Side structure of the vehicle

Abstract

To improve torsional rigidity of a vehicle body without increasing the number of components and suppress right and left bending deformation of a roof panel.SOLUTION: A first coupling portion P1 coupled to a portion in which an upper portion of a side body outer panel 15 and a vehicle-width outer side portion of a roof panel 1 are coupled is disposed at an upper portion of a roof side rail 30 of a vehicle side part structure. A second coupling portion P2 coupled to a portion in which an outer side portion of a center roof member 10 and an intermediate portion of a center inner panel 27 are coupled is disposed at a lower portion of the roof side rail 30. The center roof member 10 is bent downward from the intermediate portion toward the outer side in the width direction as viewed in a front-back direction. The first coupling portion P1 and the center roof member 10 are disposed at an interval S therebetween in an up-down direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure. [Background technology]

[0002] A known structure for vehicles having front and rear side doors is one in which a center pillar is provided between the front and rear side doors, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. The center pillar extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, with the upper portion of the center pillar connected to the roof side rail and the lower portion connected to the side sill or the like.

[0003] High strength is required of center pillars as a countermeasure against side collisions of vehicles. However, increasing the strength of the center pillar increases the impact load input to the vehicle body that supports the upper and lower parts of the center pillar. For example, the structure disclosed in Patent Document 1 attempts to suppress deformation of the roof side rail toward the interior of the vehicle cabin when an impact load due to a side collision is applied to the roof side rail via the center pillar by providing a reinforcing member inside the roof side rail to which the upper part of the center pillar is connected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-86869 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the structure of the above example, a reinforcing member separate from the existing parts is added to suppress deformation during a side collision. In other words, adding the reinforcing member increases the number of parts that make up the vehicle body, resulting in increased vehicle weight and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, in the above example, a bending portion is provided in the body panel located closer to the interior of the vehicle than the center pillar. Therefore, when a load from above or below the vehicle acts on the vehicle body that would cause a torsional mode of the vehicle body, the bending portion may bend.

[0006] In addition, in the above example, an attempt is made to suppress deformation of the side body outer panel, etc., toward the inside of the vehicle due to a load acting in the vehicle width direction during a side collision, but because the area centered on the lower end of the roof side drip molding is recessed toward the vehicle cabin, it may not be possible to suppress the torsional mode of the vehicle body, which is caused by a load acting in the vertical direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the structure in the above example leaves room for improvement in suppressing the torsional mode caused by a load acting on the upper part of the vehicle via the center pillar.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle side structure that can improve the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body and suppress bending deformation of the roof panel on the left and right sides without increasing the number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vehicle side structure according to the present invention for achieving the above object includes a roof panel disposed on an upper portion of a vehicle, a center roof member disposed on the underside of the roof panel in a vehicle longitudinal intermediate portion and extending in the vehicle width direction, a roof side rail disposed on the vehicle width outer portion of the roof panel and having a longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a side body outer panel disposed on the side of the vehicle and having a pillar portion extending in the vehicle vertical direction in the vehicle longitudinal intermediate portion, and a center inner pillar panel disposed on the vehicle inner side of the pillar portion and extending in the vehicle vertical direction. In this vehicle side structure, an upper portion of the roof side rail is provided with a first joint portion joined to a portion where an upper portion of the side body outer panel and an outer portion of the roof panel in the vehicle width direction are joined, and a lower portion of the roof side rail is provided with a first joint portion joined to a portion where an outer portion of the center roof member in the vehicle width direction and an outer portion of the center inner pillar panel in the vehicle vertical direction are joined. Top A second joint is provided to be joined to the jointed portion of the first joint. The second joint portion includes a portion configured to sandwich the center inner pillar panel in the vehicle width direction with a roof side reinforcement and a roof side inner rail that constitute the outer and inner portions of the roof side rail. are. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body and suppress bending deformation of the roof panel in the left and right directions without increasing the number of parts. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle side structure according to the present invention, illustrating a portion of the vehicle side structure on the vehicle interior side. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view including a cross section taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of the roof side rail and the like in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 3 is a front view of the roof side rail and the center pillar periphery of FIG. 2 as viewed from the front of the vehicle. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view including a cross section taken along the arrow BB in FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the cross section of FIG. 5 in an enlarged scale. [Figure 7] 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing an intermediate portion of the center pillar of FIG. 1 in the vehicle vertical direction. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a perspective view including a cross section taken along the CC arrow in FIG. 5. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a cross section of FIG. 8. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Hereinafter, one embodiment of a vehicle side structure for a vehicle according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 9). In the drawings, the direction of the arrow Fr indicates the front in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In the description of the embodiment, the "front (front end) and rear (rear end)" correspond to the front and rear in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Furthermore, the arrows R and L indicate the right and left sides when an occupant looks forward of the vehicle. Furthermore, the arrow U indicates the upper side of the vehicle.

