rear gate
The ladder-shaped bead structure on the rear gate addresses rigidity and weight issues by enhancing structural integrity and noise reduction, while effectively managing rainwater, improving durability and safety.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SUBARU CORP
- Filing Date
- 2024-12-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-07
AI Technical Summary
Rear gates in vehicles face increased weight and rigidity challenges due to large taillamps and exterior panels, leading to reduced structural integrity and noise generation during operation.
The rear gate incorporates a ladder-shaped bead structure on its outer panel, comprising vertical and horizontal beads connected by additional connecting beads, enhancing rigidity and suppressing deformation and noise, while also directing rainwater away from the user.
The ladder-shaped bead structure increases the rear gate's rigidity, reduces noise, improves durability, and prevents rainwater splashing during operation, ensuring enhanced structural performance and user safety.
Smart Images
Figure 2026112967000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a rear gate.
Background Art
[0002] Vehicles such as automobiles have a rear gate at the rear of the vehicle body (see Patent Documents 1 - 3).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Patent Document 2
Patent Document 3
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In recent years, rear gates often have large taillamps and exterior panels, and the weight of the rear gate tends to increase. Therefore, it is required to ensure the rigidity of the rear gate.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] According to this disclosure, a rear gate has an outer panel having an opening into which a rear window is fitted. The outer panel includes a right vertical bead provided on the right side of the opening and a left vertical bead provided on the left side of the opening. The outer panel includes a first horizontal bead provided below the opening and connecting the right vertical bead and the left vertical bead. The outer panel includes a second horizontal bead provided below the first horizontal bead and connecting the right vertical bead and the left vertical bead. The outer panel includes a plurality of connecting beads provided between the first horizontal bead and the second horizontal bead and connecting the first horizontal bead and the second horizontal bead. [Effects of the Invention]
[0006] According to this disclosure, the rigidity of the rear gate can be ensured. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0007] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle equipped with a rear gate, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the rear gate along the line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the outer panel of the rear gate. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the outer panel from the direction of arrow IV in Figure 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a simplified diagram showing the outer panel of Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a simplified diagram showing the outer panel and exterior components. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a vehicle with the rear gate fully open. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows the outer panel as a standalone unit, viewed from the direction of arrow VIII in Figure 7. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the outer panel along the line IX-IX in Figure 8. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the outer panel along line XX in Figure 8. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0008] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical or substantially identical components and elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.
[0009] <Body structure> Figure 1 shows an example of a vehicle 11 equipped with a rear gate 10, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 11 has a vehicle body 15 consisting of a front body 12, a rear body 13, and side bodies 14, etc. A rear gate 10 is attached to the rear body 13, which constitutes the rear of the vehicle body 15, so as to be openable and closable via a hinge 16. The rear gate 10 is also called a back door or tailgate.
[0010] <Rear gate structure> Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the rear gate 10 along the line II-II in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2, the rear gate 10 has an outer panel 20 which is a sheet metal part, an inner panel 21 attached to the outer panel 20, and a trim 22 attached to the inner panel 21. The rear gate 10 also has left and right taillights 23 and 24 attached to the outer panel 20, and an exterior panel 25 attached to the outer panel 20 and positioned between the taillights 23 and 24.
[0011] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the outer panel 20 of the rear gate 10. Figure 4 is a view of the outer panel 20 from the direction of arrow IV in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a simplified view of the outer panel 20 in Figure 4. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the outer panel 20 has a right panel portion 30 located on the right side in the vehicle width direction D1, a left panel portion 31 located on the left side in the vehicle width direction D1, an upper panel portion 32 located above the vertical direction D2, and a lower panel portion 33 located below the vertical direction D2. The outer panel 20 also has an opening 34 surrounded by the right panel portion 30, the left panel portion 31, the upper panel portion 32, and the lower panel portion 33. As will be described later, a rear window 61 is installed in the opening 34 of the outer panel 20.
[0012] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, right-side vertical beads 40 are formed on the upper part 32, right side 30, and lower part 33 of the panel, and left-side vertical beads 41 are formed on the upper part 32, left side 31, and lower part 33 of the panel. In addition, an upper horizontal bead 42 is formed on the upper part 32 of the panel, and a first lower horizontal bead (first horizontal bead) 43 and a second lower horizontal bead (second horizontal bead) 44 are formed on the lower part 33 of the panel. The second lower horizontal bead 44 is located below the first lower horizontal bead 43.
[0013] Thus, the outer panel 20 has a right vertical bead 40 provided on the right side of the opening 34 and a left vertical bead 41 provided on the left side of the opening 34. Further, the outer panel 20 has an upper horizontal bead 42 provided above the opening 34, a first lower horizontal bead 43 provided below the opening 34, and a second lower horizontal bead 44 provided below the first lower horizontal bead 43. Each of the upper horizontal bead 42, the first lower horizontal bead 43, and the second lower horizontal bead 44 is connected to both the right vertical bead 40 and the left vertical bead 41. That is, an annular bead 50 surrounding the opening 34 is formed on the outer panel 20 by the right vertical bead 40, the left vertical bead 41, the upper horizontal bead 42, the first lower horizontal bead 43, and the second lower horizontal bead 44. By providing the annular bead 50 on the outer panel 20 in this way, the rigidity of the outer panel 20 can be increased.
