Locking bar assembly

Abstract

Locking bracket assembly (10) with: a reinforcement (4) which is provided on a vehicle body (1) and is designed with one or more insertion holes (14); an outer panel (18) for covering the reinforcement (4) which has a locking bar mounting surface (18M) arranged to be spaced apart from the reinforcement (4); a reinforcement component (20A) that is fixed to the locking bar mounting surface (18M) and a locking bar (12); and a first connecting rod (24A) connected to the reinforcement component (20A), the first connecting rod (24A) having a first locking section (24Ab) extending from the reinforcement component (20A) to engage in one of the one or more insertion holes (14) formed in the reinforcement (4); and a second connecting rod (24B) which is connected to the reinforcement component (20A), wherein the second connecting rod (24B) has a second locking section (24Bb) which extends from the reinforcement component (20A) to extend into one of the one or more insertion holes (14) which are formed in the reinforcement (4), wherein each of the first and second connecting rods (24A, 24B) has rod sections (24Aa, 24Ba) extending in a forward and / or reverse direction of a vehicle, characterized by the fact that open one or more insertion holes (14) in a direction away from a passenger compartment, and the first and second locking sections (24Ab, 24Bb) extend from the rod sections (24Aa, 24Ba) in one direction towards the passenger compartment.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-74494, filed on April 10, 2019, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

[0002] The present invention relates to a striker mounting structure.

[0003] DE 10 2013 209 834 A1 discloses a striker mounting structure comprising: a reinforcement provided on a vehicle body and formed with one or more insertion holes; an outer panel for covering the reinforcement, which has a striker mounting surface arranged to be spaced from the reinforcement; a reinforcement member fixed to the striker mounting surface and a striker; and a first connecting rod connected to the reinforcement member, wherein the first connecting rod has a first locking portion extending from the reinforcement member to extend into one of the one or more insertion holes formed in the reinforcement;and a second connecting rod connected to the reinforcement member, the second connecting rod having a second locking portion extending from the reinforcement member to extend into one of the one or more insertion holes formed in the reinforcement;

[0004] Another striker mounting structure is known from US 6 814 401 B2.

[0005] A safety catch mounting support structure (equivalent to a striker mounting structure) can be provided for vehicle doors. This mounting structure prevents a door from entering a passenger compartment in the event of a side collision with a vehicle body.

[0006] The mounting structure comprises a reinforcement and a tubular member (corresponding to a connecting rod) mounted on a vehicle body. The reinforcement, for example, has a substantially box-shaped cross-section with a reinforcement front and a reinforcement rear. One end of the tubular member is fixed to the reinforcement front, and the other end is fixed to the reinforcement rear.

[0007] The mounting structure is provided on a vehicle body side component, for example, a rear wheel arch part (which corresponds to a vehicle body). A catch component (which corresponds to a striker) is mounted to the tubular component by screwing in a mounting bolt(s). This mounting structure is highly resistant to the introduction of an impact load in the event of a side collision.

[0008] The mounting structure is fixed to the rear wheel arch. Therefore, the impact load generated in the event of a side collision is applied directly to the reinforcement via the mounting structure. As a result, the reinforcement can be easily deformed due to the impact.

[0009] It is the object of the present invention to provide a striker mounting structure that can reliably absorb an introduction of an impact load in the event of a side collision.

[0010] The object of the invention is achieved with a striker mounting structure according to claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] The present invention relates to a striker mounting structure designed to mount a striker to a vehicle body. A hook fixed to a door is hooked to the striker. A reinforcement formed with an insertion hole(s) can be attached to the vehicle body. An outer panel covering the reinforcement can have a striker mounting surface arranged to be spaced apart from the reinforcement.

[0012] The reinforcement member can be fixed to the striker and the striker mounting surface. Two or more connecting rods can extend from the reinforcement member. Each of the connecting rods can have locking portions that are inserted into the insertion hole(s) formed in the reinforcement.

[0013] Therefore, when an impact is applied to a lateral side of the vehicle body, the door is deformed, and the door hook pulls the striker. The reinforcement member and the connecting rods move together with the striker, such that the locking portions of the connecting rods impact a hole wall surface of the insertion hole(s) of the reinforcement. Consequently, the force caused by the collision is not directly applied to the reinforcement, but rather indirectly. Moreover, since more than one connecting rod is provided, the force caused by the collision is applied to the reinforcement at a plurality of locations. As a result, the reinforcement is gradually deformed, thus favorably preventing the door from entering the passenger compartment. Furthermore, movement of the striker is prevented by more than one connecting rod.Therefore, the striker can be prevented from tilting during the collision, which is a problem with only one connecting rod.

