Skeleton structure of automobile exterior panels

Abstract

The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel includes a plate-shaped outer panel, a plurality of first elongated components arranged closer to the vehicle inner side than the outer panel, and a second elongated component intersecting the plurality of first components. Each of the plurality of first components includes a groove portion, which extends in a first direction along the plate surface of the outer panel and is recessed from the vehicle outer side to the vehicle inner side at a portion in the longitudinal direction. The second component extends in a second direction along the plate surface of the outer panel and has the same thickness in the vehicle inner and outer directions at a center closer to the two ends in the longitudinal direction. At the intersection where the plurality of first components intersect the second components, the second component abuts against the groove portion provided on each of the plurality of first components.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a skeleton structure of an automobile exterior panel.

[0002] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-053280 filed in Japan on March 24, 2020, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-053293 filed in Japan on March 24, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Art

[0003] Conventionally, there is known a technique that envisions providing an automobile door structure that can achieve high levels of vibration suppression and enhanced tensile rigidity of a door outer panel while suppressing increases in weight and cost (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0004] The technology described in Patent Document 1 includes a support rod extending in the vehicle-height direction of the door, a door outer waist reinforcement extending in the vehicle-length direction, and a guard rail. The support rod extending in the vehicle-height direction of the door is provided to increase the tensile rigidity of the panel, while the guard rail extending in the vehicle-length direction is responsible for absorbing the impact of a collision.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-205741 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0009] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, since only one support rod is provided to increase tensile rigidity, impact absorption cannot be performed around the support rod. In addition, a strong guard bar is required to absorb the impact, which increases the weight of the vehicle door.

[0010] Therefore, it is believed that by arranging multiple components extending in different directions in a lattice pattern and distributing the impact load among these multiple components, the impact load can be absorbed and the weight increase can be suppressed. In such a structure, a structure of the intersection is sought in which the components extending in different directions maintain strength to absorb the impact load and the components intersect with each other.

[0011] On the other hand, in order for each component to receive the load from the outside of the vehicle equally, it is preferable that each component is close to the outer panel. In order to form such a structure, it is conceivable to provide a thickness reduction portion for each component extending in different directions so that the thickness can be reduced in a manner that the component can intersect with the component on the opposite side of the intersection. In addition, the space in the thickness direction of the exterior panel is limited, so it is effective to provide a thickness reduction portion in order to allow the components to intersect with each other within the limited space. However, in such a structure, there is a problem that the manufacturing process becomes complicated in order to provide the thickness reduction portion. In particular, in the case where these components are composed of hollow components, in order to provide the thickness reduction portion, it is necessary to spend time on processing methods such as stamping, and there is also the problem of the need to establish the preparation time, manufacturing time or manufacturing time for the manufacturing process accordingly.

[0012] Furthermore, when a reduced thickness portion is provided, the strength of the component is reduced at that location. Therefore, when subjected to an impact load, the component bends at the location of the reduced thickness portion, resulting in a problem of ineffective impact absorption.

[0013] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a frame structure for an automobile exterior panel in which members constituting the frame intersect with each other, which can simplify the manufacturing process and reliably absorb impact loads.

[0014] Technical means for solving technical problems

[0015] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0016] (1) The first embodiment of the present invention is a skeleton structure of an automobile exterior panel, which includes a plate-shaped outer panel, a plurality of first elongated components arranged closer to the inside of the vehicle than the outer panel, and a second elongated component intersecting the plurality of first components, each of the plurality of first components having a groove portion extending in a first direction along the plate surface of the outer panel and recessed from the outside of the vehicle to the inside of the vehicle in a portion in the longitudinal direction, the second component extending in a second direction along the plate surface of the outer panel and having the same thickness in the vehicle interior and exterior directions at a portion closer to the center than the two ends in the longitudinal direction, and the second component abutting against the groove portion provided on each of the plurality of first components at an intersection where the plurality of first components intersect the second component.

[0017] (2) In the framework structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (1) above, the thickness of the first member may be greater than the thickness of the second member in the vehicle interior-exterior direction at locations other than the intersection.

[0018] (3) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (2) above, the thickness of the first member may be at least twice the thickness of the second member in the vehicle interior-exterior direction at locations other than the intersection.

[0019] (4) In the frame structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the first member may be thicker than the second member.

[0020] (5) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (4) above, the depth of the groove portion of the first component in the vehicle interior-exterior direction may be less than 1 / 2 of the thickness of the first component in the area adjacent to the groove portion outside the groove portion.

[0021] (6) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (5) above, in the intersection portion, surfaces on the vehicle outer side of the first component and the second component in the vehicle inner and outer directions may form the same surface.

[0022] (7) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (6) above, the thickness in the vehicle interior-exterior direction in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first component may be greater than the width in the direction along the plate surface of the exterior panel.

[0023] (8) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (7) above, it may be that, in a cross section of the second component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the thickness in the vehicle interior-exterior direction is greater than the width in the direction along the plate surface of the exterior panel.

[0024] (9) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (8) above, at least one of the first component and the second component may have a quadrilateral shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at least outside the intersection.

[0025] (10) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (9) above, the second component may have a first surface adjacent to the exterior panel and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and in a cross section of the second component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the length of the first side corresponding to the first surface is shorter than the length of the second side corresponding to the second surface.

[0026] (11) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (10) above, at least one of the first component and the second component may have a ring-shaped cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at least outside the intersection.

[0027] (12) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (9) to (11) above, the first component may be composed of a hollow structure formed by bending a plate, having a first surface adjacent to the exterior panel and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and in the second surface of the first component, the end edges of the bent plate are adjacent to and opposite to each other.

[0028] (13) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (12) above, it may also be that in the second surface of the first component, the opposite end edges are bent into different shapes from each other, and when viewed from the relative directions of the end edges relative to each other, there is an end edge intersection portion where the bent end edges intersect each other.

[0029] (14) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (9) to (13) above, the second component may be composed of a hollow structure formed by bending a plate, having a first surface adjacent to the exterior panel and a second surface opposite to the first surface, and in the first surface or the second surface of the second component, the end edges of the bent plate are adjacent to and opposite to each other.

[0030] (15) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (14) above, on the first surface of the second member, the end edges of the bent plate members may be adjacent to and opposed to each other.

[0031] (16) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (15) above, it is also possible that, in the intersection portion or near the intersection portion, in the first surface of the second component, the opposite end edges are bent into different shapes from each other, and when viewed from the relative directions of the end edges relative to each other, there is an end edge intersection portion where the bent end edges intersect each other.

[0032] (17) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (14) above, it may be that, in the intersection portion or in the vicinity of the intersection portion, in the first surface or the second surface of the second component, the opposite end edges are bent into different shapes from each other, and when viewed from the relative directions in which the end edges are relative to each other, there is an end edge intersection portion in which the bent end edges intersect each other.

[0033] (18) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (17) above, the end edges of the bent plate members may be adjacent to and opposite to each other on the second surface of the second member.

[0034] (19) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (18) above, the first direction may be a vehicle height direction, and the second direction may be a vehicle length direction.

[0035] (20) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (19) above, the outer panel may be an outer panel in a door of an automobile.

[0036] (21) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (12) to (18) above, the groove portion may be configured as an opening portion of the plate member.

[0037] (22) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (21) above, the groove portion of the first component may be a thickness-reduced portion having a thickness reduced compared to a portion of the first component other than the groove portion.

[0038] (23) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in any one of (1) to (22) above, the second member may be embedded in the groove portion at the intersection portion.

[0039] (24) In the skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel described in (23) above, it may be that, in the intersection portion, in the cross section of the second component perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the cross-sectional shape of the second component is the same shape as the shape of the groove portion of the first component.

[0040] Effects of the Invention

[0041] According to the present invention, in a frame structure of an automobile exterior panel in which members constituting the frame intersect with each other, the manufacturing process is simplified and the impact load can be reliably absorbed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing a state where the interior of an automobile exterior panel according to one embodiment is viewed from the rear side (the vehicle interior side).

[0043] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing the structure of a reinforcing member.

[0044] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the exterior panel as viewed from the outside.

[0045] Figure 4 It is shown along Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a cross section along the dashed-dotted line II' in FIG.

[0046] Figure 5 Observed from the outside of the vehicle Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the state of the intersection of the first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member.

[0047] Figure 6 It is shown in Figure 5 Schematic diagram showing a state where the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member are separated in the intersection portion shown.

[0048] Figure 7 The diagram shows the vehicle from the inside. Figure 5 A perspective view of the state of the intersection portion is shown.

[0049] Figure 8 The diagram shows the vehicle from the inside. Figure 6 A perspective view showing a state in which the first reinforcement member and the second reinforcement member are separated.

