Washer and vehicle structure

Abstract

There is provided a structure capable of ensuring a bearing surface pressure on an inner diameter side and an outer diameter side of a washer even if a thickness of the washer is suppressed. In a washer used at a fastening portion of a vehicle, a configuration in which a bearing surface is sectionalized into two faces, an inner abutting face and an outer abutting face, by an annular groove is adopted.

Claims

1. A washer used at a fastening portion of a vehicle, comprising a bearing surface sectionalized into two faces, an inner abutting face and an outer abutting face, by an annular groove that is provided on only one side of the washer, a depth of the groove is configured to be shorter than a radial length of the groove and a ratio of the depth of the groove and the radial length of the groove is set to be in a range of 2:5 to 1:4.

2. A vehicle structure in which the washer according to claim 1 is interposed between a vehicle component and a head of a bolt, the vehicle structure comprising: an annular space defined by the annular groove and the vehicle component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washer of an embodiment with a surface formed with a groove shown on an upper side;

(2) FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which a surface opposite to FIG. 1 is shown on the upper side;

(3) FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a relationship of the washer of the embodiment, a bolt, and a vehicle component (collar);

(4) FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV of FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of region V in FIG. 4;

(6) FIG. 6 is a view showing a relationship between an analytical value of a bearing surface pressure at a collar end and a radial position of the washer for the washer of the present embodiment and a flat washer having a thickness of 8 mm, where the analytical value is acquired at six points differing in the radial direction;

(7) FIG. 7 is a view showing a relationship between the analytical value of the bearing surface pressure at the collar end and the radial position of the washer for flat washers having thicknesses of 2 mm, 4 mm, and 8 mm, where the analytical value is acquired at six points differing in the radial direction; and

(8) FIG. 8 is a schematic view showing a position relationship of the bolt, the washer, and the vehicle component (collar) in a test.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

(9) A mode for implementing the invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washer 1 according to an embodiment with a surface formed with a groove 2 shown on an upper side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view in which a surface opposite to FIG. 1 is shown on the upper side. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a relationship of the washer of the embodiment, a bolt, and a vehicle component 7. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along IV-IV of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of region V in FIG. 4.

(10) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the washer 1 of the present embodiment has a doughnut shape with a pass-through hole 92 at a center of a disc as a basic form, and has a configuration in which an annular groove 2 is formed on one surface. The washer 1 is used at a fastening portion 98 of the vehicle, and includes the annular groove 2 on a bearing surface 5 that abuts against the vehicle component 7. The bearing surface 5 is sectionalized into two regions, a region on an inner diameter side and a region on the outer diameter side, by the annular groove 2. The region on the inner diameter side of the annular groove 2 is an inner abutting face 3 that abuts against the vehicle component 7, and is configured to a planar shape. The region on the outer diameter side of the annular groove 2 is an outer abutting face 4 that abuts against the vehicle component 7, and is configured to a planar shape.

(11) As shown in FIG. 3, a load is applied from a head 61 of a bolt 6 toward the vehicle component 7 with respect to a vehicle structure 8 fastened with the washer 1 interposed between the vehicle component 7 and the head 61 of the bolt 6. Since the load is not transmitted to a region not abutting against the vehicle component 7, an annular space 93 defined by the annular groove 2 and the vehicle component 7 does not become a transmission path of the load and only the inner abutting face 3 and the outer abutting face 4 become the transmission path of the load. Therefore, the load is propagated so as to be dispersed to the inner abutting face 3 and the outer abutting face 4 of the washer 1.

(12) In the washer 1 of the present embodiment, a surface on the side opposite the surface formed with the groove 2 is not formed with an annular groove, and has a planar shape from the outer diameter side to the inner diameter side. At the outer diameter end of the washer 1, chamfering is performed on the surface formed with the groove 2 as well as the surface on the opposite side thereof.

