Vehicle pillar

Abstract

To provide a vehicular pillar capable of suppressing breakage of an outer lower at the time of side collision.SOLUTION: The center pillar 24 has an outer lower member 25, a reinforcement 26 that covers the upper portion of the outer lower member 25 from the vehicle outer side, and an outer upper member 27 that covers the reinforcement 26 from the vehicle outer side. The outer lower member 25 includes a lower base portion 51 that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a pair of lower extension portions 52,53 that extend toward the vehicle inner side from both end portions of the lower base portion 51 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The strength of the reinforcement 26 is higher than the strength of the lower outer 25 and lower than the strength of the upper outer 27. At the lower corner portion 54,55 formed by the lower base portion 51 and the lower extending portion 52,53, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located below the lower end of the outer upper 27.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] The pillar described in Patent Document 1 has an outer lower section and an outer upper section that covers the outer lower section from the vehicle exterior side. The lower end of the outer upper section overlaps with the outer lower section in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-64390 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the event of a side collision of the vehicle, the lower end of the outer upper may pierce the outer lower, causing the outer lower to break. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle pillar for solving the above problems comprises an outer lower, a reinforcement that covers the upper part of the outer lower from the outside of the vehicle, and an outer upper that covers the reinforcement from the outside of the vehicle, wherein the outer lower is a vehicle pillar having a base extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a pair of extension portions that extend from both ends of the base in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle toward the inside of the vehicle, and wherein the strength of the reinforcement is higher than the strength of the outer lower and lower than the strength of the outer upper, and at the corner formed by the base and the extension portions, the lower end of the reinforcement is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper.

[0006] Because the extension portion extends in the vehicle width direction at the corner, the corner is less likely to deform in the vehicle width direction compared to the base. Therefore, when a load is applied from the outer upper to the outer lower during a vehicle side collision, the base is less likely to break because it deforms toward the interior of the vehicle. In contrast, at the corner, the outer lower is less likely to deform, causing the lower end of the outer upper to pierce the outer lower, making it more likely to break. According to the above configuration, at the corner, the lower end of the reinforce is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper. That is, at the corner, a reinforce is provided between the lower end of the outer upper and the outer lower. The strength of the reinforce is higher than the strength of the outer lower, but lower than the strength of the outer upper. Therefore, during a vehicle side collision, it is possible to prevent the outer lower from breaking at the corner due to the lower end of the outer upper piercing the outer lower.

[0007] In the above vehicle pillar, when, of the pair of extension portions, the extension portion extending from the front end of the base toward the vehicle interior side is defined as a front extension portion, and the extension portion extending from the rear end of the base toward the vehicle interior side is defined as a rear extension portion, and when, of the pair of corner portions, the corner portion formed by the base and the front extension portion is defined as a front corner portion, and the corner portion formed by the base and the rear extension portion is defined as a rear corner portion, the lower end of the reinforcement may be located lower than the lower end of the outer upper at only one of the front corner portion and the rear corner portion.

[0008] According to the above configuration, the weight of the reinforcement can be reduced compared to when the lower end of the reinforcement is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper at both the front corner and the rear corner.

[0009] In the vehicle pillar, a lower end of the reinforcement may be located above a lower end of the outer upper at the base portion. As described above, corners are areas where the outer lower is more likely to break than the base. For this reason, by positioning the lower end of the reinforcement lower than the lower end of the outer upper at the corners, fracture of the outer lower is suppressed. On the other hand, the base is an area where the outer lower is less likely to break than the corners. For this reason, by positioning the lower end of the reinforcement higher than the lower end of the outer upper at the base, the reinforcement can be made lighter. In other words, at corners where the outer lower is more likely to break, reinforcements are placed between the lower end of the outer upper and the outer lower, and at the base where the outer lower is less likely to break, reinforcements are not placed between the lower end of the outer upper and the outer lower. This makes it possible to efficiently suppress fracture of the outer lower.

[0010] In the vehicle pillar, a lower end of the outer upper at the base portion and a lower end of the reinforce at the corner portion may be aligned on a straight line. With the above configuration, in the event of a vehicle side collision, a load is applied in a straight line to the outer lower section from the lower end of the outer upper section at the base and the lower end of the reinforcement at the corner. This makes it easier for the outer lower section to deform, bending inward from the straight line as a starting point. This makes it easier to control the deformation of the outer lower section.