[0012] The vehicle side structure of this embodiment includes a vehicle side structure and a structure for the outer portion of the upper part of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle side structure has a roof panel 1, a center roof member 10, and a side body outer panel 15. Furthermore, the vehicle side structure has a center pillar 20 and a roof side rail 30 that are composed of multiple members. Each member will be described below.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the roof panel 1 is a metal member that is arranged on the upper part of the vehicle and that constitutes the roof of the upper part of the vehicle. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, it is a panel material that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an outer wall 2 and an outer flange 3 are provided on the outer side of the roof panel 1 in the vehicle width direction. The outer wall 2 is a wall surface that protrudes downward from the outer end of the upper surface of the roof panel 1 in the vehicle width direction and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The outer flange 3 protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the outer wall 2 and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. A side body outer panel 15 is joined to the outer flange 3. The joining of the roof panel 1 and the side body outer panel 15 will be explained later.

[0014] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the center roof member 10 is a metal member arranged on the underside of the roof panel 1 and extends in the vehicle width direction. In this example, the vehicle width direction outer end of the center roof member 10 is located further outward in the vehicle width direction than the vehicle width direction outer end of the roof panel 1. In addition, the vehicle width direction outer portion of the center roof member 10 curves gently downward toward the vehicle as it approaches the vehicle width direction outer portion. The lower end of the curved portion is located further outward in the vehicle width direction than the outer flange of the roof panel 1. In addition, the upper part of the center roof member 10 is joined to the underside of the roof panel 1. The joining of the center roof member 10 to the roof panel 1 and the joining of the center roof member 10 to other members will be described later.

[0015] Next, the side body outer panel 15 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the side body outer panel 15 is a metal member disposed on a side of the vehicle and constituting the outermost portion of the vehicle body. The side body outer panel 15 has a front side door opening 15A, a rear side door opening 15B, a pillar portion 16, and an outer roof portion 17. The front side door opening 15A is an opening that is opened and closed by a front side door (not shown). The rear side door opening 15B is an opening that is opened and closed by a rear side door (not shown), and is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front side door opening 15A via the pillar portion 16.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the outer roof portion 17 is located at the top of the side body outer panel 15 and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. In this example, the outer roof portion 17 is located above the front side door opening 15A, above the pillar portion 16, and above the rear side door opening 15B, and extends continuously in the vehicle longitudinal direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the outer roof portion 17 in this embodiment has a protruding portion 17a that protrudes upward from the vehicle, an inner wall 17b, and an inner flange 17c. The upper and outer surfaces of the protruding portion 17a are design surfaces that are located at the outermost parts of the vehicle body. The inner wall 17b is a wall surface that extends downward from the inner end of the protruding portion 17a in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The inner flange 17c protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the inner wall 17b and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The inner flange 17c is joined to the outer flange 3 of the roof panel 1 by spot welding.

