JPH0796857A - Center pillar structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance the rigidity of a center pillar in its entirety so as to efficiently transmit a load acting upon the center pillar, to a rocker and a roof side rail. CONSTITUTION:The upper end part 24A of a center pillar inner 24 constituting the vehicle inboard side part of a center pillar is welded to a roof side rail, and the lower end part 24B there of is stuck into and fixed to a rocker. A bulged part 28 projected widthwise outward is formed at a side wall part 24G of the center pillar inner 24, continuously extending from the upper end part 24A to the lower end part 24B of the same. Further, a seat belt retractor is located in the lower part of the bulged part 28, that is, in the part 28A crossing the rocker.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a center pillar structure for connecting a rocker of an automobile body and a roof side rail.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle body is provided with a center pillar as a structural member forming left and right ends of a vehicle passenger compartment in a vehicle front-rear direction central portion. The lower end of the center pillar intersects with a rocker arranged along the vehicle front-rear direction at the lower ends of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, and an example of a structure that improves the rigidity of this intersection is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-126681. It is shown in the publication.

As shown in FIG. 8, in this center pillar structure, the outer side portion of the intersection 74 between the center pillar 70 and the rocker 72 of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction is constituted by a cymen outer 76, and the lower portion of the cymen outer 76. Is the rocker outer portion 80. A cymen inner 78 is arranged inside the cymen outer 76 in the vehicle width direction,
Both edge portions 81A and 81B of the center pillar inner portion 81 of the simmen inner 78 are welded to the flanges 82A and 82B of the center pillar outer portion 82 of the simmen outer 76. A pillar outer reinforcement 81 is provided between the intersection of the rocker inner portion 84 and the center pillar inner portion 81 and the intersection of the rocker outer portion 80 and the center pillar outer portion 82.
A bead 88 protruding inward in the vehicle width direction is provided at a substantially central portion of A in the front-rear direction, and this bead 88 is welded to a protruding portion 90 of a simmen inner 78 protruding outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0004]

However, in this center pillar structure, the protruding portion 90 of the Simmen inner 78 is formed by the intersection 7 of the center pillar 70 and the rocker 72.
Since it is provided only in the vicinity of four, when a load acts on the center pillar 70 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, stress concentrates on the vicinity of the upper end portion 78A of the protruding portion 90 where the plane cross-sectional shape of the Simmen inner 78 changes. The center pillar 70 bends at this portion, and the load in the vehicle width direction acting on the center pillar 70 cannot be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail.

In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a center pillar structure in which the rigidity of the whole center pillar is improved and the load acting on the center pillar can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail. .

[0006]

According to the center pillar structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, the center pillar constitutes an inner side portion of the vehicle body, the lower end portion is coupled to the rocker in a skewered state, and the upper end portion is coupled to the roof side rail. The center pillar inner and the bulging portion which is formed continuously from the lower end to the upper end of the center pillar inner and protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction are characterized by being provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the center pillar structure according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein a seat belt retractor is arranged at an intersection of the bulging portion and the rocker. There is.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a center pillar structure, which comprises an outer side portion of the center pillar, a lower end portion of which is connected to a rocker and an upper end portion of which is connected to a roof side rail. A pillar outer reinforcement provided on the inner side of the outer and a position outside the intersection of at least one rocker of the center pillar outer and the pillar outer reinforcement provided above the vehicle width direction outer side And a deformation strength lowering portion that is deformed by a load from.

[0009]

In the center pillar structure of the present invention as defined in claim 1, the center pillar inner is formed with a bulging portion which is continuous from the upper end connected to the roof side rail to the lower end connected to the rocker in a skewered state. Therefore, this bulge improves the rigidity of the center pillar inner as a whole and improves the rigidity of the center pillar as a whole.Therefore, when a load is applied to the center pillar from the outside in the vehicle width direction, stress is applied to part of the center pillar. The load acting on the center pillar can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail without being concentrated.

