Vehicle body opening structure

Abstract

This vehicle body opening structure comprises: a first joint portion in which an inside edge portion, in a vehicle width direction, of a roof side rail inner and an inside edge portion, in the vehicle width direction, of a striker assembly reinforcement are joined; a second joint portion in which an outside edge portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the roof side rail inner and an outside edge portion, in the vehicle width direction, of the striker assembly reinforcement are joined; and a third joint portion in which a roof side rail, a roof panel, and an intermediate portion between the inside edge portion and the outside edge portion, in the width direction of the vehicle, of the roof side rail inner are joined. The first joint portion is spaced apart from the roof panel.

Description

Body opening structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for an opening in a vehicle body.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art A vehicle such as an automobile typically has an opening in the body of the vehicle through which passengers get in and out, and a door for opening and closing this opening.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a door opening structure for a vehicle having double doors. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the opening structure of Patent Document 1. As shown in Fig. 6, in Patent Document 1, a roof panel 104 constituting the upper part of the opening is formed with a closed cross section and has roof side rails 113 extending in the front-rear direction at the outer edge of the roof panel 104 in the vehicle width direction.

[0004] The roof side rail 113 has an outer flange portion 127 formed by joining multiple overlapping panels at a lower portion on the outer side in the vehicle width direction (left side in FIG. 6 ), and an inner flange portion 126 formed by joining multiple overlapping panels at an upper portion on the inner side in the vehicle width direction (right side in FIG. 6 ). The outer flange portion 127 protrudes downward from the lower surface 113a of the roof side rail 113, and its lower end is positioned above and spaced apart from the upper surface 123 of the rear door 112 when the rear door 112 is closed. The inner flange portion 126 forms part of the upper surface 113b of the roof side rail 113.

[0005] The roof side rail 113 has reinforcements 128 in its internal space 124. The roof side rail 113 is designed to have a predetermined rigidity due to its cross-sectional shape, the reinforcements 128, etc. A striker bracket 125 that supports a door lock striker 114 is fixed to the underside 113a of the roof side rail 113 with a bolt 129.

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-43520

[0007] In the roof side rail 113 of Patent Document 1, an inner flange portion 126, which is formed by joining multiple overlapping panels on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, is located at the top of the roof side rail 113 and forms part of the upper surface 113b of the roof side rail 113. The outermost portion of the vehicle body where the inner flange portion 126 is located affects the vehicle body's exterior design (contour shape). In other words, each time the vehicle body's exterior design is changed, the design of the multiple panel structures of the roof side rail 113 and the striker bracket 125 that make up the inner flange portion 126 must also be changed. In particular, because the striker bracket 125 is a component related to door opening and closing durability performance, door opening and closing durability tests must be conducted each time the design of the striker bracket 125 is changed, which can increase the time and cost of design and development. Therefore, a multiple-panel structure for a vehicle body opening that is independent of the vehicle body's exterior design is desired.

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body opening structure that allows a high degree of freedom in the exterior design of the vehicle body.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has, for example, the following configuration: (1) A vehicle body opening structure including: a roof side rail extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction along an upper edge of an opening in the vehicle body, a roof panel joined to the roof side rail and constituting an upper portion of the vehicle body, a roof side rail inner provided more inward in the vehicle body than the roof side rail and the roof panel, and a striker assembly reinforcement to which a striker for an opening and closing door that opens and closes the opening is attached, the vehicle body opening structure including: a first joint portion joining an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail inner to an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction of the striker assembly reinforcement, a second joint portion joining an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail inner to an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the striker assembly reinforcement, and a third joint portion joining the roof side rail, the roof panel, and an intermediate portion between the inner end portion and the outer end portion in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail inner, wherein the first joint portion is spaced from the roof panel. (2) The vehicle body opening structure according to (1), wherein the roof side rail is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail inner and the outer end of the striker assembly reinforcement at the second joint. (3) The vehicle body opening structure according to (1) or (2), wherein the roof side rail inner has an inclined portion such that the distance from the roof panel increases from the third joint toward the first joint. (4) The vehicle body opening structure according to (3), wherein the inclined portion has a curved portion.(5) The vehicle body opening structure according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a roof side rail outer is disposed between the roof side rail and the roof side rail inner, an inner end of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction is joined to the middle portion of the roof side rail inner at the third joint, an outer end of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail inner at the second joint, an internal space is formed between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner, and each of the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner has a bulging portion that bulges in a direction in which the internal space bulges. (6) The vehicle body opening structure according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the striker assembly reinforcement has a curved portion between the attachment portion of the striker and the inner end. (7) The vehicle body opening structure according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the striker assembly reinforcement has a bead provided at a location other than the attachment portion of the striker.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle body opening structure that allows a high degree of freedom in the exterior design of the vehicle body.

