Front pillar for vehicles

Abstract

To provide a vehicle front pillar which can secure sufficient rigidity even if its cross section is small.SOLUTION: A vehicle front pillar 101 includes an anterior front pillar 102 joined to a side edge of a windshield 112 of a vehicle 100. The anterior front pillar 102 is disposed forward of a predetermined posterior front pillar 104 with pillar glass 106 disposed therebetween. The anterior front pillar 102 includes an outer panel 120 and an inner panel 130 each having a substantially trapezoidal cross section in which an upper bottom 120A, 130A faces the vehicle outer side and a lower bottom 140 is open. The inner panel 130 is joined to the vehicle inner side of the outer panel 120 so as to form a closed cross section 134 with the outer panel 120.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a pillar structure for a vehicle. According to this structure, by thinning the first pillar that forms part of the front pillar of the vehicle, it is stated that the driver can secure a wider field of view.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the pillar is thinned as in Patent Document 1, the cross-sectional area of the pillar becomes smaller and the rigidity of the pillar decreases, and there is a risk that the pillar may bend in response to an impact from the side of the vehicle, such as a side collision.

[0005] In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a front pillar for a vehicle that can ensure sufficient rigidity even with a small cross-sectional area.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, a typical configuration of the present invention is a front front pillar joined to the side edge of a vehicle's windshield, comprising a front front pillar positioned in front of a predetermined rear front pillar separated by a pillar glass, wherein the front front pillar includes an outer panel and an inner panel, each having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section with the upper bottom facing the outside of the vehicle and the lower bottom open, and the inner panel is joined to the inside of the outer panel such that it forms a closed cross-section with the outer panel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle front pillar that can ensure sufficient rigidity even with a small cross-sectional area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle front pillar according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side view of the front pillar as seen from the right side of the vehicle. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front pillar (AA). [Figure 4] This is a magnified view of the front pillar shown in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a diagram showing the front pillar of Figure 4. [Figure 6] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram comparing the occupant's field of view in this embodiment with that of the occupant in the comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention is a front front pillar joined to the side edge of a vehicle's windshield, comprising a front front pillar positioned in front of a predetermined rear front pillar separated by a pillar glass, wherein the front front pillar includes an outer panel and an inner panel, each having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section with its upper bottom facing the outside of the vehicle and its lower bottom open, and the inner panel is joined to the inside of the outer panel such that it forms a closed cross-section with the outer panel.

[0010] According to the present invention, the front front pillar constituting the vehicle's front pillar has a double, substantially trapezoidal cross-section, including a closed section, formed by an outer panel and an inner panel. Therefore, the front front pillar of the front pillar has higher rigidity even with a small cross-sectional area. As a result, deformation of the front pillar can be more effectively prevented even when subjected to impacts such as side collisions or rollovers of the vehicle.

[0011] Furthermore, the inner panel, which has a roughly trapezoidal cross-section with an open bottom, allows for the routing of harnesses and other components. This saves space and also protects the harnesses and other components from impact.

[0012] The roughly trapezoidal cross-sections of the outer panel and inner panel described above should each have a shape in which the upper base faces outward in the vehicle width direction, the front leg extends forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper base, and the rear leg extends backward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper base.

[0013] The outer and inner panels that make up the front pillar have a roughly trapezoidal cross-section, allowing for a high degree of freedom in changing their shape and orientation. This allows for an orientation where the upper base faces outward in the vehicle width direction, as described above, and the front and rear legs can also be shaped as described above. As a result, the upper base of the outer panel can be joined to the pillar glass parallel to the pillar glass, and the front leg of the outer panel can be joined to the windshield parallel to the windshield.

[0014] In the trapezoid-like cross-section of the outer panel and the inner panel described above, the upper bases are not parallel to each other and the distance between them becomes wider towards the rear. The trapezoid-like cross-sections of the outer panel and the inner panel may each have a shape where the lower base is longer than the distance from the lower base to the upper base.

[0015] When compared with the case where the upper bases are parallel to each other, the rigidity of the front side of the front pillar is improved when they are not parallel. Also, when compared with the case where the lower base is shorter than the distance from the lower base to the upper base, the rigidity of the front side of the front pillar is improved when it is longer.

