Vehicle side structure

Abstract

To effectively suppress pinching of a foreign matter by a slide door.SOLUTION: In a vehicle side part structure, a slide door 2 completely closes a doorway 1a when being slid to one side in a longitudinal direction, and opens the doorway 1a when being slid to the other side in the longitudinal direction and faces to an outer side surface 1d1 of a vehicle side part 1. An end part on the other side of the slide door 2 structures a flange part 21 which covers a target edge part 51 as an edge part on the other side of a peripheral edge 5 of the doorway 1a. The target edge part 51 includes an opposite surface 512 opposite to at least a part on a tip end side of a flange inner side surface 21a of the flange part 21, and a connection surface 513 which connects the opposite surface 512 and the outer side surface 1d1. The target edge part 51 includes a clearance enlarged part 51A in which a first distance α as a distance in a vehicle longitudinal direction between the flange part 21 and the connection surface 513 is set to be larger than a second distance β as a distance in a vehicle width direction between the flange part 21 and the opposite surface 512.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure including a sliding side door (hereinafter referred to as "sliding door") that can open and close an entrance / exit port on the side of a vehicle body. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, a sliding door opens and closes a vehicle side entrance by sliding along a rail extending along the vehicle side. Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a vehicle side structure including such a sliding door. In the side structure of Patent Document 1, the sliding door slides forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to a closed position that fully closes the entrance, and slides rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction to a closed position that opens the entrance and faces the outer surface of the vehicle side rearward of the entrance. When sliding rearward from the closed position, such a sliding door typically needs to slide along a path that avoids collision with the rear edge of the periphery of the entrance on the vehicle side. Therefore, the rail typically has an inclined rail portion that extends obliquely along the periphery of the entrance on the vehicle side so that the sliding door can slide rearward from the closed position and retract outward in the vehicle width direction.

[0003] The inclined rail portion of the rail is generally provided with a gentle incline to allow the sliding door to move smoothly, and therefore the dimension of the inclined rail portion in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction tends to be relatively large. Therefore, when the sliding door is in the closed position, in a plan view seen from the vehicle width direction, the rear edge of the periphery of the boarding / alighting door and the inclined rail portion of the rail are likely to be exposed to the outside, making the boundary (edge) between the sliding door and the side of the vehicle body more noticeable. In contrast, conventional vehicle side structures such as the side structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 have a flange portion extending in the vertical direction at the rear end of the sliding door, which, when in the closed position, covers most of the periphery of the boarding / alighting door, including the rear edge of the periphery of the boarding / alighting door and the inclined rail portion of the rail, from the outside in the vehicle width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-284539 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in conventional vehicle side structures, when the sliding door slides forward along the inclined rail portion of the rail and then inward in the vehicle width direction, there is a risk that foreign objects may become caught between the flange portion of the sliding door and the rear edge of the periphery of the boarding / alighting opening.

[0006] Specifically, in conventional vehicle side structure, as the sliding door slides along the inclined rail portion of the rail toward the closed position, the distance (gap) between the inner flange surface on the vehicle widthwise inner side and the outer surface of the vehicle side gradually narrows. This distance continues to decrease until the tip of the flange reaches a position corresponding to a corner between the rear edge of the periphery of the boarding / alighting door and the outer surface of the vehicle side in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and tends to be smallest at this position. The sliding door then continues to slide along the inclined rail portion toward the closed position, and in the closed position, a gap is formed between the flange and the rear edge of the periphery of the boarding / alighting door. With such a sliding door, a foreign object may be present near the flange as the distance (gap) between the inner flange surface and the outer surface of the vehicle side narrows. In this case, as the sliding door slides further toward the closed position beyond the corner in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the foreign object may be drawn toward the rear edge of the periphery of the boarding / alighting door and become trapped in the gap between the flange and the rear edge. In many vehicles, the sliding door is designed to slide forward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to fully close the entrance / exit door, but there are also vehicles in which the sliding door is designed to slide backward in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle to fully close the entrance / exit door, and even in these vehicles, there is the same problem of foreign objects getting caught.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle side structure that can effectively prevent foreign objects from becoming pinched between the flange portion of the sliding door and the target edge portion of the periphery of the boarding / alighting opening that is covered by the flange portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle side structure including a vehicle body side portion having an access opening, a sliding door, and at least one rail. The sliding door is positioned at a closed position where it fully closes the access opening by sliding toward one side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and at an open position where it opens the access opening and faces the outer surface of the vehicle body side portion on the other side of the access opening by sliding toward the other side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The at least one rail extends along the vehicle body side portion and supports the sliding door slidably between the closed position and the open position. The at least one rail includes a target rail having an inclined rail portion extending at an angle along the periphery of the access opening in the vehicle body side portion so that the sliding door moves inward in the vehicle width direction while sliding from the open position on the other side to the one side. The other end of the sliding door forms a flange portion that, in the closed position, covers at least a portion of a target edge portion, which is the edge portion on the other side of the periphery, from the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and a gap is provided between the flange portion and the target edge in the closed position. The target edge portion has an opposing surface that faces at least a tip end portion of the flange inner surface on the vehicle width direction inner side of the flange portion in the closed position, and a connecting surface that connects the opposing surface and the outer surface. The target edge portion has a gap enlargement portion in which a first distance, which is the distance in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction between the flange portion in the closed position and the connecting surface, is set to a predetermined value that is larger than a second distance, which is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the flange portion in the closed position and the opposing surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] In the vehicle side section structure according to one aspect of the present invention, the target edge section has a gap enlargement section in which the first distance, which is the distance in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the flange section and the connecting surface in the closed position, is set to a predetermined value greater than the second distance, which is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the flange section and the opposing surface in the closed position. This allows, for example, a position where the distance between the flange inner surface and the outer surface is likely to be shortest (in other words, a corner arrival position where the tip of the flange section reaches a position corresponding to a corner that is the boundary between the target edge section and the outer surface of the vehicle side section in the vehicle longitudinal direction) to be shifted toward the open position, compared to when the first distance is equal to or less than the second distance. As a result, the distance between the flange inner surface and the outer surface at the corner arrival position, which may be a starting point for trapping a foreign object, is greater than when the first distance is equal to or less than the second distance. Therefore, the vehicle side section structure according to one aspect of the present invention can more effectively prevent a foreign object from being trapped between the flange section and the target edge section of the sliding door, compared to when the first distance is equal to or less than the second distance.

