Vehicle superstructure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle upper part structure that is formed with a communication opening in the roof panel and, in addition, that can prevent deformation of a roof panel.SOLUTION: A vehicle upper part structure includes: a roof panel 10 formed with a communication opening 20 and at least one bead 24; and a communication device 30 fixed to the roof panel 10 without protruding beyond a design surface 12 of the roof panel 10 toward an exterior of the vehicle, and located within the communication opening 20 in a plan view. The at least one bead 24 is formed at a periphery of the communication opening 20.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This specification discloses a vehicle superstructure. [Background technology]

[0002] It has been proposed to place communication devices such as antennas on the roof of a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a structure for attaching an antenna to a roof. In Patent Document 1, the upper part of the antenna is located on the upper side of the roof (i.e., on the exterior side of the vehicle), and the lower part of the antenna is located on the interior side of the roof (i.e., on the interior side of the vehicle). A hole is formed in the roof through which the antenna passes. Patent Document 1 also discloses forming a long bead in the fore-and-aft direction on a roof arch that partially overlaps with a roof panel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-011191 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the structure described in Patent Document 1, the antenna protrudes from the roof to the outside of the vehicle. However, in recent years, some have proposed locating such communication equipment on the inside of the vehicle from the decorative surface of the roof panel. In this case, to ensure radio wave transparency, a communication opening that exposes the communication equipment to the outside of the vehicle is formed in the roof panel. The communication opening is then covered with a resin cover.

[0005] When a communication opening is formed, the rigidity of the roof panel is naturally reduced around the communication opening. As a result, in the past, there was a risk of the roof panel deforming or breaking around the communication opening. In other words, in the past, it was difficult to prevent deformation of the roof panel while forming a communication opening in the roof panel.

[0006] Therefore, this specification discloses a vehicle upper structure that can suppress deformation of the roof panel while forming a communication opening in the roof panel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle upper structure disclosed in this specification comprises a roof panel having a communication opening and at least one bead formed therein, and communication equipment that is fixed to the roof panel without protruding beyond the design surface of the roof panel to the outside of the vehicle and is located within the communication opening in a planar view, and the at least one bead is formed around the periphery of the communication opening.

[0008] With this configuration, the rigidity of the roof panel around the communication opening can be improved, and deformation of the roof panel can be suppressed.

[0009] In this case, the communication opening is elongated in the vehicle width direction, the at least one bead is aligned with the communication opening in the vehicle width direction, and each of the at least one bead does not have to protrude outside the vehicle beyond the design surface of the roof panel.

[0010] This configuration effectively prevents the roof panel from folding along the major axis of the communication opening.

[0011] In addition, the vehicle width dimension of the communication opening is at least half the vehicle width dimension of the roof panel, and the roof panel further has a recessed portion formed adjacent to the communication opening in the vehicle width direction and recessed toward the inside of the vehicle from the design surface of the roof panel, and each of the at least one bead may be a convex bead protruding from the recessed portion.

[0012] The recessed portion improves the rigidity of the roof panel near the communication opening. Also, by placing a convex bead in the recessed portion, the height of the top surface of the convex bead can be kept low, preventing interference between the convex bead and the resin cover.

[0013] Furthermore, each of the at least one bead may extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0014] This configuration can prevent the roof panel from bending along a line extending in the vehicle width direction near the communication opening.

[0015] Furthermore, the vehicle may further include a roof reinforcement joined to the underside of the roof panel near the front edge of the communication opening, forming a closed cross section that is long in the vehicle width direction between the roof panel and the roof panel, and a rear header joined to the underside of the roof panel near the rear edge of the communication opening, forming a closed cross section that is long in the vehicle width direction between the roof panel and the roof panel.

[0016] With this configuration, deformation and bending of the roof panel around the communication opening can be more effectively prevented. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the technology disclosed in this specification, the rigidity of the roof panel around the communication opening can be improved, and therefore deformation of the roof panel can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along line B-B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The vehicle upper structure will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the upper part of the vehicle. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the vicinity of the communication device 30. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. Note that some members not necessary for the description are omitted from FIGS. 1 to 4. For example, the resin cover 34 is omitted from FIGS. 1 and 2. Also, the rear panel 52, or the side member outer panel 50, or both are omitted from FIGS. 1 to 4. Also, in each drawing, "Up," "Fr," and "Rh" indicate the vehicle's position, front, and right side, respectively.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, a roof panel 10 is disposed on the upper part of a vehicle. Side member outer panels 50 are connected to both the left and right sides of the roof panel 10. The side member outer panels 50 are panel materials that form the outer surfaces of the vehicle.

