JP5077972B1 - Automotive mainframe and automobile using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A vehicle main frame which uses aluminum in the cockpit section, is very comfortable to ride in and can be manufactured at low cost, and a vehicle using said vehicle main frame are provided. This vehicle main frame (10) is provided with a cockpit frame (12) for the driver to ride in, and a forward frame (14) provided forwards of the cockpit frame (12) in the travel direction, wherein the cockpit frame (12) is formed from aluminum, and a front end wall (18) is formed by which the cockpit frame (12) is connected to the front frame (14). The front end wall is a high-strength wall capable of receiving stress from the front frame (14). By this means, the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved.

Description

  The present invention relates to a lower structure of an automobile, that is, a main frame to which a vehicle body is attached.

  To date, various types and shapes of mainframes (= chassis) for automobiles have been developed. The shape of the main frame ranges from the simplest to a very complex shape consisting of a pair of side frames extending in the front-rear direction of the automobile and a ladder frame spanned between the side frames. There are a wide variety.

  The material used for the main frame is generally iron (carbon steel), but recently, as described in Patent Document 1, aluminum or carbon fiber has been used for the purpose of weight reduction. It is coming.

  Aluminum not only can be made lighter than iron, but also has the property of being easy to process because it is soft and highly malleable. For this reason, aluminum is actively used in automobile main frames.

  If aluminum is used in the portion of the main frame where the cockpit where the occupant including the driver gets in, aluminum can be produced due to the above-described characteristics of the aluminum.

JP-A-7-47420

  When designing a car, it is not necessary to simply have a good ride, and collision safety, that is, performance that can protect passengers in the cockpit even when a strong impact is applied to the car due to a collision, etc. It is done.

  However, when the cockpit part is made of aluminum in the structure of the conventional main frame, there is a possibility that the required collision safety cannot be achieved because the cockpit is greatly deformed when a strong impact is applied to the automobile. .

  Of course, it is possible to achieve the necessary collision safety by increasing the cross-sectional strength of the entire main frame formed of aluminum using means such as increasing the thickness of the members constituting the main frame. This time, a problem arises that the amount of material used increases and the cost increases.

  The present invention has been developed in view of such problems of the prior art. Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a main frame for an automobile and an automobile using the same, which can be manufactured at a low cost while being excellent in riding comfort by using aluminum in a cockpit portion.

  The main frame for automobiles according to one aspect of the present invention includes at least a cockpit part frame on which a driver gets in, and a front frame provided on the front side in the traveling direction of the cockpit part frame. The cockpit frame is made of aluminum and has a front end wall to which the front frame is connected. The front end wall is a high-strength wall capable of receiving stress from the front frame.

  By forming the cockpit frame with aluminum, it is possible to make a car with excellent ride comfort. Further, by making the front end wall to which the front frame is connected in this cockpit frame into a high-strength wall, the stress applied to the front frame (“stress” includes the impact force at the time of collision) is efficient. Can be taken. By making the front end wall a high-strength wall in this way, it is possible to efficiently transmit the load to the cockpit frame, and to ensure collision safety and rigidity without increasing the cross-sectional strength of the entire cockpit frame, resulting in high costs. And avoiding excessive mass. The conventional front end wall merely blocks heat and sound from the engine provided on the front side, for example, and does not have the high strength as described above.

  Further, the front frame is provided with a pair of side frames that respectively extend forward from both side end portions of the front end wall, and the cockpit portion frame is further provided with a pair of side members that respectively extend rearward from both side end portions of the front end wall. The frame and the side member may be arranged in a straight line through the front end wall.

  By arranging the side frame of the front frame and the side member of the cockpit frame in a straight line with each other through the front end wall as described above, the longitudinal direction of the side frame applied to the side frame at the time of a collision or the like The stress and impact force can be reliably transmitted to the side member.