[0010] In this way, the present invention can provide a vehicle side structure that can effectively prevent foreign objects from becoming pinched between the flange portion of the sliding door and the target edge portion of the periphery of the boarding / alighting opening that is covered by the flange portion. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a vehicle to which a vehicle side structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating a boarding / alighting entrance in the vehicle side structure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle side structure according to a comparative example, the portion corresponding to FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view illustrating a modified example of the vehicle side structure. [Figure 6]10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the range of the enlarged gap portion of the vehicle side structure. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another modified example of the range of the enlarged gap portion. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating yet another modified example of the range of the enlarged gap portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle 100 to which a vehicle side structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, and Fig. 2 is a side view for explaining an entrance / exit door 1a of the vehicle side structure. In the drawings, the arrow Fr direction indicates the front of the vehicle in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the arrow O direction indicates the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle transverse direction (vehicle width direction), and the arrow U direction indicates the top of the vehicle in the vehicle vertical direction. In the following description, "front" and "rear" correspond to the front and rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and "up" and "down" correspond to the top and bottom in the vehicle vertical direction.

[0013] [Vehicle side structure overview] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle 100 includes a vehicle body side section 1 in which a boarding / alighting opening 1a is formed, a sliding door 2 which is a sliding side door provided on the vehicle body side section 1, and at least one (here, multiple) rails (3, 4) for sliding the sliding door 2. Note that in Figure 2, the sliding door 2 has been removed from the vehicle body side section 1. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 has a center rail 3 and a lower rail 4 as the multiple rails (3, 4).

[0014] The vehicle body side portion 1 is the outer portion of the vehicle body of the vehicle 100 in the vehicle width direction. In FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle body side portion 1 is shown as the right side of the vehicle body when an occupant in the vehicle cabin is looking forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The access door 1a is an opening formed in the vehicle body side portion 1 to allow access to the rear seats, and in addition to the rear seat access door 1a, the vehicle body side portion 1 also has a driver's seat access door 1b formed therein. The vehicle body side portion 1 is also formed with a center pillar 1c extending in the vertical direction so as to separate the rear seat access door 1a from the driver's seat access door 1b. In addition, a quarter panel 1d is provided as part of the vehicle body side portion 1 behind the rear seat access door 1a in the vehicle longitudinal direction on the vehicle body side portion 1.

[0015] A rear seat entrance 1a in the vehicle body side portion 1 is opened and closed by a sliding door 2. A peripheral edge 5 forming the rear seat entrance 1a in the vehicle body side portion 1 is formed in a shape that appears to be a ring having a certain width in a plan view when viewed from the outside in the vehicle width direction, as shown in FIG. 2, and surrounds the periphery of the entrance 1a. The vehicle 100 also has a front side door 6, which is a hinged side door for opening and closing the driver's seat entrance 1b. The front end of the front side door 6 is connected to the vehicle body side portion 1 via a hinge (not shown), and the front side door 6 opens and closes the entrance 1b by rotating in the vehicle width direction around the hinge as a fulcrum.

[0016] As described above, the sliding door 2 is a sliding side door for opening and closing the rear seat access door 1a of the vehicle body side part 1. In other words, the sliding door 2 is a side door for opening and closing the rear access door 1a of the two access doors 1a, 1b formed in the vehicle body side part 1, and the vehicle side part structure according to this embodiment is mainly applied to the structure of the part of the vehicle body side part 1 of the vehicle 100 that includes the rear side (rear seat) access door 1a and the sliding door 2. Note that, although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the sliding door 2 is a manually openable door that is opened and closed manually. However, the sliding door 2 is not limited to a manually openable door and may be an automatically openable door that is opened and closed automatically.

[0017] The sliding door 2 is configured to be positioned in a closed position (see the position shown by the solid line in Figure 1 and Figure 3 described later) in which it fully closes the boarding / alighting opening 1a by sliding to one side in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and to be positioned in an open position in which it opens the boarding / alighting opening 1a and faces the outer surface 1d1 on the other side of the boarding / alighting opening 1a of the vehicle body side portion 1 by sliding to the other side in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

[0018] In this embodiment, the "one side" of the sliding door 2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, which is the door closing direction, is the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the "other side" of the sliding door 2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, which is the door opening direction, is the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, the sliding door 2 is positioned at the closed position by sliding forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and positioned at the open position by sliding backward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Specifically, in the closed position, the door outer surface 2a on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the sliding door 2, the outer surface 1d1 of the quarter panel 1d located rearward (on the other side) of the entrance / exit 1a in the vehicle body side portion 1, and the pillar outer surface 1c1 of the center pillar 1c on the outer side in the vehicle width direction are aligned with each other without intersecting in the vehicle width direction, and these surfaces (2a, 1d1, 1c1) form part of the design surface of the side of the vehicle 100. In the open position, most of the sliding door 2 faces the outer surface 1d1 of the quarter panel 1d rearward of the entrance / exit 1a.

