Front pillar for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front pillar which enables improvement of rigidity around a door hinge with a simple structure.SOLUTION: A hinge reinforcement 108 of a front pillar 100 has: a rear flange part 112 forming a rear edge; a rear wall part 122 which bends from the rear flange part 112 and extends to the vehicle exterior side; a side wall part 116 which bends from the rear wall part 122 and extends forward; hinge attachment parts 118, 120 provided at the side wall part 116; a support member attachment part 124 which is provided rearward of the hinge attachment part 118 of the rear flange part 112 and to which a steering support member 136 is attached; and inclined areas 128, 130 which are formed at areas located rearward of the hinge attachment parts 118, 120 of the rear wall part 122 and inclined forward relative to the other area. Curved parts 138a, 138b along the inclined areas 128, 130 of an edge line 138 between the rear wall part 122 and the side wall part 116 are recessed curved to the vehicle front.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Generally, the area forming the front pillar of a vehicle is configured to include a side outer panel on the vehicle exterior side and a hinge reinforcement on the vehicle interior side. For example, in the technology of Patent Document 1 by the present applicant, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a side body outer panel 102 is provided on the vehicle exterior side of the area forming the front pillar, and a pillar hinge reinforcement 140 is provided on the vehicle interior side thereof. As shown in Figure 2(b), the pillar hinge reinforcement 140 has a plurality of hinge mounting portions 146a, 146b to which door hinges of the front side doors are attached. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-229369 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Because the hinge reinforcement mentioned above is a component that supports the front side door, it is often equipped with a reinforcing member on the inside of the vehicle to ensure rigidity. These reinforcing members are often enlarged in size or added in number to address door sagging and to meet crash performance and NVH performance requirements. However, these measures tend to increase costs and vehicle weight.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a front pillar for a vehicle that can improve the rigidity around the door hinge with a simple configuration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, a representative configuration of a vehicle front pillar according to the present invention is a vehicle front pillar provided from the roof to the side sill of the vehicle, the vehicle front pillar including a hinge reinforcement on the inside of the vehicle to which a plurality of door hinges are attached, and a side outer panel joined to the outside of the vehicle of the hinge reinforcement, the hinge reinforcement including a rear flange portion forming the rear edge of the hinge reinforcement, a rear wall portion bending and extending from the front side of the rear flange portion toward the outside of the vehicle, and a side outer panel bending and extending forward from the rear wall portion. The vehicle door hood has a side wall portion, a plurality of hinge mounting portions provided at at least two locations, upper and lower, on the side wall portion and to which a plurality of door hinges are respectively attached, a support member mounting portion provided on the rear flange portion at a location rearward of at least one of the plurality of hinge mounting portions and to which a steering support member of the vehicle is attached, and an inclined region formed in an area rearward of each of the plurality of hinge mounting portions on the rear wall portion and inclined forward more than other areas, and the portion of the ridge line between the rear wall portion and the side wall portion along the inclined region is curved and recessed toward the front of the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a front pillar for a vehicle that can improve the rigidity around the door hinge with a simple configuration. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a vehicle front pillar according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a view showing a state in which the side outer panel of FIG. 1 is removed from the hinge reinforcement. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the hinge reinforcement and the side outer panel of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 2A to 2C are cross-sectional views of the vehicle front pillar of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] 2A to 2C are cross-sectional views of the vehicle front pillar of FIG. 1. [Figure 6]2 is a diagram showing a reinforcing member provided in the front pillar of FIG. 1. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] a support member mounting portion provided in the rear flange portion rearward of at least one of the hinge mounting portions and having a steering support member for the vehicle attached thereto; and an inclined region formed in a region of the rear wall portion rearward of each of the hinge mounting portions and inclined forward more than the other regions; and a portion of the ridge line between the rear wall portion and the side wall portion along the inclined region is curved and recessed toward the front of the vehicle.