According to the center pillar structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 2, in the center pillar structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, since the seat belt retractor is arranged at the intersection with the rocker in the bulge portion of the center pillar inner, It is no longer necessary to perforate a mounting hole for a seat belt retractor which has been conventionally formed in the center pillar inner, and it is possible to prevent the rigidity of the center pillar inner from being lowered due to this mounting hole. Therefore, when a load acts on the center pillar from the outside in the vehicle width direction, stress is not concentrated on a part of the center pillar, and the load acting on the center pillar can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail. You can

In the center pillar structure of the present invention as defined in claim 3, the load from the outside in the vehicle width direction is provided at a position including above the intersection of at least one of the center pillar outer and the pillar outer reinforcement. Since a deformation strength lowering portion that deforms at the center pillar is provided from the outside in the vehicle width direction, it is provided at a position including above the intersection of the center pillar with which the bumper of another vehicle abuts and the rocker. Due to the deformation strength lowering portion, the center pillar is recessed inward in the vehicle width direction to absorb collision energy. Therefore,
It is possible to prevent the center pillar from being broken above the intersection with the rocker. Therefore, the load acting on the center pillar can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vehicle body center pillar structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

In the figure, the arrow FR indicates the front direction of the vehicle body, the arrow IN indicates the inner direction of the vehicle body, and the arrow UP indicates the upper direction of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 6, between the front door mounting opening 10A and the rear door mounting opening 10B of the vehicle body 10,
A center pillar 12 extending in the vehicle body vertical direction is arranged. An upper end 12A of the center pillar 12 is welded to the roof side rail 14, and a lower end 12B of the center pillar 12 is joined to the rocker 16 in a skewered state.

As shown in FIG. 4, the center pillar 12
Is provided with a center pillar outer 22 forming an outer side portion of the center pillar 12 and a center pillar inner 24 forming an inner side portion of the center pillar 12, and the center pillar outer 22 is provided inside the center pillar outer 22. A reinforcement 26 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 1, at the upper end of the center pillar inner 24, a flange 24 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is provided.
A is formed and is welded to the vehicle width direction inner side portion of the roof side rail 14 shown in FIG. A flange 24B extending in the vehicle body front-rear direction is formed at the lower end of the center pillar inner 24.

As shown in FIG. 4, the outer end of the front wall portion 24C of the center pillar inner 24 in the vehicle width direction is bent toward the front of the vehicle body to form a flange 24D, and the outer end of the rear wall portion 24E in the vehicle width direction. The part is bent toward the rear of the vehicle body to form the flange 24.
It is said to be F. Front wall portion 24 of the center pillar inner 24
A side wall portion 24G connecting the rear wall portion 24C and the rear wall portion 24E is formed with a bulging portion 28 having a U-shaped cross-section that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction at a vehicle body front-rear direction intermediate portion.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bulging portion 28 is
From the upper end 24A of the center pillar inner 24 to the lower end 24
B is continuously formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, a coupling portion 26A extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body is formed at the upper end portion of the center pillar outer reinforcement member 26, and the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail 14 shown in FIG. 6 is formed. It is welded to the part.
A flange 26B extending in the vehicle front-rear direction is formed at the lower end of the center pillar outer reinforcement member 26. As shown in FIG. 5, the flange 26B and the flange 24B of the center pillar inner 24 are welded to each other. There is.

As shown in FIG. 4, an inner end portion of the front wall portion 26C of the center pillar outer ring force 26 in the vehicle width direction is bent forward of the vehicle body to form a flange 26D.
An inner end portion of the rear wall portion 26E in the vehicle width direction is bent rearward of the vehicle body to form a flange 26F. These flanges 26
D and the flange 26F are respectively the center pillar inner 2
4 is welded to the flange 24D and the flange 24F.

As shown in FIG. 3, at the lower portion of the center pillar inner 24, the flange 24D projects in a triangular shape toward the front of the vehicle body to form a projecting portion 30, and the flange 24F projects in a triangular shape toward the rear of the vehicle body and the projecting portion 32. Is formed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the front wall portion 26C and the rear wall portion 26E of the center pillar outer ring force 26 are connected by a side wall portion 26G. Further, the front wall portion 26C of the center pillar outer ring force 26 has a step portion 34 as a deformation strength lowering portion in which the inner side in the vehicle width direction projects toward the front of the vehicle body.
Is formed, and at the portion of the rear wall portion 26E of the center pillar outer talin force 26 facing the step portion 34,
A step portion 36 is formed as a deformation strength lowering portion in which the inner side in the vehicle width direction protrudes rearward of the vehicle body.

