Rear gate structure of vehicle

Abstract

To enhance the rigidity of a rear gate of a vehicle while retaining the ornamental design of the rear gate.SOLUTION: A rear gate structure of a vehicle comprises: an outer panel; an inner panel: an outer peripheral skeleton part that is formed on the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel; and a stiffening plate that can be overlapped with the outer peripheral skeleton part. The stiffening plate overlapping with the upper corner part of the outer peripheral skeleton part has the shape of a curved long board, and a curved upper edge junction, a curved lower edge junction, an outer edge coupling surface part, an inner edge coupling surface part and a curved concave part are formed thereon. The curved upper edge junction is joined to the inner panel on an extension of the outer edge coupling surface part and the inner edge coupling surface part. The curved lower edge junction is joined to the inner panel on the extension of the outer edge coupling surface part and the inner edge coupling surface part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rear gate structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Some vehicles, such as automobiles, have a rear gate that opens and closes relative to an opening at the rear of the vehicle body. In a rear gate, it is desirable for the outer panel to have a shape that matches the design of the vehicle, so it is difficult to form a skeletal structure in both the inner and outer panels that will deform the panels into a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape, for example. For this reason, in the rear gate, the inner panel is basically deformed into a hat-shaped cross section or the like, and the framework structure is provided only on the inner panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-001423 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-054141 [Patent Document 3] JP 2011-136606 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, even if one attempts to increase the rigidity of the rear gate by forming the skeletal structure of the rear gate by deforming the inner panel in this manner, it is not easy to obtain high rigidity, as would be the case, for example, by overlapping the hat cross-sectional shape of the inner panel with the hat cross-sectional shape of the outer panel. As a result, the rear gate may give the impression of insufficient rigidity to passengers opening or closing the rear gate. In the following description, up, down, left, right, front and rear refer to directions in the vehicle with the rear gate closed.

[0005] For example, when closing an open rear gate, an occupant pulls down the lower edge of the open rear gate with his or her hand. In order to provide a rear glass in the rear gate, a glass opening is formed in the upper part of the inner panel and the upper part of the outer panel. In the upper part of the rear gate, a framework extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the glass opening is formed only in the inner panel. In this case, an input to the lower edge of the rear gate may cause the upper part of the rear gate to bend and flex. Also, an input to the lower edge of the rear gate may cause the lower part of the rear gate to flex so as to bend relative to the upper part of the rear gate.

[0006] In addition, for example, a force in the vehicle width direction may be input from the side to an open rear gate. Such a lateral input may cause the rear gate to rotate within the plane of the rear gate. As a result, the rear gate may bend so that the entire rear gate is deformed from a rectangle to a parallelogram. Furthermore, the input of a force that rotates the rear gate within the plane may cause undesirable forces in a direction different from the direction of movement of the cylinder members that connect the left and right edges of the rear gate to the vehicle body and the hinge members that support the upper edge of the rear gate on the vehicle body so that it can be opened and closed.

[0007] Thus, there is a demand for vehicle rear gates that have increased rigidity while maintaining the design of the rear gate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A rear gate structure for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is a rear gate structure for a vehicle that is provided to be able to be opened and closed relative to a rear opening of a vehicle body, the rear gate structure having an outer panel that constitutes an outer surface of the vehicle by the outer panel, an inner panel that is provided on the inside of the vehicle with respect to the outer panel and has at least an outer periphery joined to the outer panel, a peripheral skeleton portion formed on the inner panel along the outer periphery of the inner panel, and a stiffening plate that is overlapped with the peripheral skeleton portion, the stiffening plate being provided so as to overlap an upper corner portion of the peripheral skeleton portion, and having a curved elongated plate shape with an outer shape that curves along the upper corner portion of the peripheral skeleton portion, and a stiffening plate that is curved at an upper edge of the curved elongated plate shape. A curved concave portion is formed by curving concavely a portion surrounded by a frame formed by an upper edge joint, a curved lower edge joint which curves at the lower edge of the curved long plate shape, and an outer edge connecting surface portion and an inner edge connecting surface portion which are both edges in the long direction of the curved long plate shape, and the curved upper edge joint is joined to an outer adjacent portion of the inner panel adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton portion at least at a portion on an extension of the outer edge connecting surface portion and a portion on an extension of the inner edge connecting surface portion, and the curved lower edge joint is joined to an inner adjacent portion of the inner panel adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton portion at least at a portion on an extension of the outer edge connecting surface portion and a portion on an extension of the inner edge connecting surface portion. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, since the stiffening plate is joined to the inner panel, the stiffening plate and the inner panel can increase the stiffness of the rear gate. Moreover, since the stiffening plate and the inner panel increase the stiffness of the rear gate, the outer panel can be formed in such a way as to ensure the design of the rear gate. Moreover, the stiffening plate of the present invention has a curved long plate shape with an outer shape that curves along the upper corners of the outer peripheral skeleton formed on the inner panel, and is overlapped with the upper corners of the outer peripheral skeleton. Also, the curved long plate shape stiffening plate has a curved concave portion formed by curving a portion surrounded by a frame formed by a curved upper edge joint portion that curves at the upper edge of the curved long plate shape, a curved lower edge joint portion that curves at the lower edge of the curved long plate shape, and an outer edge connecting surface portion and an inner edge connecting surface portion that are both edges in the longitudinal direction of the curved long plate shape. Although the stiffening plate itself is formed in a curved long plate shape, the three-dimensional structure in which the curved concave portion is formed inside the flat outer frame makes it difficult to twist or bend due to external forces. The curved upper edge joint of the stiffening plate having such a three-dimensional structure is joined to the outer adjacent portion adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton of the inner panel at least in the portion on the extension of the outer peripheral connecting surface portion and the portion on the extension of the inner peripheral connecting surface portion. The curved lower edge joint is joined to the inner adjacent portion adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton of the inner panel at least in the portion on the extension of the outer peripheral connecting surface portion and the portion on the extension of the inner peripheral connecting surface portion. As a result, the outer peripheral connecting surface portion and the inner peripheral connecting surface portion are provided so as to bridge the inner side of the outer peripheral skeleton on which the stiffening plate is superimposed. The outer peripheral connecting surface portion and the inner peripheral connecting surface portion are portions of both edges in the longitudinal direction of the stiffening plate having a curved long plate shape. Therefore, the outer peripheral connecting surface portion bridges the inner side of the outer peripheral skeleton in a portion extending in the vertical direction of the outer peripheral skeleton formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel. In contrast, the inner edge connecting surface portion bridges the inside of the outer peripheral skeleton portion in the laterally extending portion of the outer peripheral skeleton portion formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel. As a result, the outer peripheral skeleton portion formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel is less likely to undergo cross-sectional deformation such that the inner cross-sectional area of ​​the outer peripheral skeleton portion increases or decreases in the vertically extending portion and the horizontally extending portion at the upper corner portion. The outer peripheral skeleton portion formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel is less likely to twist or bend at the upper corner portion even when an external force is applied. In this way, the present invention can increase the rigidity of the rear gate while maintaining the design of the rear gate. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the state in which the rear gate of the automobile of FIG. 1 is open. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the rear gate of FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a schematic state of the rear gate in FIG. 3 in an opened and closed state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the inner panel of the rear gate in FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear. [Figure 6] 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the central portion of the left edge of the inner panel in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of stiffening plates provided for the inner panel of FIG. 5 in this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory view of the upper left stiffening plate of FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a joining state between the upper left stiffening plate in FIG. 8 and the inner panel. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the upper left stiffening plate and inner panel of FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory view of a modified example of the upper left stiffening plate of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automobile 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the rear gate 10 of the automobile 1 of FIG. 1 in an open state. In this embodiment, the front-rear, left-right, top-bottom directions are shown in a state where the rear gate 10 is closed as shown in Fig. 1. The vehicle width direction of the automobile 1 refers to the left-right direction.

