Vehicle lateral structure

Abstract

The present invention has: a pillar inner that constitutes the inner surface of a pillar; a bracket that fixes to the pillar a seat belt retractor disposed in an opening and that has formed therein a step part protruding inward in a lateral direction from the inner surface of the pillar inner; a pillar outer that constitutes the outer surface of the pillar; and a reinforcement that is provided to an inner surface on the vehicle inward side of the pillar outer, wherein the reinforcement is provided to a position where the reinforcement overlaps the bracket in at least a vertical direction.

Description

Vehicle side structure

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle side structure in which a seat belt retractor is provided on a pillar.

[0002] Generally, the side part of a vehicle body has roof side rails arranged on both left and right sides of the ceiling surface and extending in the front-rear direction, side sills arranged at the lower part of the vehicle side and extending in the front-rear direction, and a center pillar extending in the vertical direction so as to bridge between the roof side rails and the side sills. In particular, the center pillar is required to have impact resistance in order to protect the occupants during a side collision of the vehicle.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle side structure in which a center pillar provided along the vehicle vertical direction has a pillar outer, a pillar inner, and a seat belt retractor arranged between the pillar outer and the pillar inner, and a plate-like member is provided between the seat belt retractor and the center pillar inner so as to at least partially overlap the seat belt retractor when viewed from the side of the vehicle.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-82989

[0005] The vehicle side structure described in the above Patent Document 1 aims to prevent the displacement of the seat belt retractor by the plate-like member and prevent the cracking of the pillar inner when the seat belt retractor is displaced inward of the vehicle along with the inward intrusion of the pillar outer during a side collision of the vehicle. However, since the bumper of the other vehicle is located in the vicinity of the height position where the seat belt retractor is installed during a side collision of the vehicle, the displacement of the pillar outer tends to be large, and there is a problem that it may not be possible to sufficiently prevent the seat belt retractor from falling inward of the vehicle and invading the vehicle interior space during a side collision of the vehicle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle side structure that effectively prevents the seat belt retractor from falling into the vehicle interior space during a side collision of the vehicle.

[0007] The above object of the present invention is achieved by the following configuration: [1] A vehicle side structure comprising: a pillar inner extending in the vertical direction and constituting the inside of the pillar; a bracket extending in the vertical direction and having a stepped portion projecting inward in the left-right direction for fixing the seat belt retractor to the pillar inner; a pillar outer extending in the vertical direction and constituting the outside of the pillar; and a reinforcement attached to the pillar outer, wherein the reinforcement is provided in a range that overlaps with the bracket in at least the vertical direction.

[0008] According to the present invention, by arranging a reinforcement attached to the pillar outer and a bracket having a stepped portion protruding towards the interior of the vehicle so as to overlap when viewed from the side of the vehicle, it is possible to effectively prevent the seat belt retractor from collapsing towards the interior of the vehicle during a side collision.

[0009] Figure 1 is a side view of the main part of the vehicle according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main part showing the center pillar from the inside of the vehicle. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1, showing the internal structure of the center pillar. Figure 4 is an end view taken along line B-B in Figure 3. Figure 5 is an end view taken along line C-C in Figure 3. Figure 6 is a side view of the pillar reinforcement. Figure 7 is a front view of the pillar reinforcement. Figure 8 is a rear view of the pillar reinforcement. Figure 9 is a top view of the pillar reinforcement.

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle to which the vehicle side structure of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. Furthermore, this embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In addition, various modifications or improvements can be made to this embodiment, and such modified or improved forms may also be included in the present invention.

[0011] In this embodiment, the direction of travel of the vehicle is referred to as "forward," and the area behind the vehicle when it is reversing is referred to as "rear." The left side of the vehicle in the direction of travel is referred to as "left," and the right side of the vehicle in the direction of travel is referred to as "right." Furthermore, the left-right direction and the vehicle width direction are synonymous, and the front-rear direction and the vehicle direction are synonymous. Also, on the side of the vehicle, the area inside the vehicle in the left-right direction is referred to as the "inside of the vehicle" or simply "inside." Furthermore, the area outside the vehicle in the left-right direction is referred to as the "outside of the vehicle" or simply "outside."