[0017] A roof side drip molding (not shown) is attached to the upper part of the side body outer panel 15. The roof side drip molding is a member made of a resin material that guides water droplets and the like from the roof in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in rainy weather and prevents rainwater from flowing into the front side door opening 15A or the rear side door opening 15B when the front side door or the rear side door is opened. In this example, the roof side drip molding is attached to a recess formed between the inner wall 17b of the outer roof portion 17 and the outer wall 2 of the roof panel 1, on the inner side of the protrusion 17a in the vehicle width direction, and hides the welding points (spot welding points) where the inner flange 17c of the outer roof portion 17 and the outer flange 3 of the roof panel 1 are spot welded.

[0018] Here, the center pillar 20 will be described. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the center pillar 20 is a pillar provided on the side of the vehicle body, and is a portion that is provided between the front side door opening 15A and the rear side door opening 15B and extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The center pillar 20 of this embodiment is composed of the pillar portion 16 of the side body outer panel 15, a rear door hinge reinforcement 21, and a center inner pillar panel 27.

[0019] The rear door hinge reinforcement 21 is a member that is disposed on the vehicle inner side of the pillar portion 16 of the side body outer panel 15, has a predetermined length in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and extends in the vehicle vertical direction. The rear door hinge reinforcement 21 is a member that reinforces a portion where a hinge (not shown) for rotating the rear side door is attached, and is a highly rigid member made of a metal material. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 has a hat-shaped cross section with its intermediate portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction protruding outward from the vehicle. Flanges 21a, 21b that extend in the vehicle vertical direction are provided at the front and rear portions of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21, respectively.

[0020] The center inner pillar panel 27 is disposed on the vehicle inner side of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21, and is a component that has a predetermined length in the vehicle longitudinal direction and extends in the vehicle vertical direction. Like the rear door hinge reinforcement 21, the center inner pillar panel 27 is a component that maintains the rigidity of the center pillar 20 and is a highly rigid component formed of a metal material. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the upper portion of the center inner pillar panel 27 has a hat-shaped cross section with the vehicle longitudinal middle portion protruding toward the vehicle interior. Flanges 27a, 27b extending in the vehicle vertical direction are provided at the front and rear portions of the center inner pillar panel 27. The front and rear flanges 27a, 27b of the center inner pillar panel 27 are joined by spot welding to the front and rear flanges 21a, 21b of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 and the pillar portion 16 of the side body outer panel 15 in a three-layered state.

[0021] Next, the roof side rail 30 will be described. The roof side rail 30 is provided on the outer side of the roof panel 1 in the vehicle width direction, and has a longitudinally closed cross-sectional structure 39 extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction. Furthermore, a first joint P1 is provided on the upper part of the roof side rail 30, which is joined to the portion where the upper part of the side body outer panel 15 and the outer side part of the roof panel 1 in the vehicle width direction are joined. In this example, the first joint P1 is joined by spot welding to the portion where the inner flange 17c of the outer roof portion 17 and the outer flange 3 of the roof panel 1 are joined. Furthermore, a second joint P2 is provided on the lower part of the roof side rail 30, which is joined to the portion where the outer side part of the center roof member 10 in the vehicle width direction and the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27 are joined.

[0022] In this embodiment, the first joint P1 and the center roof member 10 are disposed at a distance S (FIG. 4) from each other in the vehicle vertical direction, which results in a structure in which a lateral bending mode with the first joint P1 as a bending point is unlikely to occur.

[0023] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the roof side rail 30, which forms a highly rigid vehicle body frame, is provided between the outer roof portion 17 of the side body outer panel 15 and the center inner pillar panel 27. Furthermore, the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39 of the roof side rail 30 is disposed between the first joint P1 and the second joint P2. This further enhances the suppression effect of lateral (vehicle width direction) bending modes. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the vehicle width direction outer portion of the center roof member 10 has a gently curved shape and does not have a so-called bending point or a distorting shape, so there is no bending point that is likely to induce deformation. Therefore, a stronger structure can be obtained against lateral (vehicle width direction) bending modes. As a result, the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body is improved, and lateral bending deformation of the roof panel 1 can be suppressed.