[0011] Fig. 2 is a side view of a vehicle body to which the vehicle body opening structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle body opening structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the inside in the vehicle width direction. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a portion taken along A-A in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a portion taken along A-A in Fig. 2, which is an explanatory diagram when an external force is applied to the striker. Fig. 6 is a diagram for explaining adjustment of the fit of the striker. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the opening structure of Patent Document 1.

[0012] Hereinafter, a vehicle body opening structure according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In Figures 1 to 5, the front side of the vehicle is indicated as "front," the rear side of the vehicle is indicated as "rear," the upper side of the vehicle is indicated as "upper," the lower side of the vehicle is indicated as "lower," the outer side in the vehicle width direction is indicated as "outer," and the inner side in the vehicle width direction (the center side in the vehicle width direction) is indicated as "inner."

[0013] Furthermore, the type of vehicle to which the vehicle body opening structure of this embodiment can be applied is not particularly limited, and can be applied to various types of vehicles, such as gasoline vehicles, electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), etc.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a side view of a vehicle body to which a vehicle body opening structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle 1 includes an opening 3 provided on each side of a vehicle body 2, and a front side door 4 and a rear side door 6 that are doors that can open and close the opening 3. The front side door 4 and the rear side door 6 can be opened like double doors from an opening line P that is approximately in the center of the opening 3 in the longitudinal direction by front hinges 5 on the front pillar side and rear hinges 7 on the rear pillar side.

[0015] The rear side door 6 is configured so that the door is locked by the engagement of a striker 70 provided at the upper edge of the opening 3 with a door hook portion 9 provided on the inside of the rear side door 6.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle body opening structure according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from the inside in the vehicle width direction, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion taken along line AA in Fig. 2.

[0017] 2 and 3 , the vehicle body opening structure according to one embodiment mainly includes a roof panel 10, a roof side rail 20, a roof side rail inner 30, a striker assembly reinforcement 40, and a roof side rail outer 50. The roof panel 10, the roof side rail 20, the roof side rail inner 30, the striker assembly reinforcement 40, and the roof side rail outer 50 each extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle and are joined to one another at first to third joints 61 to 63 by welding or the like.

[0018] The first joint 61 is the part where the inner end 31 of the roof side rail inner 30 in the vehicle width direction and the inner end 41 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 in the vehicle width direction are joined on the inside of the vehicle body (compartment side).

[0019] The second joint 62 is the part where the outer end 32 in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail inner 30, the outer end 42 in the vehicle width direction of the striker assembly reinforcement 40, the outer end 52 in the vehicle width direction of the roof side rail outer 50, and the outer end 22 in the vehicle width direction on the lower side of the roof side rail 20 are joined on the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] The third joint 63 is the part where the inner end 21 of the roof side rail 20 in the vehicle width direction, the outer end 12 of the roof panel 10 in the vehicle width direction, the intermediate part 33 between the inner end 31 and outer end 32 of the roof side rail inner 30 in the vehicle width direction, and the inner end 51 of the roof side rail outer 50 in the vehicle width direction are joined on the upper side of the vehicle body 2.

[0021] The design influence area D indicated by the dashed dotted line in FIG. 3 includes the entire roof panel 10, a portion of the roof side rail, and the third joint 63, and is a portion that strongly influences the external shape of the vehicle body 2. In this embodiment, by employing a structure described below, the first joint 61 is positioned away from the design influence area D, which includes the roof panel 10. This makes it possible to provide a striker retention structure that is not affected by the external design of the vehicle body 2 and offers high design freedom. In other words, even if the shapes of the roof panel 10 or the roof side rail 20 that constitute the upper part of the vehicle body 2 are changed, the striker assembly reinforcement 40 to which the striker 70 is attached is located away from the design influence area D, eliminating the need to change the design of the striker assembly reinforcement 40. Therefore, there is no need to perform a door opening / closing durability test in response to a design change to the striker assembly reinforcement 40, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the vehicle body external design.