[0014] According to a preferred aspect, the hook may be provided at a rear end of the door. The striker mounting surface may be located in front of the reinforcement. Therefore, when the hook of the door moves forward due to the collision with the door, the impact is reliably transmitted to the reinforcement via the striker mounting surface.

[0015] According to the invention, the insertion hole(s) opens away from the passenger compartment. The connecting rod has a rod portion extending in a forward / backward direction of a vehicle. The locking portions extend from the rod portion toward the interior of the passenger compartment to be inserted into the insertion hole(s). Accordingly, bent portions are formed between the rod and the locking portions. The impact applied to the vehicle body can thus be further absorbed due to the deformation of the bent portions.

[0016] According to a further preferred aspect, a reinforcement member abuts a rear surface of the striker mounting surface, the surface facing the reinforcement. The striker abuts a front surface that is an opposite side of the rear surface of the striker mounting surface. The striker and the reinforcement member thus cooperate to clamp the striker mounting surface. In this way, the striker and the reinforcement member can be securely mounted to the striker mounting surface.

[0017] According to another preferred aspect, two or more connecting rods may be arranged in series in an up / down direction. Therefore, the impact force is distributed in the up / down direction. The impact force applied to the lateral side of the vehicle body is further contained in the reinforcement. As a result, the striker bar is reliably prevented from tilting in the up / down direction.

[0018] According to another preferred aspect, the first and second connecting rods of the two or more connecting rods may extend from the reinforcement member. The second connecting rod extends such that the distance between the first connecting rod increases or decreases in a direction away from the reinforcement member. Therefore, since the angles of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod with respect to the reinforcement member are respectively different, the force applied to the reinforcement is distributed. The impact force is thus effectively retained in the reinforcement. Furthermore, the first connecting rod cooperates with the second connecting rod to effectively prevent the striker from rotating or tilting.

[0019] According to another preferred aspect, a reinforcing plate may be provided to extend from the reinforcing member to the reinforcement. Therefore, the reinforcing member is reinforced by the reinforcing plate, so that the impact force can be effectively restrained by the reinforcing member.

[0020] According to another preferred aspect, the connecting rods are fixed to the reinforcement plate. Thus, the reinforcement plate and the connecting rods cooperate to reinforce the reinforcement member. As a result, the impact force can be more effectively restrained by the reinforcement member.

[0021] According to another preferred aspect, one of the connecting rods extends along the upper edge of the reinforcement plate and is fixed to the reinforcement plate. The other connecting rod extends along the lower edge of the reinforcement plate and is fixed to the reinforcement plate. These two connecting rods are fixed to the reinforcement plate such that the distance between the two connecting rods increases or decreases in a direction away from the reinforcement member.

[0022] The two connecting rods are thus reinforced by the reinforcement plate. In addition, the impact force applied to the lateral side of the vehicle body is dispersed in the up / down direction and retained in the reinforcement. As a result, the striker bar is reliably prevented from tilting in the up / down direction. Furthermore, since the angles of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod with respect to the reinforcement member are different, the force applied to the reinforcement is more dispersed. The impact force is thus effectively retained in the reinforcement.

[0023] According to another preferred aspect, the reinforcement plate is a separate component from the reinforcement member and is attached to the reinforcement member. Therefore, the shape of the reinforcement plate can be flexibly selected and, for example, can be formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the reinforcement.

[0024] According to another preferred aspect, the reinforcement plate may have a rib line extending in the front-to-back direction to form a convex shape in a direction away from or toward the passenger compartment. Therefore, the strength of the reinforcement plate can be greater in the front-to-back direction. On the other hand, the reinforcement plate can be easily bent around the rib lines in the up-to-down direction, so that the impact can be further absorbed by the reinforcement plate.

