Rail garnish

Abstract

To stabilize a position of a rail garnish relative to an upper arch structure.SOLUTION: A rail garnish 32 fitted in an upper arch structure 30 includes: a garnish main body 47 extending along the upper arch structure 30; a plurality of clips 48 arranged along a longitudinal direction of the garnish main body 47; and a protrusion 56 protruding toward the upper arch structure 30. The clip 48 is inserted into an attachment hole 52 formed on an outer side face 30a of the upper arch structure 30 to secure the rail garnish 32 to the upper arch structure 30. The protrusion 56 abuts the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure 30 and stabilizes a position of the rail garnish 32 relative to the upper arch structure 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rail garnish that is attached to an upper arch structure of a side frame structure of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The side framework structure of a vehicle, for example, an automobile, includes multiple pillars erected on the vehicle body substructure and roof side rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to connect the upper ends of these pillars. A roof is provided between the left and right roof side rails, and multiple pillars support the roof via the roof side rails. The front pillars are tilted backward in line with the slope of the windshield, and their rear ends are connected to the front ends of the roof side rails. The front pillars and roof side rails form a roughly arch shape as a whole when viewed from the side, and hereinafter, the structure formed by the front pillars and roof side rails will be referred to as the "upper arch structure." A rail garnish is known that is attached to the upper arch structure so as to cover the outer surface of the upper arch structure on the vehicle body.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 shows a rail garnish (16) that covers an upper arch structure (roof side rail 80). The rail garnish (16) is fixed to the upper arch structure (80) by a clip (16A). Note that the component names and symbols in parentheses above are those used in the following Patent Document 1 and are not related to the component names and symbols used in the description of the embodiments of the present application. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-26239 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] It is necessary to reliably determine the position of the rail garnish relative to the upper arch structure. The present invention provides a structure that stabilizes the position of the rail garnish when it is attached to the upper arch structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The rail garnish according to the present invention includes a garnish body extending along an upper arch structure that is part of the vehicle body side framework; a plurality of clips disposed on the garnish body for securing the rail garnish to the upper arch structure; and a protrusion provided on the garnish body for abutting against the upper arch structure. The clips are disposed on a surface of the garnish body facing outward in the vehicle width direction of the upper arch structure and one of the surfaces of the upper arch structure. The clips are inserted into mounting holes formed in the one surface of the upper arch structure to secure the rail garnish to the upper arch structure. The protrusion protrudes from a surface of the garnish body facing the other of the outer side surface and the upper surface of the upper arch structure. The protrusion abuts against the other surface of the upper arch structure.

[0007] The protrusion abuts against the upper arch structure, thereby stabilizing the position of the rail garnish relative to the upper arch structure.

[0008] The protrusions may be a plurality of protrusions arranged along the garnish body, which ensures flexibility of the rail garnish in the longitudinal direction and allows it to more easily conform to the upper arch structure.

[0009] Each of the plurality of protrusions may be disposed at a position between the plurality of clips in the extension direction of the garnish body, thereby avoiding interference between the protrusions and clip seats on the garnish body to which the clips are attached.

[0010] The garnish body may have a garnish outer member that forms the design surface of the vehicle and a garnish inner member that is located on the upper arch structure side of the garnish outer member, and a clip may be attached to the garnish inner member and may be provided with a plurality of protrusions. By forming the clip seats and protrusions for attaching the clips on a garnish inner member that is separate from the garnish outer member that forms the design surface, the effect on the shape of the design surface that would be caused by directly forming the clip seats and protrusions on the member that forms the design surface is suppressed.

[0011] The plurality of protrusions may be formed integrally with the garnish inner member, which simplifies the manufacturing process of the rail garnish. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] By having the protruding portion of the rail garnish abut against the upper arch structure, the position of the rail garnish relative to the upper arch structure can be stabilized, improving the appearance around the upper arch structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a vehicle body side frame structure of a vehicle. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the upper arch structure, particularly the roof side rail, taken along line AA in FIG. 1, showing a cross section at a position where a clip is provided. FIG. [Figure 3] 1. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the upper arch structure, particularly the roof side rail, taken along line BB in FIG. 1, showing a cross section at a position where a protrusion is provided. [Figure 4] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, terms indicating relative positions and orientations, such as front, rear, left, right, up, down, etc., refer to relative positions and orientations with respect to the vehicle. In addition, in the left-right direction (width direction) of the vehicle, the side closer to the center line extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle will be referred to as the inside in the vehicle width direction, and the side further away will be referred to as the outside in the vehicle width direction. In each drawing, the arrow FR points forward, the arrow UP points upward, the arrow LH points leftward, and the arrow OUT points outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0015] 1 is a side view showing a vehicle body side frame structure 10. The vehicle body side frame structure 10 includes a rocker section 12, a front pillar member 14, a central pillar member 16, a rear wheel house section 18, a rear pillar member 20, and a roof side rail 22.

