JP6042228B2 - Lower arm mounting structure for automobile suspension members - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a lower arm mounting structure for a suspension member for an automobile, and more specifically, an input in the vertical direction from the lower arm can be efficiently transmitted to a mounting leg for supporting the suspension member on a vehicle body skeleton member. The present invention relates to a lower arm mounting structure.

  As a conventional lower arm mounting structure for a suspension member for an automobile, the suspension member is formed such that the upper member and the lower member are coupled so as to form a hollow shape, and the lower arm mounting opening is provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the front and rear bushes of the lower arm are inserted and fastened in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and attachment legs for supporting the suspension member to the vehicle body frame member are welded and fixed in the vicinity of the opening (for example, patents). Reference 1).

JP 2009-208678 A

  Although the conventional suspension member has the advantage of simple structure and low cost, the rigidity around the openings on both sides in the vehicle width direction is low, and the coupling rigidity of the mounting legs fixed in the vicinity of the openings is also low. We are concerned about the problem of low. In fixing the mounting leg portion, there is a concern that the suspension member may be affected by the behavior of the lower member side when the suspension member is vertically penetrated and welded to the lower member side. Therefore, it is preferable to weld only to the upper member side. On the other hand, when the front and rear bushes of the lower arm are fastened in the vertical direction in the vicinity of the opening, the mounting legs must be offset from the bush mounting portion and fixed. When configured in this way, the upper member receives the vertical input from the lower arm at the surface, and a large bending stress is generated from the bush mounting part to the mounting leg part, resulting in problems such as deterioration of steering stability and generation of road noise. Occurs.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described conventional situation, and can greatly improve the rigidity of the lower arm from the bush mounting portion to the mounting leg, and can efficiently transmit the vertical input from the lower arm to the mounting leg. An object of the present invention is to provide a lower arm mounting structure for an automobile suspension member that can prevent the deterioration of steering stability and the generation of road noise.

According to the present invention, an upper member and a lower member are coupled so as to form a hollow shape, and the suspension member body is supported by a vehicle body skeleton member in the vicinity of the opening of the suspension member body having openings on both sides in the vehicle width direction. In a lower arm mounting structure for a suspension member for an automobile, in which a mounting leg is provided, a front bush and a rear bush of a lower arm are inserted into the opening in a vehicle vertical direction and fixed to the upper member and the lower member.
In the vicinity of the opening of the suspension member main body, a bulk member having a substantially concave cross section composed of an upper lateral side, a lower lateral side and a vertical side is disposed so as to bridge the upper member and the lower member. ,
A closed cross section is formed by the upper lateral side portion of the bulk member and the upper member, and at least a part of the mounting leg portion is welded and fixed to a portion forming the closed cross section of the upper member.

  According to the present invention, since the bulk member is disposed in the vicinity of the opening of the suspension member and the upper member and the lower member of the suspension member are bridged by the bulk member, the rigidity around the opening can be increased. .

In addition, a closed cross section is formed by the upper lateral side of the bulk member and the upper member, and at least a part of the mounting leg is welded and fixed to a portion forming the closed cross section of the upper member, so that the upper and lower members pass through. Compared to the case of welding and fixing, it is less affected by the behavior of the lower member side. The vertical input from the bush can be efficiently transmitted to the mounting leg through the closed cross-sectional portion without adding. As a result, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of steering stability and the generation of road noise.

It is a perspective view of the lower arm attachment structure of the suspension member for motor vehicles concerning Example 1 of the present invention. It is a top view of the suspension member in the said lower arm attachment structure. FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of the lower arm mounting structure (a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2). FIG. 4 is a sectional front view of the lower arm mounting structure (sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 2). It is a disassembled perspective view of the attachment leg part in the said lower arm attachment structure. It is the perspective view seen from the vehicle width direction inner side of the left bulk member in the said lower arm attachment structure. It is a top view of the said bulk member. It is a side view which shows typically the attachment state to the vehicle body frame of the said suspension member.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 8 are views for explaining a lower arm mounting structure of a suspension member according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. In the drawings, front, rear, left, and right are as viewed from the front of the vehicle. It means front, back, left and right.