  The most heavy engine unit (in the case of a reciprocating engine) or battery (in the case of an electric vehicle) in an automobile is often placed on the rear part of the cockpit part frame or the rear frame extending rearward from the rear end of the cockpit part frame. For this reason, as described above, the stress transmitted to the side member after being applied to the side frame is transmitted to and received by the heavy engine unit or battery, so that the cockpit frame is greatly deformed and collision safety is achieved. The possibility of impairing the sex can be avoided.

  The term “straight line” is not limited to a straight line in a geometrical sense, and is a concept including a case where there is a slight angle between the longitudinal direction of the side frame and the longitudinal direction of the side member. . This is the same throughout this specification.

  In addition, the pair of side members are formed so that the longitudinal dimensions thereof are equal to each other, and are disposed so that the distance between the pair of side members decreases toward the front. While forming so that it may become equal, you may arrange | position so that a space | interval may mutually become narrow as it goes ahead.

  By defining the side member and the side frame in this way, the cockpit frame and the front frame have an isosceles trapezoidal shape. When both frames are in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, if the front frame is subjected to stress during a collision, the front frame will always be deformed so that it will be folded inward and will be deformed so that it will open outward. Turn into. If it can always be deformed in the same direction, it becomes easy to take measures specialized in the deformation direction.

  Further, the front frame is further provided with a center frame having one end connected to the center portion of the front end wall and the other end connected to the side frame, and the cockpit portion frame has a center member extending rearward from the center portion of the front end wall. Further, the center frame may be connected at a position corresponding to the connection position of the center member with the front end wall interposed therebetween.

  Thereby, the stress applied to the side frame is transmitted to the center portion of the front end wall via the center frame, and is reliably transmitted to the center member connected to the corresponding position.

  Further, an inner space defined by the side frame and the front end wall may be formed in the front frame, and an impact absorbing material that absorbs an impact by deforming itself may be disposed in the inner space.

  By disposing the shock absorber in the inner space of the front frame, when the front frame is deformed due to stress during a collision or the like, the shock absorber also deforms while absorbing the stress according to the deformation, and the cockpit The stress transmitted to the part frame can be reduced. Furthermore, because the front end wall of the cockpit frame is located on the back side of the shock absorber, most of the collision energy applied to the shock absorber does not escape to the cockpit side frame and deforms the shock absorber. As a result, the capacity of the shock absorber can be maximized.

  According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to provide an automobile main frame and an automobile using the same, which are excellent in riding comfort using aluminum in the cockpit portion and can be manufactured at low cost.

It is a partially cutaway perspective view showing a main frame for automobiles according to the present invention. It is a top view which shows the main frame for motor vehicles based on this invention. It is the perspective view which expanded the front frame periphery which shows the main frame for motor vehicles of the state which attached the front suspension. It is a left view which shows the main frame for motor vehicles of the state which attached the front suspension.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the following description, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, the “notch” in FIG. 1 indicates a state in which the notch is cut out along a line indicated by arrows II in FIG.

  The automobile main frame 10 to which the present invention is applied includes a cockpit frame 12, a front frame 14, and a rear frame 16 provided as necessary.

  The cockpit frame 12 is made of aluminum, and has a front end wall 18 formed on the front side in the traveling direction, a pair of side members 20, a center member 22 extending rearward from the center of the front end wall 18, and a back member. 23.

  The front end wall 18 is a high-strength wall capable of receiving stress from the front frame 14 (including the impact force when the automobile collides and the load and vibration transmitted from the tire during traveling. The same applies hereinafter). is there. In the present embodiment, the front end wall 18 is formed by stacking four aluminum hollow rectangular pillars having a rectangular cross section in the longitudinal direction and welding them together. Of course, the structure of the front end wall 18 is not limited to this, and as described above, any structure may be used as long as the strength capable of receiving the stress from the front frame 14 can be exhibited. For example, two aluminum hollow prismatic materials (a solid prismatic material, which is the same hereinafter) that are longer in the vertical direction than those described above may be formed in an overlapping manner.