[0012] The vehicle's understructure will be described based on Figures 1 to 5. Figure 1 is a side view of the main part of the vehicle according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main part showing the center pillar from the inside of the vehicle. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1, showing the internal structure of the center pillar. Figure 4 is an end view taken along line B-B in Figure 3. Figure 5 is an end view taken along line C-C in Figure 3.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle body 10 has, on both sides, vehicle frame members, roof rails 11 that are located at both ends of the roof panel 15 covering the upper part of the passenger compartment and extend in the front-rear direction, side sills 20 that are located at both ends of the lower part of the vehicle body and extend in the front-rear direction, and center pillars 30 that extend in the vertical direction and connect the roof rails 11 and the side sills 20.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the side sill 20 has a side sill outer 21 and a side sill inner 22, and the lower end of the center pillar 30 is attached and fixed to it.

[0015] The side sill outer 21 is a member having a hat-shaped cross-section with an open inner side in the left-right direction. The cross-sectional shape of the side sill outer 21 includes a side wall portion 21a extending in the vertical direction, an upper wall portion 21b extending inward in the left-right direction from the upper end of the side wall portion 21a, a lower wall portion 21c extending inward in the left-right direction from the lower end of the side wall portion 21a, an upper flange portion 21d extending upward from the tip of the upper wall portion 21b, and a lower flange portion 21e extending downward from the tip of the lower wall portion 21c.

[0016] The side sill inner 22 is a member having a hat-shaped cross-section with the left and right outer sides open. The cross-sectional shape of the side sill inner 22 includes a side wall portion 22a extending in the vertical direction, an upper wall portion 22b extending outward in the left and right direction from the upper end of the side wall portion 22a, a lower wall portion 22c extending outward in the left and right direction from the lower end of the side wall portion 22a, an upper flange portion 22d extending upward from the tip of the upper wall portion 22b, and a lower flange portion 22e extending downward from the tip of the lower wall portion 22c.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the center pillar 30 includes a pillar outer 31, a pillar inner 32, a seat belt retractor 33, and a pillar reinforcement 40. Note that in Figure 5, only the contour shape of the seat belt retractor 33 is shown.

[0018] The pillar inner 32 is a plate-shaped member that forms the inside of the vertically extending center pillar 30, and has an opening 32a at its lower part in which a seat belt retractor 33 is positioned, and a side sill mounting portion 32b positioned below the opening 32a to which the side sill 20 is attached. The side sill mounting portion 32b is firmly fixed by being sandwiched between the upper flange portions 21d, 22d and the lower flange portions 21e, 22e of the side sill outer 21 and side sill inner 22.

[0019] The pillar outer 31 is a plate-shaped member that constitutes the outer surface of the center pillar 30, which extends in the vertical direction. It extends vertically along the pillar inner 32 and has a hat-shaped cross-section with an open inner side in the left-right direction. The cross-sectional shape of the pillar outer 31 includes a side wall portion 31a extending in the front-rear direction, a front wall portion 31b extending inward in the left-right direction from the front end of the side wall portion 31a, a rear wall portion 31c extending inward in the left-right direction from the rear end of the side wall portion 31a, a front flange portion 31d extending forward from the tip of the front wall portion 31b, and a rear flange portion 31e extending backward from the tip of the rear wall portion 31c. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the width of the rear wall portion 31c in the left-right direction is larger than the width of the front wall portion 31b. In addition, a bulge portion 34 is formed on the lower rear side of the side wall portion 31a of the pillar outer 31, projecting outward in the left-right direction. As shown in Figure 3, the bulging portion 34 is formed along a position corresponding to the vertical direction of the opening 32a where the seat belt retractors 33, which are located on the left and right inner sides, are positioned.

[0020] The lower end of the pillar outer 31 is fixed to the side sill 20. More specifically, the lower end of the pillar outer 31 is attached and fixed to the outer surface of the side wall portion 21a of the side sill outer 21, as shown in Figure 3.

[0021] The front flange portion 31d and the rear flange portion 31e of the pillar outer 31 are fixed to the pillar inner 32, so that the pillar outer 31 and the pillar inner 32 constitute a center pillar 30, which is a skeletal member that extends in the vertical direction. More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the front and rear ends of the pillar inner 32 have stepped portions 32c that extend in the vertical direction toward the left and right outward, forming the front flange portion 32d and the rear flange portion 32e of the pillar outer 31 and the pillar inner 32, respectively, and the front flange portions 31d and 32d and the rear flange portions 31e and 32e of the pillar outer 31 and the pillar inner 32 are fixed to each other.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the seat belt retractor 33 is positioned in the opening 32a and is attached to the pillar inner 32 side via the first bracket 36 and the second bracket 37, with its left-right inner side protruding inward from the pillar inner 32.

