Vehicle side structure

Abstract

The present application is a vehicle side structure having a rocker that extends in a vehicle front-rear direction, and an impact absorbing member that is contiguous with the rocker. The rocker forms a cylindrical inner space by joining a hat-shaped cross-section rocker inner panel and a rocker outer panel in an opposing manner. A lower extension space is formed in the inner space of the rocker by forming a lower surface of the rocker in a stepped shape. The impact absorbing member is disposed contiguously on an inner side in a vehicle width direction relative to the lower extension space, and has a load transfer member within the lower extension space, the load transfer member being in a long strip shape that extends along the rocker, and forming a closed cross-section portion by being joined with either one of the rocker inner panel and the rocker outer panel. An impact load from an outer side in the vehicle width direction is transferred to the impact absorbing member by the load transfer member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in this application relate to vehicle side structures. Background Technology

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-29150 discloses the following technology: a sill (also known as a lower side beam) extending along the front-rear direction on the lower side of the vehicle body, which is part of the vehicle's frame structure, is entirely made of extruded aluminum alloy. This sill has a structure in which multiple small cylindrical spaces extending along the front-rear direction are meticulously divided internally. Upon impact from the side of the vehicle, these small spaces are flattened by the impact load, thereby absorbing the impact energy. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, the aforementioned threshold structure formed from aluminum alloy extrusions, with its small space division for efficient shock load absorption, easily becomes complex. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a structure that uses at least a portion of a material different from the aluminum alloy extrusion and can efficiently transfer shock loads to the shock-absorbing component.

[0004] One approach is a vehicle side structure comprising: a sill extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction; and an impact-absorbing component that absorbs collision energy from the outer side in the vehicle width direction by being adjacent to the sill. The sill forms a cylindrical internal space by joining an inner sill plate made of sheet steel with a cap-shaped cross-section opening on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and an outer sill plate made of sheet steel with a cap-shaped cross-section opening on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, with their openings facing each other. The lower surface of the sill is formed into a stepped shape by being located lower on the outer side than on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, thereby forming a lower extension space within the sill's internal space. The impact-absorbing component is disposed adjacent to the lower extension space on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. Within the lower extension space is a load-transferring component, which is an elongated strip extending along the sill and forms a closed cross-section by engaging with either the inner or outer sill plate. Impact loads from the outer side in the vehicle width direction are transferred to the impact-absorbing component via the load-transferring component.

[0005] According to the embodiment, the load transfer component forms a closed cross-section by engaging with the inner sill plate.

[0006] According to the implementation method, the load transfer component is engaged with the lower end face of the inner sill plate.

[0007] According to the embodiment, the load transfer component forms a closed section with a side wall surface opposite to the outer sill plate, an upper wall surface extending from the side wall surface to the inner sill plate, and a lower wall surface extending from the side wall surface to the inner sill plate. On the outer sill plate, at positions adjacent to the upper and lower sides of the side wall surface, a pair of first reinforcing ribs are provided. The pair of first reinforcing ribs extend along the front-rear direction of the vehicle and protrude toward the inner space of the sill at a height overlapping with the load transfer component.

[0008] According to the embodiment, the load transfer component forms a closed cross-section by engaging with the outer sill plate.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the load transfer component has a plurality of second reinforcing ribs that extend along the vehicle width direction and are spaced apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0010] According to an embodiment, the load transfer component has a joint that is joined to the inner sill plate or the outer sill plate by spot welding.

[0011] According to an embodiment, the impact-absorbing component is composed of a honeycomb structure formed by combining multiple cylindrical bodies of synthetic resin.

[0012] According to the embodiment, the sill is made of a material different from that of aluminum alloy extrusions, and can efficiently transfer the impact load to the impact absorption component in the event of a collision in the vehicle width direction. Attached Figure Description

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle body according to one embodiment, shown from the front side in the front-rear direction.

[0014] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the structure of the lower left side of the vehicle body, including the door sill.

