JPH11245855A - Vehicle body structure - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] In a vehicle having an engine disposed in front of a vehicle body, when an impact force of the vehicle is input, the influence of the impact force is prevented from entering the vehicle interior, so that the occupants in the vehicle interior can be To provide a vehicle body structure capable of ensuring safety. When an impact force is input from the front as a result of arranging an engine, an upstream portion of an exhaust pipe including a catalytic converter, and a spare tire in a front-rear direction, the impact force is input. Is transmitted from the engine to the upstream portion of the exhaust pipe. In addition, the exhaust pipe 20 is locked to the vehicle body side in front of the catalytic converter 22 by the locking portion having a structure that allows displacement of the exhaust pipe in the front-rear direction as described above. Therefore, the exhaust pipe 20 in this portion is
Due to the input in the front-rear direction, the vehicle is displaced rearward and reaches the spare tire 2. Since the spare tire 2 is extremely strongly attached to the vehicle body, it does not displace regardless of the input of the impact force. Therefore, the displacement of the engine and the exhaust pipe upstream is only the initially set interval between the spare tire and the exhaust pipe 20, and further displacement is restricted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure, and more particularly to a layout structure below a floor panel of a vehicle in which a spare tire is stored on a lower surface side of the floor panel.

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a vehicle body structure in which an engine is disposed at a front portion of a vehicle, if an impact is input from the front due to a collision or the like, in order to ensure the safety of an occupant, the engine must be moved to a vehicle compartment side. It is necessary to provide a configuration that effectively prevents entry. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-32543 discloses that in a vehicle having an engine disposed in front of the vehicle, when an impact is input from the front of the vehicle body, an upstream of an exhaust pipe disposed between the radiator and the engine is provided. There is disclosed a vehicle body structure in which a notch portion is provided in a portion, an impact force is concentrated on the notch portion, and the exhaust pipe is broken at the notch portion to absorb energy.

[0003]

However, in the structure disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, there is no idea to prevent the engine from moving toward the cabin, and there is a concern that the impact force applied to the engine is transmitted to the cabin. Still exists.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in a vehicle in which an engine is arranged at a front portion of a vehicle body, when an impact force of the vehicle is input from the front, the engine is driven. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body structure capable of effectively preventing the engine from displacing backward more than a predetermined amount so as to prevent the vehicle from entering the vehicle interior, thereby ensuring the safety of occupants in the vehicle interior. This object of the present invention can be achieved by the following features of the present invention. 1 of the present invention
According to one feature, the engine located at the front of the car body,
An exhaust pipe connected to the engine and extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, a spare tire is disposed at a central portion of the vehicle body in the front-rear direction, and the exhaust pipe has a curved line bypassing the spare tire. The vehicle body structure is provided, wherein the rearward displacement of the engine by a predetermined amount or more is regulated by interference between the exhaust pipe and a spare tire.

[0005] In this case, the exhaust pipe includes first and second large-diameter portions disposed in front and rear of the spare tire, and a first large-diameter portion disposed in front of the spare tire. It is preferable that the second large-diameter portion disposed rearward of the spare tire is attached so as to allow at least left-right displacement so that the portion allows at least displacement in the front-rear direction. The first and second large diameter portions include a silencer, a catalytic converter, and the like. Further, the exhaust pipe may further include a third large-diameter portion attached to a rear end so as to allow displacement in the front-rear direction. As the third large-diameter portion, a sub-silencer is used. In a preferred aspect, the spare tire is disposed along a lower surface of a floor panel of the vehicle, and an exhaust pipe extends rearward from a connection portion with an engine toward the spare tire substantially along a lower surface of the floor panel. Thereafter, it extends rearward while forming a curved portion while bypassing the spare tire, and reaches the rear end of the vehicle body.

Further, preferably, the exhaust pipe is curved also in the vertical direction, and the curved portion forms the lowermost end of the exhaust pipe. In another preferred aspect, the spare tire is disposed at a center position in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and is displaced on either side in the left-right direction, and the exhaust pipe curves toward the inside of the vehicle body. By doing so, it is arranged so as to bypass the spare tire. Preferably, the curved portion of the exhaust pipe projects below a lower end of a propeller shaft disposed below the floor panel. According to the present invention, the engine is mounted on the front part of the vehicle body, the exhaust pipe is arranged behind the engine, and the spare tire is arranged behind the upstream part of the exhaust pipe.