[0019] The rear end (i.e., rear end) of the sliding door 2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction forms a flange portion 21 that, in the closed position, covers at least a part of a target edge portion 51, which is a rear edge portion (i.e., rear edge portion) in the vehicle longitudinal direction of a peripheral edge 5 of the entrance / exit opening 1a, from the outside in the vehicle width direction. In the vehicle 100, a gap is provided between the flange portion 21 of the sliding door 2 in the closed position and the target edge portion 51 of the peripheral edge 5 of the entrance / exit opening 1a. A door handle 2b is provided on the door outer surface 2a of the sliding door 2. Specifically, when the sliding door 2 is in the closed position, a door latch (not shown) provided on the sliding door 2 engages with a striker (not shown) provided on the vehicle body side portion 1, thereby maintaining the door closed. When the door handle 2b is operated, the door closed state is released.

[0020] The flange portion 21 protrudes rearward from the rear end of the door main body 22, which constitutes the majority of the sliding door 2, and is formed with a thickness (thin wall) thinner than the thickness (width) of the door main body 22 in the vehicle width direction. The door main body 22 has a predetermined width in the vehicle width direction. The target edge portion 51 of the vehicle body side portion 1 is formed to recede inward in the vehicle width direction, so that the majority of the target edge portion 51 is located more inward in the vehicle width direction than the inner surface of the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the sliding door 2 when in the closed position. The end of the target edge portion 51 on the side of the entrance / exit door 1a is located more inward in the vehicle width direction than the innermost surface in the vehicle width direction of the door main body 22 of the sliding door 2. The structures of the sliding door 2 and the target edge portion 51 will be described in more detail later.

[0021] The center rail 3 and the lower rail 4 each extend along the vehicle body side section 1 and are rails that support the sliding door 2 so that it can slide between a closed position and an open position. In this embodiment, at least one of the rails (the center rail 3, the lower rail 4) includes a target rail 3A having an inclined rail portion 31 that extends at an incline along the periphery 5 of the entrance / exit opening 1a in the vehicle body side section 1 so that the sliding door 2 slides from an open position on the rear side (the other side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction to the front side (the one side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction while moving inward in the vehicle width direction. Here, the target rail 3A is the center rail 3. In other words, the inclined rail portion 31 extends at an incline along the periphery 5 of the entrance / exit opening 1a in the vehicle body side section 1 so that the sliding door 2 slides from the closed position to the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction while retracting outward in the vehicle width direction. The starting end of the inclined rail portion 31 forms the end of the center rail 3 in the door closing direction (the front end in this embodiment).

[0022] Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in Fig. 2. However, in Fig. 3, the outline of the center rail 3 is indicated by a two-dot chain line for the sake of simplicity. Specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the center rail 3 extends from an outer surface 1d1 (i.e., the outer surface 1d1 of the quarter panel 1d) rearward of the boarding / alighting opening 1a in the vehicle-body side section 1 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at a middle position in the vehicle vertical direction of the vehicle in the vehicle side section 1, to a target edge 51 on the rear side in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle of a peripheral edge 5 of the boarding / alighting opening 1a, with the portion on the target edge 51 side (i.e., the end portion on the closing direction side) being deflected inward in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, the center rail 3 extends linearly in the vehicle longitudinal direction within a recessed portion that is recessed inward in the vehicle width direction on the outer surface 1d1 of the quarter panel 1d of the vehicle body side portion 1 and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The center rail 3 then curves inward in the vehicle width direction as it extends forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction at a portion corresponding to the target edge portion 51. The inclined rail portion 31 extends so as to continue from the curved rail portion 32. In other words, in this embodiment, the center rail 3 is disposed at a midpoint between the rear door glass and the rear wheel housing on the vehicle body side portion 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 . This divides the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side portion 1 into upper and lower portions with the center rail 3 as a boundary, thereby efficiently suppressing surface vibration of the vehicle body side portion 1. The center rail 3 can be disposed at a desired height position on the vehicle body side portion 1.

[0023] The lower rail 4 extends to a lower edge 52 of the periphery 5 of the boarding / alighting door 1a in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the portion of the periphery 5 on the front edge 53 side (i.e., the end on the closing direction side) is deflected inward in the vehicle width direction. More specifically, the lower rail 4 has a curved rail portion 41 that extends linearly in the vehicle front-rear direction of the lower edge 52 and then curves inward in the vehicle width direction at the portion on the front edge 53 side as it moves forward in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0024] The vehicle 100 has a first connecting unit 7 that connects the door main body 22 of the sliding door 2 to the center rail 3, and a second connecting unit 8 that connects the door main body 22 to the lower rail 4. In FIG. 2, each connecting unit (7, 8) has been removed together with the sliding door 2. The connecting units (7, 8) have, for example, the same structure. Referring mainly to FIG. 3, the first connecting unit 7 will be described. The first connecting unit 7 has an arm 71 attached to the inner surface of the door main body 22, a roller 72 that engages with the center rail 3 and is capable of rolling (sliding) along the center rail 3, and a swinging part 73 that connects a shaft 72a of the roller 72 to the tip of the arm 71 so as to be swingable about a swinging shaft 73a that extends in the vehicle up-down direction.

[0025] [Details of vehicle side structure] In the vehicle 100, the target edge 51 (here, the rear edge) of the peripheral edge 5 of the boarding / alighting door 1a in the vehicle body side 1 is divided into an inner edge 51a having an inclined rail inclined surface 511 along which the inclined rail portion 31 of the center rail 3 extends, and an outer edge 51b that is closer to the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side 1 than the inner edge 51a. The sliding door 2 has the flange portion 21 and the door main body portion 22, as described above.

[0026] The inner edge 51a of the target edge 51 is a portion that substantially forms the boarding / alighting opening 1a in the target edge 51, and the front end of the inner edge 51a forms part of the opening contour of the boarding / alighting opening 1a. The rail inclined surface 511 is inclined so as to approach the door outer surface 2a of the sliding door 2 from the front to the rear in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0027] The outer edge portion 51b of the target edge portion 51 has an opposing surface 512 that faces at least the tip end portion of the flange inner surface 21a on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the flange portion 21 when in the closed position, and a connecting surface 513 that connects the opposing surface 512 and the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side portion 1.