[0010] The steering support member is installed in front of the instrument panel across the width of the vehicle on the left and right hinge reinforcements of the vehicle body. Therefore, the rigidity of the hinge reinforcement is high around the support member mounting portion. Therefore, in the above configuration, the highly rigid support member mounting portion and the hinge mounting portion, where the load from the door hinge tends to concentrate, are connected by a shorter distance using an inclined region. This improves the rigidity around the hinge mounting portion, making it possible to suppress deformation.

[0011] Furthermore, the ridgeline between the rear wall and the side wall of the hinge reinforcement is curved along the inclined region, which improves rigidity and makes it less likely to deform than if the ridgeline were straight. In particular, the curved ridgeline is continuous across the upper and lower hinge mounting portions, which efficiently prevents stress concentration around the door hinge and suppresses deformation.

[0012] The side outer panel is joined to the rear flange portion of the hinge reinforcement and the side wall portion, and forms a triangular first closed cross section between itself and the rear wall portion.

[0013] According to the above configuration, by forming a triangular first closed cross section between the side outer panel and the hinge reinforcement, the rigidity of the vehicle front pillar can be further improved.

[0014] The above-mentioned hinge reinforcement further has a reinforcement bulge portion formed in a range extending from top to bottom in front of the upper hinge mounting portion of the side wall portion and bulging outward from the hinge mounting portion toward the outside of the vehicle, and the reinforcement bulge portion has a reinforcement inclined portion that extends more toward the outside of the vehicle as it goes upward.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the second moment of area of ​​the hinge reinforcement around the hinge mounting portion can be increased, thereby improving the rigidity of the hinge reinforcement.

[0016] The above-mentioned side outer panel has an outer bulge portion that is provided on the outer side of the reinforcement bulge portion and bulges outward toward the outer side of the vehicle along the reinforcement bulge portion, and the outer bulge portion has an outer inclined portion that extends more toward the outer side of the vehicle as it goes upward.

[0017] The above-described configuration also increases the second moment of area around the hinge mounting portion of the vehicle front pillar, thereby improving the rigidity of the vehicle front pillar.

[0018] The outer bulging portion forms a second closed cross section between itself and the reinforcement bulging portion.

[0019] The second closed cross section also makes it possible to improve the rigidity of the vehicle front pillar around the hinge mounting portion.

[0020] The vehicle front pillar further includes a reinforcing member attached to the first closed cross section and the second closed cross section on the vehicle interior side in a range between the plurality of hinge mounting portions of the hinge reinforcement so as to extend across the front-rear direction.

[0021] According to the above-described reinforcing member, by connecting the first closed cross section and the second closed cross section, the rigidity of the hinge reinforcement can be efficiently improved, and the required rigidity can be met without increasing the dimensions of the reinforcing member. [Example]

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Dimensions, materials, and other specific values ​​shown in these embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit the present invention. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a vehicle front pillar (hereinafter referred to as a front pillar 100) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 1 shows the front pillar 100 on the right side of the vehicle as seen from outside the vehicle. Hereinafter, in Fig. 1 and all other drawings of the present application, the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows F (Forward) and B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward) and R (Rightward), and the up-down direction of the vehicle is indicated by arrows U (Upward) and D (Downward).

[0024] The front pillar 100 is an area that forms the front edge of an opening 102 for a front side door, and is provided from the roof of the vehicle (not shown) to the side sill 106. The front pillar 100 includes, as panel members, a hinge reinforcement 108 on the inside of the vehicle and a side outer panel 110 that is joined to the hinge reinforcement 108 on the outside of the vehicle.

[0025] 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the side outer panel 110 of FIG. 1 has been removed from the hinge reinforcement 108. The hinge reinforcement 108 is a member to which a door hinge of a front side door (not shown) is attached, and functions as an inner panel of the front pillar 100.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3, which will be described later, the hinge reinforcement 108 has a shape that bulges outward from the vehicle in the vertical direction. The rear edge of the hinge reinforcement 108 is formed by a rear flange portion 112, and the front edge is formed by a front flange portion 114. The rear flange portion 112 forms the front edge of the opening 102 for the front side door. The front flange portion 114 is joined to another structure on the front side of the vehicle.