  The side members 20 are a pair of members that extend rearward from both side ends of the front end wall 18 with respect to the traveling direction. In the present embodiment, the side member 20 is formed by stacking three aluminum hollow prismatic members having a rectangular cross section in the longitudinal direction and welding them together. The structure of the side member 20 is not limited to this, and may be formed of two prismatic materials by combining one prismatic material that is long in the longitudinal direction and one prismatic material that is shorter in the longitudinal direction. it can.

  The center member 22 is a member that extends rearward from the center portion of the front end wall 18. In the present embodiment, the center member 22 includes a main body member 26 having a rectangular cross section (that is, a column shape) provided between the front end wall 18 and the back member 23, and one end being a central portion of the front end wall 18. 26 is connected to the upper side of the main body member 26, one end is connected to the back member 23, and the other end is connected to the upper surface of the main body member 26. It is comprised with the rear side reinforcement member 30 made. Of course, the center member 22 may be constituted by only the main body member 26, but the center member 22 is firmly fixed to the front end wall 18 and the back member 23, so that the stress from the front frame 14 can be reliably received, and the cockpit frame 12 It is preferable to provide one or both of the front reinforcing member 28 and the rear reinforcing member 30 in that the rigidity of the front reinforcing member 28 and the rear reinforcing member 30 can be improved.

  The back member 23 is a member in which the rear side ends of the pair of side members 20 are connected to both end portions thereof. A center member 22 (that is, the main body member 26 and the rear reinforcing member 30) is connected to the center of the back member 23. In the present embodiment, the back member 23 includes a pair of main body members 32 that are installed horizontally between the rear ends of the pair of side members 20 in the vertical direction, and a central portion of the pair of main body members 32. It is comprised with the reinforcement member 34 which connects each other in the vertical direction. More specifically, the end of the main body member 26 constituting the center member 22 is connected to the central side surface of the lower main body member 32, and one end of the rear side reinforcing member 30 is connected to the side surface of the reinforcing member 34. Has been.

  In the present embodiment, the longitudinal dimensions of the pair of side members 20 are formed to be equal to each other, and the longitudinal dimension of the front end wall 18 is formed to be shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the back member 23. Thereby, the space | interval of a pair of side member 20 becomes narrow as it goes ahead. That is, the cockpit frame 12 is formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape in plan view (see FIG. 2).

  In the present embodiment, a pair of front upper brackets 36 extending forward are attached to the upper portions of the front ends of the pair of side members 20. In addition, a pair of front lower brackets 66 are attached to lower portions of the front ends of the pair of sand members 20 (that is, below the front upper bracket 36). Further, a central bracket 37 extending forward is projected slightly above the central portion of the front end wall 18. Further, a pair of rear upper brackets 38 are attached to the upper surfaces of the rear ends of the pair of side members 20. A rear lower bracket 68 (same as the front lower bracket 66) is attached to the lower portion of the rear end of the pair of side members 20. The front upper bracket 36 and the front lower bracket 66 are members to which a side frame 42 (described later) of the front frame 14 is connected. That is, the front upper bracket 36 is interposed between the upper portion of the side frame 42 and the side member 20, and the front lower bracket 66 is interposed between the lower portion of the side frame 42 and the side member 20. The central bracket 37 is a substantially cylindrical member to which one end of each of a pair of center frames 44 (described later) in the front frame 14 is connected. The rear upper bracket 38 and the rear lower bracket 68 are members to which the rear frame 16 provided as necessary is connected. That is, the rear upper bracket 38 is interposed between the upper portion of the rear frame 16 and the side member 20, and the rear lower bracket 68 is interposed between the lower portion of the rear frame 16 and the side member 20. . Since the front upper bracket 36, the front lower bracket 66, the center bracket 37, the rear upper bracket 38, and the rear lower bracket 68 are subjected to repeated stress and impact force from the front frame 14 and the rear frame 16, aluminum is used. Cast products or aluminum die cast products are used. The front upper bracket 36, the front lower bracket 66, the center bracket 37, the rear upper bracket 38, and the rear lower bracket 68 are all members that constitute the cockpit frame 12.