[0023] The first bracket 36 is a plate-shaped member formed by being bent inward in a crank shape from its upper end downward in the left-right direction, and a guide hole 36b is formed in the stepped portion 36a through which the seat belt is inserted. The upper end of the first bracket 36 is fixed to the upper side of the opening 32a of the pillar inner 32, and the lower end is attached to the upper part of the inner surface of the seat belt retractor 33. With the first bracket 36 configured in this way, the seat belt retractor 33 is positioned lower down of the opening 32a. As a result, the seat belt is smoothly extended from the inner upper surface of the seat belt retractor 33 through the guide hole 36b located at the top of the opening 32a.

[0024] The second bracket 37 is a plate-shaped member that is bent inward in a crank shape from its lower end upward in the left-right direction. The upper end of the second bracket 37 is attached to the lower part of the inner surface of the seat belt retractor 33, and the bracket fixing portion 37a at the lower end is firmly attached and fixed to the upper flange portions 21d and 22d of the side sill 20, which is a strong skeletal member. Refer to Figure 3 for this configuration.

[0025] Next, the configuration of the pillar reinforcement 40 will be described based on Figures 3 to 9. Figure 6 is a side view of the pillar reinforcement. Figure 7 is a front view of the pillar reinforcement. Figure 8 is a rear view of the pillar reinforcement. Figure 9 is a top view of the pillar reinforcement.

[0026] The pillar reinforcement 40 extends vertically along the lower part of the pillar outer 31, and the lower end of the pillar reinforcement 40 is formed such that its width in the front-rear direction gradually widens along the lower end of the pillar outer 31. The pillar reinforcement 40 is a member with a U-shaped cross-section that is open on the inside in the left-right direction along the inner surface of the pillar outer 31, and is attached to the inner surface of the pillar outer 31 using fixing means such as welding or bolts.

[0027] In this embodiment, the pillar reinforcement 40 includes a reinforcement side wall portion 40a extending in the front-rear direction, a reinforcement front wall portion 40b extending inward in the left-right direction from the front end of the reinforcement side wall portion 40a, a reinforcement rear wall portion 40c extending inward in the left-right direction from the rear end of the reinforcement side wall portion 40a, a widened portion 41 which is a widened portion of the reinforcement rear wall portion 40c, and a reinforcement bulge portion 42 formed on a part of the lower part of the reinforcement side wall portion 40a and directed outward in the left-right direction. The pillar reinforcement 40 has the reinforcement side wall portion 40a fixed to the side wall portion 31a of the pillar outer 31, the reinforcement front wall portion 40b fixed to the front wall portion 31b of the pillar outer 31, and the reinforcement rear wall portion 40c fixed to the rear wall portion 31c of the pillar outer 31.

[0028] In this embodiment, the pillar reinforcement 40 extends from its lower end to the lower end of the seat belt retractor 33, as shown in Figure 3, and from its upper end to approximately 40% of the length in the vertical direction from the lower end of the center pillar 30, as shown in Figure 1. The upper end of the pillar reinforcement 40 may also be configured to extend above the middle of the center pillar 30 in the vertical direction.

[0029] The wide portion 41 is formed by extending a part of the vertically extending reinforce rear wall portion 40c inward in a triangular shape in the left-right direction, thereby widening it in the left-right direction. The portion in which the wide portion 41 is formed has a width in the left-right direction that is approximately 1.5 to 3 times greater than the other parts of the reinforce rear wall portion 40c. The wide portion 41 is positioned to include at least the area that overlaps vertically with the first bracket 36 that fixes the seat belt retractor 33 to the upper side of the opening 32a of the pillar inner 32, or the area H from the upper end of the seat belt retractor 33 to the upper end of the opening 32a.

[0030] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the reinforcement bulge 42 is formed to protrude outward in the left-right direction along the bulge 34 formed on the side wall portion 31a of the pillar outer 31.

[0031] (Effects) In conventional vehicle side structures, when an object (barrier) collides with the side of the vehicle, the upper part of the seat belt retractor 33 is pushed inward and to the left and right by the pillar outer 31, which is deformed by being pushed inward and to the left by the object, causing the stepped portion 36a of the first bracket 36 to extend. As a result, the seat belt retractor 33 enters the vehicle by tilting its upper part towards the interior space, with the lower end fixed to the side sill 20 acting as a pivot point. When the object of impact is a vehicle, the vertical height of the vehicle bumper (barrier) 50 that collides with the side of the vehicle is often above the upper end of the seat belt retractor 33. Refer to Figure 3 for this configuration. In contrast, with the above-described vehicle side structure, by attaching the pillar reinforcement 40 to the inner surface of the pillar outer 31, the pillar outer 31 is less likely to deform towards the seat belt retractor 33 on the left and right sides during a vehicle side impact. This effectively prevents the upper part of the seat belt retractor 33 from tilting inward to the left and right and intruding into the interior space of the vehicle.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, the pillar reinforcement 40 extends from its lower end to the lower end of the seat belt retractor 33, and from its upper end to about 40% of the length from the lower end of the pillar outer 31. This prevents the pillar outer 31 from deforming inward on either side, regardless of the height from which the external force from a side impact on the vehicle is applied.

