JP7813626B2 - Body upper structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle body upper structure.

The upper vehicle body structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has front pillar sections, roof side rails, and reinforcing members. The front pillar sections are located on both sides of the front windshield in the vehicle width direction and extend downward toward the front. The roof side rails continue from the front pillar sections to the rear of the vehicle, extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle more horizontally than the front pillar sections, and are joined to the roof panel. The reinforcing members are joined to the curved sections from the front pillar sections to the roof side rails. At least two ridge lines are formed in the curved sections, spaced apart vertically, and the reinforcing members are joined so as to cover only the lowest of the ridge lines.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-196414

In conventional vehicle body upper structures, reinforcing members have sometimes been installed in curved sections extending from the front pillars to the roof side rails. However, installing such reinforcing members can result in the rigidity of the curved sections being excessive relative to the rigidity design of the entire vehicle body, which can lead to concerns that, for example, driving vibrations generated by the vehicle cannot be adequately suppressed.

The objective of the present invention is to prevent the rigidity of the curved portion extending from the roof side rail portion to the pillar portion from becoming excessive.

One aspect of the present invention relates to an upper vehicle body structure comprising a curved portion extending from a roof side rail portion to a pillar portion, the curved portion being composed of an inner member, an outer member, and a first reinforcing member, the first reinforcing member being joined to the inner member or the outer member at a first side edge portion along the extension direction of the curved portion, and the first side edge having a plurality of notches formed in line along the extension direction of the curved portion.

This invention makes it possible to prevent the rigidity of the curved portion extending from the roof side rail portion to the pillar portion from becoming excessive.

1 is a perspective view showing the arrangement relationship of a roof side rail portion, a pillar portion, and a curved portion in a vehicle body of an upper vehicle body structure according to an embodiment. FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the vehicle body side portion of the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment, and is an exploded oblique view showing the arrangement relationship between the body side inner panel, the body side outer panel, the first reinforcing member, and the second reinforcing member. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the curved portion of the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment, showing the arrangement of the inner member, the first reinforcing member, and the second reinforcing member. 4 is a diagram for explaining a main part of the curved portion of the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment, and is a partially cross-sectional perspective view of the part indicated by circle IV in FIG. 3 . FIG. This is a diagram for explaining the arrangement relationship between the inner member, outer member, first reinforcing member, and second reinforcing member in the curved portion of the vehicle body upper structure of the embodiment, and is a partial cross-sectional view along line V-V in Figure 3. This is a diagram for explaining the arrangement relationship between the inner member, the outer member, the first reinforcing member, and the second reinforcing member in the curved portion of the vehicle body upper structure of the embodiment, and is a partial cross-sectional view along line VI-VI in Figure 3.

The following describes an upper vehicle body structure according to an embodiment, with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, FR and RR indicate the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, respectively. LH and RH indicate the left and right in the width direction of the vehicle, respectively. UP and DN indicate the top and bottom in the vertical direction of the vehicle, respectively. The center of the vehicle in the width direction is referred to as the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and the side opposite the inner side in the width direction is referred to as the outer side in the vehicle width direction. In each drawing, the inner side in the vehicle width direction is indicated by IS, and the outer side in the vehicle width direction is indicated by OS. In the following description, the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the left and right sides in the width direction of the vehicle, and the top and bottom sides in the vertical direction of the vehicle will be referred to simply as the "front of the vehicle," "rear of the vehicle," "left side of the vehicle," "right side of the vehicle," "upper," and "lower," respectively.

In the examples shown in Figures 2 to 6, the left side of the vehicle corresponds to the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the right side of the vehicle corresponds to the outside in the vehicle width direction. In the following explanation, elements with the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

The vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment can be applied to the structure of the upper part of the vehicle body 1 of a vehicle V, such as a passenger car.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the side portion of the vehicle body 1 is formed by joining a body side inner panel 2 and a body side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction. The body side inner panel 2 is a vehicle body frame member that forms the side portion of the vehicle body 1. The body side outer panel 3 is joined to the body side inner panel 2 and is a member that forms the exterior portion of the vehicle body 1. The body side inner panel 2 and the body side outer panel 3 may be made of a metal such as steel.

