Vehicle body upper structure and method for assembling a vehicle body

Abstract

To provide a vehicle body upper structure capable of reducing the number of joining portions and joining steps. A vehicle body upper structure (1) includes an upper side beam (2) provided at a vehicle width direction end portion of a vehicle body upper portion (10a), a side outer panel (3) covering a vehicle outer side surface (10b) of the upper side beam (2), and a roof panel (4) provided at a vehicle width direction central portion of the vehicle body upper portion (10a) and formed of a material different from that of the upper side beam (2), and the left and right pair of side outer panels (3) and the roof panel (4) are fixed to each other by brazing. A vehicle width direction outer side end portion of the side outer panel (3) is joined to a vehicle width direction outer side end portion of the upper side beam (2). A vehicle width direction inner side end portion of the side outer panel (3) is not joined to a vehicle width direction inner side end portion of the upper side beam (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the upper structure of an automobile body and a method for assembling an automobile body. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, research and development related to lightweighting have been carried out to ensure that more people have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and advanced energy.

[0003] To achieve lightweighting of the vehicle body, automobiles use body components made of light alloys such as aluminum or aluminum alloys (hereinafter appropriately referred to as "aluminum") (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] In the vehicle body assembly described in Patent Document 1, firstly, steel sheet inner beam members and outer beam members are spot-welded together to form an upper side beam. Next, the upper and lower ends of this steel sheet upper side beam in the vehicle width direction are mechanically joined to aluminum side outer panels using non-through rivets. Finally, an aluminum roof panel is laser-welded to the joined aluminum side beam outer members.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-149828 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] The upper body structure described in Patent Document 1 connects the flanges of the upper and lower parts of the side outer panel to the flanges of the upper and lower parts of the upper beam, thus resulting in a large number of connection points and connection processes.

[0010] Therefore, the present invention was proposed to solve the aforementioned problems, and the objective is to provide an assembly method for an upper body structure and a car body that reduces the number of jointing parts and jointing processes.

[0011] Methods for solving problems

[0012] As a means to solve the aforementioned problems, the vehicle body upper structure of the present invention includes: an upper side beam disposed at the vehicle width direction end of the upper body; a side outer panel covering the outer side surface of the upper side beam; and a roof panel disposed at the vehicle width direction center of the upper body, formed of a material different from that of the upper side beam, wherein a pair of left and right side outer panels are fixed to each other by brazing, wherein the outer end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction, and the inner end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction is not joined to the inner end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction.

[0013] Furthermore, the automobile body assembly method of the present invention includes the following steps: a frame joining step, in which a floor assembly constituting the floor portion of the vehicle body, a side frame assembly constituting the side portion of the vehicle body, and a roof arch constituting the upper portion of the vehicle body are joined to form a frame component of the vehicle body; a skin joining step, in which a side outer panel disposed on the outer side of the side frame assembly in the vehicle width direction is brazed to a roof panel disposed on the upper side of the roof arch to form a skin component of the vehicle body; and a body joining step, in which the skin component is joined to the frame component to form a vehicle body, the skin component being made of a different material from the frame component, the side frame assembly having an upper side beam disposed at the vehicle width direction end of the upper portion of the vehicle body, and in the body joining step, the outer side end of the side outer panel of the skin component in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer side end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction, such that the inner side end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction is not joined to the inner side end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction.

[0014] Invention Effects

[0015] According to the present invention, a method for assembling an upper body structure and a car body that reduces the number of jointing parts and jointing steps can be provided. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1A This is a diagram illustrating an example of the upper structure of the vehicle body and the assembly method of the vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the main parts showing the state when the side outer panel and the roof panel are brazed together.

[0017] Figure 1B This is a partial, approximate longitudinal sectional view showing the state when the internal members of the beam are joined to the external members of the beam.

[0018] Figure 1C This is a partial schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the state of the side outer panel, which is to be joined with the roof panel, when it is joined with the upper side beam.

