US 9,174,677 B2Granted

Automobile subframe

AssigneesHonda Motor Co., Ltd., F-Tech Inc.

InventorsHayato Takahashi, Norio Tomikuda

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A joint part between a main body part of an automobile subframe and a suspension support member comprises a first joint part in which an upper plate is directly superimposed on and joined to the suspension support member, and a second joint part in which a lower plate is directly superimposed on and joined to the suspension support member, and since the first and second joint parts extend in the vehicle body fore-and-aft direction without overlapping each other, it becomes possible to directly transmit, to both the upper plate and the lower plate, a load that has been inputted from the suspension arm to the suspension support member, thus enhancing the joining strength of the main body part and the suspension support member. The upper plate and the lower plate are joined to the suspension support member from the same side.

An automobile subframe in which outer edges, in a vehicle width direction, of a main body part formed from an upper plate and a lower plate superimposed on one another and inner edges, in the vehicle width direction, of a pair of suspension support members disposed on opposite sides, in the vehicle width direction, of the main body part are each joined via a joint part extending in a vehicle body fore-and-aft direction,

wherein the joint part comprises a first joint part in which one of the upper plate and the lower plate is directly superimposed on and joined to the associated suspension support member, and a second joint part in which the other of the upper plate and the lower plate is directly superimposed on and joined to the associated suspension support member,
wherein at the first and second joint parts, the upper plate and the lower plate are superimposed on the associated suspension support member from a same side as each other and joined to the associated suspension support member by friction-stir welding which is conducted in a same direction as each other,
the first joint part and the second joint part extend in the vehicle body fore-and-aft direction without overlapping each other,
when the one of the upper plate and the lower plate is superimposed on the associated suspension support member, there are formed a superimposed part at which the one of the upper plate and the lower plate and the associated suspension support member are superimposed on one another and an abutment part at which the one of the upper plate and the lower plate and the associated suspension support member are abutted against each other so as to be flush,
when the other of the upper plate and the lower plate is superimposed on the associated suspension support member, there is formed an extended part at which the other of the upper plate and the lower plate is extended to a position outwardly of the abutment part in the vehicle width direction, and
the first joint part is formed at the superimposed part and the second joint part is formed at the extended part.

3 more elements

Facts

Application

14/357,818Filed 12 Nov 2012

Priority

JP 2011-25015415 Nov 2011

Published

US 2014/0312655 A123 Oct 2014

Granted

3 Nov 2015

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification3 codes

B62D 21/10
Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted: in which the main member is plate-like
B62D 21/11
Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted: with resilient means for suspension , e.g. of wheels or engine;…
B62D
Motor vehicles

Abstract

Claims5