JP2001163254A - Manufacturing method of automotive front pillar and front pillar protective member - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the freedom of design of a front pillar anti manufacture the front pillar at a low cost. SOLUTION: This automotive front pillar 20 comprises a protective member 60 for absorbing an impact mounted on the front surface of a cylindrical sectional front pillar body 21. An insert claw 63 extending to the back of a body and a hook part 64 extending in the vehicle lateral direction are integrally formed on the rear surface of the protective member 60. A fitting hole 47 for inserting the insert claw 63 and a recessed part 46 for hooking the hook part 64 are integrally formed on the front pillar body 21. The hook part 64 of the protective member 60 is hooked in the recessed part 46 of the front pillar body 21, and the insert claw 63 of the protective member 60 is fitted to the fitting hole 47 of the front pillar body 21, whereby the protective member 60 can be detachably mounted on the front pillar body 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a front pillar of an automobile and a protective member for the front pillar.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A front pillar of an automobile is a member having high rigidity because it is a part of a vehicle body. For example, when an obstacle hits the front part of the front pillar, the impact on the obstacle is large. On the other hand, if the rigidity of the front pillar is made too small to give priority to protection of obstacles, the durability of the entire vehicle body cannot be secured. Therefore, there is a demand for a front pillar of an automobile that can sufficiently reduce the impact on an obstacle while maintaining the original rigidity of the front pillar. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-39833, entitled "Car Front Pillar" (hereinafter referred to as "prior art") is known as a front pillar of a car in consideration of the mitigation of an impact to an obstacle.

The above prior art is disclosed in FIG. 1 and FIG.
, A pillar body 5 having a cylindrical cross section is formed by combining a pillar outer 6 with a pillar inner 6 (the number is cited in the gazette; the same applies hereinafter), and a low rigidity is provided on a front portion 7 a of the pillar outer 7. The vehicle front pillar 1 has a buffer panel 8 (corresponding to a protective member) attached thereto and a resin garnish 9 attached to a front surface of the buffer panel 8. When an obstacle hits the front part of the front pillar 1, the impact on the obstacle can be reduced by plastic deformation of the resin garnish 9 and the buffer panel 8.

[0004]

The prior art described above, as shown in FIG. 2 of the publication, has a front portion 7 of a pillar outer 7.
1A, the buffer panel 8 is integrally attached by welding or the like. Since the buffer panel 8 is integrally attached to the pillar body 5, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar 1 is low.
There is room for improvement. In order to increase the degree of freedom in design, it is conceivable to detachably attach the buffer panel 8 to the pillar body 5. However, simply installing the buffer panel 8
It is necessary to prepare a part for mounting, so that the number of parts is increased and the number of manufacturing steps is also increased, and the production cost is increased.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of increasing the degree of freedom in designing a front pillar of an automobile which can sufficiently reduce the impact on an obstacle, and producing the front pillar at low cost. is there.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention is a vehicle front pillar in which a protection member for absorbing impact is mounted on the front surface of a front pillar body having a cylindrical cross section. An insertion claw extending rearward of the vehicle body and a hook portion extending in the vehicle width direction are integrally formed on the rear surface, and a fitting hole into which the insertion claw can be inserted and a hook portion can be hung on the front pillar body. Forming a concave portion or a convex portion integrally, and fitting the insertion claw extending from the protective member into the fitting hole of the front pillar main body while hanging the retaining portion of the protective member on the concave portion or the convex portion of the front pillar main body. The protection member is detachably attached to the front pillar body.

[0007] While the retaining member of the protective member is hung on the concave or convex portion of the front pillar main body, the mounting operation of fitting the insertion claw of the protective member into the fitting hole of the front pillar main body can be performed. The protection member can be easily attached to the front surface. There is no need for a separate part for attaching the protection member to the front pillar body. Since the protection member is detachably attached to the front pillar main body, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar is increased.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the front surface of the front pillar body is formed as a non-flat surface bent and formed in a substantially stepped manner, a concave portion or a convex portion is provided on one surface of the step, and a fitting hole is provided on the other surface of the step. It is characterized by having been provided.

