Vehicle side structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle side part structure capable of reducing a load on a connection part between a side body and a side door in a side collision.SOLUTION: The vehicle side structure includes a rocker 22, a front pillar 23, a center pillar 24, a sidebody 12 provided with a front opening 12a, a side door 13 connected to the sidebody 12 so as to open and close the front opening 12a, and an impact beam 15 provided on the side door 13. A lower portion of the side door 13 overlaps the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction. A vehicle side structure includes a reinforcement 16 which is provided at a lower part of a side door 13 and overlaps with a rocker 22 in a vehicle width direction. The reinforcement 16 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. A front end 16a of the reinforcement 16 overlaps the front pillar 23 in the vehicle-width direction. A rear end 16b of the reinforcement 16 overlaps with the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle described in Patent Document 1 includes a side body and a side door. The side body has an opening. The side door is connected to the side body so that the opening can be opened and closed. The side door is provided with an impact beam. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-199158 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By providing an impact beam on the side body, deformation of the side door toward the interior of the vehicle during a side collision is suppressed. However, when the load on the side door during a side collision is transmitted to the side body via the connection between the side body and the side door, the load applied to the connection between the side body and the side door increases. If the connection between the side body and the side door is damaged, the load on the side door is less likely to be transmitted to the side body, which may impair the effect of suppressing deformation of the side door toward the interior of the vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle side structure for solving the above problems includes a side body having a rocker extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle at a lower part of the vehicle, a first pillar extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a second pillar located rearward of the first pillar in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, the side body having an opening, a side door connected to the side body so that the opening can be opened and closed, and an impact beam provided on the side door, the lower part of the side door overlapping with the rocker in the vehicle width direction, and a reinforcement provided at the lower part of the side door overlapping with the rocker in the vehicle width direction, the reinforcement extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a front end of the reinforcement overlapping with the first pillar in the vehicle width direction, and a rear end of the reinforcement overlapping with the second pillar in the vehicle width direction.

[0006] According to the above configuration, the reinforcement overlaps with the rocker, the first pillar, and the second pillar in the vehicle width direction, so that the load on the side door during a side collision is transmitted to the rocker, the first pillar, and the second pillar via the reinforcement. That is, part of the load on the side door is transmitted directly to the side body without passing through the connection between the side body and the side door. This reduces the load transmitted from the side door to the side body via the connection between the side body and the side door. This reduces the load on the connection between the side body and the side door during a side collision.

[0007] Furthermore, the front end of the reinforcement overlaps with the first pillar in the vehicle width direction, and the rear end of the reinforcement overlaps with the second pillar in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, even if the reinforcement tries to deform toward the inside of the vehicle together with the lower part of the side door through the opening, it is caught by the first pillar and the second pillar, and deformation of the reinforce toward the inside of the vehicle is suppressed. Therefore, compared to when the reinforcement overlaps only with the rocker in the vehicle width direction, the load on the side door can be transmitted more reliably to the side body via the reinforcement.

[0008] In the vehicle side structure, the entire reinforcement in the front-rear direction of the vehicle may be welded to a lower portion of the side door. According to the above configuration, the lower part of the side door is less likely to deform toward the interior of the vehicle than when a part of the reinforcement in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is welded to the lower part of the side door. Therefore, deformation of the side door toward the interior of the vehicle can be further suppressed.

[0009] In the above vehicle side structure, the side door has a door inner and a door outer positioned on the vehicle outer side relative to the door inner, and the reinforcement may be arranged between the door inner and the door outer and welded to the door inner.

[0010] According to the above configuration, the welded portion between the reinforcement and the side door is not exposed on the outer surface of the door outer, so that the appearance of the vehicle can be prevented from being impaired. In the vehicle side structure, the reinforcement may be plate-shaped.

[0011] According to the above configuration, the reinforcement can be easily provided to the side door, and the reinforcement can be easily manufactured. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the load on the connection portion between the side body and the side door during a side collision can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle side structure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an end view showing the vehicle side structure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view showing the lower part of the side door with the door outer removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of a vehicle side structure will be described below with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. In the following description, "front," "rear," "left," "right," "upper," and "lower" refer to the state in which the driver of the vehicle is facing forward (forward). The left-right direction also refers to the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the vehicle side structure on the front left side of the vehicle will be described in detail.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a side body 12 and a side door 13. The side body 12 shown in Fig. 1 is the left side body. The side door 13 shown in Fig. 1 is the left front door.

[0016] The side body 12 has a roof side rail 21, a rocker 22, a front pillar 23 as a first pillar, a center pillar 24 as a second pillar, and a rear pillar (not shown).

