Exterior panel structure of a vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle exterior panel structure that suppresses occurrence of unevenness on an outer surface of an exterior panel material due to joining of a reinforcement member while joining the reinforcement member in the state that ensures support rigidity for the exterior panel material, and even if a user presses the exterior panel material at the time of waxing and so on, can minimize dents in the exterior panel material.SOLUTION: A vehicle exterior panel structure comprises a door outer panel 10, a reinforcement member 11, and a bracket 13. The bracket 13 is joined to the door outer panel 10 at a second joint area part 13b along an inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, and is joined to a reinforcement outer peripheral edge part 11a of the reinforcement member 11 at a first joint area part 13a separated in a thickness direction of the door outer panel 10 from the inner surface of the door outer panel 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior panel structure of a vehicle, and particularly to a joining structure between an exterior panel material and a reinforcing member for reinforcing the exterior panel material.

Background Art

[0002] In vehicles such as passenger cars, weight reduction has been continuously demanded. As one measure for this, the thickness of the exterior panel material of the vehicle has been reduced. By reducing the thickness of the exterior panel material in this way, it is possible to reduce the weight of the vehicle, but it is not preferable from the viewpoint of appearance quality because the exterior panel material is dented when the user washes the car or applies wax. In response to such a problem, it is also conceivable to adopt the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an exterior panel structure including a door outer panel, a plurality of first reinforcing members, and a plurality of second reinforcing members. Each of the plurality of first reinforcing members is a long member extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, is curved along the inner surface of the door outer panel, and is joined to the inner surface of the door outer panel. Each of the plurality of second reinforcing members is a long member extending in the vehicle up-down direction, is curved along the inner surface of the door outer panel, and is joined to the inner surface of the door outer panel.

[0004] By adopting the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member as described above, it is possible to reinforce the exterior panel material, and it is considered that dents in the exterior panel material during car washing or waxing can be suppressed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] From the viewpoint of reinforcement for suppressing the dent of the exterior panel material, it is necessary to ensure the support rigidity for the inner surface of the exterior panel material and join the reinforcing member.

[0007] However, when trying to adopt the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a concern that the unevenness may appear on the outer surface of the exterior panel material that forms the appearance of the vehicle due to the joining of the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member to the inner surface of the exterior panel material, leading to a deterioration in the appearance quality. That is, in a vehicle (especially a passenger car), since the outer surface of the exterior panel material has a complex shape in order to improve aerodynamic characteristics and appearance quality, it is difficult to uniformly adhere the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member disclosed in Patent Document 1 over the entire area of the inner surface of the exterior panel material. For this reason, when trying to adopt the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 in the exterior panel of the vehicle, a part of the exterior panel material may be distorted by being drawn inward (towards the side of the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member) due to the joining of the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member, and it is considered that unevenness will appear on the outer surface of the exterior panel material that forms the vehicle appearance.

[0008] The present invention is made to solve the above problems, and while joining the reinforcing member while ensuring the support rigidity for the exterior panel material, it suppresses the generation of unevenness on the outer surface of the exterior panel material caused by the joining of the reinforcing member, and also suppresses the dent of the exterior panel material to a small extent even when the user presses the exterior panel material during waxing or the like. The purpose is to provide an exterior panel structure for a vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The exterior panel structure for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention includes an exterior panel material and a reinforcing member. The exterior panel material has an outer surface that constitutes a part of the appearance of the vehicle. The reinforcing member is disposed along the inner surface of the exterior panel material and has a reinforcing surface portion that reinforces the exterior panel material against a pressing force input in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material.

[0010] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to this aspect, the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member has a plurality of joint portions and a connecting portion. The plurality of joint portions are spaced apart from each other along the inner surface of the exterior panel material, and each is joined to the inner surface of the exterior panel material. The connecting portion extends along the inner surface of the exterior panel material and connects the adjacent joint portions to each other. The reinforcing member further has a reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion provided at the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing surface portion so as to be along the inner surface of the exterior panel material.

[0011] The inner surface of the exterior panel material and the connecting portion are spaced apart from each other with a gap therebetween when no pressing force is input from the outer surface of the exterior panel material toward the inner side in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, or when the input pressing force is less than a predetermined value, and are in contact with each other when there is an input of a pressing force of the predetermined value or more from the outer surface of the exterior panel material toward the inner side in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material.