[0024] Here, a detailed description will be given of the structure of the roof side rail 30. The roof side rail 30 has a roof side reinforcement 31 and a roof side inner rail 35.

[0025] The roof side reinforcement 31 has an outer convex portion 32 that extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and is convex outward from the vehicle as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer convex portion 32 is composed of an outer surface 32a, an upper surface 32b, and a lower surface 32d that extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The outer surface 32a faces the outer side in the vehicle width direction and is inclined inward in the vehicle width direction as it extends upward in the vehicle. The upper surface 32b extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the outer surface 32a. The lower surface 32d extends in a manner inclined downward in the vehicle as it extends inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the outer surface 32a.

[0026] Furthermore, the roof side reinforcement 31 has an upper flange 32c and a lower flange 32e. The upper flange 32c extends from the inner end of the upper surface 32b in the vehicle width direction, sloping upward toward the vehicle's interior as it moves inward in the vehicle width direction. The upper flange 32c of the roof side reinforcement 31 is provided with the first joint P1 described above. In this example, the inner flange 17c of the outer roof portion 17, the outer flange of the roof panel, and the upper flange 32c of the roof side reinforcement 31 are stacked in this order from the upper side to the lower side of the vehicle, and these are joined in a three-layered state by spot welding. The first joint P1 is located closer to the outer wall 2 of the roof panel 1 than to the inner wall 17b of the outer roof portion 17.

[0027] The lower flange 32e of the roof side reinforcement 31 extends downward from the inner end and lower end of the lower surface 32d in the vehicle width direction. In this example, it extends at an inclination outward in the vehicle width direction as it approaches the vehicle downward. The lower flange 32e of the roof side reinforcement 31 is joined to the roof side inner rail 35 and the like. These joinings will be explained later.

[0028] The roof side inner rail 35 is a member disposed on the vehicle inner side of the roof side reinforcement 31, extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and having an inner surface 35a, a vertical wall surface 35b, and an upper flange 35c. The inner surface 35a is a wall surface disposed at a distance inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the outer surface 32a of the roof side reinforcement 31, and is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction as it extends downward in the vehicle. The second joint P2 described above is provided at the lower part of the inner surface 35a. The arrangement of the components at the second joint P2 will be explained later.

[0029] The vertical wall surface 35b is a wall surface that extends upward in the vehicle from the upper end of the inner surface 35a. The upper flange 35c of the roof side inner rail 35 protrudes inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper end of the vertical wall surface 35b and is joined by spot welding to the upper flange 32c of the roof side reinforcement 31. A welding point P3 at which the upper flange 35c of the roof side inner rail 35 and the upper flange 32c of the roof side reinforcement 31 are spot welded is located outward in the vehicle width direction from the first joint point P1.

[0030] In this embodiment, in the portion where the first joint portion P1 is located, four flanges are arranged in an overlapping state in the following order from the upper side to the lower side of the vehicle: the outer flange 3 of the roof panel 1, the inner flange 17c of the outer roof portion 17, the upper flange 32c of the roof side reinforcement 31, and the upper flange 35c of the roof side inner rail 35. To avoid spot welding the four overlapping flanges together, a notch (not shown) is provided at the end of the upper flange 35c of the roof side inner rail 35 corresponding to the first joint portion P1. That is, at the position corresponding to the notch, the outer flange 3 of the roof panel 1, the inner flange 17c of the outer roof portion 17, and the upper flange 32c of the roof side reinforcement 31 form a three-layer overlapping state. As a result, the three-layer overlapping state can be joined by spot welding at the first joint portion P1.

[0031] Next, the second joint P2 will be described in detail. The second joint P2, which is provided at the lower part of the inner surface 35a of the roof side inner rail 35, is joined to the portion where the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27 and the outer part of the center roof member 10 in the vehicle width direction are joined. In this embodiment, at the second joint P2, the lower part of the inner surface 35a of the roof side inner rail 35, the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27, and the outer part of the center roof member 10 in the vehicle width direction are joined in a three-layered state by spot welding.

