Method for assembling the superstructure and body of a vehicle.

Abstract

To provide a vehicle body upper structure that can reduce joining locations and joining steps.SOLUTION: A vehicle body upper structure 1 includes: roof side rails 2 provided at end portions in a vehicle width direction of a vehicle body upper portion 10a; side outer panels 3 covering vehicle outer side surfaces 10b of the roof side rails 2; and a roof panel 4 made of a material different from a martial of the roof side rails 2 and provided at a center portion in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body upper portion 10a. The paired right and left side outer panels 3 and the roof panel 4 are fixed to one another by braze joining. Outer end portions in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panels 3 are joined to outer end portions in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rails 2. Inner end portions in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panels 3 are not joined to inner end portions in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rails 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an upper body structure of an automobile and a method for assembling an automobile body.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to enable more people to have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and advanced energy, research and development related to weight reduction that contributes to energy efficiency have been carried out.

[0003] In automobiles, in order to reduce the weight of the vehicle body, vehicle body members made of aluminum or light alloys such as aluminum alloys (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as "aluminum") are used (for example, see Patent Document 1). <000**********14> The upper body structure described in Patent Document 1 forms a roof side rail by first joining a steel rail inner and a rail outer by spot welding when assembling the upper body. Next, two locations, namely the upper end and the lower end on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the steel roof side rail, are mechanically joined to an aluminum side outer panel by non-penetrating rivets. Subsequently, an aluminum roof panel is joined to the joined aluminum side rail outer by laser welding.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] The vehicle body superstructure described in Patent Document 1 has the problem that there are many joining points and many joining processes because the upper and lower flange portions of the side outer panel are joined to the upper and lower flange portions of the roof side rail, respectively.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention was made to solve the aforementioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle body superstructure and a method for assembling an automobile body that can reduce the number of joining points and joining processes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] As a means to solve the aforementioned problems, the vehicle body upper structure according to the present invention comprises a roof side rail provided at the vehicle width direction end of the upper part of the vehicle body, a side outer panel covering the vehicle exterior side surface of the roof side rail, and a roof panel formed of a different material from the material of the roof side rail and provided at the vehicle width direction center of the upper part of the vehicle body, wherein the left and right pair of the side outer panels and the roof panel are With their ends touching each other They are fixed to each other by blaze joints, and the outer end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail in the vehicle width direction, and the inner end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction and the roof panel The roof side rail To They are not joined.

[0009] Furthermore, the automobile body assembly method according to the present invention includes a frame joining step of joining a floor assembly that constitutes the floor portion of the vehicle body, a side frame assembly that constitutes the side portion of the vehicle body, and a roof arch that constitutes the upper portion of the vehicle body to form a frame member of the vehicle body, and a side outer panel that is positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the side frame assembly and a roof panel that is positioned above the roof arch. With their ends touching each otherThe process includes a skin joining step of joining blazes to form a skin member of the vehicle body, and a vehicle body joining step of joining the skin member to the frame member to form a vehicle body, wherein the skin member is made of a different material from the frame member, the side frame assembly includes a roof side rail provided at the vehicle width direction end of the upper part of the vehicle body, and in the vehicle body joining step, the vehicle width direction outer end of the side outer panel of the skin member is joined to the vehicle width direction outer end of the roof side rail, and the vehicle width direction inner end of the side outer panel and the roof panel to the roof side rail To They do not connect. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for assembling a vehicle body superstructure and an automobile body that can reduce the number of joining points and joining processes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1A] This figure shows an example of a vehicle body superstructure and automobile body assembly method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part showing the state when the side outer panel and the roof panel are joined using a blaze joint. [Figure 1B] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part showing the state when the rail inner and rail outer are joined together. [Figure 1C] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part showing the state when the side outer panel, to which the roof panel is joined, is joined to the roof side rail. [Figure 1D] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part showing the state when the roof panel is being detached from the vehicle body by a nibbler. [Figure 2] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vehicle body joining process, in which skin members are joined to skeletal members. [Figure 3] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the state of the vehicle body after the vehicle body joining process, in which skin members are joined to the skeletal members. [Figure 4] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a key part showing a comparative example in which the roof panel, side outer panel, and roof side rail are joined together.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, an example of a vehicle body upper structure 1 and an assembly method of an automobile vehicle body according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components, and duplicate descriptions are omitted. Further, in the embodiment of the present invention, "front" refers to the forward side of the vehicle C, "rear" refers to the backward side of the vehicle C, "up" refers to the vertically upward side, and "down" refers to the vertically downward side.