[0009] Even if the front surface of the front pillar body is a non-flat surface, the protection member can be easily attached.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in a front pillar of an automobile having a protection member for absorbing an impact mounted on a front surface of a front pillar body having a cylindrical cross section, a clip extending rearward of the vehicle body is integrally formed on a rear surface of the protection member. The front pillar body is provided with a fitting hole into which a clip can be inserted, and the clip is fitted into the fitting hole, so that the protection member is detachably attached to the front pillar body.

The protective member can be easily attached to the front surface of the front pillar main body simply by fitting the clip of the protective member into the fitting hole of the front pillar main body. There is no need for a separate part for attaching the protection member to the front pillar body. Since the protection member is detachably attached to the front pillar main body, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar is increased.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the front pillar body is provided with a fragile portion for promoting deformation of the front pillar body.

When an obstacle hits the front pillar,
As the fragile portion deforms, the front pillar body also deforms starting from the fragile portion, absorbing the impact force from obstacles. As a result, the impact on the obstacle is sufficiently reduced.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for manufacturing an elongated protective member having a clip attached to a front surface of a front pillar and absorbing impact, wherein the step of extruding the protective member with the clip portion along the side of the protective member. And a step of cutting the remaining clip portion of the clip portion after extrusion molding, leaving a portion necessary for the clip, and a method of manufacturing a front pillar protection member.

It can be easily manufactured simply by extruding the protective member and the clip portion. Extrusion molding simplifies the mold. The clip can be provided integrally with the protection member only by cutting off the other clip portion of the clip portion while leaving a necessary portion as the clip.
Therefore, there is no need for a separate component for attaching the protection member to the front pillar body.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that "before", "after",
“Left”, “right”, “up”, and “down” follow the direction seen from the driver, and Fr is the front side, Rr is the rear side, L is the left side, R is the right side, and CL is the vehicle width center (body center). Is shown. Also, the drawings should be viewed in the direction of reference numerals.

First, a front pillar of an automobile according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a front half of an automobile (first embodiment) according to the present invention, and shows left and right front pillars 20 forming part of the body of an automobile 10. Hereinafter, the configuration of the left front pillar 20 will be described in detail. The right front pillar 20 has the same configuration as the left front pillar 20, and a description thereof will be omitted. In the figure, 11 and 11 are front fenders, 12 is a roof, 13 is a front bumper, 14
Is a hood, 15 is a windshield, 16 is a door, 1
7 is a door glass, 18 is a front wheel, and 19 and 19 are headlights.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1, and shows a plan sectional structure around the left front pillar 20. The front pillar 20 is a vehicle body component in which a protection member 60 is attached to a front portion of the front pillar body 21. The front pillar body 21 covers the inner frame 30 inside the vehicle compartment 25 (inside the vehicle) with the outer frame 40 outside the vehicle.
It is a pillar member formed in a cylindrical cross section.

The inner frame 30 is an integrally formed product comprising an inner body 31, a front flange 32, and a rear flange 33. More specifically, the inner main body 31 is a substantially U-shaped member in a plan cross section with the open side facing outward in the vehicle width direction (the side opposite to the vehicle body center CL), and the front flange 32 is integrally formed at the front edge. The rear flange 33 is formed integrally with the rear edge.

The sectional shape of the inner frame 30 will be described in more detail. The straight surface 34 extends rearward from the base end of the front flange 32 with the flange surface of the front flange 32 facing forward of the vehicle body. The cabin 25
The bent portion 35 is bent inward, and a U-shaped portion 36 opened outward in the vehicle width direction is connected to the bent portion 35 to form a U-shaped portion 36.
The rear flange 33 is provided at the rear end. The bent portion 35 is a fragile portion that is easily buckled by a force from the front of the vehicle body, and plays a role of promoting the deformation of the front pillar body 21.

