SUSPENSION TOWER AND VEHICLE FRONT STRUCTURE

• US 20160244103A1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Published: 08/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: AMEMIYA, Koji
• Granted Patent: US 9,855,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/00 Understructures, i.e. chassis frame on which a vehicle body may be mounted combined frame and vehicle body B62D23/00 ; characterised by the material thereof B62D29/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/088 Details of structures as upper supports for springs or dampers

Abstract

An upper end portion of a shock absorber of a front suspension is fixed to a suspension tower body portion of a suspension tower, and an upper arm of the front suspension is coupled to the suspension tower body portion of the suspension tower. This suspension tower body portion is formed integrally with a side member constituting portion that defines part of a closed cross-sectional shape of a front side member. Thus, in comparison with a configuration in which one or a plurality of combination portions are provided between the suspension tower and the front side member, it is possible to contribute toward more efficiently transmitting a load from the front suspension to the front side member.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A suspension tower comprising:

a suspension tower body portion being provided between a front side member of a vehicle and an apron upper member of the vehicle, the suspension tower body portion being fixed to an upper end portion of a shock absorber of a front suspension, and the suspension tower body portion being coupled to an upper arm of the front suspension; and

a side member constituting portion being formed integrally with the suspension tower body portion, the side member constituting portion defining part of a closed cross-sectional shape of the front side member;

wherein

the front side member is formed by combining a vehicle-width-direction outer portion of the front side member and a vehicle-width-direction inner portion of the front side member with each other,

the suspension tower body portion and the side member constituting portion are castings, and

the side member constituting portion defines part of the vehicle-width-direction outer portion of the front side member.

11. The suspension tower according to claim 10, wherein

the side member constituting portion is provided with a rib that extends into the closed cross-sectional shape,

the side member constituting portion has a overlapping region where a position of the side member constituting portion in a vehicle front-rear direction and a position of the suspension tower body portion in the vehicle front-rear direction overlap with each other as viewed in the vehicle width direction, and

the overlapping region of the side member constituting portion is provided with the rib.

12. The suspension tower according to claim 11, wherein

the side member constituting portion is provided with a pair of the ribs that are adjacent to each other in the vehicle front-rear direction,

a sub-frame mounting portion is provided between the pair of the ribs,

the sub-frame mounting portion is mounted with a sub-frame, and

the sub-frame is disposed downward in a vehicle up and down direction with respect to the front side member.

13. The suspension tower according to claim 11, wherein

a surface of the rib is provided on a same plane as a surface of one wall portion with which the suspension tower body portion is equipped.

14. The suspension tower according to claim 10, further comprising:

a lower arm coupling portion being formed integrally with the suspension tower body portion and the side member constituting portion, wherein

a lower arm of the front suspension is coupled to the lower arm coupling portion.

15. The suspension tower according to claim 10, wherein

a continuous wall extends through the suspension tower body portion and the side member constituting portion.

17. A vehicle front structure comprising:

the suspension tower according to claim 10, the suspension tower including the front side member, the apron upper member and the front suspension, wherein

the front side member, the apron upper member, the front suspension, and the suspension tower are provided at both right and left side portions of a vehicle front portion respectively.

16. A suspension tower comprising:

a suspension tower body portion being provided between a front side member of a vehicle and an apron upper member of the vehicle, the suspension tower body portion being fixed to an upper end portion of a shock absorber of a front suspension, and the suspension tower body portion being coupled to an upper arm of the front suspension;

a side member combining portion being formed integrally with the suspension tower body portion, the side member combining portion being fixed to the front side member; and

a lower arm coupling portion being formed integrally with the suspension tower body portion and the side member combining portion, the lower arm coupling portion being coupled to a lower arm of the front suspension.