[0013] An automobile 1 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 is an example of a vehicle. The automobile 1 has a vehicle body 2 that defines a passenger compartment. The automobile 1 has a number of doors for passengers to get in and out of the passenger compartment, as well as a rear gate 10 for accessing a luggage compartment at the rear of the passenger compartment. The upper edge of the rear gate 10 is attached to the roof of the vehicle body 2 by a left hinge member 6 and a right hinge member 7. The rear gate 10 can be opened and closed relative to a rear opening 4 of the vehicle body 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. When the rear gate 10 is opened, a rear opening 4 appears in the body 2 of the automobile 1, as shown in Fig. 2. Passengers can use the rear opening 4 to load and unload luggage from the luggage compartment. The passenger also pulls down the open tailgate 10 to close it. The rear opening 4 of the body 2 of the automobile 1 is closed. Any baggage in the luggage compartment will not fall out of the rear opening 4. 1 and 2 has a pleasing design that makes extensive use of curved shapes, including the outer surface of the tailgate 10. The tailgate 10 harmonizes with other parts of the car 1, such as the left and right tail lamp members 19, and the design of the car 1 is unified overall.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the rear gate 10 of FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the schematic opened and closed states of the rear gate 10 in FIG.

[0015] The rear gate 10 of the automobile 1 has an outer panel 12 and an inner panel 11, as shown in FIG. The outer panel 12 may have a shape based on a substantially rectangular outline, as shown diagrammatically in FIG. The inner panel 11 is provided on the front side of the automobile 1 with respect to the outer panel 12. The inner panel 11 may be formed in a substantially rectangular shape similar to the outer panel 12. The outer panel 12 and the inner panel 11 are formed to have substantially the same outer shape, and their outer peripheral edges are joined together to form the basic structure of the rear gate 10.

[0016] A left hinge member 6 and a right hinge member 7 are attached to the upper edge of the rear gate 10. The left hinge member 6 and the right hinge member 7 support the rear gate 10 so as to be able to open and close relative to the rear opening 4 of the vehicle body 2.

[0017] A left cylinder member 16 serving as a connecting member is provided on the left edge of the rear gate 10. The upper end of the left cylinder member 16 is attached to the vehicle body 2. The lower end of the left cylinder member 16 is attached to the vertical center of the left edge of the rear gate 10.

[0018] A right cylinder member 16 serving as a connecting member is provided on the right edge of the rear gate 10. The upper end of the right cylinder member 16 is attached to the vehicle body 2. The lower end of the right cylinder member 16 is attached to the vertical center of the right edge of the rear gate 10. 2, the left cylinder member 16 and the right cylinder member 16 support either the left or right edge of the rear gate 10 on the body 2 of the automobile 1. This allows the rear gate 10 to be maintained in the open state even if hands are released from the rear gate 10.

[0019] A striker member 17 is provided on the lower edge of the rear gate 10. The striker member 17 is provided at the left-right center of the lower edge of the rear gate 10. In addition, a latch member 8 is provided on the vehicle body 2 in a lower central portion of the rear opening 4, as shown in FIG. When the rear gate 10 is closed, the striker member 17 engages with the latch member 8, as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 4. This allows the rear gate 10 to be maintained in a closed state.

[0020] 3, the vehicle body 2 is provided with a pair of elastic members 9. The pair of elastic members 9 are provided at the left and right edges of the rear opening 4 of the vehicle body 2, in the vertical center portion. As a result, the left and right edges of the closed rear gate 10 come into contact with the pair of elastic members 9. The closed rear gate 10 is less likely to rattle due to vibrations while the automobile 1 is traveling, etc.

