JPH1035529A - Car body front structure for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the deformation of a body supported on left and right side frames caused by an inertial force produced in an engine at the time of 'frontal impact' of an automobile. SOLUTION: Side frames 8 and 8 are bent to be used as bent sections 8c so as to position the front parts 8a of the side frames 8 and 8 supporting a body 4 toward the center 9 side of a car body 2 rather than a midway part 8b. A sheet metal cross member 12 for connecting the front parts 8a and 8a of the side frames 8 and 8 to each other is provided. An engine 14 is placed in the midway parts 8b and 8b via an engine mount 15. So as to protrude nearly the center of the cross member 12 in the car lateral direction toward the rear side when seen planely, the cross member 12 is formed to be nearly chevron- shaped. The protruding part 12a of this cross member 12 is brought close to a surface 14a toward the front side, the surface 14a being included in the outer surface of the engine 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle body front portion having a pair of left and right side frames and an engine mounted on the side frames.
The present invention relates to a vehicle body front structure in which deformation of a body at the time of a collision is suppressed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the above-mentioned front structure of a vehicle body has
As the “first conventional technology”, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-10234
In particular, there is one shown in FIG.

According to this, an automobile has a pair of left and right side frames extending in the front-rear direction, and a body is supported on both side frames. The part of each side frame from the front part to the middle part so that the front part of each side frame is located closer to the center of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction than the middle part in the front-rear direction of each side frame. It is bent, and this is a bent portion.

[0004] Front wheels are disposed in the space outside each of the front portions of the side frames positioned as described above. The front wheels support the front portion of the vehicle body on the ground. .

[0005] An engine is disposed between the middle portions of the both side frames, and the engine is mounted on the middle portion of the both side frames via an engine mount.

[0006] The driving of the engine enables an automobile to run on a road surface.

As a "second conventional technique", there is one shown in FIG. 1 of the above publication.

According to this, the "first conventional technique"
In addition, a cross member for connecting the front portions of the both side frames to each other is provided.

[0009]

When an automobile is running, the above-mentioned engine is heavy, and a large inertial force is generated in this engine.

For this reason, when a vehicle traveling forward collides with an object in front of it (hereinafter referred to as "front collision"), the following inconveniences occur based on the large inertial force generated in the engine. May occur.

That is, according to the "first conventional technique", the front portion of each side frame is located closer to the center of the vehicle body than the middle portion of each side frame supporting the engine. Therefore, at the time of the “front collision”, when the middle portion of each side frame is pushed forward by the inertial force, the front portion of each side frame is moved from the pushed middle portion. Under a load directed toward the center of the vehicle body, the body is deformed so as to be bent toward the center.

Then, the body supported by these side frames may be deformed with the deformation of the front part of each side frame, which is not preferable.

On the other hand, according to the "second prior art", at the time of "front collision", the front portion of each side frame is directed toward the center of the vehicle body as in the "first prior art". It is considered that the bending is suppressed by the cross member.

However, at the time of the "front collision", the inertial force acts on a bent portion of each side frame from a middle portion of each side frame to the cross member in a longitudinal direction thereof. Therefore, the bent portions of these side frames are plastically deformed so as to shrink in the longitudinal direction.

In this case, too, the body supported by the side frames may be deformed with the deformation of the side frames, which is not preferable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and when the vehicle is in a "front collision", the body supported by the left and right side frames is deformed by inertia generated in the engine. The task is to make sure that there is no such thing.

[0017]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a vehicle body front structure according to the present invention is provided with a pair of left and right side frames 8 extending in the front-rear direction and supporting the body 4. From the front part 8a to the middle part 8b, the front part 8a of the side frames 8, 8 is located closer to the center 9 of the vehicle body 2 in the vehicle width direction than the middle part 8b in the front-rear direction of each side frame 8, 8 as above. The above-mentioned side frames 8 and 8 are bent during the movement to form a bent portion 8c.
A cross member 12 made of sheet metal is provided for connecting the front portions 8a, 8a of the side frames 8, 8 to each other, and the engine 1 is provided between the intermediate portions 8b, 8b of the side frames 8, 8 as described above.
4 and the engine 14 is mounted on the intermediate portions 8b, 8b via the engine mount 15,

In a plan view, the cross member 12 is formed in a substantially U-shape so that a substantially central portion of the cross member 12 in the vehicle width direction projects rearward. Part protruding part 12a,
Of the outer surface of the engine 14, it is close to a front surface 14 a.

[0019]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an automobile, and an arrow Fr indicates the front in the traveling direction of the automobile 1, and the left and right described below refer to the vehicle width direction toward the front.

A front portion of the vehicle body 2 of the automobile 1 has a vehicle body frame 3, a body 4 supported by the vehicle body frame 3,
These body frames 3 supported by the body frame 3
Pair of left and right front wheels 5, which support the vehicle and the body 4 on the road surface.
5 is provided.