[0050] Figure 9 This is a perspective view showing the intersection of the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member. For comparison, it shows a case where a recess is formed in the first reinforcing member by stamping, and a recess is formed in the second reinforcing member by stamping as a related art.

[0051] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example in which the thickness of the second reinforcement member in the vehicle inner and outer directions is uniform.

[0052] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the intersection portion.

[0053] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the intersection portion.

[0054] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram showing a case where the end portion of the plate constituting the second reinforcing member is located on the vehicle outer side.

[0055] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram showing a case where the end portion of the plate constituting the second reinforcing member is located on the vehicle outer side.

[0056] Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the gaps between the ends of the plate materials constituting the second reinforcing member are closed due to an impact load.

[0057] Figure 16 Schematic diagram showing a change in the structure of the intersection portion.

[0058] Figure 17 Schematic diagram showing a change in the structure of the intersection portion.

[0059] Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the shape of the groove portion of the first reinforcing member is made trapezoidal in conformity with the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member.

[0060] Figure 19This is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the shape of the groove portion of the first reinforcing member is made trapezoidal in conformity with the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member.

[0061] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a bent portion is provided at the end of a plate material constituting the second reinforcing member at the intersection.

[0062] Figure 21 It is a perspective view showing in detail a bent portion provided at an end portion of a plate material constituting the second reinforcing member.

[0063] Figure 22 It is a perspective view showing in detail a bent portion provided at an end portion of a plate material constituting the second reinforcing member.

[0064] Figure 23 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the positional relationship of the concave surface provided in the bent portion of the end portion of the plate material constituting the second reinforcing member.

[0065] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram showing an example in which expansion due to the concave surface of the bent portion occurs only on the inner side of the surface where the end portion of the plate material constituting the second reinforcing member is arranged.

[0066] Figure 25 This is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an impact load is applied from the outside of an exterior panel when a bent portion is provided at the end of a plate material constituting the second reinforcing member.

[0067] Figure 26 This is a characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the load applied to the columnar indenter and the stroke when the columnar indenter is pressed against the exterior panel. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] First, refer to Figure 1 , the structure of an automobile exterior panel according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the interior of an automobile exterior panel 100 according to this embodiment as viewed from the rear side (the interior side of the automobile). While a door panel is shown as an example of the exterior panel 100, the exterior panel 100 may also be a panel of another part of the automobile, such as a fender, hood, roof, or tailgate.

[0069] like Figure 1 As shown, the exterior panel 100 includes an outer panel (exterior member) 110 and a reinforcement member 120. The outer panel 110 is formed of a steel plate having a thickness of approximately 0.4 mm, for example. The outer panel 110 is curved in the vertical direction so that the outer side (the vehicle outer side) becomes a convex surface.

[0070] The reinforcing member 120 includes a first, elongated reinforcing member 122 arranged in the vertical direction, and a second, elongated reinforcing member 124 arranged in the horizontal direction. The term "elongated" refers to a shape having a length extending in a predetermined direction. The first reinforcing member 122 is preferably curved to follow the curvature of the outer panel 110. The second reinforcing member 124 extends in a generally straight line, but if the outer panel 110 is curved, it is preferably shaped to follow the curve. This is because if the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 follow the shape of the outer panel 110, they can adhere closely to the outer panel 110 and, preferably, can be joined (attached) to the outer panel 110. When the first or second reinforcing member 122, 124 is joined to the outer panel 110, the outer panel 110 resists deformation when the first or second reinforcing member 122, 124 deforms. In other words, the outer panel 110 can contribute to shock absorption.

[0071] Figure 2 : is a three-dimensional diagram showing the structure of the reinforcing member 120. The basic structure of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 may be the same, but as described later, the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 are set so that one side has higher rigidity than the other side. As an example, the reinforcing member 120 has a hollow rectangular (rectangular) cross-section. The reinforcing member 120 is manufactured by bending the plate 130. In addition, the reinforcing member 120 can also be manufactured by a hollow annular member or a solid rod-shaped member. Regarding the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing member 120, in addition to a rectangle, various shapes such as a hexagon, a quadrilateral, a triangle, a circle, and an ellipse can also be used. In Figure 2 In the example shown, the reinforcing member 120 has a rectangular cross-section with a long side of approximately 16 mm and a short side of approximately 10 mm. Furthermore, the plate 130 constituting the reinforcing member 120 has a thickness of approximately 0.8 mm as an example. A steel plate can be used as the plate 130.

[0072] like Figure 2As shown, a predetermined gap may be provided between the end (end edge) 130a and the end 130b of the bent plate 130. On the other hand, the end 130a and the end 130b may also be in close contact. In addition, the end 130a and the end 130b may also be joined by welding or bonding. The reinforcing member 120 is configured so that the surface where the ends 130a and 130b are located, or the surface on the opposite side relative to the surface where the ends 130a and 130b are located, is in close contact with the outer panel 110. Preferably, the surface where the ends 130a and 130b are located, or the surface on the opposite side relative to the surface where the ends 130a and 130b are located, is joined to the outer panel 110. In addition, the shape of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing member 122 or the second reinforcing member 124 may also be annular. In this case, the structure having an annular cross section is included in the following examples: Figure 2 The configuration shown has a gap between the end portion 130a and the end portion 130b.

[0073] Here, the surface of the reinforcing member 120 that is joined to or adjacent to the outer panel 110 is referred to as the bottom surface (first surface). Furthermore, the surface opposite the bottom surface (the surface located opposite the bottom surface) is referred to as the top surface (second surface). The surfaces sandwiching the ridge lines on either side of the bottom surface are referred to as longitudinal walls. When the cross-sectional shape of the reinforcing member 120 is rectangular, the short sides are referred to as the bottom surface or the top surface, and the long sides are referred to as longitudinal walls. Furthermore, when the reinforcing member 120 is formed from a solid component, the surface opposite the bottom surface (the surface located opposite the bottom surface) is referred to as the top surface. In a structure where the ends 130a and 130b are disposed on the top surface without being joined, if the reinforcing member 120 is pressed from the outside of the exterior panel 100 and bends, the cross-section may open from the ends 130a and 130b, causing the cross-sectional shape to collapse. However, if the ends 130a and 130b are joined, this cross-sectional shape collapse can be prevented, thereby further improving the rigidity of the exterior panel 100. Even when the end portions 130 a and 130 b are arranged on the bottom surface and the bottom surface is joined to the outer panel 110 , it is possible to prevent the end portions 130 a and 130 b from being separated and the cross-sectional shape from being collapsed.

[0074] like Figure 2 As shown, in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the reinforcement member 120, assuming the shorter side of the rectangle is "width (D)" and the longer side is "thickness (height) (H)", the thickness H of the reinforcement member 120 perpendicular to the surface of the outer panel 110 is greater than the width D along the outer panel 110. This effectively increases the moment of inertia of the reinforcement member 120 when a collision load is applied from the vehicle body's outer side to the vehicle body's inner side of the exterior panel 100. Furthermore, by increasing the moment of inertia of the reinforcement member 120, the flexural rigidity of the reinforcement member 120 can be increased, thereby improving the exterior panel 100 of this embodiment in terms of collision resistance.

[0075] In addition, the cross-sectional structure of the reinforcing member 120 is not limited to Figure 2 The end portions 130a and 130b facing each other may be, for example, grooved (channel) shaped or cap-shaped with the end portions 130a and 130b separated. In addition, the material of the reinforcing member 120 may be made of, in addition to steel, other metal materials such as aluminum, or resin materials.

[0076] Figure 3 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the exterior panel 100 is viewed from the outside. Figure 3 In FIG. 1 , the outer panel 110 is cut away to show the internal structure of the exterior panel 100 . The exterior panel 100 includes an inner plate 135 in addition to the outer panel 110 and the reinforcement member 120 .

[0077] Figure 4 It is shown along Figure 3 The schematic diagram of the cross section of the dotted line II' in FIG shows the cross section at the intersection of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 4 As shown, the outer panel 110, the reinforcement member 120, and the inner panel 135 are arranged in this order from the surface side of the outer panel 100. Figure 4 As shown, at the intersection, second reinforcement member 124 is located further outboard (on the outer panel 110 side) than first reinforcement member 122. Furthermore, vehicle interior components (not shown) are located further inboard of inner panel 135. The longitudinal ends of first reinforcement member 122 and second reinforcement member 124 are fixed to inner panel 135 between outer panel 110 and inner panel 135.

