Vehicle structure

Abstract

According to the present invention, a vehicle comprises a vehicle cabin structure and a vehicle cabin front structure. The vehicle cabin structure has a main part formed of a steel material, and forms a vehicle cabin in which an occupant rides. At least a rear portion of the vehicle cabin front structure is formed of an aluminum alloy. The vehicle cabin front structure forms a front compartment in front of the vehicle cabin structure. The vehicle cabin structure includes a partition wall member that partitions the vehicle cabin and the front compartment. The partition wall member includes, at least in part, an aluminum material wall made of an aluminum alloy. The aluminum material wall has a structure joining part to which the vehicle cabin front structure is joined. A seal application part is provided at a contact portion between the aluminum material wall and another component on the vehicle cabin structure side.

Description

Vehicle structure

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

[0002] As a vehicle structure, there is known one including a passenger compartment structure body that forms a passenger compartment in which passengers board, and a front compartment structure body that forms a front compartment in front of the passenger compartment structure body, and these structure bodies are joined to each other after being individually shaped (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, the passenger compartment structure body is formed mainly of an extruded material of an aluminum alloy, and the front compartment structure body is formed of a die-cast molded product of an aluminum alloy. The rear part of the front compartment structure body abuts against the front end part of the passenger compartment structure body and is joined to the passenger compartment structure body by appropriate means such as bolt fastening or adhesion. Also, a partition member that partitions between the passenger compartment and the front compartment is installed at a position substantially directly above the joint part between the passenger compartment structure body and the front compartment structure body. The partition member is joined to the passenger compartment structure body and the front compartment structure body when joining the front compartment structure body to the passenger compartment structure body, or after joining the front compartment structure body to the passenger compartment structure body.

[0004] Chinese Utility Model Patent No. 117360632 Specification

[0005] In the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, after shaping the passenger compartment structure body and the front compartment structure body in separate processes, it is necessary to join these large-sized shaped blocks to each other using jigs or the like. Also, for the partition member, which is a large-sized member, it is similarly necessary to join it to the passenger compartment structure body and the front compartment structure body respectively using jigs or the like.

[0006] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, since three molding blocks, including a bulkhead member, are joined to each other, it is necessary to apply a sealant between the contact points of the molding blocks before joining them together. However, if the molding blocks to be joined together are large, even slight partial contact between parts of the molding blocks before joining may cause the applied sealant to peel off. For this reason, in the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to use equipment with a complex structure in order to avoid partial contact between the molding blocks before joining them together. Also, if the vehicle structure described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, careful positioning work is required to avoid partial contact between the molding blocks before joining them together, which makes it difficult to increase production efficiency.

[0007] Recently, there has been consideration of fabricating the structural blocks of the front of the passenger compartment from aluminum alloy, while fabricating the main parts of the passenger compartment structure from highly rigid steel. In this case, if the contact points between the blocks of the passenger compartment structure and the front of the passenger compartment structure are made of different metals, galvanic corrosion may occur. Therefore, it is necessary to apply a sealant to the contact points between the blocks to prevent galvanic corrosion. For this reason, even if a sealant to prevent galvanic corrosion is applied to the contact points between the blocks, the same problems as described above may occur.

[0008] The challenge we aim to solve is to simplify the equipment used for assembling the front and interior structures of the vehicle compartment, and to improve productivity.

[0009] A vehicle structure according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a passenger compartment structure whose main part is made of steel and forms a passenger compartment, and a front passenger compartment structure whose rear portion is made of aluminum alloy and forms a front compartment in front of the passenger compartment structure, wherein the passenger compartment structure includes a partition wall member that separates the passenger compartment and the front compartment, and the partition wall member comprises at least a portion of an aluminum alloy wall having a structural joint portion to which the front passenger compartment structure is joined, and a seal coating portion is provided at the contact portion between the aluminum material wall and other components on the passenger compartment structure side.

[0010] In the vehicle structure of this embodiment, an aluminum wall is arranged in a bulkhead member incorporated into the passenger compartment structure, and a structural joint is provided in the aluminum wall. A sealant application area is provided at the contact point between the aluminum wall of the bulkhead member and other components of the passenger compartment structure. Therefore, during the manufacturing of the passenger compartment structure, a sealant can be applied to the sealant application area before joining the aluminum wall to the other components of the passenger compartment structure. In this way, the passenger compartment structure with the aluminum wall assembled can then have the front passenger compartment structure joined to the structural joint of the aluminum wall. The front passenger compartment structure, whose rear region is formed of aluminum alloy, is joined to the passenger compartment structure while in contact with the aluminum wall (structural joint) of the bulkhead member. Therefore, when assembling the front passenger compartment structure to the passenger compartment structure, it is not necessary to apply a sealant for galvanic corrosion prevention between the contact points of the two. Consequently, when assembling the large front passenger compartment structure and the passenger compartment structure, the sealant for galvanic corrosion prevention will not peel off due to unexpected contact between the two structures. Furthermore, when assembling the front structure of the passenger compartment and the passenger compartment structure, the aluminum material wall is already coated with sealant and joined to the other components of the passenger compartment structure. Therefore, there is no risk of the sealant around the aluminum material wall peeling off due to accidental contact between the two structures during assembly.

[0011] The partition wall member may be configured to include a steel material wall made of steel and an aluminum material wall.

[0012] In this case, the portion including the structural joint (aluminum material wall) can be formed from an aluminum alloy, while the other portions can be formed from steel, which has high strength and rigidity. Therefore, the portion of the bulkhead member that abuts against the vehicle compartment front structure (structural joint) can be formed from the same type of metal (aluminum alloy) as the vehicle compartment front structure, while the strength and rigidity of the other parts of the bulkhead member can be maintained at a high level by the steel material wall.