[0033] The pillar reinforcement 40 has a U-shaped cross-section that follows the inner surface of the pillar outer 31, formed by the reinforcement side wall portion 40a, the reinforcement front wall portion 40b, and the reinforcement rear wall portion 40c. Therefore, the pillar reinforcement 40 can effectively increase the strength against external forces caused by vehicle side impacts.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width of the rear wall portion 31c of the pillar outer 31 is larger than the width of the front wall portion 31b of the pillar outer 31, making it more susceptible to crushing during a vehicle side impact. To address this, the wide portion 41 of the pillar reinforcement 40 is formed on the side of the reinforcement rear wall portion 40c of the pillar reinforcement 40, thereby reinforcing the pillar outer 31 more efficiently. This configuration can be seen in Figures 3 and 4.

[0035] Furthermore, the wide portion 41 of the pillar reinforcement 40 is positioned at least above the upper end of the seat belt retractor 33 and overlaps vertically with the first bracket 36 that fixes the seat belt retractor 33 to the upper side of the opening 32a of the pillar inner 32, or includes the range H from the upper end of the seat belt retractor 33 to the upper end of the opening 32a. This allows the pillar outer 31 to be effectively reinforced by focusing on the range that is most likely to be affected by the tilting of the seat belt retractor 33 in the event of a side collision of the vehicle.

[0036] Furthermore, the bulge 34 of the pillar outer 31 and the reinforcement bulge 42 of the pillar reinforcement 40 formed along the bulge 34 slightly widen the space between the pillar reinforcement 40 and pillar outer 31 and the seat belt retractor 33, making them less susceptible to deformation. As a result, the pillar reinforcement 40 and pillar outer 31 are less likely to come into contact with the seat belt retractor 33 in the event of a side collision with the vehicle.

[0037] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified or improved as appropriate.

[0038] As described above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification: (1) A vehicle side structure comprising: a pillar inner extending in the vertical direction and constituting the inside of the pillar; a bracket extending in the vertical direction and having a stepped portion projecting inward in the left-right direction for fixing a seat belt retractor to the pillar inner; a pillar outer extending in the vertical direction and constituting the outside of the pillar; and a reinforcement attached to the pillar outer, wherein the reinforcement is provided in a range that overlaps with the bracket in at least the vertical direction. With this configuration, in a side view of the vehicle, by arranging the reinforcement attached to the pillar outer and the bracket having a stepped portion projecting toward the interior space to overlap, it is possible to prevent the pillar outer from being displaced significantly toward the left-right inward on the left and right outer sides of the seat belt retractor during a side collision. This effectively prevents the stepped portion of the bracket from extending due to contact with the deformed pillar outer during a side collision, and prevents the upper part of the seat belt retractor from falling inward to the left and right and entering the interior space.

[0039] (2) The vehicle side structure as described in (1), wherein the reinforcement extends in the left-right direction along the front or rear surface of the pillar. With this configuration, the strength of the reinforcement is improved, so that the seat belt retractor can be more effectively prevented from entering the interior space during a side collision.

[0040] (3) The vehicle side structure according to (2), wherein the reinforcement has a widened portion that is widened in the left-right direction at a midportion in the up-down direction of a portion extending along the front or rear surface. According to this configuration, since the strength of the reinforcement can be locally enhanced, it is possible to more effectively prevent the seat belt retractor from intruding into the vehicle interior space during a side collision.

[0041] (4) The vehicle side structure according to (3), wherein the vertical position of the widened portion is arranged in a range overlapping with the stepped portion of the bracket. According to this configuration, since the widened portion can be concentratedly arranged at a portion where an external force is likely to be applied during a side collision of the vehicle, it is possible to more effectively prevent the seat belt retractor from intruding into the vehicle interior space during a side collision.

[0042] (5) The seat belt retractor is arranged in an opening formed at a lower portion of the pillar inner, and the vertical position of the widened portion is arranged between the upper end of the seat belt retractor and the upper end of the opening. The vehicle side structure according to (3). According to this configuration, since the widened portion can be concentratedly arranged at a portion where an external force is likely to be applied during a side collision of the vehicle, it is possible to more effectively prevent the seat belt retractor from intruding into the vehicle interior space during a side collision.