[0078] Figure 5 The diagram shows the vehicle from the outside. Figure 3 A perspective view of the state of the intersection of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 6 It is shown in Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the state where the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are separated in the intersection shown. As described above, at the intersection, the second reinforcement member 124 is located on the vehicle outer side relative to the first reinforcement member 122. Figure 6As shown, the first reinforcement member 122 is provided with a groove portion 122a that is recessed from the vehicle exterior toward the vehicle interior (i.e., a portion of the first reinforcement member 122 whose thickness is reduced compared to the portion not in the groove portion 122a, i.e., a reduced thickness portion). The second reinforcement member 124 is inserted into the groove portion 122a. At the intersection, when the second reinforcement member 124 is inserted into the groove portion 122a, the vehicle exterior surfaces of the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are substantially flush with each other. Therefore, the vehicle exterior surfaces of the first and second reinforcement members 122, 124 can be joined to the inner surface of the outer panel 110, or brought close to the inner surface of the outer panel 110.

[0079] like Figure 6 As shown, the groove 122a provided in the first reinforcing member 122 is formed by providing a hole in the plate 130 constituting the first reinforcing member 122. The groove 122a is formed by drilling the plate 130 before bending the plate 130 to form the first reinforcing member 122. Alternatively, the groove 122a may be formed by machining the first reinforcing member 122 after bending the plate 130 to form the first reinforcing member 122.

[0080] Figure 7 The diagram shows the vehicle from the inside. Figure 5 The perspective view of the state of the intersection shown. Figure 8 The diagram shows the vehicle viewed from the inside. Figure 6 The first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are shown in a perspective view separated from each other. In this example, the ends 130a, 130b of the plate 130 constituting the first reinforcement member 122 and the ends 130a, 130b of the plate 130 constituting the second reinforcement member 124 are both located inside the vehicle.

[0081] As described above, in this embodiment, at the intersection of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124, an opening is provided in the plate material 130 constituting the first reinforcing member 122, thereby providing only the groove 122a in the first reinforcing member 122. This allows the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 to intersect while being restrained or in contact with each other, using a simple structure. Consequently, when the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 are intersected while being restrained or in contact with each other, the manufacturing process for these reinforcing members is simplified, and the manufacturing preparation time and manufacturing costs are reduced.

[0082] Furthermore, by inserting the second reinforcing member 124 into the groove 122a, the vehicle-exterior surfaces of the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 become substantially flush. This allows the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 to be positioned adjacent to the rear surface of the outer panel 110. Consequently, when an impact load is applied from the exterior panel 100, the impact load is transmitted through the reinforcing member 120 and dispersed and absorbed along the surface. Furthermore, since the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 can be positioned adjacent to the rear surface of the outer panel 110, the tensile rigidity is also improved.

[0083] Here, it is also conceivable that a recessed portion (the aforementioned reduced thickness portion) is formed in both the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 at the intersection thereof, and the two are intersected. In this case, the vehicle outer side surfaces of the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 can be substantially flush. Figure 9 It is a three-dimensional diagram showing the intersection of the first reinforcing component 122 and the second reinforcing component 124. For comparison, a case where a recess 122c is formed on the first reinforcing component 122 by stamping, and a recess 124c is formed on the second reinforcing component 124 by stamping are shown as related technologies.

[0084] In the case of providing the recess 122c by stamping, in the process of bending the plate 130 to form the first reinforcing member 122, in order to be able to form the recess 122c, time is spent on the processing method, various adjustments or corrections are made to the stamping die or device used for processing, or after the first reinforcing member 122 with a rectangular cross section is formed by bending the plate 130, the die is inserted into the interior of these reinforcing members that are constructed to be hollow, etc., and stamping is performed. Therefore, in order to form the recess 122c, very complicated processes, effort or time for its design or preparation are required. In addition, in such a processing method, it is accompanied by considerable difficulty in obtaining the dimensional accuracy of the recess 122c and the recess 124c. Therefore, in order to provide Figure 9 The structure shown in the figure, in which the thickness of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 is reduced at the intersection, requires a process different from the conventional processing method, and requires a corresponding number of man-hours or time for manufacturing and preparation. Figure 9In the illustrated structure, recesses 122c and 124c need to be formed in both the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124, which increases the number of steps. Furthermore, even if the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 are made of solid material, forming recesses 122c and 124c in both the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 will inevitably complicate the manufacturing process and increase the number of steps.

[0085] In this regard, in this embodiment, the groove portion 122a is formed by opening a hole in the plate 130. Before bending the plate 130, the opening portion is formed in the plate 130, and then the plate 130 is bent as shown in FIG. Figure 2 In addition, the groove portion 122a is provided only on the first reinforcing member 122, and processing for providing the groove portion on the second reinforcing member 124 is not required. Figure 9 Compared with the structure shown, the intersection portion can be provided with a simpler process, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0086] In addition, in Figure 9 In the illustrated configuration example, when recesses 122c and 124c are formed in both the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124, the thickness of both the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 is reduced at the locations of the recesses 122c and 124c. Consequently, the strength of both the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 is reduced at the intersection. Consequently, when subjected to an impact load from the outside of the vehicle, the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 may bend at the intersection. If the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 bend at the intersection, the impact load transfer between the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 through the intersection becomes insufficient, potentially failing to achieve the desired impact absorption performance.

[0087] In contrast, in this embodiment, the second reinforcement member 124 is not provided with a groove at the intersection. Consequently, the thickness of the second reinforcement member 124 in the vehicle interior-exterior direction (the direction connecting the vehicle exterior and interior, or the direction perpendicular to the surface of the outer panel 110) is not reduced. Furthermore, the groove 122a, which reduces the thickness in the vehicle interior-exterior direction, is provided only in the first reinforcement member 122. The shape of the groove 122a is configured to match the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcement member 124, and the intersection is formed by fitting the second reinforcement member 124 into the groove 122a.

[0088] In this embodiment, since the second reinforcing member 124 lacks a groove, the strength reduction that would otherwise occur is eliminated. Furthermore, as described later, the second reinforcing member 124 transmits impact loads to the first reinforcing member 122 via the intersection. Since the second reinforcing member 124 lacks a groove, deformation of the second reinforcing member 124 at the intersection is suppressed. Consequently, impact loads are reliably transmitted from the second reinforcing member 124 to the first reinforcing member 122.

[0089] In addition, no groove is provided on the second reinforcing member 124, but the thickness of the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle interior-exterior direction may be different throughout its entire length in the longitudinal direction. Since the second reinforcing member 124 is fixed to the inner panel 135 at its two ends, the thickness in the vehicle interior-exterior direction varies at the fixing portion to the inner panel 135. On the other hand, the thickness in the vehicle interior-exterior direction is the same at a portion of the second reinforcing member 124 that is closer to the center than the two ends. In other words, the thickness in the vehicle interior-exterior direction is the same without any major change at a portion of the second reinforcing member 124 that is closer to the center than the two ends, as is the case with the first reinforcing member 122. In addition, the so-called thickness of the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle interior-exterior direction is the same, which means that the thickness at the intersection is not reduced compared to the two adjacent portions of the intersection. Therefore, the so-called second reinforcement component 124 has the same thickness in the inner and outer directions of the vehicle. In addition to the structure in which the thickness is roughly constant along the entire length of the second reinforcement component 124, it also includes a structure in which the thickness gradually increases from the two ends to the center and is the largest in the center, a structure in which the thickness gradually decreases from the two ends to the center and is the smallest in the center, etc.

[0090] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example in which the thickness of the second reinforcement member 124 in the vehicle inner and outer directions is uniform in the present embodiment. Figure 10 and Figure 4 Similarly, FIG. 1 schematically shows a cross section at the intersection of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 10 In, with Figure 4 Different from the above, the thickness of the plate 130 constituting the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 is omitted in the figure. Figure 10 In the figure, the inner plate 135 is omitted.

[0091] exist Figure 10In the figure, examples are shown starting from the top, in which the thickness of the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle inner and outer directions changes slowly over the entire length (configuration examples 1 to 2), and examples in which the thickness of the second reinforcing member 124 changes but does not decrease at the intersection compared to the two adjacent portions of the intersection (configuration examples 3 to 6). In addition, as examples in which the thickness of the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle inner and outer directions changes slowly over the entire length, configuration example 1 is shown in which the thickness becomes thinner toward the center of the exterior panel 100, and configuration example 2 is shown in which the thickness becomes thicker toward the center of the exterior panel 100. Figure 10 As shown, the configuration example in which the thickness of the second reinforcement member 124 in the vehicle inner and outer directions is uniform includes all configuration examples in which the thickness of the second reinforcement member 124 does not change depending on the position of the intersection portion.

[0092] Next, a description will be given of a structure for absorbing a load when a load is applied from the outside of the exterior panel 100 .

[0093] In this embodiment, when an impact load is applied from the outside of the vehicle, the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 each perform different functions. Because the first and second reinforcement members 122, 124 differ in length and degree of curvature within the exterior panel 100, even if they have the same thickness, they exhibit different resistance to deformation from the impact load applied from the outside of the vehicle. For example, if the exterior panel 100 is a door panel, which is typically horizontally elongated, the first reinforcement member 122 is shorter than the second reinforcement member 124. Therefore, if the first and second reinforcement members 122, 124 are considered beams with fixed ends, the shorter first reinforcement member 122 exhibits greater resistance to deformation when loaded at the center of its length than the longer second reinforcement member 124. Therefore, the first reinforcement member 122 is more suitable than the second reinforcement member 124 for bearing and absorbing impact loads.