As shown in the example in Figure 1, when the body side inner panel 2 and the body side outer panel 3 are joined together, the vehicle body 1 is formed with a roof side rail portion 10 and a front pillar portion 20 as a pillar portion. Furthermore, as shown in the example in Figure 2, a front door opening 4 is formed on the left side of the vehicle of the vehicle body 1. A front door 5 can be rotatably disposed in the front door opening 4 via a hinge. It should be noted that the pillar portion related to the vehicle body upper structure is not limited to the front pillar portion 20. For example, the pillar portion may be a rear pillar portion that supports the rear side of the vehicle of the roof portion 6.

The roof side rail portion 10 shown in Figure 1 is a portion that forms the vehicle width direction end of the roof portion 6 of the vehicle body 1. In the example shown, the roof side rail portion 10 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle on the right side of the roof portion 6. The roof side rail portion 10 also defines the upper side of the front door opening 4.

The front pillar portion 20 supports the front side of the roof portion 6 of the vehicle body 1. The front pillar portion 20 extends toward the rear and upper side of the vehicle in the region of the vehicle width direction end of the windshield opening 7. The windshield opening 7 is an opening that is closed by the windshield W of the vehicle V. The front pillar portion 20 also defines a portion of the front side of the vehicle of the front door opening 4, and separates the windshield opening 7 from the front door opening 4.

A curved portion 30 is formed between the roof side rail portion 10 and the front pillar portion 20. The curved portion 30 extends in a curved manner from the roof side rail portion 10 to the front pillar portion 20, which is a pillar portion. As illustrated in the figure, the curved portion 30 continuously connects the roof side rail portion 10 and the front pillar portion 20 and has a shape that curves convexly toward the front and upper side of the vehicle. The curved portion 30 defines the upper side of the front door opening 4 between the roof side rail portion 10 and the front pillar portion 20. In addition, a front header 8 may be connected to the curved portion 30 from the inner side in the vehicle width direction (see Figure 2). The front header 8 is a vehicle body frame member that forms the front end of the roof portion and defines the upper side of the windshield opening 7.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the curved portion 30 is formed by joining an inner member 31 and an outer member 35. The inner member 31 constitutes part of the body side inner panel 2 and is a member that constitutes the inner side of the curved portion 30 in the vehicle width direction. In addition, multiple protrusions 32 are formed on the edges of the inner member 31 on the roof portion 6 side and the windshield opening 7 side. The protrusions 32 may be formed by making part of the edge protrude upward. The outer member 35 constitutes part of the body side outer panel 3 and is a member that constitutes the outer side of the curved portion 30 in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the curved portion 30, the inner member 31 has a generally Z-shape. In this cross section, a joining flange 31a is formed on the edge of the inner member 31 facing the roof portion 6, and a joining flange 31b is formed on the edge facing the front door opening 4. In addition, in this cross section, the outer member 35 has a generally C-shape that bulges outward in the vehicle width direction. A joining flange 35a is formed on the edge of the outer member 35 facing the roof portion 6, and a joining flange 35b is formed on the edge facing the front door opening 4. In this cross section, the thickness of the inner member 31 may be 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm. In addition, the thickness of the outer member 35 may be 0.8 mm to 1.6 mm.

The joining flanges 31a and 35a may be joined using a joining method such as spot welding at multiple joints set along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. The joining flanges 31b and 35b may also be joined using a joining method such as spot welding at multiple joints set along the extension direction of the curved portion 30, for example, via a first reinforcing member 40 or a second reinforcing member 50 described below. This forms a closed cross section S1 between the inner member 31 and the outer member 35, extending along the extension direction of the curved portion 30.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, a first reinforcing member 40 is disposed between the inner member 31 and outer member 35 of the curved portion 30. The first reinforcing member 40 is a member disposed in the closed cross section S1 that reinforces the curved portion 30 and extends along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. The first reinforcing member 40 is a long member that extends from the roof side rail portion 10 to the front pillar portion 20 and is curved convexly toward the front and upper side of the vehicle. Note that the rear end of the first reinforcing member 40 may extend toward the interior of the roof side rail portion 10, and the front end of the first reinforcing member 40 may extend toward the interior of the front pillar portion 20. As illustrated in the cross sections of Figures 5 and 6, the first reinforcing member 40 has a generally Z-shaped cross section and may be made of a metal such as steel. Note that the thickness of the first reinforcing member 40 in this cross section may be 1.4 mm to 2.2 mm.

As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, a side edge portion 41 serving as a first side edge is formed on the portion of the first reinforcing member 40 facing the front door opening 4. The side edge portion 41 extends in the same direction as the curved portion 30. Multiple joints can be set on the side edge portion 41 along the direction in which the side edge portion 41 extends, and the side edge portion 41 can be joined to the inner member 31 or the outer member 35 using a joining method such as spot welding.

