Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160495-B2
Application number	US-201515500165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 15, 2015
Priority date	Aug 4, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

A vehicle body structure having left and right side frames located on both sides in a vehicle width direction, each side frame including an end on an external force acting side that receives a collision load in a vehicle longitudinal direction acting from outside of a vehicle, and an end on an opposite side of the end on the external force acting side. The side frames are provided with a plurality of fragile portions on left and right sides. The plurality of fragile portions include at least left and right first fragile portions located at the ends on the external force acting side, and left and right second fragile portions located on sides of the ends on the opposite side. An area of each of the left and right first fragile portions is set to be larger than each of areas of the left and right second fragile portions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vehicle body structure in which left and right side frames made of a steel plate are located on both sides in a vehicle width direction, wherein
each of the left and right side frames includes a distal end on an external force acting side that receives a collision load in a vehicle longitudinal direction acting from outside of a vehicle, and a proximal end on an opposite side of the distal end,
the left and right side frames are provided with a plurality of fragile portions on left and right sides, which are formed as fragile regions in which a hardness of the steel plate is lower than in other portions of the left and right side frames,
when the left and right side frames are viewed from above, the plurality of fragile portions on the left and right sides are arranged in a staggered pattern in a vehicle longitudinal direction,
the plurality of fragile portions on the left and right sides comprise at least left and right first fragile portions located at the distal ends of the left and right side frames, and left and right second fragile portions located on sides of the proximal ends apart from the left and right first fragile portions,
an area of each of the left and right first fragile portions is set to be larger than each of areas of the left and right second fragile portions,
the left side frame has a left hole formed from a through hole substantially at a center of one of the plurality of left fragile portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and thus has a most fragile portion at a central position of the one left fragile portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, which serves as a starting point of a deformation caused by the collision load, and
the right side frame has a right hole formed from a through hole substantially at a center of one of the plurality of right fragile portions in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and thus has a most fragile portion at a central position of the one right fragile portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, which serves as a starting point of a deformation caused by the collision load.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the fragile portions with the left and right holes comprise the left and right first fragile portions.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the left and right side frames are each formed into a polygonal closed section, and
the left and right holes are located at corners of the polygon in the fragile portions with the left and right holes.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the second fragile portions comprise a distal end side second fragile portion located at a portion of the left and right side frames close to the first fragile portion, and a proximal end side second fragile portion located closer to the proximal end than the distal end side second fragile portion, and
the area of the first fragile portion is largest, the area of the distal end side second fragile portion is smaller than the area of the first fragile portion and larger than the area of the proximal end side second fragile portion.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the fragile regions of the plurality of fragile portions are respectively surrounded by boundary regions formed in the left and right side frames,
the hardness in the boundary region is an intermediate hardness higher than in the fragile regions and lower in portions other than the boundary regions of the left and right side frames.

6. A vehicle body structure in which left and right side frames made of a steel plate are located on both sides in a vehicle width direction, wherein
each of the left and right side frames includes a distal end on an on an external force acting side that receives a collision load in a vehicle longitudinal direction acting from outside of a vehicle, and a proximal end on an opposite side of the distal end,
the left and right side frames are provided with a plurality of fragile portions on left and right sides, which are formed as fragile regions in which a hardness of the steel plate is lower than in other portions of the left and right side frames,
when the left and right side frames are viewed from above, the plurality of fragile portions on the left and right sides are arranged in a staggered pattern in a vehicle longitudinal direction,
the plurality of fragile portions on the left and right sides comprise at least left and right first fragile portions located at the distal ends of the left and right side frames, and left and right second fragile portions located on sides of the proximal ends apart from the left and right first fragile portions,
an area of each of the left and right first fragile portions is set to be larger than areas of the left and right second fragile portions,
the left and right side frames are each formed from at least two divided bodies divided in a vertical direction,
flanges provided at both edges of the lower divided body in the vehicle width direction and flanges provided at both edges of the upper divided body in the vehicle width direction are overlaid in the vertical direction and welded at a plurality of weld points arranged at an interval in the vehicle longitudinal direction,
the left and right rear side frames are each formed into a closed section by the lower divided body and the upper divided body,
the left and right first fragile portions are located in the left and right rear side frames close to outside in the vehicle width direction, and are each formed from a lower fragile portion provided in the lower divided body and an upper fragile portion provided in the upper divided body,
a line passing through a center of each of the left and right rear side frames in a widthwise direction and extending in a vehicle vertical direction is defined as a center line in the widthwise direction, and
the lower fragile portion and the upper fragile portion are provided from a distal end of the flange outside in the vehicle width direction to a position inside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the center line in the widthwise direction.

7. A vehicle body structure in which left and right side frames are located on both sides in a vehicle width direction, wherein
each of the left and right side frames includes an end on an on an external force acting side that receives a collision load in a vehicle longitudinal direction acting from outside of a vehicle, and an end on an opposite side of the end on the external force acting side,
the left and right side frames are provided with a plurality of fragile portions on left and right sides,
the plurality of fragile portions on the left and right sides comprise at least left and right first fragile portions located at the ends on the external force acting side, and left and right second fragile portions located on sides of the ends on the opposite side apart from the left and right first fragile portions,
an area of each of the left and right first fragile portions is set to be larger than each of areas of the left and right second fragile portions,
the left and right side frames are each formed into a closed section with a bottom surface viewed from a longitudinal direction,
the left and right bottom surfaces include left and right slant surfaces slanting upward from the ends on the external force acting side toward the ends on the opposite side, and
the left and right second fragile portions are located within a range including the slant surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the left and right side frames and only on an upper side of the left and right side frames.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd
• Autotech Eng Aie

Inventors

• Hasegawa Atsushi
• Miura Yusuke
• Leroy Emmanuel
• Lemaitre Thomas
• Meca Marti

Classifications

• B62D25/08

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title

• B62D21/152 Primary

  Front or rear frames · CPC title

• B62D25/20

  Floors or bottom sub-units {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11; drip trays F16N31/006)} · CPC title

• B62D29/007

  predominantly of special steel or specially treated steel, e.g. stainless steel or locally surface hardened steel · CPC title