[0013] The vehicle compartment structure comprises a pair of left and right pillar components extending vertically from the front side of the vehicle compartment, and a side sill extending from the lower end of each pillar component toward the rear of the vehicle, and the aluminum material wall may have pillar joints joined to each pillar component along the vertical direction.

[0014] In this case, when an impact load is applied from the front structure of the passenger compartment to the aluminum wall (structural joint) of the bulkhead member, that load is transmitted to the left and right pillar components via the pillar joint of the aluminum wall. The load transmitted to the left and right pillar components is then transmitted to the corresponding left and right side sills. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it becomes possible to smoothly transmit the impact load applied to the aluminum wall of the bulkhead member to the rear frame of the vehicle through the left and right pillar components and side sills.

[0015] The vehicle compartment structure may include a floor surface component that extends below the vehicle compartment so as to connect the lower regions of the left and right pillar components, and the aluminum material wall may have a floor joint that is joined to the floor surface component along the vehicle width direction.

[0016] In this case, when an impact load is applied from the front structure of the passenger compartment to the aluminum wall (structural joint) of the bulkhead member, that load is also transmitted to the floor component through the floor joint of the aluminum wall. Therefore, the impact load applied to the aluminum wall of the bulkhead member is smoothly transmitted to the rear frame members of the vehicle not only through the left and right pillar components and side sills, but also through the lower floor component. In addition, in this configuration, the aluminum wall that constitutes part of the bulkhead member is joined to the floor component by the lower floor joint. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, when assembling the bulkhead member to other components of the passenger compartment structure, it becomes possible to apply sealant to the gap between the aluminum wall and the floor component before joining them. Therefore, the sealing (application of sealant) between the aluminum wall and the floor component can be completed when the passenger compartment structure is fabricated.

[0017] The aluminum material wall has a pair of left and right lateral extending regions including the left and right pillar joints joined to each of the pillar components, and a lower extending region including the floor joint and extending to connect the left and right lateral extending regions, and the steel material wall may be positioned above the pair of lateral extending regions and the lower extending region, and both ends in the vehicle width direction may be joined to the left and right pillar components.

[0018] In this case, when assembling the bulkhead member to other components of the vehicle interior structure, a sealant can be applied between the corresponding left and right pillar components at the pillar joints in the left and right lateral extension regions of the aluminum wall, and then joined to the corresponding pillar components. Furthermore, in the lower extension region of the aluminum wall, a sealant can be applied between it and the floor component before joining to the floor component. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the sealing (application of sealant) between the aluminum wall and the left and right pillar components, and between the aluminum wall and the floor component can be completed during the molding of the vehicle interior structure. In addition, in this configuration, since the steel wall is positioned above the left and right lateral extension regions and the lower extension region of the aluminum wall, and both ends in the vehicle width direction are joined to the left and right pillar components, the strength and rigidity of the upper region of the bulkhead member can be maintained at a high level.

[0019] The aluminum material wall may be provided with a steel joint portion at an edge adjacent to the steel material wall, which is continuously joined to the steel material wall.

[0020] In this case, the steel joint portion of the aluminum wall is continuously connected to the contact portion with the steel wall. As a result, the outer periphery of the aluminum wall is continuously joined to the left and right pillar components, the lower floor component, and the upper steel wall. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, the sealing (application of sealant) between the outer periphery of the aluminum wall and the other components of the vehicle interior structure can be completed during the fabrication of the vehicle interior structure.

[0021] The pillar component may be formed from steel, and the sealant application portion may be provided at the contact point between the pillar joint of the aluminum wall and the pillar component.

[0022] In this case, since the pillar components are made of steel, the strength and rigidity of the outer portion of the aluminum wall in the vehicle width direction can be sufficiently increased. Furthermore, although the aluminum wall and the pillar components are in contact with each other due to being made of different types of metal, applying a sealant with galvanic corrosion prevention properties to the seal application area at this contact point makes it possible to suppress the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between the aluminum wall and the pillar components.

[0023] The floor surface component may be made of steel, and the seal application portion may be provided in an annular shape at the contact portion between the peripheral portion of the aluminum material wall and the component of the vehicle interior structure that abuts against the peripheral portion.

[0024] In this case, since the floor components are made of steel, the strength and rigidity of the lower end portion of the aluminum wall can be sufficiently increased. Furthermore, although the aluminum wall and the floor components are made of different types of metal, a sealant coating is provided in an annular shape around the periphery of the aluminum wall. By applying a sealant with anti-galvanic corrosion properties to this annular sealant coating, it becomes possible to suppress the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between the aluminum wall and the surrounding components. At the same time, the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between the contact portion of the aluminum wall and the floor components is also suppressed.

[0025] The aforementioned steel material wall may also be equipped with an auxiliary equipment mounting section for mounting heavy auxiliary equipment of the vehicle.

[0026] In this case, since the auxiliary equipment mounting section is provided in the steel material wall, which has high strength and rigidity, it becomes possible to join the steel material wall of the bulkhead member to other components of the vehicle compartment structure even with heavy auxiliary equipment mounted in the auxiliary equipment mounting section. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, heavy auxiliary equipment can be easily mounted in the vehicle compartment structure.

[0027] The vehicle structure may further include a windshield support member that extends in the vehicle width direction and supports the lower edge of the front windshield, and the windshield support member may be joined to the upper edge of the steel material wall.

[0028] In this case, since the windshield support member is joined to the upper part of the steel material wall, which has high strength and rigidity, it becomes possible to join the steel material wall of the bulkhead member to other components of the vehicle interior structure while the windshield support member is joined to the upper part of the steel material wall. For this reason, when this configuration is adopted, the front windshield can be easily assembled to the vehicle interior structure at the appropriate time.