[0094] Furthermore, if the first reinforcement member 122 is curved to bulge outward from the vehicle, mimicking the curvature of the outer panel 110, an axial compressive force in the longitudinal direction acts on the first reinforcement member 122 when an impact load is applied from the vehicle's exterior, thereby increasing its deformation resistance against the load. On the other hand, the less curved second reinforcement member 124 experiences almost no axial compressive force in the longitudinal direction when an impact load is applied from the vehicle's exterior. Therefore, the first reinforcement member 122 is more likely to experience increased deformation resistance due to the axial compressive force when an impact load is applied, resulting in superior impact resistance compared to the second reinforcement member 124.

[0095] Taking the example of an automobile door panel for further details, automobile doors, excluding window frames, are often constructed with a greater length in the vehicle length direction than in the vehicle height direction. Among components with the same cross-sectional shape, when supporting both ends, the longer component is more likely to deform when a load is applied to the center. Therefore, when comparing the second reinforcing member 124 extending across the vehicle length direction with the first reinforcing member 122 extending across the vehicle height direction, given the same cross-sectional shape, the first reinforcing member 122 extending across the vehicle height direction is stronger. Furthermore, in the outer panel 110 of an automobile door, when comparing the vehicle length direction to the vehicle height direction, the vehicle height shape of the cross-section perpendicular to the vehicle length direction often exhibits a greater convex curvature toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction than the cross-section perpendicular to the vehicle height direction. When the reinforcing member 120 is configured to follow the shape of the outer panel 110, the first reinforcing member 122, which has a convex curvature on the outside in the vehicle width direction, is subjected to a compressive axial force when subjected to a load inward in the vehicle width direction, that is, when the side of the car is subjected to a collision load. Therefore, deformation inward in the vehicle width direction can be more suppressed. In other words, the first reinforcing member 122 can withstand a greater load than the second reinforcing member 124 and has higher impact resistance. In other words, the first reinforcing member 122 extending in the vehicle height direction has higher impact absorption performance than the second reinforcing member 124 extending in the vehicle length direction. Therefore, it is preferred to mainly use the impact absorption member in the vehicle height direction to absorb the impact load in the vehicle width direction (side collision load). Therefore, in order to more effectively improve the impact absorption performance, it is more appropriate to increase the bending rigidity of the first reinforcing member 122 compared to the second reinforcing member 124.

[0096] To transfer the impact load applied to the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle-length direction to the first reinforcing member 122 in the vehicle-height direction, the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle-length direction is positioned further outboard (toward the outer panel 110) than the first reinforcing member 122 in the vehicle-height direction. Consequently, regardless of where on the outer side of the vehicle door the impact load is applied, the second reinforcing member 124 in the vehicle-length direction can transfer the impact load to the first reinforcing member 122 in the vehicle-height direction, ultimately absorbing the impact load. In this case, the primary function of the second reinforcing member 124 is to transfer the load to the first reinforcing member 122. Therefore, reducing the flexural rigidity of the second reinforcing member 124 has a smaller impact on the impact absorption performance of the vehicle door than reducing the flexural rigidity of the first reinforcing member 122. When the cross-section of the reinforcing member is reduced or the thickness of the plate material is thinned, the bending rigidity decreases. Therefore, by setting the bending rigidity of the first reinforcing member 122 relatively large and the bending rigidity of the second reinforcing member 124 relatively small, the impact absorption performance of the exterior panel 100 can be efficiently improved without excessive weight increase. In addition, by configuring the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124, which are arranged vertically and horizontally, to conform to the inner side of the outer panel 110, the tensile rigidity of the outer panel 110 can be increased.

[0097] Furthermore, by making first reinforcement member 122, which has a high deformation resistance when subjected to a load directed inward in the vehicle width direction and is more suitable for shock absorption, thicker than second reinforcement member 124 to increase flexural rigidity, the deformation resistance of first reinforcement member 122 can be further improved, enabling more effective shock absorption. In other words, by making first reinforcement member 122 thicker than second reinforcement member 124, shock loads can be primarily absorbed by first reinforcement member 122, which has excellent shock resistance in both size and shape.

[0098] Furthermore, the first reinforcing member 122 being "thicker" than the second reinforcing member 124 means that the area inside the outline of each member in a cross section (a transverse section) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing member 122 or the second reinforcing member 124 includes the area of ​​the second reinforcing member 124 within the area of ​​the first reinforcing member 122. For example, in the case where the cross sections of the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 are as follows: Figure 2 In the case of the hollow rectangular shape shown, the first reinforcing member 122 is thicker than the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 2 Regarding the dimensions indicated by D and H, at least one of the dimensions of the first reinforcing member 122 is larger than that of the second reinforcing member 124 , and the other dimension is equal to or greater than that of the first reinforcing member 122 .

[0099] On the other hand, the second reinforcement member 124 has the function of transmitting the impact load applied to the exterior panel 100 from the outside to the first reinforcement member 122. Therefore, at the intersection, the second reinforcement member 124 is located on the vehicle outer side compared to the first reinforcement member 122.

[0100] Therefore, when the exterior panel 100 is subjected to a collision load from the vehicle exterior, the impact load is first transmitted from the outer panel 110 to the reinforcement members 120, with the reinforcement members 120 adjacent to the outer panel 110 bearing the impact load. At this point, at the intersection, the second reinforcement members 124 are positioned further outboard than the first reinforcement members 122. Therefore, when an impact load is applied between adjacent first reinforcement members 122, the impact load is transmitted from the outer panel 110 to the second reinforcement members 124, which then deform and transmit the load to the first reinforcement members 122. The first reinforcement members 122 have higher flexural rigidity than the second reinforcement members 124 due to their cross-sectional dimensions. Furthermore, due to their length and convex curvature on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, they offer greater resistance to deformation when an impact load is applied. Therefore, the first reinforcement members 122 can more effectively absorb the impact load.

[0101] As described above, when two reinforcing members are crossed to form the reinforcing member 120, the reinforcing member with lower bending rigidity is arranged on the outside of the vehicle, and the reinforcing member with higher bending rigidity is arranged on the inside of the vehicle. As a result, when an impact load is applied from the outside of the vehicle, the impact load is transmitted from the reinforcing member with lower bending rigidity to each of the multiple reinforcing members with higher bending rigidity, and the multiple reinforcing members with higher bending rigidity can reliably absorb the impact load. In addition, by making the bending rigidity of the reinforcing member on the outside of the vehicle relatively low, it is possible to provide an exterior panel 100 that maintains the necessary strength while being more lightweight. In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the first reinforcing member 122 is arranged in the vertical direction (vehicle height direction) and the second reinforcing member 124 is arranged in the horizontal direction (vehicle length direction), but this embodiment is not limited to this. The first reinforcing member 122 can also be arranged in the horizontal direction and the second reinforcing member 124 can be arranged in the vertical direction. For example, when the exterior panel 100 is vertically elongated or curved in the horizontal direction, the first reinforcing member 122 is preferably arranged in the horizontal direction, and the second reinforcing member 124 is preferably arranged in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the first reinforcing member 122 and the second reinforcing member 124 may be arranged obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction or the vertical direction, and may intersect with each other.

[0102] Furthermore, by providing the groove portion 122a in the first reinforcement member 122, the thickness of the first reinforcement member 122 decreases from the vehicle outer side toward the vehicle inner side at the location of the groove portion 122a (thickness reduction portion). Therefore, simply by providing the groove portion 122a and intersecting the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124, the strength of the first reinforcement member 122 is reduced at the location of the groove portion 122a.

[0103] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first reinforcement member 122 is arranged so that the upper and lower widths of the groove portion 122a become narrower when receiving an impact load, and the second reinforcement member 124 is sandwiched in the groove portion 122a, thereby suppressing the reduction in strength caused by the provision of the groove portion 122a.

[0104] Figure 11 and Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram for explaining the structure of the intersection portion. Figure 11 and Figure 12 The intersection portion is shown as viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcing member 124 , and a cross section of the second reinforcing member 124 is shown. Figure 11 The first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are shown in a state where no impact load is applied. Figure 12 The diagram shows a state in which the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 receive an impact load from the vehicle outer side in the direction of the arrow.

[0105] exist Figure 11 In the example shown, the cross section of the first reinforcing member 122 is as shown in FIG. Figure 2 The shape described is rectangular, with a long side of approximately 16 mm and a short side of approximately 10 mm. Meanwhile, the cross-section of the second reinforcing member 124 is a square with a side of approximately 8 mm. Furthermore, the thickness of the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 is approximately 0.8 mm. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape and thickness of the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 are not limited to these. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124 may also be rectangular.