[0028] Specifically, the opposing surface 512 extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle vertical direction, and is parallel to a flange tip portion 211 (described later) of the flange inner surface 21a of the flange portion 21. A front portion of the opposing surface 512 in the vehicle longitudinal direction faces a part of the flange inner surface 21a of the flange portion 21 (flange tip portion 211). The opposing surface 512 is located at a position retreated a predetermined depth β' inward in the vehicle width direction from the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side portion 1 (quarter panel 1d). In other words, the opposing surface 512 is located at a position retreated a predetermined distance (=predetermined depth β') inward in the vehicle width direction from the door outer surface 2a of the sliding door 2 in the closed position.

[0029] The connecting surface 513 connects the rear end of the opposing surface 512 in the vehicle longitudinal direction to the front end of the outer surface 1d1, which is rearward of the boarding / alighting entrance 1a of the vehicle body side portion 1 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The portion where this connecting surface 513 and the outer surface 1d1 intersect forms a corner C, which is the boundary between the target edge portion 51 and the outer surface 1d1. In a plan view seen from the vehicle width direction, this corner C can be seen as a line extending over the entire range in the vehicle vertical direction in which the target edge portion 51 exists (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0030] In this embodiment, the flange portion 21 of the sliding door 2 has a flange tip portion 211 having a tip that faces the connection surface 513 of the target edge portion 51 (outer edge portion 51b) in the closed position, and a flange base end portion 212 that extends continuously from the flange tip portion 211 forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction (toward the door main body portion 22) and has an enlarged portion 212a that is located more inward in the vehicle width direction than the surface (flange inner surface 21a) on the opposing surface 512 side of the flange tip portion 211. The flange tip portion 211 has a predetermined tip thickness in the vehicle width direction and is formed thinner than the flange base end portion 212. The flange base end portion 212 is located rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the flange tip portion 211 and in a region in the vehicle longitudinal direction that corresponds to the inner edge portion 51a of the target edge portion 51 in the closed position. The flange base end portion 212 is formed thicker than the flange tip portion 211 by the enlarged portion thickness in the vehicle width direction of the enlarged portion 212a.

[0031] The door main body 22 of the sliding door 2 is formed continuously with the flange 21. The door main body 22 has a connection portion 221 that connects to the flange 21. A connection portion inner surface 221a, which is the surface on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the connection portion 221, is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction toward the flange 21 side, so that the thickness (width) of the connection portion 221 becomes smaller toward the flange 21 side. In the closed position, the connection portion inner surface 221a faces the rail inclined surface 511 of the inner edge 51a of the target edge 51 at a distance from the rail inclined surface 511, and is inclined at the same degree as the rail inclined surface 511.

[0032] In this embodiment, the connection surface 513 of the target edge portion 51 is formed as an inclined surface that moves away from the tip of the flange portion 21 (flange tip portion 211) in the closed position as it moves from the front side to the rear side (from the one side to the other side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In this embodiment, the connection surface 513 extends in the same inclined direction as the inclined rail portion 31 of the center rail 3 serving as the target rail 3A. In other words, the connection surface 513 extends in a direction that matches the inclination direction (degree of inclination) of a predetermined length of a rail start-end portion that includes the end of the center rail 3 in the door closing direction (here, the front end in the vehicle longitudinal direction). Specifically, the connection surface 513 is inclined at the same inclination angle (degree of inclination) as the inclination angle formed by the opposing surface 512 and a virtual line that connects a start point f1 of the closed position on a movement locus M of the inside corner of the tip of the flange portion 21 of the sliding door 2 that moves along the inclined rail portion 31 to a predetermined point f2 that is spaced outward from the start point f1 by at least a predetermined depth β' in the vehicle width direction. Also, here, the movement trajectory M is set so that the predetermined point f2 is located further forward (the one side) of the vehicle than the connection point X (see Figure 3) between the opposing surface 512 and the connection surface 513 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, the target edge portion 51 has a protruding portion 514 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction on the front side (the one side) in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the opposing surface 512. The protruding portion 514 has, for example, a mountain-shaped cross section.

[0034] In this embodiment, the tip of the protrusion 514 is located within a predetermined region R that corresponds to the widened portion 212a of the flange base end 212 in the closed position in the vehicle width direction and also corresponds to the flange tip portion 211 in the closed position in the vehicle front-rear direction (see the broken line in FIG. 3 ). That is, the protrusion 514 is located within a region of the flange portion 21 that is recessed in the vehicle width direction by the width of the widened portion 212a. In other words, when the sliding door 2 is in the closed position, the tip (tip surface) of the protrusion 514 is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the flange inner side surface 21a of the widened portion 212a and inward in the vehicle width direction from the flange inner side surface 21a of the flange tip portion 211, and is located in a position facing the flange inner side surface 21a of the flange tip portion 211 in the vehicle width direction.

[0035] In the vehicle 100 configured as described above, the target edge 51 in the vehicle body side 1 has an enlarged gap portion 51A in which a first distance α, which is the distance in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the flange portion 21 in the closed position and the connecting surface 513, is set to a predetermined value larger than a second distance β, which is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the flange portion 21 in the closed position and the opposing surface 512. In other words, when the sliding door 2 is in the closed position, in the enlarged gap portion 51A, the first distance α is set to a predetermined value (dimension) larger than the second distance β, and the second distance β is set to a predetermined value (dimension) smaller than the predetermined value for the first distance α (α>β).