[0032] Meanwhile, the lower flange 32e of the roof side reinforcement 31 is joined to the lower part of the inner surface 35a of the roof side inner rail 35 via the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27. That is, in this embodiment, around the second joint P2, the lower flange 32e of the roof side reinforcement 31, the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27, the lower part of the inner surface 35a of the roof side inner rail 35, and the outer part of the center roof member 10 in the vehicle width direction are arranged in this order as a stack of four pieces.

[0033] To avoid spot welding the four layers together, a notch (not shown) is provided in the lower flange 32e of the roof side reinforcement 31 corresponding to the second joint P2. That is, at the position corresponding to the notch, the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27, the lower part of the inner surface 35a of the roof side inner rail 35, and the outer part of the center roof member 10 in the vehicle width direction are in a three-layered state. This allows the three layers to be joined together by spot welding at the second joint P2.

[0034] The welding point P4 where the lower flange 32e of the roof side reinforcement 31, the upper part of the center inner pillar panel 27, and the lower part of the inner surface 35a of the roof side inner rail 35 are joined may be, for example, offset in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle or the up-and-down direction of the vehicle from the second joint P2.

[0035] In this embodiment, the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39 is formed by the roof side reinforcement 31 and the roof side inner rail 35. The longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39 in this example is formed by a space being closed mainly by the outer surface 32a, the upper surface 32b, the vertical wall surface 35b, the inner surface 35a, and the lower surface 32d. The upper part of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 is joined to the outer surface 32a of the outer convex portion 32 by spot welding.

[0036] As described above, the rigidity of the vehicle body frame can be improved by configuring the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39. In addition, by joining the roof side rail 30 and the center pillar 20 in a T-shape when viewed from the side, a structure that is strong against torsional modes can be obtained.

[0037] Additionally, an assistant grip (not shown) is attached to the roof side rail 30 having a longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39. Since the assistant grip is held by the occupant, the assistant grip needs to have high support force, for example, in the vertical direction of the vehicle. By joining the roof side rail 30 and the center pillar 20 in a T-shape, the assist grip can obtain high support force in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0038] The center pillar 20 also has two closed cross-sectional structures extending in the vehicle vertical direction, i.e., a first vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29A and a second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B. The first vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29A is composed of the pillar portion 16 of the side body outer panel 15 and the rear door hinge reinforcement 21, and the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B is composed of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 and a center inner pillar panel 27. In this example, the first vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29A is disposed on the vehicle outer side of the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B so as to cover the front and rear portions and the outer side of the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B. By arranging the first vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29A and the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B side by side in the vehicle width direction, it is possible to prevent the vehicle body panels disposed on the vehicle sides from deforming and intruding into the vehicle cabin during a side collision.

[0039] In this embodiment, an upper portion of the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B is joined to the vehicle longitudinal intermediate portion of the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39. In this example, an upper portion of the center inner pillar panel 27 is joined to the second joint portion P2, and an upper portion of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 is joined to the outer surface 32a of the outer convex portion 32, so that the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure 39 and the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure 29B form a T-shape in a side view. Such a joining structure can provide a structure that is even stronger against torsional modes.

[0040] 7, the lower portion of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 is disposed below the front door latch mounting portion 16a of the vehicle. The front door latch mounting portion 16a is provided on the pillar portion 16, and a front door latch (not shown) is attached to the front door latch mounting portion 16a. For example, the front door latch is attached to a position on the center pillar 20 where the length in the vehicle's longitudinal direction is long, that is, a portion of the center pillar 20 where the center pillar 20 is relatively thick and has high rigidity, in order to prevent the front side door from opening unintentionally in the event of a side collision. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lower portion (lower end) of the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 is disposed around the front door latch, thereby achieving a stronger structure.