[0013] ≪Vehicle≫ First, before describing the vehicle body upper structure 1 and the assembly method of the automobile vehicle body according to the embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle C to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. 3. The vehicle C has a roof side rail 2 provided at an end in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body upper part 10a, a side outer panel 3 covering the outer side surface 10b of the roof side rail 2, and a roof panel 4 provided at the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body upper part 10a. The type, shape, etc. of the vehicle C are not particularly limited. The vehicle C may be a passenger car, a bus, a truck, a work vehicle, etc., as long as the vehicle body 10 includes a roof side rail 2, a side outer panel 3, and a roof panel 4. Hereinafter, a passenger car will be described as an example of the vehicle C.

[0014] ≪Vehicle Body Upper Structure≫ The vehicle body upper structure 1 is configured to include a roof side rail 2, a side outer panel 3, and a roof panel 4.

[0015] ≪Vehicle Body≫ As shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle body 10 is a member for forming the entire vehicle C. The vehicle body 10 includes, for example, a skeletal member 11 made of a metal vehicle body frame such as the roof side rail 2 described later, and a skin member 12 made of metal vehicle body panels such as the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4.

[0016] On the upper part of the vehicle body 10a, there are provided a roof panel 4 constituting the roof plate portion, a roof arch 5 installed below the roof panel 4 and constituting the framework of the roof portion, roof side rails 2 installed at both ends in the vehicle width direction of the roof arch 5, and a side outer panel 3 installed outside the roof side rails 2.

[0017] On both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 10, there are formed a front seat door opening (not shown) and a rear seat door opening (not shown). Further, on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 10, there are provided a front pillar (not shown), a center pillar (not shown), and a rear pillar (not shown). On both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 10, there are arranged a side inner 31 and a side outer stiff 32 constituting a side skeleton assembly 30 such as the front pillar and the rear pillar (not shown), and a side panel portion 3c covering the side skeleton assembly 30. Since the vehicle body 10 is formed substantially symmetrically about the left - right axis, mainly one side, either the passenger seat side (left side) or the driver's seat side (right side), will be described, and the description of the other side will be omitted as appropriate.

[0018] ≪Roof Panel≫ The roof panel 4 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is made of a light metal plate such as aluminum formed substantially rectangular in plan view. Thus, the roof panel 4 is formed of a material different from that of the steel - made roof side rail 2. The roof panel 4 is provided between the left and right side outer panels 3 of the upper part of the vehicle body 10a. As shown in FIG. 1A, bent portions 4a (brazing joints 7) are formed at both the left and right ends of the roof panel 4.

[0019] <Bent Portion> The bent portion 4a is a portion for forming a brazing joint 7 that is brazed and connected to the upper end of the side outer panel 3 with a brazing material 70. The bent portion 4a is formed by vertically bending the end portion in the vehicle width direction of the roof panel 4 downward. The outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the bent portion 4a is brazed in a state of being in contact with the side outer upper flap portion 3a. The lower end of the bent portion 4g is arranged at a distance from the upper surface of the rail outer upper flap portion 22a of the rail outer 22.

[0020] ≪Blaze joint≫ As shown in Figure 1C, the brazed joint 7 is a joint formed by brazing (also called "brazing welding"). The brazed joint 7 consists of two parts: a first brazed joint 71 and a second brazed joint 72. The brazing material 70 used when brazing the brazed joint 7 is made of aluminum alloy.

[0021] The first blaze joint 71 connects the upper end of the side outer upper flap portion 3a of the aluminum side outer panel 3 to the bent portion 4a of the aluminum roof panel 4. The first blaze joint 71 is continuously provided from the front end to the rear end of the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the roof panel 4. In this way, a blaze joint 7 is provided between the outer end (lower end) in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panel 3 and the outer end (lower end) in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail 2. A blaze joint 7 is not provided between the inner end (upper end) in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panel 3 and the inner end (upper end) in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail 2.

[0022] The second blaze joint 72 connects the lower end of the side outer lower flap portion 3b of the aluminum side outer panel 3 to the rail outer lower flap portion 22b of the steel roof side rail 2. The second blaze joint 72 is continuously provided from the front end to the rear end of the outer lower end in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panel 3.

[0023] ≪Roof Arch≫ As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the roof arch 5 is a member that supports the roof panel 4 from below. The roof arch 5 consists of multiple members installed between the left and right roof side rails 2. The roof arch 5 is arranged at appropriate intervals from the front end to the rear end of the upper part 10a of the vehicle body.