[0021] As shown in Fig. 3, a rear glass 13 is fitted into a glass opening at the upper part of the outer panel 12, and a plate mounting surface 15 for mounting a license plate is formed in the center of the lower part. A garnish member 14 is attached between the rear glass 13 and the plate mounting surface 15. The garnish member 14 in this embodiment is formed to have the same width as the outer panel 12, and is attached to the outer panel 12 so as to cross the entire width in the left-right direction at the center of the outer panel 12 in the up-down direction. Left and right tail lamp members 19 are provided on the left and right sides of the garnish member 14 on the vehicle body 2. The outer panel 12 and the garnish member 14 are formed into a curved shape, for example with a central portion in the vehicle width direction protruding, in order to match the design of the rear of the automobile 1. The outer panel 12, together with the garnish member 14 and the left and right tail lamp members 19, constitute the outer surface of the rear of the automobile 1 formed by the rear gate 10, and is therefore designed into a shape that matches the design of the automobile 1.

[0022] For this reason, in the rear gate 10, the inner panel 11 is basically deformed into a hat-shaped cross section or the like, and basically only the inner panel 11 is provided with a framework structure. In the rear gate 10, it is difficult to form a framework structure in both the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12 that will deform the panels into a hat-shaped cross-sectional shape or the like. For this reason, the rear gate 10 may give the impression to passengers who open or close the rear gate 10 that it lacks rigidity.

[0023] For example, when closing an open rear gate 10, a passenger pulls down the central portion of the lower edge of the open rear gate 10 with his / her hand, as shown by force Fa in Figures 3 and 4. In order to provide a rear glass 13 in the rear gate 10, glass openings are formed in the upper part of the inner panel 11 and the upper part of the outer panel 12. When an input is applied to the central portion of the lower edge of the rear gate 10, the rear gate 10 can bend so that its lower portion is bent relative to its upper portion. In addition, in the upper part of the rear gate 10, if the framework is formed vertically on both the left and right sides of the glass opening only in the inner panel 11, the upper part of the rear gate 10 itself may bend and flex when subjected to an input from the central part of the lower edge of the rear gate 10.

[0024] In addition, for example, when closing an open rear gate 10, an occupant may pull down the left end portion of the lower edge or the left end portion of the lower edge as in force Fb or force Fc in Figure 3, rather than the central portion of the lower edge of the rear gate 10 as in force Fa in Figures 3 and 4. The left and right portions of the lower part of the rear gate 10 may bend so as to be twisted relative to, for example, the central portion of the lower part of the rear gate 10. Furthermore, due to the input of such a rotational force about the vertical axis at the center of the vehicle width direction of the rear gate 10, an undesirable force in a direction different from the direction of movement may act on the left cylinder member 16 and the right cylinder member 16 that connect the left and right edges of the rear gate 10 to the vehicle body 2. Similarly, an undesirable force in a direction different from the direction of movement may act on the left hinge member 6 and the right hinge member 7 that support the upper edge of the rear gate 10 to the vehicle body 2 so that it can be opened and closed.

[0025] In addition, for example, a force in the width direction of the automobile 1 may be input from the side to the open rear gate 10, as in the case of force Fd in Fig. 3. Such a lateral input Fd may generate a force Fr that rotates the rear gate 10 within the plane of the rear gate 10. As a result, the rear gate 10 may bend so that its entire shape changes from a rectangle to a parallelogram. Furthermore, by inputting a force Fr that rotates the rear gate 10 in a plane, an undesirable force in a direction different from the direction of movement may act on the left cylinder member 16 and the right cylinder member 16 that connect the left and right edges of the rear gate 10 to the vehicle body 2. Similarly, an undesirable force in a direction different from the direction of movement may act on the left hinge member 6 and the right hinge member 7 that support the upper edge of the rear gate 10 on the vehicle body 2 so that it can be opened and closed.

[0026] Thus, the rear gate 10 of the automobile 1 is required to have high rigidity so that the rear gate 10 is not flexed or bent while maintaining the design of the rear gate 10.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the inner panel 11 of the rear gate 10 in FIG. 1, as viewed from the rear.

[0028] In this embodiment, a glass opening 20 overlapping with the rear glass 13 is formed in the upper part of the inner panel 11. In addition, an auxiliary panel 30 joined to the inner panel 11 is provided below the glass opening 20 of the inner panel 11. A window periphery 23 which is the peripheral portion around the glass opening 20 is joined to a window periphery which is the peripheral portion around the glass opening of the outer panel 12 . The inner panel 11 is formed with a plurality of skeleton parts, including a peripheral skeleton part 21, a left vertical inner skeleton part 24, a right vertical inner skeleton part 25, a central connecting skeleton part 26, a left oblique inner skeleton part 27, and a right oblique inner skeleton part 28. The plurality of skeleton parts are formed in the inner panel 11 by extruding a steel plate for the inner panel 11 by press working to deform it into a hat cross-sectional shape.

[0029] The outer peripheral skeleton 21 is formed on the inner panel 11 along the outer peripheral edge of the substantially rectangular inner panel 11. The outer peripheral skeleton 21 is formed in an annular shape along the outer peripheral edge of the substantially rectangular inner panel 11. Further, on the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21, a left cylinder mounting portion 33, a right cylinder mounting portion 34, a striker mounting portion 35, a left hinge mounting portion 31, and a right hinge mounting portion 32 are arranged.

[0030] The left cylinder attachment portion 33 is a portion for attaching the left cylinder member 16 to the center of the left edge of the inner panel 11 of the rear gate 10 by screwing.

[0031] The right cylinder attachment portion 34 is a portion for attaching the right cylinder member 16 to the center of the right edge of the inner panel 11 of the rear gate 10 by screwing.

[0032] The striker attachment portion 35 is a portion for attaching the striker member 17 to the center of the lower edge of the inner panel 11 of the rear gate 10 by screwing.

[0033] The left hinge attachment portion 31 is a portion for attaching the left hinge member 6 to the upper left side of the inner panel 11 of the rear gate 10 by screwing.

[0034] The right hinge attachment portion 32 is a portion for attaching the right hinge member 7 to the upper right side of the inner panel 11 of the rear gate 10 by screwing.

[0035] The left vertical inner skeleton 24 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11, inside the outer periphery skeleton 21. The left vertical inner skeleton 24 is formed vertically along the up-down direction on the left side part of the lower part of the inner panel 11. The upper end of the left vertical inner skeleton 24 is connected to the window peripheral portion 23. The lower end of the left vertical inner skeleton 24 is connected to the outer periphery skeleton 21.