In the figure, reference numeral 12 denotes left and right side members constituting a vehicle body skeleton member. The side members 12 are obliquely extended from the main body portion 12a to the vehicle width direction outside while extending from the main body portion 12a to the vehicle width direction. And a front portion 12b extending upward and horizontally forward therefrom.

A suspension member 14 is disposed so as to extend from the lower surface of the front end portion of the main body portion 12a of the side member 12 to below the front portion 12b. The suspension member 14 connects the upper member 2 and the lower member 3 so as to form a hollow shape, and is provided in the vicinity of the front portion of the suspension member main body 1 having openings 1d on both sides in the vehicle width direction. The suspension member main body 1 is provided with mounting legs 9 that support the side member (vehicle body frame member) 12.

The suspension member body 1 is formed by tightening the left and right mounting legs 9 and 9 to the front portion 12b of the side member 12 with bolts 12c and the rear portion to the body portion 12a of the side member 12 with bolts 12d. It is fixed to the side member 12.

The suspension member main body 1 is arranged so as to be stepped at a center portion 1a located in the center in the vehicle width direction and at the left and right sides in the vehicle width direction and at a lower position than the center portion 1a when viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The left and right side portions 1b and 1b, and the left and right side portions 1b and 1b and the central portion 1a are connected to each other, and the left side is inclined to become higher toward the center in the vehicle width direction. , And right inclined portions 1c and 1c.

Further, a recess 1e for securing an arrangement space for the engine unit or the like is formed in the front portion of the suspension member body 1 so as to be recessed toward the rear of the vehicle. Reference numeral 1f denotes a reinforcing bead that is recessed so as to extend from the left and right inclined portions 1c to the central portion 1a.

The left and right side portions 1b and 1b are formed with the opening 1d for inserting a lower arm 4 to be described later.

The suspension member body 1 is made of sheet metal and has a hollow shape with the upper member 2 having a substantially hat-shaped cross section and the lower member 3 that is also made of sheet metal and has a substantially hat-shaped cross section. It is combined so as to be formed.

The upper member 2 has an upper wall portion 2a, a front wall portion 2b, a rear wall portion 2c, and front and rear flange portions 2d and 2e, and has a substantially hat shape as described above. The lower member 3 has a lower wall portion 3a, a front wall portion 3b, a rear wall portion 3c, and front and rear flange portions 3d and 3e, and has a substantially hat shape as described above. The front and rear flange portions 3d and 3e of the lower member 3 and the front and rear flange portions 2d and 2e of the upper member 2 are joined by spot welding.

A bulk member 6 made of sheet metal is disposed in the left and right sides of the suspension member main body 1. The bulk member 6 is formed by welding and joining two front and rear parts of a bulk front portion 6 ′ and a bulk rear portion 6 ″, and has substantially the same length as the longitudinal direction of the suspension member body 1. The member body 1 is disposed slightly obliquely so as to extend from the front portion of the opening 1d to the inclined portion 1c.

The bulk front portion 6 'of the bulk member 6 has an upper horizontal side portion 6a having substantially the same width as the side portion 1b, a lower horizontal side portion 6b, and a vertical side portion 6c having substantially the same height as the side portion 1b. The bulk rear portion 6 '' is formed with an upper flange portion 6d. The upper horizontal side portion 6a and the upper flange portion 6d, the lower horizontal side portion 6b and the lower edge portion 6e are welded and fixed to the upper wall portion 2a of the upper member 2 and the lower wall portion 3a of the lower member 3, respectively. The bulk member 6 bridges the upper wall 2a of the upper member 2 and the lower wall 3a of the lower member 3 and substantially closes the opening 1d.

A concave upper front bead 2f and an upper rear bead for attaching the front end of the lower arm 4 and the upper ends of the rear bushes 4a and 4b to the front and rear of the side portion 1b of the upper wall 2a of the upper member 2 2g protrudes into the opening 1d and is recessed so as to extend in the vehicle width direction from the opening 1d to the inclined portion 1c. Similarly, the lower front bead 3f for attaching the lower end portions of the front and rear bushes 4a and 4b of the lower arm 4 to the portion of the lower wall portion 3a of the lower member 3 facing the upper front bead 2f and the upper rear bead 2g. The lower bead 3g is formed so as to protrude into the opening 1d and to extend in the vehicle width direction from the opening 1d to the rising inclined portion 1c.