[0016] The rocker section 12 forms the left and right side sections of the floor structure that defines the bottom of the vehicle and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The front pillars 14 are erected at the front end of the rocker section 12, and the central pillars 16 are erected at the center of the rocker section 12 in the front-to-rear direction. The rear wheelhouse section 18 is connected to the rear end of the rocker section 12 and is positioned so as to surround the tops of the rear wheels (not shown). The rear pillars 20 are provided on the rear wheelhouse section 18. The roof side rails 22 extend along the side edges of the roof in the front-to-rear direction and are provided so as to connect the upper ends of the front pillars 14, central pillars 16, and rear pillars 20.

[0017] The front pillar 14 includes a dash panel side portion 24 that extends upward substantially vertically from the front end of the rocker portion 12, and a front pillar 26 that extends obliquely upward and rearward from the upper end of the dash panel side portion 24 and reaches the roof side rail 22. The front pillar 26 is located at the boundary between the windshield (not shown) and the window of the front door (not shown). The central pillar 16 is a center pillar 28 that is located between the front seat and the rear seat.

[0018] The front pillars 26 and the roof side rails 22 form an arch shape as a whole when viewed from the side, and form an upper arch structure 30 located at the top of the vehicle body side frame structure 10. At least one part constituting the front pillars 26 and the roof side rails 22 may extend across the front pillars 26 and the roof side rails 22, and may further extend all the way to the rear pillar-like member 20.

[0019] A rail garnish 32 is attached to the upper arch structure 30. The rail garnish 32 covers the surface of the upper arch structure 30 facing outward from the vehicle, improving the appearance of the vehicle. The rail garnish 32 may be arranged to cover the entire upper arch structure 30 in the fore-and-aft direction, or to cover a portion of the upper arch structure 30.

[0020] Figures 2 and 3 are views showing cross sections of the upper arch structure 30 and the rail garnish 32. Figure 2 is a view showing a cross section taken along line AA shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a view showing a cross section taken along line BB shown in Figure 1. Both the cross sections shown in Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections of the roof side rail 22, particularly at a position close to the front edge of the roof 34.

[0021] The roof side rail 22 has a rail outer member 36 and a rail inner member 38 that extend in the front-to-rear direction. The rail outer member 36 and the rail inner member 38 are positioned relatively, with the rail outer member 36 located on the outer side of the vehicle body and the rail inner member 38 located on the inner side of the vehicle body. The rail outer member 36 and the rail inner member 38 are welded at their respective side edges to form a closed cross-sectional structure. A reinforcing member 40 may be additionally disposed inside the closed cross-sectional structure. The roof side rail 22 has an outer panel 42 that is positioned further outward from the rail outer member 36 on the vehicle body side. The outer panel 42 may be welded together with the rail outer member 36 and the rail inner member 38. The front pillar 26 also has a cross-sectional shape similar to that of the roof side rail 22. At least one of the rail outer member 36, the rail inner member 38, and the outer panel 42 may extend from the roof side rail 22 to the front pillar 26.

[0022] The rail garnish 32 is arranged to cover the upper portion of the side surface 30a of the upper arch structure 30 facing outward in the vehicle width direction and the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure 30 facing upward. The side surface 30a facing outward in the vehicle width direction is referred to as the "outer side surface 30a." The rail garnish 32 includes a garnish outer member 44 that constitutes part of the vehicle's design surface, and a garnish inner member 46 that is arranged inside the garnish outer member 44. The garnish outer member 44 covers the upper portion of the outer side surface 30a and the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure 30, and the garnish inner member 46 is arranged inside it so that it is almost invisible from the outside. The garnish inner member 46 is also arranged to correspond to the upper portion of the outer side surface 30a and the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure 30. A single rail garnish 32 may be formed from one garnish outer member 44 and multiple garnish inner members 46 that are divided into several parts in the longitudinal direction of the rail garnish 32. The garnish outer member 44 and the garnish inner member 46 may be made of resin, and may be joined to each other by welding, adhesive, or other techniques.

