Vehicle structure

Abstract

[Problem] To prevent a driver from feeling that a front pillar is too thick. [Solution] This vehicle structure includes a front pillar 100 having a lateral face 52 and a rear face 51. The width of the rear face is smaller than the radius of curvature of a first curved part 54 between the lateral face and the rear face.

Description

Vehicle structure

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

[0002] Automobiles have various structural components such as bumpers and hoods. Conventional technology related to structural components includes technology related to pillars. For example, a patent document describes a vehicle equipped with a front pillar (A-pillar), which has three surfaces: a front surface, a side surface, and a rear surface. When a driver looks at the lower part of the front pillar, one of the driver's left and right eyes can see all three surfaces, while the other eye can only see two of the three surfaces: the center surface and the rear surface.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-212104

[0004] However, there may be a difference in brightness between the side and rear surfaces. The inventors have noticed that the wider the rear surface, which is brighter or darker than the side surfaces, the thicker the front pillar appears to the driver. However, in the above-mentioned patent document, the radius of curvature between the side and rear surfaces is small, and the width of the curved surface is narrow, so the rear surface becomes wider, which causes the driver to perceive the front pillar as thicker.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to prevent the driver from feeling that the front pillar is too thick.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a vehicle having a side surface and a rear surface, the width of the rear surface being smaller than a first radius of curvature between the side surface and the rear surface.

[0007] According to the vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the driver from feeling that the front pillar is too thick.

[0008] 1 is a view showing the vicinity of a front pillar of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0010] The vehicle structure according to this embodiment can be applied to general four-wheel vehicles in general.

[0011] 2, the vehicle structure according to the embodiment has a front pillar (A-pillar) 100 including a front windshield 10, a body side weld 20, a body side outer panel 30, a front pillar inner panel (body side inner) 40, and a front pillar trim 50. These will be described in detail below.

[0012] (Front Windshield) The front windshield 10 is a so-called windshield, and is transparent and strong. The front windshield 10 is formed into a curved surface that is convex toward the front. A dashboard B is disposed below the front windshield 10.

[0013] (Body Side Weld) The body side weld 20 is positioned at the rear to fasten the body side outer panel 30, front pillar inner panel 40, and front pillar trim 50 together. The body side weld 20 is provided along the outer periphery of a side door (not shown). The body side weld 20 prevents the interior space formed by the front pillar inner panel 40 and front pillar trim 50 from being visible from the outside and prevents water and other contaminants from entering the interior space. The body side weld 20 can be made of a known rubber part.

[0014] (Body side outer, front pillar inner panel) The body side outer 30 is joined to the front pillar inner panel (body side inner) 40 and is configured as a component that constitutes the exterior of the vehicle body. The body side outer 30 and the front pillar inner panel 40 are made of metal such as steel, and are frame components that form a closed cross section when joined together. The body side outer 30 and the front pillar inner panel 40 are aligned at their tip and base ends, and are positioned so that an internal space is provided in the middle.

[0015] (Front Pillar Trim) The front pillar trim 50 is a resin part and is positioned inward of the body side outer panel 30 and the front pillar inner panel 40 in the vehicle width direction. The front pillar trim 50 has a rear surface 51, a lateral surface 52, a front surface 53, a first curved portion 54, and a second curved portion 55. The front pillar trim 50 can be made of a known resin part. The front pillar trim 50 is configured to be fastened together with the front pillar inner panel 40 by clips (not shown).

[0016] The rear surface 51 is configured to be located at the rear of the front pillar trim 50 in the front-rear direction. The rear surface 51 is a surface that extends in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the rear surface 51 is formed so as to form a smaller angle with the vehicle width direction than the lateral surfaces 52 and the front surface 53.

[0017] The lateral surface 52 is configured to be located at the middle of the front pillar trim 50 in the fore-and-aft direction. The lateral surface 52 is configured to be connected to the rear surface 51 via a first curved portion 54 and to the front surface 53 via a second curved portion 55. The lateral surface 52 is configured to form a smaller angle with the fore-and-aft direction than the front surface 53. The angle formed between the lateral surface 52 and the rear surface 51 is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 90 degrees or less. The length of the lateral surface 52 can be configured to be greater or smaller than the radius of curvature of the first curved portion 54.

[0018] The first curved portion 54 is a curved portion provided in the section between the rear surface 51 and the side surface 52, and the radius of curvature in this section is defined as the first radius of curvature R1. However, the radius of curvature in this section does not have to be constant, and the average value of the radii of curvature in this section may be defined as the first radius of curvature R1. The second curved portion 55 is a curved portion provided in the section between the side surface 52 and the front surface 53, and the radius of curvature in this section is defined as the second radius of curvature R2. However, the radius of curvature in this section does not have to be constant, and the average value of the radii of curvature in this section may be defined as the second radius of curvature R2.