[0029] The partition wall member, which is attached to the other components of the vehicle compartment structure, may be fixed to the front vehicle compartment structure by fastening members at the structural joint.

[0030] In this case, the structural joint of the bulkhead member and the front structure of the passenger compartment are formed from the same type of metal, an aluminum alloy. Therefore, by forming the fastening members from an aluminum alloy, it becomes possible to easily join the front structure of the passenger compartment to the passenger compartment structure using the fastening members without requiring special measures against galvanic corrosion.

[0031] According to the vehicle structure of the present invention, the phenomenon of sealant peeling off during assembly of the front passenger compartment structure and the passenger compartment structure does not occur, thus simplifying the equipment for assembling the front passenger compartment structure and the passenger compartment structure and improving productivity.

[0032] A perspective view of the vehicle according to the embodiment. An exploded perspective view of the vehicle according to the embodiment, showing some of the components of the embodiment with dashed lines. A partial cross-sectional perspective view of the passenger compartment structure of the vehicle according to the embodiment, viewed from inside the passenger compartment. A cross-sectional view of the vehicle according to the embodiment along the line IV-IV in Figure 3. A partial perspective view of the vehicle according to the embodiment with some of the components of the passenger compartment structure removed.

[0033] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, front and rear, up and down, and left and right refer to the front and rear, up and down, and left and right of vehicle 1 unless otherwise specified. Also, in the drawings, arrow FR points to the front of the vehicle, arrow UP points to the top of the vehicle, and arrow LH points to the left side of the vehicle.

[0034] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, seen from the front. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the vehicle 1 (the front passenger compartment structure 100F, described later) with dashed lines. The vehicle 1 of this embodiment comprises a passenger compartment structure 100R and a front passenger compartment structure 100F. The passenger compartment structure 100R forms a passenger compartment 2 in which the occupants are seated. The front passenger compartment structure 100F forms a front compartment 11 in front of the passenger compartment structure 100R. The front compartment 11 is where a drive power source such as an electric motor (not shown) and equipment such as a suspension system are arranged.

[0035] The passenger compartment structure 100R is primarily made of steel. The front passenger compartment structure 100F is almost entirely made of aluminum alloy. At least the rear portion of the front passenger compartment structure 100F is made of aluminum alloy. The passenger compartment structure 100R includes a dashboard panel 55, which is a partition wall member separating the passenger compartment 2 from the front compartment 11.

[0036] The front passenger compartment structure 100F comprises a suspension support structure 15 having a pair of damper housings 10, and a pair of left and right load-receiving members 20 extending toward the front of the vehicle from the front of each of the left and right damper housings 10 of the suspension support structure 15. Both the suspension support structure 15 and the load-receiving members 20 are made of cast aluminum alloy parts (die-cast molded products).

[0037] The damper housing 10 has an upper wall 10a having a damper connecting portion 16, and a covering wall 10b extending downward from the periphery of the upper wall 10a (front and rear edges and the inner edge in the vehicle width direction). The damper housing 10 is open downward and outward in the vehicle width direction. A damper and coil spring of the front suspension (not shown) are arranged in the space enclosed by the upper wall 10a and the covering wall 10b. The upper end of the damper is connected to the damper connecting portion 16 of the upper wall 10a.

[0038] The left and right damper housings 10 are connected to each other by a connecting beam 12 that extends along the vehicle width direction. The connecting beam 12 is located on the lower front side of the dashboard panel 55 of the front structure 100F of the passenger compartment. The connecting beam 12 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with a rectangular cross-section that extends along the vehicle width direction. On the lower side of the left and right sides of the connecting beam 12, substantially U-shaped axle insertion blocks 13 are provided through which the axles of the corresponding left and right front wheels W are inserted.

[0039] The upper surface of the connecting beam 12 that connects the left and right damper housings 10 is formed flat. The connecting beam 12 is connected to the inner walls in the vehicle width direction of the covering walls 10b of the left and right damper housings 10. The upper surface of the connecting beam 12 is positioned below the respective damper connecting portions 16 of the left and right damper housings 10. The upper surface of the connecting beam 12 is an auxiliary equipment mounting portion 61 for mounting auxiliary equipment 60 such as a heat exchanger, compressor, power control unit (ECU), and power unit (a unit integrating the ECU and battery).

[0040] Furthermore, the upper walls 10a of the left and right damper housings 10 are connected by a second connecting beam 67. The second connecting beam 67 is formed from an aluminum alloy plate material with a roughly hat-shaped cross-section. The second connecting beam 67 extends substantially along the vehicle width direction, above the auxiliary equipment mounting portion 61 (upper surface) of the connecting beam 12, so as to be substantially parallel to the auxiliary equipment mounting portion 61 (upper surface). Together with the left and right damper housings 10 and the connecting beam 12, the second connecting beam 67 forms a closed cross-section that is roughly rectangular in shape when viewed from the front.

[0041] At the rear part of each of the left and right damper housings 10, a load transmission portion 53 extending toward the rear side of the vehicle is continuously provided. The load transmission portion 53 has an upper-side load transmission portion 56 and a lower-side load transmission portion 57. The upper-side load transmission portion 56 connects the corresponding left and right damper housings 10 to the front pillars 54 on the same side of the left and right of a cab structure 100R described later. The lower-side load transmission portion 57 connects the damper housing 10 to the dashboard panel 55 of the cab structure 100R described later. The lower-side load transmission portion 57 is continuously provided in a lower region inside the vehicle width direction of the upper-side load transmission portion 56. The left and right damper housings 10 are integrally formed by casting with an aluminum alloy together with the load transmission portion 53 and the connecting beam 12. The suspension support structure 15 is constituted by a block of a casting product including these damper housings 10, load transmission portion 53, and connecting beam 12.

