JP7779097B2 - Vehicle rear structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle rear structure.

For example, a rear bumper and rear lamps are located at the rear of the side body outer panel, which is placed on the side of the vehicle. For example, a plastic rear bumper extends in the vehicle width direction, and its outer widthwise portion protrudes forward of the vehicle. The portion protruding forward of the vehicle is attached to the rear of the side body outer panel. In addition, rear lamps such as rear combination lamps are fixed to the side body outer panel via a housing panel or the like.

For example, the rear portion of the side body outer panel disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a boundary (parting line) between it and the rear combination lamp and rear bumper. The rear bumper is positioned to cover the lower portion of the rear of the vehicle body from the outside. As a result, the outer portion of the rear bumper in the vehicle width direction has a portion that protrudes forward of the vehicle, and the end of this protruding portion forms the boundary (parting line) with the side body outer panel. To form this boundary, the rear portion of the side body outer panel must be provided with, for example, a bent portion that convexly protrudes toward the rear of the vehicle. To ensure the accuracy of the parting line, a bumper holder is attached near the bent portion, and the rear bumper is attached to the rear of the side body outer panel via the bumper holder.

JP 2012-116235 A

When a bent portion is provided in a side body outer panel, as in the example above, there is a possibility that the torsional rigidity at the rear of the vehicle body may be reduced. This reduction in torsional rigidity may make the vehicle body more susceptible to twisting during cornering, etc., which may result in reduced handling performance. The bent portion provided at the rear of the side body outer panel may become the starting point for bending when subjected to a compressive load, for example.

In addition, a lamp housing panel for securing the rear lamp is joined to the bent section. When torsional deformation occurs at the rear of the vehicle body, the lamp housing panel and the side body outer panel deform in different directions at the bent section, resulting in a relative displacement difference. This not only causes cracks in the sealant applied around the bent section, but can also cause the spot welds on the panel to peel off. Therefore, in structures with bent sections at the rear of the vehicle, there is room for improvement in suppressing deformation when a load that causes torsional deformation of the vehicle body is applied.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle rear structure that can suppress a decrease in torsional rigidity in a vehicle rear that has a bent portion at the rear of the side body outer panel.

To achieve the above objective, the vehicle rear structure of the present invention comprises a side body outer panel disposed on a vehicle side, and a lamp housing panel to which a rear lamp is attached and joined to the side body outer panel. The rear end of the outer surface of the side body outer panel has a panel bend that convexly faces the rear of the vehicle, and the rear lamp is positioned above the vehicle on the panel bend. In this vehicle rear structure, the rear of the side body outer panel has a step extending along the edge of the outer surface located below the vehicle of the panel bend, the vehicle width direction outer portion of a rear bumper disposed at the rear of the vehicle is positioned along the step, and a reinforcement extending in the vehicle vertical direction is joined to the vehicle inner side of the side body outer panel so as to straddle the panel bend.

This invention makes it possible to suppress a decrease in torsional rigidity in the rear of a vehicle that has a bent portion at the rear of the side body outer panel.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle rear structure according to the present invention, as viewed from the rear of the vehicle. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a lamp housing panel and its surroundings, with the lamp housing panel attached to the right side of the rear part of the vehicle body of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the left side of the rear part of the vehicle body in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lamp housing panel of FIG. 3 is removed. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the reinforcement and its surroundings on the right side of the vehicle body in FIG. 1 . 2 is a perspective view of the reinforcement and its surroundings on the left side of the vehicle body in FIG. 1, as viewed from the inside of the vehicle at a middle portion in the vehicle width direction. FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the reinforcement unit of FIG. 6 . FIG. 8 is a side view of the reinforcement of FIG. 7 as seen from the inside of the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a side view of the rear portion of the side body outer panel of FIG. 2. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 9. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 9. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 9.

One embodiment of a vehicle rear structure for a vehicle according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 12). In the drawings, the direction of arrow U indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the direction of arrow R indicates the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In the description of the embodiment, the "front (front end) and rear (rear end)" correspond to the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the direction of arrow L indicates the left side when an occupant is looking forward of the vehicle.