[0106] like Figure 11 As shown, the shape of the groove portion 122a when viewing the intersection portion from the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcing member 124 corresponds to the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124. In other words, the shape of the groove portion 122a is the same rectangular shape as the cross-sectional outer shape of the second reinforcing member 124. Furthermore, the second reinforcing member 124 is preferably embedded in the groove portion 122a.

[0107] exist Figure 11In the illustrated state, when an impact load from the vehicle exterior is applied between adjacent first reinforcement members 122, the second reinforcement members 124 subjected to the impact load deform, absorbing the impact load while also transmitting it to the first reinforcement members 122 via the intersections. The first reinforcement members 122 absorb the impact load while deforming toward the vehicle interior. Furthermore, when the first reinforcement members 122 directly bear the impact load, they also deform toward the vehicle interior while absorbing the impact load.

[0108] Therefore, if Figure 12 As shown, the first reinforcement member 122, originally curved to mimic the outer panel 110, deforms toward a straight line. As the first reinforcement member 122 deforms, the groove 122a also deforms. At this time, because the groove 122a is positioned toward the vehicle's outer side, as the first reinforcement member 122 deforms toward a straight line, the groove 122a deforms toward a narrower vertical width. As a result, the upper and lower end surfaces of the groove 122a sandwich the second reinforcement member 124.

[0109] More specifically, if Figure 12As shown, the distance between the upper and lower edges E of the groove 122a is narrowed, and the edges E sandwich the bottom surface of the second reinforcing member 124, thereby sandwiching the second reinforcing member 124 between the groove 122a. The first reinforcing member 122 deforms while sandwiching the second reinforcing member 124 between the groove 122a, thereby absorbing impact loads without bending or the like at the location of the groove 122a. Thus, the reduction in strength of the first reinforcing member 122 caused by the provision of the groove 122a is compensated by the fact that the groove 122a sandwiches the second reinforcing member 124. In other words, the strength of the first reinforcing member 122 is equivalent to that without the groove 122a. Therefore, the reduction in strength of the first reinforcing member 122 caused by the provision of the groove 122a is eliminated. Furthermore, since the groove 122a does not reduce the strength of the first reinforcing member 122, deformation of the first reinforcing member 122 by bending at the location of the groove 122a when subjected to an impact load is suppressed. Consequently, the first reinforcing member 122 deforms as a whole in the direction in which it returns to a straight line, effectively absorbing the impact load. Furthermore, the groove 122a sandwiches the second reinforcing member 124. When the first reinforcing member 122 deforms as a whole in the direction in which it returns to a straight line, a compressive force is applied along the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing member 122 on the bottom surface of the second reinforcing member 124, which is sandwiched between the upper and lower edges E of the groove 122a. However, by setting the material strength of the second reinforcing member 124 accordingly high, the bottom surface of the second reinforcing member 124 can maintain its shape, or withstand the compressive force with only a slight amount of out-of-plane deflection. This allows the longitudinal compressive axial force of the first reinforcing member 122 to be fully transmitted to the upper and lower sides of the groove 122a.

[0110] like Figure 12 As shown in FIG. 1 , the depth of the groove portion 122a is 1 / 2 of the thickness of the first reinforcing member 122. Figure 12 In the formula, a:b=1:1. More specifically, the depth of the groove portion 122a is less than 1 / 2 of the thickness of the first reinforcing member 122 in the region adjacent to the groove portion 122a outside the groove portion 122a. Here, the position of 1 / 2 of the thickness of the first reinforcing member 122 ( Figure 12 The forces acting on the first reinforcement member 122 differ, with the boundary being the dot-dashed line (indicated in FIG. 1 ). In the region further outward from the vehicle than the dot-dashed line, if the curve of the first reinforcement member 122 deforms in a direction restoring a straight line, the first reinforcement member 122 experiences a compressive force in the longitudinal direction (axial direction), that is, a compressive axial force. On the other hand, in the region further inward from the dot-dashed line, if the curve of the first reinforcement member 122 deforms in a direction restoring a straight line, the first reinforcement member 122 experiences a tensile force in the longitudinal direction.

[0111] Therefore, if the depth of groove 122a is less than half the thickness of first reinforcement member 122, groove 122a is located within the first reinforcement member 122 in an area subject to compressive forces. Furthermore, since second reinforcement member 124 is inserted within groove 122a, the compressive forces are borne by second reinforcement member 124. Consequently, the compressive forces are transmitted longitudinally through second reinforcement member 124 to the region of first reinforcement member 122 that is further outward from the vehicle than the dashed-dotted line. As described above, the strength of first reinforcement member 122 is not reduced by the presence of groove 122a, achieving impact absorption comparable to that achieved without groove 122a. Furthermore, if the depth of groove 122a is less than half the thickness of first reinforcement member 122, no tensile forces act on the bottom of groove 122a, preventing cracks from forming at the bottom of groove 122a.

[0112] On the other hand, if the depth of the groove portion 122a exceeds 1 / 2 of the thickness of the first reinforcing member 122, the bottom of the groove portion 122a is located at a position slightly lower than the bottom of the first reinforcing member 122. Figure 12 The position of the one-dot dash line is closer to the inside of the vehicle. In this case, the groove portion 122a reaches the area that is closer to the inside of the vehicle than the one-dot dash line, so in the thickness direction of the first reinforcement member 122, the area that is closer to the inside of the vehicle than the one-dot dash line is, and the tensile force is concentrated in a narrower range. In addition, because the bottom of the groove portion 122a is in the area that is closer to the inside of the vehicle than the one-dot dash line, there is a possibility that cracks will occur at the bottom of the groove portion 122a depending on the situation. Therefore, the strength of the first reinforcement member 122 against impact loads is reduced. Therefore, the depth of the groove portion 122a is preferably less than 1 / 2 of the thickness of the first reinforcement member 122. In other words, Figure 12 In FIG. 1 , the position of the bottom of the groove portion 122 a is preferably aligned with the position of the one-dot chain line or is further toward the vehicle outer side than the position of the one-dot chain line.

[0113] With this structure, when subjected to an impact load, groove 122a deforms and engages second reinforcement member 124, thereby firmly connecting first reinforcement member 122 and second reinforcement member 124 at the intersection. Consequently, the impact load is reliably transmitted from second reinforcement member 124 to first reinforcement member 122 and absorbed. Furthermore, the second reinforcement member 124 transmits the longitudinal compressive force of first reinforcement member 122 above and below groove 122a, achieving impact absorption capacity comparable to that achieved without groove 122a in first reinforcement member 122.

[0114] Here, when the exterior panel 100 is subjected to an impact load from the vehicle's exterior, if the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 separate at the intersection due to the impact, the impact load will not be transmitted from the second reinforcement member 124 to the first reinforcement member 122, and the impact absorption performance will not be maintained. For example, if the second reinforcement member 124 is inserted into the groove 122a facing the vehicle's interior, if the first reinforcement member 122 deforms in a direction that restores the curve to a straight line, the width of the groove 122a will increase, and the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 will easily separate at the intersection.

[0115] According to this embodiment, the groove portion 122a faces the vehicle's outer side. Therefore, when an impact load is applied from the vehicle's outer side, the upper and lower widths of the groove portion 122a become narrower, and the upper and lower end surfaces of the groove portion 122a sandwich the second reinforcement member 124. Consequently, the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are firmly connected at the intersection, preventing separation between the first and second reinforcement members 122, 124. This ensures that the impact load is reliably transmitted from the second reinforcement member 124 to the first reinforcement member 122, thereby reliably absorbing the impact load.

[0116] Alternatively, at the intersection, the second reinforcing member 124 may not be fitted into the groove 122a, but rather a gap may be left between the second reinforcing member 124 and the groove 122a. Even with this configuration, if an impact load is applied from the outside of the exterior panel 100, the vertical width of the groove 122a becomes narrower, allowing the second reinforcing member 124 to be sandwiched by the groove 122a. In other words, the groove 122a may not engage with the second reinforcing member 124.

[0117] exist Figures 5 to 8 、 Figure 11 、 Figure 12 In the example shown, the ends 130a and 130b of the plate 130 constituting the first reinforcement member 122 are arranged on the surface on the inner side of the vehicle (the top surface or the second surface mentioned above). Similarly, the ends 130a and 130b of the plate 130 constituting the second reinforcement member 124 are also arranged on the surface on the inner side of the vehicle (the second surface mentioned above). Alternatively, the ends 130a and 130b may be arranged on the surface on the inner side of the vehicle (the second surface mentioned above). Figure 13 and Figure 14 The illustrated example of the second reinforcement member 124 is disposed on the surface on the vehicle outer side (the aforementioned bottom surface, the first surface) so as to face the outer panel 110 .

