Sheet belt retractor fitting structure

Abstract

To fix a retractor fitting member to a rocker while minimizing the number of joints between the retractor fitting member and the rocker.SOLUTION: A seat belt retractor fitting structure comprises: a rocker 20; and a retractor fitting member 30 for fitting a seat belt retractor. In the seat belt retractor fitting structure, a joint part 31 provided at the retractor fitting member 30 comprises a second joint piece 31b bent and extended relative to the first joint piece 31a. Further, in the seat belt retractor fitting structure, the second joint piece 31b is welded to a rocker outer flange part 23 and a rocker inner flange part 25 to mutually joint the rocker outer flange part 23 and the rocker inner flange part 25.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a seat belt retractor mounting structure. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, the body of an automobile includes a center pillar and a side sill which also functions as a rocker. The center pillar is formed by joining a center pillar outer and a center pillar inner. The side sill is formed by joining a side sill inner and a side sill outer. The body is provided with a seat belt retractor. The seat belt retractor is attached to a retractor mounting member fixed to the body.

[0003] The gusset member as a retractor mounting member disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes two pillar-shaped portions joined to the center pillar inner, a base portion joined to the side sill inner, and a seat belt retractor mounting piece at the intermediate position between the two pillar-shaped portions. The seat belt retractor is attached to the seat belt retractor mounting piece and provided on the vehicle body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-059783 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when the gusset member and the side sill are joined, a load is applied to the joint between the gusset member and the side sill via the seat belt retractor due to the pulling of the seat belt, etc. In order to withstand this load, it is preferable to increase the number of joints between the gusset member and the side sill. However, since the side sill is formed by joining the side sill inner and the side sill outer, increasing the number of joints between the gusset member and the side sill leads to an increase in the number of joints formed on the side sill. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A seat belt retractor mounting structure for solving the above problems comprises a rocker extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, provided on the side of the vehicle and forming the lower edge of a door opening, and a retractor mounting member having a joint to the rocker and a mounting portion for a seat belt retractor, wherein the rocker is formed by joining a pair of rocker members, each of which has a main body portion having a gutter-shaped cross section in the extension direction and a flange portion extending from the main body portion, to each other, and the seat belt retractor is fixed to the rocker by the retractor mounting member, and the joint comprises a first joint piece welded to one of the pair of main body portions and a second joint piece extending while being bent relative to the first joint piece, and the pair of flange portions are joined to each other by welding the second joint piece to the pair of flange portions.

[0007] According to this, when the seat belt is pulled during a collision or the like, the tensile load acting on the retractor mounting member is distributed to one of the pair of main body portions to which the first joint piece is welded, and also to each of the pair of flange portions to which the second joint piece is welded. Therefore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure can distribute the tensile load generated in the retractor mounting member to one of the pair of main body portions and each of the pair of flange portions. As a result, the seat belt retractor mounting structure can realize a joint that can withstand the tensile load.

[0008] Moreover, the second joint piece is welded to the pair of flange portions. That is, the welding is performed to join the pair of flange portions together and to weld the retractor mounting member to each of the pair of flange portions. Compared to a case where the welding to join the pair of flange portions together and the welding to join the retractor mounting member to each of the pair of flange portions are performed by different welding, the number of welds formed on the rocker outer flange portion and the rocker inner flange portion can be reduced. Therefore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure can fix the retractor mounting member to the rocker while suppressing an increase in the number of welding points on the rocker.

[0009] In the above seat belt retractor mounting structure, the first joint piece may be accommodated in an accommodation space formed by the pair of main body portions, and the second joint piece may be clamped between the pair of flange portions.

[0010] According to this, when a tensile load is applied to the retractor mounting member via the seat belt and the seat belt retractor, the first joint piece is pressed against one of the pair of main bodies that is welded, and is locked by the rocker. Therefore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure can fix the retractor mounting member to the rocker with the mechanical resistance of the rocker against the tensile load applied to the retractor mounting member.

[0011] In the above-mentioned seat belt retractor mounting structure, the retractor mounting member may have a first end at the first joint piece and a second end at the mounting portion, and the retractor mounting member may widen from the second end toward the first end.

