Side structure of cargo tank of vehicle

Abstract

A side structure of a cargo tank of a vehicle includes a side outer panel mounted on an outer side of the cargo tank to form an exterior of the cargo tank, a side inner panel mounted in the cargo tank on an inner side of the side outer panel to form an exterior of the cargo tank, and a side upper member mounted on the inner side of the side inner panel, a side upper member is provided at an upper end portion of the side outer panel or an upper end portion of the side inner panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and an upper end portion of a reinforcing member mounted between the side outer panel and the side inner panel is connected to the side upper member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a side structure of a vehicle cargo box, which improves the rigidity of an upper side portion of the vehicle cargo box. Background Art

[0002] In a vehicle such as a pickup truck, a cab for accommodating passengers is formed at the front of the vehicle, and a cargo box for loading or unloading cargo is formed at the rear of the vehicle.

[0003] In a frame body type pickup truck, a cab 12 and a cargo box 13 are provided above a frame 11 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 (see FIG. Figure 1 ).

[0004] The cargo box 13 includes a plurality of members that form a structure between the outer panels 13 a and the inner panels, and these members are connected so that the cargo box 13 has rigidity.

[0005] However, in the cargo box 13 of the vehicle 1 according to the related art, there are portions where members are not connected to each other, and there is a problem in that the rigidity of these portions is reduced.

[0006] For example, since these members are not connected at the upper side of the cargo box 13 , there is a problem in that when a load is applied to the upper side of the cargo box 13 due to a collision or the like, the upper side of the cargo box 13 may be damaged. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle, which improves the rigidity of an upper end portion of the cargo box of the vehicle.

[0008] To achieve this purpose, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle including a cab into which passengers enter may include side outer panels, side inner panels, side upper members, and a plurality of reinforcing members, the side outer panels being installed on the outer side of the cargo box to form the exterior of the cargo box, the cargo box being arranged behind the cab, the side inner panels being installed on the inner sides of the side outer panels in the cargo box, the side upper members being installed on the upper ends of the side outer panels or the upper ends of the side inner panels along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a plurality of reinforcing members being installed between the side outer panels and the side inner panels, wherein the upper ends of the reinforcing members are connected to the side upper members.

[0009] The upper side member may include an open lower portion.

[0010] The side upper member may be formed to include a cross section in which an upper portion of the side upper member is bent at right angles to the first and second side portions.

[0011] The plurality of reinforcement members may include a front side member installed at a front end portion of a side portion of the cargo box, and an upper end portion of the front side member may be connected to a front end portion of the side upper member.

[0012] A lower end portion of the front side member may be connected to a corresponding one of a first end portion and a second end portion of a first floor member mounted at a lower end portion of the front portion of the cargo box.

[0013] The side structure of the cargo box of the vehicle may further include a second floor member spaced apart from the first floor member toward the rear side of the vehicle and connected to the wheel house.

[0014] The plurality of reinforcing members may include a third floor member including a middle portion formed along the width direction of the cargo box and disposed on the floor of the cargo box, the third floor member being formed to bend upward between the side outer panel and the side inner panel, and an upper end portion of the third floor member may be connected to the side upper member.

[0015] A hook rail may be further provided below the side upper member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and a lower end portion of the side upper member, an upper end portion of the third floor member, and an upper end portion of the side inner panel may be connected to the hook rail.

[0016] The plurality of reinforcement members may include a D-pillar provided with a tail panel at a rear end portion of the cargo box, and an upper end portion of the D-pillar may be connected to a rear end portion of the side upper member.

[0017] A lower end portion of the D-pillar may be connected to an end portion of a fourth floor member installed at a lower end portion of a rear portion of the cargo box in a width direction of the vehicle.

[0018] The side structure of the cargo box of the vehicle may further include a front guard provided at an upper end portion of the front portion of the cargo box in a width direction of the vehicle and including a first end portion and a second end portion each connected to the side upper member.

[0019] According to the side structure of the cargo box of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention including the above-described configuration, since the upper side members are provided on the upper inner side of the cargo box of the vehicle and the upper side members are connected to other rigid members provided on the sides and lower portion of the cargo box, the rigidity of the upper side of the cargo box can be improved.

[0020] Therefore, even when a load is applied to the upper side portion of the cargo box due to a collision or the like, deformation of the upper side portion of the cargo box can be prevented or minimized.

[0021] By incorporation into this document of the accompanying drawings and Figure 1 Other features and advantages of the methods and apparatus of the present invention will become more clearly apparent or elucidated with reference to specific embodiments that illustrate certain principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1FIG. 1 is a side view of a body-on-frame pickup truck in the prior art.