As illustrated in the figure, multiple cutouts 42 are formed in the side edge 41. The cutouts 42 are formed by cutting out a portion of the side edge 41 so as to penetrate the vehicle width direction, and have a generally rectangular shape in side view. The multiple cutouts 42 are arranged in a row along the extension direction of the side edge 41. In other words, the multiple cutouts 42 are arranged in a row along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. Furthermore, each of the multiple cutouts 42 is arranged between the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 and the joining flange 35b of the outer member 35 (see Figure 6).

The multiple cutouts 42 are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the extension direction of the side edge 41. Therefore, intermediate portions 43 are formed between the multiple cutouts 42. The intermediate portions 43 form part of the side edge 41 and extend toward the front door opening 4. Multiple such intermediate portions 43 are aligned along the extension direction of the side edge 41. In other words, the multiple intermediate portions 43 are aligned along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. Each of the multiple intermediate portions 43 is disposed between the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 and the joining flange 35b of the outer member 35 (see Figure 5).

The shape of the cutouts 42 is not limited to the example shown in the figure. The cutouts 42 may have a shape such as a substantially semicircular or polygonal shape when viewed from the side. The spacing between the multiple cutouts 42 can be set appropriately depending on the dimensions, shape, structure, etc. of the vehicle body 1, and does not have to be equal spacing. In the example shown, five cutouts 42 are arranged on the side edge 41, but this is not limited to this. As long as two or more cutouts 42 are set on the side edge 41, the number of cutouts 42 to be formed can be set appropriately depending on the dimensions, shape, etc. of the vehicle V.

In the illustrated example, multiple notches 45 are formed in the side edge 44 of the first reinforcing member 40 on the roof portion 6 side and the windshield opening 7 side. The notches 45 are formed by cutting out portions of the side edge 44 in the vertical direction.

As shown in the example in Figures 2 to 6, a second reinforcing member 50 may be disposed between the inner member 31 and the first reinforcing member 40. The second reinforcing member 50 is a long member disposed in the closed cross section S1 to reinforce the curved portion 30, and extends along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. That is, the second reinforcing member 50 extends along the extension direction of the first reinforcing member 40 and is curved convexly toward the front and upper side of the vehicle. Note that in the example shown, the longitudinal dimension of the second reinforcing member is set smaller than the longitudinal dimension of the first reinforcing member 40, but this is not limited to this. For example, the longitudinal dimension of the second reinforcing member may be set to a value equal to or greater than the longitudinal dimension of the first reinforcing member 40.

Furthermore, as illustrated in the cross sections of Figures 5 and 6, the second reinforcing member 50 may have a generally L-shaped cross section and may be made of a metal such as steel. In the cross section shown, a closed cross section S2 may be formed between the second reinforcing member 50 and the first reinforcing member 40. In this cross section, the thickness of the second reinforcing member 50 may be 1.4 mm to 2.2 mm.

As illustrated in Figures 2 to 4, a side edge portion 51 serving as a second side edge extends from the portion of the second reinforcing member 50 facing the front door opening 4. The side edge portion 51 is a portion of the second reinforcing member 50 that extends in the direction in which the curved portion 30 extends. The side edge portion 51 has multiple joints set along its extension direction, and can be joined to the inner member 31 or outer member 35 using a joining method such as spot welding.

In the illustrated example, multiple protrusions 52 are formed on the side edge 51. The protrusions 52 are formed by bulging a portion of the side edge 51 outward in the vehicle width direction, and have a generally rectangular shape in side view. The protrusions 52 constitute part of the side edge 51. The multiple protrusions 52 are arranged in a line along the extension direction of the side edge 51. That is, the multiple protrusions 52 are arranged in a line along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, each of the multiple protrusions 52 is formed so that it can be disposed inside each of the multiple cutouts 42. Each of the multiple protrusions 52 is disposed between the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 and the joining flange 35b of the outer member 35, and is joined to the inner member 31 and the outer member 35 (see Figure 6).

The multiple protrusions 52 are spaced a predetermined distance apart in the extension direction of the side edge 51. Therefore, intermediate portions 53 that form part of the side edge 51 are formed between the multiple protrusions 52. The intermediate portions 53 are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the side edge 51. In other words, the multiple intermediate portions 53 are arranged side by side along the extension direction of the curved portion 30. Furthermore, each of the multiple intermediate portions 53 is arranged between the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 and the intermediate portion 43 of the first reinforcing member 40 (see Figure 5).