(13) As can be understood from the illustration in FIGS. 4 and 5, the washer 1 of the present embodiment has a depth ld of the groove 2 configured shorter than a radial length lw of the groove 2. Therefore, the bearing surface can be sectionalized to the inner abutting face 3 and the outer abutting face 4 while ensuring the rigidity of the washer 1. In the present example, a ratio of the depth ld of the groove 2 and the radial length lw of the groove 2 is set to be in a range of 2:5 to 1:4. Furthermore, the washer 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that an area of the inner abutting face 3 is greater than an area of the outer abutting face 4. A radial length li of the inner abutting face 3 is configured to be longer than a radial length lo of the outer abutting face 4. The radial length lw of the groove 2 is configured to be shorter than a length (li+lo) of the radial length li of the inner abutting face 3 and the radial length lo of the outer abutting face 4 combined, and the ratio of lw and (li+lo) is set to be in a range of 1:2 to 1:3. The radial length lw of the groove 2 of the present embodiment is configured to be shorter than the radial length li of the inner abutting face 3, and configured to be longer than the radial length lo of the outer abutting face 4.

Example

(14) A relationship of usage and operational stability of the washer 1 at a fastening area of an instrument panel reinforce and a body of the vehicle was evaluated. Each washer 1 is made of metal, and has a diameter of about 22 mm. A collar was used for the vehicle component 7 that abuts against the washer 1, and a flange bolt was used for the bolt 6. A diameter of the pass-through hole 92 of the invention was 7.3 mm, the radial length li of the inner abutting face 3 was 3.2 mm, the radial length lw of the groove 2 was 1.7 mm, the radial length lo of the outer abutting face 4 was 1.5 mm, and the depth ld of the groove 2 was 0.5 mm. The evaluation result is shown in Table 1.

(15) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 FLAT FLAT WASHER WASHER INVENTION HAVING HAVING HAVING NO THICKNESS THICKNESS THICKNESS WASHER OF 4 mm OF 8 mm OF 4 mm EVALU- x ATION

(16) The operational stability was poor when the washer was not used, and the operational stability was relatively poor when the flat washer having a thickness of 4 mm was used. Satisfactory operational stability was obtained when the flat washer having a thickness of 8 mm was used and when the invention in which the annular groove 2 is provided on the bearing surface 5 of the washer having a thickness of 4 mm was used. That is, satisfactory operational stability could be obtained while suppressing the increase in the thickness of the washer by using the present invention. Furthermore, as the thickness of the washer can be suppressed, the weight of the washer 1 and the bolt 6 can be suppressed, and furthermore, a space required for the fastening area can be suppressed.

(17) The result of analyzing the bearing surface pressure at the collar end (end of vehicle component 7) is shown in FIG. 6 for the present invention having a thickness of 4 mm and for the flat washer having a thickness of 8 mm. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a relationship of the washer 1, the bolt 6, and the collar (vehicle component 7) of the embodiment. As can be understood from the matters shown in FIG. 6, the bearing surface pressure of the present invention having a thickness of 4 mm showed a distribution similar to the flat washer 101 having a thickness of 8 mm. Furthermore, as can be understood by comparing the matters shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, variation in the bearing surface pressure is suppressed in the present invention compared to the flat washer 101 having the same thickness. Moreover, the bearing surface pressure of both the outer diameter side and the inner diameter side of the washer 1 can be ensured.

(18) It was also found that when the washer 1 of the present embodiment is used, deterioration of a member on the other side abutting against the bearing surface 5 is suppressed compared to when the normal flat washer 101 is used.

(19) The present invention has been described above with regards to the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited by the embodiment, and various modes can be adopted. For example, the area to use the washer is not limited to the fastening area of the instrument panel reinforce and the body, and can be used at each area.

(20) The washer does not need to have both surfaces chamfered. A mode in which both surfaces are not chamfered may be adopted, or a mode in which only one surface is chamfered may be adopted.

(21) The position, width, and length of the groove, the thickness of the washer, and the like are not limited to the configuration of the embodiment. For example, the position of the groove may be at substantially the center of the surface making contact with the member on the other side. In such a case, the radial length of the inner abutting face and the radial length of the outer abutting face become substantially the same.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS

(22) 1 washer 2 groove 3 inner abutting face 4 outer abutting face 5 bearing surface 6 bolt 7 vehicle component 8 vehicle structure 61 head 93 space