[0019] Figure 1D This is a partial schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the state of the roof panel being peeled from the vehicle body using a sheet metal cutter.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the body assembly process of joining the skin components to the frame components.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the state of the vehicle body after the body assembly process in which the skin components are joined to the frame components.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the main parts of a comparative example showing the connection of the roof panel, side panels and upper beam.

[0023] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0024] 1. Upper structure of the vehicle body

[0025] 2. Top beam

[0026] 3. Side outer panels

[0027] 4. Roof panel

[0028] 5. Roof arches

[0029] 10. Body

[0030] Upper part of 10a car body

[0031] 10b External side of the vehicle

[0032] 11. Skeleton Components

[0033] 12 Skin components

[0034] 30 side frame components

[0035] 70 Brazing filler metal

[0036] 90 Floor Components Detailed Implementation

[0037] Refer to Figure 1~ Figure 4 This describes an example of the vehicle body upper structure 1 and the vehicle body assembly method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that the same reference numerals are used to label the same constituent elements and repeated descriptions are omitted. In addition, in the embodiments of the present invention, "front" is defined as the forward side of vehicle C, "rear" is defined as the reverse side of vehicle C, "upper" is defined as the vertically upper side, and "lower" is defined as the vertically lower side.

[0039] "vehicle"

[0040] First, before describing the upper body structure 1 of the vehicle body and the assembly method of the vehicle body according to the embodiments of the present invention, refer to... Figure 3 This invention describes the vehicle C used in this invention.

[0041] Vehicle C includes: a top beam 2, located at the width-direction end of the upper body 10a; side panels 3, covering the outer side 10b of the top beam 2; and a roof panel 4, located at the width-direction center of the upper body 10a. The type and shape of vehicle C are not particularly limited. If vehicle C has the top beam 2, side panels 3, and roof panel 4 on its body 10, it can also be a passenger car, bus, truck, or work vehicle, etc. The following explanation uses a passenger car as an example of vehicle C.

[0042] Upper Structure of the Vehicle Body

[0043] The upper structure 1 of the vehicle body is composed of an upper beam 2, a side outer panel 3, and a roof panel 4.

[0044] Body

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the body 10 is a component used to form the whole of the vehicle C. The body 10 is configured, for example, to include a skeleton component 11 consisting of a metal body frame such as the upper side beam 2 (described later) and a skin component 12 consisting of metal body panels such as the side outer panels 3 and the roof panel 4.

[0046] The upper part 10a of the vehicle body is provided with: a roof panel 4, which forms the panel part of the roof; a roof arch 5, which is located below the roof panel 4 and forms the frame of the roof; an upper side beam 2, which is located at both ends of the roof arch 5 in the vehicle width direction; and an outer side panel 3, which is located on the outside of the upper side beam 2.

[0047] Front seat door openings (not shown) and rear seat door openings are formed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 10. Additionally, front pillars, middle pillars, and rear pillars (not shown) are provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 10. Side inner members 31 and side outer reinforcing members 32 constituting the side frame assemblies 30 (not shown), and side plate portions 3c covering the side frame assemblies 30 are arranged on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 10.

[0048] It should be noted that the vehicle body is roughly symmetrical from left to right, so the description will mainly focus on either the passenger side (left) or the driver side (right), and the description of the other side will be omitted as appropriate.

[0049] Roof Panel

[0050] Figure 2 and Figure 3 The roof panel 4 shown is constructed of a lightweight metal sheet, such as aluminum, which is roughly rectangular when viewed from above. In this way, the roof panel 4 is made of a material different from the steel upper side beam 2. The roof panel 4 is positioned between the left and right outer side panels 3 on the upper part 10a of the vehicle body. Figure 1A As shown, bent portions 4a (brake welded portions 7) are formed at both ends of the roof panel 4.