[0027] The side wall portion 116 is an upper surface portion of the hinge reinforcement 108 that bulges outward toward the vehicle exterior. The side wall portion 116 is provided with hinge mounting portions 118, 120 at two locations, one above the other, for mounting door hinges of the front side doors.

[0028] A step is formed between the rear flange portion 112 and the side wall portion 116, forming a rear wall portion 122 facing rearward.

[0029] A support member mounting portion 124 is provided on the rear flange portion 112 at a location rearward of the upper hinge mounting portion 118. The support member mounting portion 124 is attached to a steering support member 136 (see FIG. 4( b ) is installed on the inside of the vehicle.

[0030] The above-mentioned side outer panel 110 is configured to cover mainly about the rear half of the hinge reinforcement 108 , including the hinge mounting portions 118 and 120 .

[0031] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the hinge reinforcement 108 and the side outer panel 110 of Fig. 2. Both the hinge reinforcement 108 and the side outer panel 110 have a shape that bulges outward from the vehicle.

[0032] An outer hinge mounting portion 126 of the side outer panel 110 is overlapped on the outer side of the vehicle with the hinge mounting portion 118 of the hinge reinforcement 108. Then, a door hinge is fastened and fixed to the hinge mounting portion 118 and the outer hinge mounting portion 126 from the outer side of the vehicle.

[0033] 2, in the front pillar 100 of this embodiment, inclined regions 128, 130 are formed in regions of the rear wall portion 122 behind the hinge mounting portions 118, 120, respectively. The inclined regions 128, 130 are portions of the rear wall portion 122 that are inclined more forward than other regions. In particular, the inclined region 128 behind the upper hinge mounting portion 118 extends at an angle so as to connect the hinge mounting portion 118 and the support member mounting portion 124 over as short a distance as possible.

[0034] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front pillar 100 in Figure 1. Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the front pillar 100 in Figure 1. The side outer panel 110 has a rear flange portion 132 and a front flange portion 134 joined to the rear flange portion 112 and the side wall portion 116 of the hinge reinforcement 108, respectively.

[0035] The hinge reinforcement 108 has a rear wall portion 122 that bends and extends from the front side of the rear flange portion 112 toward the exterior of the vehicle, and a side wall portion 116 that bends and extends forward from the rear wall portion 122. With this configuration, the horizontal cross section of the hinge reinforcement 108 has a hat shape when viewed from above.

[0036] Fig. 4(b) is a BB cross-sectional view of the front pillar 100 of Fig. 1. The hinge mounting portion 118 is provided on a side wall portion 116 of the hinge reinforcement 108, which forms the upper surface of the hat-shaped cross section.

[0037] As described above, an inclined region 128 is provided behind the upper hinge mounting portion 118. For example, the inclined region 128 in Fig. 4(b) connects the rear flange portion 112 and the hinge mounting portion 118 at a shallower angle α2 (α1>α2) so that the rear wall portion 122 is tilted forward compared to the angle α1 of the rear wall portion 122 with respect to the vehicle longitudinal direction in Fig. 4(a).

[0038] The steering support member 136 is installed in front of the instrument panel across the width of the vehicle on the left and right hinge reinforcements 108 of the vehicle body. Therefore, the rigidity of the hinge reinforcements 108 around the support member mounting portions 124 is high.

[0039] In the front pillar 100 of this embodiment, the highly rigid support member mounting portion 124 and the hinge mounting portion 118, where the load from the door hinge tends to concentrate, are connected by a shorter distance via the inclined region 128, thereby improving the rigidity around the hinge mounting portion 118 and suppressing deformation.

[0040] Referring again to FIG. 2, the hinge reinforcement 108 is formed not only in the upper inclined region 128 but also in the lower hinge mounting portion 126. 120 An inclined region 130 is also provided behind the rear wall portion 122. As a result, a ridge line 138 between the rear wall portion 122 and the side wall portion 116 is formed in a curved shape (curved portions 138a, 138b) that is curved and recessed toward the front of the vehicle along the inclined regions 128, 130. The portion of the ridge line 138 between the inclined region 128 and the inclined region 130 extends in a straight line (straight line portion 138c).