[0036] The right vertical inner skeleton 25 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11, inside the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The right vertical inner skeleton 25 is formed vertically along the up-down direction on the right side part of the lower part of the inner panel 11. The upper end of the right vertical inner skeleton 25 is connected to the window peripheral portion 23. The lower end of the right vertical inner skeleton 25 is connected to the outer peripheral skeleton 21.

[0037] The central connecting skeleton 26 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11, inside the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The central connecting skeleton 26 is formed horizontally along the left-right direction on the lower part of the inner panel 11. The left end of the central connecting skeleton 26 is connected to the left vertical inner skeleton 24. The right end of the central connecting skeleton 26 is connected to the right vertical inner skeleton 25.

[0038] The left oblique inner skeleton portion 27 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11, inside the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21. The left oblique inner skeleton portion 27 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11 obliquely so as to extend from the left side of the lower end of the left vertical inner skeleton portion 24 toward the upper left direction. The lower end of the left oblique inner skeleton portion 27 is connected to the left vertical inner skeleton portion 24. The upper end of the left vertical inner skeleton portion 24 is joined to the center of the left edge of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21.

[0039] The right oblique inner skeleton portion 28 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11, inside the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21. The right oblique inner skeleton portion 28 is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 11 obliquely so as to extend from the right side of the lower end of the right vertical inner skeleton portion 25 toward the upper right direction. The lower end of the right oblique inner skeleton portion 28 is connected to the right vertical inner skeleton portion 25. The upper end of the right vertical inner skeleton portion 25 is joined to the center of the right edge of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21.

[0040] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the central portion of the left edge of the inner panel 11 in Fig. 5. Fig. 6 also shows the outer panel 12 of the rear gate 10. Incidentally, the central portion of the right edge of the inner panel 11 also has a cross section similar to that shown in FIG. 6 when FIG. 6 is turned over. In FIG. 6, the inner side is the right side and the outer side is the left side.

[0041] 6, the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 having a hat cross-sectional shape has an outer inclined surface 42, a bottom surface portion 41, and an inner inclined surface 43. This provides a hat cross-sectional shape that can function as a skeleton structure. On the outside of the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral frame portion 21, the outer peripheral edge portion 22 of the inner panel 11 is formed. A bottom surface portion 44 of the left oblique inner skeleton portion 27 is formed inside the inner inclined surface 43 of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21. In the AA cross section, the left oblique inner skeleton portion 27 has a bottom surface portion 44 and an inner inclined surface 45. An inner portion 29 of the inner panel 11 is formed on the inner side of the inner inclined surface 45 of the left diagonal inner skeleton portion 27, which is more inner than the left diagonal inner skeleton portion 27. In the example of FIG. 6, the inner portion 29 of the inner panel 11 has an unbent, flat surface shape formed by the inner panel 11 and the auxiliary panel 30.

[0042] In this manner, in this embodiment, various internal skeleton portions such as the left diagonal internal skeleton portion 27 are connected to the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 on the inside of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 with a step. In addition, in a portion different from the AA cross section in Fig. 6, the internal skeleton is not connected to the inside of the peripheral skeleton 21. The cross section in this case is as shown by the dashed line 48 in Fig. 6. The outer inclined surface 42 and the inner inclined surface 43 of the peripheral skeleton 21 form a hat-shaped cross section symmetrical to the bottom surface 41.

[0043] In contrast to this embodiment, it is also possible to align the bottom surface 41 of the left oblique inner skeleton 27 flush with the bottom surface 41 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21, as shown by reference numeral 49 in FIG. 6. However, when the two bottom surface portions 41 are aligned flush in this manner, a wide bottom surface is formed by these multiple bottom surface portions 41. The outer peripheral skeleton 21 does not have an inner inclined surface 43 at the connection portion where the wide bottom surface is formed. As a result, the rigidity of the portion of the inner panel 11 where the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the inner skeleton are connected is difficult to increase, even though the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the inner skeleton are formed in the inner panel 11. The inner panel 11 has a lower rigidity at the connection portion between the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the inner skeleton than other portions where such connection is not made. In this embodiment, various internal skeleton parts such as the left diagonal internal skeleton part 27 are connected to the peripheral skeleton part 21 with a step. As a result, in this embodiment, the cross-sectional shapes of each skeleton part are left as much as possible even in the connecting parts, and a decrease in rigidity at the connecting parts is suppressed. In this embodiment, for example, by forming the peripheral skeleton part 21 along the outer periphery of the inner panel 11, it becomes easier to ensure the rigidity that can be expected.

[0044] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a plurality of stiffening plates provided for the inner panel 11 of FIG. 5 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, in order to stiffen the inner panel 11 and ensure a desired rigidity for the rear gate 10, a plurality of stiffening plates are provided for the inner panel 11. FIG. 7 shows a left stiffening plate 51, a right stiffening plate 52, a lower stiffening plate 55, an upper left stiffening plate 53, and an upper right stiffening plate 54 as stiffening plates. Among these, the left stiffening plate 51, the right stiffening plate 52, and the lower stiffening plate 55 are overlapped on the connection portion between the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the inner skeleton. The upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 are overlapped on the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21. These stiffening plates are joined to the inner panel 11 by spot welding or the like. The stiffening plates are sandwiched between the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12 of the rear gate 10.

[0045] The left stiffening plate 51 is provided overlapping the connecting portion between the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the upper end portion of the left diagonal inner skeleton 27. The left stiffening plate 51 also overlaps with the left cylinder mounting portion 33 provided on the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The left stiffening plate 51 is formed to have an outer shape and size of a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape that overlaps with the range of the inner panel 11 from the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 to the window periphery 23.

[0046] The right stiffening plate 52 is provided overlapping the connecting portion between the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the upper end portion of the right diagonal inner skeleton 28. The right stiffening plate 52 also overlaps with the right cylinder mounting portion 34 provided on the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The right stiffening plate 52 is formed to have an outer shape and size of a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape that overlaps with the range of the inner panel 11 from the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 to the window peripheral portion 23.