The outer frame 40 is a member having a substantially U-shaped planar cross-sectional shape by joining an outer rear portion 51 to an outer front portion 41 which is a front surface of the front pillar main body 21, and is formed in a vehicle width direction. The inside (the vehicle body center CL side) is opened.

The outer front portion 41 is a member formed by bending a plate material having a predetermined thickness. Specifically, the outer front portion 41
The first flange portion 42 is overlapped with the front flange 32 of the inner frame 30, and the flange 42 is extended outward in the vehicle width direction to form a first flat plate portion 43. A second flat plate portion 45 is formed by bending and forming the step portion 44 so as to extend outward from the end of the step portion 44 in the vehicle width direction.
The end of the second flat plate portion 45 is folded forward to form the concave portion 46. Thus, the concave portion 46 was formed in the second flat plate portion 45 as one surface of the step. Moreover,
A fitting hole 47 was formed in the first flat plate portion 43 as the other surface of the step. As described above, since the front surface of the outer front portion 41 is a non-flat surface bent and formed in a substantially step shape, the front surface of the front pillar main body 21 is also a non-flat surface bent and formed in a substantially step shape.

The outer rear portion 51 has a front flange 5 at the front end.
2 is placed on the rear surface of the end of the second flat plate portion 45, and the front flange 5
Stepped portion 5 is formed by being bent substantially stepwise from the end of 2 to the rear.
3, a rear flange 54 is formed at the end of the step 53,
The rear flange 33 of the inner frame 30 overlaps the rear flange 54.

A flange 42 of an outer front portion 41 is joined to a front flange 32 of the inner frame 30 so that the outer front portion 4
The front flange 5 of the outer rear portion 51 is attached to the first second flat plate portion 45.
2 and the rear flange 33 of the inner frame 30 to the rear flange 54 of the outer rear 51,
The front pillar main body 21 having a cylindrical cross section can be formed. The joining method is, for example, spot welding.
The inner frame 30, the outer front portion 41, and the outer rear portion 51 are plate members such as a steel plate and an aluminum alloy plate. Note that these members 30, 41, and 51 may be extruded members having a predetermined thickness. Also, the outer front portion 41 and the outer rear portion 5
The outer frame 40 may be formed by integrally molding the outer frame 40 with the outer frame 40.

In this figure, a protective member 60 for absorbing a shock from the front of the vehicle body is attached to a front portion of the front pillar body 21, that is, an outer front portion 41, and a protective member 6 is provided.
This indicates that the area around 0 is covered with a garnish (makeup cover) 71. The protection member 60 is a tubular cross-sectional member made of a resin extruded material such as a vinyl chloride resin. Protection member 60
The rear surface of the outer front portion 41 has a concave portion 61 which is depressed so as not to contact the step portion 44 of the outer front portion 41 and the second flat plate portion 4 of the outer front portion 41.
5 is a shape formed by connecting a flat contact portion 62 which is superimposed on 5. Further, the rear surface of the protection member 60 is characterized in that an insertion claw 63 extending from the bottom of the concave portion 61 to the rear of the vehicle body and a latch portion 64 extending from the contact portion 62 in the vehicle width direction are integrally formed. Insert the insertion claw 63 into the fitting hole 47 of the outer front part 41.
, And the leading end can be hooked and stopped, and the hanging portion 64 can be hung on the concave portion 46 of the outer front portion 41. 65 is a stiffener.

The garnish 71 is a cover member made of a material that can be easily deformed by an impact from the front of the vehicle body, and is attached to the front surface of the protection member 60 so as to enhance the appearance around the front pillar 20.

The inner frame 30 has a reinforcing pipe 76 mounted on a rear inner surface of the U-shaped portion 36 via a reinforcing plate 75 and attached by welding or the like. Reinforcement plate 7
5 is a thick plate and therefore has relatively high rigidity. Reinforcement pipe 7
6 also has a high rigidity because it is a cylindrical section member. The inner frame 30 has a fragile bent portion 35 formed in the front half, and the rear half is reinforced by the reinforcing plate 75 and the reinforcing pipe 76 to maintain the original rigidity of the inner frame 30. .