[0023] Figure 2 It is a perspective view showing a cargo box of a vehicle to which a side structure of a cargo box according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0024] Figure 3 It is a front view showing the inside of a cargo box of a vehicle to which a side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0025] Figure 4 It is a front view showing the outer side of a cargo box of a vehicle to which a side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0026] Figure 5 To follow Figure 4 A cross-sectional view taken along line II.

[0027] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather show a somewhat simplified representation of various features illustrative of the basic principles of the invention. The specific design features of the present invention as included herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0028] In the figures, like reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Reference will now be made in detail to various specific embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are presented in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be appreciated that this description is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments thereof. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments thereof, but also various alternative forms, modifications, equivalent forms, and other embodiments that may be included within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0030] Hereinafter, a side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0031] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the side structure of the cargo box of a vehicle may include: a side outer panel 21, a side inner panel 22, a side upper member 32 and a plurality of reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37, wherein the side outer panel 21 is arranged on the outer side of the cargo box 13 to form the exterior of the cargo box 13, and the cargo box 13 is arranged at the rear of the cab 12 where passengers enter the vehicle 1, the side inner panel 22 is arranged on the inner side of the side outer panel 21 in the cargo box 13, the side upper member 32 is arranged at the upper end portion of the side outer panel 21 or the upper end portion of the side inner panel 22 along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1, and a plurality of reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37 are arranged between the side outer panel 21 and the side inner panel 22, wherein the upper ends of the reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37 are connected to the side upper member 32.

[0032] Figure 2 FIG. 2 shows a side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 In a vehicle 1 such as a pickup truck, a cab 12 for passengers to get on and a cargo box 13 for loading or unloading cargo at the rear of the cab 12 are provided above a frame 11 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 .

[0033] The side structure of the cargo box of a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be applied to the cargo box 13 of a small truck such as a pickup truck.

[0034] The sides of the cargo box 13 may be formed using side outer panels 21 and side inner panels 22 .

[0035] The side outer panels 21 may be provided on the outside of the cargo box 13 to form the exterior of the cargo box 13 .

[0036] The side inner panel 22 may be provided on the inner side of the side outer panel 21 .

[0037] The side outer panels 21 and the side inner panels 22 may be disposed at intervals, and upper end portions thereof may be fastened.

[0038] Here, refer to Figure 2 A floor panel 30A on which cargo is loaded and forms the floor of the cargo box 13, a front panel 30B for closing the front end of the cargo box 13, and a tail panel 14 that can be opened or closed at the rear end of the cargo box 13 can be set to provide the basic shape of the cargo box 13.

[0039] Furthermore, a member configured to reinforce the rigidity of the cargo box 13 may be additionally applied to increase the rigidity of the cargo box 13. For the member applied to reinforce the rigidity, the rigidity of a single member may be increased by bending a metal panel in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction or forming a closed cross-sectional structure, and by employing the same method, the rigidity of the cargo box 13 may be reinforced.

[0040] Meanwhile, hereinafter, when two members are fastened, it means that welding W or bolts B may be used to fasten the members.

[0041] In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the rigidity of the cargo box 13 may be increased by additionally installing members configured to provide rigidity to increase the rigidity of the cargo box 13 and fastening the members to each other.

[0042] The side upper members 32 may be provided at upper ends of the sides of the cargo box 13 .

[0043] The side upper member 32 may be provided at an upper end portion of the side outer panel 21 or an upper end portion of the side inner panel 22 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 .

[0044] Since the side upper member 32 needs to be configured to provide rigidity against external forces, when observing its cross section, the side upper member 32 can be formed to include a shape in which the lower portion can be open and the upper portion is bent at right angles to the first and second side portions.

[0045] In a state where the side upper member 32 is set at the upper end portion of the side portion of the cargo box 13, multiple reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37 can be additionally set perpendicular to the ground between the side outer panel 21 and the side inner panel 22, and each upper end portion of the reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37 can be connected to the side upper member 32.

[0046] Since the side upper member 32 provided at the upper end portion of the side portion of the cargo box 13 is supported by the reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37, deformation of the upper end portion of the side portion of the cargo box 13 can be prevented or minimized even when an external force such as a collision is applied to the upper end portion of the cargo box 13.

[0047] Conventionally, the side portions of a cargo box may simply include side outer panels and side inner panels, resulting in insufficient rigidity against collisions.

[0048] Meanwhile, even when the side upper member 32 is provided, the side upper member 32 cannot function as a rigid member if the side upper member 32 is not properly supported, but in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37 can be connected to the side upper member 32 and support the side upper member 32 itself, so that the side upper member 32 can function as a rigid member.

[0049] The front side member 33 provided at the front end portion of the side portion of the cargo box 13 may become one of the plurality of reinforcement members 33 , 34 , and 37 .