Further, an upper reinforcing bead 6f and a lower reinforcing bead 6g for reinforcing the upper front bead 2f and the lower front bead 3f are provided on the upper horizontal side 6a and the lower horizontal side 6b of the bulk front part 6 'of the bulk member 6, respectively. Is formed so as to protrude into the opening 1d and to contact the upper front bead 2f and the lower front bead 3f from the inside. The upper reinforcing bead 6f and the lower reinforcing bead 6g are fixed by welding to the upper front bead 2f and the lower front bead 3f.

A front bolt hole a is formed so as to vertically penetrate the lower front bead 3f and the lower reinforcing bead 6g from the upper front bead 2f and the upper reinforcing bead 6f, and vertically penetrates the lower rear bead 3g from the upper rear bead 2g. A rear bolt hole b is formed as shown.

Here, the upper wall 2a of the upper member 2 and the upper lateral side 6a of the bulk member 6 are formed so that the closed section A extends from the front bolt hole a to the rear of the vehicle as follows. That is, the lower reinforcing bead 6g is formed to have substantially the same shape and size as the lower front bead 3f, whereas the upper reinforcing bead 6f is extended so as to extend rearward of the vehicle from the upper front bead 2f. Yes. The closed section A is formed by the extension 6f 'of the upper reinforcing bead 6f and the portion 2f' corresponding to the extension 6f 'of the upper wall 2a.

The lower arm 4 includes an arm body 4e having a bifurcated shape, and the front bush 4a and the rear bush 4b fixed to the base end portion of the arm body 4e with the axis thereof directed in the vertical direction. The front bush 4a and the rear bush 4b are obtained by baking and fixing a rubber member 4f between an inner cylinder 4c and an outer cylinder 4d.

The lower arm 4 aligns the front bush 4a with the front bolt hole a with its axis line up and down, and the rear bush 4b with the rear bolt hole b with its axis line up and down. In this state, the bolt 5 is inserted into the inner cylinder 4c from below and the nut member 5a is tightened to support the suspension member body 1.

Here, since the head 5b of the bolt 5 on the front side is located in the concave bead 3f of the lower member 3, an obstacle on the road surface side is difficult to hit, and the head 5b of the bolt 5 is not easily hit by an obstacle. It is possible to prevent damage or loosening of the bolt 5.

The left and right mounting legs 9, 9 are formed so as to protrude upward slightly from the mounting bolts 5 of the left and right front bushes 4a of the suspension member body 1. Each of the attachment legs 9 is a cylindrical body in which a main body portion 10 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and a reinforcing portion 11 located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction are welded. The upper end portion of the mounting leg portion 9 is fastened and fixed to the front portion 12b of the side member 12 by a bolt 12c.

The main body 10 is made of sheet metal and has a substantially U-shaped cross section having front and rear side walls 10a, 10a and a bottom wall 10b, and an upright portion 10c extending linearly upward, and the upright portion 10c. And a support portion 10d that extends and bends outward from the upper end of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction.

The reinforcing portion 11 is made of sheet metal, and has a base portion 11a having the same width as the upright portion 10a, and a protruding portion 11b in which a part of the base portion 11a protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction and extends vertically. And extending upward along the main body 10, and its upper end is bent outward in the vehicle width direction.

The main body portion 10 and the distal end portion of the reinforcing portion 11 have an outward opening, and a collar 13a is disposed in the opening. A bolt 12c for fixing the mounting leg 9 to the front portion 12b of the side member 12 passes through the collar 13a. A collar 13b is interposed between the rear end corner portions of the upper wall portion 2a and the lower wall portion 3a of the side portion 1b, and the rear end portion of the suspension member main body 1 is used as the main body portion 12a of the side member 12. A bolt 12d for fixing to the inside of the collar 13b is inserted through the collar 13b.

Thus, the upper end portion of the mounting leg portion 9 has a large shape in the vertical direction, and the collar 13a is interposed inside the opening. Therefore, the upper end portion is formed in a thin plate shape in the vertical direction dimension. Compared to the case, the support rigidity by the mounting leg portion 9 can be greatly improved.