The reinforcing plate 75 and the reinforcing pipe 76 passing through the inside of the front pillar body 21 having a cylindrical cross section also serve as a core material. By increasing the rigidity of the rear half of the front pillar main body 21 by the reinforcing plate 75 and the reinforcing pipe 76, the original rigidity of the front pillar main body 21 as a part of the vehicle body can be maintained. In addition, since there is no reinforcing member in the front half of the front pillar body 21, the bent portion 3
5 does not hinder the deformation action. In this manner, the front pillar main body 21 is divided into the first half shock absorbing portion 21F that absorbs a shock from the front of the vehicle body and the second half high rigidity portion 21R that maintains the original rigidity of the front pillar main body 21. is there.

This figure also shows that the interior of the inner frame 30 in the passenger compartment 25 is covered by the interior cover 78. The indoor side cover 78 is a cover member that enhances the appearance of the passenger compartment 25 and has a function as a protector for the front pillar body 21. In particular, since the bent portion 35 is provided inside the vehicle compartment 25 and is covered with the indoor side cover 78 and is blindfolded, the appearance is enhanced. In the figure, 81 is an adhesive molding, 82 is a weather strip, 83 is a sealant, 8
4 is a door sash, 85 is a weather strip outside the door, 8
Reference numeral 6 denotes a weather strip inside the door, and 87 denotes a weather strip for a door window.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a front pillar (first embodiment) of an automobile according to the present invention. The inner frame 30 and the outer frame 40 are elongated members having a substantially U-shaped cross section. 60, the reinforcing plate 75, and the reinforcing pipe 76 are elongated members along the front pillar main body 21. Further, this figure shows (1) a plurality of fitting holes 47 of the outer front portion 41 (a plurality of symbols are shown, the same applies hereinafter) at a predetermined pitch along the front surface of the front pillar body 21. Arrangement and (2) protective member 6
.. Indicate that a plurality of zero insertion claws 63... Are arranged at a predetermined pitch along the rear surface of the protection member 60.

The hooks 64 of the protection member 60 are fitted into the fitting holes 47 of the front pillar body 21 while the hooks 64 of the protection member 60 are fitted in the recesses 46 of the front pillar body 21. The protective member 60 can be easily attached to the front surface of the front pillar main body 21 by a simple attaching operation. That is, while hooking the hook portion 64 in the concave portion 46, the insertion claws 63 ...
Can be stopped by snap fitting.

There is no need for separate parts such as screws for attaching the protection member 60 to the front pillar body 21. Since the protection member 60 is detachably attached to the front pillar main body 21, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar 20 is increased. Further, a hook 64 extending in the vehicle width direction is hooked to the concave portion 46, and the insertion claw 6 extending rearward of the vehicle body is provided.
Are fitted into the fitting holes 47, so that even if the front surface of the front pillar body 21 is a non-flat surface, the shape of the non-flat surface is the shape of the rear surface of the protection member 60. , The protection member 60 can be easily attached.

Next, the operation of the front pillar 20 in the first embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a first operation diagram of the embodiment of the present invention, and shows that an obstacle S has hit the front pillar 20 from the front of the vehicle body as indicated by an arrow. The impact force from the obstacle S is transmitted to the front pillar main body 21 via the garnish 71 and the protection member 60. Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a second operational diagram of the embodiment), showing that the protective member 60 and the garnish 71 are deformed in the direction of the arrow due to the impact force from the obstacle S. This stage is the first stage in which the protective member 60 and the garnish 71 buckle to absorb the impact force. The protection member 60 is deformed and effectively absorbs the impact force from the obstacle S. As a result, the impact on the obstacle S can be reduced. Since the front pillar body 21 has higher rigidity than the protection member 60 and the garnish 71, it does not deform at this stage. Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of FIG.

