Vehicle rear part structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle rear part structure that is able to secure liquid tightness of a cabin even when the liquid tightness cannot be secured by a design panel.SOLUTION: A vehicle rear part structure includes: a first pillar 14 defining a rear-end edge of a side door opening 10; a second pillar 16 defining a boundary between a back surface and a side surface of the vehicle; a lamp housing 18 connected to a lower end of the second pillar 16; a wheel house 19 disposed between the first pillar 14 and the lamp housing 18 and connected to both of them; and a roof side inner 24 filling an area surrounded with the first pillar 14, the second pillar 16, the lamp housing 18, and the wheel house 19 without a gap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present specification discloses a rear structure for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Above the rear wheels of a vehicle, decorative panels known as rear bumper panels, quarter panels, and rear fender panels are installed. Conventionally, decorative panels are made of metal and are joined to other surrounding components. Furthermore, these joints have been adequately sealed. Because the decorative panels ensure liquid-tightness, the liquid-tightness of the components located inside the decorative panels has not been sufficiently considered.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle equipped with a side wall portion that forms the side of the vehicle body. In Patent Document 1, a large opening is formed in the side wall portion. However, in the case of Patent Document 1, a liquid-tight design panel is arranged on the outside of the side wall portion. Therefore, the vehicle of Patent Document 1 can prevent rainwater from entering the passenger compartment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-38983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Some have proposed using resin design panels instead of metal. Resin design panels offer greater freedom in molding and are lighter than metal design panels. Therefore, adopting a resin design panel increases the freedom in vehicle design and also reduces the vehicle's weight.

[0006] On the other hand, resin design panels have a different thermal expansion coefficient than metal, making it difficult to attach them to the vehicle body in a liquid-tight manner. Therefore, when a resin design panel is applied to a vehicle with holes formed in the side walls, such as the vehicle in Patent Document 1, liquid-tightness cannot be ensured and raindrops cannot be prevented from entering the vehicle interior.

[0007] Therefore, this specification discloses a vehicle rear structure that can ensure liquid-tightness in the vehicle interior even when liquid-tightness cannot be ensured by a decorative panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification is characterized by comprising a first pillar that defines the rear edge of a side door opening, a second pillar that defines the boundary between the back and side of the vehicle, a lamp housing connected to the lower end of the second pillar, a wheel house that is arranged between and connected to the first pillar and the lamp housing, and a roof side inner that fills the area surrounded by the first pillar, the second pillar, the lamp housing, and the wheel house without any gaps.

[0009] With this configuration, the roof side inner fills the area surrounded by the first pillar, second pillar, lamp housing, and wheel house without any gaps, ensuring liquid-tightness of the vehicle interior even when the decorative panel cannot.

[0010] In this case, the vehicle may further include a vent duct that connects the inside and outside of the vehicle, and the wheelhouse may have a wheel arch portion that follows the circumferential surface of the rear wheel and a flange portion that protrudes from the wheel arch portion radially outward from the rear wheel, and the vent duct may be positioned below the flange portion and below the trunk board.

[0011] This configuration effectively prevents water, dust, and noise from entering through the vent duct.

[0012] In addition, the peripheral edge of the roof side inner is joined to the first pillar, the second pillar, and the wheel house, and one or more sealing members are provided at multiple joints between the roof side inner and other members, and the number of sealing members arranged at joints that face upward when viewed from outside the vehicle may be greater than the number of sealing members arranged at joints that face downward when viewed from outside the vehicle.

[0013] This configuration ensures sufficient liquid-tightness while reducing the cost and effort required for sealing.

[0014] Furthermore, the vehicle may further include a roof header that defines the upper edge of the tailgate opening, a rear end that defines the lower edge of the tailgate opening, and a weather strip attached to the periphery of the tailgate opening, wherein the upper ends of each of the pair of second pillars are joined to both ends of the roof header in the vehicle width direction, and the lower ends of each of the pair of lamp housings are joined to both ends of the rear end in the vehicle width direction, and the second pillar has a rear flange that protrudes toward the outside of the vehicle and is sealed by the weather strip.