[0012] According to this, the mounting portion can be made smaller relative to the joint portion while being made larger relative to the mounting portion. Therefore, the mounting portion can be used to mount the seat belt retractor to the retractor mounting member while increasing the joint area between the joint portion and the rocker. Therefore, the retractor mounting member can be firmly fixed to the rocker.

[0013] In the above seat belt retractor mounting structure, the accommodation space may accommodate an impact absorbing material that absorbs an impact applied to the vehicle from outside the vehicle. According to this, the shock absorbing material deforms when absorbing a shock, and presses the first joint piece against the rocker, thereby making it difficult for the rocker and the first joint piece to come off from each other. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, the retractor mounting member can be fixed to the rocker while suppressing an increase in the number of joints between the retractor mounting member and the rocker. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a side portion of a vehicle. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a seat belt retractor mounting structure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing the seat belt retractor mounting structure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a retractor mounting member. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the rocker and the retractor mounting member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a seat belt retractor mounting structure will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. In the following description, "front", "rear", "upper", and "lower" refer to the state in which the driver of the vehicle faces forward.

[0017] <Overall configuration of vehicle side and seat belt retractor mounting structure> 1 and 2 show a vehicle side S as a side of a vehicle A. The vehicle side S includes a seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 and a pillar 50. A front door opening FD is formed in front of the vehicle side S as a door opening opened and closed by a front side door (not shown). A rear door opening RD is formed in rear of the vehicle side S as a door opening opened and closed by a rear side door (not shown). The rocker 20 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle A and forms the lower edge of the front door opening FD and the rear door opening RD. The pillar 50 is erected on the rocker 20 and divides the front door opening FD and the rear door opening RD in the front-rear direction of the vehicle A. The rocker 20 and the pillar 50 form part of the framework of the vehicle A. The seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 is provided on both sides of the vehicle A in the vehicle width direction. The seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 may be provided on only one side of the vehicle A in the vehicle width direction.

[0018] The seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 includes a rocker 20, a retractor mounting member 30, and a seat belt retractor 40. The seat belt retractor 40 is a part of a seat belt device that restrains an occupant seated in a seat of the vehicle A, and winds and withdraws a seat belt (not shown). In Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the seat belt retractor 40 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. The seat belt is withdrawn from the seat belt retractor 40 to the upper part of the vehicle A, and reaches a seat belt anchor (not shown) provided at the upper part of the pillar 50. In other words, when the seat belt is withdrawn, an upward tensile load is applied to the seat belt retractor 40 by the seat belt.

[0019] <Locker configuration> 2 and 3, the rocker 20 is composed of a pair of rocker members, a rocker outer member 22 and a rocker inner member 24. The rocker outer member 22 is disposed on the vehicle side S on the vehicle outer side of the rocker inner member 24. The rocker outer member 22 is disposed on the vehicle side S with the longitudinal direction of the vehicle A shown in Fig. 1 as its longitudinal direction. In addition, the rocker outer member 22 has a cross-sectional shape, when cut along a plane extending in the vehicle width direction and the up-down direction, that is hat-shaped and opens from the vehicle outer side toward the vehicle inner side.

[0020] The rocker outer member 22 includes a rocker outer main body 22a as a main body portion, and a rocker outer flange portion 23 as a flange portion extended from the rocker outer main body 22a. The rocker outer main body 22a has a cross-sectional shape when cut along a surface extending in the vehicle width direction and the vertical direction, which is a gutter-shaped opening from the vehicle exterior side toward the vehicle interior side. In other words, the rocker outer main body 22a has a gutter-shaped cross section in the extending direction. The rocker outer flange portion 23 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle A from the opening edge of the rocker outer main body 22a. The rocker outer flange portion 23 includes an upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and a lower end rocker outer flange portion 23b. The upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a extends from the upper end edge of the opening edge of the rocker outer main body 22a. The lower end rocker outer flange portion 23b extends from the lower end edge of the opening edge of the rocker outer main body portion 22a. That is, the rocker outer member 22 includes the rocker outer main body portion 22a having a gutter-shaped cross section in the extending direction, and the rocker outer flange portion 23 extending from the rocker outer main body portion 22a.