[0024] ≪Roof Side Rails≫ As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the roof side rails 2 are a pair of left and right cylindrical frame members that extend in the front-rear direction and are positioned on the upper sides of the vehicle body 10 (see Figure 1B). The roof side rails 2 are installed from the front to the rear of the left and right ends of the upper part 10a of the vehicle body, forming the upper edge of the door opening (not shown).

[0025] As shown in Figure 1B, the roof side rail 2 forms a closed cross-section 2a in a longitudinal view by joining the joints 23 and 24 of the rail inner 21, which is located on the inside of the vehicle, and the rail outer 22, which is located on the outside of the vehicle of the rail inner 21. Unlike the aluminum roof panel 4 and side outer panel 3, the rail inner 21 and rail outer 22 are made of steel (for example, high-tensile steel plate).

[0026] <Rail Inner> As shown in Figure 1C, the rail inner 21 is a member that holds the roof panel 4 and the roof arch 5 (see Figures 2 and 3). The rail inner 21 is a half-body that forms the interior portion of the roof side rail 2, which is formed in a cylindrical shape together with the rail outer 22. The rail inner 21 has an upper rail inner flap portion 21a, whose upper edge is bent approximately horizontally toward the interior of the vehicle body, and a lower rail inner flap portion 21b, whose lower end is bent diagonally downward toward the interior of the vehicle body.

[0027] <Rail Outer> The rail outer 22 is a half-section that forms the outer portion of the roof side rail 2. The rail outer 22 is positioned opposite the rail inner 21 via a closed cross-section 2a and extends in the front-rear direction. The rail outer 22 has an upper rail outer flap portion 22a that extends in the front-rear direction at its upper edge and a lower rail outer flap portion 22b that extends in the front-rear direction at its lower edge.

[0028] The upper flap portion 22a of the rail outer is joined to the upper flap portion 21a of the rail inner by spot welding the joint portion 23 on top of it. The lower flap portion 22b of the rail outer is joined to the lower flap portion 21b of the rail inner by spot welding the joint portion 24 on top of it. Furthermore, the lower flap portion 22b of the rail outer is joined to the side outer panel 3 by overlapping the lower flap portion 3b of the side outer and brazing the second braze joint portion 72 with brazing material 70.

[0029] Side Outer Panel As shown in Figure 1C, the side outer panel 3 is a pair of left and right panel members positioned to cover the outer surface 10b of the roof side rail 2 from the outside in the vehicle width direction. The side outer panel 3 consists of a pair of left and right aluminum members extending in the front-rear direction. The side outer panel 3 has an upper side outer flap portion 3a, a lower side outer flap portion 3b, and a side panel portion 3c (see Figures 2 and 3). Although not shown, the side outer panel 3 also has a portion that covers the pillar of the frame member 11 from the outside.

[0030] The outer end (lower end) of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end (lower end) of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction by a blaze joint. The inner end (upper end) of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is not joined to the inner end (upper end) of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 are fixed to each other by a blaze joint.

[0031] The upper flap portion 3a of the side outer panel is an upper flange portion formed on the upper edge of the side outer panel 3 and extending in the front-rear direction. The upper flap portion 3a of the side outer panel is formed by folding it vertically downward from the upper end of the side outer panel 3. As described above, the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 are fixed to each other by a blaze joint between the middle section and the bent portion 4a of the upper flap portion 3a of the side outer panel. The lower end of the upper flap portion 3a of the side outer panel is positioned spaced apart from the upper part of the rail outer panel 22.

[0032] The side outer lower flap portion 3b is a lower flange portion formed on the lower edge of the side outer panel 3 and extending in the front-rear direction. The side outer lower flap portion 3b is formed by bending the lower end of the side outer panel 3 diagonally downward outward in the vehicle width direction along the rail outer lower flap portion 22b. As described above, the side outer panel 3 and the roof side rail 2 are fixed to each other at one point between the side outer lower flap portion 3b and the rail outer lower flap portion 22b by a blaze joint. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the side panel portion 3c covers the side frame assembly 30 from the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0033] ≪Nibbler≫ As shown in Figure 1D, the nibbler 81 is a device for gripping sheet metal and cutting sheet metal by punching. The nibbler 81 is installed on heavy machinery 8 used when dismantling vehicle C, etc. The upper structure of the vehicle body 1 is made such that the nibbler 81 can grip the roof panel 4 when the roof panel 4 is removed from the vehicle body 10 by the nibbler 81 installed on the heavy machinery 8.

