Support mount bracket, method for mounting front differential gear unit, and attachment structure of front differential gear unit

• US 8,657,060 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company), Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Ohno, Osami, Sakiyama, Noritaka, Kishi, Osamu, Kurogi, Osamu, Akaki, Hiroyuki, Yamada, Hideto
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, DREW J
• Application Number:
  US13/636,622
• Publication Number:
  US 20130127146A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 180/312, 180/378, 180/291, 280/781, 280/795, 280/107
• US Class Current: 180/312
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 15/063 Arrangement of tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 17/24 Arrangements of mountings for shafting
• 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 21/02 comprising longitudinally or transversely arranged frame members
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/11 with resilient means for suspension , e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions

Abstract

A support mount bracket (57) provided on a vehicle frame (9) and configured to support a mount part (53) of a front differential gear unit (36) is arranged on part of a cross-member (12) connecting a pair of right and left main frames (10) so as to be, in a vehicle width direction, displaced from the center of a vehicle (1) in a width direction thereof. The support mount bracket (57) includes a base part (57d, 57e) to be connected to the cross-member (12), and a pair of fixing parts (57b, 57c) protruding from the base part (57d, 57c) and sandwiching the mount part (53) from sides thereof in the vehicle width direction. One (57b) of the fixing parts (57b, 57c) on a side closer to the center of the vehicle (1) in the width direction thereof is detachably attached to the base part (57d).

Claims

1. A support mount bracket which is provided on a vehicle frame including a pair of right and left main frames extending in a vehicle length direction and a cross-member connecting the main frames, to support a mount part of a front differential gear unit, and which is arranged on part of the cross-member which is, in a vehicle width direction, displaced from a center of a vehicle in the vehicle width, the support mount bracket comprising:

a base part to be connected to the cross-member; and

a pair of fixing parts protruding from the base part and sandwiching the mount part from sides of the mount part in the vehicle width direction,

wherein one of the fixing parts on a side closer to the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is detachably attached to the base part.

2. The support mount bracket of claim 1, wherein

each of the fixing parts is a plate-shaped member,

the base part includes an attachment part configured to detachably attach and fix a detachable fixing part and protruding from the cross-member toward the detachable fixing part, and

a first hole into which a fixing part fastening bolt configured to fasten the detachable fixing part to the attachment part is inserted, and a second hole into which a mount part fastening bolt penetrating the mount part in parallel to the fixing part fastening bolt and configured to fasten the mount part to the fixing parts is inserted are formed in the detachable fixing part.

3. The support mount bracket of claim 2, wherein

one of the fixing parts on a side farther from the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction is integrally formed with the base part.

4. The support mount bracket of claim 2, wherein

the fixing part fastening bolt stands on the attachment part so as to extend toward the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, and

a nut to be screwed onto the mount part fastening bolt is attached to one of the fixing parts on a side farther from the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction in a state in which rotation of the nut is stopped.

5. The support mount bracket of claim 4, wherein

in a tip end part of a protrusion of the attachment part, a recess is, as viewed in the vehicle width direction, formed to avoid an overlap with an outer shape of the mount part supported by the support mount bracket.

6. The support mount bracket of claim 5, wherein

two fixing part fastening bolts stand apart from each other on the attachment part, and

the recess is positioned between the two fixing part fastening bolts.

7. The support mount bracket of claim 1, wherein

engine mount brackets protruding respectively from the main frames toward the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction are provided at rear of the cross-member,

part of the front differential gear unit is positioned in a region surrounded by the engine mount brackets and the cross-member,

the mount part is provided in a front part of the front differential gear unit, and

the support mount bracket is provided in a rear part of the cross-member.

8. A method for mounting a front differential gear unit on a vehicle frame, the method comprising:

moving the front differential gear unit such that a first mount part provided in a front part of the front differential gear unit is positioned closer to a center of a vehicle in a vehicle width direction relative to a first mount bracket provided in a position of the vehicle frame which is, in the vehicle width direction, displaced from the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and configured to support the first mount;

in a state in which the first mount is positioned closer to the center of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction relative to the first mount bracket, moving the front differential gear unit until the first mount part contacts a first fixing part provided in the first mount bracket; and

supporting, by attaching a second fixing part to the first mount bracket, the first mount part contacting the first fixing part so as to sandwich the first mount part between the first and second fixing parts in the vehicle width direction.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

after the supporting the first mount part so as to sandwich the first mount part between the first and second fixing parts in the vehicle width direction, supporting a second mount part provided at one end of the front differential gear unit in the vehicle width direction by a second mount bracket provided on the vehicle frame; and

after the supporting the second mount part by the second mount bracket, supporting a third mount part provided at the other end of the front differential gear unit in the vehicle width direction by a third mount bracket provided on the vehicle frame.

10. An attachment structure of a front differential gear unit to a vehicle frame including a pair of right and left main frames extending in a vehicle length direction, and a cross-member connecting the main frames, the structure comprising:

a first mount bracket attached to a vicinity of one of the main frames in a rear part of the cross-member and configured to support a first mount part provided in a front part of the front differential gear unit,

wherein the first mount bracket includes

a base part connected to the cross-member, and

a pair of fixing parts protruding from the base part and configured to support the mount part so as to sandwich the mount part from sides thereof in a vehicle width direction, and

one of the fixing parts on a side farther from the one of the main frames is detachably attached to the base part.

11. The structure of claim 10, wherein

each of the fixing parts is a plate-shaped member,

the first mount part includes a cylindrical rubber bush and a central shaft penetrating a center part of the rubber bush,

the rubber bush of the first mount part is sandwiched between the fixing parts, and

the central shaft of the first mount part is fixed to the fixing parts in a state in which the central shaft penetrates the center part of the rubber bush in the vehicle width direction.

12. The structure of claim 11, wherein

the base part of the first mount bracket includes an attachment part configured to detachably attach and fix a detachable fixing part and protruding from the cross-member toward the detachable fixing part.

13. The structure of claim 12, wherein

one of the fixing parts on a side closer to the one of the main frames is integrally formed with the base part.

14. The structure of claim 10, in which second and third mount parts are provided respectively at ends of the front differential gear unit in the vehicle width direction, each of the first to third mount parts includes a cylindrical rubber bush and a central shaft penetrating a center part of the rubber bush, and the vehicle frame further includes, at rear of the cross-member, another cross-member connecting the main frames, the structure further comprising:

a second mount bracket attached to the another cross-member in vicinity of other main frame and configured to support the second mount part; and

a third mount bracket attached to the one of the main frames and configured to support the third mount part,

wherein the first mount part is attached to the first mount bracket such that the central shaft of the first mount part extends in the vehicle width direction,

the second mount part is attached to the second mount bracket such that the central shaft of the second mount part extends in a vertical direction, and

the third mount part is attached to the third mount bracket such that the central shaft of the third mount part extends in the vehicle length direction.

15. The structure of claim 14, wherein

the first mount part is attached to the first mount bracket in a state in which the first mount part is positioned relative to the first mount bracket in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle length direction, and the vertical direction.

16. The structure of claim 15, wherein

the rubber bush of the second mount part is mounted on an upper surface of the second mount bracket,

the central shaft of the second mount part is fixed to the second mount bracket in a state in which the central shaft penetrates the center part of the rubber bush of the second mount part in the vertical direction,

the central shaft of the third mount part penetrates the rubber bush of the third mount part in the vehicle length direction, and end parts of the central shaft protrude respectively toward front and rear sides of the rubber bush, and

protruding end parts of the central shaft of the third mount part are fixed to the third mount bracket in a state in which the protruding end parts are mounted on an upper surface of the third mount bracket.