FIG. 6 shows a front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a third operation diagram of the second embodiment), showing a second stage in which the front pillar body 21 starts plastic deformation in the direction of the arrow when the impact force from the obstacle S is large. That is,
The fragile bent portion 35 starts plastic deformation due to a large impact force. Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a fourth operational diagram of the embodiment), showing that the front pillar body 21 has been plastically deformed in the direction of the arrow due to a large impact force from the obstacle S. That is, the fragile bent portion 35 is plastically deformed by the impact force when the obstacle S hits the front pillar 20. At the same time, the front half of the inner frame 30 is plastically deformed with the bent portion 35 as a starting point, and the front half of the outer frame 40 is also plastically deformed. In this way, the entire front half impact absorbing portion 21F of the front pillar main body 21 is buckled and deformed to absorb the impact force from the obstacle S. As a result, the impact on the obstacle S can be sufficiently reduced.

On the other hand, the high-rigidity portion 21R in the rear half of the front pillar body 21 that is separated from the bent portion 35 does not deform much. Therefore, the original rigidity of the front pillar body 21 as a part of the vehicle body can be maintained.

Next, a front pillar of an automobile according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. The same components as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view of a front pillar (second embodiment) of an automobile according to the present invention, and corresponds to the configuration shown in FIG. The front pillar 20 is a front pillar body 2
1 is a vehicle body component in which a protection member 100 is attached to the front part. The front pillar main body 21 is a pillar member formed in a cylindrical cross-section by covering the inner frame 30 inside the vehicle compartment 25 with the outer frame 90 outside the vehicle.

The outer frame 90 is an integrally formed product comprising an outer main body 91, a front flange 94, and a rear flange 96. More specifically, the outer main body 91 is a substantially U-shaped member in plan cross section with the open side facing inward in the vehicle width direction, and the bottom 92 is relatively deep. Such an outer frame 9
0 extends a substantially flat front plate 93 from the front end of the bottom 92 to the vehicle center CL side, and further extends the vehicle center C from the front end of the front plate 93.
The front flange 94 extends to the L side, while the step 95 extends from the rear end of the bottom 92 to the vehicle center CL side.
A rear flange 96 is integrally formed at the front end of the main body. By joining the front flanges 32 and 94 to each other and the rear flanges 33 and 96 to each other by spot welding or the like, the front pillar body 21 having a cylindrical cross section can be formed. The outer frame 90 is a member formed by bending a plate material or an extruded material, and is made of a steel material or an aluminum alloy.

This figure shows that a protection member 100 for absorbing an impact from the front of the vehicle body is attached to the front portion of the front pillar body 21, that is, to the front plate 93. Protection member 10
Numeral 0 is a tubular section member made of a resin extruded material such as a vinyl chloride resin.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a front pillar (second embodiment) of an automobile according to the present invention, and shows that the outer frame 90 is an elongated member having a substantially U-shaped cross section. Further, FIG.
Are formed integrally with each other, and a plurality of fitting holes 97, into which the clips 102 can be inserted, are formed on the front surface of the front pillar body 21.
・ ・ Indicates that you opened. A plurality of fitting holes 97 are arranged at a predetermined pitch in the longitudinal direction of the front plate 93 of the outer frame 90, and the clips 102
Were arranged at the above-mentioned predetermined pitch in the longitudinal direction.