[0015] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 An exploded three-dimensional diagram of the structure.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a schematic representation of an impact load being input to... Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the state of the threshold of the structure.

[0017] Figure 5 It is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the state of an impact load being applied to the threshold of a structure involved in another embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The various embodiments will now be described using the accompanying drawings. Arrows appropriately shown in the drawings indicate the vehicle's front-to-back, up-and-down, and left-and-right directions. Furthermore, in the following description, the front-to-back direction of the vehicle will sometimes be simply referred to as "front-to-back," and the up-and-down direction as "up-and-down."

[0019] <Overall Structure>

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the lower part of the vehicle body as one embodiment, shown from the front. (Example) Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle is, for example, an electric vehicle, a gasoline hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell hybrid vehicle that uses an electric motor (not shown) as a drive source. A battery pack 80, which stores electricity supplied to the opposing electric motor, is mounted below a floor panel (not shown) that forms the lower part of the vehicle body. Furthermore, aluminum frames 90 extend along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on both sides of the battery pack 80 in the vehicle width direction. The aluminum frames 90 are formed into a cylindrical shape from aluminum alloy, for example, through extrusion or drawing processes.

[0021] <Battery Pack>

[0022] The battery pack 80 typically integrates multiple battery modules and a battery ECU (Electronic Control Unit), and is modularized as a vehicle-mountable battery system, for example, formed into a flat box shape. A battery module is constructed by connecting multiple discharge-rechargeable battery cells (single cells). Battery cells are, for example, lithium-ion batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, or other rechargeable batteries. The battery ECU is the electronic control unit used in the battery pack 80.

[0023] <Lower side of the vehicle body>

[0024] At the lower part of the vehicle body, a floor panel (not shown) extends along the width and longitudinal direction of the vehicle. At both ends of the floor panel in the width direction, sill plates 10 and 20 extend along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, respectively. A crossbeam (not shown) is installed on the floor panel between the left and right sill plates 10 and 20 along the width direction of the vehicle. Impact-absorbing components 70 are respectively installed between each sill plate 10 and 20 and the aluminum frame 90.

[0025] <Threshold>

[0026] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing a portion of the left side of the vehicle's side structure. Figure 3 It is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of the left side of the vehicle's side structure. Figure 4This is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the state of an impact load F being applied to the sill 20 of a vehicle with a side profile. The sills 10 and 20 extend laterally along the vehicle's longitudinal direction in the width direction and function as part of the vehicle's skeletal structure. Here, the left and right sills 10 and 20 are typically symmetrically constructed; therefore, the detailed structure is illustrated using the left sill 20 as a representative example, omitting a detailed description of the sill 10. Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the threshold 20 forms a cylindrical internal space 22 by overlapping and joining the inner threshold plate 30 and the outer threshold plate 40 with their openings facing each other.

[0027] The inner sill plate 30 is made of steel plate and has a cap-shaped cross-section with an outer opening in the vehicle width direction. The inner sill plate 30 can be formed by a cap-shaped cross-section having, from top to bottom, an upper flange surface 31, an upper end surface 32, a side wall surface 33, a lower end surface 34, a vertical surface 35, and a lower flange surface 36. The upper flange surface 31 extends in the vehicle's vertical direction and engages with the upper flange surface 41 of the outer sill plate 40 (described later). The upper end surface 32 bends from the lower edge of the upper flange surface 31 and extends inward in the vehicle width direction. The side wall surface 33 bends from the inner edge of the upper end surface 32 and extends downward in the vehicle's vertical direction. The lower end surface 34 bends from the lower edge of the side wall surface 33 and extends outward in the vehicle width direction. The vertical surface 35 bends from the outer edge of the lower end surface 34 and extends downward in the vehicle's vertical direction. The lower flange surface 36 extends from the erected surface 35 and engages with the lower flange surface 46 of the sill outer plate 40, which will be described later.