[0042] The upper-side load transmission portion 56 includes a strip-shaped upper frame portion 35 extending toward the rear side of the vehicle from an edge portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the upper wall 10a of the damper housing 10, a rear frame portion 36 extending downward and bent from the rear end portion of the upper frame portion 35, and a vertical wall portion 37 continuously provided at edge portions on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the upper frame portion 35 and the rear frame portion 36. The rear frame portion 36 is coupled to the corresponding left and right front pillars 54.

[0043] The vertical wall portion 37 is formed by bending in a wave shape in a horizontal cross section. Each top portion of this wave-shaped bending extends linearly in the vertical direction. The top portion of the wave-shaped bending constitutes a fracture induction portion 38 that induces fracture (or deformation) of the upper-side load transmission portion 56 when an impact load of a specified value or more is input to the upper-side load transmission portion 56 from the front.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the lower-side load transmission portion 57 includes a connection block 39 continuously provided in a lower region inside the vehicle width direction of the upper-side load transmission portion 56 and at the rear part of the axle insertion block 13. A connection surface 39c directed toward the rear side of the vehicle is formed on the connection block 39. The connection surface 39c is joined to the front surface (front surface of the structure joining portion 65) of the dashboard panel 55 of a cab front structure 100F described later.

[0045] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the left and right load-receiving members 20 connected to the front of each damper housing 10 are formed in a generally symmetrical manner. The load-receiving member 20 comprises a lower load-receiving portion 21, which is a plate-shaped wall portion extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction and connected in a crank-like manner in the vertical and horizontal directions, and an upper load-receiving portion 22, which is similarly a plate-shaped wall portion extending substantially along the vehicle's longitudinal direction and connected in a crank-like manner in the vertical and horizontal directions. The upper load-receiving portion 22 is positioned above the lower load-receiving portion 21 and on the outside in the vehicle width direction. The lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 are connected by a flat plate-shaped connecting wall portion 28. The connecting wall portion 28 continuously connects the lower load-receiving portion 21 and the upper load-receiving portion 22 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.

[0046] The front end of the lower load-receiving portion 21 is provided with a plate-shaped load-input wall 23 that extends in a direction intersecting (approximately perpendicular to) the vehicle's longitudinal direction. A bumper beam 14, positioned at the front of the vehicle 1, is fastened to the front surface of the load-input wall 23. The bumper beam 14 extends horizontally approximately along the vehicle's width direction, and the back (rear) sides of its left and right side edges are connected to the front ends of the corresponding load-receiving members 20.

[0047] The upper load-bearing portion 22 is shorter in length from front to back than the lower load-bearing portion 21, and its front end is located further rearward than the front end of the lower load-bearing portion 21. The connecting wall portion 28 is formed to be approximately the same length as the upper load-bearing portion 22 in the vehicle's longitudinal direction, and connects the approximately rear half region of the lower load-bearing portion 21 to the upper load-bearing portion 22 in a continuous manner. The connecting wall portion 28 and the front end of the upper load-bearing portion 22 are provided with a plate-shaped front end wall 19 that extends in a direction intersecting the vehicle's longitudinal direction. The front end wall 19 is formed to straddle the connecting wall portion 28 and the front end of the upper load-bearing portion 22.

[0048] A plate-like load transmission wall 24 extending in a direction intersecting with the vehicle front-rear direction is integrally provided at the rear end portions of the lower side load receiving portion 21, the connection wall portion 28, and the upper side load receiving portion 22. The load transmission wall 24 is formed so as to straddle substantially the entire area of the rear end portions of the lower side load receiving portion 21, the connection wall portion 28, and the upper side load receiving portion 22. The rear end portions of the lower side load receiving portion 21, the connection wall portion 28, and the upper side load receiving portion 22 are fastened and fixed to the front surfaces of the corresponding left and right damper housings 10 and the front surface of the axle insertion block 13 via the load transmission wall 24.

[0049] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional perspective view of the passenger compartment structure 100R as viewed from the inside of the passenger compartment, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3. Further, FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the vehicle 1 with some members (an upper panel wall 55U described later) removed. The passenger compartment structure 100R includes a pair of front pillars 54 disposed on both the left and right sides in front of the passenger compartment 2, a pair of side sills 58 extending rearward from the lower ends of the respective left and right front pillars 54, and a floor panel 62 (see FIG. 3) disposed between the left and right side sills 58. The floor panel 62 is installed on the left and right side sills 58 and is supported on the lower surface side by a floor frame 40 and the like shown in FIG. 2. The floor panel 62 constitutes a floor surface component member that extends so as to join the lower regions of the left and right front pillars 54 below the passenger compartment 2. The floor panel 62 is formed of a steel material. In FIG. 2, the illustration of the floor frame 40 is omitted.

[0050] Note that FIG. 3 shows an example in which a battery pack 42 storing a plurality of battery cells 41 is disposed below the floor panel 62. In this example, the battery pack 42 is supported by a floor frame or side sill 58 not shown. However, the battery pack 42 does not necessarily have to be disposed below the floor panel 62, and a structure in which the floor panel 62 is directly supported by the floor frame 40 and side sill 58 shown in FIG. 2 may be employed.

[0051] At the top of each of the left and right front pillars 54, roof side rails (not shown) are provided, extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the side of the roof of the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the left and right front pillars 54 are formed by joining an inner frame panel 59i and a body side outer panel 59o. The inner frame panel 59i is a panel material that continuously forms the inner layer of the body side, including the front pillars 54, side sills 58, and roof side rails. The body side outer panel 59o is a panel material that continuously forms the outer layer of the body side in the vehicle width direction, including the front pillars 54, side sills 58, and roof side rails. In this embodiment, by joining the inner frame panel 59i and the body side outer panel 59o, the closed cross-sections of the front pillars 54, side sills 58, and roof side rails are formed to be continuous.