[0015] This configuration allows the rear flange to function as a barrier that prevents raindrops running down the surface of the second pillar from reaching the rear door opening. This eliminates the need for a separate gutter-like member, allowing the second pillar to be made thicker. This thicker second pillar also improves the rigidity around the rear door opening.

[0016] The vehicle may further include a design panel that covers at least the roof side inner from the outside and constitutes the outer surface of the vehicle, and the design panel may be made of resin.

[0017] By making the design panel out of resin, the vehicle becomes lighter and the freedom of design is improved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the vehicle rear structure disclosed in this specification, the roof side inner fills the area surrounded by the first pillar, the second pillar, and the wheelhouse without any gaps, ensuring liquid-tightness of the vehicle interior even when the design panel cannot ensure liquid-tightness. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the vehicle as seen from the side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the rear of the vehicle as seen from behind. [Figure 3] 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the cross section BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the direction of the seam and the seal structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the periphery of a second pillar in a conventional vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] The vehicle rear structure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the vehicle rear as seen from the side. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle rear as seen from behind. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 2. In each drawing, "Fr," "Up," and "Rh" indicate the front, upper, and right side of the vehicle, respectively.

[0021] The vehicle described below uses a resin design panel 76 (see FIG. 3) to form the vehicle's exterior surface instead of a metal design panel. Conventionally, metal design panels called "rear bumper panels," "quarter panels," or "rear fender panels" have been attached to the sides of the rear of a vehicle. In this example, a resin design panel 76 is used instead of this metal design panel. This resin design panel 76 will be described in detail later. Also, the resin design panel 76 is not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, a side door opening 10 is formed in the rear of a vehicle. In the example of Fig. 1, two side door openings 10 are formed side by side in the front-to-rear direction. However, the technology disclosed in this specification may also be applied to a vehicle in which only one side door opening 10 is provided on each of the left and right sides.

[0023] The periphery of the side door opening 10 is covered with an opening panel 28. The opening panel 28 is a large panel member molded to fit the shape of the side door opening 10. The opening panel 28 includes a first pillar 14. The first pillar 14 is a framework member extending downward from the roof of the vehicle and defines the rear edge of the side door opening 10. The first pillar 14 is, for example, a substantially rectangular tubular member with a closed cross section. The first pillar 14 is formed, for example, by joining an outer panel and an inner panel. The lower end of the first pillar 14 is joined to a wheel house 19, which will be described later.

[0024] A back door opening 12 is formed at the rear of the vehicle. The upper edge of the back door opening 12 is defined by a roof header 70, and the lower edge of the back door opening 12 is defined by a rear end 26. The roof header 70 and the rear end 26 are both made of metal and are skeletal members that extend in the vehicle width direction.

[0025] Second pillars 16 are joined to both ends of the roof header 70 in the vehicle width direction. The second pillars 16 are framework members that define the boundary between the rear and side of the vehicle. Like the first pillars 14, the second pillars 16 are also substantially rectangular tubular members with closed cross sections. In this example, the second pillars 16 are divided into multiple upper and lower sections. Specifically, the second pillars 16 have a second pillar upper 16U joined to the roof header 70 and a second pillar lower 16L joined to the lower end of the second pillar upper 16U. However, it goes without saying that the second pillars 16 do not have to be divided into upper and lower sections.

[0026] A lamp housing 18 is disposed between the second pillar 16 and the rear end 26. The lamp housing 18 is a component to which a rear lamp unit (not shown) is attached. A recess for receiving the rear lamp unit is formed in the lamp housing 18. The lamp housing 18 is formed by joining an outer panel and an inner panel. The outer panel and the inner panel form a closed cross section. The closed cross section of the lamp housing 18 is connected to the closed cross section of the second pillar 16. In other words, the lamp housing 18, together with the second pillar 16, can be considered a framework member that defines the edge of the end of the back door opening 12 in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] A plurality of panels are disposed between the first pillar 14 and the second pillar 16. These panels function as a partition wall separating the interior and exterior of the vehicle cabin. Specifically, a wheelhouse 19 and a roof side inner 24 are disposed between the two pillars 14, 16. The wheelhouse 19 is a member that covers the rear wheels from above. As shown in FIG. 3 , the wheelhouse 19 includes a wheelhouse outer 20 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction and a wheelhouse inner 22 that protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction. The wheelhouse outer 20 and the wheelhouse inner 22 each have wheel arch portions 40o, 40i that extend along the circumferential surface of the rear wheel (not shown) and flange portions 42o, 42i that extend from the wheel arch portions 40o, 40i radially outward from the rear wheel. The wheelhouse 19 is formed by joining the flange portion 42o of the wheelhouse outer 20 to the flange portion 42i of the wheelhouse inner 22.

