Fixing structure in side sill

Abstract

In this side sill (12), a section (S4) having a closed cross section and extending in a vehicle body longitudinal direction is formed. A pipe (13) extends in the vehicle body longitudinal direction and is inserted into the section (S4). A fixing member (15) fits into the section (S4) and holds the pipe (13) in a position separated from the inner peripheral surface of the section (S4). In the fixing member (15), a portion of the lower part is in contact with the floor of the section (S4), the center of the lower part in the lateral direction when viewed from the vehicle body longitudinal direction is at a distance from the floor of the section (S4), and a portion of the upper part is in contact with the ceiling of the section (S4).

Description

Side sill internal fixing structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a side sill internal fixing structure.

[0002] In the floor structure of an automobile disclosed in Patent Document 1, various pipes and wirings are inserted into the side sill for protection from the outside vehicle environment.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-239958

[0004] Patent Document 1 does not disclose how to specifically fix insertion members such as pipes and wirings inside the side sill. Since other members are fastened to the side sill by fasteners, there is a possibility that the fasteners protruding inside the side sill may interfere with the insertion members. The problem of the present invention is to fix the insertion members inserted into the side sill so as not to interfere with the fasteners.

[0005] The side sill internal fixing structure according to one aspect of the present invention includes a side sill, an insertion member, and a fixing member. The side sill forms a closed cross-section partition extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction. The insertion member extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction and is inserted into the partition. The fixing member fits into the partition, holds the insertion member at a position away from the inner peripheral surface of the partition, a part of the lower portion contacts the floor surface of the partition, the center in the width direction as viewed from the vehicle body front-rear direction of the lower portion is separated from the floor surface of the partition, and a part of the upper portion contacts the top surface of the partition.

[0006] According to the present invention, since the insertion member is held at a position away from the inner peripheral surface of the partition, it can be fixed so as not to interfere with the fasteners.

[0007] It is a view showing a vehicle. It is a view showing the side sill internal fixing structure. It is a view showing the side sill internal fixing structure. It is a view showing the partition and the fixing member. It is a view showing the pipe and the fixing member.

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic and may differ from actual examples. Furthermore, the following embodiments are illustrative examples of devices and methods for realizing the technical concept of the present invention, and do not limit the configuration to those described below. In other words, the technical concept of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0009] 《Embodiment》 《Configuration》 Figure 1 shows a vehicle 11. The vehicle 11 is, for example, an electric vehicle and includes side sills 12 and piping 13 (insertion members). The side sills 12 are provided on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body and form closed cross section sections that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The side sills 12 are joined to the vehicle body frame, such as side members and cross members (not shown). The piping 13 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and is inserted into the section of the side sills 12. Cooling water flows through the piping 13. The cooling water is cooled in a radiator and then supplied to the water jacket of the drive motor. Of the two pipes 13 on the left and right, one carries cooling water from front to rear, and the other carries cooling water from rear to front.

[0010] Figure 2 shows the side sill internal fixing structure 14. The side sill internal fixing structure 14 is a structure for fixing a pipe 13 that is inserted through the side sill 12, and comprises the side sill 12, the pipe 13 (insertion member), and the fixing member 15. Here, the side sill 12 is shown transparently using a wireframe. The side sill 12 has multiple sections with closed cross-sections that extend in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and for example, the pipe 13 is inserted through one of them. The pipe 13 is cylindrical in shape. The fixing member 15 fits into the section of the side sill 12 and holds the pipe 13 at a position away from the inner circumferential surface of the section. The fixing member 15 is arranged at multiple positions in the section that are separated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and here, as an example, three fixing members 15 are provided for one side sill 12.