[0028] The outer sill plate 40 is made of steel sheet and has a cap-shaped cross-section with an inward opening in the vehicle width direction. Specifically, the outer sill plate 40 can be formed by a cap-shaped cross-section having an upper flange surface 41, an upper end surface 42, a side wall surface 43, a lower end surface 44, and a lower flange surface 46 from top to bottom. The upper flange surface 41 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle and engages with the upper flange surface 31 of the inner sill plate 30. The upper end surface 42 bends from the lower edge of the upper flange surface 41 and extends outward in the vehicle width direction. The side wall surface 43 bends from the outer edge of the upper end surface 42 and extends downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The lower end surface 44 bends from the lower edge of the side wall surface 43 and extends inward in the vehicle width direction. The lower flange surface 46 bends from the inner edge of the lower end surface 44 and extends downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, engaging with the lower flange surface 36 of the inner sill plate 30.

[0029] The sill 20 overlaps the inner sill plate 30 and the outer sill plate 40 with their openings facing each other. Then, for example, the upper flange surface 31 and the upper flange surface 41 are joined by spot welding. Additionally, for example, the lower flange surface 36 and the lower flange surface 46 are joined by spot welding. Thus, the sill 20 forms a cylindrical internal space 22.

[0030] Here, the side wall 43 of the outer sill plate 40 is set to be longer than the side wall 33 of the inner sill plate 30. That is, the length of the side wall 43 of the outer sill plate 40 is approximately the same as the total length of the side wall 33 and the vertical surface 35 in the inner sill plate 30. Therefore, when observing the vertical positional relationship of the vehicle, the lower end face 34 of the inner sill plate 30 is relatively above, and the lower end face 44 of the outer sill plate 40 is relatively below. Therefore, the interior space 22 of the sill plate 20 has a lower extension space 24 by forming a stepped shape on the lower surface of the sill plate 20 such that the outer lower surface in the vehicle width direction extends downward relative to the inner lower surface. A load transmission member 60 is provided in the lower extension space 24.

[0031] <Load transfer components>

[0032] The load-transferring member 60 is an elongated strip extending along the sill 20 and forms a closed cross-section by engaging with either the inner sill plate 30 or the outer sill plate 40. In one embodiment, the load-transferring member 60 forms a closed cross-section by engaging with the inner sill plate 30. The load-transferring member 60 has an upper engagement surface 61, an upper wall surface 62, a side wall surface 64, a lower wall surface 66, and a lower engagement surface 67, and forms a closed cross-section within the lower extended space 24 by engaging with the inner sill plate 30.

[0033] The cross-section obtained by cutting the load transfer component 60 itself in the vehicle width direction can be formed into a generally inverted U-shape, specifically, it can be formed into the following structure. The upper mating surface 61 is joined to the lower end surface 34 of the inner sill plate 30 by spot welding. The upper wall surface 62 extends from the upper mating surface 61, extending from the inner sill plate 30 side toward the outer sill plate 40 side. The side wall surface 64 bends from the outer edge of the upper wall surface 62 and faces the outer sill plate 40 with a gap. The lower wall surface 66 bends from the lower end edge of the side wall surface 64 and folds back toward the inner sill plate 30 side. The lower mating surface 67 bends from the lower wall surface 66, faces the upright surface 35 of the inner sill plate 30, and is joined to the upright surface 35 by spot welding. In addition, the load transfer component 60 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 68 that extend along the vehicle width direction at intervals in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0034] On the outer sill plate 40, upper reinforcing ribs 43a and lower reinforcing ribs 43b are provided at positions adjacent to the upper and lower sides of the side wall surface 64, extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction and protruding towards the interior space 22 of the sill plate 20, so as to clamp the side wall surface 64 of the load transmission component 60. The upper reinforcing ribs 43a and lower reinforcing ribs 43b protrude to a position on the inner side of the side wall surface 64 in the vehicle width direction, and are formed to a height that overlaps with the load transmission component 60.