[0050] The front side member 33 may be provided at the front end portion of the side portion of the cargo box 13 in a substantially vertical direction. Figure 2, the lower portion of the front side member 33 may be shown as a shape protruding toward the inside of the cargo box 13 through the wheel housing 23. The front side member 33 may be provided by connecting the upper and lower ends at the front end portion of the side of the cargo box 13 by processing a panel.

[0051] The upper end portion of the front side member 33 may be connected to the front end portion of the side upper member 32. Therefore, the front end portion of the side portion of the cargo box 13 includes a structure in which the side upper member 32 and the front side member 33 may be connected to each other.

[0052] At the same time, the lower end of the front side member 33 can be connected to a corresponding one of the two ends of the first floor member 35, which is provided at the lower end of the front portion of the cargo box 13. The floor of the cargo box 13 can be provided with multiple floor members 35, 36, 37, and 38, which are formed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1 and along the width direction of the vehicle 1, or formed along the width direction of the vehicle 1 and then extend upward along the cargo box 13 at both ends of the floor. Among them, the first floor member 35 can be provided at the frontmost portion, with both ends connected to the lower ends of the front side members 33. Therefore, a "U"-shaped structure can be formed at the front end of the cargo box 13 by the front side members 33 and the first floor member 35, and the front end of the side upper member 32 can be supported.

[0053] A second floor member 36 may be provided in the width direction of the vehicle 1 at a position spaced apart from the first floor member 35 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. Both ends of the second floor member 36 may be respectively connected to the wheel housings 23 of the vehicle 1. The second floor member 36 may support both ends of the cargo box 13 at portions where the wheel housings 23 are formed.

[0054] In the cargo box 13, a third floor member 37 may be provided as one of the plurality of reinforcement members 33, 34, and 37, extending from the second floor member 36 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The third floor member 37 includes a middle portion 37a provided on the floor of the cargo box 13 along the width direction of the vehicle 1, and may be formed to bend upward between the side outer panels 21 and the side inner panels 22. Both ends of the third floor member 37, i.e., the upper ends of the portions extending upward between the side outer panels 21 and the side inner panels 22, may be connected to the side upper members 32. The third floor member 37 may be formed in a "U" shape, with both ends connected to the side upper members 32, such that the middle portion of the side upper members 32 is supported by the third floor member 37.

[0055] The third floor member 37 may be connected to the frame 11 using the frame mount 11a. In other words, the frame mount 11a may be provided on the frame 11, and the third floor member 37 may be connected to the frame 11 by using the frame mount 11a.

[0056] The plurality of reinforcement members 33 , 34 , and 37 may include a D-pillar 34 and a fourth floor member 38 provided at a rear end portion of the cargo box 13 .

[0057] The D-pillar 34 may be a member provided with the tailgate 14 at the rear end of the cargo box 13 and may be provided perpendicular to the ground at the rear end of the cargo box 13. The rear end of the side upper member 32 may be connected to the upper end of the D-pillar 34.

[0058] At the same time, the lower end portion of the D-pillar 34 may be connected to an end portion of a fourth floor member 38 disposed rearmost in the width direction of the vehicle 1 among the floor members 35, 36, 37, and 38. In other words, the fourth floor member 38 may be disposed along the width direction of the vehicle 1, and both ends of the fourth floor member 38 may be respectively connected to the D-pillar 34 disposed at the rear end portion of the cargo box 13.

[0059] The D-pillar 34 and the fourth floor member 38 may be connected to form a “U”-shaped structure, and the rear end portion of the side upper member 32 may be connected to the upper end portion of the D-pillar 34 .

[0060] Therefore, the front end portion of the side upper member 32 can be supported by the structure formed by the front side member 33 and the first floor member 35, the middle portion of the side upper member 32 can be supported by the third floor member 37, and the rear end portion of the side upper member 32 can be supported by the structure formed by the D-pillar 34 and the fourth floor member 38, thereby improving the rigidity of the side upper member 32.

[0061] As described above, since the front end portion, the middle portion and the rear end portion of the side upper member 32 can be fastened without being separated from the reinforcing members 33, 34 and 37 perpendicular to the cargo box 13, deformation of the cargo box 13 can be prevented or reduced even when the upper side portion of the cargo box 13 on which the side upper member 32 is provided is subjected to external force such as a collision.

[0062] As another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a hook rail 39 may be further provided below the side upper member 32 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1. The lower end of the side upper member 32, the upper end of the third floor member 37, and the upper end of the side inner panel 22 may be connected to the hook rail 39. The hook 15 may be provided directly on the side inner panel 22, but the hook rail 39 may be provided below the side upper member 32, and the hook 15 may be provided on the hook rail 39.