[0012] The exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to this aspect further includes a joint intermediate portion disposed between the panel outer peripheral edge portion on the inner surface of the exterior panel material and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion of the reinforcing member, and joining the panel outer peripheral edge portion and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion. The joint intermediate portion is formed to have higher rigidity than the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member.

[0013] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, in a steady state (a state where no pressing force is input or the input pressing force is less than a predetermined value), only the plurality of joint portions in the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member are joined to the inner surface of the exterior panel material, and the connecting portion is not joined to the inner surface of the exterior panel material. Therefore, in the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, even if the connecting portion is not accurately formed in accordance with the inner surface shape of the exterior panel material, it is difficult to cause unevenness due to distortion on the outer surface of the exterior panel material.

[0014] Moreover, in the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, when a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value of steam is input to the outer surface of the exterior panel material, the connecting portion of the reinforcing member and the inner surface of the exterior panel material come into contact with each other. Therefore, even when the user presses the outer surface of the exterior panel material with a pressing force equal to or greater than the predetermined value during, for example, waxing or car washing, the connecting portion of the reinforcing member comes into contact with the inner surface of the exterior panel material, thereby suppressing the exterior panel material from being significantly recessed. Therefore, the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect is excellent from the viewpoint of the appearance quality of the vehicle.

[0015] Further, in the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the panel outer peripheral edge portion of the exterior panel material and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion of the reinforcing member are joined in a state where a joining intermediate portion is sandwiched therebetween, and the joining intermediate portion is formed to have higher rigidity than the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member. Therefore, in the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, while suppressing the occurrence of unevenness due to distortion on the outer surface of the exterior panel material, the reinforcing member can be joined to the inner surface of the exterior panel material with high support rigidity.

[0016] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the joining intermediate portion may be a separate member from the exterior panel material and the reinforcing member, and may be joined to each of the panel outer peripheral edge portion and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion.

[0017] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since the joining intermediate portion is configured as a separate member from the exterior panel material and the reinforcing member, it is easy to form the joining intermediate portion to have high rigidity with respect to the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member, and it is advantageous for joining the reinforcing member to the inner surface of the exterior panel material with high support rigidity.

[0018] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the joining intermediate portion may be formed of a material having a Young's modulus higher than at least the reinforcing surface portion in the reinforcing member.

[0019] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, by forming the joining intermediate part using a material having a Young's modulus higher than at least that of the reinforcing surface part, it is possible to join the reinforcing member to the inner surface of the exterior panel material with high support rigidity without increasing the thickness of the joining intermediate part.

[0020] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the reinforcing surface part of the reinforcing member may be formed of a resin material, the exterior panel material may be formed of a light alloy or a resin material, and the joining intermediate part may be formed of a light alloy.

[0021] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since the exterior panel material is formed of a light alloy or a resin material and the reinforcing member is formed of a resin material, it is advantageous for weight reduction of the exterior panel structure of the vehicle, that is, for weight reduction of the vehicle.

[0022] Also, in the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since the joining intermediate part is formed of a light alloy, it is advantageous for variously processing the shape of the joining intermediate part according to the shape of the inner surface of the exterior panel and the shape of the reinforcing outer peripheral edge part of the reinforcing member. Further, by forming the joining intermediate part of a light alloy, it is advantageous for weight reduction compared to the case of forming using a steel material or the like.

[0023] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the joining intermediate part may be integrally formed with a first joining surface part, a second joining surface part, and a connecting surface part. The first joining surface part is joined to the reinforcing outer peripheral edge part of the reinforcing member. The second joining surface part is joined to the panel outer peripheral edge part of the exterior panel material. The connecting surface part connects the first joining surface part and the second joining surface part.

[0024] Also, in the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the connecting surface part may be formed such that the first joining surface part is separated from the inner surface of the exterior panel material in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material.

[0025] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion of the reinforcing member and the first joint surface portion of the joint intermediate portion are joined at a portion spaced inward from the inner surface of the exterior panel material, even if distortion occurs due to the joining of the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion and the first joint surface portion, it is difficult to affect the outer surface of the exterior panel material, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unevenness on the outer surface of the exterior panel material.