[0021] The rocker outer member 22 is formed of a material, such as an ultra-high tensile material, having a higher tensile strength than the rocker inner member 24. This allows the rocker outer main body portion 22a to have higher rigidity against a side collision than the rocker inner main body portion 24a.

[0022] The rocker inner member 24 is disposed on the vehicle side S on the vehicle inner side of the rocker outer member 22. The rocker inner member 24 is disposed on the vehicle side S with its longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle A shown in Fig. 1. The rocker inner member 24 has a cross-sectional shape, when cut along a plane extending in the vehicle width direction and the up-down direction, that is hat-shaped opening from the vehicle inner side to the vehicle outer side.

[0023] The rocker inner member 24 includes a rocker inner main body 24a as a main body portion, and a rocker inner flange portion 25 as a flange portion extended from the rocker inner main body 24a. The rocker inner main body 24a has a cross-sectional shape when cut along a surface extending in the vehicle width direction and the vertical direction, which is a gutter-shaped opening from the vehicle inner side toward the vehicle outer side. In other words, the rocker inner main body 24a has a cross-sectional shape in the extending direction. The rocker inner flange portion 25 includes an upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a and a lower end rocker inner flange portion 25b. The upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a extends from the upper end side of the opening edge of the rocker inner main body 24a. The lower end rocker inner flange portion 25b extends from the lower end edge of the opening edge of the rocker inner main body 24a. That is, the rocker inner member 24 includes a rocker inner main body portion 24a having a trough-shaped cross section in the extending direction, and a rocker inner flange portion 25 extending from the rocker inner main body portion 24a.

[0024] The rocker 20 includes a rocker flange portion 21 and a rocker body 20a. The rocker flange portion 21 is formed by joining by spot welding a rocker outer flange portion 23 and a rocker inner flange portion 25. The rocker outer flange portion 23 is formed by an upper end rocker flange portion 21a and a lower end rocker flange portion 21b.

[0025] The upper end rocker flange portion 21a is a portion formed by welding the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a together. The upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a face each other except for a position where a retractor mounting member 30 (described later) is attached.

[0026] The lower end rocker flange portion 21b is a portion formed by welding the lower end rocker outer flange portion 23b and the lower end rocker inner flange portion 25b together. The lower end rocker outer flange portion 23b and the lower end rocker inner flange portion 25b face each other.

[0027] The rocker flange portion 21 has a first joint W1 at a spot where the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25 are spot welded. A plurality of first joints W1 are provided on each of the upper end rocker flange portion 21a and the lower end rocker flange portion 21b. The first joint W1 is a position where the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a are joined on the upper end rocker flange portion 21a. The first joint W1 is a position where the lower end rocker outer flange portion 23b and the lower end rocker inner flange portion 25b are joined on the lower end rocker flange portion 21b. A plurality of first joints W1 are formed at intervals in the front-rear direction of the vehicle A.

[0028] The rocker body 20a is formed from a rocker outer body portion 22a and a rocker inner body portion 24a. That is, the rocker 20 is formed by joining the rocker outer member 22 and the rocker inner member 24 at the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25. In other words, the rocker 20 is formed by joining a pair of rocker members together at a pair of flange portions.

[0029] The rocker outer main body portion 22a and the rocker inner main body portion 24a form an accommodation space 26 inside the rocker 20. The accommodation space 26 is a space extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle A. The seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 is provided with an impact absorbing material 28 in the accommodation space 26. The impact absorbing material 28 is a flat iron or aluminum material extending in the front-rear direction and the vehicle width direction of the vehicle A. In addition, the impact absorbing material 28 contacts, in the vehicle width direction, a surface of the rocker outer main body portion 22a facing the vehicle interior side and a surface of the rocker inner main body portion 24a facing the vehicle exterior side.