[0063] At the same time, the front ends of the side upper members 32 can be supported by the front guard 31. The front guard 31 can be provided at the upper end of the front portion of the cargo box 13 along the width direction of the vehicle 1. Since both ends of the front guard 31 can be connected to the side upper members 32, the front ends of the side upper members 31 can be supported not only by the structure formed by the front side members 33 and the first floor member 35, but also by the front guard 31.

[0064] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle may be referred to as a concept based on various means of transportation. In some cases, a vehicle may be interpreted as a concept based on a concept that includes not only various land vehicles traveling on roads, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses, but also various means of transportation such as airplanes, drones, ships, and the like.

[0065] For ease of explanation and precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "upper," "lower," "inner," "outer," "above," "below," "upward," "downward," "front," "back," "inside," "outside," "inwardly," "outwardly," "interior," "exterior," "inner," "exterior," "forward," and "rearward" are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refers to both direct and indirect connections.

[0066] The term "and / or" may include any combination of a plurality of related listed items or any one of a plurality of related listed items. For example, "A and / or B" includes all three cases, such as "A", "B" and "A and B".

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, “at least one of A and B” may mean “at least one of A or B” or “at least one of a combination of at least one of A and B.” Furthermore, “one or more of A and B” may mean “one or more of A or B” or “one or more of a combination of one or more of A and B.”

[0068] In this specification, unless otherwise stated, a singular expression includes a plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0069] In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that terms such as “including” or “having” are intended to specify the presence of features, values, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the possibility of adding or existing one or more other features, values, steps, operations, elements, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0070] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, components may be combined with each other to be implemented as one, or some components may be omitted.

Claims

1. A side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle, wherein the vehicle includes a cab into which passengers enter, the side structure comprising: side outer panels mounted on outer sides of a cargo box to form an exterior of the cargo box, the cargo box being disposed behind the cab; a side inner panel mounted on the inner side of the side outer panel in the cargo box; a side upper member mounted on an upper end portion of the side outer panel or an upper end portion of the side inner panel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and A plurality of reinforcing members installed between the side outer panels and the side inner panels, The upper end portion of the reinforcing member is connected to the side upper member.

2. The side structure of the vehicle cargo box according to claim 1, wherein: The upper side member includes an open lower portion.

3. The side structure of the cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: The side upper member includes a cross section in which an upper portion of the side upper member is bent at right angles to the first side portion and the second side portion.

4. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of reinforcement members include a front side member mounted at the front end portion of the side portion of the cargo box, The upper end portion of the front side member is connected to the front end portion of the side upper member.

5. The side structure of the cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein: The lower end portion of the front side member is connected to a corresponding one of a first end portion and a second end portion of a first floor member mounted on a lower end portion of the front portion of the cargo box. 6 . The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 5 , further comprising a second floor member spaced apart from the first floor member toward a rear side of the vehicle and connected to a wheel house.

7. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of reinforcing members include a third floor member including a middle portion formed along a width direction of the cargo box and disposed on a floor of the cargo box, the third floor member being formed to bend upward between the side outer panels and the side inner panels, An upper end portion of the third floor member is connected to the side upper member.

8. The side structure of the cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 7, further comprising: a hook-shaped member guardrail provided below the side upper member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, The lower end portion of the side upper member, the upper end portion of the third floor member, and the upper end portion of the side inner panel are connected to the hook rail.

9. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: A number of reinforcement members include a D-pillar with a tailgate at the rear end of the cargo box, The upper end portion of the D-pillar is connected to the rear end portion of the side upper member.

10. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The lower end portion of the D-pillar is connected to an end portion of a fourth floor member installed at a lower end portion of a rear portion of the cargo box in a width direction of the vehicle.

11. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a front guard provided at an upper end portion of a front portion of the cargo box in a width direction of the vehicle, and including a first end portion and a second end portion each connected to the side upper member.

12. A side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle, the vehicle including a cab into which passengers enter, the side structure comprising: side outer panels mounted on outer sides of a cargo box to form an exterior of the cargo box, the cargo box being disposed behind the cab; a side inner panel mounted on the inner side of the side outer panel in the cargo box; a side upper member mounted on an upper end portion of the side outer panel or an upper end portion of the side inner panel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a plurality of reinforcing members installed between the side outer panels and the side inner panels; as well as A hook rail is provided below the side upper member in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

13. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 12, wherein: The plurality of reinforcing members include: Front side members mounted on front end portions of the sides of the cargo box; and A third floor member includes a middle portion formed along a width direction of the container and provided on the floor of the container, the third floor member being formed to bend upward between the side outer panels and the side inner panels.

14. The side structure of a cargo box of a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein: The lower end portion of the side upper member, the upper end portion of the third floor member, and the upper end portion of the side inner panel are connected to the hook rail.

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