Motor vehicle bodyshell structure with reinforcements for distributing forces related to a rear shock absorber of the vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9855973-B2
Application number	US-201515113700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2015
Priority date	Jan 23, 2014
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

A body shell structure of a motor vehicle includes a side superstructure of the body shell defining on either side of the vehicle two recess portions for wheel arch housings of the vehicle connected by a floor of the vehicle. The body shell structure includes, in each of the two recess portions for wheel arch housing, a wheel arch housing part and at least one mount for attaching the rear shock absorber, assembled by edges thereof to each of the wheel arch housing parts. The wheel arch housing part defines at least one substantially oblique surface portion around and beyond the edges of the mount. The superstructure also includes a structural plate rigidly connected to an oblique surface portion of the wheel arch housing part and secured to a substantially vertical surface portion of the superstructure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle bodyshell structure comprising:
a lateral bodyshell superstructure defining, on both sides of the vehicle, two housing portions for wheel wells of the vehicle connected by a floor of the vehicle,
wherein the bodyshell structure comprises, at a level of each of the two wheel well housing portions, a wheel well part and at least one rear shock absorber fixation tower including rims and assembled by the rims on each of the wheel well parts, the wheel well part defining at least one substantially oblique surface portion around and outside flanges of the tower, and
the bodyshell superstructure further comprises a structural metal sheet integral with the oblique surface portion of the wheel well part and integral with a substantially vertical surface portion of the bodyshell superstructure,
wherein the floor of the vehicle is positioned directly on top of each of the wheel well parts and above where at least one of the rims of the tower is connected to each of the wheel well parts.

2. A structure according to claim 1 , wherein the tower includes two first substantially vertical walls, substantially parallel to the structural metal sheet, each assembled by at least one flange extending from the top of the vertical walls with a bottom face of the wheel well part, and at least one of which is situated, relative to the structural metal sheet, at a distance that is smaller than or equal to a largest dimension of the tower.

3. A structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a rear reinforcing frame rail, wherein the lateral bodyshell superstructure rises above the frame rail, and wherein the tower is assembled with the frame rail by an extension piece forming a beam and connecting the frame rail and the tower.

4. A structure according to claim 1 , comprising plural parallel structural metal sheets, disposed on both sides of the tower relative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle.

5. A structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least one structural metal sheet is part of a structure portion forming a four-sided box and a bottom, one side of which is a substantially vertical surface portion of the superstructure and the bottom of which is a portion of the wheel well part.

6. A structure according to claim 3 , wherein the extension piece has a beam geometry of substantially U-shaped section, wherein the z-axis of the beam is oriented substantially vertically and at least two parallel rims of the U-shaped section are placed in prolongations of two first substantially vertical walls of the tower.

7. A structure according to claim 6 , wherein the tower includes at least one third substantially vertical or oblique lateral wall joining the two first walls, includes a substantially horizontal bottom wall including a bore for assembly of a rear shock absorber and joining the two first walls and placed in continuity of the third wall, wherein the tower is assembled via flanges of the two first walls and of the third wall with the wheel well part, and wherein the bottom wall is positioned below where the tower is assembled via the flanges of the two first walls and of the third wall with the wheel well part.

8. A structure according to claim 7 , wherein the tower is further assembled with the wheel well part along a flange that is disposed either along a bottom wall of the tower or along a fourth wall opposite the third wall and of height smaller than height of the third wall.

9. A structure according to claim 3 , wherein the extension piece is assembled with the tower in at least plural different points of each of the two first walls of the tower.

10. A motor vehicle comprising:
a lateral bodyshell superstructure defining, on both sides of the vehicle, two portions, right and left, of wheel well housings of the vehicle, the two right and left wheel well housing portions being connected by a floor of the vehicle,
wherein, at a level of each wheel well housing portion, the vehicle comprises, a wheel well part and at least one shock absorber fixation tower including rims and assembled by the rims with each of the wheel well parts, the wheel well part defining at least one substantially oblique surface portion around and beyond flanges of the tower,
wherein the bodyshell superstructure comprises a structural metal sheet integral with an oblique surface portion of the wheel well part and integral with a substantially vertical surface portion of the bodyshell superstructure, and
wherein the floor of the vehicle is positioned directly on top of each of the wheel well parts and above where at least one of the rims of the tower is connected to each of the wheel well parts.

11. A motor vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the tower includes two first substantially vertical walls, substantially parallel to the structural metal sheet, each assembled by at least one flange extending from the top of the vertical walls with a bottom face of the wheel well part, and at least one of which is situated, relative to the structural metal sheet, at a distance that is smaller than or equal to a largest dimension of the tower.

12. A motor vehicle according to claim 10 , wherein the tower includes at least two first substantially vertical walls and a substantially horizontal bottom wall including a bore for assembly of a rear shock absorber and joining the two first walls, wherein the tower is assembled via flanges of the two first walls with the wheel well part, and wherein the bottom wall is positioned below where the tower is assembled via the flanges of the two first walls with the wheel well part.

Assignees

• Renault Sas

Inventors

• Rioult Olivier
• Gaumont Herve
• Caillard Jerome
• Knop Jean-Luc

Classifications

• B62D25/088

  Details of structures as upper supports for springs or dampers · CPC title

• B62D25/087 Primary

  Luggage compartments · CPC title

• B62D25/08 Primary

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