[0011] Figure 3 shows the internal fixing structure 14 of the side sill. The side sill 12 has multiple sections S1 to S8 formed by aluminum extrusion molding, extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. Sections S1 to S8 are divided into upper and lower sections. In the lower section, sections S1 to S5 are formed sequentially from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction, and in the upper section, sections S6 to S8 are formed sequentially from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction. Multiple fasteners 21 are fastened to the outer surface of the side sill 12 in order to fix other members and structures. The fasteners 21 are, for example, FDS (Flow Drilling Screw, registered trademark) that can be joined without drilling pilot holes, and their tips protrude inward from the side of the side sill 12. In sections S1, S5, S6, and S8 at both ends in the width direction, the fasteners 21 protrude from the side. In the upper section sections S6 to S8, the fasteners 21 protrude from above. In the lower sections S3 and S4, the fasteners 21 protrude from below. The fasteners 21 only need to be fastened from the outside of the side sill 12, and screws or rivets may be used.

[0012] A jack-up bracket 22, which serves as a jack-up point for the vehicle 11, is fixed to the underside of the side sill 12. The jack-up bracket 22 is roughly T-shaped when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and is fastened to the underside of the side sill 12 from below by fasteners 21. The jack-up bracket 22 is located in an area extending from section S3 to section S4 along the width direction of the vehicle, and the fasteners 21 are driven into sections S3 and S4. The piping 13 is inserted through the lowest section S1 to S5 of sections S1 to S8, and also through sections S2 to S4, excluding both ends in the width direction. Here, as an example, the piping 13 is inserted through section S4. Section S4 is a rectangle that is long vertically when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

[0013] Figure 4 shows a compartment S4 and a fixing member 15. The fixing member 15 fits into the compartment S4. A portion of the lower part of the fixing member 15 is in contact with the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4, while the center of the lower part in the width direction, as viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, is spaced away from the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4. That is, the lower part of the fixing member 15 is formed in an inverted U-shape arc, with both ends in the width direction in contact with the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4, and the center in the width direction concave upwards. The center in the width direction does not have to be exactly in the middle, but can be approximately in the center. Therefore, the lower part of the fixing member 15, excluding the ends that are in contact with the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4, should be spaced away from the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4. The shape as viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is not limited to an inverted U-shape; for example, it could be an inverted V-shape concave upwards, or a U-shape that opens downwards. In other words, the fixing member 15 should have a shape in which the area near the center in the width direction is spaced apart from the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4. A portion of the upper part of the fixing member 15 is in contact with the top surface 27 of the compartment S4. That is, when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, the upper part of the fixing member 15 is formed in an inverted U-shaped arc with both ends in the width direction spaced apart from the top surface 27 of the compartment S4 and the center in the width direction convex upwards. When viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends of the fixing member 15 in the width direction are in contact with the side surface 28 of the compartment S4.

[0014] Figure 5 shows the piping 13 and the fixing member 15. (a) in the figure shows the state before the fixing member 15 is attached to the piping 13. The piping 13 has a pair of flanges 31 (protrusions) that are convex radially outward. The flanges 31 are annular in shape formed over the entire circumference. The distance between the flanges 31 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body corresponds to the longitudinal dimension of the fixing member 15. The fixing member 15 is made of flexible rubber. The fixing member 15 has a through hole 32 and a notch 33. The through hole 32 is a round hole that penetrates in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and its inner diameter corresponds to the outer diameter of the piping 13. The notch 33 is formed by cutting the upper part of the fixing member 15 along the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and extends from the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 32 upward in the vertical direction to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing member 15.

[0015] When an external force is applied and the upper part of the fixing member 15 is pulled to both sides in the vehicle width direction, the notch 33 opens due to elastic deformation. When the pipe 13 is inserted through the notch 33 and the external force is removed when the pipe 13 reaches the through hole 32, the upper part of the fixing member 15 returns to its original position and the notch 33 closes, so that the through hole 32 fits into the pipe 13. Figure (b) shows the state in which the fixing member 15 is attached to the pipe 13. The pair of flanges 31 are provided in two places that sandwich the fixing member 15 from both sides in the axial direction, so that the position of the fixing member 15 in the axial direction of the pipe 13 is restricted. The position of the fixing member 15 around the axis with respect to the pipe 13 is adjustable. When inserting the pipe 13 with the fixing member 15 attached from one end of the side sill 12, the position of the fixing member 15 around the axis is adjusted so that it fits into compartment S4.