As described above, when the engine, the upstream portion of the exhaust pipe, and the spare tire are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, when an impact force is input from the front, the impact force is transmitted from the engine. Transmitted to the exhaust pipe upstream,
The upstream portion of the exhaust pipe is displaced rearward and reaches the spare tire. Since the spare tire is extremely strongly attached to the vehicle body, it does not displace regardless of the input of the impact force. Therefore, the displacement of the engine and the exhaust pipe upstream portion is only the interval between the initially set spare tire and the exhaust pipe upstream portion, and further displacement is restricted. That is, it is possible to effectively prevent the engine from entering the passenger compartment and to ensure the safety of the occupant. further,
In another aspect, the exhaust pipe includes first and second large diameter portions before and after the spare tire as described above. And
The method of fixing these exhaust pipe portions is determined so as to restrict the retreat of the engine by a predetermined amount or more. That is, the first large-diameter portion is mounted movably in the front-rear direction so as to allow a predetermined amount of retreat of the engine, and the second large-diameter portion is mounted such that displacement in the front-rear direction is restricted. Can be
The second large-diameter portion is fixed so that displacement in the front-rear direction is constrained because, when there is an input in the front-rear direction, the collision energy is absorbed by the deformation of the exhaust pipe portion accompanying the retreat of the engine. It is.

The reason why the third large-diameter portion is fixed so as to be displaceable in the front-rear direction is to promote energy absorption by displacement of the exhaust pipe when collision energy is input from behind. The spare tire and the exhaust pipe are laid out substantially along the lower surface of the floor panel. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a desirable floor reduction in this type of vehicle. Further, since the exhaust pipe is curved not only in the lateral direction but also downward in the curved portion for bypassing the spare tire, the collision energy transmitted from the engine to the exhaust pipe from the front to the rear is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the transmission of energy in the direction of the passenger compartment, thereby ensuring the safety of the occupant.

Further, since the exhaust pipe is curved inward, bypassing the spare tire, when the exhaust pipe is deformed by receiving collision energy, it is deformed toward the inside of the vehicle body. Therefore, a situation does not occur in which the exhaust pipe arranged along the lower surface of the floor panel in a curved state is deformed by the collision and protrudes outside the vehicle body. As a result, in the event of a collision, the occupant in the vehicle does not get in the way when opening the door and going out of the vehicle. In addition, the curved portion of the exhaust pipe is located below the propeller shaft, and the collision energy input to the engine from the front to the rear is directed downward through the curved portion of the exhaust pipe as described above. , Does not interfere with the propeller shaft located above. Therefore, due to the presence of the propeller shaft, the deformation of the exhaust pipe is not suppressed, and the collision energy can be sufficiently absorbed. The same applies to the case where collision energy from behind is input to the exhaust pipe.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below based on embodiments.
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the underfloor portion of a vehicle that can be equipped with the spare tire storage device 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an elevational view showing a state in the vehicle interior and under the floor of the vehicle. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an engine 11 is disposed between the front wheels 10, and a propeller shaft 12 extends rearward from a rear end of the engine 11 in a central portion of the vehicle. The rear end of the propeller shaft 12 is connected to a differential device 14 of the rear wheel 13. The differential device 14 is provided between the engine 11 and the propeller shaft 12.
Engine power transmitted to the rear axle 15
Through the rear wheel 13. A pair of side frames 16 extending in the front-rear direction are provided on side portions of the vehicle.
Is provided.