[0118] When the ends 130a and 130b of the plate 130 constituting the second reinforcement member 124 are located on the vehicle's exterior, the vehicle's interior side of the second reinforcement member 124 is less likely to collapse when the groove 122a deforms, as the ends 130a and 130b are not present. Therefore, when subjected to an impact load, the groove 122a securely holds the second reinforcement member 124, making it less likely for the second reinforcement member 124 to separate from the groove 122a.

[0119] The impact load absorption pattern differs depending on whether the ends 130a, 130b of the plate 130 constituting the second reinforcement member 124 are disposed on the vehicle's inner or outer surfaces. Furthermore, the impact load absorption pattern differs depending on whether the ends 130a, 130b are provided with curved portions 132, described below. These differences are described in detail below. Figure 13 and Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the case where the end portion 130a and the end portion 130b of the second reinforcement member 124 are located on the vehicle outer side. Figure 11 and Figure 12 Likewise, a cross section is shown for the second reinforcing member 124 , showing a state where the intersection portion is viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcing member 124 . Figure 13 The first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are shown in a state where no impact load is applied. Figure 14 The figure shows a state where the first and second reinforcement members 122 and 124 are subjected to an impact load from the vehicle exterior in the direction of the arrows. The figure shows a state where the groove 122a sandwiches the second reinforcement member 124, with the ends 130a and 130b of the second reinforcement member 124 overlapping. When the ends 130a and 130b are located on the vehicle exterior of the second reinforcement member 124 and overlap, the width of the surface (bottom surface) where the ends 130a and 130b are located is narrowed. However, the width of the surface (top surface) opposite to the surface where the ends 130a and 130b are located, i.e., the surface on the vehicle interior, remains almost unchanged, resulting in a cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcement member 124 that approaches a trapezoidal shape. On the other hand, when the groove 122a deforms and the distance between the upper and lower edges E is narrowed, the shape of the groove 122a, viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcement member 124, also approaches a trapezoidal shape. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124 and the shape of the groove portion 122a are both close to a trapezoidal shape. Figure 13 and Figure 14As shown, in the case where the end 130a and the end 130b of the second reinforcing member 124 are located on the outside of the vehicle, even in the case where the end 130a and the end 130b overlap, the width of the surface (top surface) on the inside of the vehicle of the second reinforcing member 124 hardly changes. In addition, the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124 and the shape of the groove portion 122a are both close to a trapezoidal shape whose width narrows toward the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult for the second reinforcing member 124 to detach from the groove portion 122a where the interval between the upper and lower edges E narrows. Therefore, considering that the end 130a and the end 130b overlap, it is preferred that the end 130a and the end 130b of the second reinforcing member 124 are located on the outside of the vehicle. In addition, if the bent portion 132 described later is provided at the end 130a and the end 130b of the second reinforcing member 124, the following is suppressed. Figure 14 As shown in the figure, the second reinforcing component 124 is clamped by the upper and lower end faces of the groove portion 122a, so that the axial force of the compression in the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing component 122 is transmitted to the upper and lower ends of the groove portion 122a via the second reinforcing component 124. Therefore, the same impact absorption capacity can be obtained as when the groove portion 122a is not provided on the first reinforcing component 122.

[0120] On the other hand, when the second reinforcing member 124 is assembled to the exterior panel 100, it is preferable that the end 130a and the end 130b of the second reinforcing member 124 abut against each other. However, due to reasons such as processing accuracy or dimensional tolerance, a gap may be generated between the end 130a and the end 130b. Figure 13 As shown, when the ends 130a and 130b are located on the vehicle outer side of the second reinforcement member 124, the groove portion 122a is deformed by the impact load, and the interval between the upper and lower edges E becomes narrower. When the groove portion 122a is sandwiched between the vehicle outer side of the second reinforcement member 124, the groove portion 122a is deformed by the impact load, and the interval between the upper and lower edges E becomes narrower. Figure 15 During the period from the time when the gap between the end portion 130a and the end portion 130b is closed, the transmission of the axial force of the compression in the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing member 122 via the second reinforcing member 124 is insufficient, that is, the axial force of the compression in the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing member 122 cannot be sufficiently transmitted to the upper and lower sides of the groove portion 122a via the second reinforcing member 124. During this period, there is a possibility that the impact absorption capacity is temporarily reduced. However, as Figure 11 and Figure 12As shown, in the case where the end portions 130a and 130b are located on the vehicle inner side of the second reinforcing component 124, there is no gap because the end portions 130a and 130b do not exist on the vehicle outer side of the second reinforcing component 124. Therefore, the groove portion 122a is deformed by the impact load, and the interval between the upper and lower edges E becomes narrower. When the second reinforcing component 124 is clamped on the vehicle outer side, the axial force of the compression in the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing component 122 is immediately transmitted to the upper and lower parts of the groove portion 122a via the second reinforcing component 124 after the edge E clamps the second reinforcing component 124. Moreover, since the axial force of the compression in the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcing component 122 is immediately transmitted to the upper and lower parts of the groove portion 122a via the second reinforcing component 124 after the edge E clamps the second reinforcing component 124, the same impact absorption capacity as the case where the groove portion 122a is not provided on the first reinforcing component 122 can be obtained. Therefore, in the case where there is a gap between the end portions 130a and 130b of the second reinforcing component 124, as shown in FIG. Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, it is more preferable that the ends 130a and 130b are located on the vehicle interior side of the second reinforcement member 124. Furthermore, by providing the bent portion 132 (described below), the ends 130a and 130b reliably abut against each other when an impact load is applied, making it less likely that the second reinforcement member 124 will collapse, and the second reinforcement member 124 will not easily separate from the first reinforcement member 122. Therefore, when the ends 130a and 130b are located on the vehicle interior side of the second reinforcement member 124, providing the bent portion 132 (described below) on the ends 130a and 130b is most preferable because the ends 130a and 130b reliably abut against each other, making it less likely that the second reinforcement member 124 will collapse. The structure of the bent portion 132 will be described in detail below.

[0121] Figure 16 and Figure 17 Schematic diagram showing a change in the structure of the intersection portion. Figure 16 and Figure 17 and Figure 11 and Figure 12 Likewise, a cross section is shown for the second reinforcing member 124 , showing a state where the intersection portion is viewed from the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcing member 124 .

[0122] Figure 16 and Figure 17 An example is shown in which the cross section of the second reinforcing member 124 is set to a trapezoidal shape. Figure 16 and Figure 17 In the embodiment, the width of the bottom surface of the second reinforcing member 124 is narrower than the width of the top surface. Figure 16 The first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are shown in a state where no impact load is applied. Figure 17The diagram shows a state in which an impact load is applied to the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 from the vehicle outer side in the direction of the arrow.

[0123] exist Figure 16 In the illustrated state, when an impact load is applied from the vehicle's exterior, the first reinforcement member 122 deforms toward its straight line, narrowing the distance between the upper and lower edges E of the groove 122a. The groove 122a then sandwiches the second reinforcement member 124. The second reinforcement member 124 has a trapezoidal cross-section, a wedge-like shape that tapers toward the vehicle's exterior front end. Therefore, when the groove 122a deforms and sandwiches the second reinforcement member 124, the second reinforcement member 124 is more difficult to separate from the groove 122a. Consequently, at the intersection, the first and second reinforcement members 122, 124 are more firmly bonded when subjected to an impact load, preventing separation. Consequently, the impact load is reliably transmitted from the second reinforcement member 124 to the first reinforcement member 122, effectively absorbing it.

[0124] Figure 18 and Figure 19 and Figure 16 and Figure 17 Similarly, in the example where the cross section of the second reinforcing member 124 is a trapezoidal shape, the groove 122a is shaped to match the cross section of the second reinforcing member. The shape of the groove 122a is substantially aligned with the cross section of the second reinforcing member 124. Alternatively, a slight gap may be left between the groove 122a and the cross section of the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 18 The first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are shown in a state where no impact load is applied. Figure 19 The diagram shows a state in which an impact load is applied to the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 from the vehicle outer side in the direction of the arrow.

[0125] exist Figure 18 In the state shown, when an impact load is applied from the outside of the vehicle, the first reinforcing member 122 deforms in the direction of returning to a straight line, and the interval between the upper and lower edges E of the groove portion 122a becomes narrower, as shown in FIG. Figure 19 As shown, the groove portion 122a is clamped into the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 18 In the structure, the shape of the groove portion 122a is a trapezoidal shape that imitates the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124, so Figure 16 and Figure 17Compared to the structure with a truncated design, when groove 122a deforms, the upper and lower end surfaces of groove 122a immediately sandwich the second reinforcing member 124. The axial compressive force of the first reinforcing member 122 in the longitudinal direction is then transmitted to the upper and lower sides of groove 122a via the second reinforcing member 124. As a result, groove 122a more reliably sandwiches the second reinforcing member 124. Consequently, at the intersection, when subjected to an impact load, the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124 are more firmly bonded, preventing separation between the first and second reinforcing members 122, 124. Consequently, the impact load is reliably transmitted from the second reinforcing member 124 to the first reinforcing member 122, and the impact load is reliably absorbed.