[0051] <Bend>

[0052] The bending portion 4a forms the brazed joint 7, which is connected and fixed to the upper end of the side outer panel 3 by brazing with brazing filler metal 70. The bending portion 4a is formed by bending the width-direction end of the roof panel 4 vertically downwards. The outer end of the bending portion 4a in the width-direction is brazed in contact with the upper wing 3a of the side outer member. The lower end of the bending portion 4g is separately disposed from the upper surface of the upper wing 22a of the beam outer member 22.

[0053] Brazing Joint

[0054] like Figure 1C As shown, the brazed joint 7 is a part joined by brazing (also called "brazing"). The brazed joint 7 is composed of two parts: a first brazed joint 71 and a second brazed joint 72. The filler metal 70 used when brazing the brazed joint 7 is made of aluminum alloy.

[0055] The first brazing joint 71 joins the upper end of the upper wing 3a of the side outer member of the aluminum side outer panel 3 with the bent portion 4a of the aluminum roof panel 4. The first brazing joint 71 is continuously provided from the front end to the rear end of the outer end of the roof panel 4 in the vehicle width direction.

[0056] The second brazing joint 72 joins the lower end of the lower wing 3b of the outer side member of the aluminum outer side plate 3 with the lower wing 22b of the outer beam member of the steel upper beam 2. The second brazing joint 72 is continuously provided from the front end to the rear end of the lower outer side of the outer side plate 3 in the vehicle width direction. Thus, a brazing joint 7 is provided between the outer side end (lower end) of the outer side plate 3 in the vehicle width direction and the outer side end (lower end) of the upper beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. No brazing joint 7 is provided between the inner side end (upper end) of the outer side plate 3 in the vehicle width direction and the inner side end (upper end) of the upper beam 2 in the vehicle width direction.

[0057] Car roof arch

[0058] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the roof arch 5 is a component that supports the roof panel 4 from below. The roof arch 5 is composed of multiple components mounted between the left and right upper side beams 2. The roof arch 5 is arranged at appropriate intervals along the upper part 10a of the vehicle body from the front end to the rear end.

[0059] Upper Beam

[0060] like Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the upper beam 2 is a pair of cylindrical frame components extending in the front-rear direction above the side of the vehicle body 10 (see...). Figure 1B The upper beam 2 is located at the left and right ends of the upper part 10a of the vehicle body, from the front end to the rear end, forming the upper edge of the door opening (not shown in the figure).

[0061] like Figure 1B As shown, the upper beam 2 forms a closed section 2a when viewed in longitudinal section by joining the inner beam member 21 located inside the vehicle with the outer beam member 22 located outside the inner beam member 21. The inner beam member 21 and the outer beam member 22 are made of steel (e.g., high-tensile steel plate) unlike the aluminum roof panel 4 and the outer side panel 3.

[0062] <Internal Components of Beams>

[0063] like Figure 1C As shown, the internal member 21 of the beam is responsible for holding the roof panel 4 and the roof arch 5 together (see...). Figure 2 and Figure 3 The inner beam member 21 is a half-section forming the inner side portion of the upper beam 2, which is cylindrical with the outer beam member 22. The inner beam member 21 has an upper wing 21a that bends horizontally toward the inside of the vehicle body and a lower wing 21b that bends obliquely downward toward the inside of the vehicle body.

[0064] <External Beam Components>

[0065] The outer beam member 22 is a half-section forming the outer side portion of the upper beam 2. The outer beam member 22 is arranged opposite to the inner beam member 21 across a closed section 2a and extends in the front-rear direction. The outer beam member 22 has an upper wing 22a extending in the front-rear direction at its upper edge and a lower wing 22b extending in the front-rear direction at its lower edge.

[0066] The upper flange 22a of the outer beam member overlaps the upper flange 21a of the inner beam member and is welded together at point 23. The lower flange 22b of the outer beam member overlaps the lower flange 21b of the inner beam member and is welded together at point 24. Furthermore, the lower flange 22b of the outer beam member overlaps with the lower flange 3b of the side outer member and is brazed together with the second brazed joint 72 using brazing filler metal 70, thereby joining with the side outer plate 3.

