Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-05
2001-08-07
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S190050
Reexamination Certificate
active
06270152
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle body structure. Particularly, it relates to the vehicle body structure around a dash panel that defines a boundary between a vehicle cabin and a front compartment of the vehicle or another boundary between the vehicle cabin and the rear compartment.
2. Description Of Related Art
In Japanese Patent Publication No. 2852653, there is disclosed a positioning and temporary-assembling structure for arrangement of pins to fasten suspension members etc. to a vehicle body member, such as a dash panel.
In the structure, a plate supporting the pins is provided with elastic clips. Fitting the respective elastic clips into recesses formed on the vehicle body member carries out the temporary supporting and positioning of the pins.
Although it is general that a plurality of pins (i.e. four pins in front, rear, left and right positions) constitute the fastening parts between the suspension member and the vehicle body member, the above-mentioned prior art structure has no function to adjust the accuracy in dimensions among the pins since each pin only supports the suspension member at a single position thereon. Thus, the above prior art structure requires an adjusting jig to ensure the accuracy in dimensions among the plural pins, causing the installation cost and the working cost to be increased with the addition of a step of setting the jig, disadvantageously.
Meanwhile and recently, some body panel members having extrusions and castings made of light metal, such as aluminum alloys, in place of conventional press moldings have carried it out to construct the vehicle body. For example, there is a vehicle body structure on development. In the structure, in order to enhance the rigidity of the dash panel defining the boundary between the vehicle cabin and the front or rear compartment, a material of light metal is extruded into a closed-sectional structure having inner and outer walls to the width direction of the vehicle. While, in order to reinforce the so-constructed dash panel, a reinforcement member made of a casting of light metal is arranged under the dash panel and joined to the dash panel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Under the above circumstance, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body structure where a plurality of suspension mount bolts for connecting a suspension member with a reinforcement member are implanted into the reinforcement member as a casting while using an “insert” casing method, thereby abolishing a work for maintaining the accuracy of dimensions among the suspension mount bolts. Further, the object of the invention is to provide the vehicle body structure which provides the suspension mount bolts with their positioning function, so that the appropriate positioning without using any positioning jig can be completed in assembling a dash panel to the reinforcement member, thereby reducing the working cost remarkably and making the manufacturing cost advantageously.
According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is accomplished by a vehicle body structure, comprising:
a dash panel for defining a boundary between a vehicle cabin and the exterior of the vehicle cabin, the dash panel being provided by extruding a material of light metal in the width direction of the vehicle, with a closed-sectional structure having an inner wall on the side of the vehicle cabin and an outer wall on the exterior side of the vehicle cabin;
a reinforcement member positioned under the dash panel and joined to the dash panel for its reinforcement, the reinforcement member being made of a casting of light metal;
suspension mount bolts inserted into the reinforcement member being cast, the suspension mount bolts partially projecting from the reinforcement member downward; and
locating pins coaxially fixed with the suspension mount bolts to project from an essential part of the reinforcement member upward.
In the body structure mentioned above, the outer wall of the dash panel has locating holes formed for engagement with the locating pins, respectively. Further, the locating pins are arranged so as to penetrate through the locating holes, thereby completing the mutual positioning between the dash panel and the reinforcement member and also engaging the dash panel with the reinforcement member.
According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is also accomplished by a vehicle body structure, comprising:
a dash panel for defining a boundary between a vehicle cabin and the exterior of the vehicle cabin, the dash panel being provided by extruding a material of light metal in the width direction of the vehicle, with a closed-sectional structure having an inner wall on the side of the vehicle cabin and an outer wall on the exterior side of the vehicle cabin;
a reinforcement member positioned under the dash panel and joined to the dash panel for its reinforcement, the reinforcement member being made of a casting of light metal; and
suspension mount bolts inserted into the reinforcement member being cast, the suspension mount bolts partially projecting from the reinforcement member downward; and
positioning means for positioning the dash panel and the reinforcement member mutually and engaging the dash panel with the reinforcement member.
In the present invention, there is also provided a vehicle comprising:
a dash panel for defining a boundary between a vehicle cabin and the exterior of the vehicle cabin, the dash panel being provided by extruding a material of light metal in the width direction of the vehicle, with a closed-sectional structure having an inner wall on the side of the vehicle cabin and an outer wall on the exterior side of the vehicle cabin;
a reinforcement member positioned under the dash panel and joined to the dash panel for its reinforcement, the reinforcement member being made of a casting of light metal; and
suspension mount bolts inserted into the reinforcement member being cast, the suspension mount bolts partially projecting from the reinforcement member downward; and
locating pins coaxially fixed with the suspension mount bolts to project from an essential part of the reinforcement member upward;
locating holes formed in the outer wall of the dash panel, for engagement with the locating pins, respectively; and
separating means for separating the reinforcement member from the dash panel when each of the locating pin is subjected to a downward axial force more than a stated value.
Additionally, the present invention provides a method of assembling a vehicle body structure. That is, the vehicle body structure includes a dash panel for defining a boundary between a vehicle cabin and the exterior of the vehicle cabin, the dash panel being provided by extruding a material of light metal in the width direction of the vehicle, with a closed-sectional structure having an inner wall on the side of the vehicle cabin and an outer wall on the exterior side of the vehicle cabin; a reinforcement member positioned under the dash panel and joined to the dash panel for its reinforcement, the reinforcement member being made of a casting of light metal; suspension mount bolts inserted into the reinforcement member being cast, the suspension mount bolts partially projecting from the reinforcement member downward; locating pins coaxially fixed with the suspension mount bolts to project from an essential part of the reinforcement member upward; and locating holes formed in the outer wall of the dash panel, for engagement with the locating pins, respectively. For the vehicle body structure, the method comprises:
piling the dash panel on the reinforcement member;
allowing the locating pins to penetrate through the locating holes, thereby positioning the dash panel against the reinforcement member;
fixing the reinforcement member to the dash panel temporarily; and
fixing the reinforcement member to the dash panel formally.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5125715 (1992-06-01), Kijima
patent: 5127704 (1992-07-01), Komatsu
patent: 5713625 (1998-02-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5988734
Engle Patricia
McDermott & Will & Emery
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
Pape Joseph D.
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