JP3307509B2 - Center pillar structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a center pillar in a vehicle body having an integral side panel structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are two types of vehicle body side structures: a split-type side skin structure in which a suitable material can be selected according to a required portion, and an integrated side skin structure in which all body side skins are integrally formed.
Broadly classified into types. As shown in FIG. 4, the integrated side outer panel structure integrally forms a side panel outer 1 including a front pillar portion a, a center pillar portion b, a rear quarter panel portion c, a roof side rail portion d, and a side sill portion e. And the front pillar inner, the center pillar inner,
The rear quarter panel inner, roof side rail inner, side sill inner, etc. are fixed to form the vehicle body side structure, which is extremely difficult in terms of ensuring body accuracy (especially, accuracy around the door door contact portion) and ease of assembly. Is excellent.

However, in the case of the above-mentioned integral type side outer panel structure, the side panel outer 1 is formed of a thin panel for the purpose of formation and weight reduction, and the thickness of the inner panel fixed to the inside thereof is changed. And the addition of an appropriate reinforcement to ensure the required body strength of each part. For example, the center pillar part is a thick plate center formed separately from the center pillar part b of the thin side panel outer 1. It consists of pillar inners and two thick reinforcements joined to them,
Since the outer side is a thin plate, there is a problem that when a shock is received from the side outside, the shock energy cannot be sufficiently absorbed by the center pillar portion.

[0004] In order to solve such a problem, in a one-piece outer panel structure, only the center pillar portion of a side panel outer made of a thin plate panel is displaced toward the inner side to be integrally formed. Is formed as a center pillar inner portion, and a center pillar outer formed of a separately formed thick plate panel is fixed to the outside of the center pillar inner portion to form a center pillar.
It has already been disclosed in US Pat.

[0005]

As described above, only the center pillar portion is displaced toward the inner side to form an integral side panel outer, and the outer side of the center pillar inner portion formed by displacing toward the inner side is provided with a thickness. The center pillar, which is formed by fixing the center pillar outer consisting of a plate panel, is a thick plate on the outer side that receives the impact directly when a shock is applied from the side outside while maintaining the advantages of the integrated side outer panel structure. It has the advantage of being able to be composed of panels, but since the thin plate is included in the overlap of the spot welding flanges of the inner, outer and phosphorus reinforcements of the center pillar, the strength of the spot welds Has a problem that the strength of the center pillar with respect to an impact load cannot be sufficiently secured by simply using a thick panel on the outer side.

An object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problems as described above.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an integrated outer panel structure in which a side panel outer is integrally formed by a thin panel, and a center pillar portion of the side panel outer is moved inward near upper and lower ends thereof. Displace, cover the pillar outer and phosphorus reinforcement separately formed from the thick panel from outside the center pillar portion of the side panel outer,
The pillar inner is covered from the inside of the center pillar part, and the flanges for spot welding of the pillar outer, the reinforcement and the pillar inner are overlapped and spot-welded, thereby closing with the pillar outer, the phosphorus reinforcement and the pillar inner made of the thick panel. A center pillar having a cross section is formed.

[0008]

As described above, the center pillar having a closed cross section is constituted by the pillar outer, the ring reinforcement and the pillar inner formed separately from the thick panel, surrounding the center pillar portion of the side panel outer formed of the thin panel. ,
The center pillar portion of the thin panel passes from bottom to top in a state of being suspended in the air in the cross section of the center pillar, and is formed by spot welding of a flange for spot welding of a pillar outer made of a thick panel, a phosphorus reinforcement, and a pillar inner. Therefore, the thin panel is not included in the spot welded portion, and the strength of the spot welded portion can be improved, and the advantages of the integrated side outer plate structure such as securing the body accuracy, reducing the weight, and facilitating assembly can be achieved. In addition, it is possible to obtain a center pillar structure capable of sufficiently improving the strength of the center pillar against an impact load input from the side outside and effectively absorbing the impact energy.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a side panel outer integrally formed of a thin panel, and 2 is a center pillar portion of the side panel outer 1. Parts other than the center pillar 2 of the side panel outer 1 are omitted from the drawings, but are similar to the conventional structure shown in FIG. 4, but have a front pillar a, a rear quarter panel c, a roof side rail d, and a side sill. e.

The center pillar portion 2 of the outer side panel 1 has a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape comprising a top surface 2a, vertical surfaces 2b, 2b on both sides thereof, and flanges 2c, 2c at the lower end of the vertical surface. Is formed in a state in which the top surface portion 2a is displaced inward with respect to the side sill portion e and the roof side rail portion d by shifting the height from the side sill portion e below the center pillar portion 2. As the height of the vertical surface portion 2b gradually decreases from bottom to top, the top surface portion 2a is gently inclined inward from the upper portion of the side sill portion e to be displaced, and the inclined portion of the top surface portion 2a is provided with the seat belt retractor. The width of the flange portion 2c is formed to be small from the position near the upper portion of the retractor mounting hole 2a 'to the pillar outer 3, which will be described later. 4 and flange to the flange portion 2c of the spot welding the pillar inner 5 is prevented sandwiched.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a pillar outer formed of a thick panel and having a substantially hat-shaped cross section. Reference numeral 4 denotes a phosphorus reinforcement formed of a thick panel and having a substantially hat-shaped cross section. Reference numeral 5 denotes a thick panel formed of a substantially hat-shaped cross section. A phosphorus hose 5a made of a thick panel is joined and fixed to the inside of the pillar inner 5.

