GB2090796A

GB2090796A - Motor vehicle front body structure

Info

Publication number: GB2090796A
Application number: GB8137418A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co Ltd; Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co Ltd; Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1980-12-13
Filing date: 1981-12-11
Publication date: 1982-07-21
Also published as: FR2496038A1; FR2496038B1; GB2090796B; DE3047031A1

Abstract

The front body structure comprises front wheel arch panels (1) extending along opposite sides of the structure and including wheel arch recesses and elongated recesses (12, 13) extending along the top and bottom margins of the wheel arch panel, and further panels (4, 5) joined to the wheel arch panels and cooperating with the elongated recesses to form box girder structures along which front impact forces on the panel are transmitted. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Motor vehicle body structure This invention relates to motor vehicle bodies.

Many different constructions have been proposed for motor vehicle bodies. For example, German Patent Specification 934,457 discloses a front part of a motor vehicle body panel having integral wheel arch panels. German Auslengeschrift 1,141,547 discloses a motor vehicle body in which wheel arch panels includes pressed-in recesses of U-shaped cross section which cooperate with side-member panels to form box girder structures. German Offenlegungsschrift 2408548 discloses a front part for a motor vehicle body which is connected to the floor panel by a forked side member panel which runs inwardly to the transmission tunnel and outwardly to a door sill, and which transmits the forces acting on the front side-member panels, in the case of a head-on collision, to the floor installation of the motor vehicle body.

This last-mentioned construction suffers from the disadvantage that the forces acting on the front side-members in the case of a head-on collision are transmitted solely into the floor assembly which therefore has to be appropriately reinforced.

According to the present invention, there is provided a front body structure for a motor vehicle comprising front wheel arch panels extending along opposite sides of the structure and including wheel arch recesses and elongated recesses which extend along the top and bottom margins of the wheel arch panels, and further panels joined to the wheel arch panels and cooperating with the elongated recesses to form box girder structures along which front impact forces on the panel are transmitted.

By providing elongated recesses in the top bottom margins of the wheel arch panels and forming box girder structures therefrom with further panels, the wheel arch panel transmits front-impact forces not only into the floor structure of the motor vehicle body but also into the upper parts of the motor vehicle body, thereby increasing the strength of the structure.

The elongated recesses along the top margins of the wheel arch preferably extend outwardly and adjoin a door sill of the motor vehicle body. These recesses may be formed into box girder structures by overlying plate panels.

The elongated recesses along the bottom of the wheel arch panels preferably cooperate with side-member panels to form the box girder structures. The side member panels may be attached directly to the wheel arch panels along at least part of the length of the recess in the bottom margin of the panel. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, where the side member panels extend inwardly away from the wheel arch panels, they are connected to the wheel arch members along part of their lengths by a bulkhead panel and a connecting panel, the last two panels cooperating with the side member panel and the wheel arch panel to form a box girder structure.

In such an arrangement, the bulkhead panel and connecting panels are preferably secured to the floor panel of the vehicle body, and the connections between the side member panel and the bulkhead panel are preferably on either side of a central transmission tunnel.

The connecting panels may include stiffening ribs, and jack points.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side view of a front part of a motor vehicle body structure according to the invention, looking from the longitudinal central axis of the vehicle outwards; Figure 2 shows a plan of one side of a front part of an integral motor vehicle body according to Fig. 1; Figure 3 shows a section along the line Ill-Ill in Fig. 1; Figure 4 shows a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 1; Figure 5 shows a section along the line V-V in Fig. 2; Figure 6 shows a section along the line VI-VI in Fig. 2; Figure 7 shows a vertical section along the line VIl-VIl in Fig.

Figure 8 shows a vertical section along the line VIll-VIll in Fi. 1; Figure 9 shows a vertical section along the line IX-IX in Fig. 1; Figure 10 shows a horizontal section along the line X-X in Fig. 1; Figure it 11 shows a horizontal section along the line Xl=Xl in Fig. 1, and Figure 12 shows a horizontal section along the line XIB-XII in Fig. 1.

One half of a front body structure of a motor vehicle according to the invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Since the structure consists essentially of two halves which are mirror images, only the half located on the right-hand side of the vehicle is described below.

The front body structure eomprises a wheelarch panel 1, a front side-member panel 2, a connecting panel 3, a plate panel 4, lower and upper bulkhead panels 5 and 6, sidepanels 8 and 9, and a reinforcing panel 1 0.

The wheel-arch panel 1 extends upwardly and then downwardly again to the rear from its front end, forming the wheel-arch for the right front wheel of the vehicle. A reinforcing member 11 for housing the wheel suspension elements is located in this wheel arch, for example by welding, as indicated by the broken crosses in Figs. 1 and 2.