[0052] The inner frame panel 59i and the body side outer panel 59o are made of steel. Therefore, the front pillar 54 and the side sill 58 are also made of steel. In this embodiment, the steel front pillar 54 constitutes a pillar component.

[0053] The passenger compartment structure 100R further includes a dashboard panel 55 that rises upward from the upper surface of the floor panel 62 at the front of the passenger compartment 2. The dashboard panel 55 constitutes a partition wall member that separates the passenger compartment 2 from the front compartment 11.

[0054] The dashboard panel 55 comprises an upper panel wall 55U made of steel and a lower panel wall 55L made of aluminum alloy. The upper panel wall 55U is positioned above the lower panel wall 55L and is joined to the lower panel wall 55L. In this embodiment, the upper panel wall 55U constitutes a steel material wall, and the lower panel wall 55L constitutes an aluminum material wall. The dashboard panel 55, which is a partition member, is constructed by joining a steel material wall and an aluminum material wall.

[0055] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the lower panel wall 55L comprises a vertical wall 45 that stands upright facing the front of the vehicle, a pair of side walls 46 that bend and extend toward the rear of the vehicle from both ends of the vertical wall 45 on the outside in the vehicle width direction, and a lower wall 47 that bends and extends toward the rear of the vehicle from the lower end of the vertical wall 45. The vertical wall 45 extends along the vehicle width direction, with both ends extending to the positions where the left and right front pillars 54 are located.

[0056] The left and right side walls 46 are superimposed on the surface of the front pillar 54 facing inward in the vehicle width direction (the surface of the inner frame panel 59i facing inward in the vehicle width direction), and are joined to the front pillar 54 by welding, adhesive, or the like in this state. The part of each side wall 46 that is joined to the front pillar 54 is called the pillar joint JP. The contact area between each side wall 46 (pillar joint JP) and the front pillar 54 is called the sealant application area S1.

[0057] Furthermore, the lower wall 47 is superimposed on the upper surface of the floor panel 62 and joined to the floor panel 62 by welding, adhesive, or the like in that state. The portion of the lower wall 47 that is joined to the floor panel 62 is designated as the floor joint Jf. The pillar joints JP of the left and right side walls 46 extend from the upper end to the lower end of the side wall 46, and the floor joint Jf of the lower wall 47 extends from the left end to the right end of the lower wall 47. The ends of the floor joint Jf in the vehicle width direction are continuous with the lower ends of the left and right pillar joints JP. The contact portion between the lower wall 47 (floor joint Jf) and the floor panel 62 is designated as the sealant application portion S2.

[0058] As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the vertical wall 45 of the lower panel wall 55L has a recessed lower section 45l in the central region in the vehicle width direction, where the upper end height is lower. Hereinafter, the portion of the lower section 45l that is higher in the upper end height than the lower section 45l on the outer side in the vehicle width direction will be referred to as the middle section 45m. The upper end height of the middle section 45m is approximately half the total height of the dashboard panel 55. On the outer side in the vehicle width direction of each middle section 45m on the left and right of the vertical wall 45, there are connected upper sections 45h that are higher in the upper end height than the middle section. The upper section 45h is formed to be approximately the same as the upper end height of the side wall 46. The vertical wall 45 is adjacent to the corresponding left and right side walls 46 at the upper section 45h.

[0059] As shown in Figure 5, a continuous joining flange 48 is formed between the upper edge of the high portion 45h on one side of the vertical wall 45 in the vehicle width direction and the upper edge of the other high portion 45h, spanning the middle portion 45m and the upper edge of the low portion 45l. The joining flange 48 is superimposed on the lower edge of the upper panel wall 55U and joined to the upper panel wall 55U by welding, adhesive, or the like. The joining flange 48 constitutes the steel joint portion Js in the aluminum material wall. The contact portion between the joining flange 48 (steel joint portion Js) and the upper panel wall 55U is designated as a sealant application portion S3.

[0060] As described above, annular sealant application areas S1, S2, and S3 are provided at the contact points between the peripheral portion of the lower panel wall 55L and the surrounding steel members (front pillar 54, floor panel 62, upper panel wall 55U) that abut the peripheral portion. A sealant having waterproofing and galvanic corrosion prevention functions is applied to these sealant application areas S1, S2, and S3. The sealant is applied when assembling the components of the vehicle interior structure 100R, before the lower panel wall 55L is joined to the surrounding members (front pillar 54, floor panel 62, upper panel wall 55U).

[0061] Here, the lower panel wall 55L, which is made of aluminum, has a pair of left and right laterally extending regions As including a pillar joint Jp, and a lower extending region Al including a floor joint Jf. The lower extending region Al extends along the vehicle width direction so as to connect the left and right laterally extending regions As. The upper panel wall 55U, which is made of steel, is positioned above the pair of laterally extending regions As and the lower extending region Al of the lower panel wall 55L, and in this state, both ends in the vehicle width direction are joined to the left and right corresponding front pillars 54.

[0062] As shown in Figure 3, the steel upper panel wall 55U comprises a vertical wall 49 that stands facing directly forward of the vehicle, and a pair of side walls 50 that bend and extend toward the rear of the vehicle from both ends of the vertical wall 49 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The left and right side walls 50 are superimposed on the upper part of the side wall 46 of the lower panel wall 55L, on the surface facing inward in the vehicle width direction of the front pillar 54, and are joined to the front pillar 54 by welding, adhesive, or the like. The lower edge of the vertical wall 49 has a shape complementary to the shape of the upper end of the lower panel wall 55L. The lower edge of the vertical wall 49 is superimposed on the joining flange 48 of the lower panel wall 55L, and is joined to the joining flange 48 by welding, adhesive, or the like.