[0067] Side Outer Panel

[0068] like Figure 1C As shown, the side outer panel 3 is a pair of left and right panel components arranged primarily to cover the outer side surface 10b of the upper side beam 2 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. The side outer panel 3 is composed of a pair of left and right aluminum components extending in the front-rear direction. The side outer panel 3 has an upper wing 3a of the side outer member, a lower wing 3b of the side outer member, and a side panel portion 3c (see...). Figure 2 and Figure 3 It should be noted that, although the illustration is omitted, the outer side panel 3 also has a portion that covers the column of the frame component 11 from the outside.

[0069] The outermost (lower) end of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is brazed to the outermost (lower) end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. The innermost (upper) end of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is not brazed to the innermost (upper) end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 are fixed to each other by brazing.

[0070] The upper flange 3a of the side outer member is an upper flange formed on the upper edge of the side outer plate 3 and extending in the front-rear direction. The upper flange 3a of the side outer member is formed by bending vertically downward from the upper end of the side outer plate 3. As mentioned above, the side outer plate 3 and the roof plate 4 fix the middle part of the upper flange 3a of the side outer member and the bent part 4a to each other by brazing. The lower end of the upper flange 3a of the side outer member is separately disposed from the upper part of the beam outer member 22.

[0071] The lower flange 3b of the outer side member is a lower flange formed on the lower edge of the outer side plate 3 and extending in the front-rear direction. The lower flange 3b of the outer side member is formed by bending the lower end of the outer side plate 3 outward in the vehicle width direction and diagonally downward along the lower flange 22b of the outer beam member. As mentioned above, the outer side plate 3 and the upper side beam 2 fix the lower flange 3b of the outer side member and the lower flange 22b of the outer beam member to each other by brazing.

[0072] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the side panel portion 3c covers the side frame assembly 30 from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0073] Sheet metal cutting machine

[0074] like Figure 1D As shown, the sheet metal cutter 81 is a device that grips or cuts a metal sheet by punching. The sheet metal cutter 81 is installed in heavy machinery 8 used in the dismantling of vehicle C, etc. When the roof panel 4 is peeled from the body 10 by the sheet metal cutter 81 installed in the heavy machinery 8, the upper body structure 1 can grip the roof panel 4 with the sheet metal cutter 81.

[0075] The Role of Upper Body Structure and Automotive Body Assembly Methods

[0076] Next, refer to Figures 1A to 3 The function of the upper body structure 1 and the assembly method of the automobile body in the embodiments of the present invention will be explained in the order of assembly procedures.

[0077] <Stamping process>

[0078] In the case of assembling the car body 10, firstly, separate stamping processes are performed to form... Figure 2 The stamping process of the inner side member 31 and the outer side reinforcement 32 shown.

[0079] <Side frame assembly forming process>

[0080] Next, a side frame assembly forming process is performed, in which the flange portion of the inner side member 31 is matched with the flange portion of the outer side reinforcement 32, and the side frame assembly 30 is formed by laser welding or resistance welding. The formed side frame assembly 30 is joined in such a way that a closed cross section is formed between the inner side member 31 and the outer side reinforcement 32, which are made of steel plates (e.g., high-tensile steel plates), thus enabling the production of a high-rigidity frame member 11. An upper side beam 2 is joined to the upper part of the side frame assembly 30.

[0081] Then, as Figure 1B As shown, the upper flange 21a of the inner member of the beam 21 is matched and spot-welded with the upper flange 22a of the outer member of the beam 22. Furthermore, the lower flange 21b of the inner member of the beam 21 is matched and spot-welded with the lower flange 22b of the outer member of the beam 22 to form the upper beam 2 constituting the skeleton member 11.