The vehicle rear structure of this embodiment includes a side body outer panel 10 disposed on the side of the vehicle body, a rear bumper 42 disposed at the rear of the vehicle body, a lamp housing panel 30 disposed on the outer side of the rear of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, a rear turn signal lamp (rear lamp) 41 attached to the lamp housing panel 30, the rear bumper 42, and a reinforcement 20. The rear turn signal lamp 41 and the rear bumper 42 are indicated imaginarily by two-dot chain lines in Figure 1. Each component will be described below.

The side body outer panel 10 is a highly rigid member that is arranged on the side of the vehicle body and constitutes the outermost part of the vehicle body. The side body outer panel 10 in this embodiment is described as being located at the rear of the side of the vehicle body. As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the rear of the side body outer panel 10 in this embodiment is provided with a panel bend 11 and a step 16. The shape of the rear of the side body outer panel 10 is described below.

The panel bend 11 is a portion formed to convex toward the rear of the vehicle. In this example, when viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the panel bend 11 is composed of a rear end 12, which is a bending point, and two inclined portions (an upper inclined portion 13 and a lower inclined portion 15) extending from the rear end 12 toward the front of the vehicle. The rear end 12 is located at the lower rear of the side body outer panel 10. The upper inclined portion 13 extends at an incline upward as it moves from the rear end 12 toward the front of the vehicle. The upper inclined portion 13 is also located at the upper end of the outer surface of the side body outer panel 10 where the panel bend 11 is located, and is curved toward the inside of the vehicle. Note that, although the upper inclined portion 13 has an inclined portion as described above in this embodiment, it may also extend upward toward the vehicle.

In addition, an upper flange portion 14 is provided on the vehicle inside of the upper inclined portion 13. The upper flange portion 14 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the end of the outer surface 10a where the upper inclined portion 13 is located, and extends along the inclination direction of the upper inclined portion 13.

The lower inclined portion 15 extends downward from the rear end portion 12 toward the front of the vehicle. The lower inclined portion 15 is located at the lower end of the outer surface of the side body outer panel 10 where the panel bend portion 11 is located, and, like the upper inclined portion 13, is curved toward the inside of the vehicle. The upper inclined portion 13 and the lower inclined portion 15 are positioned so as to be bent at the rear end portion 12 when viewed in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, a rear turn signal lamp 41 is disposed above the panel bend 11, and the vehicle widthwise outer portion of a rear bumper 42 is disposed below the panel bend 11. In this example, the rear turn signal lamp 41 is disposed above the upper inclined portion 13. The rear turn signal lamp 41 is a substantially rectangular lamp extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the lower portion of the vehicle widthwise outer portion of the rear turn signal lamp 41 is inclined to correspond to the inclination direction of the upper inclined portion 13. In other words, the upper inclined portion 13 forms the parting line (boundary) between the side body outer panel 10 and the rear turn signal lamp 41. Furthermore, as described above, the upper inclined portion 13 is curved toward the inside of the vehicle, thereby maintaining appearance quality (parting design).

The rear bumper 42 is a component made of, for example, resin, that extends in the vehicle width direction and is attached to a rear skirt panel 38 or the like provided at the rear of the vehicle body. The outer portion of the rear bumper 42 in the vehicle width direction protrudes forward of the vehicle. The front portion of this protruding portion is inclined to correspond to the lower inclined portion 15. In other words, the lower inclined portion 15 forms a parting line (boundary) between the side body outer panel 10 and the outer portion of the rear bumper 42 in the vehicle width direction. The lower inclined portion 15, like the upper inclined portion 13, curves toward the inside of the vehicle, maintaining the appearance characteristics of the parting line.

Next, the step portion 16 will be described. As shown in Figures 2 to 5 and 9, the step portion 16 is provided on the lower inclined portion 15. In this example, the step portion 16 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower inclined portion 15 and extends along the inclination direction of the lower inclined portion 15. The step portion 16 has a wall surface that extends from slightly below the rear end portion 12 of the panel bend portion 11, sloping downward as it moves toward the front of the vehicle.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4 and 9, the side body outer panel 10 also has an inner surface portion 17 that extends rearward from the inner end of the step portion 16 in the vehicle width direction. The inner surface portion 17 is the side surface facing outward in the vehicle width direction, and in this example, the upper portion of the inner surface portion 17 is located slightly forward and downward of the rear end portion 12 of the panel bend portion 11 as viewed in the vehicle width direction, and is connected to the step portion 16. In this embodiment, the outer surface 10a of the rear portion of the side body outer panel 10 is recessed by the step portion 16, resulting in the formation of the inner surface portion 17.