A spare tire storage device is provided between the wheel bases of the front and rear wheels 10 in the vicinity of one side, and a fuel tank is provided on the other side at a position substantially aligned in the front-rear direction. 17 are arranged.
In this arrangement, the spare tire storage device and the fuel tank 17
And the propeller shaft 12 extends in the front-rear direction. In this case, the propeller shaft 12 extends almost straight backward. An exhaust pipe 20 further extends from the rear end of the engine 11. The exhaust pipe 20 extends slightly outward and rearward from the joint at the rear end of the engine 11 toward the spare tire 2 in a plan view,
After that, spare tire 2 just before the spare tire storage device
Curved portion 21 that curves inward along the outer circumference of the tire and that again curves outward at a position past the spare tire storage device.
It has. The exhaust pipe 20 includes a catalytic converter 22 for purifying exhaust gas in front of the spare tire 2 and a silencer 23 as a second large-diameter portion behind the curved portion 21. Behind the spare tire 2,
The exhaust pipe 20 extends slightly outward while curving outward, and continues to the silencer 23 as the second large-diameter portion. Behind the silencer 23, the exhaust pipe 20
Extends rearward and slightly outward while curving upward and bypassing the drive shaft 15. Above the differential 14, the exhaust pipe 20 curves downward again, extends rearward while being maintained horizontally in the rear of the differential 14, and slightly rises immediately before being connected to the sub-silencer 24 behind it. After that, it is bent horizontally and connected to the sub-silencer 24.
From this silencer 23 to the sub-silencer 24,
The exhaust pipe 20 extends obliquely outward in a plan view, and is substantially rearward at the sub-silencer 24 and the floor panel 26.
Extends substantially horizontally along the lower surface of the to reach the open end.

When the state of the exhaust pipe 20 is viewed in an elevation view in FIG. 2, the exhaust pipe 20 extends substantially horizontally rearward from the connection with the engine 11 to the side of the spare tire storage device. The curved portion 21 formed so as to draw a substantially semicircular arc in plan view while bypassing the semicircular portion extending from the front of the spare tire 2 to the rear through the side portion is spare in the vertical direction. The tire 2 is curved such that the lowest part is located on the side of the tire 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the distal end of the curved portion 21 protrudes to a position overlapping the propeller shaft 12 in plan view, and the exhaust pipe 20 partially extends rearward through the lower side of the propeller shaft 12. ing. That is, in the structure of this example, the exhaust pipe 2 is provided between the fuel tank 17 and the spare tire storage device 1.
0 and the propeller shaft 12 will be interposed.

The exhaust pipe 20 is positioned at a predetermined position as shown in FIG.
Locking parts 201, 202, 20 as shown in (b) and (c)
It is locked to the vehicle body via 3, 204, 205. The locking portions 201, 202, 203, 204, and 205 are mount brackets 211, 212, and 21 attached to the vehicle body.
3, 214, 215 and locking members 221, 222, 223, 224, 225 attached to the exhaust pipe side. That is, the exhaust pipe 20 has the locking members 221, 222, 223, 224, and 225 which are locked to the mount brackets 211, 212, 213, 214, and 215.
Are fixed, and the locking members 221, 222, 22
3, 224, 225 are the brackets 211, 212,
The exhaust pipe 20 is attached to the vehicle body by being coupled to the exhaust pipes 213, 214, and 215.

The bracket 211 is connected to the catalytic converter 22.
It is installed slightly forward. The bracket 211 includes
An engagement hole 211a extending in the front-rear direction is formed. On the other hand, a locking member 221 extending substantially horizontally is fixed to the exhaust pipe 20 at a position in front of the catalytic converter 22. This locking member is bent at a right angle,
As a result, the front end extending in the front-rear direction is locked. Then, the distal end of the locking member 221 is engaged with the engaging hole 211a in the front-rear direction of the bracket. by this,
The exhaust pipe 20 can be displaced in the front-rear direction by a predetermined distance with respect to the locking portion 201. Still another locking portion 202 is provided on the front end side of the silencer 23 behind the spare tire 2. The locking portion is formed by a bracket 212 having an engaging hole 212a extending in the left-right direction and a locking member 222 extending in the left-right direction attached to the front end of the silencer 23 and having a distal end housed in the engaging hole 212a. Become. In the locking portion 202, the displacement of the exhaust pipe 20 in the front-rear direction is restricted, while the displacement in the left-right direction is allowed. Still another locking portion 203 is also provided on the rear end side of the silencer 23.
03 also has a bracket 213 having an engagement hole 213a extending in the left-right direction, and a tip portion is housed in the engagement hole 213a,
And a locking member 223 extending in the left-right direction attached to the front end of the silencer 23. Therefore, this locking portion 2
Reference numeral 03 also restricts displacement of the exhaust pipe 20 in the front-rear direction, and allows displacement in the left-right direction. Furthermore, the locking portion 20 including another bracket 214 and the locking member 2124
4 and 205 are also provided before and after the sub-silencer 24. Bracket 2 at these locking portions 204 and 205
14, 215 are engaging holes 214a,
15a, and the locking members 224, 225 have front ends engaged with the engagement holes 214a, 215a, respectively, and are connected to the front end surface and the rear end surface of the sub-silencer 24 at the base.