As shown in FIG. 3, these steps 34,
36 are the center pillar outer talin force 2 respectively.
From the vicinity of the lower end of 6 to a position including the upper part of the intersection with the rocker in which the protrusions 30 and 32 are formed, the upper ends 34A and 36A are gradually narrowed.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower portion of the center pillar outer 22 is bulged outward in the vehicle width direction, and is a rocker outer portion 22A forming an outer portion in the vehicle width direction of the rocker 16.
It is said that. At the lower end of the center pillar outer 22,
A flange 22B is formed toward the lower side of the vehicle body, and the flange 22B is welded to the flange 26B of the center pillar outer lining force 26. Further, on the flange 24B of the center pillar inner 24 welded to the flange 26B of the center pillar outer ring force 26,
Rocker inner 4 that constitutes the vehicle width direction inner side portion of the rocker 16
The flange 40A formed at the lower end of 0 is welded.

As shown in FIG. 4, an inner end portion of the front wall portion 22C of the center pillar outer 22 in the vehicle width direction is bent toward the front of the vehicle body to form a flange 22D, and an inner end portion of the rear wall portion 22E in the vehicle width direction. The part is bent toward the rear of the vehicle body to form the flange 22.
It is said to be F. These flanges 22D and 2
2F is center pillar outer talin force 26
Are welded to the flanges 26D and 26F.
Front wall portion 22C and rear wall portion 22E of the center pillar outer 22
And are connected by a side wall portion 22G.

Further, the front wall portion 2 of the center pillar outer 22
In 2C, a step portion 35 as a deformation strength lowering portion is provided at a portion facing the step portion 34 of the center pillar outer ring force 26.
The rear wall portion 22E is provided with a step portion 37 as a deformation strength lowering portion at a portion opposed to the step portion 36 of the center pillar outer reinforcement member 26.

As shown in FIG. 4, a seat belt retractor 42 is arranged at a lower portion of the bulging portion 28 of the center pillar inner 24, that is, at an intersection 28A with the rocker 16.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In the present embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration, the center pillar inner 24 is
From the upper end 24A connected to the roof side rail 14, the lower end 14B connected to the rocker 16 in a skewered state
Since the bulging portion 28 which is continuous to the outer side in the vehicle width direction is formed, the bulging portion 28 allows the center pillar inner 24
Since the rigidity of the center pillar 12 is improved and the rigidity of the whole center pillar 12 is improved, when a load is applied to the center pillar 12 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, stress is not concentrated on a part of the center pillar 12, and the center pillar 12 is prevented. The load acting on 12 can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker 16 and the roof side rail 14.

Further, in this embodiment, since the seatbelt retractor 42 is arranged at the intersection 28A with the rocker 16 in the bulging portion 28 of the center pillar inner 24, the seatbelt retractor 42 is arranged on the center pillar inner 24 as in the conventional structure. It is not necessary to form a mounting hole for the retractor 42, and it is possible to prevent the rigidity of the center pillar inner 42 from decreasing due to this mounting hole. Therefore, when a load acts on the center pillar 12 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, stress is not concentrated on a part of the center pillar 12, and the load acting on the center pillar 12 is applied to the rocker 16 and the roof side rail 14. It can be transmitted efficiently.

Further, in the present embodiment, the step portion 35 which is deformed by the load from the outside in the vehicle width direction is provided at a position including above the intersection of the center pillar outer 22 and the pillar outer reinforcement 26 with the rocker 16. , 37, 34, 36 are provided, so that when a load is applied to the center pillar 12 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, it is located at a position including above the intersection of the center pillar 12 and the rocker 16 with which the bumper of another vehicle abuts. Due to the provided step portions 35, 37, 34, 36, the center pillar outer 22 and the pillar outer reinforcement 2
6 dents inward in the vehicle width direction (direction of arrow A in FIG. 4) and absorbs collision energy. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the center pillar 12 from being broken above the intersection with the rocker 16. Therefore, the load acting on the center pillar 12 can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker 16 and the roof side rail 14.