  Further, an aluminum ladder member 60 is installed between the side members 20 and the center member 22. By attaching the driver seat and the passenger seat to the ladder member 60, the movement of the wheels and the vehicle body is directly transmitted to the driver and the like, and an optimum driving feeling for the sports car can be provided.

  As shown in the figure, a roll bar 40 may be attached between the pair of rear upper brackets 38.

  The front frame 14 is a frame provided in front of the cockpit frame 12 in the traveling direction, and includes a pair of side frames 42, a pair of center frames 44, and a front frame 46 provided as necessary. Yes.

  The pair of side frames 42 are members that extend forward from both side end portions of the front end wall 18, and are arranged in a straight line with the side members 20 of the cockpit portion frame 12 via the front end wall 18. In this embodiment, one side frame 42 includes an upper member 48, a lower member 50, a front member 52, and a reinforcing member 54. Each of the members 48 to 54 is an iron pipe material, and is fixed to each other by means such as welding. Of course, aluminum may be used for the material of the side frame 42, but it is preferable to use iron from the viewpoint of cost and durability against repeated stress.

  The upper member 48 is a member that has one end connected to the front upper bracket 36 and extends forward substantially horizontally. The lower member 50 is a member that has one end connected to the lower portion of the side end of the front end wall 18 and extends substantially horizontally forward, and is longer than the upper member 48. The front member 52 is a member having one end connected to the other end of the upper member 48 and the other end connected to the other end of the lower member 50. As described above, since the lower member 50 is formed to be longer than the upper member 48, the front member 52 has the other end (lower side) protruding forward as viewed from one end (upper side). It has become. The reinforcing member 54 is a member having one end connected to one end of the front member 52 and the other end connected to the lower member 50.

  The pair of center frames 44 is a member whose one end is connected to the central portion of the front end wall 18 and the other end is connected to a connection portion between the upper member 48 and the front member 52 in the side frame 42. Further, the connection position of one end of the center frame 44 connected to the center portion of the front end wall 18 is the connection of the center member 22 (more specifically, the front side reinforcing member 28 of the center member 22) across the front end wall 18. Corresponds to the position.

  One end of the front frame 46 is connected to the connecting portion between the front member 52 and the lower member 50 in one side frame 42, and the other is connected to the connecting portion between the front member 52 and the lower member 50 in the other side frame 42. It is a member whose end is connected.

  In the front frame 14, the longitudinal dimensions of the pair of side frames 42 are equal to each other, and the longitudinal dimension of the front frame 46 is shorter than the longitudinal dimension of the front end wall 18. Thereby, the space | interval of a pair of side frame 42 becomes narrow as it goes ahead. That is, the front frame 14 formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape is further formed on the front side of the cockpit part frame 12 formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape in plan view. (See Figure 2)

  In this way, by forming the cockpit frame 12 and the front frame 14 in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid, the front frame 14 is always folded inward when stress is applied to the front frame 14 at the time of collision. The possibility of being deformed so that it is deformed to open outward is minimized. If it can always be deformed in the same direction, it becomes easy to take measures specialized in the deformation direction.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the bumper frame 56 is attached further to the front side than the front frame 14. The bumper frame 56 is supported by a connection portion between the upper member 48 and the front member 52 and a connection portion between the lower member 50 and the front member 52 in each side frame 42. The bumper frame 56 is not an indispensable component, but is preferable in that it can improve collision safety.