[0017] The roof side rail 21 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 in the upper part of the vehicle 10. The roof side rail 21 forms the upper part of the side body 12. The rocker 22 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 in the lower part of the vehicle 10. The rocker 22 of this embodiment has a polygonal cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 (see FIG. 2). The rocker 22 forms the lower part of the side body 12.

[0018] The front pillar 23 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10. The front pillar 23 connects the front end of the roof side rail 21 and the front end of the rocker 22. At the bottom of the front pillar 23, the width of the front pillar 23 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 increases downward.

[0019] The center pillar 24 is located rearward of the front pillar 23 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. The center pillar 24 extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10. The center pillar 24 connects the central portion of the roof side rail 21 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 to the central portion of the rocker 22 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. At the lower part of the center pillar 24, the width of the center pillar 24 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 increases downward.

[0020] The rear pillar is located rearward of the center pillar 24 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. The rear pillar extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10. The rear pillar connects the rear end of the roof side rail 21 and the rear end of the rocker 22.

[0021] The side body 12 is provided with a front opening 12a and a rear opening 12b as openings. The front opening 12a is defined by a roof side rail 21, a rocker 22, a front pillar 23, and a center pillar 24. The rear opening 12b is defined by the roof side rail 21, the rocker 22, the center pillar 24, and a rear pillar. The rear opening 12b is located rearward of the front opening 12a in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10.

[0022] <Side door> The side door 13 is connected to the side body 12 so that the front opening 12a can be opened and closed. The following description will be given of the side door 13 when the front opening 12a is in a closed state.

[0023] 2, the side door 13 has a door inner panel 31 and a door outer panel 32. The door outer panel 32 is located on the vehicle outer side relative to the door inner panel 31. 1, the outer shape of the side door 13 is larger than the front opening 12a. The front portion of the side door 13 overlaps with a part of the front pillar 23 in the vehicle width direction. The rear portion of the side door 13 overlaps with a part of the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction. The lower portion of the side door 13 overlaps with the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction.

[0024] The side door 13 is connected to the front pillar 23 by a door hinge 33. Therefore, the side door 13 is connected to the side body 12 by the door hinge 33. The door hinge 33 is a connection portion between the side body 12 and the side door 13.

[0025] The vehicle 10 is equipped with a locking mechanism 14. The locking mechanism 14 has a striker (not shown) and a locking unit (also not shown). The striker is provided on the center pillar 24. The locking unit is provided on the side door 13. The locking unit is disposed between the door inner panel 31 and the door outer panel 32. The locking unit has a locking bar configured to be able to protrude from the side door 13. The side door 13 is locked when the locking bar engages with the striker. The locking mechanism 14 is a connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13.

[0026] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, an impact beam 15 is provided on the side door 13. Note that the door outer panel 32 is not shown in Figure 3. The impact beam 15 is disposed between the door inner panel 31 and the door outer panel 32. The impact beam 15 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The impact beam 15 of this embodiment is inclined so as to be positioned downward from the front to the rear of the vehicle 10. The impact beam 15 is made of a cylindrical pipe. The front end and rear end of the impact beam 15 are each attached to the door inner panel 31 via brackets 15a.

[0027] 1, in this embodiment, the front end of the impact beam 15 does not overlap with the front pillar 23 in the vehicle width direction. The rear end of the impact beam 15 overlaps with the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction.

[0028] <Reinforce> 2 and 3, a reinforcement 16 is provided at the bottom of the side door 13. The reinforcement 16 is disposed between the door inner panel 31 and the door outer panel 32. The reinforcement 16 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10.

[0029] The reinforcement 16 in this embodiment is plate-shaped. The reinforcement 16 is bent to fit the shape of the door inner panel 31. The reinforcement 16 has a lower portion 161 extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle 10, and an upper portion 162 extending from an upper end of the lower portion 161 toward the vehicle interior.

[0030] The reinforcement 16 in this embodiment is welded to the door inner 31. A plurality of welded portions 17 between the reinforcement 16 and the side door 13 are provided at intervals from the front end portion 16a to the rear end portion 16b of the reinforcement 16. Therefore, in this embodiment, the entire reinforcement 16 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 is welded to the lower portion of the side door 13.

[0031] 1 and 2, the reinforcement 16 overlaps with the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcement 16 covers, from the outside of the vehicle, one of the corners of the rocker 22, a corner 22a (see FIG. 2) located at the upper left. A front end 16a of the reinforcement 16 overlaps with a front pillar 23 in the vehicle width direction. A rear end 16b of the reinforcement 16 overlaps with a center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction.