[0021] The roof panel 10 is a panel material that forms the upper surface of the vehicle and is usually made of metal such as steel. The roof panel 10 includes a design surface 12 and an arrangement surface 14. The design surface 12 is the surface of the roof panel 10 facing outward from the vehicle and is the surface that is exposed to the outside of the vehicle. The design surface 12 occupies the majority of the roof panel 10. The arrangement surface 14 is a surface that is slightly recessed downward from the design surface 12. The arrangement surface 14 is located at the rear end of the roof panel 10. This arrangement surface 14 is covered by a resin cover 34 (not shown in Figure 1) which will be described later.

[0022] The arrangement surface 14 is formed with a communication opening 20, a recess 22, and a plurality of beads 24. The communication opening 20 is a generally rectangular opening that is elongated in the vehicle width direction. For example, the vehicle width dimension of the communication opening 20 is at least half the vehicle width dimension of the roof panel 10. The communication opening 20 is formed to allow radio waves to pass through smoothly. A communication module 30a and an antenna 30b, which will be described later, are arranged inside the communication opening 20 in a plan view.

[0023] Two recesses 22 are formed, one on each side of the communication opening 20 in the vehicle width direction. The recesses 22 are recessed further inward (i.e., downward) from the arrangement surface 14. The recesses 22 are connected to the ends of the communication opening 20 in the vehicle width direction. The recesses 22 are also approximately rectangular in plan view. The longitudinal dimension of the recesses 22 is smaller than the longitudinal dimension of the communication opening 20.

[0024] The bead 24 is a convex bead that protrudes from the recessed portion 22. In this example, two beads 24 are arranged in one recessed portion 22. However, the number of beads 24 is not particularly limited and may be one or more. The bead 24 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the top surface of the bead 24 is lower than the arrangement surface 14. In other words, the bead 24 does not protrude from the design surface 12 of the roof panel 10 to the outside of the vehicle. The reason for forming such a bead 24 will be described later. The bead 24 is sized to fit completely within the recessed portion 22. In other words, the bead 24 does not protrude in the fore-and-aft direction from the communication opening 20.

[0025] The communication module 30a and the antenna 30b are fixed to the roof panel 10 without protruding from the design surface 12 of the roof panel 10. The antenna 30b transmits and receives radio waves for data communication. In the example disclosed in this specification, a flat or box-shaped antenna 30b is used. The communication module 30a is a device that transmits and receives data with other communication devices. The communication module 30a controls the transmission and reception of radio waves via the antenna 30b. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the communication module 30a and the antenna 30b, they will be referred to as "communication devices 30."

[0026] Both the communication module 30a and the antenna 30b are located inside the communication opening 20 in a plan view. In other words, the communication module 30a and the antenna 30b are not covered by the roof panel 10 made of steel. When the resin cover 34 is removed, both the communication module 30a and the antenna 30b are exposed to the outside. With this configuration, radio waves for communication are not blocked by the roof panel 10, allowing for good transmission and reception of radio waves.

[0027] The communication module 30a and the antenna 30b are attached to an antenna plate 38 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) with fastening members such as bolts (not shown). The antenna plate 38 is a plate material that supports the communication module 30a and the antenna 30b. The antenna plate 38 is fastened to a roof reinforcement 40 (hereinafter referred to as "roof RF 40") and a rear header 42 (described later) with fastening members such as bolts. In other words, the antenna plate 38 and the communication device 30 are fixed to the roof panel 10.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 3, the roof reinforcement 40 is a panel material joined to the underside of the roof panel 10 in order to reinforce the roof panel 10. The roof reinforcement 40 is arranged near the front edge of the communication opening 20. The roof reinforcement 40 is fixed to the roof panel 10 by welding or the like. The cross-sectional shape of the roof reinforcement 40 is substantially L-shaped. The roof reinforcement 40 forms a closed cross section 44 that is long in the vehicle width direction between the roof reinforcement 40 and the roof panel 10.

[0029] The rear header 42 is also a panel material that is joined to the underside of the roof panel 10 to reinforce the roof panel 10. The rear header 42 is located near the rear edge of the communication opening 20. The rear header 42 is also fixed to the roof panel 10 by welding or the like. The rear header 42 has a groove shape that is elongated in the vehicle width direction. By having such a groove shape, the rear header 42 forms a closed cross section 46 that is elongated in the vehicle width direction between itself and the roof panel 10.

[0030] The resin cover 34 covers the entire arrangement surface 14 from above. In other words, the resin cover 34 covers the entire bead 24 and the communication device 30 from above. Therefore, neither the bead 24 nor the communication device 30 can be seen from outside the vehicle. The bead 24 protrudes to an extent that it does not come into contact with the resin cover 34.