Accordingly, the locking portions 204 and 205 allow displacement of the exhaust pipe 20 in the front-rear direction, while restraining displacement in the left-right direction. The front end of the side frame 16 is located just behind the bumper at the front end of the engine room, extends almost inward and rearward from this position, descends, comes closest to the rear end side of the front wheel, and then slightly thereafter. Extending outwardly and rearwardly. And it is located so that it may extend straight backward at the position of the rear end of the spare tire storage device. Then, it refracts slightly inward in front of the rear wheel, passes through the position inside the rear wheel, slightly refracts outward at the rear end side of the rear wheel, and then extends rearward at the rear position of the rear wheel. It extends straight toward. The pair of side frames 16 are connected by a plurality of cross members 18 extending in the lateral direction.

To describe the vertical shape of the side frame 16, the front end of the side frame 16 is at the level located behind the bumper 25, as described above, and extends substantially horizontally straight rearward from that position.
And it curves downward at a position almost past the front wheel,
It extends horizontally again at a position behind the front wheels. After that, it extends straight back almost at that level. A floor panel 26 is disposed above the side frame 16, and forms a passenger compartment 28 with the upper vehicle body 27. The front end of the vehicle interior 28 is partitioned by a cowl panel 29. The cabin 28 has three seat rows 3 in the front-rear direction.
0, 31, and 32 are provided. And the front seat 30
The operating portion of the winch device of the spare tire storage device is located between the center seat 31 and the winch device, and a steering wheel is operably mounted on the operating portion of the winch device from the passenger compartment side.

In the structure of the present embodiment, the front seat 30 and the center seat 31 can be respectively slid in the front-rear direction by a predetermined distance, thereby operating the handle of the winch device for the spare tire. A predetermined working space can be secured so that the sheet does not sometimes get in the way. The spare tire 2 is stored in the horizontal direction in the vicinity of the floor underside of the vehicle. In the vehicle of this example, the right front seat 30 is a driver's seat, and a driving handle 33 is provided at a position corresponding to the driver's seat. A spare tire storage space is provided below the floor surface at a position behind the driver's seat 30. Front doors 34 are provided on both sides of the front seat 30, and side doors 35 are provided at least on the driver seat side. The spare tire storage device 1 of the present example includes:
Floor surface 2 corresponding to the position of the step of side door 35
6 below.

According to the present invention, the engine 11
Is mounted on the front of the vehicle body, and an exhaust pipe is disposed behind the vehicle. A spare tire 2 is disposed behind an upstream portion of the exhaust pipe 20. As described above, the exhaust pipe 2 including the engine 11 and the catalytic converter 22 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.
When an impact force is input from the front as a result of arranging the upstream portion of the zero and the spare tire 2 side by side, the impact force is transmitted from the engine to the exhaust pipe upstream portion. In addition, the exhaust pipe 20 is locked to the vehicle body side in front of the catalytic converter 22 by the locking portion having a structure that allows displacement of the exhaust pipe in the front-rear direction as described above. Therefore, the exhaust pipe 20 in this portion is displaced rearward and reaches the spare tire 2 by the input in the front-rear direction. Since the spare tire 2 is extremely strongly attached to the vehicle body, it does not displace irrespective of the input of the impact force. Therefore, the displacement of the engine and the exhaust pipe upstream is
Only the initially set distance between the spare tire and the exhaust pipe 20, and any further displacement is restricted. In other words, it is possible to effectively prevent the engine 11 from entering the passenger compartment, thereby ensuring the safety of the occupant.