[0047] The lower stiffening plate 55 is provided to overlap the connecting portion between the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the lower end portion of the left vertical internal skeleton 24, and the connecting portion between the outer peripheral skeleton 21 and the right vertical internal skeleton 25. The lower stiffening plate 55 also overlaps with the striker attachment portion 35 provided on the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The lower stiffening plate 55 is formed in a horizontally elongated, approximately rectangular shape and size that overlaps the range from the lower end portion of the left vertical internal skeleton 24 to the lower end portion of the right vertical internal skeleton 25.

[0048] The upper left stiffening plate 53 is provided so as to overlap with the upper left corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 that is formed in an annular shape along the outer edge of the inner panel 11. The upper left stiffening plate 53 has a curved long plate shape with an outer shape that is curved in a substantially L-shape along the upper left corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The right edge portion of the curved long plate shape of the upper left stiffening plate 53 is closer to the center in the vehicle width direction than the left hinge mounting portion 31. The lower left edge portion of the curved end of the curved long plate shape of the upper left stiffening plate 53 is located on the left side of the glass opening 20. The upper left stiffening plate 53 overlaps with the left hinge mounting portion 31 provided on the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21.

[0049] The upper right stiffening plate 54 is provided so as to overlap with the upper right corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 that is formed in an annular shape along the outer edge of the inner panel 11. The upper right stiffening plate 54 has a curved long plate shape with an outer shape that is curved in a substantially L-shape along the upper right corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The left edge portion of the curved long plate shape of the upper right stiffening plate 54 is closer to the center in the vehicle width direction than the right hinge mounting portion 32. The right lower edge portion of the curved end of the curved long plate shape of the upper right stiffening plate 54 is located on the right side of the glass opening 20. The upper right stiffening plate 54 overlaps with the right hinge mounting portion 32 provided on the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the upper left stiffening plate 53 in FIG. The upper left stiffening plate 53 in Fig. 8 has a curved upper edge joint 71, a curved lower edge joint 72, an outer edge connecting surface 73, an inner edge connecting surface 74, and a curved concave portion 75. The upper left stiffening plate 53 is provided so as to overlap with the upper left corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21, and has a curved long plate shape with an outer shape that is curved into a substantially L-shape along the upper left corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The upper left stiffening plate 53 may be formed to have each portion shown in Fig. 8, for example, by extruding a steel plate having the outer shape of Fig. 8 by press working. 8, the upper right stiffening plate 54 also has a curved upper edge joint 71, a curved lower edge joint 72, an outer edge connecting surface 73, an inner edge connecting surface 74, and a curved concave portion 75. However, the arrangement is symmetrical to that of FIG.

[0051] The curved upper edge joint 71 is formed at the upper edge of the upper left stiffening plate 53, which has a curved, elongated plate shape.

[0052] The curved lower edge joint 72 is formed at the lower edge of the upper left stiffening plate 53, which has a curved, elongated plate shape.

[0053] The outer edge connecting surface portion 73 is formed on the outer edge curved downward of the upper left stiffening plate 53 which has a curved, long plate shape.

[0054] The inner edge connecting surface portion 74 is formed on the inner edge of the upper left stiffening plate 53 which has a curved, elongated plate shape.

[0055] The curved upper edge joint 71, the curved upper edge joint 71, the outer edge connecting surface 73, and the inner edge connecting surface 74 form a flat frame around the entire outer periphery of the upper left stiffening plate 53, which has a curved, long, plate-like shape.

[0056] The curved concave portion 75 is formed inside the frame of the frame portion formed by the curved upper edge joint portion 71, the curved upper edge joint portion 71, the outer edge connecting surface portion 73, and the inner edge connecting surface portion 74 described above. The curved concave portion 75 may be formed in the upper left stiffening plate 53 by bending the central portion of the upper left stiffening plate 53, which has a curved, long plate shape, into a concave shape by press working. Such a curved concave portion 75 has a curved elongated plate shape that follows the outer shape of the upper left stiffening plate 53.

[0057] A curved step portion 76, a curved upper surface portion 77, and a curved lower surface portion 78 are formed in the curved concave portion 75 having the shape of a curved long plate.

[0058] 8, the curved step portion 76 extends so as to be curved along the longitudinal direction of the curved concave portion 75 having a curved, long plate shape. The curved step portion 76 forms a curved upper step surface portion 77 and a curved lower step surface portion 78 in the curved concave portion 75 having a curved, long plate shape. The curved step portion 76 forms the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the curved lower step surface portion 78 at different depths. As a result, the curved concave portion 75 is formed into a multi-step structure having two steps.

[0059] The curved upper surface portion 77 above the curved step portion 76 has a pair of screw holes 79 formed in the inner portion that overlaps with the left hinge mounting portion 31 of the inner panel 11, for screwing the left hinge member 6 together with the left hinge mounting portion 31. Further, a plurality of recesses 81 and a plurality of protrusions 80 are formed in a bead shape in the remaining portion of the curved upper surface portion 77, arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction. As a result, the curved upper surface portion 77 basically has an uneven surface shape in which the recesses 81 and the protrusions 80 are arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction.

[0060] A plurality of recesses 83 and a plurality of protrusions 82 are formed in a bead shape in the curved lower surface portion 78 below the curved step portion 76. As a result, the curved lower surface portion 78 basically has an uneven surface shape in which the recesses 83 and the protrusions 82 are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction. Note that the curved step portion 76 is interposed between the recess 81 of the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the recess 83 of the curved lower step surface portion 78. Therefore, the recess 81 of the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the recess 83 of the curved lower step surface portion 78 are at different heights. Furthermore, the curved step portion 76 is interposed between the convex portion 80 of the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the convex portion 82 of the curved lower step surface portion 78. Therefore, the convex portion 80 of the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the convex portion 82 of the curved lower step surface portion 78 have different heights.