[0026] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the panel outer peripheral edge portion of the exterior panel material and the second joint surface portion of the joint intermediate portion may be joined by hemming.

[0027] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since the panel outer peripheral edge portion of the exterior panel material and the second joint surface portion of the joint intermediate portion are joined by hemming, which has been conventionally adopted in vehicle manufacturing, an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed compared to the case of joining using a special processing method.

[0028] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, when the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member is viewed in a plan view from the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, the reinforcing member may be formed such that three of the joint portions adjacent to each other and three of the connecting portions connecting these three joint portions form a triangle.

[0029] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since three joint portions adjacent to each other and three connecting portions connecting them are connected so as to form a triangle, while adopting a simple configuration, deformation of the reinforcing surface portion in the direction along the inner surface of the exterior panel material can be suppressed. Therefore, it is advantageous in suppressing the occurrence of unevenness due to distortion of the exterior panel material by the reinforcement of the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member when a pressing force is input to the exterior panel material during waxing or the like.

[0030] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, when the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member is viewed in a plan view from the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, the joint portion has a hexagonal outer shape, and the connecting portion is formed so as to extend radially in six directions from each of the joint portions. This may also be the case.

[0031] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, since the connecting portion in the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member is formed so as to extend radially in six directions from the joint portion, the pressing force input from the exterior panel material to the connecting portion during waxing or the like can be evenly dispersed from the joint portion to the other connecting portions connected to the joint portion.

[0032] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, the exterior panel material is a door outer panel. When the door outer panel is arranged so as to close the door opening of the vehicle, the reinforcing surface portion is arranged in a region overlapping the door opening, and the exterior panel structure is arranged so as to cover the reinforcing member when the exterior panel material is viewed in a plan view from the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, and further includes an inner panel joined at the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion. This may also be the case.

[0033] In the exterior panel structure of the vehicle according to the above aspect, a door outer panel is adopted as a specific example of the exterior panel material, and an inner panel is joined so as to cover and hide the reinforcing member inside the door. Therefore, when the door is closed, the reinforcing member cannot be seen from the vehicle interior side, which is excellent from the viewpoint of aesthetics.

Effect of the Invention

[0034] In the exterior panel structure according to each of the above aspects, while joining the reinforcing member while ensuring the support rigidity for the exterior panel material, the generation of unevenness on the outer surface of the exterior panel material due to the joining of the reinforcing member is suppressed, and even when the user presses the exterior panel material during waxing or the like, the dent of the exterior panel material can be suppressed to be small.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0035]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments described below are examples of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments except for its essential configuration.

[0037] 1. Configuration of Door 1 In an embodiment of the present invention, a configuration in which the exterior panel structure of a vehicle is applied to Door 1 is taken as an example. Although not shown in the drawings, Door 1 closes the door opening of the vehicle body when the door is in a closed state. Also, in the drawings used in the following description, the illustration of the door inner panel provided on the vehicle interior side of Door 1 is omitted.

[0038] The configuration of door 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In FIG. 1, a part of a door outer panel (exterior panel material) 10, which is a component, is omitted from the illustration.

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, door 1 includes a door outer panel (exterior panel material) 10, a reinforcing member 11, a door impact bar 12, and a bracket (joint intermediate part) 13. The door outer panel 10 has an outer surface 10a that constitutes a part of the appearance of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the door outer panel 10 is formed from a light alloy (aluminum alloy as an example). Note that a resin material may also be adopted as the constituent material of the door outer panel 10.

[0040] The reinforcing member 11 is integrally formed with a frame-shaped reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a and a reinforcing surface portion 11b provided inside the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a. The reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 is formed in a substantially mesh shape when the reinforcing surface is viewed in plan from the thickness direction of the door outer panel 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 is formed so as to extend along the entire inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 except for the portion where the door handle is disposed. In this embodiment, the reinforcing member 11 is formed from a resin material.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the door impact bar 12 is a long member formed so as to connect the front end portion and the rear end portion of door 1 in the vehicle front-rear direction. Although detailed illustration is omitted, the door impact bar 12 is a square tube-shaped member and is formed from a metal material as an example. The door impact bar 12 is disposed along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 with the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 interposed therebetween.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 3, the bracket 13 is a frame-shaped member and is joined to the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c of the inner surface 10b in the door outer panel 10. A reinforcing member 11 (not shown in FIG. 3) is fixed to the first joint surface portion (the surface separated from the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10) 13a of the bracket 13 at the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a.