[0011] In the vehicle pillar, a lower end portion of the reinforcement may be raised at the corner portion so as to be spaced apart from the outer lower section. According to the above configuration, the reinforcement is less likely to pierce the outer lower section at the corner during a side collision of the vehicle, thereby further preventing the outer lower section from breaking. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress breakage of the outer lower during a side collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a side view of a side body according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a center pillar in the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the center pillar taken along line 3-3 in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the lower part of the center pillar in the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view showing the lower part of the center pillar in the modified example. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the lower part of the center pillar in the modified example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a side view showing the lower part of the center pillar in the modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] An embodiment of a vehicle pillar will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 4. In the following description, the terms "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 width of the vehicle.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, a vehicle 10 includes a side body 11, a front door 12, and a rear door 13. The side body 11 shown in Fig. 1 is the left side body. The front door 12 and the rear door 13 shown in Fig. 1 are both left doors.

[0016] The side body 11 has a roof side rail 21, a rocker 22, a front pillar 23, a center pillar 24 as a vehicle pillar, and a rear pillar (not shown).

[0017] The roof side rail 21 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10 at an upper portion of the vehicle 10. The rocker 22 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10 at a lower portion of the vehicle 10. The front pillar 23 extends in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle 10. The front pillar 23 connects the front end of the roof side rail 21 to the front end of the rocker 22. The center pillar 24 is located rearward of the front pillar 23 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The center pillar 24 extends in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle 10. The center pillar 24 connects the center of the roof side rail 21 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10 to the center of the rocker 22 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The rear pillar is located rearward of the center pillar 24 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The rear pillar extends in the up-and-down direction of the vehicle 10. The rear pillar connects the rear end of the roof side rail 21 to the rear end of the rocker 22.

[0018] The side body 11 is provided with a front opening 11a and a rear opening 11b. The front opening 11a is defined by a roof side rail 21, a rocker 22, a front pillar 23, and a center pillar 24. The front door 12 is attached to the side body 11 so that the front opening 11a can be opened and closed. The rear opening 11b is defined by the roof side rail 21, the rocker 22, the center pillar 24, and the rear pillar. The rear opening 11b is located rearward of the front opening 11a in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10. The rear door 13 is attached to the side body 11 so that the rear opening 11b can be opened and closed.

[0019] An impact beam 14 is provided inside each of the front door 12 and the rear door 13. The impact beam 14 is made of a cylindrical pipe. The impact beam 14 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, the impact beam 14 is inclined downward from the front to the rear of the vehicle 10. The rear end of the impact beam 14 provided inside the front door 12 overlaps with the front portion of the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] <Center pillar> As shown in Fig. 2, the center pillar 24 includes an outer lower section 25, a reinforcement 26, and an outer upper section 27. The outer lower section 25 covers the rocker 22 from the vehicle exterior. The reinforcement 26 covers an upper portion of the outer lower section 25 from the vehicle exterior. The outer upper section 27 covers the reinforcement 26 from the vehicle exterior.

[0021] In this embodiment, the outer lower section 25 is made of SPC590 material. The reinforcement section 26 is made of SPC980 material. The outer upper section 27 is made of SPC1180 material. Therefore, the strength of the reinforcement section 26 is higher than the strength of the outer lower section 25 and lower than the strength of the outer upper section 27.

[0022] <Outaroa> As shown in Fig. 3, the outer lower section 25 has a lower base section 51 as a base section and a pair of lower extension sections 52, 53 as a pair of extension sections. The lower base section 51 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10. A lower portion of the lower base section 51 overlaps with the rocker 22 in the vehicle width direction (see Fig. 1). The pair of lower extension sections 52, 53 extend from both ends of the lower base section 51 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 toward the vehicle interior side. Of the pair of lower extension sections 52, 53, the lower extension section 52 extending from the front end section of the lower base section 51 toward the vehicle interior side is referred to as the front lower extension section 52 as a front-side extension section, and the lower extension section 53 extending from the rear end section of the lower base section 51 toward the vehicle interior side is referred to as the rear lower extension section 53 as a rear-side extension section.