[0063] In the central region of the upper panel wall 55U in the vehicle width direction, an auxiliary equipment mounting section 71 is provided for mounting a heavy auxiliary equipment, an air conditioning unit 70. The auxiliary equipment mounting section 71 has a through-hole (not shown) that penetrates the upper panel wall 55U in the front-rear direction, and has an uneven shape that can hold the air conditioning unit 70 from below. Also, as shown in Figure 1, a cowl top panel 76 is joined to the upper edge of the upper panel wall 55U. The cowl top panel 76 extends along the vehicle width direction at the upper part of the upper panel wall 55U. The lower edge of the front windshield 75 is held on the upper surface of the cowl top panel 76. The lower edge of the front windshield 75 is joined to the upper surface of the cowl top panel 76 by, for example, an adhesive. In this embodiment, the cowl top panel 76 constitutes a windshield support member.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, structural joints 65 are provided on the front side of the lower regions of the left and right middle sections 45m of the vertical wall 45 of the lower panel wall 55L, to which the front structure 100F is joined. The structural joints 65 are made of aluminum alloy, similar to other parts of the lower panel wall 55L. The rear end faces (connecting surfaces 39c at the rear ends of the connecting blocks 39) of the corresponding left and right lower load transmission sections 57 of the front structure 100F abut against the left and right structural joints 65. As shown in Figure 4, the structural joints 65 are fixed in this state to the connecting blocks 39 of the lower load transmission sections 57 by fastening with bolts 73. The bolts 73 can be made of aluminum alloy or insulated bolts with a coated surface. Note that the fixing of the structural joints 65 and the lower load transmission sections 57 is not limited to fastening with bolts 73, and may also be done by rivets, for example.

[0065] When manufacturing the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the passenger compartment structure 100R and the front passenger compartment structure 100F are each fabricated in separate processes beforehand. When fabricating the passenger compartment structure 100R, the left and right inner frame panels 59i are joined to the floor frame 40, and the floor panel 62 is joined to the floor frame 40 and the inner frame panels 59i. At this time, the upper panel walls 55U of the dashboard panel 55 are joined to the front pillar 54 portions of the left and right inner frame panels 59i. This creates an opening surrounded by the front end of the floor panel 62, the left and right front pillars 54, and the lower end of the upper panel wall 55U. After this, the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 is joined to the front end of the floor panel 62, the left and right front pillars 54, and the lower end of the upper panel wall 55U so as to fill this opening.

[0066] At this time, sealant is applied to the sealant application areas S1, S2, and S3 between the pillar joint Jp, floor joint Jf, and steel joint Js in the periphery of the upper panel wall 55U and the mating members that abut them. When the upper panel wall 55U is joined to the mating member in this way, the sealant creates a liquid-tight seal between the upper panel wall 55U, the front pillar 54, the floor panel 62, and the upper panel wall 55U, and prevents the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between the abutment areas. In this embodiment, electrodeposition coating is performed after joining the upper panel wall 55U to the mating member, and the sealant is cured during the heating process to dry the electrodeposited coating.

[0067] Furthermore, when the front structure 100F of the passenger compartment is fabricated, the suspension support structure 15 and the pair of load-receiving members 20 are each fabricated by die-casting, and the left and right load-receiving members 20 are connected to the suspension support structure 15 by bolt fastening or the like.

[0068] Next, the formed front passenger compartment structure 100F is positioned in front of the passenger compartment structure 100R, and the rear end of the lower load transmission section 57 of the front passenger compartment structure 100F (the connecting surface 39c of the connecting block 39) is abutted against the structural joint section 65 of the dashboard panel 55 of the passenger compartment structure 100R. The lower load transmission section 57 of the front passenger compartment structure 100F is made of aluminum alloy, and the structural joint section 65 of the passenger compartment structure 100R is formed as part of the lower panel wall 55L, which is also made of aluminum alloy. As a result, the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R come into contact with each other using the same type of metal material. After this, the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R are fastened and fixed together with bolts 73.

[0069] As described above, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, a lower panel wall 55L made of aluminum alloy is provided on the dashboard panel 55 (partition member) incorporated into the passenger compartment structure 100R, and a structural joint portion 65 is provided on the lower panel wall 55L. Furthermore, sealant application portions S1, S2, and S3 are provided at the contact portions between the lower panel wall 55L, which is made of aluminum, and other components of the passenger compartment structure 100R. For this reason, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, when manufacturing the passenger compartment structure 100R, a sealant can be applied to the sealant application portions S1, S2, and S3 before joining the lower panel wall 55L to the other components of the passenger compartment structure 100R. In this way, the passenger compartment structure 100R with the aluminum alloy lower panel wall 55L assembled can then have the front passenger compartment structure 100F joined to the structural joint portion 65 of the lower panel wall 55L. The front passenger compartment structure 100F is joined to the passenger compartment structure 100R while in contact with the structural joint 65 made of aluminum alloy. Therefore, when assembling the front passenger compartment structure 100F to the passenger compartment structure 100R, it is not necessary to apply a sealant for galvanic corrosion prevention between the contact points of the two structures. Consequently, when assembling the large block members, the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R, the sealant for galvanic corrosion prevention will not peel off due to unexpected contact between the two structures. Furthermore, when assembling the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R, the lower panel wall 55L made of aluminum alloy has already been joined to other components of the passenger compartment structure 100R with sealant applied. Therefore, when assembling the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R, the sealant around the lower panel wall 55L will not peel off due to unexpected contact between the two structures. Therefore, when the vehicle structure of this embodiment is adopted, the issue of sealant peeling off during assembly of the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R does not occur, making it possible to simplify the equipment for assembling the front passenger compartment structure 100F and the passenger compartment structure 100R and improve productivity.