[0035] <Shock Absorbing Components>

[0036] The impact-absorbing component 70, by abutting the sill 20, functions to absorb collision energy from the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The impact-absorbing component 70 is disposed at a position held between the lower extension space 24 of the sill 20 and the aluminum frame 90. The impact-absorbing component 70 is, for example, made of synthetic resin and can be integrally formed into a box shape. As one embodiment, the impact-absorbing component 70 can be constructed from a honeycomb structure consisting of multiple hollow cylindrical bodies 72 extending in the vehicle width direction. For example, a honeycomb structure consisting of hexagonal hollow cylindrical bodies 72.

[0037] <The effect of door sills on impact loads>

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the state in which an impact load F is input to the sill 20 of a vehicle with the aforementioned vehicle side structure. Here, a portion of the impact load F acting from the outer side in the vehicle width direction is transmitted from the side wall surface 43 of the sill 20 through the lower end surface 44 to the lower portion of the impact absorbing member 70. Furthermore, when the side wall surface 43 of the sill 20 contacts the side wall surface 64 of the load transfer member 60, a portion of the impact load F is transmitted through the upper wall surface 62 to the upper portion of the impact absorbing member 70, and through the lower wall surface 66 to the middle portion of the impact absorbing member 70. In the event of a collision between a narrow obstacle such as a pole and the side of the vehicle, the impact load F is locally concentrated in a portion of the length direction of the sill 20. However, with the vehicle side structure of the above embodiment, the load F is distributed throughout the impact absorbing member 70 in both vertical and longitudinal directions via the sill 20 and the load transfer member 60, thus efficiently absorbing collision energy. Furthermore, unlike extruded aluminum alloy parts, the sill 20 can be constructed with a simple frame made of steel plate.

[0039] <Other Implementation Methods>

[0040] like Figure 5As shown, the sill 120 and load transfer member 160 can be deformed into various shapes. For example, the sill 120 can be deformed to resemble the flange that joins the inner sill plate 130 and the outer sill plate 140. In one embodiment, it can also be bent and overlapped and joined in a direction approaching each other, as with the lower flange surfaces 136 and 146. The upper flange surfaces 131 and 141 can also be applied in various shapes. In another embodiment, the load transfer member 160 can also be a component that forms a closed cross-section by joining with the outer sill plate 40. Furthermore, the sill 120 can also have the same structure as the upper reinforcing rib 43a and the lower reinforcing rib 43b. The load transfer member 160 can also have the same structure as the reinforcing rib 68. In these embodiments, the impact load F received in the event of a collision between the pole and the side of the vehicle is also distributed and transferred to the entire impact absorption member 70 in both vertical and horizontal directions via the sill 120 and the load transfer member 160.

[0041] <Advantages of the Implementation Method>

[0042] Finally, the advantages of the above-described implementation method are given.

[0043] According to the above embodiment, the sill 20 forms a cylindrical internal space 22 through an inner sill plate 30 and an outer sill plate 40 made of steel plate with a cap-shaped cross-section. The lower surface of the sill 20 is formed into a stepped shape by being located on the outer side of the sill in the vehicle width direction, which is lower than the inner side, thereby forming a lower extension space 24 in the internal space 22 of the sill 20. Furthermore, the impact absorbing member 70 is disposed adjacent to the lower extension space 24 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and a load transfer member 60 is provided in the lower extension space 24. The load transfer member 60 is an elongated strip extending along the sill 20 and forms a closed cross-section by engaging with either the inner sill plate 30 or the outer sill plate 40. The impact load F from the outer side in the vehicle width direction is transferred to the impact absorbing member 70 through the load transfer member 60. With the above structure, the sill 20 is made of a material different from aluminum alloy extrusion, and the impact load F can be efficiently transferred to the impact absorbing member 70 in the event of a collision in the vehicle width direction.

[0044] According to the embodiment, the load transfer member 60 forms a closed section by engaging with the inner sill plate 30, thus making it easy to determine the placement position of the closed section within the lower extended space 24. Therefore, it is possible to form a structure that can more efficiently transfer the impact load F to the impact absorption member 70.