[0022] The configuration of each member will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0023] The roof side rails 20 extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle along the upper edge of the opening 3 of the vehicle body 2, and form the outer edges of both vehicle widthwise ends of the upper part of the vehicle body 2. The roof side rails 20 include an inner end 21 in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the roof panel 10 or the like at a third joint 63, an outer end 22 in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the roof side rail outer panel 50 or the like at a second joint 62, and a bulging portion 23 that connects the inner end 21 and the outer end 22 and bulges outward from the vehicle body 2 (upward and outward in the vehicle width direction).

[0024] The inner end 21 has an approximately flat shape that slopes slightly upward as it moves inward in the vehicle width direction, and abuts so as to be sandwiched between the flat portion 12a of the outer end 12 of the roof panel 10 and the inner end 51 of the roof side rail outer 50, and is joined at the third joint 63.

[0025] The outer end 22 has a generally flat shape that slopes downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and abuts against the outer end 52 of the roof side rail outer 50 from above and is joined at a second joint 62 .

[0026] The design influence area D, which is an area that strongly influences the external shape of the upper part of the vehicle body 2, includes the inner end portion 21 of the roof side rail 20 and a part of the bulge portion 23.

[0027] The roof panel 10 is joined at third joints 63 to a pair of roof side rails 20 on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and forms the outer edge of the vehicle width central portion of the upper part of the vehicle body 2. The roof panel 10 has outer end portions 12 in the vehicle width direction that are joined to the roof side rails 20 etc. at the third joints 63, and bulging portions 13 that connect the pair of outer end portions 12 (only one of the outer end portions 12 is shown in Figure 3 ) provided at both ends in the vehicle width direction and bulge outward toward the upper side of the vehicle body 2.

[0028] The outer end 12 has a generally flat shape that slopes slightly downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and has a flat portion 12a that abuts the inner end 21 of the roof side rail 20 from above, and a protruding portion 12b that protrudes upward from the outer end of the flat portion 12a in the vehicle width direction with a generally L-shaped cross section.

[0029] The roof panel 10 is joined to the inner edge 21 at the flat portion 12a of the outer edge 12 by welding or the like. The flat portion 12a and the bulge 13 of the outer edge 12 of the roof panel 10 are included in a design influence area D, which is a portion that has a strong influence on the external shape of the vehicle body 2.

[0030] The roof side rail inner 30 is provided closer to the interior of the vehicle body (towards the passenger compartment, below and inward in the vehicle width direction) than the roof side rail 20 and the roof panel 10, and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The roof side rail inner 30 has an inner end 31 in the vehicle width direction joined to the striker assembly reinforcement 40 at a first joint 61, an outer end 32 in the vehicle width direction joined to the striker assembly reinforcement 40 etc. at a second joint 62, and an intermediate portion 33 joined to the roof side rail 20 etc. at a third joint 63.

[0031] The inner end 31 has a generally planar shape extending generally perpendicular (approximately horizontal) to the up-down direction, and abuts against the inner end 41 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 from above, and is joined at a first joint 61. The first joint 61 is located closer to the interior of the vehicle body than the roof panel 10, and is spaced apart from the roof panel 10. Therefore, the inner end 31 of the roof side rail inner 30 and the inner end 41 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40, which constitute the first joint 61, are not included in the design influence area D, which is a part that has a strong influence on the external shape of the vehicle body 2.

[0032] The outer end 32 has an approximately flat shape that slopes downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and abuts so as to be sandwiched between the outer end 42 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 and the outer end 52 of the roof side rail outer 50, and is joined at the second joint 62.

[0033] The intermediate portion 33 is located between the inner end portion 31 and the outer end portion 32 in the vehicle width direction. The intermediate portion 33 has a generally flat shape that slopes slightly downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and abuts against the inner end portion 51 of the roof side rail outer panel 50 from below, and is joined at a third joint portion 63. The intermediate portion 33 is included in a design influence area D, which is a portion that has a strong influence on the external shape of the vehicle body 2.