[0030] When an impact is applied to the side of vehicle A from outside vehicle A shown in Fig. 1, impact absorbing material 28 deforms in response to the impact and absorbs the impact. As a result, impact absorbing material 28 protects a battery (not shown) and other components provided inside vehicle A from the impact applied to the side of vehicle A. An impact applied to vehicle A from outside vehicle A is caused, for example, by a side collision of another vehicle with vehicle A. When another vehicle collides with vehicle A from the side, an external force is applied to impact absorbing material 28 in accommodation space 26 toward the vehicle interior in the vehicle width direction. Due to the external force, impact absorbing material 28 contracts in the vehicle width direction and deforms so as to expand in the up-down direction of vehicle A.

[0031] As described later, among the surfaces that define the storage space 26, the surface of the rocker outer main body portion 22a that faces the underside of the vehicle A is joined to a first joint piece 31a of the retractor mounting member 30. In the following description, among the surfaces that define the storage space 26, the surface of the rocker outer main body portion 22a that faces the underside of the vehicle A is referred to as a lower surface 22b.

[0032] When the impact absorbing material 28 is deformed so as to extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle A due to a side collision by another vehicle, the impact absorbing material 28 can press the first joint piece 31a against the rocker outer main body portion 22a. That is, in the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10, the accommodation space 26 accommodates the impact absorbing material 28 that absorbs the impact applied to the vehicle A from outside the vehicle A. Also, in the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10, the impact absorbing material 28 can press the first joint piece 31a inside the accommodation space 26.

[0033] <Pillar configuration> 2 and 3, the pillar 50 is composed of a pillar outer member 52 and a pillar inner member 54. The pillar 50 extends from the rocker 20 to a roof side rail 60 shown in Fig. 1 with the vertical direction of the vehicle A shown in Fig. 1 as the longitudinal direction. The roof side rail 60 forms part of the framework of the vehicle A.

[0034] A lower end of the pillar outer member 52 is joined to the outer surface of the rocker outer member 22. The pillar outer member 52 is provided upright on the rocker outer member 22. The pillar outer member 52 has a cross-sectional shape, when cut along a plane extending in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction, that is hat-shaped and opens from the exterior side to the interior side of the vehicle.

[0035] The pillar outer member 52 includes a pillar outer flange portion 53 extending from an opening edge of the pillar outer member 52. At the lower end of the pillar outer member 52, the pillar outer flange portion 53 is joined to the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a.

[0036] A lower end of the pillar inner member 54 is joined to the outer surface of the rocker inner member 24. The pillar inner member 54 is provided upright on the rocker inner member 24. The pillar inner member 54 has a cross-sectional shape, when cut along a surface extending in the vehicle width direction and the front-rear direction, that is hat-shaped and opens from the vehicle inner side toward the vehicle outer side.

[0037] The pillar inner member 54 includes a pillar inner flange portion 55 extending from an opening edge of the pillar inner member 54. The pillar inner flange portion 55 is joined to the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a.

[0038] A retractor opening 56 is formed in the pillar inner member 54. The retractor opening 56 is formed on the lower end side of the pillar inner member 54, above the rocker inner member 24.

[0039] The pillar 50 is formed by integrating a pillar outer member 52 and a pillar inner member 54 with a pillar outer flange portion 53 and a pillar inner flange portion 55 by welding. In other words, the pillar 50 has a lower end welded to the rocker outer member 22 and the rocker inner member 24, and is erected on the rocker 20.

[0040] The pillar outer member 52 and the pillar inner member 54 form a retractor accommodating chamber 57 inside and below the pillar 50. The retractor accommodating chamber 57 communicates with the vehicle interior through a retractor opening 56. A part of the upper end rocker flange portion 21a in the front-rear direction of the vehicle A shown in FIG. 1 is located between the pillar inner member 54 and the pillar outer member 52 in the vehicle width direction. A retractor mounting member 30 described later is welded to the rocker 20, and has a second end portion 30b described later protruding from the retractor opening 56 toward the vehicle interior.

[0041] <Shape and configuration of retractor mounting member> 4 and 5, the retractor mounting member 30 is formed by shaping a metal surface material. The retractor mounting member 30 has an outer surface 30c and an inner surface 30d which are opposite surfaces to each other.