[0025] Additional features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood after reading the following detailed description together with the claims and the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an entire striker mounting structure according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the striker mounting unit of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing a detailed structure of the striker mounting structure of Fig. 1 represents. Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing a movement of the striker mounting structure of Fig. 1 in the case of a side collision. Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing a movement of the striker mounting structure of Fig. 1 in the case of side collision. Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing a movement of the striker mounting structure of Fig. 1 in the case of side collision. Fig. 7 is an explanatory view of a striker mounting structure according to a second embodiment. Fig. 8 is an explanatory view of a striker mounting structure according to a third embodiment. Fig. 9 is an explanatory view illustrating a movement of a striker mounting structure with a connecting rod.

[0026] A striker mounting structure will be described with reference to the drawings. The striker mounting structure may include, for example, a striker mounting unit configured to mount a striker to a vehicle body. The X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis illustrated in the drawings intersect perpendicularly. For the purpose of the following description, with reference to the vehicle body 1, an X-direction is defined as "forward," a direction opposite to the X-direction is defined as "backward," a Z-direction is defined as "upward," and a direction opposite to the Z-direction is defined as "downward." The Y-direction is defined as "left," and a direction opposite to the Y-direction is defined as "right."

[0027] In Fig. 1, an outer panel 18 is not shown. Fig. 1 shows a striker mounting structure for a door 2 provided on a left rear side portion 1S of a vehicle body 1. A reinforcement 4 may be provided on the rear side portion 1S of the vehicle body 1. As shown in Fig. 3, an outer panel 18 may cover the reinforcement 4, a reinforcing member 20A, connecting rods 24A, 24B, and a reinforcing plate 22Ac. As also shown in Fig. 3, a striker 12 need not be covered by the outer panel 18.

[0028] A hook 16 may be provided at a door rear end portion 2A of the door 2. When the door 2 is closed, the hook 16 may lock into the striker 12. When the hook 16 is locked into the striker 12, the striker 12 prevents the door 2 from entering the passenger compartment in the event of a side collision. The striker mounting structure 10A (10) described below is designed to allow the striker 12 to be mounted on the vehicle body.

[0029] The striker 12 can be mounted on the vehicle body 1 and can be a component of a striker mounting unit 10U. As shown in Fig. 2, the striker mounting unit 10U may include a striker 12, a reinforcing member 20A, connecting rods 24A, 24B, bolts BLT, and a nut plate NLT.

[0030] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcement 4 may be provided with an insertion hole 14. The insertion hole 14 may open in a direction away from the passenger compartment, which is the direction opposite to the interior of the passenger compartment. The outer panel 18 may have a striker mounting surface 18M at the front side thereof. The striker mounting surface 18M may be provided to be spaced apart from the reinforcement 4 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body.

[0031] As in Fig. 2, the reinforcement member 20A may have two reinforcement members 21A, 22A. The striker 12 may be fixed to one of the reinforcement members (reinforcement member 20A in this embodiment). Specifically, the striker 12 may have a striker plate 12b fixed to the striker mounting surface 18M (see Fig. 3) and comprise a striker rod 12a, which may be substantially U-shaped and protrudes from the striker plate 12b.

[0032] A mounting plate portion 21Aa of the reinforcing member 21A, which is in Fig. 2, may be arranged on the rear side of the striker mounting surface 18M, as shown in Fig. 3. The reinforcement member 22A is arranged on the rear side of the mounting plate portion 21Aa of the other reinforcement member 21A. The nut plate NLT is arranged on the rear side of the reinforcement member 22A. Legs Ba of the bolts BLT are sequentially inserted into holes 12c in the striker 12, holes in the striker mounting surface 18M, and each of the holes 21Ab, 22Af in the corresponding reinforcement members 21A, 22A. The front ends of the legs Ba of the bolts BLT are screwed into nuts Na provided on the nut plate NLT. In this way, the striker 12 is fixed to the striker mounting surface 18M, together with the reinforcement member 21A, using the bolts BLT and the nut plate NLT.

[0033] With reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the reinforcement member 21A may be formed, for example, in an L-shape in a plan view. The reinforcement member 21A may include a mounting plate portion 21Aa and a side wall 21Ac rising from an end edge of the mounting plate portion 21Aa. The mounting plate portion 21Aa faces the reinforcement 4 with a gap formed therebetween. The mounting plate portion 21Aa may have a shape that generally follows a corresponding surface of the reinforcement 4. Two holes 21Ab are formed in the mounting plate portion 21Aa, into which the bolts BLT can be inserted. The reinforcement member 22A may be formed in a shape to generally conform to the shape of the reinforcement member 21A. A reinforcement plate 22Ac may be formed at an end of the reinforcement member 22A facing toward the outside of the passenger compartment.The reinforcement plate 22Ac may be oriented in the direction away from the passenger compartment.