[0028] 3, in this example, a roof side inner 24, which will be described later, is joined to the flange portion 42o of the wheelhouse outer 20. However, the roof side inner 24 may be joined to the flange portion 42i of the wheelhouse inner 22, rather than to the flange portion 42o of the wheelhouse outer 20. Therefore, in the following description, when either the flange portion 42o or the flange portion 42i is acceptable, the suffixes i and o will be omitted and the term "flange portion 42" will be used. The same applies to the wheel arch portions 40o and 40i.

[0029] The roof side inner panel 24 is a panel material that completely fills the area surrounded by the first pillar 14, wheel housing 19, lamp housing 18, and second pillar 16. The roof side inner panel 24 and the flange portion 42 function as a partition wall separating the inside and outside of the vehicle. In this example, the roof side inner panel 24 is divided into a front roof side inner panel 50 and a rear roof side inner panel 52. The roof side inner panel 24 is divided into two panels to achieve weight reduction while maintaining rigidity. That is, the members near the side door opening 10 need to be thicker to maintain rigidity. However, increasing the thickness of the entire roof side inner panel 24 would result in corresponding increases in weight and cost. Therefore, in this example, the roof side inner panel 24 is divided into front and rear panels, and the thickness of the front roof side inner panel 50 near the side door opening 10 is made thicker than the rear roof side inner panel 52.

[0030] Conventionally, metal design panels called rear bumper panels or quarter panels have been arranged on the vehicle widthwise outer sides of the roof side inner panels 24. These metal design panels are joined directly or indirectly to the vehicle frame members. Furthermore, the joints are provided with a seal structure (such as a painted seal) to prevent raindrops from entering.

[0031] When such a metal decorative panel is used, the metal decorative panel ensures waterproofing, preventing water from entering the vehicle interior even if holes are formed in the roof side inner panel 24 or gaps exist between the roof side inner panel 24 and other components.

[0032] On the other hand, as described above, this example employs a resin design panel 76 instead of a metal design panel. Using a resin design panel 76 reduces the vehicle's weight. Furthermore, using a resin design panel 76 reduces the amount of painting work required. These factors reduce CO2 emissions. Furthermore, resin has a higher degree of freedom in molding than metal, so using a resin design panel 76 improves the freedom of vehicle design. Furthermore, the resin design panel 76 is attached to the vehicle body with fastening members such as clips, making it detachable from the vehicle body. Therefore, when the design panel 76 is made of resin, the vehicle design can be changed more easily than when it is made of metal. For example, when a resin design panel 76 is used, the vehicle's appearance can be "dressed up."

[0033] On the other hand, the resin that makes up the design panel 76 has a significantly different expansion rate from the metal that makes up the roof side inner 24 and pillars 14, 16, etc. Therefore, the design panel 76 cannot be joined to metal parts such as the roof side inner 24. As a result, it is not possible to ensure liquid-tightness between the design panel 76 and the vehicle body, which could allow raindrops to enter the passenger compartment.

[0034] Therefore, in the vehicle of this example, as described above, the roof side inner 24 fills the area surrounded by the first pillar 14, wheel house 19, lamp housing 18, and second pillar 16 without any gaps. In addition, a seal structure (for example, a paint seal) is provided around the entire periphery of the roof side inner 24. Similarly, seal structures are also provided at the joints between the first pillar 14 and other members, the joints between the lamp housing 18 and other members, and the joints between the wheel house 19 and other members. This ensures liquid-tightness at the rear of the vehicle and effectively prevents raindrops from entering the passenger compartment.