Flange portions 11c and 11d are formed outwardly at the lower ends of the base portion 11a and the protruding portion 11b of the reinforcing portion 11. The flange portion 11d is welded and fixed to a portion 2f ′ constituting the closed section A of the upper wall portion 2a of the upper member 2. Further, the flange portion 11c is fixed by welding in the vicinity of the boundary portion between the upper front bead 2f and the closed section A.

Further, the lower end portion 10e of the main body portion 10 penetrates downward from the upper wall portion 2a of the upper member 2 to the lower wall portion 3a of the lower member 3, and the lower end portion 10e includes the upper wall portion 2a and the lower wall portion 3a. Further, the outer end portion 10 a ′ of the front and rear wall portions 10 a is welded and fixed to the vertical wall portion 6 c of the bulk member 6.

According to the present embodiment, the bulk member 6 is disposed in the vicinity of the opening 1 d of the suspension member main body 1, and the upper lateral side 6 a and the lower lateral side 6 b of the bulk member 6 are connected to the upper wall of the upper member 2. Since the portion 2a and the lower wall portion 3a of the lower member 3 are fixed by welding, the vicinity of the opening 1d of the suspension member body 1 can be bridged up and down, and the rigidity around the opening 1d can be increased.

Further, the upper horizontal side portion 6a of the bulk member 6 and the upper wall portion 2a of the upper member 2 form a closed section A, and the flange portion 11d of the mounting leg portion 9 is connected to the closed section A of the upper wall portion 2a. Since the flange portion 11c is welded and fixed to the boundary between the closed step surface A and the upper front bead 2f, the mounting portion of the front bush 4a and the mounting leg portion 9 of the lower arm 4 are fixed. The vertical input from the front bush 4a can be efficiently transmitted to the mounting leg portion 9 through the closed section A portion while being offset from the welding fixing portion.

Further, the flange portions 11c and 11d of the reinforcing portion 11 of the mounting leg portion 9 are welded and fixed to the closed cross-section A forming portion of the upper wall portion 2a of the upper member 2, and the main body portion 10 is connected to the upper wall portion 2a and the lower wall portion 3a. Since it is penetrated and fixed to the upper and lower wall portions 2a and 3a and further fixed to the vertical side portion 6c of the bulk member 6, the supporting rigidity of the mounting leg 9 can be improved, and the suspension member 1 is supported. Can be stabilized.

Further, since only the main body portion 10 is vertically penetrated and fixed to the lower member 3, it is less affected by the behavior of the lower member side than when the entire mounting leg portion is vertically penetrated and fixed to the lower member by welding. As a result, it is possible to prevent deterioration in steering stability and generation of road noise without adding another part.

  In addition, in the said Example, although only the attaching part of the front bush 4a was reinforced with the bulk member 6, you may reinforce also the attaching part of the rear bush 4b with a bulk member.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Suspension member main body 1d Opening part 2 Upper member 2f 'The part which forms the closed cross section of an upper member 3 Lower member 4 Lower arm 4a Front bush 4b Rear bush 6 Bulk member 6a Upper side part 6b Lower side part 6c Vertical part 9 Attachment leg part 11d Flange (part of the mounting leg)
12 Side members (body frame members)
14 Suspension member A Closed section

Claims (1)

The upper member and the lower member are coupled so as to form a hollow shape, and mounting legs for supporting the suspension member body on the vehicle body skeleton member are provided in the vicinity of the opening of the suspension member body having openings on both sides in the vehicle width direction. In the lower arm mounting structure of an automobile suspension member, the front bush and the rear bush of the lower arm are inserted into the opening in the vehicle vertical direction and fixed to the upper member and the lower member.
In the vicinity of the opening of the suspension member main body, a bulk member having a substantially concave cross section composed of an upper lateral side, a lower lateral side and a vertical side is disposed so as to bridge the upper member and the lower member. ,
A closed cross section is formed by the upper lateral side of the bulk member and the upper member,
A lower arm mounting structure for a suspension member for an automobile, wherein at least a part of the mounting leg is welded and fixed to a portion of the upper member forming a closed cross section.

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