[0042] The retractor mounting member 30 includes a joint 31 welded to the rocker 20, a mounting portion 32a to which the seat belt retractor 40 shown in Fig. 2 is attached, and an extension portion 32 that extends the mounting portion 32a from the joint 31. In other words, the retractor mounting member 30 includes the joint 31 to the rocker 20, and the mounting portion 32a for the seat belt retractor 40.

[0043] The retractor mounting member 30 has a joint 31, an extension 32, and a mounting portion 32a aligned in one direction. The retractor mounting member 30 has a first end 30a at one end in one direction aligned with the joint 31, the extension 32, and the mounting portion 32a, and a second end 30b at the other end. The joint 31 is provided on the first end 30a side of the retractor mounting member 30, and the mounting portion 32a is provided on the second end 30b side of the retractor mounting member 30. Therefore, the retractor mounting member 30 has the first end 30a and the second end 30b. In the retractor mounting member 30, the direction along the outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d and from the first end 30a to the second end 30b is the first direction. Furthermore, in the retractor mounting member 30, a direction perpendicular to the first direction and parallel to the outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d is a second direction.

[0044] The joint portion 31 includes a first joint piece 31a including a first end portion 30a, and a second joint piece 31b that is bent and extended from the first joint piece 31a. That is, the retractor mounting member 30 includes the first end portion 30a on the first joint piece 31a, and the second end portion 30b on the mounting portion 32a. The joint portion 31 has an L-shaped cross section when cut along the first direction. As described later, the first joint piece 31a is welded to either the rocker outer body portion 22a or the rocker inner body portion 24a. The second joint piece 31b is welded to the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25. That is, the joint portion 31 includes a first joint piece 31a welded to one of the rocker outer body portion 22a and the rocker inner body portion 24a as a pair of body portions, and a second joint piece 31b bent and extended from the first joint piece 31a. As described later, in this embodiment, the first joint piece 31a is welded to the rocker outer body portion 22a.

[0045] The first joint piece 31a is a long plate extending in the second direction. The length of the first joint piece 31a in the second direction is shorter than the length of the lower surface 22b in the vehicle width direction. The length of the first joint piece 31a in the vehicle width direction is arbitrary as long as the first joint piece 31a can be welded to the lower surface 22b.

[0046] The second joint piece 31b extends from one of a pair of long edges of the first joint piece 31a. The second joint piece 31b is a long plate extending in the second direction. The length of the first joint piece 31a in the second direction and the length of the second joint piece 31b in the second direction are the same, but the length of the first joint piece 31a in the second direction and the length of the second joint piece 31b in the second direction may be different. The length of the second joint piece 31b in the vertical direction is longer than the length of the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a in the vertical direction.

[0047] The extension portion 32 extends from one of a pair of long edges of the second joint piece 31b opposite to the long edge extending from the first joint piece 31a toward the mounting portion 32a. In other words, the extension portion 32 extends from the upper end edge of the second joint piece 31b. The extension portion 32 is a plate-like shape with a longitudinal direction extending in the second direction. The extension portion 32 extends from the second joint piece 31b in the opposite direction to the first joint piece 31a.

[0048] The attachment portion 32a extends in a curved manner from the extending portion 32. An attachment portion fastening hole 32d is formed on the attachment portion 32a on the second end portion 30b side. The area of ​​each of the outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d of the mounting portion 32a is smaller than the area of ​​each of the outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d of the first joint piece 31a and the second joint piece 31b. The outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d of the retractor mounting member 30 decrease in width in the second direction from the first end 30a toward the second end 30b. In other words, the retractor mounting member 30 increases in width from the second end 30b toward the first end 30a.

[0049] The retractor mounting member 30 has a pair of engaging portions 36 extending in two directions from the second end portion 30b. The engaging portions 36 extend from the second end portion 30b along the outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d, and in a direction from the first end portion 30a toward the second end portion 30b.

[0050] The seat belt retractor 40 shown in Figures 2 and 3 is attached to the retractor attachment member 30. The attachment portion 32a is inserted into the seat belt retractor 40, and the engagement portion 36 is engaged with an engagement hole (not shown) formed in the seat belt retractor 40. The seat belt retractor 40 is fastened together with the retractor hole (not shown) and by a fastening bolt (not shown) inserted through the attachment portion fastening hole 32d. As will be described later, the joint portion 31 is welded to the rocker 20.