The fitting holes 97 of the front pillar main body 21.
The protective member 100 can be easily attached to the front surface of the front pillar body 21 by snap-fitting simply by fitting the clips 102. No separate parts such as screws for attaching the protection member 100 to the front pillar body 21 are required. Since the protection member 100 is detachably attached to the front pillar body 21, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar 20 is increased.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are explanatory views for explaining a method of manufacturing a protective member (second embodiment) according to the present invention. The method of manufacturing the protection member 100 including the plurality of clips 102 is characterized by including the following steps (a) and (b). First, as shown in (a), the protection member 100 is extruded with the clip portion 105 along the side of the protection member 100 (extrusion molding step). The protection member 100 and the clip portion 105 can be easily manufactured only by extrusion molding. Extrusion molding simplifies the mold.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the unnecessary portions of the clip portions 105 extruded are left as clips 102.
Is cut (cutting step). The cutting step is performed by cutting with a press, cutting with a laser, or the like. Unnecessary clip part 10
5.., And the clip 1 is attached to the protection member 100.
02 ... can be provided integrally.

Next, the operation of the front pillar 20 in the second embodiment having the above configuration will be described in the order of the drawings with reference to FIGS. FIG. 11 is a first operation view of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention, and shows that the obstacle S has hit the front pillar 20 from the front of the vehicle body as indicated by an arrow. Impact force from obstacle S is garnish 7
1 and the front pillar body 2 via the protection member 100
Transfer to 1. Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a second operation view of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention. The garnish 71 and the protection member 10 are urged by an impact force from an obstacle S.
0 indicates deformation in the direction of the arrow. This stage is the first stage in which the garnish 71 and the protection member 100 buckle to absorb the impact force. The protection member 100 is deformed and effectively absorbs the impact force from the obstacle S.
As a result, the impact on the obstacle S can be reduced.
Since the front pillar body 21 has higher rigidity than the garnish 71 and the protection member 100, it does not deform at this stage. Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of FIG.

FIG. 13 is a third operation view of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention. When the impact force from the obstacle S is large, the front pillar body 21 is plastically deformed in the direction of the arrow. To start. That is, the fragile bent portion 35 starts plastic deformation due to a large impact force. Next, the operation proceeds to the operation of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a fourth operation view of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention, in which the front pillar main body 21 is plastically deformed in the direction of the arrow by a large impact force from the obstacle S. Is shown. That is, by the impact force when the obstacle S hits the front pillar 20,
The fragile bent portion 35 is plastically deformed. At the same time, the bent portion 35
From the starting point, the first half of the inner frame 30 is plastically deformed, and the outer frame 40
Also plastically deforms. In this way, the entire front half impact absorbing portion 21F of the front pillar main body 21 is buckled and deformed to absorb the impact force from the obstacle S.
As a result, the impact on the obstacle S can be sufficiently reduced.

In the first embodiment, the concave portion 46 on which the locking portion 64 can be hooked may be a convex portion on which the locking portion 64 can be hooked. Further, in the front surface of the front pillar main body 21, a concave portion 46 (or a convex portion) may be provided on one surface of the step, and a fitting hole 47 may be provided on the other surface of the step. For example, the first flat plate portion 43 may be provided with a concave portion 46 (or a convex portion), and the second flat plate portion 45 may be provided with fitting holes 47. In this case, the arrangement of the insertion claws 63 provided on the protection member 100 and the latching portions 64 is reversed.

[0050]