[0126] In addition, Figure 18 In the example shown, when inserting the second reinforcement member 124 into the groove 122a of the first reinforcement member 122, for example, the following method can be used: elastically deforming the first reinforcement member 122 in a direction in which the bending of the first reinforcement member 122 is stronger, and inserting the second reinforcement member 124 into the groove 122a; or partially providing a portion with a rectangular cross-section in which the width of the top surface and the width of the bottom surface are set to the same size at a position other than the intersection in the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcement member 124, inserting the second reinforcement member 124 into the groove 122a from this portion, and then sliding it to the position of the intersection, etc.

[0127] Next, a description will be given of a structure in which the groove 122 a is prevented from collapsing in the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124 when the groove 122 a is deformed, and the groove 122 a reliably sandwiches the second reinforcing member 124 .

[0128] When an impact load is applied, the second reinforcement member 124 is sandwiched by the groove 122a, and a force in the vertical direction of compression acts on the second reinforcement member 124. At this time, if the ends 130a and 130b of the second reinforcement member 124 abut and adhere to each other, the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcement member 124 is maintained. Therefore, the groove 122a can reliably sandwich the second reinforcement member 124, and the longitudinal compressive force of the first reinforcement member 122 on the vehicle outer side can be more reliably transmitted.

[0129] On the other hand, if the ends 130a and 130b of the second reinforcement member 124 do not abut each other when the groove 122a is holding the second reinforcement member 124, and the ends 130a and 130b overlap, the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcement member 124 collapses. If the ends 130a and 130b overlap, the second reinforcement member 124 becomes thinner than when the ends 130a and 130b abut each other. As a result, the cross-sectional area of ​​the second reinforcement member 124 is further reduced, and the groove 122a cannot reliably hold the second reinforcement member 124, failing to fully transmit the longitudinal compressive force of the first reinforcement member 122 on the vehicle's outer side, or the second reinforcement member 124 is easily detached from the groove 122a.

[0130] Therefore, when the groove portion 122a is deformed, the end portions 130a and 130b abut against each other to suppress the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124 from collapsing. Therefore, the groove portion 122a needs to be able to reliably sandwich the second reinforcing member 124.

[0131] therefore, Figure 20 The example shown is one in which bent portions 132 are provided at the ends 130 a and 130 b of the plate 130 constituting the second reinforcing member 124 at the positions of the intersections. Figure 20 and Figure 8 Similarly, the diagram shows a state where the intersection portion is viewed from the vehicle interior, and is a perspective view showing a state where the first reinforcement member 122 and the second reinforcement member 124 are separated at the intersection portion.

[0132] The ends 130a and 130b of the second reinforcement member 124, which is positioned toward the vehicle interior, are provided with curved portions 132 within a range D where the second reinforcement member 124 is inserted into the groove 122a of the first reinforcement member 122. Preferably, the curved portions 132 are provided within a range wider than the range D where the second reinforcement member 124 is inserted into the groove 122a of the first reinforcement member 122. Alternatively, the curved portions 132 may be provided outside the range D where the second reinforcement member 124 is inserted into the groove 122a of the first reinforcement member 122, proximate to the range D. Even if the curved portions 132 are provided outside the range D, by arranging them close to the range D, i.e., at the intersection, the same effects as if the curved portions 132 were provided within the range D can be achieved.

[0133] Figure 21 and Figure 22This is a perspective view showing in detail the curved portion 132 provided on the second reinforcing member 124. Curved portion 132 is formed by forming concave surfaces 124a on the front and back sides of the plate 130 at the ends 130a and 130b of the plate 130. Along the length of the second reinforcing member 124, the positions of the concave surfaces 124a are offset between the curved portion 132 provided at end 130a and the curved portion 132 provided at end 130b. This ensures that when the groove 122a deforms and clamps the second reinforcing member 124, the ends 130a and 130b do not overlap, and the ends 130a and 130b securely abut each other.

[0134] Figure 23 : is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between the position of the concave surface 124a provided at the end portion 130a and the position of the concave surface 124a provided at the end portion 130b. Figure 23 , a state in which the bent portion 132 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second reinforcing member 124 and along the top surface of the second reinforcing member 124 is schematically shown. Figure 23 In FIG. 1 , a solid line indicates the shape of the bent portion 132 provided at the end portion 130 a , and a dotted line indicates the shape of the bent portion 132 provided at the end portion 130 b .

[0135] exist Figure 23 In the example shown, the curved portion 132 of the end portion 130a is composed of two concave surfaces 124a provided on the front side and a single concave surface 124a provided on the back side between the two concave surfaces 124a on the front side. Furthermore, the curved portion 132 of the end portion 130b is composed of two concave surfaces 124a provided on the back side and a single concave surface 124a provided on the front side between the two concave surfaces 124a on the back side.

[0136] Furthermore, the positions of the bent portion 132 of the end portion 130a and the bent portion 132 of the end portion 130b are as shown in FIG. Figure 23 As shown, if the groove portion 122a of the first reinforcing member 122 is deformed and clamped into the second reinforcing member 124, Figure 23At point P (the intersection of the end edges) shown, end portions 130a and 130b abut against each other. Therefore, when groove portion 122a deforms, end portions 130a and 130b are prevented from overlapping and collapsing the cross-sectional shape of second reinforcement member 124. Because second reinforcement member 124 is securely held within groove portion 122a, it prevents second reinforcement member 124 from detaching from groove portion 122a when subjected to an impact load. The impact load is reliably transmitted from second reinforcement member 124 to first reinforcement member 122, and the longitudinal compressive force of first reinforcement member 122 on the vehicle's outer side is reliably transmitted within first reinforcement member 122 via second reinforcement member 124. Consequently, impact loads are reliably absorbed by first and second reinforcement members 122, 124.

[0137] In addition, Figure 23 In FIG, an example is shown in which three concave surfaces 124a are provided at each of the end portion 130a and the end portion 130b, but the number of the concave surfaces 124a is not limited thereto. Figure 23 In the figure, the shape of the curved portion 132 provided at the end portion 130a and the end portion 130b is shown as an example in which the expansion caused by the concave surface 124a of the second reinforcing member 124 is formed inside and outside the top surface of the second reinforcing member 124, but the shape of the curved portion 132 is not limited to this. For example, Figure 24 As shown, the expansion caused by the concave surface 124a of the curved portion 132 can be formed only inside the surface of the second reinforcing member 124 where the end portions 130a and 130b are formed. By configuring the expansion caused by the concave surface 124a to be formed only inside the surface of the second reinforcing member 124 where the end portions 130a and 130b are formed, when the curved portion 132 is arranged within the range D where it is inserted into the groove portion 122a of the first reinforcing member 122, the bottom of the groove portion 122a does not interfere with the expansion of the curved portion 132, and the second reinforcing member 124 can be inserted into the groove portion 122a, which is preferable.

[0138] Figure 25 The diagram shows the vehicle from the outside. Figure 20 The perspective view of the structure shown in FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the second reinforcing member 124 is inserted into the groove 122a and the exterior panel 100 receives an impact load from the outside. By providing the bent portions 132 at the ends 130a and 130b, the ends 130a and 130b are prevented from overlapping each other when the groove 122a deforms and clamps the second reinforcing member 124. Figure 25 As shown, when the groove portion 122 a is deformed, the second reinforcing member 124 is not crushed and the cross-sectional shape is not collapsed, and the groove portion 122 a reliably sandwiches the second reinforcing member 124 .

[0139] In addition, if Figure 20As shown, if the ends 130a and 130b of the plate 130 constituting the second reinforcement member 124 are located on the vehicle interior, then when the groove portion 122a is deformed by an impact load, the vehicle interior side of the second reinforcement member 124 is less likely to collapse due to the presence of the curved portion 132. Furthermore, since the vehicle exterior side of the second reinforcement member 124 does not originally have the ends 130a and 130b, it has a less likely to collapse shape. Therefore, when the groove portion 122a deforms, both the vehicle interior and exterior sides of the second reinforcement member 124 are less likely to collapse, thus preventing the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcement member 124 from collapsing. Furthermore, because the second reinforcement member 124 is less likely to collapse at the intersection, deformation of the first reinforcement member 122 at the location of the groove portion 122a is reliably suppressed. Consequently, impact loads are reliably absorbed.