  Further, if necessary, a second front frame (not shown) that connects the pair of side frames 42 in a substantially horizontal direction (that is, disposed substantially parallel to the front frame 46) may be provided. . The second front frame is a substantially rod-shaped member. One end of the second front frame is connected to a connection portion between the upper member 48 and the center frame 44 in one side frame 42, and the other end is an upper side in the other side frame 42. It is connected to a connection portion between the member 48 and the center frame 44. The second front frame may be a rigid frame, but preferably further includes a damper that expands and contracts in the longitudinal direction of the second front frame. By providing the second front frame with the damper, it is possible to improve the vibration damping characteristics of the entire automobile main frame 10 and further improve the riding comfort.

  An inner space 62 defined by the side frame 42 and the front end wall 18 may be formed, and an impact absorbing material 64 that absorbs stress by being deformed by itself may be disposed in the inner space 62. Examples of the shock absorber 64 include foamed polypropylene, foamed polyethylene, foamed polystyrene, and a mixed material of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene. Of course, the material of the shock absorber 64 is not limited to these.

  An example in which a pair of front suspensions 100 is attached to the front frame 14 is shown in FIGS. The illustrated front suspension 100 is a so-called double wishbone suspension, and includes a rotor 102 to which a tire (not shown) is attached, a vertically extending upright 104 to which the rotor 102 is rotatably attached, and an upper end of the upright 104. Upper arm (A-type arm) 106 attached to the lower arm, lower arm (A-type arm) 108 attached to the lower end of the upright 104, and one end connected to the lower arm 108 to absorb impact force (stress) from the tire And a damper 110 to be used.

  In the present embodiment, the other end of the damper 110 is connected to the front upper bracket 36. Further, the upper arm 106 is connected to the front end wall 18 of the cockpit portion frame 12 and the connection portion between the upper member 48 and the center frame 44 in the side frame 42. Further, the lower arm 108 is connected to the front end wall 18 and a connection portion between the lower member 50 and the front member 52 in the side frame 42.

  As described above, since the damper 110, the upper arm 106, and the lower arm 108 are directly connected to the cockpit frame 12, vibrations and shocks from the tire are directly transmitted to the cockpit frame 12 (to the upper arm 106). Vibration and the like are also transmitted to the central portion of the front end wall 18 through the center frame 44.) Since the information such as the road surface condition and the posture of the vehicle body is easily transmitted to the driver, it is suitable as the main frame 10 for a sports car. It will be something.

  The rear frame 16 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) is a frame provided on the rear side in the traveling direction of the cockpit frame 12, and is supported by the rear end of the side member 20 and the back member 23 in the cockpit frame 12. Yes. The rear frame 16 has an internal space 58, and an engine unit (in the case of a reciprocating engine) or a battery (in the case of an electric vehicle) is attached to the internal space 58. Iron or aluminum can also be used for the material of the rear frame 16, but, like the front frame 14, it is preferably made of iron from the viewpoint of cost and durability against repeated stress.

  By forming the cockpit frame 12 from aluminum like the automobile main frame 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to make the automobile excellent in riding comfort. Further, the stress applied to the front frame 16 can be received by making the front end wall 18 to which the front frame 14 is connected in the cockpit portion frame 12 a high strength wall. Thus, by making the front end wall 18 a high-strength wall, it is possible to efficiently transmit the load to the side member 20 and the center member 22 in the cockpit part frame 12, and the collision safety without increasing the cross-sectional strength of the cockpit part frame 12 as a whole. Therefore, it is possible to avoid an increase in cost and an excessive mass.

  By arranging the side frame 42 of the front frame 14 and the side member 20 of the cockpit frame 12 in a straight line with each other via the front end wall 18, the side frame 42 added to the side frame 42 at the time of a collision or the like can be obtained. The stress in the longitudinal direction can be reliably transmitted to the side member 20.

  The heaviest engine unit (in the case of a reciprocating engine) or battery (in the case of an electric vehicle) in the automobile is mounted on the rear frame 16 extending rearward from the rear part of the cockpit part frame 12 or from the rear end of the cockpit part frame 12. There are many. Therefore, as described above, since the stress transmitted to the side member 20 after being applied to the side frame 42 is transmitted to the heavy engine unit or battery and is received, the cockpit frame 12 is greatly deformed. Thus, the risk of impairing the collision safety can be avoided.