[0023] The outer lower 25 has a pair of corners, i.e., lower corners 54, 55. The lower corners 54, 55 are formed by a lower base 51 and lower extensions 52, 53. Of the pair of lower corners 54, 55, the lower corner 54 formed by the lower base 51 and the front lower extension 52 is referred to as a front lower corner 54, which serves as a front corner, and the lower corner 54 formed by the lower base 51 and the rear lower extension 53 is referred to as a rear lower corner 55, which serves as a rear corner.

[0024] <Reinforce> As shown in Fig. 2, the reinforce 26 has a reinforce main body 60. The reinforce main body 60 has a reinforce base 61, a front reinforce extension portion 62, and a rear reinforce extension portion 63. The reinforce base 61 extends in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The front reinforce extension portion 62 extends from the front end portion of the reinforce base 61 toward the vehicle interior side. The rear reinforce extension portion 63 extends from the rear end portion of the reinforce base 61 toward the vehicle interior side.

[0025] 4, the reinforcement base 61 overlaps with the lower base 51 in the vehicle width direction. The front reinforce extension 62 overlaps with the front lower extension 52 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The rear reinforce extension 63 overlaps with the rear lower extension 53 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10.

[0026] The reinforce 26 has a front reinforcing portion 64 and a rear reinforcing portion 65. The front reinforcing portion 64 extends downward from the reinforce main body 60 along the front lower corner portion 54. A lower end 64a of the front reinforcing portion 64 is located lower than a lower end 61a of the reinforce base portion 61. The rear reinforcing portion 65 extends downward from the reinforce main body 60 along the rear lower corner portion 55. A lower end 65a of the rear reinforcing portion 65 is located lower than a lower end 61a of the reinforce base 61.

[0027] 2 and 3, the front reinforcement portion 64 has a first front extension portion 641 and a second front extension portion 642. The first front extension portion 641 extends downward from the front end portion of the reinforcement base 61. The second front extension portion 642 extends downward from the front reinforcement extension portion 62. The first front extension portion 641 overlaps with the lower base 51 in the vehicle width direction. The second front extension portion 642 overlaps with the front lower extension portion 52 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10.

[0028] The rear reinforcement portion 65 has a first rear extension portion 651 and a second rear extension portion 652. The first rear extension portion 651 extends downward from the rear end portion of the reinforcement base 61. The second rear extension portion 652 extends downward from the rear reinforcement extension portion 63. The first rear extension portion 651 overlaps with the lower base 51 in the vehicle width direction. The second rear extension portion 652 overlaps with the rear lower extension portion 53 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 10.

[0029] <Outer Upper> The outer upper 27 has an upper base 71, a front upper extension 72, and a rear upper extension 73. The upper base 71 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10. The front upper extension 72 extends from the front end of the upper base 71 toward the interior of the vehicle. The rear upper extension 73 extends from the rear end of the upper base 71 toward the interior of the vehicle. The outer upper 27 has a front upper corner 74 formed by the upper base 71 and the front upper extension 72, and a rear upper corner 75 formed by the upper base 71 and the rear upper extension 73.

[0030] 3 and 4, the upper base 71 overlaps with the lower base 51 in the vehicle width direction. The front upper extension 72 overlaps with the front lower extension 52 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10. The rear upper extension 73 overlaps with the rear lower extension 53 in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle 10.

[0031] 4 , at the front lower corner 54, the front reinforcing portion 64 extends downward below the lower end of the front upper corner 74. Therefore, at the front lower corner 54, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper 27. At the rear lower corner 55, the rear reinforcing portion 65 extends downward below the lower end of the rear upper corner 75. Therefore, at the rear lower corner 55, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper 27.

[0032] In the present embodiment, in the lower base 51, the lower end 61a of the reinforce base 61 is located higher than the lower end 71a of the upper base 71. Therefore, in the lower base 51, the lower end of the reinforce 26 is located higher than the lower end of the outer upper 27.

[0033] In this embodiment, the lower end 71a of the upper base 71 and the lower end 64a of the front reinforcement portion 64 are aligned on a straight line. More specifically, the lower end 71a of the upper base 71 and the lower end 64a of the front reinforcement portion 64 are aligned on a straight line in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the lower end of the outer upper 27 at the lower base 51 and the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the front lower corner portion 54 are aligned on a straight line. The lower end 65a of the rear reinforcement portion 65 is located slightly above the lower end 71a of the upper base 71.