Example

[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in such embodiments are merely examples for facilitating the understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vehicle front pillar according to the present invention. In FIG. 1 and all other drawings, the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by arrows F (Forward), B (Backward), the left and right in the vehicle width direction are indicated by arrows L (Leftward), R (Rightward), and the vehicle up-down direction is indicated by arrows U (upward), D (downward), respectively.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the front pillar 101 on the right side of the vehicle 100 includes a front front pillar 102 spanned between the roof 108 and the fender panel 110, a rear front pillar 104 spanned between the roof 108 and the side door panel 114, and a pillar glass 106. Since the front pillar on the left side of the vehicle 100 has a structure symmetric to the right front pillar 101, the description thereof is omitted.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a side view of the front pillar 101 of FIG. 1 as seen from the right side of the vehicle 100, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the front pillar 101 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the pillar glass 106 is fixedly disposed between the front front pillar 102 and the rear front pillar 104. That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the front front pillar 102 is disposed with the pillar glass 106 therebetween in front of the rear front pillar 104. As shown in FIG. 3, the front front pillar 102 is joined not only to the front end of the pillar glass 106 but also to the side edge of the windshield (front glass) 112.

[0020] (Front front pillar) FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the front front pillar 102 of FIG. 3. The front front pillar 102 includes an outer panel 120 and an inner panel 130 having a substantially trapezoidal cross section. The front front pillar 102 also includes a pillar trim 131 that is on the vehicle interior side of the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130 and houses these panels 120, 130. A cushioning material 133 is also disposed inside the pillar trim 131.

[0021] The outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130 having a substantially trapezoidal cross section have a high degree of freedom in changing their shape and posture. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, in the substantially trapezoidal cross section of the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130, the upper bases 120A, 130A, which are the first sides, face the outside in the vehicle width direction, that is, the right side of the vehicle in FIG. 4. The upper base 120A of the outer panel 120 is parallel to the pillar glass 106 and is joined to the pillar glass 106 by an adhesive 135.

[0022] On the other hand, of the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130, the lower base 140, which is the second side corresponding to the opposite side of the upper bases 120A, 130A, opens toward the vehicle interior side, that is, the inside in the vehicle width direction (the left side of the vehicle). Since the lower base 140 is common to the substantially trapezoidal cross sections of the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130, it is indicated by a common reference numeral 140.

[0023] In this embodiment, both the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130 have a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, but they may also be any quadrilateral and are not limited to a substantially trapezoidal shape.

[0024] Furthermore, the roughly trapezoidal cross-sections of the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130 have the following shapes: the front legs 120B and 130B extend forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper bases 120A and 130B, and the rear legs 120C and 130C extend rearward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper bases 120A and 130B. The rear legs 120C and 130C are inserted into the cushioning material 133. The front leg 120B of the outer panel 120 is parallel to the windshield 112 and is joined to the windshield 112 by adhesive 137.

[0025] The inner panel 130 is joined to the interior side of the outer panel 120. That is, the two front legs 120B and 130B are parallel to each other, and leg 130B is joined to the interior side of leg 120B. Similarly, the two rear legs 120C and 130C are also parallel to each other, and leg 130C is joined to the interior side of leg 120C. The two upper bases 120A and 130A are also nearly parallel, but spaced apart from each other.

[0026] (Closed section of the front pillar) As described above, a characteristic of this front pillar 102 is that the inner panel 130 is joined to the interior side of the outer panel 120, thereby forming a closed section 134 between the inner panel 130 and the outer panel 120. The closed section 134 is surrounded by two upper bases 120A, 130A and the front and rear legs 120B, 120C of the outer panel 120.

[0027] As described above, according to this embodiment, the front front pillar 102 in Figure 4, which constitutes the front pillar 101, has a double, substantially trapezoidal cross-section including a closed section 134, formed by the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130. Therefore, the front front pillar 102 has higher rigidity even though its cross-sectional area is small. As a result, even when subjected to impacts such as a side collision with the vehicle 100 or the vehicle 100 overturning, deformation of the front pillar 101, and especially the front front pillar 102, can be prevented more effectively.

[0028] Furthermore, harnesses and the like (not shown) can be routed inside the inner panel 130, which has a roughly trapezoidal cross-section with an open bottom 140. This allows for space saving and also protects the harnesses and the like from impact.

[0029] In this embodiment, the two front legs 120B and 130B and the two rear legs 120C and 130C are joined parallel to each other, but they do not need to be parallel to each other as long as a closed cross-section 134 is formed. Similarly, the upper bases 120A and 130A do not need to be parallel to each other.