In this embodiment, the center pillar outer 22 and the pillar outer reinforcement 4 are provided with the step portions 35, 37, 34 and 36 as the deformation strength lowering portions. It may be provided on either one of the outer 22 and the pillar outer reinforcement 26.

In addition, the center pillar outer 22 or the pillar outer reinforcement 26 is crushed stably,
For example, as shown in FIG. 7 (A), each deformation strength lowering portion may have a structure in which a bead 44 bulging inward in the vehicle width direction is provided on the step portion 34. Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, a structure may be adopted in which a hole 46 straddling the step portion 34 is provided in a part of the step portion 34.

[0033]

According to the center pillar structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 1, the center pillar inner structure is structured such that the center pillar has an inner side portion, the lower end portion is coupled to the rocker in a skewered state, and the upper end portion is coupled to the roof side rail. And the bulging portion which is formed continuously from the lower end to the upper end of the center pillar inner and projects outward in the vehicle width direction, the rigidity of the entire center pillar is improved and the center pillar is acted. It has an excellent effect that the load can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail.

In the center pillar structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 2, since the seat belt retractor is arranged at the intersection with the rocker in the bulging portion, the seat pillar retractor mounting hole is formed in the center pillar inner. Since it is not necessary to pierce, the rigidity of the center pillar as a whole is improved and the load acting on the center pillar can be efficiently transmitted to the rocker and the roof side rail.

The center pillar structure of the present invention as set forth in claim 3 is a center pillar outer member having a lower end portion coupled to a rocker and an upper end portion coupled to a roof side rail, which constitutes an outer side portion of the center pillar. A pillar outer reinforcement provided on the inner side of the outer and a position outside the intersection of at least one rocker of the center pillar outer and the pillar outer reinforcement provided above the vehicle width direction outer side Since it is configured with a deformation strength lowering part that deforms with the load from, the center pillar can be prevented from breaking above the intersection with the rocker, and the load acting on the center pillar can be applied to the rocker and the roof side rail. It has an excellent effect that it can be transmitted efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a center pillar inner having a center pillar structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from diagonally front inside the vehicle body.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a pillar outer reinforcement having a center pillar structure of one embodiment according to the present invention, as viewed from the diagonally outer rear side of the vehicle body.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a lower portion of the center pillar structure of one embodiment according to the present invention, as viewed from the diagonally front inside of the vehicle body.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG.

5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the vehicle body to which the center pillar structure of one embodiment according to the present invention is applied, viewed from diagonally front of the vehicle body.

7A is a sectional view corresponding to a part of FIG. 4 showing a deformation strength lowering portion of a center pillar structure of another embodiment according to the present invention, and FIG. 7B is another sectional view according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing corresponding to a part of FIG. 4 which shows the deformation strength fall part of the center pillar structure of an Example.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a center pillar structure of a conventional example as seen from diagonally front inside the vehicle body.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 vehicle body 12 center pillar 12A upper end 12B lower end 14 roof side rail 16 rocker 22 center pillar outer 24 center pillar inner 26 center pillar outer reinforcement 34 step (deformation strength lowering portion) 35 step (deformation strength lowering portion) 36 Step portion (deformation strength lowering portion) 37 Step portion (deformation strength lowering portion) 42 Seat belt retractor 44 Bead (deformation strength lowering portion) 46 Hole (deformation strength lowering portion)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A center pillar inner, which constitutes an inner side portion of a center pillar, and whose lower end is coupled to a rocker in a skewered state and whose upper end is coupled to a roof side rail, and from the lower end to the upper end of this center pillar inner. A center pillar structure comprising: a bulged portion that is continuously formed and protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction. 2. The center pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein a seat belt retractor is arranged at an intersection of the bulging portion with the rocker. 3. A center pillar outer, which constitutes an outer side portion of the center pillar, has a lower end coupled to a rocker and an upper end coupled to a roof side rail, and a pillar outer ring provided inside the center pillar outer. And a deformation strength lowering portion that is provided at a position including an upper portion of an intersection of at least one of the center pillar outer and the pillar outer reinforcement and is deformed by a load from the outside in the vehicle width direction. A center pillar structure characterized by including.