[0016] <Effects and Effects> Next, the main effects and effects of the embodiment will be described. (1) The side sill internal fixing structure 14 comprises a side sill 12, a pipe 13, and a fixing member 15. The side sill 12 forms a closed section S4 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The pipe 13 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and is inserted into the section S4. The fixing member 15 fits into the section S4 and holds the pipe 13 at a position away from the inner circumferential surface of the section S4. A portion of the lower part of the fixing member 15 contacts the floor surface 26 of the section S4, the center of the lower part in the width direction when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is spaced away from the floor surface 26 of the section S4, and a portion of the upper part contacts the top surface 27 of the section S4. In this way, the pipe 13 is held at a position away from the inner circumferential surface of the section S4, so that it can be fixed without interfering with the fastener 21.

[0017] (2) The lower part of the fixing member 15 is formed in an arc shape such that when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends in the width direction contact the floor surface 26 of the compartment S4, and the center in the width direction is concave upward. This prevents interference with the fastener 21 that protrudes from below. (3) The upper part of the fixing member 15 is formed in an arc shape such that when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends in the width direction are spaced apart from the top surface 27 of the compartment S4, and the center in the width direction is convex upward. This allows the vertical position to be restricted and rattle to be suppressed with just one fixing member 15. (4) When viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends of the fixing member 15 in the width direction contact the side surface 28 of the compartment S4. This allows the position in the width direction to be restricted and rattle to be suppressed with just one fixing member 15.

[0018] (5) The side sill 12 forms three or more compartments S1 to S5 arranged in the width direction when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The piping 13 is inserted through compartment S4 of the three or more compartments S1 to S5, excluding both ends in the width direction. This avoids interference with fasteners 21 protruding from both ends in the width direction. (6) The side sill 12 forms two or more compartments S1 to S8 in the vertical direction. The piping 13 is inserted through the lowest compartment S4 of the two or more compartments S1 to S8. This avoids interference with fasteners 21 protruding from above. (7) A jack-up bracket 22, which serves as a jack-up point, is fixed to the lower surface of the side sill 12. The jack-up bracket 22 is fastened to the lower surface of the side sill 12 from below by fasteners 21. The fixing member 15 can avoid interference with fasteners 21 protruding from below.

[0019] (8) The side sill 12 is formed by extruding aluminum to create a compartment S4 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to obtain a compartment S4 with a constant closed cross-section, which is suitable for inserting members such as pipes 13. (9) The pipes 13 are pipes through which coolant flows. By housing the pipes 13 inside the side sill 12, the coolant is less affected by the outside temperature. (10) The fixing members 15 are arranged at multiple positions in the compartment S4 that are separated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to suppress increases in cost and weight compared to a configuration in which fixing members 15 are provided along the entire length of the compartment S4. (11) The fixing members 15 are made of rubber. This makes it possible to suppress rattling and vibration noise inside the side sill 12 compared to a configuration in which they are made of metal or resin.

[0020] (12) The fixing member 15 has a through hole 32 that penetrates in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and into which the pipe 13 fits. The pipe 13 has a flange 31 that protrudes outward when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and regulates the position of the fixing member 15 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to keep the position of the fixing member 15 constant when inserting the pipe 13 into the side sill 12. (13) The flange 31 is provided in two places that sandwich the fixing member 15 from both sides in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to more reliably keep the position of the fixing member 15 constant when inserting the pipe 13 into the side sill 12. (14) The fixing member 15 has a notch 33 that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 32 to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing member 15 when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The fixing member 15 is made of rubber and is fitted onto the pipe 13 by opening the notch 33. This makes it possible to easily fit the fixing member 15 onto the pipe 13.