[0034] ≪Function of the assembly method of the vehicle body superstructure and automobile body≫ Next, the operation of the assembly method for the vehicle body superstructure 1 and the automobile body according to the embodiment of the present invention will be explained in order of the assembly process, with reference to Figures 1A to 3.

[0035] <Pressing Process> When assembling the vehicle body 10, first, a pressing process is performed to form the side inner 31 and side outer stiffener 32 shown in Figure 2 by pressing them.

[0036] <Side frame assembly formation process> Next, a side frame assembly forming process is performed in which the flange portion of the side inner 31 and the flange portion of the side outer stiffener 32 are aligned and joined by laser welding or resistance welding to form the side frame assembly 30. The formed side frame assembly 30 is joined such that a closed cross-section is formed between the side inner 31 and the side outer stiffener 32, which are made of steel plates (e.g., high-tensile steel plates), so that it can be made into a highly rigid frame member 11. The roof side rail 2 is joined to the upper part of the side frame assembly 30.

[0037] Then, as shown in Figure 1B, the upper flap portion 21a of the rail inner 21 and the upper flap portion 22a of the rail outer 22 are aligned and joined by spot welding. Furthermore, the lower flap portion 21b of the rail inner 21 and the lower flap portion 22b of the rail outer 22 are aligned and joined by spot welding to form the roof side rail 2 that constitutes the frame member 11.

[0038] <Skeleton joining process> Next, the floor assembly 90, which constitutes the floor portion of the vehicle body, the side frame assembly 30, which constitutes the side portion of the vehicle body 10, the roof arch 5, which constitutes the upper portion 10a of the vehicle body, and the rear frame assembly (not shown), which constitutes the rear portion of the vehicle body, are set together simultaneously. Then, the floor assembly 90, the side frame assembly 30, the roof arch 5, and the rear frame assembly (not shown) are joined together, for example by laser welding, to form the frame members 11 of the entire vehicle body 10 in a frame joining process.

[0039] <Skin bonding process> Next, as shown in Figure 1A or Figure 2, a skin joining process is performed in which the side outer panel 3, which is positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the side frame assembly 30, and the roof panel 4, which is positioned above the roof arch 5, are blazed together to form the skin member 12 of the vehicle body 10.

[0040] <Vehicle body joining process> Next, as shown in Figure 2, a body joining process is performed in which an aluminum skin member 12, which is made of a different material from the steel frame member 11, is joined to the steel frame member 11 to form the entire vehicle body 10 as shown in Figure 3. As shown in Figure 1C, Figure 2, or Figure 3, the lower side outer flap portion 3b at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panel 3 of the skin member 12 is blazed to the lower rail outer flap portion 22b at the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail 2. At this time, the upper side outer flap portion 3a at the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the side outer panel 3 is not joined to the upper rail outer flap portion 22a at the inner end in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail 2. In this way, the vehicle body 10 is assembled.

[0041] ≪Effects of the assembly method for the vehicle body superstructure and automobile body≫ Next, the effects of the vehicle body superstructure 1 and the automobile body assembly method according to the present invention will be explained in comparison with the comparative example shown in Figure 4, with reference to Figures 1A to 4. Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a key part showing a comparative example in which the roof panel 400, the side outer panel 300, and the roof side rail 200 are joined together.

[0042] In a typical automobile, as shown in the comparative example upper body structure 100 in Figure 4, when assembling the upper body 10a, first, the upper flap portion 211 of the steel rail inner 210 and the upper flap portion 221 of the steel rail outer 22 are spot-welded. Furthermore, the lower flap portion 212 of the rail inner 210 and the lower flap portion 222 of the rail outer 22 are spot-welded to form the roof side rail 200.

[0043] Next, the upper flap portion 301 of the side outer panel 300 is joined to the upper flap portion 221 of the rail outer of the roof side rail 200, and further, the lower flap portion 302 of the side outer is joined to the lower flap portion 222 of the rail outer. Thus, in the comparative example's vehicle body superstructure 100, when attaching the side outer panel 300 to the roof side rail 200, two points of joining are required, resulting in many joining points and joining processes. For this reason, the comparative example's vehicle body superstructure 100 is prone to manufacturing variations.