[0041] The hinge reinforcement 108 has a curved ridge 138 between the rear wall portion 122 and the side wall portion 116 along the inclined regions 128, 130, which makes it less likely to deform than when the ridge 138 is straight, and improves rigidity. curved part 138a, 138b are continuous across the upper and lower hinge mounting portions 118, 120, making it possible to efficiently prevent stress concentration around the door hinge.

[0042] As described above, the front pillar 100 has a simple configuration that utilizes inclined regions 128, 130 and curved ridge 138, thereby improving the rigidity around the door hinge mounting portions 118, 120 and reducing deformation caused by the door hinges and front side door.

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4(b), the side outer panel 110 is joined to the rear flange portion 112 and the side wall portion 116 of the hinge reinforcement 108. In the front pillar 100, a triangular first closed cross section E1 is formed between the side outer panel 110 and the rear wall portion 122 of the hinge reinforcement 108.

[0044] Forming the triangular first closed cross section E1 behind the hinge mounting portion 118 also improves the rigidity around the hinge mounting portion 118, making it possible to suppress deformation caused by the front side door.

[0045] Referring again to Figure 3, the hinge reinforcement 108 has a reinforcement bulge 140 provided around the hinge mounting portion 118. The reinforcement bulge 140 is a portion that bulges outward from the hinge mounting portion 118 and is formed to include a range extending from below to above the front of the upper hinge mounting portion 118 on the side wall portion 116.

[0046] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the front pillar 100 of Figure 1. Figure 5(a) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC of the front pillar 100 of Figure 1. As described above, the hinge reinforcement 108 has an upper portion that bulges outward from the vehicle due to the reinforcement bulge portion 140.

[0047] 5(b) is a DD cross-sectional view of the front pillar 100 of FIG. 1. The reinforcement bulge portion 140 is provided with an inclined reinforcement inclined portion 142. The reinforcement inclined portion 142 is inclined so that it extends more toward the outside of the vehicle as it extends upward. By providing the reinforcement inclined portion 142 on the lower side of the reinforcement bulge portion 140, it is possible to increase the second moment of area around the hinge mounting portion 118 of the hinge reinforcement 108 and improve the rigidity of the hinge reinforcement 108.

[0048] Referring again to Figure 3, an outer bulging portion 144 is provided in the side outer panel 110 in an area on the vehicle exterior side of the reinforcement bulging portion 140. The outer bulging portion 144 is a portion that bulges outward toward the vehicle exterior along the reinforcement bulging portion 140, and is formed to include an area extending from below to above in front of the upper hinge mounting portion 118 of the side outer panel 110.

[0049] 5(b), the outer bulging portion 144 also has an inclined outer inclined portion 146. The outer inclined portion 146 is also an inclined portion that extends more toward the vehicle exterior as it extends upward, and this increases the second moment of area around the outer hinge mounting portion 126 of the side outer panel 110, making it possible to improve the rigidity of the side outer panel 110.

[0050] 4(b), in front of the upper hinge mounting portion 118 of the side outer panel 110 and the hinge reinforcement 108, the positions of the outer bulging portion 144 and the reinforcement bulging portion 140 are shifted in the front-to-rear direction, and a second closed cross section E2 extending in the up-and-down direction is formed between the outer bulging portion 144 and the reinforcement bulging portion 140. The formation of the second closed cross section E2 in front of the hinge mounting portion 118 also improves the rigidity around the hinge mounting portion 118.

[0051] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a reinforcing member 148 provided in the front pillar 100 of Fig. 1. The reinforcing member 148 is provided on the interior side of the hinge reinforcement 108 in a range between the upper and lower hinge mounting portions 118, 120.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the reinforcing member 148 has a hat-shaped cross section that is convex toward the vehicle interior side, and forms a closed cross section E3 between itself and the surface of the hinge reinforcement 108 facing toward the vehicle interior side.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 4(a), the reinforcing member 148 is attached to the first closed cross section E1 and the second closed cross section E3 so as to extend in the front-rear direction.