[0051] <Positional relationship between the retractor mounting member, rocker and pillar> As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the retractor mounting member 30 is welded to the rocker 20 so that the first end 30a is accommodated in the accommodation space 26 and the second end 30b, the mounting portion 32a and the extension portion 32 protrude from the upper end rocker flange portion 21a.

[0052] 1. That is, the retractor mounting member 30 is accommodated in a retractor housing chamber 57 inside and at the lower end side of the pillar 50. Also, the second end 30b of the retractor mounting member 30 protrudes toward the passenger compartment through a retractor opening 56. That is, the retractor mounting member 30 is accommodated in a retractor housing chamber 57 formed at the lower end side of the pillar 50, and is welded to the rocker 20 and the upper end rocker flange portion 21a.

[0053] The joining of the rocker 20 and the retractor mounting member 30 will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 5. The first joint piece 31a is accommodated in the accommodation space 26 formed by the rocker outer body portion 22a and the rocker inner body portion 24a. The outer surface 30c of the first joint piece 31a is welded to the lower surface 22b of the rocker outer body portion 22a. The first joint piece 31a and the rocker outer body portion 22a are joined at a third joining point W3 formed by spot welding.

[0054] Two third joint points W3 are formed. Each of the two third joint points W3 is formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the first joint piece 31a. The third joint point W3 may be formed in one place, or may be formed in three or more places.

[0055] The outer surface 30c of the first joint piece 31a may be welded to a surface of the rocker inner member 24 that is on the outer side of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction and on the upper side in the up-down direction. The second joint piece 31b is located such that the outer surface 30c faces the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the inner surface 30d faces the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a. Furthermore, the second joint piece 31b, the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a, and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a are integrally welded at a second joint portion W2 formed by spot welding. In other words, the second joint piece 31b, the rocker outer member 22, and the rocker inner member 24 share the spot welding points.

[0056] The second joint portion W2 is formed in two places. The two second joint portions W2 are formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the second joint piece 31b. The second joint portion W2 may be formed in one place, or may be formed in three or more places.

[0057] The second joint portion W2 joins the second joint piece 31b, the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a, and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a, while also joining the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a. Therefore, the second joint portion W2 is also the first joint portion W1.

[0058] As described above, the retractor mounting member 30 is wider from the second end 30b toward the first end 30a. The widths of the outer surface 30c and the inner surface 30d of the retractor mounting member 30 in the second direction are longest at the joint 31. That is, in the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10, the joint 31 extends in the longitudinal direction of the rocker 20, and the retractor mounting member 30 is wider from the second end 30b toward the first end 30a.

[0059] The upper end of the second joint piece 31b protrudes from the upper end rocker flange portion 21a. Therefore, the second end portion 30b, the mounting portion 32a, and the extension portion 32 of the retractor mounting member 30 protrude from the upper end rocker flange portion 21a. In the second joint piece 31b, among the surfaces of the retractor mounting member 30, the outer surface 30c faces the rocker outer flange portion 23, and the inner surface 30d faces the rocker inner flange portion 25.

[0060] The second end 30b and the mounting portion 32a of the retractor mounting member 30 protrude from the retractor opening 56 toward the vehicle interior. In addition, the engagement portion 36 extending from the second end 30b of the retractor mounting member 30 is bent relative to the mounting portion 32a in a direction toward the vehicle exterior or interior.

[0061] <Method of joining rocker and retractor mounting member> A method for joining the rocker 20 and the retractor mounting member 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. First, the rocker outer member 22 and the retractor mounting member 30 are joined. The first joint piece 31a of the retractor mounting member 30 is welded to the lower surface 22b of the rocker outer main body portion 22a by spot welding at each of the two third joint points W3. This welding is performed in a state where the second joint piece 31b and the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a face each other.