[0036] Although not particularly limited, the first distance α (the predetermined value) in the enlarged gap portion 51A is set to a predetermined dimension of, for example, 2 cm or less. The predetermined depth β' is set to be smaller than the first distance α and larger than the second distance β (α>β'>β). In this embodiment, the opposing surface length α1, which is the length of the opposing surface 512 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, is set to be larger than the connecting surface length α2, which is the length of the connecting surface 513 in the vehicle longitudinal direction (α1>α2). The value obtained by adding the opposing surface length α1 to the connecting surface length α2 is set to be larger than the first distance α (α1+α2>α). As long as the condition α1+α2>α is satisfied, the opposing surface length α1 may be equal to or smaller than the connecting surface length α2, regardless of the condition α1>α2. The longer the inclined connecting surface length α2, the less likely turbulence is generated around the target edge portion 51 when the vehicle 100 is traveling, thereby reducing running resistance due to air resistance.

[0037] In this embodiment, the door handle 2b is provided on the door outer surface 2a of the sliding door 2 as described above (see FIG. 1). The door handle 2b is provided in a middle portion of the sliding door 2 in the vehicle up-down direction and on a portion of the sliding door 2 on the front end side in the vehicle front-rear direction. In relation to the door handle 2b, the enlarged gap portion 51A of the target edge portion 51 is provided in a region that overlaps with a region of the target edge portion 51 corresponding to the door handle 2b in the vehicle up-down direction. In addition, the range of the enlarged gap portion 51A of the target edge portion 51 in the vehicle up-down direction is set to be wider than the range of the door handle 2b in the vehicle up-down direction, for example.

[0038] In this embodiment, the target edge portion 51 has gap reduction portions 51B on both sides of the enlarged gap portion 51A in the vehicle up-down direction, in which the first distance α is set to a value smaller than the predetermined value in the enlarged gap portion 51A (see FIGS. 1 and 2). That is, the target edge portion 51 has an upper gap reduction portion 51B in which the first distance α is set to a relatively narrow value, the enlarged gap portion 51A in which the first distance α is set to a relatively wide value, and a lower gap reduction portion 51B in which the first distance α is set to a relatively narrow value. Therefore, in a plan view seen from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the boundary (partition) between the sliding door 2 and the vehicle body side portion 1 (quarter panel 1d) is more noticeable in the enlarged gap portion 51A than in the gap reduction portion 51B, whereas the boundary between the sliding door 2 and the vehicle body side portion 1 is less noticeable in the gap reduction portion 51B than in the enlarged gap portion 51A (see FIG. 1). Specifically, the second distance β in the gap narrowing portion 51B is set to the same dimension as that of the gap widening portion 51A, and the first distance α in the gap narrowing portion 51B is set to a value that is smaller than the first distance α (the specified value) in the gap widening portion 51A and smaller than the second distance β.

[0039] In this embodiment, the target edge portion 51 has an upper intermediate portion 51C connecting the upper gap reduction portion 51B and the gap expansion portion 51A, and a lower intermediate portion 51D connecting the lower gap reduction portion 51B and the gap expansion portion 51A. Of the corner portion C, which is the boundary between the target edge portion 51 and the outer surface 1d1, the portion corresponding to the upper intermediate portion 51C and the portion of the corner portion C corresponding to the lower intermediate portion 51D widen so as to move away from each other toward the boarding / alighting door 1a in a plan view seen from the vehicle width direction (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0040] Next, the operation of the vehicle side structure applied to the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment will be described mainly with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a vehicle 100′ according to a comparative example, corresponding to FIG. 3. Note that the target edge portion 51 in the vehicle side structure of the vehicle 100′ according to this comparative example does not have a portion corresponding to the enlarged gap portion 51A in the vehicle 100 (vehicle side structure) according to this embodiment. In the target edge portion 51 of the vehicle 100′ (vehicle side structure) according to the comparative example, (1) the first distance α is set to a predetermined value equal to or less than the second distance β, (2) the connecting surface 513 is curved rather than inclined, and (3) no protrusion 514 is included, and the structure other than these ((1) to (3)) is the same as that of the vehicle 100 (vehicle side structure) according to this embodiment.

[0041] First, in a vehicle 100′ (vehicle side structure) according to a comparative example shown in FIG. 4 , when the sliding door 2 slides along the inclined rail portion 31 of the center rail 3 toward the closed position (in other words, when moving toward the closed position from a position just before the closed position), the distance (gap) d between the flange inner surface 21a of the flange portion 21 and the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side portion 1 gradually narrows. This distance d continues to decrease until the tip of the flange portion 21 reaches a position corresponding to the corner C in the vehicle longitudinal direction from the open position side, and is minimized at the position corresponding to the corner C (the position where the flange inner surface 21a and the corner C overlap in the vehicle longitudinal direction). Thereafter, the sliding door 2 continues to slide along the inclined rail portion 31 toward the closed position, and at the closed position, a gap is formed between the flange portion 21 and the target edge portion 51. At this time, the flange inner surface 21a is positioned inward in the vehicle width direction from the corner C by the thickness (β′-β) of the flange tip portion 21a. In such a sliding door 2, there is a risk that a foreign object may be present near the flange portion 21 during the process of decreasing the distance d between the flange inner surface 21a and the outer surface 1d1 as shown in Fig. 4. In this case, when the sliding door 2 subsequently slides further toward the closed position past the corner C in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the foreign object may be drawn toward the target edge portion 51 of the peripheral edge 5 of the entrance / exit 1a and become caught in the gap between the flange portion 21 and the target edge portion 51.