[0041] In this embodiment, a seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25 is disposed inside the second vertically closed cross-sectional structure 29B. In this example, the seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25 is disposed at an upper portion inside the second vertically closed cross-sectional structure 29B, facing the convex portion of the center inner pillar panel 27. The seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25 is a member formed by bending a plate material, and has a hat shape that convex toward the inside of the vehicle when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. The upper and lower portions of the seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25 on the outside of the vehicle are joined to the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 by spot welding, and the vehicle inside portion is joined to the center inner pillar panel 27. In this example, the vehicle inside portion is fastened to the center inner pillar panel 27 by inserting a bolt (not shown) into a hole 27d provided in the convex portion of the center inner pillar panel 27.

[0042] When the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 and the center inner pillar panel 27 are subjected to a load acting on the top and bottom of the vehicle, they deform so as to move away from each other in the vehicle width direction, i.e., so as to open in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the provision of the seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25 can suppress the opening deformation mode.

[0043] On the other hand, an anchor portion (not shown) of the seat belt is fixed to the seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25. When an occupant is fastening the seat belt, a force acts in the vertical direction on the anchor portion of the seat belt. In this embodiment, the seat belt adjuster reinforcement 25 is joined to the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 and the center inner pillar panel 27, thereby improving the support force against the load in the vertical direction.

[0044] 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the center roof member 10 is disposed so as to overlap the rear door hinge reinforcement 21 and the center inner pillar panel 27 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. That is, the center roof member 10, the rear door hinge reinforcement 21, and the center inner pillar panel 27 are disposed so as to overlap each other in a side view.

[0045] 8 and 9, two inner convex portions 11 that convex toward the inside of the vehicle (the inside in the vehicle width direction or the lower side of the vehicle) are provided in the middle portion of the center roof member 10 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. A portion (joint 12) located between the two inner convex portions 11 is joined to the underside of the roof panel 1. In this example, as shown in FIG. 9, the joint 12 is joined to the underside of the roof panel 1 with a viscous material C (e.g., a sealer) sandwiched between the joint 12 and the underside of the roof panel 1.

[0046] This configuration improves the vehicle widthwise rigidity, thereby more effectively suppressing a decrease in the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body. In other words, this embodiment can efficiently receive and suppress the force caused by the movement of the roof in the vehicle widthwise mode that occurs in conjunction with the torsional mode of the vehicle body.

[0047] The description of the present embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the invention described in the claims. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

[0048] In this embodiment, the first and second joints P1 and P2 have notches in the other panels to allow spot welding in a three-layer stack, but this is not limiting. Four-layer stacks can also be joined. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1 roof panel 2 Inner wall 3 Outer flange 10 Center roof member 11 Inner convex shape part 12 Joint 15 Side body outer panel 15A Front side door opening 15B Rear side door opening 16 Pillar section 17 Outer roof section 17a Protrusion 17b Inner wall 17c Inner flange 20 Center pillar 21 Rear door hinge reinforcement 25 Seat belt adjuster reinforcement 27 Center inner pillar panel 29A First vertical closed section structure 29B Second vertical closed section structure 30 Roof side rail 31 Roof side reinforcement 32 Outer convex shape part 32a Exterior 32b Top surface 32c Upper flange 32d bottom surface 32e Lower flange 35 Roof side inner rail 35a Inner surface 35b Vertical wall 35c upper flange 39 Front-rear closed cross-sectional structure P1 First junction P2 Second junction P3 welding point P4 welding point C Viscous material