[0014] In addition, the outer panel 20 has a plurality of connecting beads 51 to 58 that connect the first lower horizontal bead 43 and the second lower horizontal bead 44. Each of the plurality of connecting beads 51 to 58 is arranged at substantially equal intervals in the vehicle width direction D1. In this way, a ladder-shaped bead 60 composed of the first lower horizontal bead 43, the second lower horizontal bead 44, and the connecting beads 51 to 58 is formed at an adjacent portion, that is, a boundary portion 33a, of the panel lower portion 33 with respect to the opening 34.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, by providing the ladder-shaped bead 60 at the boundary portion 33a, the rigidity of the boundary portion 33a can be increased, so that a deformation operation in which the panel lower portion 33 swings about the virtual axis C1, that is, a deformation operation of the panel lower portion 33 that moves in the direction of arrow α, can be suppressed. By suppressing the deformation operation of the panel lower portion 33 in this way, the generation of noise associated with the vibration of the rear gate 10 can be suppressed. Further, since the deformation operation of the panel lower portion 33 can be suppressed even when the rear gate is opened and closed, the durability performance of the rear gate 10 can be improved.
[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, an exterior panel 25 is attached to a boundary portion 33a of a panel lower portion 33 that constitutes an outer panel 20 so as to cross the vehicle width direction D1. Therefore, as shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 2, the distance G1 between the outer panel 20 and the inner panel 21 is narrow, and it is difficult to secure the bending rigidity of the rear gate 10 at the boundary portion 33a. That is, attaching the exterior panel 25 that crosses the vehicle width direction D1 to the outer panel 20 was a factor that reduced the bending rigidity of the rear gate 10 at the boundary portion 33a. However, since the rear gate 10 of the present disclosure includes a ladder-shaped bead 60 at the boundary portion 33a of the outer panel 20, it is possible to sufficiently secure the bending rigidity of the rear gate 10 at the boundary portion 33a.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a diagram simply showing the outer panel 20 and exterior components. As shown in FIG. 6, a rear window 61 is attached to an opening 34 of the outer panel 20. Further, a plurality of exterior components are attached to the outer panel 20 so as to surround the opening 34, that is, the rear window 61. The rear gate 10 includes tail lamps 23, 24, an exterior panel 25, an exterior panel 62, an exterior panel 63, and a spoiler 64 as exterior components attached to the outer panel 20. The tail lamps 23, 24 and the exterior panel 25 cover the first lower horizontal bead 43, the second lower horizontal bead 44, and the connecting beads 51 to 58. Further, the exterior panel 62, the exterior panel 63, and the spoiler 64 cover the right vertical bead 40, the left vertical bead 41, and the upper horizontal bead 42.
[0018] Thus, when exterior parts 23-25, 62-64 are attached to the outer panel 20, the weight of the rear gate 10 increases, thus requiring a higher rigidity from the outer panel 20. Furthermore, when exterior parts 23-25, 62-64 are attached to the outer panel 20, the gap between the outer panel 20 and the inner panel 21 narrows, making it difficult to ensure the rigidity of the rear gate 10, which consists of the outer panel 20 and the inner panel 21. However, since the rear gate 10 of this disclosure is equipped with ladder-shaped beads 60 on the outer panel 20, the rigidity of the rear gate 10, which consists of the outer panel 20, can be increased.
[0019] <Rainwater flow when the rear gate is open> As explained above, the rigidity of the rear gate 10 is increased by providing ladder-shaped beads 60 on the outer panel 20, but providing ladder-shaped beads 60 on the outer panel 20 was a factor that caused rainwater to accumulate on the outer panel 20. Here, Figure 7 shows the vehicle 11 with the rear gate 10 opened to the fully open position. Figure 8 shows the outer panel 20 alone from the direction of arrow VIII in Figure 7. Furthermore, Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the outer panel 20 along the line IX-IX in Figure 8, and Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the outer panel 20 along the line XX in Figure 8.
[0020] As shown in Figure 3 above, the ladder-shaped bead 60 provided on the outer panel 20 defines a plurality of recesses 70 to 78 in the outer panel 20. In other words, the outer panel 20 has nine recesses 70 to 78 defined by the first lower lateral bead 43, the second lower lateral bead 44, and connecting beads 51 to 58. For example, recess 74 is defined by a pair of connecting beads 54, 55, the first lower lateral bead 43, and the second lower lateral bead 44, and recess 73 is defined by a pair of connecting beads 53, 54, the first lower lateral bead 43, and the second lower lateral bead 44.