[0044] In contrast, as shown in Figure 1C, the vehicle body superstructure 1 of the present invention, when joining the side outer panel 3 to the roof side rail 2, only joins the second blaze joint 72 between the side outer lower flap portion 3b and the rail outer lower flap portion 22b. Therefore, the present invention has fewer joining points and fewer joining processes, which can suppress manufacturing variations. Therefore, the vehicle body superstructure 1 of the present invention can reduce costs by reducing the number of assembly steps and assembly time when assembling the vehicle body 10, and the number of dismantling steps and dismantling time when dismantling it.

[0045] Furthermore, in the comparative example vehicle body superstructure 100 shown in Figure 4, when joining the roof panel 400 to the side outer panel 300, it is necessary to press down on the roof panel 400 from above with a jig 500 to close the gap between it and the side outer panel 300. This is because, since the side outer panel 300 is pre-joined to the roof side rail 200, manufacturing variations in the left and right side outer panels 300 create a gap between the roof panel 400 and the side outer panel 300. For this reason, in the comparative example vehicle body superstructure 100, the roof panel 400 is pressed down on from above with a jig 500, maintaining contact between the side outer upper flap portion 301 of the side outer panel 300, and the bent portion 401 is joined by laser welding.

[0046] Furthermore, because the side outer panel 300 is pre-attached to the roof side rail 200, it is not possible to install a jig on the underside of the roof panel 400 (the part where the rail inner upper flap portion 211 and the rail outer upper flap portion 221 are located), making it difficult to position the roof panel 400 accurately.

[0047] For these reasons, in the comparative example, the vehicle body superstructure 100 requires the use of a jig 500 to prevent a gap from occurring between the roof panel 400 and the side outer panel 300 when joining the roof panel 400 to the side outer panel 300, making the installation process complicated in order to accurately position the roof panel 400.

[0048] In contrast, as shown in Figures 1A and 2, the vehicle body superstructure 1 of the present invention is configured such that the roof panel 4 and the side outer panel 3 are joined to each other to form a skin member 12 before being joined to the roof side rail 2.

[0049] Therefore, since the skin member 12, which consists of the roof panel 4 and the left and right side outer panels 3, can be braz-welded in a state where the positioning of the roof panel 4 and the left and right side outer panels 3 can be freely adjusted, the jig can be simplified and precise positioning of the joint can be achieved.

[0050] Thus, the aluminum roof panel 4 is joined to the aluminum side outer panel 3 with aluminum brazing material 70, but is not joined to the steel roof side rail 2. Therefore, when the roof panel 4 is dismantled from the upper part 10a of the vehicle body by grasping the outer end of the roof panel 4 in the vehicle width direction with the nibbler 81 shown in Figure 1D, it is possible to separate the aluminum roof panel 4 or the aluminum side outer panel 3 so that no iron components such as the roof side rail 2 are included.

[0051] Furthermore, if the roof panel 4 is separated first, the upper flap portion 3a of the side outer panel 3 is not joined to the roof side rail 2, making it easier to grasp the upper end of the side outer panel 3 when dismantling it with the nibbler 81. For this reason, the vehicle body upper structure 100 of the present invention is designed to facilitate the separation of the vehicle body 10 with the nibbler 81.

[0052] As described above, the vehicle body superstructure 1 according to the present invention, as shown in Figure 1C, Figure 3, or Figure 4, includes a roof side rail 2 provided at the vehicle width direction end of the upper part 10a of the vehicle body, a side outer panel 3 covering the vehicle exterior surface 10b of the roof side rail 2, and a roof panel 4 formed of a different material from the roof side rail 2 and provided at the vehicle width direction center of the upper part 10a of the vehicle body. The left and right pair of side outer panels 3 and roof panel 4 are fixed to each other by blaze joints. The outer end of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction, while the inner end of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction is not joined to the inner end of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction.

[0053] With this configuration, the vehicle body superstructure 1 of the present invention joins the outer end of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction to the outer end of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction, but does not join the inner end of the side outer panel 3 in the vehicle width direction to the inner end of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction. For this reason, the present invention has fewer joining points and fewer joining steps for joining the side outer panel 3 and the roof side rail 2. Therefore, the present invention can reduce costs by reducing the assembly man-hours and assembly time when assembling the vehicle body 10, and the dismantling man-hours and dismantling time when dismantling it.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1C, the side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4 are made of aluminum, the roof side rail 2 is made of steel, and the brazing material 70 used when blazing the side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4 is made of aluminum alloy.