[0082] <Skeleton Assembly Process>

[0083] Next, a frame joining process is performed, in which the floor assembly 90 constituting the vehicle floor, the side frame assembly 30 constituting the side of the vehicle body 10, the roof arch 5 constituting the upper part of the vehicle body 10a, and the rear frame assembly (not shown) constituting the rear of the vehicle body are simultaneously installed. Then, the floor assembly 90, the side frame assembly 30, the roof arch 5, and the rear frame assembly (not shown) are joined together, for example by laser welding, to form the frame component 11 of the entire vehicle body 10.

[0084] <Skin bonding process>

[0085] Next, as Figure 1A or Figure 2 As shown, a skin bonding process is performed, in which the outer side panel 3, which is located on the outer side of the side frame assembly 30 in the vehicle width direction, is brazed to the roof panel 4, which is located on the upper side of the roof arch 5, to form the skin component 12 of the body 10.

[0086] <Body Assembly Process>

[0087] Next, as Figure 2 The diagram shows the body assembly process, in which an aluminum skin component 12, made of a different material than the frame component 11, is joined to the steel frame component 11 to form a body assembly. Figure 3 The vehicle body 10 shown is an overall structure. (As shown) Figure 1C , Figure 2 or Figure 3 As shown, the lower wing 3b of the outer side member at the outer end of the outer side panel 3 in the vehicle width direction of the skin component 12 is brazed to the lower wing 22b of the outer beam member at the outer end of the upper beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. At this time, the upper wing 3a of the outer side member at the inner end of the outer side panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is not joined to the upper wing 22a of the outer beam member at the inner end of the upper beam 2 in the vehicle width direction.

[0088] As shown, the body 10 is now assembled.

[0089] The Effects of the Upper Structure of the Vehicle Body and the Assembly Method of the Automobile Body

[0090] Next, refer to Figures 1A to 4 ,and Figure 4 The comparative examples shown illustrate the effects of the vehicle body upper structure 1 and the vehicle body assembly method according to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 4 This is a partial schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a comparative example of the connection between the roof panel 400, the side outer panel 300, and the upper side beam 200.

[0092] Typical cars, such as Figure 4 As shown in the comparative example of the upper body structure 100, during the assembly of the upper body 10a, firstly, the upper flange 211 of the inner beam member 210 of the steel inner beam member 210 is spot-welded to the upper flange 221 of the outer beam member 22 of the steel outer beam member 22. Then, the lower flange 212 of the inner beam member 210 is spot-welded to the lower flange 222 of the outer beam member 22, thereby forming the upper beam 200.

[0093] Next, the upper wing 301 of the side outer panel 300 is joined to the upper wing 221 of the beam outer member of the upper side beam 200, and then the lower wing 302 of the side outer member is joined to the lower wing 222 of the beam outer member. In this way, in the comparative example of the upper body structure 100, when the side outer panel 300 is installed onto the upper side beam 200, the two parts are joined, resulting in numerous joining points and processes. Therefore, the comparative example of the upper body structure 100 is prone to manufacturing deviations.

[0094] In contrast, the upper body structure 1 of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1C As shown, when the outer side plate 3 is joined to the upper beam 2, only the second brazing joint 72 of the lower wing portion 3b of the outer side member and the lower wing portion 22b of the outer beam member are joined. Therefore, the present invention has fewer joining parts and fewer joining processes, thus suppressing manufacturing deviations.

[0095] Therefore, the upper body structure 1 of the present invention can reduce the assembly time and assembly time during the assembly of the body 10 and the disassembly time and disassembly time during the disassembly, thereby reducing costs.

[0096] in addition, Figure 4 In the comparative example, when the roof panel 400 is joined to the side outer panel 300, the upper body structure 100 requires a clamp 500 to press the roof panel 400 from above to seal the gap in the side outer panel 300. This is because the side outer panel 300 is pre-joined to the upper side beam 200, resulting in a gap between the roof panel 400 and the side outer panel 300 due to manufacturing deviations between the left and right side outer panels 300. Therefore, in the comparative example, the upper body structure 100 uses the clamp 500 to press the roof panel 400 from above, maintaining it in contact with the upper wing 301 of the side outer member of the side outer panel 300, and joins it to the bent portion 401 by laser welding.