[0034] The roof side rail inner 30 includes an inclined portion 34 connecting the middle portion 33 and the inner end portion 31. The inclined portion 34 extends generally along an inclined line SL that slopes downward toward the inside in the vehicle width direction (from the middle portion 33 toward the inner end portion 31). That is, the inclined portion 34 is formed so that the upward distance between the roof side rail inner 30 and the roof panel 10 increases from the third joint portion 63 toward the first joint portion 61 in the cross-sectional shape along the vehicle width direction shown in FIG.

[0035] In this way, by providing the roof side rail inner 30 with the inclined portion 34, the first joint 61 where the inner end 31 of the roof side rail inner 30 and the inner end 41 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 are joined can be separated from the roof panel 10 and, by extension, from the design influence area D. As a result, the entire striker assembly reinforcement 40 is separated from the design influence area D, so even if the design of the upper part of the vehicle body is changed, there is no need to change the design of the striker assembly reinforcement 40, and there is no need to perform a new door opening and closing durability test, etc. Furthermore, because the inclined portion 34 is configured to increase the distance between the first joint 61 and the roof panel 10, a work space, such as a welding work space, is secured when forming the first joint 61, improving the ease of joining work.

[0036] Furthermore, since the roof side rail inner 30 is provided with the inclined portion 34, the inner end portion 31 of the roof side rail inner 30 is structured to support the striker assembly reinforcement 40 at the first joint portion 61 that is distant from the third joint portion 63. Therefore, as will be described later with reference to Fig. 4, elastic deformation of the inclined portion 34 can be utilized to deform the roof side rail inner 30 and the striker assembly reinforcement 40 so as to rotate clockwise, thereby absorbing the input of the door hook portion 9 to the striker 70.

[0037] As described above, the inclined portion 34 has a shape that generally follows the inclined line SL, but more specifically, it includes a first curved portion 34b that is curved in a curved shape with a cross-sectional shape that is convex downward on the first joint 61 side and connects to the intermediate portion 33, a second curved portion 34c that is curved in a curved shape with a cross-sectional shape that is convex upward on the third joint 63 side and connects to the inner end portion 31, and a flat portion 34a that is approximately planar in shape that extends along the inclined line SL and connects the first and second curved portions 34b, 34c.

[0038] In this way, the inclined portion 34 has a plurality of first and second curved portions 34b, 34c, which increases the rigidity of the inclined portion 34. Therefore, when a force is applied to the inclined portion 34, a shape can be adopted which has both a function of exhibiting rigidity in the direction of the force and a function of easily elastically deforming in the direction of the force.

[0039] The roof side rail inner 30 includes a bulging portion 35 that connects the intermediate portion 33 and the outer end portion 32 and bulges toward the interior of the vehicle body (toward the passenger compartment; downward and inward in the vehicle width direction). The bulging portion 35 includes a first curved portion 35b that connects to the intermediate portion 33 and curves in a curved shape toward the interior of the vehicle body, a second curved portion 35c that connects to the outer end portion 32 and curves in a curved shape toward the interior of the vehicle body, and a generally planar flat portion 35a that connects the first and second curved portions 35b, 35c and slopes downward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction.

[0040] The roof side rail outer 50 is disposed between the roof side rail 20 and the roof side rail inner 30 and extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The roof side rail outer 50 has an inner end 51 in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the roof side rail inner 30 etc. at a third joint 63, an outer end 52 in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the roof side rail inner 30 etc. at a second joint 62, and a bulging portion 53 that connects the inner end 51 and the outer end 52 and bulges outward from the vehicle body 2 (upward and outward in the vehicle width direction).

[0041] The inner end 51 has a generally flat shape that slopes slightly upward as it extends inward in the vehicle width direction, and is sandwiched between the inner end 21 of the roof side rail 20 and the middle portion 33 of the roof side rail inner 30, and is joined at a third joint 63. The inner end 51 is included in a design influence area D, which is a portion that strongly influences the external shape of the upper portion of the vehicle body 2.

[0042] The outer end 52 has an approximately flat shape that slopes downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and abuts between the outer end 22 of the roof side rail 20 and the outer end 32 of the roof side rail inner 30, and is joined at the second joint 62.