[0055] In this configuration, the side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4 and the roof side rail 2 are joined by brazing using aluminum alloy brazing material 70. Therefore, even though the aluminum side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4 and the steel roof side rail 2 are made of different materials, they can be firmly joined together using the aluminum alloy brazing material 70. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1D, when the aluminum side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4 are peeled off from the steel roof side rail 2 using a nibbler 81 or the like, the side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4 are joined with aluminum brazing material 70, so no steel material is mixed in. For this reason, by removing only the aluminum parts before cutting the side outer panel 3 and roof panel 4, it is possible to obtain high-purity aluminum that is free from iron and other impurities. Furthermore, since the side outer panel 3 and the roof panel 4 are joined using aluminum brazing material 70, the joint strength is weaker than that of welded steel components, making it possible to easily separate them from the joints made with aluminum brazing material 70.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1C, Figure 3, or Figure 4, the automobile body assembly method according to the present invention comprises a frame joining step of joining a floor assembly 90 constituting the floor portion of the vehicle body 10, a side frame assembly 30 constituting the side portion of the vehicle body 10, and a roof arch 5 constituting the upper portion of the vehicle body 10 to form a frame member 11 of the vehicle body 10, and a skin joining step of blazing a side outer panel 3 positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the side frame assembly 30 and a roof panel 4 positioned above the roof arch 5 to form a skin member 12 of the vehicle body 10, The vehicle body assembly includes a vehicle body joining step of joining a skin member 12 to a frame member 11 to form a vehicle body 10, wherein the skin member 12 is made of a different material from the frame member 11, and the side frame assembly 30 includes a roof side rail 2 provided at the vehicle width direction end of the upper part 10a of the vehicle body, and in the vehicle body joining step, the vehicle width direction outer end of the side outer panel 3 of the skin member 12 is joined to the vehicle width direction outer end (lower end) of the roof side rail 2, while the vehicle width direction inner end of the side outer panel 3 is not joined to the vehicle width direction inner end (upper end) of the roof side rail 2.

[0057] With this configuration, the side outer panel 3 is joined at its outer end in the vehicle width direction to the outer end of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction, but not at its inner end in the vehicle width direction to the inner end of the roof side rail 2 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, the present invention has fewer joining points, which reduces the joining process and joining time, thereby reducing costs and suppressing manufacturing variations.

[0058] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its technical concept. Naturally, the present invention also extends to such modified and altered inventions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0059] 1. Superstructure of the vehicle body 2 Roof side rails 3 Side Outer Panels 4 Roof Panels 5. Roof Arch 10 car bodies 10a Upper part of the vehicle 10b Vehicle exterior side 11. Structural members 12 Skin components 30 Side frame assembly 70 Brazing material 90 Floor Assembly

Claims

1. Roof side rails are provided at the vehicle width end of the upper part of the vehicle body, A side outer panel that covers the exterior side of the roof side rail, It has a roof panel made of a different material from the roof side rails, and is provided in the center of the vehicle width direction on the upper part of the vehicle body, The left and right pair of side outer panels and the roof panel are fixed to each other by blaze joints with their ends in contact with each other. The aforementioned side outer panel is The outer end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail in the vehicle width direction. The inner end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction and the roof panel are not joined to the roof side rail. Superstructure of the vehicle body.

2. The aforementioned side outer panel and roof panel are made of aluminum. The aforementioned roof side rail is made of steel. The brazing material used when joining the side outer panel and the roof panel is made of aluminum alloy. The vehicle body superstructure according to claim 1.

3. A frame joining process is performed to join the floor assembly that constitutes the floor portion of the vehicle body, the side frame assembly that constitutes the side portion of the vehicle body, and the roof arch that constitutes the upper portion of the vehicle body, thereby forming the frame members of the vehicle body. A skin joining step is performed to form a skin member of the vehicle body by blazing together a side outer panel positioned on the outside in the vehicle width direction of the side frame assembly and a roof panel positioned above the roof arch with their ends in contact with each other. A body joining step involves joining the skin member to the frame member to form the vehicle body, Equipped with, The skin member is made of a different material from the skeletal member. The aforementioned side frame assembly includes roof side rails provided at the vehicle width direction ends of the upper part of the vehicle body, In the vehicle body joining process, the outer end of the side outer panel of the skin member in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail in the vehicle width direction, while the inner end of the side outer panel in the vehicle width direction and the roof panel are not joined to the roof side rail. The method for assembling an automobile body.

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