[0023] The rail garnish 32 includes a garnish main body 47 composed of a garnish outer member 44 and a garnish inner member 46, and clips 48 for attaching the garnish main body 47 to the upper arch structure 30. The garnish inner member 46 is formed with clip seats 50 to which the clips 48 are attached. The clips 48 attached to the clip seats 50 are inserted into mounting holes 52 formed in the outer panel 42 of the upper arch structure 30 and snap-fit ​​to secure the rail garnish 32 to the upper arch structure 30. The rail outer member 36 and the reinforcing member 40 may be formed with relief holes 54 to avoid interference with the clips 48. A plurality of clips 48 are arranged at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the rail garnish 32.

[0024] A protrusion 56 protruding from the surface of the garnish inner member 46 facing the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure and abutting at its tip against the upper surface 30b is formed. The protrusion 56 is located away from the side edge of the garnish main body 47. The protrusion 56 may be formed integrally with the garnish inner member 46. When the rail garnish 32 is attached to the upper arch structure 30, the elasticity of the rail garnish 32 applies a biasing force to the protrusion 56 toward the upper arch structure 30. This biasing force keeps the protrusion 56 in constant contact with the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure. The protrusion 56 abutting against the upper surface 30b stabilizes the position of the rail garnish 32 relative to the upper arch structure 30, particularly the position of the edge adjacent to the roof 34.

[0025] FIG. 4 shows the garnish inner member 46 as viewed from below when attached to the vehicle body. The protrusion 56 has a generally conical or truncated cone shape, with the tip of the protrusion 56 contacting the upper surface 30b of the upper arch structure. The contact between the protrusion 56 and the upper surface 30b may be point contact or surface contact, such as a circular contact area, with dimensions approximately equal in the longitudinal and lateral directions. The protrusions 56 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the rail garnish 32. Furthermore, the protrusions 56 may be arranged to correspond to positions between the clips 48 arranged in the longitudinal direction. The protrusions 56 and the clips 48 may be arranged alternately along the longitudinal direction of the rail garnish 32. Instead of the generally conical or truncated cone-shaped protrusions 56, a protruding protrusion that is long in the longitudinal direction may be provided. This protruding protrusion may extend the entire length of the rail garnish 32.

[0026] In the rail garnish 32 described above, the clip 48 is disposed in correspondence with the outer side surface 30a of the upper arch structure 30, and the protrusion 56 is disposed in correspondence with the top surface 30b of the upper arch structure 30. Alternatively, the clip and protrusion may be reversed in their arrangement. In other words, the clip may be disposed in correspondence with the top surface 30b of the upper arch structure 30, and the clip may be inserted into a hole provided in the top surface 30b to snap fit, with the protrusion coming into contact with the outer side surface 30a of the upper arch structure 30.

[0027] In the above-described rail garnish 32, the garnish main body 47 is composed of two members, the garnish outer member 44 and the garnish inner member 46, and the clip 48 is attached to the garnish inner member 46 and provided with the protrusion 56. Alternatively, the garnish main body may be composed of a single member, the clip may be attached directly to this garnish main body, and a protrusion equivalent to the protrusion 56 may be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0028] 10 Body side frame structure, 22 Roof side rail, 26 Front pillar, 30 Upper arch structure, 30a Outer side surface (of upper arch structure), 30b Upper surface (of upper arch structure), 32 Rail garnish, 36 Rail outer member, 38 Rail inner member, 40 Reinforcing member, 42 Outer panel, 44 Garnish outer member, 46 Garnish inner member, 47 Garnish body, 48 Clip, 50 Clip seat, 52 Mounting hole, 54 Relief hole, 56 Protrusion.

Claims

1. A rail garnish attached to an upper arch structure of a vehicle body side frame structure, a garnish body extending along the upper arch structure; a plurality of clips arranged along the extending direction of the garnish body, the clips being inserted into mounting holes formed in the one surface of the upper arch structure to fix the rail garnish to the upper arch structure; and a protruding portion protruding from a surface of the garnish body facing the other surface of the outer side surface and the upper surface of the upper arch structure, the protruding portion abutting the other surface of the upper arch structure; Including rail garnish.

2. 2. The rail garnish according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is a plurality of projections arranged along the garnish body.

3. 3. The rail garnish according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions is disposed at a position between the plurality of clips in the extending direction of the garnish body.

4. 4. A rail garnish as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the garnish main body has a garnish outer member that forms the design surface of the vehicle, and a garnish inner member that is located on the upper arch structure side of the garnish outer member, and the clip is attached to the garnish inner member and the multiple protrusions are provided on the garnish inner member.

5. 5. The rail garnish according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of projections are formed integrally with the garnish inner member.

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