[0062] Next, the rocker inner member 24, the rocker outer member 22, and the retractor mounting member 30 are joined. The rocker outer member 22 and the rocker inner member 24 are joined by spot welding the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a at the first joining location W1. Furthermore, the rocker outer member 22 and the rocker inner member 24 are joined by spot welding the lower end rocker outer flange portion 23b and the lower end rocker inner flange portion 25b at the first joining location W1. The upper end rocker flange portion 21a and the lower end rocker flange portion 21b are formed by spot welding at the first joining location W1. The spot welding at the location where the second joining piece 31b is located between the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a joins the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a and the retractor mounting member 30. That is, the first joint location W1 at the position where the second joint piece 31b is interposed in the upper end rocker flange portion 21a also serves as the second joint location W2. In other words, the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25 are joined by welding the second joint piece 31b to the pair of flange portions, that is, the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25. As a result, the second joint piece 31b is sandwiched between the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25.

[0063] <Positional relationship between seat belt retractor and retractor mounting member> 2 and 3, the seat belt retractor 40 is attached to the attachment portion 32a of the retractor attachment member 30 by a fastening bolt (not shown). A part of the seat belt retractor 40 is accommodated in a retractor accommodation chamber 57, and the other part, including a seat belt withdrawing portion (not shown), protrudes from a retractor opening 56 toward the passenger compartment.

[0064] The seat belt retractor 40 is fixed to the retractor mounting member 30 by co-fastening with a fastening bolt. In other words, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 fixes the seat belt retractor 40 to the rocker 20 by the retractor mounting member 30.

[0065] [Operation of this embodiment] The operation of this embodiment will now be described. When the seat belt (not shown) is pulled by the seat belt retractor 40 during a collision or the like, a tensile load is applied to the retractor mounting member 30 via the seat belt retractor 40 in an upward direction of the vehicle A. The tensile load is directed in a direction that moves the retractor mounting member 30 away from the rocker 20.

[0066] The tensile load in the retractor mounting member 30 acts to peel off the first joint piece 31a and the second joint piece 31b from the rocker 20. In the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10, the retractor mounting member 30 is joined to the rocker outer main body portion 22a by the first joint piece 31a. Furthermore, the retractor mounting member 30 is joined to the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25 by the second joint piece 31b. That is, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can distribute the tensile load generated in the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker outer main body portion 22a by the first joint piece 31a. Furthermore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can distribute the tensile load to the rocker outer flange portion 23 and the rocker inner flange portion 25 by the second joint piece 31b.

[0067] [Effects of this embodiment] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can fix the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker 20 while suppressing an increase in the number of spot welding points required to join the retractor mounting member 30 and the rocker 20.

[0068] Furthermore, when the seat belt is pulled by the seat belt retractor 40 during a collision or the like, the tensile load generated in the retractor mounting member 30 is distributed to the rocker outer member 22 and the rocker inner member 24. Therefore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can firmly fix the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker 20 against the tensile load.

[0069] (2) The first joint piece 31a of the retractor mounting member 30 is accommodated in the accommodation space 26. Accordingly, the first joint piece 31a is accommodated in the accommodation space 26 and welded to the rocker outer main body portion 22a. Furthermore, the second joint piece 31b is welded to the rocker outer flange portion 23 on the outer surface 30c and welded to the rocker inner flange portion 25 on the inner surface 30d. As a result, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can more efficiently distribute the tensile load generated in the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker outer member 22 and the rocker inner member 24. Therefore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can fix the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker 20 more firmly than when the first joint piece 31a is not accommodated in the accommodation space 26.

[0070] (3) The first joint piece 31a faces the lower surface 22b of the rocker outer main body portion 22a. That is, when the seat belt is pulled, the tensile load generated in the retractor mounting member 30 via the seat belt retractor 40 presses the first joint piece 31a against the rocker 20. At this time, the first joint piece 31a is engaged with the rocker outer member 22. Therefore, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can fix the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker 20 by generating mechanical resistance by the rocker 20 against the tensile load generated in the retractor mounting member 30. As a result, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 can realize strong fixation of the retractor mounting member 30 to the rocker 20.