In the illustrated example, the convex portions 52 have a generally rectangular shape in side view, but this is not limited to this. The convex portions 52 may also have a generally circular, generally polygonal, or other shape in side view. The spacing between each of the multiple convex portions 52 can be set as appropriate depending on the spacing, dimensions, shape, etc. between each of the multiple cutout portions 42 of the first reinforcing member 40. In the illustrated example, five convex portions 52 are arranged on the side edge portion 51, but this is not limited to this. The number of convex portions 52 can be set as appropriate depending on, for example, the number of cutout portions 42.

The side edge 54 of the second reinforcing member 50 on the roof portion 6 side may have multiple cutouts 55 formed therein. The cutouts 55 are formed by cutting out portions of the side edge 54 in the vertical direction.

Next, the arrangement and joining relationships of the components that make up the curved section 30 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 6. In the illustrated example, the curved section 30 is formed by overlapping an outer member 35, a first reinforcing member 40, a second reinforcing member 50, and an inner member 31 in the vehicle width direction. Note that at joints 60a to 60j, which will be described later, two or more components may be joined together using joining methods such as spot welding.

As shown in FIG. 3 , when the inner member 31, second reinforcing member 50, and first reinforcing member 40 are stacked, the notch 45 of the first reinforcing member 40 and the notch 55 of the second reinforcing member 50 are arranged to overlap. The convex portion 32 of the inner member 31 is arranged inside the notch 45 and the notch 55 and is exposed toward the outside of the vehicle body. The thickness of the first reinforcing member 40, the thickness of the second reinforcing member 50, or the protruding height of the convex portion 32 may be set so that the surface of the side edge portion 44 facing toward the outside of the vehicle body and the surface of the convex portion 32 facing toward the outside of the vehicle body form substantially the same surface overall.

In the illustrated state, the intermediate portion 43 and the intermediate portion 53 are arranged in the inner member 31 while overlapping in the vehicle width direction. A protrusion 52 is arranged inside the cutout portion 42 and is exposed to the outside of the vehicle body. The thickness of the first reinforcing member 40 or the protruding height of the protrusion 52 may be set so that the surface of the side edge portion 41 facing outward from the vehicle body and the surface of the protrusion 52 facing outward from the vehicle body form approximately the same surface overall.

The curved section 30 is formed by stacking the inner member 31, second reinforcing member 50, and first reinforcing member 40 in this state and then stacking the outer member 35 from the outside of the vehicle body.

In the cross section shown in Figure 5, the joining flange 31a of the inner member 31 and the joining flange 35a of the outer member 35 are directly joined at the joint 60a. Note that the joining flange 31a in this cross section is formed by the protrusion 32.

In addition, in the cross section illustrated in the figure, the intermediate portion 43 of the first reinforcing member 40 and the intermediate portion 53 of the second reinforcing member 50 are joined at joint 60b, and the intermediate portion 53 is joined to the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 at joint 60c. In other words, the intermediate portion 43 is joined to the joining flange 31b via the intermediate portion 53. Note that the intermediate portion 43 may also be joined to the outer member 35 at joint 60d. In that case, the intermediate portion 43 and the intermediate portion 53 do not need to be joined.

In the cross section illustrated in Figure 6, the side edge 44 of the first reinforcing member 40 and the side edge 54 of the second reinforcing member 50 are joined at joint 60e. Furthermore, the side edge 54 and the joining flange 31a of the inner member 31 are joined at joint 60f. That is, the side edge 44 is joined to the joining flange 31a via the side edge 54. It is not necessary for the joining flange 35a of the outer member 35 and the side edge 44 of the first reinforcing member 40 to be joined together.

In addition, in the cross section illustrated in the figure, the joining flange 35b of the outer member 35 and the convex portion 52 of the second reinforcing member 50 are joined at joint 60g, and the convex portion 52 and the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 are joined at joint 60h. In other words, the joining flange 35b is joined to the joining flange 31b via the convex portion 52.

Note that at the multiple joints 60i illustrated in FIG. 3, the side edge 44 of the first reinforcing member 40 may be joined to the joint flange 35a of the outer member 35. That is, the joint flange 35a may be joined to the convex portion 32 and side edge 44 of the inner member 31 at joints 60a and 60i. Note that the position, number, etc. of the joints 60i are not limited to the example shown. For example, the position, number, etc. of the joints 60i can be set depending on the dimensions of the side edge 44 in the extension direction of the first reinforcing member 40, the desired joint strength, etc.