[0030] In fact, as shown in Figure 4, the upper bases 120A and 130A are not parallel to each other, and the gap between them widens towards the rear. Also, the lower base 140, which is common to the roughly trapezoidal cross-section of the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130, is longer than the distance from the lower base 140 to the respective upper bases 120A and 130A.

[0031] Compared to the case where the upper bases are parallel, the rigidity of the front front pillar 102 of the front pillar 101 is improved when the upper bases 120A and 130A are not parallel to each other, as in this embodiment. Also, compared to the case where the lower base is shorter than the distance from the lower base to the upper base, the rigidity of the front front pillar 102 of the front pillar 101 is improved when the lower base is longer, as in this embodiment.

[0032] (The rear leg portion of the front pillar) As shown in Figure 4, the front pillar 101 further includes a pillar glass molding 150 that covers the pillar glass 106. The pillar glass molding 150 may be made of resin, for example. The front pillar 102 and the pillar glass 106 are joined via this pillar glass molding 150.

[0033] Figure 5 shows the front pillar 102 of Figure 4. As shown in Figure 5, the rear legs 120C and 130C of the roughly trapezoidal cross-sections of the outer panel 120 and inner panel 130 do not intersect the line of sight 154 connecting the occupant's eyes 152 (Figure 6) and the rear end 150A of the pillar glass molding 150. In other words, the legs 120C and 130C do not obstruct the line of sight 154.

[0034] In this way, by extending the rear legs 120C and 130C so as not to intersect with the line of sight 154, the occupant's field of view is prevented from being narrowed. Although there is a possibility that the pillar trim 131 may obstruct the line of sight 154, since the rear legs 120C and 130C that the pillar trim 131 stores in do not intersect with the line of sight 154, it is possible to configure the pillar trim 131 so as not to obstruct the line of sight 154.

[0035] Furthermore, the line of sight 154 can fluctuate. That is, the position of the occupant's eyes 152 (Figure 6) varies vertically depending on the occupant's physique, and there are countless patterns of the line of sight 154 depending on the height at which the occupant's eyes 152 look at the front pillar 102. Regardless of the height at which the occupant's eyes 152 look at the front pillar 102 (not only in the AA section of Figure 3, but also in any cross-section at any height the front pillar 102 is cut), it is desirable that the rear legs 120C and 130C do not intersect the line of sight 154.

[0036] (Windshield molding) Refer to Figure 4 again. The front pillar 101 further includes a windshield molding 160 that covers the windshield 112. The windshield molding 160 may be made of resin, for example.

[0037] As shown in Figure 4, the windshield molding 160 continuously covers the inside 112A, end face 112B, and outside 112C of the windshield 112. The front legs 120B and 130B of the substantially trapezoidal cross-sections of both the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130 extend along the inside 112A of the windshield 112. The front leg 120B of the outer panel 120 is joined to the inside 112A of the windshield 112 by adhesive 137.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, a characteristic of the windshield molding 160 is that it covers the windshield 112 only up to a point that does not exceed the front legs 120B and 130B of both the outer panel 120 and the inner panel 130.

[0039] By preventing the windshield molding 160 from protruding unnecessarily inward in the vehicle width direction, the size of the windshield molding 160 is minimized, preventing a narrowing of the occupant's field of view. The line of sight 164 shown in Figure 5 is a tangent line extending from the occupant's eye 152 (Figure 6) inward in the vehicle width direction to the front pillar 102. As described above, since the windshield molding 160 does not protrude unnecessarily inward in the vehicle width direction, the windshield molding 160 does not obstruct this line of sight 164, and the occupant's field of view is not impaired.

[0040] (Pillar glass molding) Refer to Figure 4 again. The pillar glass molding 150 covers the pillar glass 106 from its front end surface 106A to the outside 106B, and the upper base 120A of the roughly trapezoidal cross-section of the outer panel 120 is directly joined to the pillar glass 106.

[0041] In other words, the pillar glass molding 150 is present only on the outer side 106B of the front end surface 106A of the pillar glass 106, and not on the inner side 106C of the pillar glass 106. In this way, the front pillar 102 prevents the narrowing of the occupants' field of vision by minimizing the thickness of the pillar glass molding 150. If the pillar glass molding 150 were also present on the inner side 106C of the pillar glass 106, the cross-sectional area of ​​the front pillar 102 would become larger, and the occupants' field of vision would be narrowed accordingly.

[0042] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the pillar glass molding 150 does not protrude further back than the upper bottom 120A of the outer panel 120.