  In addition, the stress applied to the side frame 42 is transmitted to the center portion of the front end wall 18 through the center frame 44 and is also reliably transmitted to the center member 22 connected to the corresponding position.

  Further, by disposing the shock absorbing material 64 in the inner space 62 of the front frame 14, when the front frame 14 is deformed due to stress during a collision or the like, the shock absorbing material 64 also absorbs stress according to the deformation. However, it is possible to reduce the stress transmitted to the cockpit frame 12 while being deformed. Furthermore, since the front end wall 18 of the cockpit frame 12 is located on the back surface of the shock absorber 64, most of the stress applied to the shock absorber 64 does not escape to the cockpit frame 12 and absorbs the shock. It will be spent on the deformation | transformation of the material 64, and the capability of the shock-absorbing material 64 can be exhibited to the maximum.

  A preferred embodiment of the present invention is as described above, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It will be understood that various other embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the effect | action and effect by the structure of this invention are described, these effect | actions and effects are examples and do not limit this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Automotive main frame, 12 ... Cockpit part frame, 14 ... Front part frame, 16 ... Rear part frame, 18 ... Front end wall, 20 ... Side member, 22 ... Center member, 23 ... Back member, 26 ... Main body member, 28 ... front side reinforcing member, 30 ... rear side reinforcing member, 32 ... main body member, 34 ... reinforcing member, 36 ... front side upper bracket, 37 ... center bracket, 38 ... rear side upper bracket, 40 ... roll bar, 42 ... side frame, 44 ... Center frame, 46 ... Front frame, 48 ... Upper member, 50 ... Lower member, 52 ... Front member, 54 ... Reinforcement member, 56 ... Bumper frame, 58 ... Inner space, 60 ... Ladder member, 62 ... Inner space 64 ... Shock absorbing material, 66 ... Front lower bracket, 68 ... Rear lower bracket, 100 ... Front suspension Down, 102 ... rotor, 104 ... upright, 106 ... upper arm, 108 ... lower arm, 110 ... Damper

Claims (5)

A main frame for an automobile having a cockpit part frame on which a driver gets in, and a front frame provided on the front side in the traveling direction of the cockpit part frame,
The cockpit frame is
Together are formed of aluminum, said front frame is connected, is formed overlapping the hollow prismatic member has a can Ru front end wall of the receiving the stress from the front frame, and the front end wall It further has a pair of side members that extend rearward from both end portions,
The front frame is
Having a pair of side frames respectively extending forward from both side end portions of the front end wall;
The main frame for automobiles, wherein the side frame and the side member are arranged in a straight line through the front end wall . The pair of side members are formed so that the longitudinal dimensions thereof are equal to each other, and the distance between the pair of side members decreases toward the front,
The pair of side frames are formed so that the longitudinal dimensions thereof are equal to each other and become narrower as the distance from each other increases.
The pair of side members are formed by stacking aluminum hollow prismatic materials having a rectangular cross section,
The main frame for an automobile according to claim 1 , wherein the pair of side frames are made of iron . The front frame further includes a center frame having one end connected to a central bracket at the center of the front end wall and the other end connected to the side frame;
The cockpit frame further has a center member extending rearward from the back surface of the central bracket at the center of the front end wall,
The main frame for an automobile according to claim 1 , wherein a connection position of the center frame corresponds to a connection position of the center member across the front end wall. In the front frame, an inner space defined by the side frame and the front end wall is formed,
The foamed polypropylene, foamed polyethylene, foamed polystyrene, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or a mixture thereof, which absorbs an impact when deformed by itself, is disposed in the internal space. Item 4. The main frame for automobiles according to any one of Items 1 to 3 . An automobile in which the automobile main frame according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is used.

Images