[0032] [Operation of this embodiment] The operation of this embodiment will be described. The vehicle 10 is equipped with a reinforcement 16 provided at the bottom of the side door 13. The reinforcement 16 overlaps with the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction. The reinforcement 16 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. A front end 16a of the reinforcement 16 overlaps with a front pillar 23 in the vehicle width direction. A rear end 16b of the reinforcement 16 overlaps with a center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction.

[0033] According to this configuration, the reinforcement 16 overlaps with the rocker 22, the front pillar 23, and the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the load on the side door 13 during a side collision is transmitted to the rocker 22, the front pillar 23, and the center pillar 24 via the reinforcement 16. That is, part of the load on the side door 13 is transmitted directly to the side body 12 without passing through the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13. Therefore, the load transmitted from the side door 13 to the side body 12 via the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13 is reduced. Therefore, the load on the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13 during a side collision can be reduced. As a result, the door hinge 33 and the locking mechanism 14, which are the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13, are less likely to be damaged.

[0034] Furthermore, the front end 16a of the reinforcement 16 overlaps the front pillar 23 in the vehicle width direction, and the rear end 16b of the reinforcement 16 overlaps the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, even if the reinforcement 16 tries to deform together with the lower part of the side door 13 from the front opening 12a toward the inside of the vehicle, it is caught by the front pillar 23 and the center pillar 24, and deformation of the reinforcement 16 toward the inside of the vehicle is suppressed. Therefore, compared to a case where the reinforcement 16 overlaps only the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction, the load on the side door 13 can be transmitted more reliably to the side body 12 via the reinforcement 16.

[0035] [Effects of this embodiment] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) The reinforcement 16 overlaps with the rocker 22, the front pillar 23, and the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the load on the side door 13 during a side collision is transmitted to the rocker 22, the front pillar 23, and the center pillar 24 via the reinforcement 16. That is, part of the load on the side door 13 is transmitted directly to the side body 12 without passing through the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13. Therefore, the load transmitted from the side door 13 to the side body 12 via the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13 is reduced. Therefore, the load on the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13 can be reduced. As a result, the door hinge 33 and the locking mechanism 14, which are the connection between the side body 12 and the side door 13, are less likely to be damaged.

[0036] Furthermore, the front end 16a of the reinforcement 16 overlaps the front pillar 23 in the vehicle width direction, and the rear end 16b of the reinforcement 16 overlaps the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction. As a result, even if the reinforcement 16 tries to deform together with the lower part of the side door 13 from the front opening 12a toward the inside of the vehicle, it is caught by the front pillar 23 and the center pillar 24, and deformation of the reinforcement 16 toward the inside of the vehicle is suppressed. Therefore, compared to a case where the reinforcement 16 overlaps only the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction, the load on the side door 13 can be transmitted more reliably to the side body 12 via the reinforcement 16.

[0037] (2) In a side impact test of the vehicle 10, a load is input to a portion of the side door 13 located between the impact beam 15 and the reinforcement 16. As a result, the side door 13 deforms toward the vehicle interior, starting from the portion located between the impact beam 15 and the reinforcement 16.

[0038] When a portion of the reinforcement 16 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10 is welded to the lower portion of the side door 13, the portion of the lower portion of the side door 13 that is not welded to the reinforcement 16 is likely to become misaligned with respect to the reinforcement 16. For this reason, the portion of the lower portion of the side door 13 that is not welded to the reinforcement 16 is likely to deform toward the interior of the vehicle, together with the portion of the side door 13 that is located between the impact beam 15 and the reinforcement 16.

[0039] In contrast, in this embodiment, the entire reinforcement 16 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10 is welded to the side door 13. This restricts the lower part of the side door 13, together with the part of the side door 13 located between the impact beam 15 and the reinforcement 16, from deforming toward the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, deformation of the side door 13 toward the interior of the vehicle can be further suppressed.

[0040] (3) The side door 13 has a door inner 31 and a door outer 32 that is located on the vehicle exterior side relative to the door inner 31. The reinforcement 16 is disposed between the door inner 31 and the door outer 32. The reinforcement 16 is welded to the door inner 31. With this configuration, the welded portion 17 between the reinforcement 16 and the side door 13 is not exposed on the outer surface of the door outer 32, thereby preventing the appearance of the vehicle 10 from being impaired.