[0061] Such a three-dimensional structure makes the upper left stiffening plate 53 less likely to twist or bend.

[0062] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a joining state between the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the inner panel 11 in FIG. In order to make the drawing easier to see, the bead structure of the curved upper surface portion 77 and the bead structure of the curved lower surface portion 78 are omitted in FIG.

[0063] The upper left stiffening plate 53 is provided from the upper left corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 of the inner panel 11 to the portion overlapping with the left hinge member 6. The upper left stiffening plate 53 is provided from the upper left corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 to the attachment portion of the left hinge member 6 so as to overlap with the upper left corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21.

[0064] The curved upper edge joint 71 of the upper left stiffening plate 53 is provided so as to follow the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. The curved upper edge joint 71 overlaps with the left hinge mounting portion 31. The curved upper edge joint 71 overlapping with the left hinge mounting portion 31 is screwed to the left hinge member 6 together with the left hinge mounting portion 31 formed on the outer inclined surface 42 of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 of the inner panel 11.

[0065] The curved lower edge joint 72 overlaps the upper left corner of the window perimeter 23 .

[0066] The upper right stiffening plate 54 is also provided in a similar state to that in FIG. 9, from the upper right corner of the outer peripheral framework 21 of the inner panel 11 to the portion overlapping with the right hinge member 7.

[0067] In the overlapping state shown in FIG. 9, the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the inner panel 11 are joined by spot welding or the like. FIG. 9 shows an example of a plurality of joints 89 between the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the inner panel 11. In FIG. 9, the curved upper edge joint portion 71 is joined to the upper left corner portion of the outer circumferential edge portion 22 of the inner panel 11 at a plurality of joints 89 . The curved lower edge joint portion 72 is joined to the upper left corner portion of the window peripheral portion 23 of the inner panel 11 at a plurality of joints 89 . The curved concave portion 75 is joined to the outer inclined surface 42 , which is the outer portion of the outer periphery skeleton portion 21 , at two joints 89 between a pair of screw holes 79 of the curved upper surface portion 77 .

[0068] 9, the curved upper edge joint 71 is joined to the upper left corner of the outer peripheral edge 22 of the inner panel 11 at an extension of the outer peripheral connecting surface 73 and an extension of the inner peripheral connecting surface 74. The outer peripheral edge 22 is an outer adjacent portion that is adjacent to the outside of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21.

[0069] The curved lower edge joint portion 72 is joined to the upper left corner portion of the window peripheral portion 23 of the inner panel 11 at an extension portion of the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and an extension portion of the inner edge connecting surface portion 74. The window peripheral portion 23 is an inner adjacent portion that is adjacent to the inside of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21.

[0070] As a result, the outer edge connecting surface portion 73, which is basically in the form of a flat plate, can connect between the lower joint portion 89 and the upper joint portion 89 with high rigidity due to its linear shape. The inner edge connecting surface portion 74, which is basically in the form of a flat plate, can connect the lower joint portion 89 and the upper joint portion 89 with high rigidity due to its linear shape.

[0071] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the inner panel 11 in Fig. 9. Fig. 10 shows cross sections AA, BB, and CC in Fig. 8. Fig. 10 also shows the outer panel 12 of the rear gate 10.

[0072] The upper left stiffening plate 53 provides a stiffening structure for the outer edge connecting surface 73 of the inner panel 11 with a multi-stage structure made up of the convex portion 80 of the curved upper surface portion 77 and the convex portion 82 of the curved lower surface portion 78 in the AA cross section. In addition, the upper left stiffening plate 53 provides a stiffening structure for the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 of the inner panel 11 with a multi-stage structure including a recess 81 in the curved upper stage surface portion 77 and a recess 83 in the curved lower stage surface portion 78 in the BB cross section. The multi-stage structure in the BB cross section has a different height from the multi-stage structure in the AA cross section. Furthermore, the upper left stiffening plate 53 provides a planar stiffening structure by the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 of the CC cross section between the outer peripheral edge portion 22 of the inner panel 11 and the window peripheral edge portion 23. A planar stiffening structure by the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 is provided between one joint portion 89 of the curved upper edge joint portion 71 and one joint portion 89 of the curved lower edge joint portion 72. The outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and the inner edge connecting surface portion 74 can provide a separator structure at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the upper left stiffening plate 53 having a curved long plate shape. Due to the separator structures at both ends, the upper left stiffening plate 53 is less likely to collapse in the cross section between the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the inner panel 11.

[0073] By combining such joints 89, the upper left stiffening plate 53 can prevent the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 of the inner panel 11 from twisting or bending so as to change the distance between the outer peripheral edge portion 22 of the inner panel 11 and the window peripheral edge portion 23.