[0034] As in Fig. 2, the connecting rods 24A, 24B may have a U-shaped configuration. The connecting rods 24A, 24B may each have rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba, locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb, and fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb extend from one end of the corresponding rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba (e.g., ends close to each other, specifically, a lower end of the rod portion 24a and an upper end of the rod portion 24Ba) toward the interior of the passenger compartment. The fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc extend from the other end of the corresponding rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba (e.g., ends far apart from each other, specifically, an upper end of the rod portion 24Aa, a lower end of the rod portion 24Ba) toward the interior of the passenger compartment. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb are inserted into the same insertion hole 14 (see Fig. 3) formed in the reinforcement 4. The rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba serve to connect the locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb to the fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc.

[0035] As in Fig. 2, the reinforcement member 22A may have a substantially Z-shape when viewed from the upper side. The reinforcement member 22A may include a plate-like main body 22Ad, a flange 22Ae, and a reinforcement plate 22Ac. The flange 22Ae extends from an inner edge, which is an edge near the passenger compartment, of the plate-like main body 22Ad in a direction away from the reinforcement 4 (see Fig. 1), for example, in the forward direction. The flange 22Ae may be positioned along a passenger compartment inner side of the side wall 21Ac of the reinforcement member 21A. The reinforcement plate 22Ac extends from a passenger compartment outer edge of the plate-like main body 22Ad in a direction toward the reinforcement 4, for example, in the rearward direction.

[0036] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcement member 22A may have fixing portions 22Aa1, 22Aa2, 22Ab1, and 22Ab2, to which the connecting rods 24A, 24B are configured to be attached. The fixing portions 22Aa1, 22Aa2 may extend from opposite ends of the plate-like main body 22Ad, for example, the upper and lower ends. The fixing portions 22Aa1, 22Aa2 may, for example, have a semicircular bottom surface that matches the shape of the fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc of the connecting rods 24A, 24B. The fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc of the connecting rods 24A, 24B are welded to the inner peripheral surfaces of the fixing portions 22Aa1, 22Aa2. The fixing portions 22Ab1, 22Ab2 extend from opposite ends of the reinforcing plate 22Ac, for example, the upper and lower ends.The fixing end portions 22Ab1, 22Ab2 may, for example, have a semicircular bottom surface that matches the shape of the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba of the connecting rods 24A, 24B. The rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba of the connecting rods 24A, 24B are welded to the inner peripheral surfaces of the fixing portions 22Ab1, 22Ab2.

[0037] As in Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Fig. 2, the connecting rods 24A, 24B are attached to the reinforcement member 20A. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb of the connecting rods 24A, 24B protrude from the reinforcement member 20A toward the reinforcement 4. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb are inserted into the insertion hole 14 formed in the reinforcement 4. The connecting rods 24A, 24B are vertically arranged in the up / down direction with respect to each other. The rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba of the connecting rods 24A, 24B extend in the front / back direction. The distance between the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba gradually decreases in the back direction.

[0038] As in Fig. 2, the reinforcement plate 22Ac may have two rib lines 22Ac1 extending in the front-rear direction. The reinforcement plate 22Ac may also have an upper portion 22Ac2, for example, formed to have a substantially triangular shape between the rib lines 22Ac1. The reinforcement plate 22Ac is raised in the thickness direction such that the upper portion 22Ac2 faces away from the passenger compartment. As an alternative to the two rib lines 22Ac1 and the upper portion 22Ac2, only one rib line 22Ac1 may be provided. The reinforcement plate 22Ac is raised in the thickness direction such that the rib lines 22Ac1 are located outside the passenger compartment.

[0039] Fig. 4, Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 illustrates a movement of the striker mounting structure 10A during a side collision. The two-dot chain lines in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 indicate the position of the striker 12 before the side collision; the solid lines indicate the position of the striker 12 during a side collision.