[0019] The lateral surface 52 is configured to be located at the front side of the front pillar trim 50 in the front-rear direction. The front surface 53 is provided in the vicinity of the front windshield 10.

[0020] The width of the rear surface 51 is configured to be smaller than the first radius of curvature R1 of the first curved portion 54. Regarding the thickness of the front pillar, the applicant discovered that the wider the width L of the light or dark rear surface 51 relative to the lateral surface 52, the thicker the front pillar will appear to the driver. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 , by making the width L of the rear surface 51 smaller than the first radius of curvature R1 of the first curved portion 54, it is possible to prevent the driver from perceiving the front pillar 100 as being thicker than when the radius of curvature of the first curved portion 54 is smaller than the width of the rear surface.

[0021] Furthermore, if the width of the curved surface of the first curved portion 54 is narrow, the change from light to dark or from dark to light becomes abrupt, making it easier for the driver to recognize the change in surface and creating a sense of three-dimensionality. This causes the curved surface of the curved portion to appear protruding from the driver's perspective, creating a sense of narrowness. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2 , by making the radius of curvature R1 of the first curved portion 54 greater than the width L of the rear surface 51, the width (length) of the curved surface can be increased, thereby enlarging the area in which the light and dark gradually change from the side surface 52 to the rear surface 51. This reduces the sense of protrusion felt by the driver and prevents the driver from feeling narrow. Furthermore, the cross-sectional area of ​​the front pillar 100 can be reduced while still allowing for the placement of curtain airbags, harnesses, etc. within the cross-section of the front pillar 100.

[0022] Furthermore, the first radius of curvature R1 of the first curved portion 54 is configured to be larger than the second radius of curvature R2 of the second curved portion 55 between the lateral surface 52 and the front surface 53. This configuration allows the length of the curved surface of the first curved portion 54 to be increased, preventing the width of the rear surface from being relatively narrowed, which makes the front pillar 100 appear thick to the driver. Note that the radius of curvature R1 of the first curved portion 54 may be configured to be larger or smaller than the radius of curvature R2 of the second curved portion 55.

[0023] Furthermore, side surface 52 is configured so that front end 56 is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction compared to rear end 57. If the difference in brightness between side surface 52 and rear surface 51 is small, it becomes difficult for the driver to perceive side surface 52 and rear surface 51 as different surfaces, and the side surface and rear surface appear to be one wide surface, making the front pillar appear thicker.

[0024] However, by tilting the side surface 52 outward, the difference in brightness between the side surface 52 and the rear surface 51 can be increased, making it easier for the driver to perceive that the side surface 52 and the rear surface 51 are different surfaces.

[0025] This prevents the front pillar 100 from appearing too thick. For example, when light enters the vehicle width direction from the glass of the first-row door (front windshield 10), if the side surfaces are tilted inward, the light that enters the vehicle interior is more likely to be reflected off the side surfaces, reducing the contrast between light and shade. However, by tilting the side surfaces 52 outward as described above, the reflected light is less likely to be reflected off the side surfaces 52, making it possible to increase the contrast between light and shade between the side surfaces 52 and the rear surface 51.

[0026] In addition, the front surface 53 is formed so as to be inclined outward in the vehicle width direction. By making the front surface 53 of the front pillar 100 invisible to the driver in this way, the front pillar 100 can be made to look slimmer. The driver's eye point can vary depending on the driver's height and seat position, but by inclining the front surface 53 outward, it is possible to increase the proportion of drivers who cannot see the front surface 53 among various drivers. The front surface 53 may be configured to be larger or smaller than the rear surface 51.

[0027] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

[0028] 50 Front pillar trim, 51 Rear surface, 52 Side surface, 53 Front surface, 54 First curved portion (portion with first curvature radius), 55 Second curved portion (portion with second curvature radius), 56 Front end portion, 57 Rear end portion.

Claims

1. A vehicle structure comprising a front pillar having a lateral surface and a rear surface, wherein a width of the rear surface is less than a first radius of curvature between the lateral surface and the rear surface.

2. The vehicle structure of claim 1, wherein the front pillar has a front surface, and the first radius of curvature is greater than a second radius of curvature between the front surface and the lateral surface.

3. A vehicle structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the front end of the lateral surface is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction compared to the rear end.

4. A vehicle structure according to claim 2, wherein the front surface is inclined outward in the vehicle width direction.

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