[0042] In contrast, in the vehicle 100 (vehicle side structure) according to this embodiment, the target edge 51 has an expanded gap portion 51A in which a first distance α, which is the distance in the vehicle longitudinal direction between the flange portion 21 and the connecting surface 513, is set to a predetermined value greater than a second distance β, which is the distance in the vehicle width direction between the flange portion 21 and the opposing surface 512. As a result, compared to the comparative example shown in FIG. 4 in which the first distance α is equal to or less than the second distance β, the position where the distance between the flange inner surface 21a and the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side portion 1 is likely to be smallest (in other words, the corner reach position where the tip of the flange portion 21 reaches the corner C in the vehicle longitudinal direction) can be shifted toward the open position as shown in FIG. 3. As a result, the distance d between the flange inner surface 21a and the outer surface 1d1 of the vehicle body side portion 1 at the corner reach position, which may be a starting point for trapping a foreign object, becomes larger than when the first distance α is equal to or less than the second distance β (the comparative example shown in FIG. 4). Therefore, in the vehicle 100 (vehicle side structure) of this embodiment, the pinching of foreign objects between the flange portion 21 of the sliding door 2 and the target edge portion 51 can be effectively suppressed compared to when the first distance α is equal to or less than the second distance β.

[0043] In this way, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment can provide a vehicle side structure that can effectively prevent foreign objects from getting caught between the flange portion 21 of the sliding door 2 and the target edge portion 51 of the periphery 5 of the boarding / alighting opening 1a that is covered by the flange portion 21.

[0044] In this embodiment, the connection surface 513 is formed as an inclined surface that moves away from the tip of the flange portion 21 in the closed position as it moves from the front side to the rear side (from the one side to the other side), and extends in the same inclined direction as the inclined rail portion 31. As a result, for example, when the sliding door 2 in the closed position moves in the opening direction along the inclined rail portion 31, the distance between the tip of the flange portion 21 and the connection surface 513 of the target edge portion 51 does not narrow, so that even when moving from the closed position to the opening direction, pinching of foreign matter between the flange portion 21 and the target edge portion 51 is effectively suppressed. Specifically, it is preferable that the connection surface 513 be inclined at an inclination angle that is the same as the inclination angle formed by the opposing surface 512 and a virtual line connecting the start point f1 and a predetermined point f2 that is spaced outward from the start point f1 by a predetermined depth β' in the vehicle width direction on the movement (section) of the movement locus M of the inside corner of the tip of the flange portion 21. The connecting surface 513 is not limited to being inclined in the same direction as the inclined rail portion 31, and may extend in a direction that is more gradually inclined in the vehicle width direction than the inclined rail portion 31, as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 3. As a result, for example, when moving from the closed position to the open direction, the distance between the tip of the flange portion 21 and the connecting surface 513 gradually increases, which more effectively prevents foreign objects from getting caught when moving from the closed position to the open direction. Furthermore, from the perspective of movement in the closed direction near the closed position, by inclining the connecting surface 513 more gradually than the inclined rail portion 31 as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 3, the corner arrival position can be shifted toward the open position, compared to when the connecting surface 513 is inclined in the same direction as the inclined rail portion 31, which more effectively prevents foreign objects from getting caught when moving in the closed direction.

[0045] In this embodiment, the movement locus M is set so that the predetermined point f2 is located on the vehicle front side (the one side) of the connection point X (see FIG. 3) between the opposing surface 512 and the connection surface 513 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. This increases the minimum distance between the flange portion 21 and the connection surface 513 at the position of the predetermined point f2 (more specifically, in FIG. 3, the distance between the predetermined point f2 and the corner C, i.e., the length of the line connecting the predetermined point f2 and the corner C), thereby more effectively preventing foreign objects from getting caught.

[0046] Here, in the vehicle 100 (vehicle side structure) according to this embodiment, the gap expansion portion 51A can effectively prevent foreign objects from getting caught between the flange portion 21 and the target edge portion 51, but by providing the gap expansion portion 51A, the possibility of foreign objects, rainwater, etc. entering through the gap expansion portion 51A may be higher than in the case of the comparative example structure shown in Figure 4, which does not have the gap expansion portion 51A.

[0047] To prevent the intrusion of the foreign matter, rainwater, and the like, in this embodiment, the target edge portion 51 has a protrusion 514 that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction at a portion on the front side (the one side) of the opposing surface 512. As a result, the protrusion 514 is located on the rear side (the entrance / exit 1a) of the opposing surface 512 and functions as a barrier against foreign matter. As a result, the protrusion 514 effectively prevents foreign matter from intruding into the gap (space) between the opposing surface 512 and the flange portion 21 when the sliding door 2 is moved from the open position to the closed position. Furthermore, even if water such as rainwater or muddy water intrudes through the relatively wide gap (the gap of the first distance α) between the tip of the flange portion 21 and the connection surface 513 of the target edge portion 51 in the expanded gap portion 51A, most of the rainwater, etc. that has intruded into this gap collides with the protrusion 514, thereby effectively preventing the intrusion of rainwater, etc. toward the entrance / exit 1a side of the protrusion 514.

[0048] Furthermore, the outer surface of the protruding portion 514 (i.e., the tip surface in the protruding direction) is located closer to the door main body 22 in the vehicle longitudinal direction than the tip of the flange portion 21 (flange tip portion 211). This prevents foreign matter from getting caught between the outer surface of the protruding portion 514 and the flange portion 21.

[0049] In this embodiment, the tip of the protrusion 514 is located within a predetermined region R that is an area corresponding to the widened portion 212a of the flange base end 212 when it is in the closed position in the vehicle width direction, and that is an area corresponding to the flange tip 211 when it is in the closed position in the vehicle longitudinal direction. As a result, even if rainwater or the like infiltrates through the gap between the flange tip 211 and the protrusion 514, the widened portion 212a is located ahead of the infiltrating rainwater or the like in the flow direction, and therefore, the rainwater or the like hits the widened portion 212a, thereby effectively preventing the rainwater or the like from further infiltrating toward the boarding / alighting door 1a.