[0043] The bulging portion 53 includes a first curved portion 53b that connects to the inner end portion 51 and curves in a curved shape toward the outside of the vehicle body, a second curved portion 53c that connects to the outer end portion 52 and curves in a curved shape toward the outside of the vehicle body, and a generally planar flat portion 53a that connects the first and second curved portions 53b, 53c and slopes downward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction. The flat portion 53a is generally parallel to the flat portion 35a of the bulging portion 35 of the roof side rail inner 30.

[0044] In the cross section in the vehicle width direction as shown in Figure 3, an internal space IS is formed between the roof side rail outer 50 and the roof side rail inner 30, and both the roof side rail outer 50 and the roof side rail inner 30 are provided with bulging portions 53, 35 that bulge in the direction of the expansion of the internal space SP. This allows the reinforced cross section of the upper edge of the opening 3 to be enlarged, thereby improving rigidity and strength. Furthermore, these bulging portions 53, 35 each have a plurality of curved portions 53b, 53c, 35b, 35c, thereby increasing the rigidity of the roof side rail outer 50 and the roof side rail inner 30.

[0045] The striker assembly reinforcement 40 is disposed on the vehicle body interior side of the roof side rail inner 30 and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The striker assembly reinforcement 40 includes an inner end portion 41 in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the roof side rail inner 30 at a first joint portion 61, an outer end portion 42 in the vehicle width direction that is joined to the roof side rail inner 30 at a second joint portion 62, and a bulging portion 43 that connects the inner end portion 41 and the outer end portion 42 and bulges toward the vehicle body interior side (downward and inward in the vehicle width direction).

[0046] The inner end 41 extends substantially perpendicular (substantially horizontal) to the up-down direction, abuts against the inner end 31 of the roof side rail inner 30 from below, and is joined at a first joint 61. The first joint 61 is located closer to the interior of the vehicle body than the roof panel 10, and is spaced apart from the roof panel 10. Therefore, the inner end 31 of the roof side rail inner 30 and the inner end 41 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40, which constitute the first joint 61, are not included in the design influence area D, which is a part that has a strong influence on the external shape of the vehicle body 2.

[0047] The outer end 42 slopes downward as it extends outward in the vehicle width direction, contacts the outer end 32 of the roof side rail inner 30 from below, and is joined at a second joint 62. The outer end 42 is not included in the design influence area D.

[0048] The bulge 43 includes a first curved portion 43a that connects to the inner end 41 and curves in a curved manner convexly toward the outside of the vehicle body, a vertical wall portion 43b that connects to the first curved portion 43a and slopes downward toward the outside in the vehicle width direction, a second curved portion 43c that connects to the vertical wall portion 43b and curves in a curved manner convexly toward the inside of the vehicle body, a horizontal wall portion 43d (striker mounting portion) that connects to the second curved portion 43c and extends approximately perpendicular (approximately horizontal) to the up-down direction, and a third curved portion 43e that connects to the horizontal wall portion 43d and the outer end 42 and curves in a curved manner convexly toward the outside of the vehicle body. The bulge 43 is not included in the design influence area D. As described above, the bulge 43 includes multiple curved portions 43a, 43c, and 43e, thereby increasing the rigidity of the striker assembly reinforcement.

[0049] The striker 70, which is supported by a striker bracket 75, is fixed to the underside of the lateral wall portion 43d by a plurality of fastening members 90. Therefore, it can be said that the lateral wall portion 43d is a striker mounting portion to which the striker 70 is attached. The striker 70 is a member that is, for example, generally L-shaped when viewed from the front-rear direction (see FIG. 3) and generally U-shaped when viewed from the vehicle width direction (see FIG. 2), and is engageable with a door hook portion 9 provided on the inside of the rear side door 6.

[0050] The striker assembly reinforcement 40 has a plurality of beads 80 provided in locations other than the horizontal wall portion 43 d, which is the striker attachment portion. In the illustrated example, the plurality of beads 80 include a plurality of first beads 81 provided from the inner end portion 41 to the first curved portion 43 a, the vertical wall portion 43 b, and the second curved portion 43 c, and a plurality of second beads 82 provided at the outer end portion 42.