[0031] The resin cover 34 is made of a resin that transmits radio waves, for example, a general-purpose resin such as polypropylene or polycarbonate / polyester. The resin cover 34 is fixed to the roof panel 10, for example, by adhesive. Naturally, the resin cover 34 may be fixed to the roof panel 10 by fastening members such as bolts or clips. In this case, a sealing member may be disposed on the outer periphery of the resin cover 34. The upper surface of the resin cover 34 smoothly merges with the design surface 12 of the roof panel 10.

[0032] As is clear from the above description, in the vehicle upper structure disclosed in this specification, the bead 24 is disposed around the communication opening 20. The reason for such a configuration will be explained. In order to improve communication performance, etc., the size of on-board communication devices 30 (e.g., antennas 30b, etc.) has been increasing in recent years. As a result, the size of the communication opening 20 for transmitting radio waves has also been increasing. Here, when a large communication opening 20 is formed in the roof panel 10, the rigidity of the roof panel 10 naturally decreases around the communication opening 20. As a result, deformation or bending of the roof panel 10 may occur around the communication opening 20. In particular, when a communication opening 20 that is long in the vehicle width direction is formed as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the roof panel 10 may bend along the major axis La of the communication opening 20 (see FIG. 2).

[0033] By disposing the bead 24 around the communication opening 20, the rigidity of the roof panel 10 around the communication opening 20 is improved. As a result, bending and deformation of the roof panel 10 can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, as described above, the bead 24 extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, in other words, in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the communication opening 20. In this case, bending along the major axis La of the communication opening 20 is effectively prevented.

[0034] Furthermore, as described above, recesses 22 are formed on both sides of the communication opening 20 in the vehicle width direction. By forming such recesses 22 and increasing the unevenness around the communication opening 20, the rigidity of the roof panel 10 in that area can be further improved. In addition, the bead 24 protrudes from the recesses 22. This prevents interference between the bead 24 and the resin cover 34 and provides a convex bead 24 of sufficient height.

[0035] Additionally, a roof reinforcement 40 and a rear header 42 are disposed in front of and behind the communication opening 20. As a result, closed cross sections 44, 46 that are elongated in the vehicle width direction are formed in front of and behind the communication opening 20. Forming such closed cross sections 44, 46 improves the rigidity of the roof panel 10 around the front and rear edges of the communication opening 20. As a result, deformation and bending of the roof panel 10 can be more reliably prevented.

[0036] Note that the configurations described so far are merely examples. Therefore, as long as the communication device 30 is located inside the communication opening 20 in a plan view and at least one bead 24 is formed around the communication opening 20, other configurations of the vehicle upper structure may be changed. For example, the number, shape, and position of the beads 24 may be changed as appropriate. Therefore, for example, the bead 24 may be a concave bead that protrudes downward rather than a convex bead that protrudes upward. Furthermore, as long as interference between the bead 24 and the resin cover 34 can be prevented, the recessed portion 22 may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10 roof panel, 12 design surface, 14 placement surface, 20 communication opening, 22 recessed portion, 24 bead, 30 communication equipment, 30a communication module, 30b antenna, 34 resin cover, 38 antenna plate, 40 roof reinforcement, 42 rear header, 44, 46 closed cross section, 50 side member outer panel, 52 rear panel.

Claims

1. a roof panel having a communication opening and at least one bead formed therein; a communication device fixed to the roof panel in a state where it does not protrude beyond a design surface of the roof panel toward the outside of the vehicle and is located within the communication opening in a plan view; the at least one bead is formed around the communication opening; a vehicle width direction dimension of the communication opening is equal to or greater than half of a vehicle width direction dimension of the roof panel, The roof panel further has a recessed portion formed adjacent to the communication opening in the vehicle width direction and recessed from a design surface of the roof panel toward the vehicle interior side, The vehicle upper structure, wherein each of the at least one beads is a convex bead protruding from the recessed portion.

2. The vehicle upper structure according to claim 1, The communication opening is elongated in the vehicle width direction, the at least one bead is aligned with the communication opening in the vehicle width direction, Each of the at least one bead does not protrude beyond the design surface of the roof panel toward the vehicle outside. A vehicle upper structure characterized by:

3. The vehicle upper structure according to claim 1 or 2, A vehicle upper structure, characterized in that each of the at least one bead extends in a front-to-rear direction of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle upper structure according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a roof reinforcement joined to the underside of the roof panel in the vicinity of a front end edge of the communication opening and forming a closed cross section elongated in the vehicle width direction between the roof panel and the roof reinforcement; a rear header joined to the underside of the roof panel in the vicinity of a rear end edge of the communication opening, forming a closed cross section elongated in the vehicle width direction between the rear header and the roof panel; A vehicle upper structure comprising:

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