[0043] In this embodiment, the bracket 13 is formed of a material having a higher Young's modulus than the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11, and thus has higher rigidity than the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11. In this embodiment, as the constituent material of the bracket 13, for example, a light alloy (aluminum alloy as an example) is adopted. However, it is also possible to adopt a resin material as the constituent material of the bracket 13. In this case, it is necessary to form the bracket 13 to have higher rigidity than the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 by making the thickness of the bracket 13 thicker than the thickness of the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11.

[0044] Also, in this embodiment, the bracket 13 is formed as a separate member from the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing member 11, but it is also possible to integrally form the bracket 13 as a part of the door outer panel 10, or conversely, to integrally form the bracket 13 as a part of the reinforcing member 11.

[0045] 2. Detailed Structure of Reinforcing Member 11 The detailed structure of the reinforcing member 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0046] As described above, the reinforcing member 11 has a reinforcing surface portion 11b formed in a substantially mesh shape and a reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a formed so as to surround the periphery of the reinforcing surface portion 11b. In the reinforcing member 11, the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a and the reinforcing surface portion 11b are integrally formed.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 has a plurality of joint portions 110 and a plurality of connecting portions 111. The plurality of joint portions 110 and the plurality of connecting portions 111 are integrally formed. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the joint portion 110 has a joint surface 110a that is joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10. The joining of the joint surface 110a of the joint portion 110 and the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 is made by adhesion as an example. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the joint portion 110 has a substantially hexagonal outer shape in plan view.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 4, the connecting portion 111 connects adjacent joint portions 110. In the present embodiment, the plurality of joint portions 110 and the plurality of connecting portions 111 are arranged such that three adjacent joint portions 110 and three connecting portions 111 connecting them form a triangular planar shape. Six connecting portions 111 are connected to extend radially in six directions from the joint portion 110.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5(a), each connecting portion 111 has an elongated base portion 111a that extends along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, and a protruding portion 111b that protrudes from the base portion 111a toward the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 and extends along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 in the same manner as the base portion 111a. Further, as shown in FIG. 5(b), each connecting portion 111 also has a protruding portion 111c that protrudes from the base portion 111a toward the side opposite to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 and extends along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 in the same manner as the base portion 111a. In each connecting portion 111, the base portion 111a and the protruding portions 111b and 111c are integrally formed.

[0050] As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the protruding portions 111b and 111c of the connecting portion 111 are formed to extend radially from the joint portion 110. Note that, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the protruding portions 111c of the six connecting portions 111 connected to the joint portion 110 are connected to each other on the back surface 110b of the joint portion 110, which is on the side opposite to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 in the joint portion 110.

[0051] In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, in the present embodiment, the interval P between adjacent joints 110 is set within the range of 50 mm to 150 mm. This is considered in view of when the vehicle is washed or waxed, and is a numerical range set assuming the size of the user's palm.

[0052] 3. Arrangement of Joint 110 and Connecting Portion 111 with Respect to Door Outer Panel 10 The arrangement of the joint 110 and the connecting portion 111 with respect to the door outer panel 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0053] As described above, in the present embodiment, the connecting portion 111 has a base portion 111a and protruding portions 111b and 111c. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the connecting portion 111 has a cross shape in cross section. The lateral width (width of the base portion 111a) of the connecting portion 111 is W1, and the lateral widths of the protruding portions 111b and 111c are W2. Further, the height from the end portion (contact portion 111d) of the protruding portion 111b to the end portion of the protruding portion 111c is H1, and the height (thickness) of the base portion 111a is H2. W1 is 5 mm to 7 mm (6 mm as an example), W2 is 1 mm to 2 mm (1.5 mm as an example). Further, H1 is 4 mm to 5 mm (4.5 mm as an example), and H2 is 1 mm to 2 mm (1.5 mm as an example).