[0074] As described above, according to this embodiment, since stiffening plates such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 are joined to the inner panel 11, the inner panel 11 and the stiffening plates can increase the rigidity of the rear gate 10. Moreover, since the rigidity of the rear gate 10 is increased by the inner panel 11 and the stiffening plates, the outer panel 12 can be formed in such a way as to ensure the design of the rear gate 10. Moreover, the stiffening plates such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 of this embodiment have a curved long plate shape with an outer shape curved in a substantially L-shape along the upper corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21 formed in the inner panel 11. Moreover, the stiffening plates such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 are overlapped with the upper corner portion of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. Moreover, the stiffening plate having the curved long plate shape is curved in a concave shape toward the outer peripheral skeleton 21 to form a curved concave portion 75, at a portion surrounded by a frame portion including the curved upper edge joint portion 71 that is the upper edge of the curved long plate shape, the curved upper edge joint portion 71 that is the lower edge of the curved long plate shape, and the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and the inner edge connecting surface portion 74 that are both edges in the longitudinal direction of the curved long plate shape. Although the stiffening plate itself is formed in a curved, long plate shape, the three-dimensional structure in which the curved concave portion 75 is formed inside the planar outer frame makes it difficult for the stiffening plate to be twisted or bent by an external force. The curved upper edge joint 71 of the stiffening plate having such a three-dimensional structure is joined to the outer adjacent portion of the inner panel 11 adjacent to the outer circumferential skeleton portion 21 at least in the portion on the extension of the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and the portion on the extension of the inner edge connecting surface portion 74. The curved lower edge joint 72 is joined to the inner adjacent portion of the inner panel 11 adjacent to the outer circumferential skeleton portion 21 at least in the portion on the extension of the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and the portion on the extension of the inner edge connecting surface portion 74. As a result, the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and the inner edge connecting surface portion 74 are provided so as to bridge each other on the inside of the outer circumferential skeleton portion 21 on which the stiffening plate is superimposed. The outer edge connecting surface portion 73 and the inner edge connecting surface portion 74 are both edge portions in the longitudinal direction of the stiffening plate having a curved elongated plate shape. Therefore, the outer edge connecting surface portion 73 bridges the inside of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 in the vertically extending portion of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel 11. In contrast, the inner edge connecting surface portion 74 bridges the inside of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 in the horizontally extending portion of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel 11. As a result, the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel 11 is less likely to undergo cross-sectional deformation such that the inner cross-sectional area of ​​the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 increases or decreases in the vertically extending portion and the horizontally extending portion at the upper corner portion. The outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 formed along the outer peripheral edge of the inner panel 11 is less likely to twist or bend at the upper corner portion even when an external force is applied.

[0075] In this embodiment, a left hinge mounting portion 31 for, for example, a left hinge member 6 for supporting the rear gate 10 of the automobile 1 to be able to open and close on the vehicle body 2 is formed on the outer side of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 in the inner panel 11. Stiffening plates such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 are provided so as to overlap with the upper corners of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 from the upper corners of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 to the mounting portion of the hinge member 6. The curved upper edge joint portion 71 overlaps with the left hinge mounting portion 31 and is screwed to the left hinge member 6 together with the left hinge mounting portion 31. As a result, the force that may act from the left hinge member 6 to the left hinge mounting portion 31 of the rear gate 10 when opening or closing the rear gate 10 may act on the inner panel 11 and the three-dimensional stiffening plate joined to the inner panel 11. A significant cross section may be formed between the outer peripheral framework 21 of the inner panel 11 and the three-dimensional stiffening plate. In addition, the stiffening plate joined to the inner panel 11 has a three-dimensional structure that makes it difficult to twist or bend.

[0076] In this embodiment, the curved concave portion 75 of the stiffening plates such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 is formed in a multi-stage structure with a curved upper stage surface portion 77, a curved step portion 76, and a curved lower stage surface portion 78. This makes the stiffening plates less likely to twist or bend due to the force applied when opening and closing the rear gate 10. As a result, the upper corner portions of the outer periphery framework portion 21 formed along the outer periphery of the inner panel 11 function to be less likely to twist or bend. In addition, by forming the stiffening plate in a multi-stage structure, a gap can be secured between the stiffening plate and the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21, as shown in Fig. 10, and a cross-sectional area can be secured. The moment of inertia after stiffening can be increased.

[0077] Due to these actions, the upper corner portions of the inner panel 11 are less likely to twist or bend compared to when the curved concave portions 75 of the stiffening plates such as the upper-left stiffening plate 53 and the upper-right stiffening plate 54 are formed with a simple cross section.

[0078] In the present embodiment, the curved concave portion 75 of the stiffening plate such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 has a curved upper step surface portion 77 having an uneven surface shape in which concave portions 81 and convex portions 80 are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the curved upper step surface portion 77. The curved lower step surface portion 78 has an uneven surface shape in which concave portions 83 and convex portions 82 are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the curved lower step surface portion 78. This makes the multi-step curved concave portion 75 less likely to twist or bend compared to a case in which the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the curved lower step surface portion 78 are formed in a flat shape. In this embodiment, surface deformation of the curved upper step surface portion 77 and the curved lower step surface portion 78 can be suppressed.

[0079] In this embodiment, the curved lower edge joint portion 72 overlaps with the window peripheral portion 23, which is the peripheral portion around the glass opening 20, and is joined to the inner panel 11 at the window peripheral portion 23. Here, the window peripheral portion 23 is an inner adjacent portion adjacent to the outer peripheral framework portion 21. This makes it difficult for the curved lower edge joint portion 72 of the stiffening plates such as the upper left stiffening plate 53 and the upper right stiffening plate 54 to twist or bend.

[0080] In this manner, in this embodiment, the rigidity of the rear gate 10 can be increased while maintaining the design of the rear gate 10.

[0081] For example, when the rear gate 10 is opened or closed, a force Fa shown in FIG. Part of this force Fa can be transmitted to a hinge portion such as the left hinge attachment portion 31 through the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21. At this time, the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 is likely to deform so that its lower portion is bent relative to its upper portion. A force that twists the left and right edge portions of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 is likely to act on the upper left and right corner portions of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21 around the upper portion extending in the left-right direction of the outer peripheral skeleton portion 21. In this embodiment, an upper left stiffening plate 53 is joined to the upper left corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21, and an upper right stiffening plate 54 is joined to the upper right corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. As a result, the torsional deformation can be suppressed as described above. As a result, the rear gate 10 in this embodiment, which is formed by overlapping the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12, is less likely to bend or flex when a force Fa is applied. For example, the upper portion of the rear gate 10 itself is less likely to bend or flex.

[0082] In addition, for example, there is a possibility that an occupant may input a force Fd shown in Fig. 3 to the rear gate 10. Such a lateral input Fd may generate a force Fr that rotates the rear gate 10 within the plane of the rear gate 10. As a result, the rear gate 10 may bend so that its entire shape is deformed from a rectangle to a parallelogram. However, in this embodiment, an upper left stiffening plate 53 is joined to the upper left corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21, and an upper right stiffening plate 54 is joined to the upper right corner of the outer peripheral skeleton 21. This makes it difficult for the rear gate 10 to bend so that the entire rear gate 10 changes from a rectangle to a parallelogram.