[0051] The first beads 81 are each formed to protrude toward the interior of the vehicle body and are spaced apart from one another in the front-to-rear direction. Similarly, the second beads 82 are each formed to protrude toward the interior of the vehicle body and are spaced apart from one another in the front-to-rear direction. The second beads 82 may be provided from the outer end 42 to the third curved portion 43 e.

[0052] In this way, the provision of the plurality of first beads 81 and second beads 82 increases the rigidity of the striker assembly reinforcement 40. In particular, the provision of the plurality of first beads 81 at the inner end 41 joined by the first joint 61 and the provision of the plurality of second beads 82 at the outer end 42 joined by the second joint 62 improves the joint strength at both ends of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 in the vehicle width direction. Furthermore, the lateral wall portion 43d, which serves as the mounting portion of the striker 70, is configured to be sandwiched between the inner end 41, first curved portion 43a, vertical wall portion 43b, and second curved portion 43c, which have increased rigidity, and the outer end 42, thereby ensuring its surface precision.

[0053] The striker 70 is a member that is, for example, approximately L-shaped when viewed from the front-to-rear direction (see Figure 3) and approximately U-shaped when viewed from the vehicle width direction (see Figure 2), and is attached to the side wall portion 43d of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 via a striker bracket 75.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in FIG. 2 and is an explanatory diagram illustrating the application of an external force to the striker 70. When the rear side door 6 is opened or closed, a force is applied to the striker 70 in the vehicle width direction. In particular, when the door is closed, as shown in FIG. 4, a pressing force F1 is applied in a direction that pushes the tip end 70a of the striker 70 from the door hook portion 9 toward the inside of the vehicle width direction. As a result, a rotational force (a rotational force that pushes the tip end 70a in a clockwise direction) is generated in the striker 70 by the pressing force F1, and an upward force F2 that pushes the lateral wall portion 43d upward acts via the striker bracket 75. As a result, a rotational force F3 in the clockwise direction relative to the second joint portion 62 is generated in the striker assembly reinforcement 40.

[0055] An upward force F4 is applied to the first joint portion 61 by the rotational force F3 of the striker assembly reinforcement 40. Here, because the first joint portion 61 is disposed away from the roof panel 10 as described above, the entire inclined portion 34 of the roof side rail inner 30 bends upward so that the first joint portion 61 moves upward. As a result, as shown by the dashed dotted line in Figure 4, the roof side rail inner 30 and the striker assembly reinforcement 40 deform so as to rotate clockwise, and the input force from the door hook portion 9 to the striker 70 can be absorbed.

[0056] In this way, the striker retaining structure including the striker assembly reinforcement 40 and the roof side rail inner 30 allows the striker assembly reinforcement 40 to function as a highly rigid member as described above, while the roof side rail inner 30 can also function as a highly elastic deformation member due to the inclined portion 34, so it is possible to provide a structure that not only allows the door to be opened and closed with good operability, but also has high durability when opening and closing the door.

[0057] The position of the striker 70 is largely dependent on the position of the striker assembly reinforcement 40, and ultimately the position of the first joint 61; however, adjustment of the fit of the striker 70 can be easily achieved by changing and adjusting only the roof side rail inner 30.

[0058] 5 is a diagram for explaining adjustment of the striker fit, in which the positions of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 and the roof side rail inner 30 are shown by dashed lines when the striker assembly reinforcement 40 is moved upward and inward in the vehicle width direction and the position of the lateral wall portion 43d, which is the mounting portion of the striker 70, is adjusted to adjust the fit of the striker 70.

[0059] 5, because the first joint 61 is located inside the vehicle body away from the roof panel 10, there is no need to change the shape of the striker assembly reinforcement 40, which would have a significant effect on the door opening and closing durability, and the fit of the striker 70 can be adjusted simply by changing the shape of the roof side rail inner 30. In this way, a structure can be provided in which the initial strength of the striker assembly reinforcement 40 is not affected even if fit adjustments are made.

[0060] While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of its technical concept. For example, in the above embodiment, the opening structure of the front and rear doors has been described as opening like a double door from the center, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0061] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a structure for holding the striker 70 of the rear side door 6 has been described, but this is not limited to this and the present invention can be applied to a structure for holding the striker 70 in any opening of the vehicle body, and can also be applied to a structure for holding the striker of the front side door 4, for example.