[0040] As in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, in the event of a side collision, the door rear end portion moves toward the front of the vehicle body, for example, when the door is deformed. As a result, the hook 16 (see Fig. 1) on the door forward (in a direction indicated by an arrow). As a result, the hook 16 pulls the striker 12 in the forward direction. The movement of the striker 12 causes the entire reinforcement member 20A to move in the forward direction of the vehicle body. As the reinforcement member 20A moves forward, the locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb of the connecting rods 24A, 24B are moved to abut against the edges of the insertion hole 14 formed in the reinforcement 4. This abutment against the reinforcement 4 prevents further movement of the connecting rods 24A, 24B in the forward direction. As shown in Fig. 5, a reaction force (indicated by the semi-transparent (gray) arrows) in the rearward direction of the vehicle body is applied to the connecting rods 24A, 24B from the reinforcement 4. This, plus the engagement with the insertion hole 14, causes a rotational force to act on the connecting rods 24A, 24B, specifically, a rotation about the fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc. This and subsequent movements will be described in detail below.

[0041] As in Fig. 6, rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba of the connecting rods 24A, 24B are arranged at an angle with respect to the direction in which the load is applied. The connecting rods 24A, 24B thus receive rotational forces around their respective fixing end portions 24Ac, 24Bc. These rotational forces enable movement of the locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb along the front wall edge of the insertion hole 14 of the reinforcement 4. For example, one of the locking portions 24Ab of the connecting rod 24A moves in the upward direction to abut against the upper portion of the hole edge of the insertion hole 14. The other locking portion 24Bb of the other connecting rod 24B moves in the downward direction and abuts against the lower portion of the hole edge of the insertion hole 14.As the locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb move along the front wall edge of the insertion hole 14, the fixing portions 22Ab1, 22Bb1 begin to bend through the respective rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba. Alternatively or additionally, the upper portion 22Ac2 of the reinforcement plate 22Ac may be bent toward the passenger compartment, for example, around the rib lines 22Ac1. These bending movements help further absorb some of the impact force before it is applied with greater force to the reinforcement member 21A and / or the reinforcement 4. As the door continues to deform and the striker 12 moves further forward, the reinforcement member 21A and / or the reinforcement 4 gradually deform.

[0042] The use of a plurality of connecting rods 24A, 24B prevents tilting of the striker 12, for example, in the upward or downward direction, during a side collision. In contrast, if only one connecting rod is provided, as in Fig. As shown in Fig. 9, a striker 112 may be tilted / bent during a side collision around the portion where the striker 112 is locked in the insertion hole 114, for example, due to rotation of the connecting rod 124. The present embodiment, on the other hand, can prevent such bending movement of the striker 12 with respect to the insertion hole 14 of the reinforcement 4. Removal of the hook 16 from the striker 12 is therefore prevented. Consequently, entry of the door into the passenger compartment can be prevented or delayed because the reinforcement member 21A and the reinforcement 4 are gradually deformed during the side collision.

[0043] Fig. Fig. 7 shows a striker mounting structure 10B (10) according to a second embodiment. The striker mounting structure 10B according to the second embodiment may have a reinforcing member 20B (21A, 22B) as an alternative to the reinforcing member 20A (21A, 22A) shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4. In addition, the reinforcement 4 may have two insertion holes 14A, 14B, as shown in Fig. 7, in contrast to the one insertion hole 14 shown in Fig. 4 is shown.

[0044] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, the reinforcement member 22B may have a substantially Z-shaped configuration in plan view. The reinforcement member 22B may also include a plate-like main body 22Bd, a flange 22Be, and a reinforcement plate 22Bc. The flange 22Be extends from the inner edge, closer to the passenger compartment, of the plate-like main body 22Bd in a direction away from the reinforcement 4, for example, in the forward direction. The reinforcement plate 22Bc extends from the outer edge, away from the passenger compartment, of the plate-like main body 22Bd in a direction toward the reinforcement 4, for example, in the rearward direction.

[0045] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 7, the two connecting rods 24A, 24B can be attached to the reinforcement member 20B. The rod portion 24Aa of the first connecting rod 24A is fixed along the upper edge of the reinforcement plate 22Bc. The rod portion 24Ba of the second connecting rod 24B is fixed along the lower edge of the reinforcement plate 22Bc. The distance between the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba gradually increases toward the rearward direction. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb extend from the rear ends of the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba toward the interior of the passenger compartment. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb are inserted into respective insertion holes 14A, 14B of the reinforcement 4.