The body frame 3 has a pair of left and right sheet metal side frames 8, 8 extending in the front-rear direction, and these side frames 8, 8 are substantially positioned with respect to the center 9 of the body 2 in the vehicle width direction. It is symmetrical. The front portion 8a of each of the side frames 8 extends from the front portion 8a to the middle portion 8b so as to be located closer to the center 9 of the vehicle body 2 than the middle portion 8b of the side frames 8 in the front-rear direction. The portion of each side frame 8 is bent, and this portion is a bent portion 8c.

The wheels 5, 5 are arranged in the spaces 10, 10 outside the front portions 8a, 8a of the side frames 8, 8 positioned as described above. , 5 support the vehicle body 2 on the ground.

A first sheet metal cross member 11 for connecting the front ends of the front portions 8a of the side frames 8 to each other.
The front portion 8a of each side frame 8 is also provided.
There is provided a second sheet metal cross member 12 for connecting the connecting portions between the rear end and the front end of the intermediate portion 8b to each other.

The middle portion 8 of the both side frames 8, 8
The engine 14 is disposed between the middle parts 8b, 8b via a pair of left and right first engine mounts 15, 15, whereby the engine 14 is provided.
It is supported by the body frame 3. The main body of each of the engine mounts 15 is made of an elastically deformable rubber, and the vibrations are buffered by the elastic deformation when the engine 14 is driven, and the vibrations are prevented from being transmitted to the vehicle body 2.

In a plan view (FIG. 1), the cross member 12
The cross member 12 is bent in a substantially U-shape so that a substantially central portion in the vehicle width direction projects rearward, and the cross member 12 is substantially symmetrical with respect to the center 9 of the vehicle body 2. It has been. The above-mentioned substantially central protruding portion 12a of the cross member 12 is brought close to (including contact with) a front surface 14a of the outer surface of the engine 14, more specifically, a front surface of the engine 14. I have.

The front portion of the engine 14 is supported by the second engine mount 16 with respect to the projecting portion 12a. The engine mount 16 has the same function as the first engine mount 15.

According to the above configuration, the "front collision" of the automobile 1
When the engine mounts 15 and 16 are elastically deformed, the engine 14 has an inertia force A generated therein.
As a result, it moves relatively forward with respect to each of the side frames 8 and 8 (dotted line in FIG. 1).

On the other hand, the inertial force A is applied to the bent portions 8c, 8c (including the front end of the intermediate portion 8b) of the side frames 8, 8 from the engine mounts 15, 15 to the cross member 12. Acting in the longitudinal direction, the bent portions 8c, 8c, etc., start plastically deforming so as to shrink in the longitudinal direction, so that the engine 14 also allows the engine 14, particularly the front portions 8a,
8a and the cross member 12 move forward.

Then, immediately after the start of the relative movement, the engine 14 immediately comes into pressure contact with the protruding portion 12a of the cross member 12 adjacent thereto, and applies a load to the cross member 12.

In this case, since the cross member 12 has a substantially U-shape as described above, the protrusion 1
The load applied to 2a acts on the left and right sides 12b, 12b of the cross member 12 with substantially equal forces in the longitudinal direction (arrow B in FIG. 1), that is, acts as an axial force. .

Accordingly, the left and right sides 12b, 12b of the cross member 12 are plastically deformed so as to shrink in the longitudinal direction (dotted line in FIG. 1), whereby energy based on the inertial force A is absorbed.

In the above case, firstly, the front portions 8a, 8a of the side frames 8, 8 are provided in the middle portions 8b, 8b of the side frames 8, 8 supporting the engine 14.
Is located closer to the center 9 of the vehicle body 2,
At the time of “front collision”, when the middle portions 8b, 8b of the side frames 8, 8 are pushed forward by the inertial force A, the front portions 8a, 8a of the side frames 8, 8
When the load is applied to the center 9 of the vehicle body 2 from the pushed middle portions 8b, 8b, the load tends to be bent toward the center 9 under the load.

However, since the cross member 12 has a substantially U-shape, the load (arrow B in FIG. 1) acting in the longitudinal direction of each side portion 12b of the cross member 12 is directed forward. As it goes, it will face outward in the vehicle width direction.

For this reason, the component force (the arrow C in FIG. 1) directed outward in the vehicle width direction under the load is such that the front portions 8a, 8a of the side frames 8, 8 are directed toward the center 9 of the vehicle body 2. To prevent bending.

Therefore, the deformation of the front portions 8a, 8a of the side frames 8, 8 in the vehicle width direction due to the inertial force A is suppressed, and the body supported by the side frames 8, 8 is suppressed. 4 is also suppressed from being deformed.