[0035] In this example, different sealing structures are employed depending on the orientation of the seam. This will be explained with reference to FIG. 5. Generally, seams that face downward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle are more waterproof than seams that face upward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle. That is, state SL2, shown in the upper right of FIG. 5, is more waterproof than state SL1, shown in the upper left of FIG. 5. Furthermore, the more sealing members are placed in the seam, the higher the waterproofness. For example, state SL3 (shown in the lower left of FIG. 5) in which both the first seal 60 and the second seal 62 are placed in the seam is more waterproof than state SL2 in which only the first seal 60 is placed in the seam. Therefore, the waterproofness increases in the order of state SL1, state SL2, and state SL3. However, due to component placement, it is difficult to orient all seams downward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle. Furthermore, placing both the first seal 60 and the second seal 62 in all seams would result in problems such as increased costs and manufacturing man-hours. Therefore, in this example, only the first seal 60 is arranged at seams facing downward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle, and both the first seal 60 and the second seal 62 are arranged at seams facing upward. In other words, the number of seal members arranged at seams facing upward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle is greater than the number of seal members arranged at seams facing upward. The first seal 60 is a seal member that is relatively easy to apply, such as a paint seal. The second seal 62 is a seal member made by hardening a paste-like material such as a caulking agent. By changing the number of seal members depending on the direction of the seam in this way, it is possible to reliably ensure the liquid-tightness of the seam while suppressing increases in the cost and effort required to ensure the liquid-tightness.

[0036] The vehicle is also provided with a vent duct 44. The vent duct 44 is a duct that connects the inside and outside of the vehicle. By providing the vent duct 44, it is possible to prevent the door from becoming difficult to close due to the difference in air pressure between the inside and outside. Although not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vent duct 44 is provided with a flap that opens and closes the duct hole 46.

[0037] Conventionally, the vent duct 44 has often been attached to a panel material called a "roof side outer." The roof side outer is a metal panel that is placed between the roof side inner 24 and a metal design panel. When a resin design panel 76 is used, the roof side outer is unnecessary, and therefore the vent duct 44 cannot be attached to the roof side outer.

[0038] Therefore, in this example, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vent duct 44 is attached to the flange portion 42 of the wheel house 19. More specifically, the vent duct 44 is attached immediately behind the wheel arch portion 40. In this case, the vent duct 44 is positioned further inward in the vehicle width direction than in the conventional case, i.e., when the vent duct 44 is attached to the roof side outer. As a result, it is possible to reduce dust and water that enters the vent duct 44 from outside the vehicle compared to the conventional case.

[0039] Furthermore, the vent duct 44 is positioned lower than in the past. More specifically, the vent duct 44 in this example is positioned lower than the trunk board 82 (see FIG. 2). The trunk board 82 is a plate material that forms the floor of the luggage space. A spare tire, for example, is placed in the space surrounded by the trunk board 82 and a floor panel (not shown). Therefore, hereinafter, this space will be referred to as the "spare tire space." The vent duct 44 is positioned lower than the trunk board 82 and communicates with the spare tire space. With this configuration, most of the noise that enters the vehicle interior from outside through the vent duct 44 is contained in the spare tire space. This reduces the noise that reaches the occupants, improving occupant comfort.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 2, a large back door opening 12 is formed at the rear of the vehicle. The area around the back door opening 12 is prone to a decrease in rigidity. To prevent this decrease in rigidity, in this example, the second pillar 16 is provided with a rear flange 36 that protrudes outward from the vehicle, and a weather strip 72 is attached to this rear flange 36. This will be described below with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 4 , the second pillar 16 is formed by joining a second pillar inner member 32 and a second pillar outer member 30. A substantially rectangular closed cross section 34 is formed between the second pillar inner member 32 and the second pillar outer member 30. The joint portion between the second pillar inner member 32 and the second pillar outer member 30 forms a front flange 38 or a rear flange 36. The front flange 38 is a flange that protrudes downward or toward the front of the vehicle. The front flange 38 is welded to other members, such as the roof side inner member 24.

[0042] The rear flange 36 is a flange that protrudes toward the upper or rear side of the vehicle, i.e., toward the outside of the vehicle when viewed from the back door opening 12. The rear flange 36 defines the periphery of the back door opening 12. The rear flange 36 is also sandwiched and sealed by a weather strip 72, thereby preventing water from entering the second pillar 16. The rear flange 36 also rises from the surface of the second pillar 16 toward the outside of the vehicle. Therefore, the rear flange 36 functions as a dam that prevents raindrops running down the surface of the second pillar 16 from proceeding toward the back door opening 12.