The rear end of the inner surface portion 17 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. A hole is formed in the inner surface portion 17 for attaching a plastic bumper holder (not shown) or the like. The outer portion of the rear bumper 42 in the vehicle width direction is attached to the inner surface portion 17 via, for example, the bumper holder. The lower end of the inner surface portion 17 is connected to a rear wheel house panel or the like that covers the rear wheels from above the vehicle.

A lower flange portion 18 is provided at the rear end of the inner surface portion 17. The lower flange portion 18 protrudes in the vehicle width direction from the rear end of the inner surface portion 17 and extends in the vehicle vertical direction. The upper end of the lower flange portion 18 is located at the upper end of the rear end of the inner surface portion 17. The upper end of the lower flange portion 18 is located at a distance below the vehicle from the lower end of the upper flange portion 14.

Next, the lamp housing panel 30 will be described. The lamp housing panel 30 is a component that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and has through holes formed therein for mounting rear turn signal lamps 41. The lamp housing panel 30 is a component that is joined to the side body outer panel 10, and in this example, is joined to the upper flange portion 14 and lower flange portion 18 of the side body outer panel 10 by spot welding. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the lower portion of the lamp housing lamp is joined to the side portion of the rear skirt panel 38.

Next, the reinforcement 20 will be described. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the reinforcement 20 in this embodiment is a component that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle as a whole, and is joined by spot welding to the inside of the vehicle of the side body outer panel 10, positioned so as to straddle the panel bend portion 11. This reinforcement 20 has a rear wall 21 (rear wall portion), an outer wall (outer wall portion) 23, and an inner wall (inner wall portion) 25.

The rear wall 21 has an upper joint 21a, a reinforcement bend 21b, a curved portion 21c, and a lower joint 21d. The upper joint 21a is a vertical wall that extends downward from the upper end of the reinforcement 20 when the reinforcement 20 is attached to the vehicle body, and has a wall surface facing the front and rear of the vehicle. The upper joint 21a is joined to the upper flange portion 14 of the side body outer panel 10 by spot welding. In this example, as shown in Figure 5, the upper joint 21a has two weld points 22a, 22b, which are spaced apart in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Note that in Figure 5, the contact points 22a, 22b, 22c are schematically shown as squares.

The reinforcement bend 21b is located in the middle of the rear wall 21 in the vertical direction of the vehicle and is bent so as to convex toward the rear of the vehicle. In this example, the reinforcement bend 21b is bent toward the front of the vehicle at the lower end of the upper joint 21a. The curved portion 21c is curved so as to bulge toward the front of the vehicle as it extends from the reinforcement bend 21b toward the bottom of the vehicle.

The lower joint portion 21d extends downward from the lower end of the curved portion 21c and, like the upper joint portion 21a, has wall surfaces facing the front and rear of the vehicle. In this example, the lower joint portion 21d is spaced apart toward the front of the vehicle from the upper joint portion 21a. The lower joint portion 21d is joined to the lower flange portion 18 of the side body outer panel 10 by spot welding. In this example, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower joint portion 21d has one weld point 22c.

In this embodiment, the upper joint portion 21a and the lower joint portion 21d are joined to the upper flange portion 14 and the lower flange portion 18, respectively, via the lamp housing panel 30. That is, as shown in Figures 10 and 12, the upper joint portion 21a, the lamp housing panel 30, and the upper flange portion 14 are joined in this order as a triplet, and similarly, the lower joint portion 21d, the lamp housing panel 30, and the lower flange portion 18 are joined in this order as a triplet. Note that in this example, the reinforcement bend portion 21b and the upper joint portion 21a of the reinforcement 20 are configured to abut against the lamp housing panel 30. This ensures a flat surface for spot welding.

As shown in FIG. 6, the outer wall 23 is a vertical wall that is positioned on the vehicle widthwise outer side of the reinforcement 20 when the reinforcement 20 is attached to the vehicle body. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the outer wall 23 is positioned below the vehicle from the reinforcement bend 21b, curves along the curved portion 21c, and extends further downward along the outer edge of the lower joint 21d. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 11, an outer joint 23a is provided in the lower part of the outer wall 23 at the portion corresponding to the lower joint 21d. The outer joint 23a is joined by spot welding to the vehicle inner side of the inner surface portion 17 of the side body outer panel 10. In this example, the outer joint 23a has one weld point. Note that in FIG. 6, the outer joint 23a indicates the weld point.