[0046] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 7, the locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb may be provided at the rear portions of the respective connecting rods 24A, 24B. The first locking portion 24Ab is inserted into the first insertion hole 14A formed in the reinforcement 4. The second locking portion 24Bb is inserted into the second insertion hole 14B formed in the reinforcement 4.

[0047] As in Fig. 7, the first and second connecting rods 24A, 24B are fixed to an upper portion and a lower portion of the reinforcing plate 22Bc, respectively. The distance between the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba of the connecting rods 24A, 24B gradually increases toward the rearward direction. Alternatively, as shown in Fig. 3, the distance between the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba becomes smaller toward the rearward direction. At least a portion of the distance-changing part 24SA of each of the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba, where the distance between them changes, is fixed to the reinforcing plate 22Bc.

[0048] As in Fig. 4, in the event of a side collision, the door rear end portion may move in the forward direction when the door is deformed. In this case, the hook 16 (see Fig. 1) formed on the door, the reinforcement member 20B in the forward direction over the striker 12. This allows movement of the connecting rod 24A attached to the reinforcement member 20B in the forward direction. The locking portion 24Ab of the connecting rod 24A accordingly moves in the forward and downward direction to abut against a lower front edge of the insertion hole 14A. The other locking portion 24Bb of the other connecting rod 24B accordingly moves in a forward and upward direction to abut against an upper front edge of the insertion hole 14B. Furthermore, as the door deforms and the hook 16 pulls the striker 12 further in the forward direction, the reinforcement member 20B and / or the reinforcement 4 are gradually deformed.

[0049] The reinforcement 4, which in Fig. 7 can have two insertion holes 14A, 14B. Therefore, the force applied to the reinforcement 4 can be distributed to two points compared to the reinforcement 4 having only one insertion hole 14, as shown in Fig. 3. As a result, the deformation of the reinforcement 4 can be further delayed, and the entry of the door into the passenger compartment can be prevented or delayed.

[0050] Fig. Fig. 8 shows a striker mounting structure 10C (10) according to a third embodiment. The striker mounting structure 10C may include a reinforcing member 20C (21A, 22C) Fig. 8, alternatively to the reinforcing components 20A (21A, 22A) shown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4 are shown.

[0051] As in Fig. 8, the reinforcement member 22C may include a plate-like main body 22Cd, a flange 22Ce, and a reinforcement plate 22Cc. The flange 22Ce extends from the inner edge, the edge closer to the passenger compartment, of the plate-like main body 22Cd in a direction away from the reinforcement 4, for example, in the forward direction. In this embodiment, the reinforcement plate 22Cc is a separate component from the plate-like main body 22Cd and is attached to the plate-like main body 22Cd. The reinforcement plate 22Cc may extend, for example, from a region near the inner edge, an edge closer to the passenger compartment, of the plate-like main body 22Cd in the direction toward the reinforcement 4, for example, in the rearward direction.

[0052] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 8, the fixing portions 22Cb1, 22Cb2 are formed at both the upper and lower ends of the reinforcing plate 22Cc. The fixing portions 22Cb1, 22Cb2 may, for example, include a semicircular bottom surface that matches the shape of the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba of the connecting rods 24A, 24B. The rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba are welded to the inner peripheral surfaces of the fixing portions 22Cb1, 22Cb2.

[0053] As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 8, the rod portion 24Aa of the first connecting rod 24A extends along the upper edge of the reinforcement plate 22Cc in the front-rear direction. The rod portion 24Ba of the second connecting rod 24B extends along the lower edge of the reinforcement plate 22Cc in the front-rear direction. The distance between the rod portions 24Aa and 24Ba, which is generally located at the interval-changing portion 24SB, gradually becomes smaller in the rearward direction. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb extend from the rear ends of the rod portions 24Aa, 24Ba toward the interior of the passenger compartment. The locking portions 24Ab, 24Bb are inserted into the insertion hole 14 of the reinforcement 4.

[0054] The shapes of the locking bracket 12 and the hook 16 are not limited to those shown in Fig. 1, and they can have different shapes as long as the hook can be locked by the locking bracket.