Then, the pillar outer 3 and the reinforcement 4 are covered from outside the center pillar 2 of the side panel outer 1, and the pillar inner 5 is covered from inside the center pillar 2, and the pillar outer 3, the reinforcement 4 and By spot welding the overlapping portion of the assembled flange of the pillar inner 5, the side panel outer 1 is formed.
A center pillar having a closed cross section is formed surrounding the center pillar portion 2. The lower end portions of the pillar outer 3 and the reinforcement 4 are connected to the retractor mounting holes 2 of the center pillar 2.
The top surface 2a and the vertical surfaces 2b, 2b below and on both sides of a '
(All of which are integrally connected to the side sill portion e), and the upper ends of the pillar outer 3 and the reinforcement 4 are joined and fixed to the roof side rail portion d of the side panel outer 1. The lower end of the pillar inner 5 is joined and fixed to the side sill inner e 'fixed to the inside of the side sill e, and the lower part of the assembled flange of the pillar inner 5 is wide under the flange 2c of the center pillar 2. The upper part of the pillar inner 5 is fixed to the inside of the roof side rail d with the roof side rail inner d 'fixed to the pillar outer 3 and the assembled flange of the linkage 4 with the portion sandwiched therebetween.
Is bonded and fixed.

In the center pillar constructed as described above, the portion other than the peripheral portion of the lower retractor mounting hole 2a ', that is, the main pillar portion from the center portion to the upper portion is formed by a flange portion of the center pillar portion 2 made of a thin panel. 2c,
2c does not overlap with each of the flanges of the pillar outer 3, the reinforcement 4 and the pillar inner 5, and the center pillar portion of the thin plate is suspended in the cross section of the center pillar. Because the overlapped spot welds are composed, the strength of the spot welds can be improved, and the strength of the center pillar against the impact load input from the side outside can be improved while taking advantage of the integrated side panel structure. The center pillar can be sufficiently improved and can effectively absorb impact energy.

The lower portion of the center pillar has a wider portion of the flange portion 2c of the thin plate panel in the overlapping portion of the assembly flange, so that the overlap portion of the assembly flange not including the thin plate panel has a smaller portion of the spot welded portion than the overlapping portion of the assembly flange. Because the strength is low and the rigidity of the lower part of the center pillar is lower than that of the other part by the retractor mounting hole 2a 'formed in the center pillar part 2, the impact load input from the side outside is made. The strength discontinuity of the center pillar with respect to is formed below the center pillar, and when an impact load is input, the lower portion of the center pillar bends inward with the side sill inversion, thereby reducing the impact on the occupant. From the central part to the upper part of the large center pillar, it does not bend locally inward and is displaced inward almost uniformly and The displacement is relatively small, and the impact that the occupant receives can be significantly reduced.

2 and 3, reference numeral 6 denotes a roof panel, 7 denotes a roof brace center, and a pillar inner 5 is provided.
And a side portion of the roof brace center 7 are connected by a connecting member 8. Reference numeral 9 denotes a floor panel, and a doubler 10 having a substantially hat-shaped cross section is fixed to the upper surface of the floor panel 9 to form a closed cross section in the vehicle width direction, and the outer end of the doubler 10 is gently upward. The riser is joined and fixed to the pillar inner 5 so as to surround the lower portion of the pillar inner 5.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, an impact load inputted from the outside of the side is utilized while taking advantage of the integral side outer panel structure of the thin panel such as securing of body accuracy, weight reduction, and ease of assembly. The strength of the center pillar can be sufficiently improved, and a center pillar structure that can effectively absorb impact energy can be obtained. The effect can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIGS. 1A and 1B show an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a center pillar portion of a side panel outer in an integrated side panel structure, and FIG. Perspective view of the center pillar, (C) is C- of (B).
It is C sectional drawing.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a lower portion of a center pillar shown in FIG. 1 (B).

FIG. 3 is a front view of an upper portion of a center pillar shown in FIG. 1 (B).

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view showing an example of a conventional integrated side skin panel structure.

[Description of Signs] 1 Side panel outer 2 Center pillar 2a Top 2a 'Retractor mounting hole 2b Vertical surface 2c Flange 3 Pillar outer 4 Linkage 5 Pillar inner a Front pillar c Rear quarter panel d Roof side rail e Side sill part

Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 25/04

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vehicle body having an integrated side outer panel structure in which a side panel outer having a front pillar portion, a center pillar portion, a rear quarter panel portion, a roof side rail portion, and a side sill portion is integrally formed by a thin panel. At
A center pillar portion of the side panel outer is displaced inward from other portions to be integrally formed, and a pillar outer formed substantially in a hat-shaped cross-section by a thick plate panel and a phosphorus reinforcement disposed inside the pillar outer are formed. Cover from the outside of the center pillar portion, cover the pillar inner formed in a substantially hat-shaped cross-section by the thick plate panel from the inside of the center pillar portion, and form a flange for each spot welding of the pillar outer, the phosphorus reinforcement, and the pillar inner. A center pillar structure for a vehicle, wherein an overlapping portion is fixed by spot welding and a center pillar having a closed cross section surrounding a center pillar portion of a side panel outer is formed by a pillar outer, a reinforcement, and a pillar inner. 2. The center pillar structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the center pillar portion of the side panel outer is:
It has a substantially hat-shaped cross section composed of a top surface portion, a vertical surface portion on both sides thereof, and a flange portion at the lower end of the vertical surface portion, and the height of the vertical surface portion gradually increases upward at a transition portion from the side sill portion below the center pillar portion. The top surface is formed to have a structure in which the top surface is gently inclined to be displaced inward by being lowered, and a mounting hole for a seatbelt retractor is provided in the inclined portion of the top surface, and the mounting hole is provided from near the upper portion to the upper end of the mounting hole In the vicinity of the vehicle, the width of the flange portion is configured to be narrow, and the flange portion is configured not to overlap with each flange for spot welding of the pillar outer, the reinforcement, and the pillar inner. Center pillar structure.