[0034] [Operation of this embodiment] The operation of this embodiment will be described. The center pillar 24 includes an outer lower section 25, a reinforcement 26 that covers an upper portion of the outer lower section 25 from the vehicle exterior side, and an outer upper section 27 that covers the reinforcement 26 from the vehicle exterior side. The outer lower section 25 includes a lower base section 51 that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10, and a pair of lower extension sections 52, 53 that extend from both ends of the lower base section 51 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle 10 toward the vehicle interior side.

[0035] At the lower corner portions 54, 55 formed by the lower base portion 51 and the lower extension portions 52, 53, the lower extension portions 52, 53 extend in the vehicle width direction, and therefore the lower corner portions 54, 55 are less likely to deform in the vehicle width direction than the lower base portion 51. Therefore, when a load is applied from the outer upper portion 27 to the outer lower portion 25 during a side collision of the vehicle 10, the lower base portion 51 deforms and is therefore less likely to break. In contrast, at the lower corner portions 54, 55, the outer lower portion 25 is less likely to deform, and therefore the lower end of the outer upper portion 27 pierces the outer lower portion 25, making the outer lower portion 25 more likely to break.

[0036] In this embodiment, at the front lower corner 54 and the rear lower corner 55, the lower end of the reinforce 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper 27. The strength of the reinforce 26 is higher than the strength of the outer lower 25 and lower than the strength of the outer upper 27. In other words, the strength of the center pillar 24 changes in stages at the front lower corner 54 and the rear lower corner 55. Therefore, during a side collision of the vehicle 10, the center pillar 24 deforms at the lower corners 54, 55 as follows.

[0037] First, the outer upper 27 deforms toward the vehicle interior. Because the difference in strength between the outer upper 27 and the reinforce 26 is small compared to the difference in strength between the outer upper 27 and the outer lower 25, even if the lower end of the outer upper 27 comes into contact with the reinforce 26, the reinforce 26 is unlikely to break. Next, the reinforce 26 deforms toward the vehicle interior. Because the difference in strength between the reinforce 26 and the outer lower 25 is small compared to the difference in strength between the outer upper 27 and the outer lower 25, even if the lower end of the reinforce 26 comes into contact with the outer lower 25, the outer lower 25 is unlikely to break.

[0038] At the lower corners 54, 55, the reinforcement 26 is provided between the lower end of the outer upper 27 and the outer lower 25, thereby preventing the outer lower 25 from breaking when the lower end of the outer upper 27 pierces the outer lower 25 during a side collision of the vehicle 10.

[0039] [Effects of this embodiment] The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1) At the lower corners 54, 55, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper 27. That is, at the lower corners 54, 55, the reinforcement 26 is provided between the lower end of the outer upper 27 and the outer lower 25. The strength of the reinforcement 26 is higher than the strength of the outer lower 25, but lower than the strength of the outer upper 27. Therefore, during a side collision of the vehicle 10, it is possible to suppress breakage of the outer lower 25 caused by the lower end of the outer upper 27 piercing the outer lower 25 at the lower corners 54, 55.

[0040] (2) As described above, the lower corner portions 54, 55 are portions where the outer lower section 25 is more likely to break than the lower base portion 51. Therefore, at the lower corner portions 54, 55, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is positioned lower than the lower end of the outer upper section 27, thereby preventing the outer lower section 25 from breaking. On the other hand, the lower base portion 51 is a portion where the outer lower section 25 is less likely to break than the lower corner portions 54, 55. Therefore, at the lower base portion 51, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is positioned higher than the lower end of the outer upper section 27, thereby reducing the weight of the reinforcement 26. That is, at the lower corners 54, 55 where the outer lower section 25 is prone to fracture, the reinforcement 26 is arranged between the lower end of the outer upper section 27 and the outer lower section 25, while at the lower base 51 where the outer lower section 25 is less prone to fracture, the reinforcement 26 is not arranged between the lower end of the outer upper section 27 and the outer lower section 25. This makes it possible to efficiently prevent the outer lower section 25 from fracture.

[0041] (3) The lower end of the outer upper section 27 at the lower base 51 and the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the front lower corner 54 are aligned in a straight line. With this configuration, during a side collision of the vehicle 10, a load is applied in a straight line to the outer lower section 25 from the lower end of the outer upper section 27 at the lower base 51 and the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the front lower corner 54. This makes it easier for the outer lower section 25 to deform so as to bend toward the vehicle interior starting from this straight line. This makes it easier to control the deformation of the outer lower section 25.