[0043] Similarly, the roof header 70, the rear end 26, and the lamp housing 18 also have rear flanges (not shown) that protrude upward or rearward from the vehicle and function as dams. These rear flanges are all sandwiched between the weatherstrip 72. As a result, dams (i.e., rear flanges) sealed by the weatherstrip 72 are present all around the back door opening 12.

[0044] Conventionally, a trough 80 has been disposed along the second pillar 16 to prevent water from entering. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the area around the second pillar 16 in a conventional vehicle. As shown in FIG. 6, the trough 80 is groove-shaped and functions as a rain gutter. Conventionally, the trough 80 has been disposed above the second pillar 16. In this case, the trough 80 catches raindrops, preventing water from entering the back door opening 12. However, when the trough 80 is provided, the cross-sectional area of ​​the second pillar 16 is reduced by the depth of the groove of the trough 80. When the cross-sectional area of ​​the second pillar 16 is reduced, the rigidity of the vehicle is reduced accordingly.

[0045] On the other hand, by providing the second pillar 16 with the rear flange 36 that functions as a dam, as in this example, the trough 80 is unnecessary and a large cross-sectional area can be secured for the second pillar 16. As a result, a decrease in rigidity can be effectively prevented.

[0046] As described above, in this example, the lamp housing 18 has a closed cross section that is connected to the closed cross section 34 of the second pillar 16. This allows the second pillar 16 and the lamp housing 18 to function as one large, continuous frame member. This effectively prevents a decrease in rigidity around the periphery of the back door opening 12.

[0047] The configurations described so far are merely examples, and other configurations may be changed as appropriate as long as the configuration of claim 1 is included. For example, the arrangement of the vent duct 44 may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the roof side inner 24 may not be divided, or may be divided into three or more parts. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 side door opening, 12 back door opening, 14 first pillar, 16 second pillar, 18 lamp housing, 19 wheelhouse, 20 wheelhouse outer, 22 wheelhouse inner, 24 roof side inner, 26 rear end, 28 opening panel, 30 second pillar outer, 32 second pillar inner, 34 closed cross section, 36 rear flange, 38 front flange, 40 wheel arch portion, 42 flange portion, 44 vent duct, 46 duct hole, 50 front roof side inner, 52 rear roof side inner, 60 first seal, 62 second seal, 70 roof header, 72 weather strip, 76 design panel, 80 trunk board, 82 trunk board.

Claims

1. a first pillar defining a rear edge of a side door opening; a second pillar defining a boundary between the rear and side of the vehicle; a lamp housing connected to a lower end of the second pillar; a wheel house disposed between the first pillar and the lamp housing and connected to both; a roof side inner that fills an area surrounded by the first pillar, the second pillar, the lamp housing, and the wheel house without any gaps; A vehicle rear structure comprising:

2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a vent duct that communicates the inside and outside of the vehicle; The wheel house is a wheel arch portion along the circumferential surface of the rear wheel; a flange portion protruding radially outward from the wheel arch portion toward the rear wheel; and The vent duct is disposed below the flange portion and below the trunk board. A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

3. 2. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, a peripheral edge of the roof side inner is joined to the first pillar, the second pillar, and the wheel house, One or more seal members are provided at a plurality of joints between the roof side inner and other members, the number of sealing members arranged at the seams that face upward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle among the plurality of seams is greater than the number of sealing members arranged at the seams that face downward when viewed from the outside of the vehicle among the plurality of seams; A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

4. The vehicle rear structure according to claim 1, further comprising: a roof header defining an upper edge of the back door opening; a rear end defining a lower edge of the back door opening; a weather strip attached to the periphery of the back door opening; Equipped with The upper ends of the pair of second pillars are joined to both ends of the roof header in the vehicle width direction, a pair of the lamp housings, each having a lower end joined to both ends of the rear end in the vehicle width direction; The second pillar has a rear flange that protrudes toward the outside of the vehicle and is sealed by the weather strip. A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

5. The vehicle rear structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a design panel that covers at least the roof side inner from the outside and constitutes the outer surface of the vehicle; The design panel is made of resin. A vehicle rear structure characterized by:

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