Along the upper and lower generally hori zonal margins of the wheel-arch panel 1 and along its rear vertical margin are elongated recesses 1 2, 1 3, 14 of U-shaped cross section which are pressed from the panel 1. The recesses 12, 1 3, 14 are indicated by thick broken lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

The elongated recess 1 2 located in the upper horizontal margin cooperates with an overlying plate panel 4 secured thereto by welding (indicated by broken crosses) to form a box girder structure towards the rear end of the recess 1 2. The elongated recess 9 3 extending along the lower horizontal margin of the wheel-arch panel 1 cooperates with the front side-member panel 2 to form a box girder structure, the side-member panel 2 being welded to the wheel arch panel 1 along the lines indicated by broken crosses in Figs.

1 and 2.

The elongated recess 114 extending along the rear vertical martin of the wheel-arch panel 1 adjoins the front door post formed by the side-panels 8 and 9 which itself is a box girder structure.

As is evident from the paths of these elongated recesses 12, 1 3, which are shown in thick broken lines in Figs. 11 and 2, lattice structure of box girders which is triangular in side view and plan view, is formed.

As best seen in Fig. 2, the recess 1 extending along the lower margin of the wheel-arch panel 1 extends arcuately downwards and arcuately outwards, so that the wheel-arch panel 1 can be connected directly to a door sill 15 of the motor vehicle body and its reinforcing plate 16.

The side-member panel 2 extends, at its rear end, downwardly and laterally inwardly away from the wheel arch panel 11 and beneath the foot portion of the lower bulkhead panel 5. As best seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 6, the side-member 2 is connected to the-wheel-arch panel 1 by means of a shell-shaped connecting panel 3. The other side of the sidemember panel 2 is connected to the foot region of the lower bulkhead panel 5 adjacent the transmission tunnel 1 7. The connecting panel 3 is also connected to the door sill 1 5, as seen in Fig. 2 and the floor panel 18 od the motor vehicle, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2.

The connecting panel 3 includes ribs and is provided with an orifice 19 for applying a jack.

It can be seen from Fig. 3 that the elongated recess 1 3 in the lower margin of the wheel-arch panel 1, the lower bulkhead panel 5, and the side-member panel 2 cooperate to form a spacious box girder structure.

Figs. 7 to 9 shows the manner in which the wheel-arch panel 1 is connected to the upper bulkhead panel 6, a further bulkhead panel 7 and the door pillar formed from the sidepanels 8 and 9. It can be seen that the elongated recess 1 3 in the upper margin of the wheel-arch panel, together with the bul khead panels 5, 6 and 7, the plate panel 4, the reinforcing plate 10 and the side-panels 8 and 9 form a junction-point for box girders abutting one another three-dimensionally.

Figs. 11 and 1 2 show the manner in which the wheel arch panel 1 is connected to the upper bulkhead panel 6 and the front door pillar formed from the side-panels 8 and 9.

Here, again, a junction-point for box girders abutting one another in three-dimensions can be seen.

The forces acting on the front side-member panel in the case of a head-on collision are indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 by arrows 20 marked in thick dot-and-dash lines. Since these forces are transferred to the upper and lower parts of the motor vehicle body the strength of the front body structure is improved.

Claims

1. A front body structure for a motor vehicle comprising front wheel arch panels extending along opposite sides of the structure and including wheel arch recesses and elongated recesses which extend along the top and bottom margins of the wheel arch panels, and further panels joined to the wheel arch panels and cooperating with the elongated recesses to form box grinder structures along which front impact forces on the panel are transmitted.

2. A front body structure according to claim 1 wherein the further panels include plate panels overlying the elongated recesses extending along the top margins of the wheel arch panels.

3. A front body structure according to claims 1 or claim 2 wherein the elongated recesses in the lower margins of the wheel arch panels extend outwardly and adjoin a door sill of the vehicle body.

4. A front body structure according to any one of Claims 1 to 3 wherein the further panels include side-member panels which cooperate with the elongated recesses extending along the bottom margins of the wheel arch panel to form box girder structures.

5. A front body structure according to claim 4 wherein the side-member panels are connected to the wheel arch panels along part of the length of the elongated recess by a bulkhead panel and connecting panels which, together with the side member panel and the wheel arch panels form a box girder structure.

6. A front body structure according to claim 5 wherein the rear parts of the side member panels extend inwardly away from the wheel arch panels and are connected with the bulkhead panel adjacent a central transmission arch.

7. A front body structure according to claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the connecting panel is connected to a door sill panel of the motor vehicle.

8. A front body structure according to any one of claims 5 to 7 wherein the bulkhead panel and the connecting panels are connected to a floor panel of the motor vehicle body.

9. A front body structure according to any one of claims 5 to 8 wherein the connecting panels include stiffening ribs.

10. A front body structure according to any one of claims 5 to 9 wherein the connecting panels include jacking points.