[0055] The striker mounting structure 10 may have two connecting rods 24A, 24B, as shown in Fig. 2. Alternatively, the striker mounting structure 10 may have three or more connecting rods. One end of each of the three connecting rods may be inserted into an insertion hole formed in the reinforcement 4. Alternatively, one end of each of the three connecting rods may be inserted into a plurality of insertion holes formed in the reinforcement 4.

[0056] The reinforcing member 22A, which is Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, and the reinforcing member 22B shown in Fig.7, the plate-like main bodies 22Ad, 22Bd and the reinforcement plates 22Ac, 22Bc may be integrally formed as a single component. Alternatively, the reinforcement plates 22Ac, 22Bc may be separate components from the plate-like main bodies 22Ad, 22Bd and may be attached to the plate-like main bodies 22Ad, 22Bd.

[0057] The various examples described above in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings are intended to be representative of the present disclosure and are thus non-limiting embodiments. The detailed description is intended to teach one skilled in the art to make, use, and / or practice various aspects of the present teachings and thus does not limit the scope of the disclosure in any way. Furthermore, each of the additional features and teachings disclosed above may be applied and / or used separately or with other features and teachings in any combination thereof to provide an improved striker mounting structure and / or method of making and using the same.

Claims

[1] Striker mounting structure (10) with: a reinforcement (4) provided on a vehicle body (1) and formed with one or more insertion holes (14); an outer panel (18) for covering the reinforcement (4) and having a striker mounting surface (18M) arranged to be spaced from the reinforcement (4); a reinforcing member (20A) fixed to the striker mounting surface (18M) and a striker (12); and a first connecting rod (24A) connected to the reinforcement member (20A), the first connecting rod (24A) having a first locking portion (24Ab) extending from the reinforcement member (20A) to extend into one of the one or more insertion holes (14) formed in the reinforcement (4); and a second connecting rod (24B) connected to the reinforcement member (20A), the second connecting rod (24B) having a second locking portion (24Bb) extending from the reinforcement member (20A) to extend into one of the one or more insertion holes (14) formed in the reinforcement (4), wherein each of the first and second connecting rods (24A, 24B) has rod portions (24Aa, 24Ba) extending in a forward and / or backward direction of a vehicle, characterized by , that the one or more insertion holes (14) open in a direction away from a passenger compartment, and the first and second locking portions (24Ab, 24Bb) extend from the rod portions (24Aa, 24Ba) in a direction toward the passenger compartment. [2] Striker mounting structure (10) according to claim 1, wherein: a hook (16) is provided at a rear end of a vehicle door and is designed to hook the striker (12), and the striker mounting surface (18M) is located in front of the reinforcement (4). [3] Striker mounting structure (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the reinforcement component (20A) bears against a rear surface of the striker mounting surface (18M), the rear surface facing the reinforcement (4), and the striker (12) bears against a front surface of the striker mounting surface (18M), the front surface being opposite the rear surface. [4] The striker mounting assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first and second connecting rods (24A, 24B) are oriented in an upward and / or downward direction. [5] The striker mounting structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a distance between the first and second connecting rods (24A, 24B) increases or decreases in a direction toward the one or more insertion holes (14). [6] The striker mounting structure (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a reinforcing plate (22Ac) extending from the reinforcing member (20A) toward the reinforcement (4). [7] The striker mounting structure (10) according to claim 6, wherein the connecting rods (24A, 24B) are fixed to the reinforcing plate (22Ac). [8] Striker mounting structure (10) according to claim 7, wherein: the first connecting rod (24A) extends along an upper end of the reinforcing plate (22Ac), the second connecting rod (24B) extends along a lower end of the reinforcing plate (22Ac), and a distance between the first connecting rod (24A) and the second connecting rod (24B) increases or decreases in a direction toward the reinforcing member (20A). [9] Striker mounting structure (10) according to one of claims 6 to 8, wherein: the reinforcing plate (22Ac) is a separate component from the reinforcing member (20A), and the reinforcing plate (22Ac) is attached to the reinforcing member (20A). [10] The striker mounting structure (10) according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the reinforcing plate (22Ac) has a rib line (22Ac1) extending in a front and / or rear direction of the vehicle to form a convex shape in a direction away from a passenger compartment or in a direction toward the passenger compartment.

Images