[0054] As shown in FIG. 6, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, a gap G1 is formed between the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 and the contact portion 111d of the connecting portion 111 in a state where no pressing force is input from the outside of the door outer panel 10. The gap G1 is set to be 5 times or less the plate thickness T1 of the door outer panel 10. Specifically, the gap G1 is set within the range of more than 0 mm and 3.0 mm or less. Regarding the gap G1, from the viewpoint of suppressing the dent of the door outer panel 10 when a pressing force is input, it is more desirable to set it to 2 times or less the plate thickness T1 of the door outer panel 10.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 7, the joint portion 110 has a joint surface 110a joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10. The joining of the joint surface 110a to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 is made by an adhesive portion 112. The adhesive portion 112 is formed by solidification of an adhesive, and has an adhesive surface 112a with the inner surface 1b of the door outer panel 10 and adhesive surfaces 112b and 112c with the joint portion 110. Note that the joint portion 110 is joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 regardless of the presence or absence of an external pressing force on the door outer panel 10.

[0056] Note that, as described above, a protruding portion 111c of the connecting portion 111 to be connected is formed by extending on the back surface (the surface opposite to the joint surface 110a) 110b of the joint portion 110. On the back surface 110b of the joint portion 110, a plurality of protruding portions 111c gather and are formed in a cylindrical shape. Note that on the back surface 110b of the joint portion 110, the joint portion 110 and the protruding portion 111c of the connecting portion 111 are integrally formed.

[0057] 4. State change of the door outer panel 10 and the connecting portion 111 depending on the presence or absence of a pressing force The state change of the door outer panel 10 and the connecting portion 111 will be described with reference to FIG. 8 for the case where a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is input from the outside to the door outer panel 10 by the user during car washing or waxing, and the case where no pressing force is input to the door outer panel 10 (when no pressing force is input) or the input pressing force is less than the predetermined value.

[0058] First, the case where no pressing force is input from the outside to the door outer panel 10 or the input pressing force is less than the predetermined value will be described with reference to FIG. 8(a). As shown in FIG. 8(a), when no pressing force is input from the outside to the door outer panel 10 or the input pressing force is less than the predetermined value, the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 and the contact portion 111d of the connecting portion 111 are in a state of being separated with a gap G1 (separated state).

[0059] Next, a case where a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is input from the outside to the door outer panel 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 8(b). In the present embodiment, the "pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value" refers to a pressing force when a user presses the door outer panel 10 with the palm during car washing or waxing. Specifically, as the "predetermined value" described above, for example, a value of 100 N or less can be adopted.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 8(b), when a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is input from the outside to the door outer panel 10 (arrow B), the door outer panel 10 is recessed inward. As a result, the contact portion 111d between the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 and the connecting portion 111 comes into contact (contact state). Note that the amount of dent of the door outer panel 10 is the sum of the gap G1 and the amount of deflection of the connecting portion 111.

[0061] When the input of the pressing force stops, the door outer panel 10 and the connecting portion 111 return to the state shown in FIG. 8(a) due to the elastic restoring force.

[0062] 5. Joint structure between door outer panel 10 and reinforcing member 11 As described above, the reinforcing member 11 has a plurality of joint portions 110 on the reinforcing surface portion 11b, and the plurality of joint portions 110 are joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10. However, the door outer panel 10 is not joined only by ensuring the support rigidity by the joining of the plurality of joint portions 110 and the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10. A joint structure for ensuring the support rigidity between the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing member 11 will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 9, the reinforcing member 11 is joined to the door outer panel 10 in a state where the support rigidity is ensured by joining the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11 to the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c that constitutes the outer peripheral edge of the door outer panel 10. The reinforcing member 11 and the door outer panel 10 are joined with a bracket (joint intermediate portion) 13 interposed therebetween.

[0064] The bracket 13 has a structure in which a first joint surface portion 13a, a second joint surface portion 13b, and a connecting surface portion 13c are integrally formed, and has a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape as a whole in the cross-section shown in FIG. 9. The first joint surface portion 13a is a flat surface portion along the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11. The second joint surface portion 13b is a flat surface portion along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10. The connecting surface portion 13c is connected to the first joint surface portion 13a and the second joint surface portion 13b, and is formed to extend in a direction intersecting the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 so that the first connecting surface portion 13a is spaced apart from the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10.

[0065] The first joint surface portion 13a of the bracket 13 and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11 are joined by fastening (mechanical fastening) with a bolt BLT and a nut NT. However, the joining method of the first joint surface portion 13a of the reinforcing member 13 and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11 is not limited to this, and for example, joining by fastening using a rivet or joining using an adhesive can also be used.