[0071] (4) The retractor mounting member 30 widens from the second end 30b toward the first end 30a, and the joint 31 of the retractor mounting member 30 extends in the longitudinal direction of the rocker 20. This allows the mounting portion 32a to be made smaller in size relative to the joint 31, while allowing the mounting portion 32a to be made larger in size. This allows the seat belt retractor 40 to be mounted to the retractor mounting member 30 by the mounting portion 32a, while allowing the area where the first joint piece 31a and the second joint piece 31b are joined to the rocker 20 to be enlarged. In other words, the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 allows the mounting portion 32a to be made smaller, while allowing the retractor mounting member 30 to be firmly fixed to the rocker 20.

[0072] (5) When an impact is applied to the side of the vehicle A, the impact absorbing material 28 deforms to absorb the impact, and the deformation presses the first joint piece 31a against the rocker 20 inside the accommodation space 26. According to this, when the impact is absorbed, the impact absorbing material 28 deforms and presses the first joint piece 31a against the rocker 20, thereby engaging the rocker 20 with the first joint piece 31a. As a result, in the seat belt retractor mounting structure 10, when an impact is applied to the vehicle A, the retractor mounting member 30 and the rocker 20 are less likely to come off.

[0073] [Example of change] The above-described embodiment can be modified as follows: The above-described embodiments and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

[0074] The seat belt retractor mounting structure 10 does not have to include the shock absorbing material 28. The joint portion 31 of the retractor mounting member 30 does not have to extend in the longitudinal direction of the rocker 20. In addition, the retractor mounting member 30 does not have to be widened from the second end portion 30b toward the first end portion 30a.

[0075] The first joint piece 31a does not have to be accommodated in the accommodation space 26. In this case, when the first joint piece 31a is welded to the rocker outer body portion 22a, the second joint piece 31b is joined to the upper end rocker outer flange portion 23a. When the first joint piece 31a is welded to the rocker inner body portion 24a, the second joint piece 31b is joined to the upper end rocker inner flange portion 25a.

[0076] The first joint piece 31a may be welded to a surface of the rocker inner body 24a that defines the accommodation space 26 and faces the underside of the vehicle A. The retractor mounting member 30 does not have to be curved from the extending portion 32 to the mounting portion 32a. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 10...seat belt retractor mounting structure, 20...rocker, 22...rocker outer member as rocker member, 22a...rocker outer main body portion as main body portion, 23...rocker outer flange portion as flange portion, 24...rocker inner member as rocker member, 24a...rocker inner main body portion as main body portion, 25...rocker inner flange portion as flange portion, 26...accommodation space, 28...shock absorbing material, 30...retractor mounting member, 30a...first end, 30b...second end, 31...joint, 31a...first connecting piece, 31b...second connecting piece, 32a...mounting portion, 40...seat belt retractor, A...vehicle, FD...front door opening as door opening, RD...rear door opening as door opening, S...vehicle side portion as side portion.

Claims

1. a rocker extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, provided on a side of the vehicle, and forming a lower edge of a door opening; a retractor mounting member having a joint portion for the rocker and a mounting portion for a seat belt retractor, The rocker is formed by joining a pair of rocker members, each of which has a main body portion having a gutter-shaped cross section in an extension direction and a flange portion extended from the main body portion, to each other, A seat belt retractor mounting structure for fixing the seat belt retractor to the rocker by the retractor mounting member, The joint is a first joint piece welded to one of the pair of body portions; a second joint piece that is bent and extends from the first joint piece; Equipped with A seat belt retractor mounting structure, characterized in that the pair of flange portions are joined together by welding the second joint piece to the pair of flange portions.

2. The seat belt retractor mounting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the first joint piece is accommodated in an accommodation space formed by a pair of the main body portions, and the second joint piece is clamped between the pair of the flange portions.

3. 3. The seat belt retractor mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the retractor mounting member has a first end on the first joint piece and a second end on the mounting portion, and the retractor mounting member widens from the second end toward the first end.

4. 3. The seat belt retractor mounting structure according to claim 2, wherein the accommodation space accommodates an impact absorbing material that absorbs an impact applied to the vehicle from outside the vehicle.

Images