Secondly, at the time of the "front collision", as described above, the inertial force A is applied to each of the side frames 8, 8 as described above.
Acts on the bent portions 8c, 8c and the like of the side frames 8, 8 from the middle portions 8b, 8b to the cross member 12, but the inertial force A is applied by the inertial force A to the bent portions 8c, 8c. And at the same time, the inertia force A is changed at the same time as described above.
2, the energy based on the inertial force A is absorbed, and the inertial force A causes the bent portion 8
It is suppressed that c, 8c, etc. are plastically deformed so as to shrink in the longitudinal direction.

Therefore, the side frames 8, 8 are also prevented from being deformed in the front-rear direction by the inertial force A. In this respect, the side frames 8, 8 are also kept in this respect.
The deformation of the body 4 supported by the body is also suppressed.

On the other hand, as described above, the cross member 12
The engine 14 is supported by the projecting portion 12a of the engine 14 via the engine mount 16, that is, the support of the engine 14 to the vehicle body frame 3 is made strong by a simple structure using the cross member 12. . The engine mount 16 need not be provided.

[0040]

According to the present invention, a pair of left and right side frames extending in the front-rear direction and supporting the body are provided, and the front portion of each of the side frames is more in the vehicle width direction than the middle portion in the front-rear direction of each side frame. So that it is located in the center of the vehicle,
A part of each side frame from the front part to the halfway part is bent to form a bent part, and a sheet metal cross member for connecting the front parts of the side frames is provided. Along with disposing an engine between the parts, in the vehicle body front structure in which the engine is erected in the middle through the engine mount,

In a plan view, the cross member is formed in a substantially U-shape so that a substantially central portion of the cross member in the vehicle width direction projects rearward. The part is close to the front surface of the outer surface of the engine.

For this reason, when the engine mount is deformed at the time of "front collision" of the vehicle and the engine is moved forward with respect to each of the side frames by the inertia force generated in the engine mount, Immediately after the start of the relative movement, the engine immediately comes into pressure contact with the protruding portion of the cross member adjacent thereto to apply a load to the cross member.

In this case, as described above, since the cross member has a substantially U-shape as described above, the load applied to the protruding portion acts on each of the left and right sides of the cross member in the longitudinal direction. That is, it acts as an axial force.

Therefore, the left and right sides of the cross member are plastically deformed so as to shrink in the longitudinal direction, whereby energy based on the inertial force is absorbed.

In the above case, firstly, the front part of each side frame is located closer to the center of the vehicle than the middle part of each side frame supporting the engine. At the time of `` front collision '', when the middle portions of the side frames are pushed forward by the inertial force, the front portions of the side frames move from the pushed middle portions to the center side of the vehicle body. Under such a load, it is deformed so as to be bent toward the center.

However, since the cross member has a substantially U-shape, the load acting on each side of the cross member in the longitudinal direction is directed outward in the vehicle width direction toward the front. Become.

For this reason, the component force directed outward in the vehicle width direction under the load suppresses the front portion of each of the side frames from bending toward the center of the vehicle body.

Therefore, the front portion of each side frame is prevented from being deformed in the vehicle width direction due to the inertial force, so that the body supported by each side frame is also prevented from being deformed.

Second, at the time of the "front collision", as described above, the inertial force is applied to the bent portions of the side frames from the middle of the side frames to the cross members. Although acting in the longitudinal direction, when the inertial force acts on the bent portion or the like, at the same time, the inertial force acts on the cross member as described above, so that energy based on the inertial force is absorbed. The plastic deformation of the bent portion or the like caused by the inertial force to shrink in the longitudinal direction is suppressed.

Therefore, the deformation of each side frame in the front-rear direction due to the inertial force is also suppressed. In this respect, the deformation of the body supported by each side frame is also suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a front portion of a vehicle body of an automobile.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Automobile 2 Body 3 Body frame 4 Body 5 Wheel 8 Side frame 8a Front part 8b Midway part 8c Bend part 9 Center 12 Cross member 12a Projection part 12b Side part 14 Engine 14a surface 15 Engine mount A inertia force

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pair of left and right side frames extending in the front-rear direction and supporting a body are provided, and a front portion of each of the side frames is closer to the center of the vehicle body in a vehicle width direction than an intermediate portion in a front-rear direction of each side frame. In order to be located in the middle part, the side frames are bent from the front part to the middle part to form bent parts, and a cross-member made of sheet metal for connecting the front parts of the side frames is provided. An engine is disposed between the middle portions of both side frames, and in a vehicle body front structure in which the engine is installed on the middle portion via the engine mount, in a vehicle width direction of the cross member in a plan view. The cross member is formed in a substantially U-shape so that the substantially central portion protrudes rearward, and the above-described substantially central protruding portion of the cross member is formed as follows. Of the outer surface of the serial engine, vehicle body front structure of the vehicle is brought close to the surface toward the front.