[0140] exist Figure 20 In the example shown, bent portions 132 are provided at ends 130a and 130b when they are located on the vehicle interior side of second reinforcement member 124. However, bent portions 132 may also be provided at ends 130a and 130b when they are located on the vehicle exterior side. In this case, if groove 122a deforms and becomes sandwiched between second reinforcement member 124, the vehicle exterior side where bent portions 132 are provided is less likely to collapse. Therefore, deformation of first reinforcement member 122 is reliably suppressed at the location of groove 122a, allowing reliable absorption of impact loads.

[0141] The first reinforcing member 122 is also preferably provided with a bent portion 132 at the end portions 130a and 130b. When the exterior panel 100 is subjected to an impact load, the first reinforcing member 122 deforms in a direction in which the shape of the outer panel 110 is bent to return to a straight line. Figure 12, it is explained that because longitudinal tensile force acts on the vehicle interior side of the first reinforcement member 122, when the ends 130a, 130b of the first reinforcement member 122 are located on the vehicle interior, the forces acting on the ends 130a, 130b are directed toward each other. Therefore, if the ends 130a, 130b are not provided with the bent portions 132, there is a possibility that the ends 130a, 130b of the first reinforcement member 122 may overlap. If this overlap occurs, the cross-sectional shape of the first reinforcement member 122 may collapse, potentially failing to fully absorb the impact load. Therefore, it is also preferable that the first reinforcement member 122 have bent portions 132 at the ends 130a, 130b. Furthermore, the bent portions 132 of the first reinforcement member 122 are preferably located at or near the intersection. This is because the impact load is transmitted to the first reinforcement member 122 at the intersection via the second reinforcement member 124, and it is preferable that the cross-sectional shape does not collapse at the intersection. Furthermore, the bent portion 132 of the first reinforcement member 122 may be located at or near the center of the longitudinal direction of the first reinforcement member 122. This is because when the first reinforcement member 122 is deformed by an impact load, the longitudinal center is likely to be displaced the most toward the vehicle interior, and the cross-sectional shape is more likely to collapse near the longitudinal center.

[0142] The present invention can be applied to either the front or rear doors of an automobile. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to doors located on the side of an automobile but also to doors located at the rear of the automobile. When the present invention is applied to a door located at the rear of an automobile (also known as a tailgate), the inner panel of such a door is positioned in a direction intersecting the length of the automobile. Therefore, the length of the automobile described in the above embodiments can be reinterpreted as the width of the automobile, and vice versa.

[0143] Figure 26 It is composed Figure 3 The exterior panel 100 shown in FIG. 1 is configured such that the structures of the intersections are respectively Figure 9 The conventional example shown, the present embodiment Figures 5 to 8 The structure of (invention example 1), the embodiment of Figure 20 In the case of the structure (invention example 2), a characteristic diagram of the relationship between the load and stroke applied to the columnar indenter when pressing the columnar indenter against the exterior panel 100 was obtained by simulation. This evaluation assumes that a structure such as a utility pole collides with the door panel of the vehicle from the side, and the shape of the indenter is assumed to be the column shape of the utility pole. The columnar indenter is set as a cylinder with a radius of 150mm (diameter 300mm), and it is assumed that it collides with the utility pole, simulating the collision in Figure 3 The load and stroke when the columnar indenter standing upright in the vertical direction is pressed between the two central first reinforcement members 122.

[0144] like Figure 26 As shown, in either Invention Example 1 in which the ends 130a and 130b of the second reinforcing member 124 are not provided with the bent portion 132 or Invention Example 2 in which the ends 130a and 130b of the second reinforcing member 124 are provided with the bent portion 132, results substantially equivalent to those of the conventional example were obtained. Figure 9 The conventional example shown can further simplify the structure of the intersection portion and obtain the same impact absorption capability as the conventional example.

[0145] In other words, according to Invention Examples 1 and 2, even without the complex cross-section formed by stamping as in the prior art, the simple structure of providing the first reinforcement member 122 with a groove 122a formed by drilling a plate 130 into which the second reinforcement member 124 is inserted achieves the same impact absorption capability as the prior art. This is believed to be due to the fact that, as described above, the provision of the groove 122a reduces the thickness of the first reinforcement member 122 in the vehicle interior-exterior direction. However, when an impact load is applied, the groove 122a sandwiches the second reinforcement member 124, preventing the reduction in strength of the first reinforcement member 122 caused by the provision of the groove 122a.

[0146] In addition, if Figure 26 As shown, Example 2 achieves higher impact absorption capacity than Example 1. This demonstrates that by providing the curved portions 132 at the ends 130a and 130b of the plate 130 forming the second reinforcing member 124, the cross-sectional shape of the second reinforcing member 124 is maintained. The groove 122a sandwiches the second reinforcing member 124, reliably transmitting the impact load to the first reinforcing member 122 and effectively absorbing the impact load. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in the framework structure of the automotive exterior panel 100 where the first and second reinforcing members 122 and 124 intersect, the structure of the intersection can be further simplified, the manufacturing process can be further simplified, and the desired impact absorption capacity can be achieved.

[0147] Industrial applicability

[0148] According to the present invention, a frame structure of an automobile exterior panel can be provided, in which the manufacturing process can be simplified and the impact load can be reliably absorbed in the frame structure in which members constituting the frame intersect with each other.

[0149] Description of Reference Numerals

[0150] 100 Exterior Panel

[0151] 110 outer panel

[0152] 120 reinforcement components

[0153] 122 first reinforcement member

[0154] 122a groove

[0155] 124 second reinforcement member

[0156] 130 Plate

[0157] 130a, 130b end

[0158] 132 bend

Claims

1. A skeleton structure of an automobile exterior panel, comprising: Plate-like outer panels; a plurality of first members having a long strip shape, which are arranged on the inner side of the vehicle relative to the outer panel; as well as a second long strip component, which intersects with a plurality of the first components, The first component is thicker than the second component, Each of the plurality of first members includes a groove portion extending in a first direction along the plate surface of the outer panel and recessed from the vehicle outer side to the vehicle inner side in a portion in the longitudinal direction. The second component extends in a second direction along the surface of the outer panel, At intersections where the first and second components intersect, the second component is fitted into the groove provided on each of the first components. The thickness of the second component at the intersection is not reduced compared to the thickness of the second component at adjacent two sides of the intersection, The first member is arranged so that the width of the opening of the groove becomes narrower when receiving an impact load, and the groove sandwiches the second member. At least one of the first component and the second component has a quadrilateral shape in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at least outside the intersection. The second component is composed of a hollow structure formed by bending a plate, and has a first surface adjacent to the outer panel and a second surface opposite to the first surface. On the second surface of the second component, the end edges of the bent plate are adjacent to and opposite to each other. In a cross section of the second member perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a length of a first side corresponding to the first surface is shorter than a length of a second side corresponding to the second surface.

2. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, At locations other than the intersection, the thickness of the first member in the vehicle inner and outer directions is at least twice the thickness of the second member.

3. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, The depth of the groove portion of the first member in the vehicle inner and outer directions is equal to or less than half the thickness of the first member in a region adjacent to the groove portion other than the groove portion.

4. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, In the intersection portion, surfaces of the first member and the second member on the vehicle outer side are flush with each other in the vehicle inner and outer directions.

5. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the first member, a thickness in the vehicle inner and outer directions is greater than a width in a direction along the plate surface of the outer panel.

6. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, In a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the second member, a thickness in the vehicle inner and outer directions is greater than a width in a direction along the plate surface of the outer panel.

7. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, At least one of the first member and the second member has an annular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction at least except for the intersection.

8. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, The first component is a hollow structure formed by bending a plate, and has a first surface adjacent to the outer panel and a second surface opposite to the first surface. On the second surface of the first component, end edges of the bent plate members are adjacent to and opposite to each other.

9. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 8, On the second surface of the first member, the opposing end edges are bent into different shapes, and an end edge intersection portion is provided where the bent end edges intersect each other when viewed from the opposing direction in which the end edges oppose each other.

10. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, At or near the intersection, on the second surface of the second component, the opposing end edges are bent into different shapes, and an edge intersection portion is provided where the bent end edges intersect each other when viewed from the opposite direction in which the end edges oppose each other.

11. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, The first direction is a vehicle height direction, and the second direction is a vehicle length direction.

12. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, The outer panel is an outer panel in a door of an automobile.

13. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 8, The groove portion is configured as an opening portion of the plate material.

14. The skeleton structure of the automobile exterior panel according to claim 1, The groove portion of the first member is a reduced thickness portion having a thickness reduced compared to a thickness of a portion of the first member other than the groove portion.

15. The frame structure of an automobile exterior panel according to any one of claims 1 to 14, In the intersection portion, in a cross section of the second member perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, the cross-sectional shape of the second member is the same as the shape of the groove portion of the first member.

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