary line Y2 in Fig. 2 indicates the vertical position of the lower end 4c of the spare tire 4. An imaginary line Y3 in Fig. 2 indicates the front-rear position of the lower end 6d of the structure 6. The lower surface 8g of the urea water tank 8 in Fig. 2 is located higher than the lower end 4c of the spare tire and the lower end 6d of the structure 6. As shown in Fig. 3, a protector 8h is provided below the urea water tank 8 in this embodiment. Therefore, the lower surface 8g of the urea water tank 8 in this embodiment is the lower surface of the protector 8h.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the extension 8c extends above the upper surface 2d of the side member 2a. This increases the volume of the urea solution tank 8, making it easier to ensure the volume of the urea solution tank 8. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the urea filler neck 8a is connected to the portion extending upward of the extension 8c. This allows the hose 8i connecting the urea filler neck 8a and the urea solution tank 8 to be routed without passing between the floor panel 16a (see Figure 3) of the body 16 (see Figure 3) of the vehicle C and the side member 2a. As a result, the length of the hose 8i (an example of a pipe) connecting the urea filler neck 8a and the urea solution tank 8 can be shortened.

[0023] The wheel house 10 is disposed outboard of the side members in the width direction of the vehicle C, and houses a rear wheel 18 (an example of a wheel) of the vehicle C. A splash shield (not shown) is provided on the inner surface of the wheel house 10. An extension 8c of the urea water tank 8 is located behind the splash shield.

[0024] 1 and 2, the body mount 12 extends outward in the width direction from the pair of side members 2a and 2b and supports a floor panel 16a of a body 16 of a vehicle C via bushings or the like. As shown in Fig. 1, the body mount 12 fixed to the side member 2a in this embodiment has a protrusion 12a for fixing a fixing bracket 8f. The extension 8c of the urea water tank 8 is located forward of the protrusion 12a of the body mount 12.

[0025] The exhaust pipe 14 extends rearward from an exhaust purification device including a selective catalytic reduction system (not shown). The exhaust pipe 14 is disposed on one side in the width direction of the spare tire 4. The urea water tank 8 is disposed on the other side of the spare tire 4. In this embodiment, the exhaust pipe 14 passes to the right of the spare tire 4. The urea water tank 8 is disposed on the left side of the spare tire 4. This prevents the urea water tank 8 from receiving heat from the exhaust pipe 14. As a result, deterioration of the urea water can be suppressed.

[0026] The impact object R1 in Fig. 4 is a collision type from the rear of the vehicle C, assuming that the impact vehicle is a truck or other vehicle with a bumper that is positioned relatively high. The impact object R2 in Fig. 4 is a collision type from the rear of the vehicle C, assuming that the impact vehicle is a passenger car or other vehicle with a bumper that is positioned lower than that of the truck.

[0027] In the vehicle body structure 1 configured in this manner, the rear surface 8e is located forward of the rear end 4b of the spare tire 4 and the rearmost end 6c of the structural body 6. Therefore, for example, if the colliding object R1 enters the position of the colliding object R1 in Figure 4, the colliding object R1 will collide with the rearmost end 6c of the receiving portion 6b of the structural body 6 before colliding with the rear surface 8e of the urea water tank 8. Furthermore, the colliding object R1 will collide with the rear end 4b of the spare tire 4 before colliding with the urea water tank 8. This makes it possible to prevent the colliding object R1 from colliding with the urea water tank 8 first. As a result, damage to the urea water tank 8 can be suppressed.

[0028] Furthermore, the colliding object R2, which enters from a position lower than the colliding object R1, collides with the tow hook 6a of the structure 6, which extends below the underside 8g of the urea water tank 8, before the rear surface 8e of the urea water tank 8. Furthermore, the colliding object R2 collides with the rear end 4b of the spare tire 4 before the urea water tank 8. This prevents the colliding object R2 from first colliding with the urea water tank 8. As a result, damage to the urea water tank 8 can be suppressed.