[0070] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the dashboard panel 55, which is a bulkhead member, is configured to include an upper panel wall 55U (steel material wall) made of steel and a lower panel wall 55L (aluminum material wall) made of aluminum alloy. Therefore, the contact portion (structural joint portion 65) of the dashboard panel 55 with the front structure 100F is formed of the same type of metal (aluminum alloy) as the front structure 100F, while the strength and rigidity of the other parts of the dashboard panel 55 can be maintained at a high level by the upper panel wall 55U made of steel.

[0071] Furthermore, the vehicle structure of this embodiment includes a passenger compartment structure 100R comprising a pair of left and right front pillars 54 and side sills 58 extending from the lower ends of each front pillar 54 toward the rear of the vehicle. The lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55, made of aluminum alloy, is provided with pillar joints JP that are joined to each front pillar 54 along the vertical direction. Therefore, when an impact load is applied from the front passenger compartment structure 100F to the structural joint 65 of the dashboard panel 55, the load is transmitted to the left and right front pillars 54 via the pillar joints JP of the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55. The load transmitted to the left and right front pillars 54 is then transmitted to the corresponding left and right side sills 58. Thus, when the vehicle structure of this embodiment is adopted, it becomes possible to smoothly transmit the impact load applied to the structural joint 65 of the dashboard panel 55 to the rear frame portion of the vehicle through the left and right front pillars 54 and side sills 58.

[0072] In this embodiment, the vehicle structure includes a passenger compartment structure 100R which comprises a floor panel 62 that is a floor component, and the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 is provided with a floor joint Jf that is joined to the floor panel 62 along the vehicle width direction. Therefore, when an impact load is applied from the front passenger compartment structure 100F to the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55, that load is also transmitted to the floor panel 62 via the floor joint Jf of the lower panel wall 55L. Consequently, the impact load applied to the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 is smoothly transmitted to the rear frame members of the vehicle not only through the left and right front pillars 54 and side sills 58, but also through the lower floor panel 62.

[0073] Furthermore, in this vehicle structure configuration, the aluminum alloy lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 is joined to the floor panel 62 by the lower floor joint Jf. Therefore, when assembling the lower panel wall 55L to other components of the passenger compartment structure 100R, the gap between the lower panel wall 55L and the floor panel 62 can be sealed before joining. Thus, when this configuration is adopted, the sealing (application of sealant) between the lower panel wall 55L and the floor panel 62 can be completed during the molding of the passenger compartment structure 100R.

[0074] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 has a pair of left and right laterally extending regions As including pillar joints Jp, and a lower extending region Al including a floor joint Jf. The upper panel wall 55U of the dashboard panel 55 is positioned above the pair of laterally extending regions As and the lower extending region Al, and both ends in the vehicle width direction are joined to the left and right front pillars 54. Therefore, when assembling the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 to other components of the vehicle interior structure 100R, a sealant can be applied between the pillar joints Jp of the left and right laterally extending regions As of the lower panel wall 55L and the corresponding left and right front pillars 54, and then it can be joined to the corresponding front pillars 54. Also, at this time, a sealant can be applied between the lower extending region Al of the lower panel wall 55L and the floor panel 62, and then it can be joined to the floor panel 62. Therefore, when the vehicle structure of this embodiment is adopted, the sealing (application of sealant) between the lower panel wall 55L and the left and right front pillars 54, and between the lower panel wall 55L and the floor panel 62 can be completed when the passenger compartment structure 100R is being formed.

[0075] Furthermore, in the configuration of this embodiment, the upper panel wall 55U, which is a steel material wall, is positioned above the left and right lateral extension regions As and the lower extension region Al of the lower panel wall 55L, and both ends in the vehicle width direction are joined to the left and right front pillars 54. Therefore, when this configuration is adopted, it is possible to maintain high strength and rigidity in the upper region of the dashboard panel 55.

[0076] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the lower panel wall 55L of the dashboard panel 55 is provided with a steel joint Js at the edge adjacent to the upper panel wall 55U, which is joined to the upper panel wall 55U in a continuous manner. As a result, the periphery of the lower panel wall 55L, which is made of aluminum, is continuously joined to the left and right front pillars 54, the lower floor panel 62, and the upper panel wall 55U above. Therefore, when the vehicle structure of this embodiment is adopted, the sealing (application of sealant) between the periphery of the lower panel wall 55L, which is made of aluminum, and the other components of the vehicle interior structure 100R can be completed during the molding of the vehicle interior structure 100R.

[0077] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the front pillar 54 is made of steel, and a sealant application portion S1 is provided at the contact point between the pillar joint portion Jp of the lower panel wall 55L, which is made of aluminum, and the front pillar 54. As a result, the strength and rigidity of the outer portion of the lower panel wall 55L in the vehicle width direction can be sufficiently increased by the front pillar 54. In this case, the lower panel wall 55L and the front pillar 54 are in contact with each other using different types of metals, but by applying a sealant with galvanic corrosion prevention function to the sealant application portion S1 provided at this contact point, the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between the lower panel wall 55L and the front pillar 54 can be suppressed.

[0078] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the floor panel 62 is formed of steel, and annular sealant application portions S1, S2, and S3 are provided at the contact point between the peripheral portion of the lower panel wall 55L, which is made of aluminum, and the component of the vehicle interior structure 100R that abuts against the peripheral portion. Therefore, the strength and rigidity of the peripheral portion of the lower panel wall 55L can be maintained at a high level by other components made of steel. In this case, the lower panel wall 55L and the other components of the peripheral portion are in contact with each other using different types of metals, but by applying a sealant with galvanic corrosion prevention function to the sealant application portions S1, S2, and S3 provided at this contact point, the occurrence of galvanic corrosion between the lower panel wall 55L and the other components of the peripheral portion can be suppressed.