[0050] Here, for example, there is a case where an occupant standing behind the rear end of the sliding door 2 outside the vehicle attempts to manually close a manually opened / closed sliding door 2 such as that of this embodiment. In this case, the occupant may manually slide the sliding door 2 in the closing direction by pushing forward a portion of the rear end of the sliding door 2 in the open position, which corresponds to the door handle 2b in the vertical direction of the vehicle. That is, the door handle 2b is often provided at a height that makes it easy to slide the sliding door 2, taking into consideration the position of the center rail 3 and the center of gravity of the sliding door 2, and therefore the portion of the rear end of the sliding door 2 in the vertical direction of the vehicle, which corresponds to the door handle 2b, is likely to be a position that is frequently subjected to external forces when the sliding door 2 is manually closed. Therefore, the portion of the rear end of the sliding door 2 (i.e., the end of the sliding door 2 on the target edge portion 51 side) that corresponds to the door handle 2b in the vertical direction of the vehicle is more likely to have a foreign object caught therein than other areas.

[0051] In contrast, in this embodiment, the enlarged gap portion 51A of the target edge portion 51 is provided in a region that overlaps with a region of the target edge portion 51 in the vehicle vertical direction that corresponds to the door handle 2b. This narrows the area (enlarged gap portion 51A) where the boundary (partition) between the sliding door 2 and the vehicle body side portion 1 becomes noticeable and the aesthetic appearance tends to be impaired to a region that overlaps with a region where manual external force is likely to be applied. As a result, compared to a case where the enlarged gap portion 51A is provided over the entire area of ​​the target edge portion 51 in the vehicle vertical direction, it is possible to effectively prevent foreign objects from being caught in the area where the possibility of this happening is high while also preventing the aesthetic appearance from being impaired.

[0052] 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the target edge portion 51 has gap reduction portions 51B on both sides of the enlarged gap portion 51A in the vehicle vertical direction, in which the first distance α is set to a value smaller than the predetermined value in the enlarged gap portion 51A (specifically, a value smaller than the second distance β). As a result, the enlarged gap portion 51A is provided only in the area where foreign objects are likely to become trapped, and the gap reduction portions 51B are provided in other areas, thereby preventing deterioration of the aesthetic appearance.

[0053] In this embodiment, the portion of corner C, which is the boundary between target edge portion 51 and outer surface 1d1, corresponding to upper intermediate portion 51C and the portion of corner C corresponding to lower intermediate portion 51D are spaced apart from each other toward entrance 1a in a plan view seen from the vehicle width direction. As a result, at the joint between upper gap narrowing portion 51B and gap enlarged portion 51A (i.e., upper intermediate portion 51C) and the joint between lower gap narrowing portion 51B and gap enlarged portion 51A (i.e., lower intermediate portion 51D), the first distance α does not narrow suddenly but gradually decreases toward gap narrowing portion 51B. As a result, pinching of foreign objects is effectively suppressed even at the joints.

[0054] [Other variations] Next, modified examples of the vehicle side structure applied to the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8 and the like.

[0055] 5, in vehicle 100, weatherstrip 515, which seals the gap between target edge 51 and sliding door 2, is provided at a portion of target edge 51 closer to entrance 1a than protruding portion 514. This effectively prevents rainwater and the like from contacting weatherstrip 515 by protruding portion 514, thereby preventing deterioration of weatherstrip 515 due to contact with rainwater and the like. Furthermore, protruding portion 514 effectively narrows the gap on the weatherstrip 515 side in the vehicle width direction in the intrusion path of rainwater and the like, so intrusion of rainwater and the like toward weatherstrip 515 is more effectively prevented.

[0056] 5, the surface of widened portion 212a on the opposing surface 512 side may be inclined so as to move away from opposing surface 512 in the vehicle width direction as it approaches flange tip portion 211. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, at least a portion of protrusion 514 is located within a region in the vehicle front-rear direction that corresponds to flange base end 212 in the closed position. As a result, even if rainwater or the like infiltrates through the gap between flange tip portion 211 and protrusion 514, the infiltrating rainwater or the like is more likely to hit widened portion 212a, and infiltration of rainwater or the like toward weatherstrip 515 is more effectively suppressed.

[0057] 6 to 8, the enlarged gap portion 51A may be provided in a region of the target edge portion 51 that is shifted in the vehicle up-down direction from the region corresponding to the door handle 2b. Specifically, the enlarged gap portion 51A may be provided in a region above the door handle 2b as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, or may be provided in a region below the door handle 2b as shown in Fig. 8. In these cases, the gap reduction portion 51B may be provided on both sides of the enlarged gap portion 51A in the vehicle up-down direction as shown in Fig. 6, or may be provided on only one side of the enlarged gap portion 51A in the vehicle up-down direction as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

[0058] Furthermore, although the connecting surface 513 has been described as extending in a direction and at a degree of inclination based on the inclined rail portion 31 of the center rail 3, this is not limiting. For example, an inclined rail portion may be provided at the end of the curved rail portion 41 of the lower rail 4, and the connecting surface 513 may extend in a direction and at a degree of inclination based on the inclined rail portion of the lower rail 4. In this case, the target rail 3A would be the lower rail 4. Although not shown, the connecting surface 513 does not have to be formed as an inclined surface. For example, it may be formed as a curved surface that is curved in an arc shape in cross section so as to be convex toward the flange tip portion 211 in the closed position or concave toward the opposite side of the flange tip portion 211 in the closed position. Furthermore, the end of the connecting surface 513 on the opposing surface 512 side may be curved in an arc shape in cross section so as to be concave toward the opposite side of the flange tip portion 211 or convex toward the flange tip portion 211. Furthermore, the flange inner surface 21a at the flange tip end portion 211 may be inclined so that the flange inner surface 21a is positioned more outward in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the flange base end portion 212 side.

[0059] Furthermore, the sliding door 2 is not limited to a manual opening / closing type, but may be an automatic opening / closing type. Even in this case, for example, when closing the sliding door 2 in the event of a malfunction of the drive mechanism for automatic opening / closing, a manual external force may act on the rear end of the sliding door 2, increasing the possibility of a foreign object being caught therein. Therefore, the vehicle side structure according to this embodiment is suitable even for an automatic opening / closing type sliding door 2.