[0021] Here, a comparative example will be explained. It is conceivable to insert various pipes and wiring through the side sill to protect them from the external environment. However, there has been no proposal on how to specifically fix these inserted members, such as pipes and wiring, within the side sill. For example, suppose the fixing member 15 is omitted and the pipe 13 is simply inserted through the compartment S4 of the side sill 12. Since other members are fastened to the side sill 12 by fasteners 21, the fasteners 21 will protrude into the side sill 12. Therefore, if the pipe 13 is not held at a position away from the inner circumferential surface of compartment S4, the protruding fasteners 21 may interfere with the pipe 13.

[0022] 《Modifications》 In the embodiment, a configuration in which the pipe 13 is inserted through the side sill 12 has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. Instead of the pipe 13, for example, wiring may be inserted. That is, any axial member that is long enough to extend along the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and can be inserted through the side sill 12 may be solid or hollow, and its flexibility may or may not be relevant. In the embodiment, a configuration in which an annular flange 31 is formed on the pipe 13 has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. That is, as long as the position of the fixing member 15 in the axial direction can be restricted, for example, a convex portion that protrudes outward when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body may be formed. In the embodiment, a configuration in which the lower recess portion of the fixing member 15 has a shape that is symmetrical when the line is reversed left and right with respect to a straight line along the vertical direction when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, has been described, but the invention is not limited thereto. That is, for example, it may have an asymmetrical shape on the left and right, such as a V-shape.

[0023] Although the above description has been made with reference to a limited number of embodiments, the scope of the rights is not limited to those embodiments, and modifications of the embodiments based on the above disclosure will be obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0024] 11...Vehicle, 12...Side sill, 13...Piping, 14...Side sill internal fixing structure, 15...Fixing member, 21...Fastener, 22...Jack-up bracket, 26...Floor surface, 27...Top surface, 28...Side surface, 31...Flange, 32...Through hole

Claims

1. A side sill internal fixing structure characterized by comprising: a side sill that forms a closed section extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; an insertion member that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and is inserted into the section; and a fixing member that fits into the section, holds the insertion member at a position away from the inner circumferential surface of the section, has a portion of its lower part in contact with the floor surface of the section, has the center of its lower part in the width direction when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body spaced away from the floor surface of the section, and has a portion of its upper part in contact with the top surface of the section.

2. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower part of the fixing member is formed in an arc shape such that, when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends in the width direction are in contact with the floor surface of the compartment and the center in the width direction is concave upward.

3. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part of the fixing member is formed in an arc shape such that, when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends in the width direction are spaced apart from the top surface of the compartment, and the center in the width direction is convex upward.

4. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, both ends in the width direction of the fixing member are in contact with the side surface of the compartment.

5. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the side sill forms three or more compartments arranged in the width direction when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the insertion member is inserted into the compartments of the three or more compartments, excluding the ends in the width direction.

6. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the side sill forms two or more compartments in the vertical direction, and the insertion member is inserted into the lowest of the two or more compartments.

7. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that a jack-up bracket, which serves as a jack-up point, is fixed to the lower surface of the side sill, and the jack-up bracket is fastened to the lower surface of the side sill from below by fasteners.

8. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the side sill is formed by extruding aluminum to create the section that extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

9. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the insertion member is a pipe through which cooling water flows.

10. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing members are arranged at multiple positions within the compartment that are separated in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

11. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing member is made of rubber.

12. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing member has a through hole that penetrates in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and into which the insertion member fits, and the insertion member has a protrusion that protrudes outward when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and restricts the position of the fixing member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.

13. The side sill internal fixing structure according to claim 12, characterized in that the protrusions are provided at two locations that sandwich the fixing member from both sides in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

14. The fixing member has a notch formed therein that extends from the inner circumferential surface of the through hole to the outer circumferential surface of the fixing member when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and the fixing member is made of rubber, and the notch is opened and fitted into the insertion member, characterized in that the side sill internal fixing structure according to 13.

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