[0079] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle structure of the dashboard panel 55 has an upper panel wall 55U made of steel that includes an auxiliary equipment mounting section 71 for mounting heavy auxiliary equipment such as an air conditioning unit 70. Therefore, even with heavy auxiliary equipment such as an air conditioning unit 70 mounted on the auxiliary equipment mounting section 71 of the upper panel wall 55U, it becomes possible to join the upper panel wall 55U of the dashboard panel 55 to other components of the passenger compartment structure 100R. Consequently, when this configuration is adopted, heavy auxiliary equipment such as an air conditioning unit 70 can be easily mounted on the passenger compartment structure 100R.

[0080] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, a cowl top panel 76 that supports the front windshield 75 is joined to the upper edge of the upper panel wall 55U of the dashboard panel 55. Therefore, with the cowl top panel 76 joined to the upper part of the upper panel wall 55U, which is a steel material wall, it becomes possible to join the upper panel wall 55U to other components of the passenger compartment structure 100R. Consequently, when this configuration is adopted, the front windshield 75 can be easily assembled to the passenger compartment structure 100R at an appropriate time.

[0081] Furthermore, in the vehicle structure of this embodiment, the front passenger compartment structure 100F is fixed to the aluminum alloy structural joint 65 of the dashboard panel 55 by fastening members such as bolts 73. Therefore, if the fastening members such as bolts 73 are made of aluminum alloy, or if insulating bolts with a surface coating are used, it becomes possible to easily join the front passenger compartment structure 100F to the passenger compartment structure 100R by fastening members without requiring special galvanic corrosion countermeasures.

[0082] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the entire front structure 100F of the passenger compartment is made of aluminum alloy, but the front structure 100F of the passenger compartment does not necessarily have to be made of aluminum alloy for its entirety. At least the rear region of the front structure 100F that is joined to the passenger compartment structure 100R is made of aluminum alloy.

[0083] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the dashboard panel 55, which is a partition member, is configured to include a steel material wall (a steel upper panel wall 55U) and an aluminum material wall (aluminum alloy lower panel wall 55L). However, the dashboard panel 55, which is a partition member, does not necessarily have to include a steel material wall. The dashboard panel 55 may be configured to be entirely made of aluminum alloy.

[0084] 1...Vehicle 2...Passenger compartment 11...Front compartment 48...Joint flange (steel joint) 54...Front pillar (pillar component) 55...Dashboard panel (bulkhead component) 55L...Lower panel wall (aluminum wall) 55U...Upper panel wall (steel wall) 58...Side sill 62...Floor panel (floor component) 65...Structural joint 70...Air conditioning unit (heavy auxiliary equipment) 71...Auxiliary equipment mounting area 73...Bolt (fastening component) 75...Front windshield 76...Cowl top panel (windshield support component) 100F...Front passenger compartment structure 100R...Passenger compartment structure Al...Lower extension area As...Lateral extension area Jf...Floor joint Jp...Pillar joint Js...Steel joint S1, S2, S3...Seal application area

Claims

1. A vehicle structure comprising: a passenger compartment structure whose main part is made of steel and forms a passenger compartment; and a front passenger compartment structure whose rear portion is made of aluminum alloy and forms a front compartment in front of the passenger compartment structure, wherein the passenger compartment structure includes a partition wall member that separates the passenger compartment from the front compartment, the partition wall member comprises at least a portion of an aluminum alloy wall having a structural joint portion to which the front passenger compartment structure is joined, and a sealant coating portion is provided at the contact portion between the aluminum wall and other components on the passenger compartment structure side.

2. The vehicle structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the bulkhead member comprises a steel material wall made of steel and an aluminum material wall.

3. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, wherein the passenger compartment structure comprises a pair of left and right pillar components extending vertically from the front side of the passenger compartment, and a side sill extending from the lower end of each pillar component toward the rear of the vehicle, and the aluminum material wall has pillar joints joined to each pillar component along the vertical direction.

4. The vehicle structure according to claim 3, wherein the passenger compartment structure includes a floor surface component that extends below the passenger compartment so as to connect the lower regions of the left and right pillar components, and the aluminum material wall has a floor joint that is joined to the floor surface component along the vehicle width direction.

5. The vehicle structure according to claim 4, wherein the aluminum material wall has a pair of left and right laterally extending regions including left and right pillar joints joined to each of the pillar components, and a lower extending region including the floor joint and extending to connect the left and right laterally extending regions, and the steel material wall is positioned above the pair of laterally extending regions and the lower extending region, and both ends in the vehicle width direction are joined to the left and right pillar components.

6. The vehicle structure according to claim 5, characterized in that the aluminum material wall is provided with a steel joint portion at an edge adjacent to the steel material wall, which is continuously joined to the steel material wall.

7. The vehicle structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the pillar component is formed of steel, and the contact portion between the pillar joint of the aluminum material wall and the pillar component is provided with the seal application portion.

8. The vehicle structure according to claim 6, characterized in that the floor surface component is formed of steel, and the seal application portion is provided in an annular shape at the contact portion between the peripheral portion of the aluminum material wall and the component of the vehicle interior structure that abuts the peripheral portion.

9. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the steel material wall is provided with an auxiliary equipment mounting section for mounting heavy auxiliary equipment of the vehicle.

10. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, further comprising a windshield support member extending in the vehicle width direction and supporting the lower edge of the front windshield, wherein the windshield support member is joined to the upper edge of the steel material wall.

11. The vehicle structure according to claim 2, characterized in that the bulkhead member, which is assembled to the other components of the passenger compartment structure, is fixed to the front passenger compartment structure by fastening members at the structural joint.

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