[0043] Thus, the pillar glass molding 150 does not protrude unnecessarily far to the rear. In other words, by providing the pillar glass molding 150, which covers the outer 106B of the pillar glass 106, to the minimum necessary extent, the occupants' field of vision is not narrowed.

[0044] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram comparing the occupant's field of view in this embodiment of Figure 5 with that of a comparative example. Figure 6(a) shows the occupant's field of view of the front pillar 101 of this embodiment, which includes the front pillar 102 of Figure 5. Figure 6(b) shows the field of view of the front pillar 170 of the comparative example. Figure 6(c) is a diagram comparing the occupant's field of view in Figures 6(a) and 6(b). In Figures 6(a) to 6(c), elements common to this embodiment of Figure 6(a), such as the pillar glass 106, windshield 112, and occupant's eyes 152, are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0045] As shown in Figure 6(a), in this embodiment, the front pillar 102 obstructs the occupant's view between the outer and inner lines of sight 154 and 164, as shown in Figure 5. On the other hand, the comparative example front pillar 170 shown in Figure 6(b) has a front pillar 172 and a rear front pillar 174. As shown in Figure 6(b), in the comparative example, the front pillar 172 obstructs the occupant's view between the outer and inner lines of sight 176 and 178.

[0046] However, the front pillar 172 in the comparative example in Figure 6(b) is made up of two panels with a roughly M-shaped cross-section, and does not incorporate any features to avoid narrowing the occupant's field of view, unlike the front pillar 102 in this embodiment. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6(c), in both this embodiment and the comparative example, the inner lines of view 164 and 178 are almost identical, but when comparing the outer lines of view 154 and 176, line of view 176 protrudes further outward than line of view 154. In other words, it can be seen that the front pillar 172 in the comparative example in Figure 6(b) narrows the occupant's field of view more.

[0047] This embodiment applies the present invention to a vehicle 100 having a front pillar that includes two pillars, that is, a front pillar 101 composed of a front front pillar 102 and a rear front pillar 104 that sandwich the pillar glass 106 from the front and rear. However, the present invention may also be applied to the front pillar of a vehicle that has only a single front pillar, or to a center pillar or rear pillar other than the front pillar.

[0048] Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the attached drawings, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the claims, and these will naturally also fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0049] This invention can be used in the front pillars of vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 100 ... Vehicles 101... Front pillar 102... Front pillar 104... Rear front pillar 106... Pillar glass 106A ... Front end surface of pillar glass 106B ... Outside of pillar glass 106C ... Inside of pillar glass 108...Roof 110 ... Fender panel 112... Windshield 114... Side door panel 120 ... Outer panel 120A ... Top bottom of outer panel 120B... Front leg of the outer panel 120C... Rear leg of the outer panel 130 ... Inner panel 130A ... Upper bottom of the inner panel 130B... Front leg of the inner panel 130C... Rear leg of the inner panel 131... Pillar Trim 133…Cushioning material 134...Closed section 135, 137... Adhesives 140...Underlay of outer and inner panels 150... Pillar glass molding 150A ... Rear end of pillar glass molding 152... Crew member's perspective 154, 164 ... line of sight 160 ... Windshield molding

Claims

[Claim 1] A front front pillar for a vehicle, which is joined to the side edge of the windshield of a vehicle, and which includes a front front pillar positioned in front of a predetermined rear front pillar, separated by a pillar glass, The aforementioned front pillar includes an outer panel and an inner panel, each having a substantially trapezoidal cross-section with the upper bottom facing the outside of the vehicle and the lower bottom open, and a windshield molding that covers the side edge of the windshield. The inner panel is joined to the inner side of the outer panel such that it forms a closed cross-section with the outer panel. The substantially trapezoidal cross-sections of the outer panel and the inner panel are, The aforementioned upper base faces outward in the vehicle width direction, The front leg portion extends linearly forward and inward in the vehicle width direction from the upper base, The rear leg portion has a shape that extends linearly from the upper base rearward and inward in the vehicle width direction, and together with the front leg portion, forms a V-shape. The upper bases of the roughly trapezoidal cross-sections of the outer panel and inner panel are not parallel to each other, but the gap widens towards the rear. The outer panel and inner panel each have a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, with the lower base being longer than the distance from the lower base to the upper base. The windshield molding abuts against the portion of the front leg of the outer panel that constitutes the closed cross-section. A vehicle front pillar characterized in that the upper base of the substantially trapezoidal cross-section of the inner panel extends in a straight line.

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