[0062] Furthermore, although the first joint 61, the second joint 62, and the third joint 63 in the above embodiment are described as welded joints, this is not limited to this and they may also be joined by riveting, bolting, etc.

[0063] As explained above, this specification describes at least the following items. Note that the elements in parentheses correspond to the above-mentioned aspects, but are not limited to these.

[0064] (1) A vehicle body opening structure including: a roof side rail (roof side rail 20) extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction along an upper edge of an opening (opening 3) of a vehicle body (vehicle body 2); a roof panel (roof panel 10) joined to the roof side rail and constituting an upper portion of the vehicle body; a roof side rail inner (roof side rail inner 30) provided on the vehicle body inner side relative to the roof side rail and the roof panel; and a striker assembly reinforcement (striker assembly reinforcement 40) to which a striker (striker 70) for an opening and closing door that opens and closes the opening is attached, the structure including: a first joint (first joint 61) at which an inner end (inner end 31) of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction and an inner end (inner end 41) of the striker assembly reinforcement in the vehicle width direction are joined; a second joint (second joint 62) at which an outer end (outer end 32) of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction and an outer end (outer end 42) of the striker assembly reinforcement are joined; and a third joint (third joint 63) at which the roof side rail, the roof panel, and an intermediate portion (intermediate portion 33) between the inner end and the outer end of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction are joined, wherein the first joint is spaced from the roof panel.

[0065] According to (1), the first joint, where the inner end of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction and the inner end of the striker assembly reinforcement in the vehicle width direction are joined, is spaced from the roof panel, providing an opening structure that is not affected by the exterior design of the vehicle. In other words, even if the shape of the roof panel or roof side rail constituting the upper part of the vehicle body is changed, the striker assembly reinforcement to which the striker is attached can be positioned away from areas that affect the exterior design, eliminating the need to change the design of the striker assembly reinforcement. This eliminates the need to conduct door opening and closing durability tests in response to design changes to the striker assembly reinforcement, thereby increasing the freedom of vehicle exterior design. Furthermore, because the striker mounting position is largely dependent on the position of the inner end of the roof side rail inner, striker fitting adjustments can be easily made by changing and adjusting only the roof side rail inner. As a result, it is unnecessary to change the striker assembly reinforcement, which significantly affects door opening and closing durability, and a structure can be provided in which fitting adjustments do not affect the original strength. In addition, since the striker assembly reinforcement is supported at the first joint located away from the roof panel, a structure can be provided that easily absorbs input forces associated with opening and closing the door through elastic deformation of the striker assembly reinforcement and the roof side rail inner.

[0066] (2) The vehicle body opening structure according to (1), wherein the roof side rail is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail inner and the outer end of the striker assembly reinforcement at the second joint portion.

[0067] According to (2), the second joint portion is formed by joining a plurality of members, thereby increasing the rigidity of the vehicle body.

[0068] (3) The vehicle body opening structure according to (1) or (2), wherein the roof side rail inner has an inclined portion (inclined portion 34) such that the distance from the roof panel increases from the third joint portion toward the first joint portion.

[0069] According to (3), the roof side rail inner has an inclined portion such that the distance from the roof panel increases from the third joint toward the first joint, allowing the first joint to be formed at a greater distance from the roof panel. This ensures a work space, such as a welding work space, when forming the first joint, improving the ease of joining. Furthermore, by providing the inclined portion to the roof side rail inner, the inner end of the roof side rail inner is structured to support the striker assembly reinforcement at the first joint, which is distant from the third joint. Therefore, elastic deformation of the inclined portion can be utilized to rotate the roof side rail inner and the striker assembly reinforcement, thereby absorbing input to the striker when the door is opened or closed.

[0070] (4) The opening structure for a vehicle body according to (3), wherein the inclined portion has a curved portion.

[0071] According to (4), since the inclined portion has a curved portion, the rigidity of the roof side rail inner can be increased.

[0072] (5) The vehicle body opening structure according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein a roof side rail outer (roof side rail outer 50) is disposed between the roof side rail and the roof side rail inner, an inner end of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction is joined to the middle part of the roof side rail inner at the third joint, an outer end of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end of the roof side rail inner at the second joint, an internal space (internal space IS) is formed between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner, and each of the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner has a bulging portion (bulging portion 53, 35) that bulges in a direction in which the internal space bulges.