[0097] In addition, since the side outer panel 300 is pre-joined with the upper side beam 200, it is impossible to set a clamp on the lower side of the roof panel 400 (the part where the upper wing 211 of the inner beam member and the upper wing 221 of the outer beam member are arranged), making it difficult to position the roof panel 400 in a precise position.

[0098] Therefore, in the comparative example of the upper body structure 100, when joining the roof panel 400 and the side outer panel 300, a clamp 500 is required to prevent a gap from being created between the roof panel 400 and the side outer panel 300. In order to position the roof panel 400 in a precise position, the construction becomes complicated.

[0099] In contrast, the upper body structure 1 of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1A and Figure 2 As shown, the roof panel 4 and the side outer panel 3 are joined together to form the skin component 12 before being joined to the upper side beam 2.

[0100] Therefore, the skin component 12, which consists of the roof panel 4 and the left and right side panels 3, can be brazed while the roof panel 4 and the left and right side panels 3 are freely positioned, thus simplifying the fixture and enabling precise engagement.

[0101] In this manner, the aluminum roof panel 4 is joined to the aluminum side outer panel 3 using aluminum brazing filler metal 70, but not to the steel upper side beam 2. Therefore, the roof panel 4... Figure 1D When the sheet metal cutting machine 81 shown grasps the outer end of the roof panel 4 in the width direction and disassembles it from the upper part of the vehicle body 10a, it can separate the aluminum roof panel 4 or the aluminum side outer panel 3 from the upper side beam 2, etc., so that it is free of iron.

[0102] Furthermore, when the roof panel 4 is separated first, the upper wing 3a of the side outer member at the upper end of the side outer panel 3 is not engaged with the upper side beam 2. Therefore, when disassembling the vehicle by the sheet metal cutting machine 81, it is easy to grasp the upper end of the side outer panel 3. Thus, the upper body structure 100 of the present invention is a structure that facilitates the separation of the vehicle body 10 by the sheet metal cutting machine 81.

[0103] As described above, the upper body structure 1 of the present invention is as follows: Figure 1C , Figure 3 or Figure 4 As shown, the vehicle has an upper side beam 2 located at the width end of the upper body 10a, a side outer panel 3 covering the outer side surface 10b of the upper side beam 2, and a roof panel 4 made of a material different from the material of the upper side beam 2 and located at the center of the upper body 10a in the width direction. The left and right pairs of side outer panels 3 and roof panels 4 are fixed to each other by brazing. As for the side outer panel 3, the outer end of the side outer panel 3 in the width direction is joined to the outer end of the upper side beam 2 in the width direction, while the inner end of the side outer panel 3 in the width direction is not joined to the inner end of the upper side beam 2 in the width direction.

[0104] According to this configuration, the upper body structure 1 of the present invention joins the outer end of the side outer plate 3 in the vehicle width direction with the outer end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction, but does not join the inner end of the side outer plate 3 in the vehicle width direction with the inner end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in the present invention, there are fewer joining parts and fewer joining processes for joining the side outer plate 3 and the upper side beam 2.

[0105] Therefore, the present invention can reduce assembly time and assembly time during vehicle body assembly and disassembly time and disassembly time during disassembly, thereby reducing costs.

[0106] In addition, such as Figure 1C As shown, the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 are made of aluminum, the upper beam 2 is made of steel, and the brazing filler metal 70 used when brazing the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 is made of aluminum alloy.

[0107] According to this configuration, the side outer panels 3 and roof panels 4 are joined to the upper side beam 2 by brazing with aluminum alloy brazing filler metal 70. Therefore, even if the aluminum side outer panels 3 and roof panels 4 are made of different materials from the steel upper side beam 2, they can be firmly joined by aluminum alloy brazing filler metal 70.