[0042] (4) As a method for preventing the outer lower section 25 from breaking due to the outer upper section 27 piercing the outer lower section 25, for example, it is possible to make the strength of the outer lower section 25 equal to or greater than the strength of the outer upper section 27. However, in this case, there is a risk that the center pillar 24 will be less likely to deform appropriately to protect the occupant. Furthermore, the outer lower section 25 is difficult to form because it has many surfaces with larger curvatures than the outer upper section 27. For this reason, if the strength of the outer lower section 25 is equal to or greater than the strength of the outer upper section 27, there is a risk that the outer lower section 25 will not be able to be formed. In contrast, the present embodiment can avoid the above problem.

[0043] (5) Compared to when the front reinforcing portion 64 and the rear reinforcing portion 65 are separate from the reinforcement body 60, the number of parts of the center pillar 24 can be reduced. [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.

[0044] The pillar structure described above can be applied not only to the left pillar of the vehicle 10 but also to the right pillar of the vehicle 10. The pillar structure described above can be applied not only to the center pillar 24 but also to the front pillar 23 and rear pillar.

[0045] In the lower base 51 , the lower end of the reinforcement 26 may be located at the same height as the lower end of the outer upper 27 , or may be located lower than the lower end of the outer upper 27 .

[0046] The lower end of the outer upper portion 27 at the lower base portion 51 and the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the front lower corner portion 54 do not have to be aligned in a straight line. The lower end 71a of the upper base 71 and the lower end 65a of the rear reinforcing portion 65 may be aligned in a straight line. That is, the lower end of the outer upper 27 at the lower base 51 and the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the rear lower corner 55 may be aligned in a straight line. Even in this case, effect (3) of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0047] When the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the front lower corner 54, the lower end of the outer upper 27 at the lower base 51, and the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the rear lower corner 55 are aligned in a straight line, the effect (3) of the above embodiment is enhanced.

[0048] The lower end of the outer upper 27 at the lower base 51 and the lower ends of the reinforcements 26 at the lower corners 54, 55 do not have to be aligned in a straight line along the horizontal direction. The lower end of the outer upper 27 at the lower base 51 and the lower ends of the reinforcements 26 at the lower corners 54, 55 may be aligned in a straight line inclined relative to the horizontal direction. Even in this case, effect (3) of the above embodiment can be obtained.

[0049] 5 and 6 , the reinforcement 26 may have only one of the front reinforcing portion 64 and the rear reinforcing portion 65. That is, in only one of the front lower corner portion 54 and the rear lower corner portion 55, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 may be located lower than the lower end of the outer upper portion 27.

[0050] 5, the impact beam 14 overlaps with the front portion of the center pillar 24 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, during a side collision of the vehicle 10, the load applied to the front portion of the center pillar 24 is greater than the load applied to the rear portion of the center pillar 24. In this case, the reinforce 26 may have the front reinforcing portion 64 but not the rear reinforcing portion 65. At only the front lower corner portion 54, the lower end of the reinforce 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper part 27.

[0051] This configuration can suppress fracture of the outer lower section 25 at the front lower corners 54, which receive a large load during a side collision of the vehicle 10. In this case, fracture of the outer lower section 25 can be suppressed more efficiently than in a case where the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper section 27 at both the front lower corners 54 and the rear lower corners 55, allowing the reinforcement 26 to be made lighter.

[0052] In the event of a side collision of the vehicle 10, if the load applied to the rear portion of the center pillar 24 is greater than the load applied to the front portion of the center pillar 24, the reinforcement 26 may have a rear reinforcing portion 65 but not a front reinforcing portion 64, as shown in Fig. 6. At only the rear lower corner portion 55, the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper portion 27.

[0053] This configuration can suppress fracture of the outer lower section 25 at the rear lower corner 55, which is subjected to a large load in the event of a side collision of the vehicle 10. In this case, fracture of the outer lower section 25 can be suppressed more efficiently than in a case where the lower end of the reinforcement 26 is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper section 27 at both the front lower corner 54 and the rear lower corner 55, and therefore the weight of the reinforcement 26 can be reduced.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 7 , the lower end portions of the reinforcements 26 at the lower corner portions 54 and 55 may be raised away from the outer lower portion 25 . According to this configuration, in the event of a side collision of the vehicle 10, the reinforcement 26 is less likely to pierce the outer lower section 25 at the lower corners 54, 55. Therefore, breakage of the outer lower section 25 can be further suppressed.