[0029] Furthermore, the lower surface 8g of the urea tank 8 is located above the lower end 4c of the spare tire 4 and the lower end 6d of the towing hook 6a. This prevents an object (see arrow G) that enters from below when the vehicle C is traveling on rough roads from colliding with the urea tank 8 first.

[0030] The extension 8c of the urea water tank 8 is disposed between the wheel house 10 and the body mount 12. Therefore, even if a colliding object enters from the left rear diagonally, the colliding object will strike the body mount 12 before striking the extension 8c. This makes it possible to prevent the colliding object from striking the urea water tank 8 first. As a result, damage to the urea water tank 8 can be suppressed.

[0031] Furthermore, the left side surface 8j of the urea water tank 8 is located more inward in the width direction than the joint portion 16c. As a result, if a colliding object enters the vehicle C from the left side, the colliding object will collide with the joint portion 16c before colliding with the urea water tank 8. This prevents the colliding object from colliding with the urea water tank 8 first. As a result, damage to the urea water tank 8 can be suppressed.

[0032] As described above, the present disclosure can provide a vehicle body structure 1 that can suppress damage to the urea water tank 8.

[0033] 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.

[0034] (a) In the above embodiment, a bracket has been described as an example of the structure 6, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The structure 6 may be something other than a bracket as long as the positions of the lower end 6 d and the rearmost end 6 c are the same as those of the structure 6 of the present disclosure.

[0035] (b) In the above embodiment, the urea water tank 8 is used as an example of a tank, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The urea water tank 8 may be a tank that stores an exhaust gas purification additive other than urea water.

[0036] (c) In the above embodiment, an example in which the urea water tank 8 is disposed on the left side has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The urea water tank 8 may be disposed on the right side. In this case, the spare tire 4, the structural body 6, the exhaust pipe 14, etc. may be disposed left-right opposite to the vehicle body structure 1 of the present disclosure.

[0037] 1: body structure, 2a: side member, 2b: side member, 2c: rear end 4: spare tire, 4b: rear end, 4c: lower end 6: structure, 6a: towing hook, 6b: receiving part, 6c: rearmost end, 6d: lower end 8: urea water tank 8b: main part, 8c: extension part, 8e: rear surface, 8g: lower surface, 8j: left side surface 10: wheel house, 12: body mount, 14: exhaust pipe 16: body 16a: floor panel, 16b: side panel, 16c: joint part 18: rear wheel 22: cross member C: vehicle

Claims

1. A vehicle body structure comprising: a pair of side members extending in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle; a cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle and connecting the pair of side members; a spare tire supported by the cross member at the rear of the vehicle and positioned between the pair of side members; a structure extending from the side members rearward of the rear ends of the side members; and a tank positioned alongside the spare tire in the width direction of the vehicle for storing an additive for purifying exhaust gases, wherein the rear end of the tank is located rearward of the cross member and forward of the rear end of the spare tire and the rear end of the structure.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the tank is positioned higher than the lower end of the spare tire and the lower end of the structure.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the tank has an extension that extends further outward in the width direction of the vehicle than the side member, and a pipe that leads to a filler neck is connected to the extension.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 3, wherein the extension portion extends above an upper surface of the side member on the outer side of the side member in the width direction of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a wheel house that is arranged outward in the vehicle width direction from the side member and that houses a wheel of the vehicle; and a body mount that extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the side member and supports the body of the vehicle, wherein the extension is arranged between the wheel house and the body mount.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 5, wherein the extension is supported by the body mount.

7. The vehicle body structure according to claim 5, wherein the vehicle body has a floor panel, a side panel, and a joint that joins the floor panel and the side panel, the joint being located outside the side member in the width direction and extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the side end of the extension being located inside the joint in the width direction.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, further comprising an exhaust pipe extending from an exhaust purification device, the exhaust pipe being arranged on one side of the spare tire in the width direction of the vehicle, and the tank being arranged on the other side.

9. A vehicle body structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the spare tire is positioned offset to one side in the width direction of the vehicle with respect to a center line in the width direction of the vehicle, and the tank is positioned adjacent to the spare tire on the other side in the width direction of the vehicle.

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