[0083] The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0084] FIG. 11 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a modified example of the upper left stiffening plate 53 of FIG. 8, the upper left stiffening plate 53 in Fig. 11 has a curved step portion 76 formed not over the entire longitudinal direction of the curved concave portion 75 having a curved long plate shape, but only on the linear portion of the curved concave portion 75. A curved upper step surface portion 77 is formed above the curved step portion 76, and a curved lower step surface portion 78 is formed below it. Furthermore, various holes may be formed in the curved upper surface portion 77 and the curved lower surface portion 78 as appropriate to improve maintenance and workability. Even with these modified upper left stiffening plates 53, it is possible to expect stiffening effects equivalent to those of the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1...automobile (vehicle), 2...vehicle body, 4...rear opening, 6...left hinge member, 7...right hinge member, 8...latch member, 9...elastic member, 10...rear gate, 11...inner panel, 12...outer panel, 13...rear glass, 14...garnish member, 15...plate mounting surface, 16...cylinder member, 17...striker member, 19...tail lamp member, 20...glass opening, 21...peripheral skeleton portion, 22...peripheral edge portion, 23...window peripheral portion, 24...left vertical inner skeleton portion, 25...right vertical inner skeleton portion, 26...central connecting skeleton portion, 27...left diagonal inner skeleton portion, 28...right diagonal inner skeleton portion, 29...inner portion, 30...auxiliary panel, 31...left hinge mounting portion, 32...right hinge mounting portion, 33...left cylinder mounting portion, 34...right cylinder mounting portion, 35...striker mounting portion, 41...bottom surface portion, 42...outer inclined surface, 43...inner inclined surface, 44...bottom surface portion, 45...inner inclined surface, 51...left stiffening plate, 52...right stiffening plate, 53...upper left stiffening plate, 54...upper right stiffening plate, 55...lower stiffening plate, 71...curved upper edge joint portion, 72...curved lower edge joint portion, 73...outer edge connecting surface portion, 74...inner edge connecting surface portion, 75...curved concave portion, 76...curved step portion, 77...curved upper step surface portion, 78...curved lower step surface portion, 79...screw hole, 80...convex portion, 81...concave portion, 82...convex portion, 83...concave portion, 89...connection portion

Claims

1. A vehicle rear gate structure that is provided to be capable of being opened and closed relative to a rear opening of a vehicle body, an outer panel that constitutes an outer surface of the vehicle by the rear gate; an inner panel provided on an inner side of the outer panel of the vehicle, at least an outer peripheral edge of which is joined to the outer panel; a peripheral skeleton portion formed on the inner panel along an outer peripheral edge of the inner panel; A stiffening plate that is overlapped with the outer peripheral skeleton; having The stiffening plate is The outer peripheral frame has a curved elongated plate shape that is provided so as to overlap with the upper corner portion of the outer peripheral frame and curves along the upper corner portion of the outer peripheral frame, a curved concave portion is formed by curving a portion surrounded by a frame formed by a curved upper edge joint portion that is curved at an upper edge of the curved long plate shape, a curved lower edge joint portion that is curved at a lower edge of the curved long plate shape, and an outer edge connecting surface portion and an inner edge connecting surface portion that are both edges in the longitudinal direction of the curved long plate shape, The curved upper edge joint portion is joined to an outer adjacent portion of the inner panel adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton portion at least in an extension portion of the outer edge connecting surface portion and an extension portion of the inner edge connecting surface portion, The curved lower edge joint portion is joined to an inner adjacent portion of the inner panel adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton portion at least in an extension portion of the outer edge connecting surface portion and an extension portion of the inner edge connecting surface portion. The rear gate structure of a vehicle.

2. a mounting portion for a hinge member for supporting the rear gate on the vehicle body so as to be capable of opening and closing the rear gate is formed on an outer side of the outer circumferential framework of the inner panel; the stiffening plate is provided so as to overlap the upper corner portion of the outer circumferential skeleton portion from the upper corner portion of the outer circumferential skeleton portion to the mounting portion of the hinge member, The outer joint portion overlaps the mounting portion and is screwed to the hinge member together with the mounting portion. The vehicle rear gate structure according to claim 1.

3. The curved concave portion of the stiffening plate has A curved step portion extending in a curved manner along the longitudinal direction of the curved concave portion forms a multi-step structure including a curved upper step surface portion on the upper side of the curved step portion and a curved lower step surface portion on the lower side of the curved step portion.

3. A vehicle rear gate structure according to claim 2.

4. The curved upper surface portion has a bead shape having a concave-convex surface in which concave portions and convex portions are alternately arranged in a longitudinal direction of the curved upper surface portion, The curved lower surface portion has a bead shape having a concave-convex surface in which concave portions and convex portions are alternately arranged in the longitudinal direction of the curved lower surface portion.

4. A vehicle rear gate structure according to claim 3.

5. The outer panel and the inner panel are formed with a glass opening in which a rear glass of the vehicle is provided, and peripheral portions around the glass opening are joined together, The curved lower edge joint portion overlaps with the peripheral portion as an inner adjacent portion adjacent to the outer peripheral skeleton portion, and is joined to the inner panel at the peripheral portion.

5. A vehicle rear gate structure according to claim 4.

6. The outer peripheral skeleton is formed in the inner panel in an annular shape along an outer peripheral edge of the inner panel, The stiffening plate that is overlapped with the outer peripheral skeleton includes: a left stiffening plate provided on a left edge portion of the annular outer peripheral skeleton; a right stiffening plate provided on a right edge portion of the annular outer peripheral skeleton portion; an upper left stiffening plate provided at an upper left corner portion of the annular outer peripheral skeleton; an upper right stiffening plate provided at an upper right corner portion of the annular outer peripheral skeleton; a lower stiffening plate provided at a lower edge portion of the annular outer peripheral skeleton portion; The upper left stiffening plate and the upper right stiffening plate are formed into the curved long plate shape. The vehicle rear gate structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images