[0043] (6) The vehicle side structure according to any one of (2) to (5), wherein the reinforcement has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape along the front, side, and rear surfaces of the pillar. According to this configuration, since the strength of the reinforcement is improved, it is possible to more effectively prevent the seat belt retractor from intruding into the vehicle interior space during a side collision.

[0044] (7) Either the front surface or the rear surface of the pillar is formed wider in the left-right direction than the other, and the front and rear surfaces of the reinforcement are formed wider in the left-right direction with respect to the other surface along one surface of the front or rear surface of the pillar that is formed wider. The vehicle side structure according to (6). According to this configuration, it is possible to intensively reinforce the one with a wider width and more likely to be crushed between the front and rear surfaces of the pillar.

[0045] (8) The reinforcement is a vehicle side structure according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the lower end in the vertical direction extends to the lower end side of the seat belt retractor. With this configuration, the pillar outer will not easily deform in the vicinity of the seat belt retractor during a side collision.

[0046] (9) The lower end of the pillar is fixed to a side sill which is located at the lower part of the side of the vehicle and extends in the front-rear direction, as described in any one of (1) to (8). With this configuration, the lower end of the pillar to which the seat belt retractor is fixed is attached to the side sill which is a strong structural member, so that the seat belt retractor is less likely to penetrate into the interior space of the vehicle during a side collision.

[0047] (10) The vehicle side structure according to (9), wherein the seat belt retractor has a second bracket attached to the side sill. With this configuration, since the seat belt retractor is attached to the side sill, which is a strong structural member, the seat belt retractor is less likely to penetrate into the interior space of the vehicle during a side collision.

[0048] 10 Body 11 Roof rail 15 Roof panel 20 Side sill 21 Side sill outer 21a Side wall 21b Upper wall 21c Lower wall 21d Upper flange 21e Lower flange 22 Side sill inner 22a Side wall 22b Upper wall 22c Lower wall 22d Upper flange 22e Lower flange 30 Center pillar (pillar) 31 Pillar outer 31a Side wall 31b Front wall 31c Rear wall 31d Front flange 31e Rear flange 32 Pillar inner 32a Opening 32b Side sill mounting part 32c Step 32d Front flange 32e Rear flange 33 Seat belt retractor 34 Bulge 36 First bracket (bracket) 36a Stepped section 36b Guide hole 37 Second bracket (bracket) 40 Pillar reinforcement (reinforcement) 40a Reinforcement side wall section 40b Reinforcement front wall section 40c Reinforcement rear wall section 41 Wide section 42 Reinforcement bulge section

Claims

1. A vehicle side structure comprising: a pillar inner extending in the vertical direction and forming the inside of the pillar; a bracket extending in the vertical direction and having a stepped portion projecting inward in the left-right direction for fixing a seat belt retractor to the pillar inner; a pillar outer extending in the vertical direction and forming the outside of the pillar; and a reinforcement attached to the pillar outer, wherein the reinforcement is provided in a range that overlaps with the bracket in at least the vertical direction.

2. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement extends in the left-right direction along the front or rear surface of the pillar.

3. The vehicle side structure according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcement has a widened portion in the left-right direction, which is an intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the portion extending along the front or rear surface.

4. The vehicle side structure according to claim 3, wherein the vertical position of the wide portion is arranged in a range that overlaps with the stepped portion of the bracket.

5. The vehicle side structure according to claim 3, wherein the seat belt retractor is positioned in an opening formed in the lower part of the pillar inner, and the vertical position of the wide portion is positioned between the upper end of the seat belt retractor and the upper end of the opening.

6. The vehicle side structure according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcement has a U-shaped cross-sectional shape along the front, side and rear surfaces of the pillar.

7. The vehicle side structure according to claim 6, wherein either the front or rear surface of the pillar is formed to be wider in the left-right direction than the other, and the front and rear surfaces of the reinforcement are formed such that one surface along the wider surface of the front or rear surface of the pillar is formed to be wider in the left-right direction than the other surface.

8. The vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the lower end of the reinforcement extends to the lower end of the seat belt retractor.

9. The lower end of the pillar is fixed to a side sill that is located at the lower part of the side of the vehicle and extends in the front-rear direction, as described in claim 1.

10. The vehicle side structure according to claim 9, wherein the seat belt retractor comprises a second bracket attached to the side sill.

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