[0066] On the other hand, the second joint surface portion 13b of the bracket 13 and the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c of the door outer panel 10 are joined by hemming. As shown in the enlarged portion of FIG. 9, the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c of the door outer panel 10 is bent so as to wrap the edge portion 13d of the second joint surface portion 13b of the bracket 13, whereby the second joint surface portion 13b of the bracket 13 and the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c of the door outer panel 10 are joined.

[0067] In addition, in the present embodiment, since the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing member 11 are joined with the bracket 13 interposed therebetween, the distortion caused by the joining hardly affects the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10. Therefore, while ensuring the support rigidity with respect to the door outer panel 10 and joining the reinforcing member 11, it is possible to suppress the appearance of unevenness due to the joining on the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10.

[0068] Although not shown in the drawings, in the door 1, the inner panel is joined so as to cover the reinforcing member 11 joined to the door outer panel 10 from the inside with the bracket 13 interposed therebetween. As a result, in the state where the door 1 is closed, the reinforcing member 11 cannot be seen from the vehicle interior side.

[0069] 6. Effects In the door (exterior panel structure) 1 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of joints 110 in the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 are joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 in a state of being spaced apart from each other in a direction along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, and the connecting portion 111 is not joined. Therefore, in the door 1, even if the connecting portion 111 is not accurately formed in accordance with the shape of the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, it is difficult to cause unevenness due to distortion on the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10.

[0070] Moreover, in the door 1, when an input of a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is applied, the connecting portion 110 of the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 and the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 come into contact with each other. Therefore, for example, even when the user presses the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10 with a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value during waxing or car washing, the connecting portion 111 of the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 comes into contact with the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, thereby suppressing the door outer panel 10 from being greatly recessed. Therefore, the door 1 according to the present embodiment is excellent from the viewpoint of the appearance quality of the vehicle.

[0071] In addition, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c of the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11 are joined with a bracket (joint intermediate portion) 13 interposed therebetween, and the bracket 13 is formed to have higher rigidity than the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11. Therefore, in the door 1, while suppressing the occurrence of unevenness due to distortion on the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10, the reinforcing member 11 can be joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 with high support rigidity.

[0072] In addition, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, since the bracket 13 is configured as a separate member from the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing member 11, it is easy to form the bracket 13 to have higher rigidity with respect to the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11, which is advantageous for joining the reinforcing member 11 to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 with high support rigidity.

[0073] In addition, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, by forming the bracket 13 using a material having a Young's modulus at least higher than that of the reinforcing surface portion 11b (in this embodiment, a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy as an example), the reinforcing member 11 can be joined to the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10 with high support rigidity without increasing the thickness of the bracket 13.

[0074] In addition, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, since the door outer panel 10 is formed of a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy and the reinforcing member 11 is formed of a resin material, it is advantageous for reducing the weight of the door 1, that is, reducing the weight of the vehicle. Note that the exterior panel material exemplified by the door outer panel 10 can also be formed of a resin material.

[0075] Further, in the door 1, since the bracket 13 is formed of a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy, it is advantageous for variously processing the shape of the bracket 13 in accordance with the shape of the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, the shape of the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11, and the like. Further, by forming the bracket 13 from a light alloy, it is advantageous for weight reduction as compared with the case of forming using a steel material or the like.

[0076] Further, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, since the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a of the reinforcing member 11 and the first joint surface portion 13a of the bracket 13 are joined at a portion spaced inward (toward the vehicle interior side) from the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10, even if distortion occurs due to the joining of the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a and the first joint surface portion 13a, it is difficult to affect the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10, and it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unevenness on the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10.

[0077] Further, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, since the panel outer peripheral edge portion 10c of the door outer panel 10 and the second joint surface portion 13b of the bracket 13 are joined by hemming processing that has been conventionally adopted in vehicle manufacturing, it is possible to suppress an increase in manufacturing cost as compared with the case of joining using a special processing method.

[0078] Further, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, since three mutually adjacent joint portions 110 and three connecting portions 111 connecting them are connected so as to form a triangle, while adopting a simple configuration, it is possible to suppress deformation of the reinforcing surface portion 11b in the direction along the inner surface 10b of the door outer panel 10. Therefore, when a pressing force equal to or greater than a predetermined value is input to the door outer panel 10 during waxing or the like, it is advantageous for suppressing the occurrence of unevenness due to distortion of the door outer panel 10 by the reinforcement of the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11.