[0054] The reinforcing member 148 forms the closed cross section E3 so as to connect the first closed cross section E1 and the second closed cross section E2, thereby efficiently improving the rigidity of the hinge reinforcement 108. The reinforcing member 148 can meet the rigidity requirements without increasing the dimensions, making it possible to reduce the dimensions of the part and avoid an increase in weight, which is also beneficial in terms of cost.

[0055] As described above, the front pillar 100 has a simple configuration that utilizes the inclined regions 128, 130, the curved ridge 138, and the reinforcement member 148 with reduced dimensions, and while reducing costs and weight, it increases rigidity, and improves crash performance, NVH performance, and door sagging. countermeasure It is now possible to achieve improvements such as:

[0056] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0057] The present invention can be used in a front pillar for a vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 100...front pillar, 102...opening, 104...roof, 106...side sill, 108...hinge reinforcement, 110...side outer panel, 112...rear flange portion, 114...front flange portion, 116...side wall portion, 118, 120...hinge mounting portion, 122...rear wall portion, 124...support member mounting portion, 126...outer hinge mounting portion, 128, 130...inclined region, 132...flange portion, 134...flange portion, 136...steering support member, 138...ridge line, 138a, 138b...curved portion, 138c...straight portion, 140...reinforcement bulge portion, 142...reinforcement slant portion, 144...outer bulge portion, 146...outer slant portion, 148...reinforcing member, E1...closed cross section, E2...closed cross section, E3...closed cross section

Claims

1. A front pillar for a vehicle that is provided from the roof to the side sill of the vehicle, The front pillar for the vehicle is Hinge reinforcement on the inside of the vehicle where multiple door hinges can be attached, a side outer panel joined to the vehicle outer side of the hinge reinforcement, The hinge reinforcement is A rear flange portion that forms a rear edge of the hinge reinforcement; a rear wall portion that is bent and extends from a front side of the rear flange portion toward the vehicle exterior; a side wall portion bending and extending forward from the rear wall portion; a plurality of hinge mounting portions provided at at least two upper and lower positions of the side wall portion, to which the plurality of door hinges are respectively attached; a support member mounting portion provided on the rear flange portion at a location rearward of at least one of the plurality of hinge mounting portions, to which a steering support member of the vehicle is attached; and an inclined region formed in a region of the rear wall portion behind each of the plurality of hinge attachment portions and inclined forward more than other regions; and a portion of the ridgeline between the rear wall portion and the side wall portion along the inclined region is curved and recessed toward the front of the vehicle, the side outer panel is joined to the rear flange portion and the side wall portion of the hinge reinforcement to form a triangular first closed cross section between the rear wall portion, The hinge reinforcement further has a reinforcement bulge portion formed in a range extending up and down in front of the upper hinge mounting portion of the side wall portion and bulging outward from the hinge mounting portion toward the vehicle exterior, A front pillar for a vehicle, wherein the reinforcement bulge portion has a reinforcement inclined portion that extends toward the outside of the vehicle as it goes upward.

2. the side outer panel has an outer bulging portion that is provided on the vehicle exterior side of the reinforcement bulging portion and bulges outward along the reinforcement bulging portion, 2. The vehicle front pillar according to claim 1, wherein the outer bulging portion has an outer inclined portion that extends more toward the outer side of the vehicle as it extends upward.

3. 3. The vehicle front pillar according to claim 2, wherein the outer bulging portion forms a second closed cross section between the outer bulging portion and the reinforcement bulging portion.

4. The vehicle front pillar according to claim 3, further comprising a reinforcing member attached to the first closed cross section and the second closed cross section on the vehicle interior side in the range between the plurality of hinge mounting portions of the hinge reinforcement so as to extend in the fore-and-aft direction.

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