[0045] According to the embodiment, the load transfer member 60 is joined to the lower end face 34 of the inner sill plate 30, so that the joint is on the surface along the direction (horizontal direction) where the impact load F is applied, thereby forming a structure that makes it difficult for the load transfer member to tilt up or down.

[0046] According to the embodiment, the load transfer member 60 has a closed cross-section formed by a side wall surface 64 opposite to the outer sill plate 40, an upper wall surface 62 extending from the side wall surface 64 to the inner sill plate 30, and a lower wall surface 66 extending from the side wall surface 64 to the inner sill plate 30. On the outer sill plate 40, at positions adjacent to the upper and lower sides of the side wall surface 64, upper reinforcing ribs 43a and lower reinforcing ribs 43b are provided, extending along the vehicle's longitudinal direction and protruding towards the interior space 22 of the sill 20. The upper reinforcing ribs 43a and lower reinforcing ribs 43b are formed to a height that overlaps with the load transfer member 60. Therefore, tilting of the load transfer member 60 in the vertical direction can be suppressed.

[0047] According to the embodiment, the load transfer member 60 forms a closed section by engaging with the outer sill plate 40. Therefore, depending on the shape of the extended space below, it is also possible to form a configuration in which the load transfer member 60 engages with the outer sill plate side, thereby increasing the degree of design freedom.

[0048] According to the embodiment, the load transfer member 60 is provided with a plurality of reinforcing ribs 68 that extend along the vehicle width direction and are spaced apart in the vehicle front-rear direction, thereby increasing the rigidity relative to the impact load F acting from the vehicle width direction.

[0049] According to the embodiment, the load transfer component 60 has an upper joint surface 61 and a lower joint surface 67 that are joined to the inner sill plate 30 or the outer sill plate 40 by spot welding, thus enabling efficient joining.

[0050] According to the embodiment, the impact-absorbing component 70 is composed of a honeycomb structure formed by combining a plurality of cylindrical bodies 72 of synthetic resin, thereby achieving a lightweight design.

[0051] The above describes specific implementation methods, but the technology is not limited to these implementation methods. If one is skilled in the art, various modifications, substitutions, and improvements can be made.

Claims

1. A vehicle side structure, wherein, The vehicle side structure has: The threshold extends along the front-to-back direction of the vehicle. and The impact-absorbing component is adjacent to the threshold. The sill is formed by joining an inner sill plate made of steel plate with a cap-shaped cross-section that opens to the outer side in the vehicle width direction and an outer sill plate made of steel plate with a cap-shaped cross-section that opens to the inner side in the vehicle width direction, with their openings facing each other, to create a cylindrical internal space. The lower surface of the sill is formed into a stepped shape by being located on the outer side, which is lower than the inner side, in the vehicle width direction, thereby creating an extended lower space within the sill's interior space. The impact-absorbing component is disposed adjacent to the inner side of the extended space below in the vehicle width direction. A load-transferring component is provided within the extended space below. This load-transferring component is an elongated strip extending along the threshold and has a side wall facing the outer threshold panel, an upper wall extending from the side wall to the inner threshold panel, and a lower wall extending from the side wall to the inner threshold panel. It forms a closed section by engaging with the inner threshold panel. On the outer sill plate, a pair of first reinforcing ribs are provided at positions adjacent to the upper and lower sides of the side wall. These first reinforcing ribs extend along the vehicle's longitudinal direction and protrude into the interior space of the sill at a height overlapping with the load-transferring component. Impact loads from the outer side in the vehicle width direction are transmitted to the impact absorption component through the load transfer component.

2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein, The load transfer component engages with the lower end face of the inner sill plate.

3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein, The load-transfer component forms a closed cross-section by engaging with the outer sill plate.

4. The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The load transfer component has a plurality of second reinforcing ribs that extend along the vehicle width direction and are spaced apart in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

5. The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The load-transfer component has a joint that is joined to the inner sill plate or the outer sill plate by spot welding.

6. The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein, The impact-absorbing component is composed of a honeycomb structure formed by combining multiple cylindrical bodies of synthetic resin.

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