CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-119817 filed on Jun. 27, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety including the specification, drawings and abstract.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a suspension member including a cross member extending in a vehicle-width direction.

2. Description of Related Art

A suspension member usually includes a cross member extending in a vehicle-width direction. The cross member is structured to have a high strength in order to achieve high load-bearing performance.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-001307 (JP 2008-001307 A) describes a cross member structured to have a closed cross-section defined by two members (referred to as an upper plate and a lower plate) extending in a vehicle-width direction. A substantially vertical reinforcing member extending in the vehicle-width direction is provided inside the closed cross-section. Further, additional members, which are called side plates, are attached respectively to opposite sides of a rear portion of the upper plate in order to reinforce the upper plate. Tower brackets (corresponding to front body mounts) are attached respectively to upper surfaces of opposite side portions of a front portion of the upper plate.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-176866 (JP 2018-176866 A) describes a cross member structured to have a closed cross-section defined by two members (referred to as a lateral upper member and a lateral lower member) extending in a vehicle-width direction. The cross member further includes two members (referred to as a rear upper member and a rear lower member) extending in the vehicle-width direction and provided rearward of the closed cross-section, so that another closed cross-section is defined by the two members (the rear upper member and the rear lower member). At opposite sides of a front portion of the cross member, mount members (corresponding to front body mounts) are attached to the lateral upper member.

SUMMARY

As described in JP 2008-001307 A and JP 2018-176866 A, complicated structures have been adopted to ensure adequate strength of the cross members.

If the structure of a cross member is made complicated, the manufacturing cost increases. In an engine vehicle in which a cross member supports an engine, resonance between the cross member and the engine may occur, so that some attention is required.

The present disclosure provides a suspension member that includes a cross member having a simple structure and that has an adequate strength of joining between the cross member and a body mount.

An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a suspension member provided in a vehicle and including a cross member and body mounts. The cross member includes a main panel and a reinforcing panel that have been joined together. The cross member is a member including a front wall, an upper wall, a rear wall, and a lower wall and having a closed sectional shape defined by the front wall, the upper wall, the rear wall, and the lower wall. The reinforcing panel includes a flange that constitutes a part of the lower wall, and an intermediate wall that extends upward from a rear end of the flange and that is joined to the upper wall. On opposite sides of the cross member in a vehicle-width direction, bottom walls of the body mounts are joined to the flange of the reinforcing panel, and side walls of the body mounts are joined to the main panel.

In the suspension member according to the aspect of the present disclosure, the body mounts may be front body mounts provided at a front portion of the cross member, the flange of the reinforcing panel may constitute a front portion of the lower wall, and the intermediate wall of the reinforcing panel may be disposed rearward of rear walls of the front body mounts, at all positions between the front body mounts disposed on the opposite sides of the cross member.

In the suspension member according to the aspect of the present disclosure, a front end of the flange of the reinforcing panel may be disposed forward of rear side surfaces of the front body mounts, at all the positions between the front body mounts disposed on the opposite sides of the cross member.

In the suspension member according to the aspect of the present disclosure, the flange of the reinforcing panel may constitute a front portion of the lower wall, and the main panel may include the front wall, the upper wall, the rear wall, and a rear portion of the lower wall. A portion of the flange of the reinforcing panel, the portion of the flange being near the rear end of the flange, may be joined to a portion of the rear portion of the lower wall of the main panel, the portion of the rear portion of the lower wall being near a front end of the rear portion of the lower wall. A portion of the flange of the reinforcing panel, the portion of the flange being near a front end of the flange, may be joined to a portion of the front wall of the main panel, the portion of the front wall being near a lower end of the front wall.

The suspension member according to the aspect of the present disclosure may further includes body mount brackets joined respectively to front side surfaces of the body mounts. The body mount brackets may be joined to the main panel and the reinforcing panel.

According to the aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a suspension member including a cross member having a structure simpler than that of a conventional suspension member. Further, it is possible to join body mounts to a cross member with a sufficient strength.