[0041] (4) The reinforcement 16 is plate-shaped. Therefore, the reinforcement 16 can be easily provided to the side door 13. In addition, the reinforcement 16 can be easily manufactured. (5) The side door 13 is provided with the impact beam 15 and the reinforcement 16. Therefore, deformation of the side door 13 toward the vehicle interior can be suppressed compared to when the side door 13 is provided with only the impact beam 15.

[0042] (6) At the lower portion of the front pillar 23, the width of the front pillar 23 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 increases downward. Therefore, by providing the reinforcement 16 at the lower portion of the side door 13, the area where the reinforcement 16 and the front pillar 23 overlap can be made large. This makes it easier to transmit the load on the side door 13 to the front pillar 23 via the reinforcement 16.

[0043] Similarly, at the lower portion of the center pillar 24, the width of the center pillar 24 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10 increases downward. Therefore, by providing the reinforcement 16 at the lower portion of the side door 13, it is possible to increase the overlapping area between the reinforcement 16 and the center pillar 24. This makes it easier to transmit the load on the side door 13 to the center pillar 24 via the reinforcement 16.

[0044] (7) The reinforcement 16 is attached to the side door 13 by welding. Therefore, the reinforcement 16 can be applied to different types of side doors 13. [Example of change] The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other within the scope of technical compatibility.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the vehicle side structure on the left side of the vehicle 10 has been described. However, the same applies to the vehicle side structure on the right side of the vehicle 10. In the above embodiment, the vehicle side structure for the front side of the vehicle 10 has been described, but the same applies to the vehicle side structure for the rear side of the vehicle 10. In this case, the first pillar is the center pillar 24, the second pillar is the rear pillar, the opening is the rear opening 12b, and the side door 13 is the rear door.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the entire reinforcement 16 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 is welded to the lower part of the side door 13, but only a part of the reinforcement 16 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 may be welded to the lower part of the side door 13.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the reinforcement 16 is welded to the door inner panel 31 . However, the reinforcement 16 may be welded to the door outer panel 32 . Depending on the model of the vehicle 10, the side door 13 may have a resin cover that covers the lower part of the door outer 32 from the outside of the vehicle. In this case, the cover may cover the welded portion 17 between the reinforcement 16 and the door outer 32, thereby preventing the appearance of the vehicle 10 from being impaired.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the shape of the reinforcement 16 is not limited to a plate shape. The reinforcement 16 may be, for example, cylindrical. [Note] The technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modifications will be described below.

[0049] <Appendix 1> 1. A vehicle side structure comprising: a rocker extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle at a lower portion thereof, a first pillar extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle, and a second pillar located rearward of the first pillar in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle, a side body having an opening; a side door connected to the side body so that the opening can be opened and closed; and an impact beam provided on the side door, wherein a lower portion of the side door overlaps with the rocker in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle side structure comprising: a reinforce provided at the lower portion of the side door and overlapping with the rocker in the vehicle width direction, the reinforce extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a front end portion of the reinforce overlapping with the first pillar in the vehicle width direction, and a rear end portion of the reinforce overlapping with the second pillar in the vehicle width direction.

[0050] <Appendix 2> 2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the entire reinforcement in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle is welded to the lower part of the side door.

[0051] <Appendix 3> 3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the side door has a door inner and a door outer located on the vehicle outer side relative to the door inner, and the reinforcement is disposed between the door inner and the door outer and welded to the door inner.

[0052] <Appendix 4> 4. The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reinforcement is plate-shaped. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10...vehicle, 12...side body, 12a...front opening as opening, 13...side door, 15...impact beam, 16...reinforcement, 16a...front end portion, 16b...rear end portion, 22...rocker, 23...front pillar as first pillar, 24...center pillar as second pillar, 31...door inner, 32...door outer

Claims

1. a side body having an opening, the side body including: a rocker extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle at a lower portion of the vehicle; a first pillar extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle; and a second pillar located rearward of the first pillar in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle; a side door connected to the side body so as to be able to open and close the opening; an impact beam provided on the side door; Equipped with A vehicle side structure in which a lower portion of the side door overlaps with the locker in a vehicle width direction, a reinforcement provided at a lower portion of the side door and overlapping with the rocker in the vehicle width direction; The reinforcement extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, a front end portion of the reinforcement overlaps with the first pillar in the vehicle width direction; A vehicle side structure, characterized in that a rear end portion of the reinforcement overlaps with the second pillar in the vehicle width direction.

2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1 , wherein the entire reinforcement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is welded to a lower portion of the side door.

3. The side door has a door inner and a door outer positioned on the vehicle outer side relative to the door inner, The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement is disposed between the door inner panel and the door outer panel and is welded to the door inner panel.

4. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement is plate-shaped.

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