[0079] In addition, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, since the connecting portion 111 in the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 is formed so as to extend radially in six directions from the joint portion 110, the pressing force input from the door outer panel 10 to the connecting portion 111 during waxing or the like can be evenly dispersed from the joint portion 110 to the other connecting portions 111 connected to the joint portion 110.

[0080] In addition, in the door 1 according to the present embodiment, an inner panel (not shown) is joined so as to cover the reinforcing member 11 inside the door 1. Therefore, in the state where the door 1 is closed, the reinforcing member 11 cannot be seen from the vehicle interior side, which is excellent from the viewpoint of aesthetics.

[0081] As described above, in the door (exterior panel structure) 1 according to the present embodiment, by joining the reinforcing member 11 to the door outer panel 10 with the bracket 13 interposed therebetween, while ensuring the support rigidity between the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing member 11 and joining them, the generation of unevenness on the outer surface 10a of the door outer panel 10 due to the joining of the reinforcing member 11 is suppressed, and even when the user presses the door outer panel 10 from the outside with a pressing force of a predetermined value or more during waxing or the like, the dent of the door outer panel 10 can be suppressed to be small.

[0082] [Modification Example] In the above embodiment, in the reinforcing member 11, the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion 11a and the reinforcing surface portion 11b are integrally formed. However, in the present invention, the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion and the reinforcing surface portion do not necessarily have to be integrally formed. As long as the reinforcing member can be joined to the door outer panel while ensuring the support rigidity, it is also possible to configure the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion and the reinforcing surface portion as separate members.

[0083] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the joining intermediate portion, the bracket 13, which is a separate member from the door outer panel 10 and the reinforcing member 11, is employed. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to form the joining intermediate portion by extending the outer peripheral edge portion of the panel of the door outer panel and then folding it inward. Alternatively, it is also possible to form the joining intermediate portion by extending the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion of the reinforcing member and making the thickness thicker than that of the reinforcing surface portion to constitute a portion having high rigidity.

[0084] In the above-described embodiment, the door outer panel 10 and the bracket 13 are joined by hemming, and the bracket 13 and the reinforcing member 11 are joined by fastening with a bolt BLT and a nut NT. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, welding, brazing, etc. can be employed for joining the door outer panel and the bracket, and joining with a rivet can also be performed. Also, for joining the bracket and the reinforcing member, joining with an adhesive or joining with a rivet can be performed.

[0085] In the above-described embodiment, the bracket 13 formed from a light alloy such as an aluminum alloy is employed. However, the material constituting the bracket is not limited thereto. For example, the bracket may be formed from a resin material. In particular, from the viewpoint of joining the reinforcing member to the door outer panel while ensuring the support rigidity, when the bracket is formed from a resin material, it is preferable to employ a fiber-reinforced resin (such as GFRP, CFRP, BFRP, AFRP, KFRP, ZFRP).

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, as an example, the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11 has a substantially mesh shape in plan view. However, the present invention does not necessarily require that the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member has a substantially mesh shape in plan view. For example, a linear shape formed by a plurality of joining portions and a plurality of connecting portions can also be employed. Also, regarding the arrangement form of the plurality of joining portions, it is not necessarily required to be dispersedly arranged at equal intervals, and it is also possible to arrange them with different densities for each region according to the strength of the pressing force applied to the exterior panel material predicted in advance.

[0087] In the above embodiment, the connecting portion 111 of the reinforcing surface portion 11b in the reinforcing member 11 has a cross-sectional shape of a cross. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to adopt a connecting portion having a circular cross-sectional shape, a connecting portion having an annular cross-sectional shape, or a connecting portion having a polygonal cross-sectional shape.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the joint portion 110 of the reinforcing surface portion 11b in the reinforcing member 11 has a hexagonal shape in plan view. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, it is also possible to adopt a joint portion having a planar shape such as a quadrilateral, an octagon, a circle, or an ellipse.