[0021] As shown in Figure 7, when the rear gate 10 of the vehicle 11 is opened to its fully open position, the recesses 70-78 of the outer panel 20 stop in an open position upward. Therefore, when the rear gate 10 is opened in rainy weather, rainwater seeps in through the gaps in the exterior panel 25 and the taillights 23 and 24, and this rainwater flows into the recesses 70-78 of the outer panel 20. For this reason, it is required that the outer panel 20 be configured with a ladder-shaped bead 60 to prevent rainwater from splashing onto the user when opening and closing the rear gate 10.
[0022] As shown in the enlarged portion of Figure 9, the recess 74 of the outer panel 20 has a first end portion 81 adjacent to the first lower lateral bead 43 and a second end portion 82 adjacent to the second lower lateral bead 44. Furthermore, when the rear gate 10 is fully open, the first end portion 81 is located lower in the vertical direction D2 than the second end portion 82. In other words, as indicated by arrow β1, the bottom surface 74a of the recess 74 is inclined so that the front side in the front-to-back direction D3, i.e., the rear window 61 side, is lower. Similarly, the bottom surfaces of the other recesses 70-73, 75-78 are also inclined so that the rear window 61 side is lower. As a result, as indicated by the white arrows in Figure 8, rainwater accumulating in the recesses 70-78 can be drained towards the rear window 61, thus preventing rainwater from splashing onto the user 100.
[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the first lower transverse bead 43 comprises a right end 85 connected to the right vertical bead 40, a left end 86 connected to the left vertical bead 41, and a central portion 87 provided between the right end 85 and the left end 86. Moreover, with the rear gate 10 fully open, the right end 85 is located lower in the vertical direction D2 than the central portion 87, and the left end 86 is located lower in the vertical direction D2 than the central portion 87. In other words, as indicated by arrow β2, the surface 43a of the first lower transverse bead 43 is inclined so that the left and right outer sides in the vehicle width direction D1 are lower. As a result, as indicated by the white arrows in Figure 8, rainwater accumulating in the recesses 70-78 can be drained to the left and right outer sides in the vehicle width direction D1, thus preventing rainwater from splashing onto the user 100.
[0024] <Variation> The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence. In the illustrated example, two lower lateral beads 43 and 44 are formed on the outer panel 20, but the invention is not limited to this, and three or more lower lateral beads may be formed on the outer panel 20. In the illustrated example, eight connecting beads 51 to 58 are formed on the outer panel 20, but the invention is not limited to this, and the number of connecting beads formed on the outer panel 20 may be changed. In the illustrated example, the connecting beads 51 to 58 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the vehicle width direction D1, but the invention is not limited to this, and the spacing between the connecting beads 51 to 58 may be changed. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0025] 10... Rear gate, 13... Rear body (rear), 15... Body, 20... Outer panel, 23, 24... Taillight (exterior part), 25... Exterior panel (exterior part), 34... Opening, 40... Right vertical bead, 41... Left vertical bead, 43... First lower horizontal bead (first horizontal bead), 44... Second lower horizontal bead (second horizontal bead), 51-58... Connecting bead, 61... Rear window, 62, 63... Exterior panel (exterior part), 64... Spoiler (exterior part), 70-78... Recess, 81... First end, 82... Second end, 85... Right end, 86... Left end, 87... Center
Claims
1. A rear gate located at the rear of the vehicle body, It has an outer panel with an opening into which a rear window is installed, The aforementioned outer panel is A right-side vertical bead is provided on the right side of the aforementioned opening, A left-side vertical bead is provided on the left side of the aforementioned opening, A first horizontal bead is provided below the opening and connects the right vertical bead and the left vertical bead, A second horizontal bead is provided below the first horizontal bead and connects the right vertical bead and the left vertical bead, A plurality of connecting beads are provided between the first transverse bead and the second transverse bead, connecting the first transverse bead and the second transverse bead, Equipped with, Rear gate.
2. In the rear gate according to claim 1, The outer panel comprises a pair of connecting beads, a recess partitioned by the first transverse bead and the second transverse bead, The recess comprises a first end adjacent to the first transverse bead and a second end adjacent to the second transverse bead. With the rear gate fully open, the first end is located lower than the second end. Rear gate.
3. In the rear gate according to claim 1, The first horizontal bead comprises a right end connected to the right vertical bead, a left end connected to the left vertical bead, and a central portion provided between the right end and the left end. With the rear gate fully open, the right end is located below the central part, and the left end is located below the central part. Rear gate.
4. In the rear gate according to claim 1, The exterior component covers the first transverse bead, the second transverse bead, and the plurality of connecting beads. Rear gate.
5. In the rear gate according to claim 1, The exterior component covers the right vertical bead, the left vertical bead, the first horizontal bead, the second horizontal bead, and the plurality of connecting beads. Rear gate.