[0073] According to (5), the roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer have a cross-sectional shape that forms the internal space, and each of them has multiple bending portions that bend in the direction in which the internal space expands, which allows the cross-sectional shape to be enlarged and improves rigidity and strength.

[0074] (6) The vehicle body opening structure according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the striker assembly reinforcement has curved portions (first curved portion 43a, second curved portion 43c) between the mounting portion (side wall portion 43d) of the striker and the inner end portion.

[0075] According to (6), the rigidity of the striker assembly reinforcement is improved.

[0076] (7) The vehicle body opening structure according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the striker assembly reinforcement has a bead (bead 80) provided at a location other than the striker mounting portion.

[0077] According to (7), the formation of the bead improves the rigidity of the striker assembly reinforcement, and the surface precision of the mounting portion where the striker is mounted can be ensured.

[0078] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle 2 vehicle body 3 opening 4 front side door (opening / closing door) 5 front hinge 6 rear side door (opening / closing door) 7 rear hinge 9 door hook portion 10 roof panel 12 outer end portion 12a flat portion 12b protruding portion 13 bulging portion 20 roof side rail 21 inner end portion 22 outer end portion 23 bulging portion 30 roof side rail inner 31 inner end portion 32 outer end portion 33 middle portion 34 inclined portion 34a flat portion 34b first curved portion (curved portion) 34c second curved portion (curved portion) 35 bulging portion 35a flat portion 35b first curved portion 35c second curved portion 40 striker assembly reinforcement 41 inner end portion 42 outer end portion 43 bulging portion 43a DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS First curved portion (curved portion) 43b Vertical wall portion 43c Second curved portion (curved portion) 43d Horizontal wall portion (striker mounting portion) 43e Third curved portion 50 Roof side rail outer 51 Inner end portion 52 Outer end portion 53 Bulging portion 53a Flat portion 53b First curved portion 53c Second curved portion 61 First joint portion 62 Second joint portion 63 Third joint portion 70 Striker 70a Tip portion 75 Striker bracket 80 Bead 81 First bead 82 Second bead 90 Fastening member IS Internal space P Opening line D Design influence area SL Slope line

Claims

1. a roof side rail extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle along an upper edge of an opening in the vehicle body; a roof panel joined to the roof side rail and constituting an upper portion of the vehicle body; a roof side rail inner provided on the vehicle body inner side relative to the roof side rail and the roof panel; a striker assembly reinforcement to which a striker for an opening and closing door that opens and closes the opening is attached; An opening structure for a vehicle body comprising: a first joint portion at which an inner end portion of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction and an inner end portion of the striker assembly reinforcement in the vehicle width direction are joined; a second joint portion at which an outer end portion of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction and an outer end portion of the striker assembly reinforcement in the vehicle width direction are joined; a third joint portion at which the roof side rail, the roof panel, and an intermediate portion between the inner end portion and the outer end portion of the roof side rail inner in the vehicle width direction are joined together, the first joint portion is spaced from the roof panel, The roof side rail inner has an inclined portion such that the distance from the roof panel increases from the third joint portion toward the first joint portion.

2. The roof side rail is joined to the outer end portion of the roof side rail inner and the outer end portion of the striker assembly reinforcement at the second joint portion. The opening structure of a vehicle body according to claim 1.

3. (delete)

4. The inclined portion has a curved portion. The opening structure of a vehicle body according to claim 1.

5. a roof side rail outer is disposed between the roof side rail and the roof side rail inner, an inner end portion of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction is joined to the middle portion of the roof side rail inner at the third joint portion; an outer end portion of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction is joined to the outer end portion of the roof side rail inner at the second joint portion; An internal space is formed between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner, Each of the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner has a bulging portion that bulges in a direction in which the internal space bulges. The opening structure for a vehicle body according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The striker assembly reinforcement has a curved portion between the attachment portion of the striker and the inner end portion. The opening structure for a vehicle body according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The striker assembly reinforcement has a bead provided at a location other than the striker mounting portion. The opening structure of a vehicle body according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 4 to 6.