[0060] Furthermore, although the vehicle side structure is applied as a side structure on the right side of the vehicle 100, it may also be applied as a side structure on the left side of the vehicle 100. In this case, a structure that is opposite in the left and right directions in the vehicle width direction to the structure described above is applied.

[0061] Furthermore, although the sliding door 2 is described as a side door that is positioned in the closed position by sliding forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the side door may be positioned in the closed position by sliding backward in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In this case, the "one side" in the vehicle longitudinal direction, which is the door closing direction of the sliding door 2, is the rear side in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and the "other side" in the vehicle longitudinal direction, which is the door opening direction of the sliding door 2, is the front side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The flange portion 21 of the sliding door 2 is formed at the front end portion of the sliding door 2, and the target edge portion 51 is the front edge portion (front edge portion) of the periphery 5 of the entrance / exit opening 1a in the vehicle body side portion 1. As an example of a vehicle 100 having such a sliding door 2 that can be opened and closed, a vehicle with a relatively large area of ​​the vehicle body side portion 1 is envisioned. The vehicle side portion structure described above according to this embodiment may be applied to such a vehicle 100. In this case, the above-mentioned structure is applied in the reverse direction in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thereby effectively preventing foreign objects from getting caught between the flange portion 21 at the front end of the sliding door 2 and the target edge portion 51, which is the front edge portion of the periphery 5 of the boarding / alighting opening 1a.

[0062] Although the embodiments and modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and further modifications and changes are possible based on the technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 1...vehicle body side, 1a...entrance / exit door, 1d1...outer surface, 2...sliding door, 2a...door outer surface, 2b...door handle, 21...flange portion, 21a...inner surface of flange, 211...flange tip portion, 212...flange base end portion, 212a...widened portion, 3, 4...multiple rails, 3...center rail, 3A...target rail, 31...inclined rail portion, 4...lower rail, 5...periphery, 51...target edge portion, 51A...widened gap portion, 51B...narrowed gap portion, 51C...upper intermediate portion, 51D...lower intermediate portion, 512...opposing surface, 513...connecting surface, 514...protruding portion, 515...weather strip, C...corner portion, R...predetermined area, α...first distance, β...second distance

Claims

1. A vehicle body side portion having a boarding / alighting entrance formed therein; a sliding door that is positioned at a closed position where the boarding / alighting opening is fully closed by sliding toward one side in a vehicle longitudinal direction, and is positioned at an open position where the boarding / alighting opening is opened by sliding toward the other side in the vehicle longitudinal direction and faces an outer surface of the vehicle body side portion on the other side of the boarding / alighting opening; at least one rail extending to the vehicle body side portion and supporting the sliding door slidably between the closed position and the open position; Including, the at least one rail includes a target rail having an inclined rail portion extending at an incline at a periphery of the boarding / alighting opening at the vehicle body side portion so that the sliding door moves inward in the vehicle width direction while sliding from the open position on the other side to the one side, the other end of the sliding door forms a flange portion that covers at least a part of a target edge portion, which is an edge portion on the other side of the periphery, from an outer side in a vehicle width direction in the closed position, A vehicle side structure, wherein a gap is provided between the flange portion in the closed position and the target edge portion, The target edge portion has an opposing surface that faces at least a tip side portion of an inner flange surface on an inner side in the vehicle width direction of the flange portion in the closed position, and a connecting surface that connects the opposing surface and the outer surface, The target edge portion has a gap enlargement portion, in which a first distance, which is a distance in the vehicle front-rear direction between the flange portion in the closed position and the connection surface, is set to a predetermined value larger than a second distance, which is a distance in the vehicle width direction between the flange portion in the closed position and the opposing surface, The target edge portion has a protruding portion protruding outward in a vehicle width direction at a portion on the one side of the opposing surface, the flange portion has a flange tip portion having a tip that faces the connection surface in the closed position, and a flange base end portion having a widened portion that extends continuously from the flange tip portion to the one side and is located more inward in the vehicle width direction than a surface of the flange tip portion on the facing surface side, A vehicle side structure characterized in that the tip of the protrusion is located within a specified area which is an area corresponding to the widening portion of the flange base end when in the closed position in the vehicle width direction, and which is an area corresponding to the flange tip end when in the closed position in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction.

2. 2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the connection surface is formed as an inclined surface that moves away from the tip of the flange portion in the closed position as it moves from the one side to the other side, and extends in the same inclination direction as the inclined rail portion or in a more gentle inclination direction in the vehicle width direction than the inclined rail portion.

3. 2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, further comprising a weather strip provided on a portion of the target edge closer to the entrance than the protruding portion, for sealing a gap between the target edge and the sliding door.

4. The surface of the widening portion on the opposing surface side is inclined so as to move away from the opposing surface in the vehicle width direction toward the flange tip portion, The vehicle side structure according to claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the protrusion is located within a region in the vehicle front-rear direction that corresponds to the flange base end in the closed position.

5. A door handle is provided on the outer surface of the sliding door, The vehicle side structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gap enlargement portion is provided in a region of the target edge portion that overlaps with a region in the vehicle up-down direction that corresponds to the door handle.

6. The target edge portion has a gap reduction portion on both sides of the gap expansion portion in the vehicle vertical direction, in which the first distance is set to a value smaller than the specified value in the gap expansion portion.

7. The target edge portion has an upper intermediate portion that connects the upper gap narrowing portion and the gap widening portion, and a lower intermediate portion that connects the lower gap narrowing portion and the gap widening portion, 7. The vehicle side structure according to claim 6, wherein a portion of the corner portion that is a boundary between the target edge portion and the outer surface, which corresponds to the upper middle portion, and a portion of the corner portion that corresponds to the lower middle portion, spread apart from each other toward the boarding / alighting entrance side in a plan view seen from the vehicle width direction.

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