[0055] In addition to the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the front lower corner 54, the lower end of the first front extension 641 may also be raised away from the outer lower section 25. In this case, the reinforcement 26 is less likely to pierce the outer lower section 25 at the front lower corner 54. Therefore, breakage of the outer lower section 25 can be further suppressed.

[0056] Similarly, in addition to the lower end of the reinforcement 26 at the rear lower corner 55, the lower end of the first rear extension portion 651 may also be raised away from the outer lower section 25. In this case, the reinforcement 26 is less likely to pierce the outer lower section 25 at the rear lower corner 55. Therefore, breakage of the outer lower section 25 can be further suppressed.

[0057] [Note] The technical ideas that can be understood from the above-described embodiment and modifications will be described below. <Appendix 1> A vehicle pillar comprising an outer lower, a reinforcement covering an upper part of the outer lower from the outside of the vehicle, and an outer upper covering the reinforcement from the outside of the vehicle, wherein the outer lower has a base extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a pair of extension portions extending from both ends of the base in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle toward the inside of the vehicle, wherein the strength of the reinforcement is higher than the strength of the outer lower and lower than the strength of the outer upper, and at a corner formed by the base and the extension portions, the lower end of the reinforcement is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper.

[0058] <Appendix 2> A vehicle pillar as described in Appendix 1, wherein, of the pair of extension portions, the extension portion extending from the front end of the base toward the vehicle interior side is defined as a front extension portion, and the extension portion extending from the rear end of the base toward the vehicle interior side is defined as a rear extension portion, and, of the pair of corner portions, the corner portion formed by the base and the front extension portion is defined as a front corner portion, and the corner portion formed by the base and the rear extension portion is defined as a rear corner portion, the lower end of the reinforcement is located lower than the lower end of the outer upper at only one of the front corner portion and the rear corner portion.

[0059] <Appendix 3> 3. The vehicle pillar according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the reinforcement is located above a lower end of the outer upper at the base portion.

[0060] <Appendix 4> 4. The vehicle pillar according to claim 3, wherein a lower end of the outer upper at the base portion and a lower end of the reinforce at the corner portion are aligned in a straight line.

[0061] <Appendix 5> 5. The vehicle pillar according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a lower end of the reinforcement at the corner portion is raised away from the outer lower section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10...vehicle, 24...center pillar as vehicle pillar, 25...outer lower, 26...reinforcement, 27...outer upper, 51...lower base as base, 52...front lower extension as front extension, 53...rear lower extension as rear extension, 54...front lower corner as front corner, 55...rear lower corner as rear corner.

Claims

1. An outer lower, a reinforcement that covers an upper portion of the outer lower from the vehicle exterior, and an outer upper that covers the reinforcement from the vehicle exterior, The outer lower is a vehicle pillar having a base portion extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle and a pair of extension portions extending from both end portions of the base portion in the front-rear direction of the vehicle toward an interior side of the vehicle, The strength of the reinforcement is higher than the strength of the outer lower and lower than the strength of the outer upper, A vehicle pillar, characterized in that, at a corner portion formed by the base portion and the extension portion, a lower end of the reinforcement is located lower than a lower end of the outer upper.

2. of the pair of extension portions, the extension portion extending from the front end portion of the base toward the vehicle interior side is defined as a front extension portion, and the extension portion extending from the rear end portion of the base toward the vehicle interior side is defined as a rear extension portion, When the corner portion formed by the base portion and the front extension portion of the pair of corner portions is defined as a front corner portion, and the corner portion formed by the base portion and the rear extension portion is defined as a rear corner portion, The vehicle pillar according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the reinforcement is located lower than a lower end of the outer upper at only one of the front corner and the rear corner.

3. The vehicle pillar according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the reinforcement is located above a lower end of the outer upper at the base portion.

4. The vehicle pillar according to claim 3, wherein a lower end of the outer upper at the base portion and a lower end of the reinforce at the corner portion are aligned on a straight line.

5. 2. The vehicle pillar according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the reinforcement is raised away from the outer lower section at the corner.

Images