[0108] In addition, such as Figure 1D As shown, when the aluminum side panels 3 and roof panels 4 are peeled from the steel upper beam 2 using a sheet metal cutting machine 81, the side panels 3 and roof panels 4 are joined with aluminum brazing filler metal 70, so no steel is mixed in. Therefore, by removing only the aluminum parts before cutting the side panels 3 and roof panels 4, high-purity aluminum free from iron and other contaminants can be extracted.

[0109] In addition, the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 are joined with aluminum brazing filler metal 70. Therefore, the joint strength is weaker than that of the welded steel parts, and thus it can be easily separated from the joint joined with aluminum brazing filler metal 70.

[0110] In addition, such as Figure 1C , Figure 3 or Figure 4 As shown, the assembly method of the automobile body of the present invention includes the following steps: a frame joining step, in which a floor assembly 90 constituting the floor portion of the body 10, a side frame assembly 30 constituting the side portion of the body 10, and a roof arch 5 constituting the upper portion of the body 10 are joined to form a frame component 11 of the body 10; a skin joining step, in which a side outer panel 3 disposed on the outer side of the side frame assembly 30 in the vehicle width direction is brazed to a roof panel 4 disposed on the upper side of the roof arch 5 to form a skin component 12 of the body 10; and a vehicle body assembly method. In the body joining process, the skin component 12 is joined with the frame component 11 to form the body 10. The skin component 12 is made of a different material than the frame component 11. The side frame assembly 30 has an upper side beam 2 provided at the width-direction end of the upper body 10a. In the body joining process, the width-direction outer end of the side outer panel 3 of the skin component 12 is joined with the width-direction outer end (lower end) of the upper side beam 2, but the width-direction inner end of the side outer panel 3 is not joined with the width-direction inner end (upper end) of the upper side beam 2.

[0111] According to this configuration, the outer side plate 3 is joined to the outer end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction, but the inner end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction is not joined to the inner end of the upper side beam 2 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in this invention, there are fewer joined parts, which can reduce the joining process and joining time, reduce costs, and suppress manufacturing deviations.

[0112] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of its technical concept. The present invention naturally includes inventions with such modifications and alterations.

Claims

1. An upper structure for a vehicle body, characterized in that, have: The upper beam is located at the width end of the upper part of the vehicle body; Side outer panels that cover the exterior sides of the upper side beam; and The roof panel, located at the center of the upper part of the vehicle body in the width direction, is made of a different material than the upper side beam. The left and right side outer panels and the roof panel are fixed together by brazing with their ends abutting each other. Regarding the aforementioned outer side panel, The outer end of the side outer plate in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction. The inner end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction and the roof panel are not joined to the inner end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction.

2. The upper body structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side panels and the roof panel are made of aluminum. The upper beam is made of steel. The brazing filler metal used when brazing the side outer panel to the roof panel is made of aluminum alloy.

3. A method for assembling a car body, characterized in that, Includes the following processes: The frame joining process involves joining the floor assembly that constitutes the floor of the vehicle body, the side frame assembly that constitutes the side of the vehicle body, and the roof arch that constitutes the upper part of the vehicle body to form the frame components of the vehicle body. In the skin joining process, the outer side panel disposed on the outer side of the side frame assembly in the vehicle width direction and the roof panel disposed on the upper side of the roof arch are brazed together with their ends abutting each other to form the skin component of the vehicle body; and The body assembly process involves joining the skin components to the frame components to form the body. The skin component is made of a different material than the skeleton component. The side frame assembly includes an upper side beam located at the width end of the upper part of the vehicle body. In the vehicle body joining process, the outer end of the side outer panel of the skin component in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction, so that the inner end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction and the roof panel are not joined to the inner end of the upper side beam in the vehicle width direction.

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