The inner wall 25 is a vertical wall that is arranged on the inner side of the reinforcement 20 in the vehicle width direction when the reinforcement 20 is attached to the vehicle body (see FIG. 8). The inner wall 25 protrudes forward from the inner ends of the upper joint 21a, the reinforcement bend 21b, and the curved portion 21c in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In this example, the inner wall 25 and the outer wall 23 are arranged opposite each other. The upper end of the outer wall 23 is arranged corresponding to the upper end of the upper joint 21a. The lower end of the outer wall 23 is arranged near the lower end of the reinforcement bend 21b. The inner wall 25 has multiple holes (upper through-holes 25a and lower through-holes 25b) that can be used, for example, to fix the reinforcement to a jig for a robot arm during production.

The panel bend 11 of the side body outer panel 10 is a portion of the rear of the vehicle body where torsional rigidity is low. For example, when the rear of the vehicle body undergoes torsional deformation due to the action of a load, the panel bend 11 may become the starting point of bending if it is subjected to a compressive load. In contrast, in this embodiment, by providing the reinforcement 20, the panel bend 11 has a structure with high rigidity against compressive and tensile loads generated by twisting of the vehicle body, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in torsional rigidity in the rear of the vehicle body. This makes it possible to obtain a vehicle body structure that is less likely to cause a deterioration in handling performance, for example.

In addition, in vehicle body structures, strength and rigidity are improved by partially incorporating a sealer when joining panels and members. Furthermore, a waterproof effect is achieved by applying a sealer to the areas where panels, etc. are joined. If a crack occurs in a joint where sealer has been applied, water may seep in through the crack, causing rust on the vehicle body. In this embodiment, by suppressing a decrease in the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body, it is possible to make cracks less likely to occur in joint structures that use sealer. In other words, this embodiment makes it possible to more stably maintain the strength and rigidity of the vehicle body structure as well as the waterproof effect.

Furthermore, in a vehicle body having a tailgate opening 44, deformation of the tailgate opening 44 can be suppressed by suppressing a decrease in torsional rigidity. As a result, it is possible to suppress abnormal noise caused by contact between the tailgate 43 and the edge of the tailgate opening 44 when driving on rough roads, such as when the left and right rear wheels alternately ride over bumps.

When the rear of the vehicle body undergoes torsional deformation, i.e., due to the torsional rigidity mode at the rear of the vehicle body, a load acts on the reinforcement 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Because the reinforcement 20 is positioned so as to straddle the panel bend 11, it has high strength against loads acting in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

For example, during torsional deformation, a compressive load acts on one of the left and right reinforcements 20, while a tensile load acts on the other reinforcement 20. When a compressive load acts on the reinforcement 20, the side body outer panel 10 attempts to bend in the vehicle width direction, starting from the panel bend portion 11. Meanwhile, the lamp housing panel 30 attempts to bend toward the rear of the vehicle, starting from the panel bend portion 11.

The side body outer panel 10 and the lamp housing panel 30 are joined by spot welding, which can lead to separation at the weld points if the panels are deformed. In contrast, in this embodiment, the inner wall 25 of the reinforcement 20 prevents bending of the inner surface portion 17 of the side body outer panel 10, and the rear wall 21 of the reinforcement 20 prevents bending of the lamp housing panel 30. Furthermore, because the inner wall 25 and rear wall 21 are configured in an L-shape in a plan view, bending is less likely in the fore-and-aft direction and width direction of the vehicle.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , a first angle A1 is formed on the vehicle front side of the reinforcement bend 21b of the reinforcement 20. The first angle A1 is the angle formed by the upper joint 21a and the curved portion 21c, and is an obtuse angle of less than 180 degrees. The reinforcement bend 21b is also disposed at a distance from the lamp housing panel 30 on the vehicle front side. On the other hand, a second angle A2 is formed on the vehicle front side of the panel bend 11 of the side body outer panel 10. The second angle A2 is the angle formed by the upper inclined portion 13 and the lower inclined portion 15, and is an obtuse angle of less than 180 degrees. In this embodiment, the first angle A1 is set to be larger than the second angle A2. Note that in FIG. 7 , the contour shape of the panel bend 11 is virtually shown by a two-dot chain line.