As described above, the catalytic converter 22 is mounted movably in the front-rear direction so as to allow a predetermined amount of retreat of the engine, and the silencer is mounted such that displacement in the front-rear direction is restricted. The second large-diameter portion is fixed so that displacement in the front-rear direction is constrained because, when there is an input in the front-rear direction, the collision energy is absorbed by the deformation of the exhaust pipe portion accompanying the retreat of the engine. It is.
Since the sub-silencer is fixed to be displaceable in the front-rear direction, the energy absorption can be promoted by the displacement of the exhaust pipe 20 when the collision energy is input from behind. The spare tire and the exhaust pipe are laid out substantially along the floor panel lower surface 26. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a desirable floor reduction in this type of vehicle.

Further, since the exhaust pipe 20 is curved not only laterally but also downward at a curved portion for bypassing a spare tire, the exhaust pipe 20 is transmitted from the engine 11 to the exhaust pipe 20 from the front to the rear. The collision energy directed toward the vehicle can be directed downward, so that the transmission of energy in the vehicle compartment direction can be avoided, and the safety of the occupant can be ensured. Further, since the exhaust pipe 20 is curved inward, bypassing the spare tire 2, when the exhaust pipe is deformed by receiving collision energy, it is deformed toward the inside of the vehicle body. Therefore,
In the curved state, the exhaust pipe arranged along the lower surface of the floor panel does not deform due to collision and does not protrude outside the vehicle body. As a result, in the event of a collision, the occupant in the vehicle does not get in the way when opening the door and going out of the vehicle.

Further, the curved portion 21 of the exhaust pipe 20 is located below the propeller shaft 12, and the collision energy from the front to the rear inputted to the engine 11 as described above is applied to the curved portion 21 of the exhaust pipe. Since it is directed downward through the shaft, it does not interfere with the propeller shaft located above. Therefore, damage to the propeller shaft due to deformation of the exhaust pipe due to the collision is prevented.

[0022]

According to the present invention, since the exhaust pipe and the spare tire are arranged along the lower surface of the floor panel as described above, energy can be efficiently absorbed at the time of a collision and the vehicle can be put into the vehicle interior. Impact energy can be avoided as much as possible, thereby ensuring the safety of the occupant. Further, in such a case, troubles when the occupant escapes from the vehicle can be eliminated as much as possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a layout including a storage state of an exhaust pipe and a spare tire under a floor of a vehicle to which the present invention can be applied,

FIG. 2 is an elevation view showing a state of a vehicle interior and a lower part of the vehicle body of the vehicle of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view showing a mounting state of a locking portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 Front wheel 11 Engine 12 Propeller shaft 13 Rear wheel 14 Differential device 15 Rear wheel axle 16 Side frame 17 Fuel tank 20 Exhaust pipe 21 Curved portion 26 Floor panel.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle body structure having an engine disposed at a front part of a vehicle body and an exhaust pipe connected to the engine and extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, wherein a spare tire is provided at a central part in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body Is disposed, and the exhaust pipe has a curved portion that bypasses the spare tire, and a rearward displacement of the engine that is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is restricted by interference between the exhaust pipe and the spare tire. A vehicle body structure characterized in that: 2. The exhaust pipe according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipe includes first and second exhaust pipes disposed in front and rear of the spare tire.
A first large-diameter portion disposed in front of the spare tire, a second large-diameter portion disposed rearward of the spare tire so as to allow at least displacement in the front-rear direction.
The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the large-diameter portion is mounted such that at least a left-right displacement is allowed. 3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 2, wherein the exhaust pipe further includes a third large-diameter portion attached at a rear end thereof so as to allow displacement in the front-rear direction. 4. The spare tire according to claim 1, wherein the spare tire is disposed along a lower surface of a floor panel of the vehicle, and the exhaust pipe extends from a connection portion with an engine to the spare tire substantially along a lower surface of the floor panel. Extend backward toward
Thereafter, the vehicle body structure extends rearward while forming a curved portion while bypassing the spare tire and reaches a rear end of the vehicle body. 5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust pipe is curved also in the vertical direction, and the curved portion forms a lowermost end of the exhaust pipe. 6. The spare tire according to claim 1, wherein the spare tire is disposed at a center position in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body and is deviated on either side in the left-right direction, and the exhaust pipe is directed toward the inside of the vehicle body. A vehicle body structure characterized by being arranged so as to bypass a spare tire by being curved. 7. The vehicle body structure according to claim 6, wherein the curved portion of the exhaust pipe projects below a lower end of a propeller shaft arranged below the floor panel.