Furthermore, at the multiple joints 60j illustrated in the figure, the side edge 41 of the first reinforcing member 40 may be joined to the joint flange 35b of the outer member 35. In other words, the joint flange 35b may be joined to the convex portion 52 and side edge 41 of the second reinforcing member 50 at joints 60g and 60j.

In the above explanation, the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment has been described using the structure on the vehicle right side of the vehicle body 1 as an example, but is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle body upper structure may be applied as a structure on the vehicle left side of the vehicle body 1. In this case, the inner member 31, outer member 35, first reinforcing member 40, and second reinforcing member 50 may have shapes that are symmetrical with respect to the vertical axis from the shapes shown in Figures 2 to 6.

The following describes the effects of the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment.

(1) The vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment includes a curved portion 30 that extends in a curved manner from the roof side rail portion 10 to the pillar portion 20. The curved portion 30 is composed of an inner member 31 and an outer member 35 that are joined to each other, and a first reinforcing member 40 that is disposed between the inner member 31 and the outer member 35 and extends from the roof side rail portion 10 to the pillar portion 20. The first reinforcing member 40 is joined to the inner member 31 or the outer member 35 at a first side edge 41 that is aligned along the extension direction of the curved portion 30, and the first side edge 41 has a plurality of cutouts 42 formed in it that are aligned along the extension direction of the curved portion 30.

In the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment, the first reinforcing member 40 is joined to the curved portion 30, improving the bending rigidity of the curved portion 30 and suppressing bending deformation of the curved portion 30, for example, in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle V. Furthermore, the first reinforcing member 40 has multiple cutouts 42 formed therein. This prevents the torsional rigidity of the curved portion 30 from becoming excessive. Therefore, while improving the bending rigidity of the curved portion 30, it is possible to prevent the torsional rigidity of the curved portion from becoming excessive relative to the rigidity design of the entire vehicle body 1. As a result, it is possible to suppress bending deformation of the curved portion 30 in the event of a frontal collision of the vehicle, while suppressing, for example, running vibrations that occur in the vehicle V while it is running.

(2) A second reinforcing member 50 extending in the extension direction of the curved portion 30 is disposed between the first reinforcing member 40 and the inner member 31, and a second side edge 51 of the second reinforcing member 50 along the extension direction of the curved portion 30 is formed with a plurality of protrusions 52 each disposed within a plurality of cutouts 42, and the plurality of protrusions 52 may be joined to the inner member 31 and the outer member 35.

In the example shown in Figure 5, a second reinforcing member 50 is disposed in the closed cross section S1 of the curved portion 30. The multiple protrusions 52 of the second reinforcing member 50 are joined to the joining flange 31b of the inner member 31 and the joining flange 35b of the outer member 35 without going through the first reinforcing member 40. This more reliably improves the bending rigidity of the curved portion 30 and prevents the torsional rigidity of the curved portion 30 from becoming excessive relative to the rigidity design of the entire vehicle body 1.

In the above explanation, the configuration of the vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment has been described using a passenger car as an example, but this is not limiting. The vehicle body upper structure according to the embodiment may also be used in commercial vehicles such as vans.

10 Roof side rail portion 20 Front pillar portion (pillar portion)
30 Curved portion 31 Inner member 35 Outer member 40 First reinforcing member 41 Side edge portion (first side edge portion)
42 Notch portion 50 Second reinforcing member 51 Side edge portion (second side edge portion)
52 convex portion

Claims (1)

A curved portion is provided that curves and extends from the roof side rail portion to the pillar portion,
The curved portion is
an inner member and an outer member joined together;
a first reinforcing member disposed between the inner member and the outer member and extending from the roof side rail portion to the pillar portion;
It is composed of
the first reinforcing member is joined to the inner member or the outer member at a first side edge portion along an extension direction of the curved portion,
The first side edge portion has a plurality of notches formed therein and aligned along the extending direction of the curved portion ,
a second reinforcing member extending in an extending direction of the curved portion is disposed between the first reinforcing member and the inner member;
a second side edge portion of the second reinforcing member along the extending direction of the curved portion is formed with a plurality of protrusions, each of which is disposed inside one of the plurality of cutout portions;
The plurality of protrusions are joined to the inner member and the outer member .