By forming the panel bend portion 11 and reinforcement bend portion 21b as described above, when the panel bend portion 11 of the side body outer panel 10 is subjected to a tensile load, the reinforcement 20 is first stretched in the vertical direction of the vehicle. In other words, the curved portion 21c and other portions deform so as to be stretched in the vertical direction of the vehicle. On the other hand, when the panel bend portion 11 is subjected to a compressive load, the reinforcement 20 braces itself, making it possible to maintain the shape of the step portion 16. As a result, deformation of the lower inclined portion 15, which forms the parting line, is suppressed, and shifting of the rear bumper 42 during driving can be suppressed.

Furthermore, as described above, the reinforcement 20 of this embodiment is provided with an inner wall 25. By providing this inner wall 25, the rigidity of the reinforcement 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle is improved. This makes it possible to more effectively prevent a decrease in the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body.

The description of this embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention and does not limit the invention described in the claims. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

In this embodiment, three welding points are provided on the rear wall 21 of the reinforcement 20, but this is not limited to this. Spot welding may be performed at more than three welding points when joining the rear wall 21 of the reinforcement 20 to the upper flange portion 14 and the lower flange portion 18. Similarly, multiple welding points may be provided when joining the outer wall 23 to the inner surface portion 17.

10 Side body outer panel 10a Outer surface 11 Panel bent portion 12 Rear end portion 13 Upper inclined portion 14 Upper flange portion 15 Lower inclined portion 16 Step portion 17 Inner surface portion 18 Lower flange portion 20 Reinforcement 21 Rear wall (rear wall portion)
21a Upper joint portion 21b Reinforcement bent portion 21c Curved portion 21d Lower joint portion 23 Outer wall (outer wall portion)
23a Outer joint part 23a
25 Inner wall (inner wall portion)
25a Upper through-hole 25b Lower through-hole 30 Lamp housing panel 38 Rear skirt panel 41 Rear turn signal lamp 42 Rear bumper 43 Back door

Claims (4)

a side body outer panel disposed on a side of a vehicle body; and a lamp housing panel to which a rear lamp is attached and which is joined to the side body outer panel,
a panel bent portion that is convex toward the rear of the vehicle is provided at a rear end of an outer surface of the side body outer panel, and the rear lamp is disposed on the vehicle upper side of the panel bent portion,
a step portion is provided at a rear portion of the side body outer panel, the step portion extending along an end portion of the outer surface located below the vehicle of the panel bend portion, and an outer portion in the vehicle width direction of a rear bumper provided at the rear of the vehicle is disposed along the step portion,
A vehicle rear structure, characterized in that a reinforcement extending in the vehicle vertical direction is joined to the vehicle inner side of the side body outer panel so as to straddle the panel bend portion. the side body outer panel has an upper flange portion that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from an end portion of the outer surface that is located on the vehicle upper side of the panel bend portion, an inner side surface portion that extends rearward in the vehicle from an inner end of the step portion in the vehicle width direction, and a lower flange portion that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from a rear end of the inner side surface portion,
The reinforcement has a rear wall portion facing the rear of the vehicle and extending in the vehicle up-down direction, and an outer wall portion extending from an outer end of the rear wall portion in the vehicle width direction toward the front of the vehicle,
the rear wall portion of the reinforcement is joined to the upper flange portion and the lower flange portion via the lamp housing panel,
2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer wall portion of the reinforcement is joined to the vehicle inner side of the inner side surface portion. A reinforcement bend portion that is bent so as to be convex toward the rear of the vehicle is provided at an intermediate portion of the rear wall portion of the reinforcement in the vehicle up-down direction, and a first angle is formed on the vehicle front side of the reinforcement bend portion,
The reinforcement bent portion is disposed on a vehicle front side with a space therebetween with respect to the lamp housing panel,
the rear wall portions located on the vehicle upper side and vehicle lower side of the reinforcement bend portion are joined to the upper flange portion and the lower flange portion via the lamp housing panel, respectively;
3. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 2, wherein the first angle is set to be larger than a second angle formed on the vehicle front side of the panel bent portion. A vehicle rear structure as described in claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that an inner wall portion extending in the vehicle vertical direction is provided at the vehicle width direction inner end of the rear wall portion of the reinforcement so as to face the outer wall portion.