[0089] In the above embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which six connecting portions 111 are connected to one joint portion 110 in the reinforcing surface portion 11b of the reinforcing member 11. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Considering the load dispersion when a pressing force is input from the outside to the exterior panel material, it is sufficient that two or more connecting portions are connected to one joint portion.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the "exterior panel structure of a vehicle" of the present invention is applied to the door 1 that employs the door outer panel 10 as an example of the exterior panel material. However, the present invention can be applied to various locations other than the door 1, such as the roof, fender, and hood of the vehicle.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0091] 1 Door (Exterior Panel Structure of a Vehicle) 10 Door Outer Panel (Exterior Panel Material) 10a Outer Surface 10b Inner Surface 10c Panel Outer Peripheral Edge Portion 11 Reinforcing Member 11a Reinforcing Outer Peripheral Edge Portion 11b Reinforcing Surface Portion 13 Bracket (Joint Intermediate Portion) 13d Edge Portion 110 Joint Portion 111 connecting part 111a base part 111b protruding part 111d contact part

Claims

1. An exterior panel material having an outer surface that forms part of the exterior appearance of a vehicle, A reinforcing member disposed along the inner surface of the exterior panel material and having a reinforcing surface portion that reinforces the exterior panel material against a pressing force input in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, A vehicle exterior panel structure comprising: The reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member Has a plurality of joints that are spaced apart from each other along the inner surface of the exterior panel material and each of which is joined to the inner surface of the exterior panel material, A connecting portion that extends along the inner surface of the exterior panel material and connects adjacent ones of the joints, And has The reinforcing member further has a reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion provided at the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing surface portion so as to be along the inner surface of the exterior panel material, The inner surface of the exterior panel material and the connecting portion Are spaced apart from each other with a gap therebetween when no pressing force is input from the outer surface of the exterior panel material toward the inner side in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material or when the input pressing force is less than a predetermined value, And are in contact with each other when a pressing force equal to or greater than the predetermined value is input from the outer surface of the exterior panel material toward the inner side in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, And are configured as such, The exterior panel structure further includes a joining intermediate portion disposed between the panel outer peripheral edge portion on the inner surface of the exterior panel material and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion of the reinforcing member, and joining the panel outer peripheral edge portion and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion, The joining intermediate portion is formed to have a higher rigidity than the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member, A vehicle exterior panel structure.

2. In the vehicle exterior panel structure according to claim 1, The joining intermediate portion is a separate member from the exterior panel material and the reinforcing member, and is joined to each of the panel outer peripheral edge portion and the reinforcing outer peripheral edge portion. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle.

3. In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to claim 2, the joining intermediate part is formed of a material having a Young's modulus higher than at least the reinforcing surface part in the reinforcing member. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle.

4. In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to claim 2 or claim 3, the reinforcing surface part of the reinforcing member is formed of a resin material, the exterior panel material is formed of a light alloy or a resin material, the joining intermediate part is formed of a light alloy. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle.

5. In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, the joining intermediate part has a first joining surface part joined to the reinforcing outer peripheral edge part in the reinforcing member, a second joining surface part joined to the panel outer peripheral edge part in the exterior panel material, and a connecting surface part connecting the first joining surface part and the second joining surface part, are integrally formed, and the connecting surface part is formed such that the first joining surface part is spaced apart from the inner surface of the exterior panel material in the thickness direction of the exterior panel material. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle.

6. In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to claim 5, the panel outer peripheral edge part in the exterior panel material and the second joining surface part in the joining intermediate part are joined by hemming. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle.

7. In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6, When the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member is viewed in plan from the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, the reinforcing member is formed such that three of the joints adjacent to each other and three of the connecting portions connecting these three joints form a triangle. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle. **Claim 8** In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 7, when the reinforcing surface portion of the reinforcing member is viewed in plan from the thickness direction of the exterior panel material, the joint has a hexagonal outer shape, the connecting portion is formed to extend radially in six directions from each of the joints. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle. **Claim 9** In the exterior panel structure of a vehicle according to any one of Claims 1 to 8, the exterior panel material is a door outer panel, when the door outer panel is arranged so as to close the door opening of the vehicle, the reinforcing surface portion is arranged in a region overlapping the door opening, the exterior panel structure further includes an inner panel that is arranged so as to cover the reinforcing member when the exterior panel material is viewed in plan from the thickness direction of the exterior panel material and is joined at the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcement. Exterior panel structure of a vehicle.

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