Claims

1. A roof panel disposed on the upper part of the vehicle; a center roof member disposed at a vehicle front-rear direction intermediate portion on a lower surface side of the roof panel and extending in a vehicle width direction; a roof side rail provided on an outer side of the roof panel in the vehicle width direction and having a closed cross-sectional structure in the front-rear direction extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; a side body outer panel disposed on a side of the vehicle and having a pillar portion extending in the vehicle up-down direction at an intermediate portion in the vehicle front-rear direction; a center inner pillar panel disposed on the vehicle inner side of the pillar portion and extending in the vehicle up-down direction; A vehicle side structure having: a first joint portion is provided at an upper portion of the roof side rail and joined to a portion where an upper portion of the side body outer panel and an outer portion of the roof panel in the vehicle width direction are joined; a second joint portion is provided at a lower portion of the roof side rail and joined to a portion where an outer portion of the center roof member in the vehicle width direction and an upper portion of the center inner pillar panel in the vehicle vertical direction are joined; a roof side inner rail that is formed on the roof side of the vehicle and that sandwiches the center inner pillar panel in the vehicle width direction;

2. A vehicle side structure as described in claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle width direction end of the center roof member is arranged overlapping the second joint.

3. A roof panel disposed on the upper part of the vehicle; a center roof member disposed at a vehicle front-rear direction intermediate portion on a lower surface side of the roof panel and extending in a vehicle width direction; a roof side rail provided on an outer side of the roof panel in the vehicle width direction and having a closed cross-sectional structure in the front-rear direction extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; a side body outer panel disposed on a side of the vehicle and having a pillar portion extending in the vehicle up-down direction at an intermediate portion in the vehicle front-rear direction; a center inner pillar panel disposed on the vehicle inner side of the pillar portion and extending in the vehicle up-down direction; A vehicle side structure having: a first joint portion is provided at an upper portion of the roof side rail and joined to a portion where an upper portion of the side body outer panel and an outer portion of the roof panel in the vehicle width direction are joined; a second joint portion is provided at a lower portion of the roof side rail and joined to a portion where an outer portion of the center roof member in the vehicle width direction and an upper portion of the center inner pillar panel in the vehicle vertical direction are joined; The center roof member is curved downward from a middle portion in the vehicle width direction toward an outer side in the vehicle width direction when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction, the first joint portion and the center roof member are disposed at an interval in the vehicle up-down direction, the roof side rail includes a roof side reinforcement extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction and having an outer convex portion that is convex toward the outer side of the vehicle as viewed in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a roof side inner rail that is arranged on the vehicle inner side of the roof side reinforcement and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure is constituted by the outer convex portion of the roof side reinforcement and the roof side inner rail, An upper portion of a rear door hinge reinforcement is joined to the outer surface of the outer convex portion of the roof side reinforcement, an upper portion of the center inner pillar panel is joined to the second joint portion, A center pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle is provided on the side of the vehicle, the center pillar is constituted by the pillar portion of the side body outer panel, the rear door hinge reinforcement, and the center inner pillar panel, and has a first vertical closed cross-sectional structure and a second vertical closed cross-sectional structure extending in the vehicle up-down direction, the first vertical closed cross-sectional structure is formed by a pillar portion of the side body outer panel and the rear door hinge reinforcement, and the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure is formed by the rear door hinge reinforcement and the center inner pillar panel, an upper portion of the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure is joined to a vehicle longitudinal intermediate portion of the longitudinal closed cross-sectional structure, a lower end of the rear door hinge reinforcement is disposed below a front door latch attached to the pillar portion; A seat belt adjuster reinforcement is disposed inside the second vertical closed cross-sectional structure, The seat belt adjuster reinforcement has a hat shape that is convex toward the inside of the vehicle when viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction, A vehicle side structure, characterized in that the upper and lower portions of the seat belt adjuster reinforcement on the outer side of the vehicle are joined to the rear door hinge reinforcement, and the inner portion of the vehicle is joined to the center inner pillar panel.

4. the center roof member is disposed so as to overlap the rear door hinge reinforcement and the center inner pillar panel in the vehicle front-rear direction, 4. The vehicle side structure according to claim 3, wherein the center roof member has two inner convex portions that are convex toward the inside of the vehicle at a middle portion in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, and the portion located between the two inner convex portions is joined to the underside of the roof panel.

Images