According to the present invention, the following effects are exhibited by the above configuration. In the first aspect, an insertion claw extending rearward of the vehicle body and a latch portion extending in the vehicle width direction are integrally formed on a rear surface of the protection member, and a fitting hole through which the insertion claw can be inserted into the front pillar body. Since the concave portion or the convex portion that can hang the latching portion is formed integrally, while the latching portion of the protective member is latched on the concave portion or the convex portion of the front pillar body, the protective member is fitted into the fitting hole of the front pillar body. The protection member can be easily mounted on the front surface of the front pillar main body by the mounting operation of merely fitting the insertion claw. In addition, there is no need to prepare separate parts for attaching the protection member to the front pillar main body, so that the number of components of the front pillar can be reduced, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, and as a result, the production cost can be reduced. Further, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar can be increased by detachably attaching the protection member to the front pillar main body.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the front surface of the front pillar body is formed as a non-flat surface which is bent substantially in a stepwise manner, a concave portion or a convex portion is provided on one surface of the step, and a fitting hole is provided on the other surface of the step. With the provision, the protection member can be easily attached even if the front surface of the front pillar body is a non-flat surface.
Furthermore, in general, when the front surface of the front pillar body is a non-flat surface, an empty space is generated in front of the front pillar body. If the protection member is mounted on the non-flat surface in front of the front pillar main body as in claim 2, an empty space in front of the front pillar main body can be effectively used, and the mounting space can be reduced. . Moreover, by attaching the protection member to the non-flat surface in front of the front pillar body, the unevenness on the non-flat surface can be covered with the protection member, and as a result, the air resistance during traveling of the vehicle can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a clip extending rearward of the vehicle body is integrally formed on the rear surface of the protection member, and a fitting hole into which the clip can be inserted is formed in the front pillar body. Can be detachably attached to the front pillar main body. Therefore, the protective member can be easily attached to the front surface of the front pillar main body by an attaching operation only by fitting the clip of the protective member into the fitting hole of the front pillar main body. Furthermore, since the clip is formed integrally with the protection member, there is no need to prepare a separate part for attaching the protection member to the front pillar body, so the number of components of the front pillar can be reduced, and the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced. As a result, production costs can be reduced. Moreover, a smaller clip is required as compared with the case where the protection member is attached with a clip of another part, and as a result, the mounting space can be reduced. Furthermore, the degree of freedom in designing the front pillar can be increased by detachably attaching the protection member to the front pillar main body.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, since the front pillar body is provided with a fragile portion for promoting deformation of the front pillar body, the fragile portion is deformed when an obstacle hits the front pillar, and the fragile portion is used as a starting point. The front pillar body is also deformed, and can absorb the impact force from obstacles. As a result, the impact on the obstacle can be sufficiently reduced.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is a step of extruding and forming the protection member with the clip portion being along the side portion of the protection member, and excluding the portion of the clip portion after extrusion which is necessary as a clip. And a step of cutting the clip portion. Therefore, the method for manufacturing the front pillar protection member includes the step of extruding the protection member and the clip portion. Extrusion molding simplifies the mold. Furthermore, the clip can be provided integrally with the protective member by simply cutting the other clip portion while leaving the portion necessary for the clip in the clip portion. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare another component for attaching the protection member to the front pillar main body, and the number of components of the front pillar can be reduced, the number of manufacturing steps can be reduced, and as a result, the production cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front half of an automobile (first embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a front pillar (first embodiment) of an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a first operation view of a front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a second operational diagram of the front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a third operational view of the front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a fourth operation diagram of the front pillar (first embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view of a front pillar (second embodiment) of an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a front pillar (second embodiment) of an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows a protection member according to the present invention (second embodiment).
Explanatory drawing explaining the manufacturing method of

FIG. 11 is a first operational view of a front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a second operational diagram of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a third operational view of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a fourth operational diagram of the front pillar (second embodiment) according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Car, 20 ... Front pillar, 21 ... Front pillar main body, 35 ... Fragile part (bent part), 46 ... Concave part, 4
7 ... fitting hole, 60 ... protection member, 63 ... insertion claw, 64 ...
Hanging portion, 97 fitting hole, 100 protection member, 102
Clip, 105: clip portion, S: obstacle.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI theme coat ゛ (reference) // B29C 47/08 B29C 47/08 F term (reference) 3D003 AA04 AA05 AA11 AA16 BB01 CA33 DA23 3J001 FA11 GB01 GB03 HA02 HA04 HA08 JE02 KA00 KA02 KB01 3J066 AA01 BA04 BE01 BF02 4F207 AD18 AD24 AH23 KA01 KA17 KA20 KB11 KW23

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A front pillar of a motor vehicle having a front pillar main body having a cylindrical cross section and a protection member for absorbing an impact mounted on a front surface of the front pillar body, wherein an insertion claw extending rearward of the vehicle body and extending in a vehicle width direction are provided on a rear surface of the protection member. A hook portion is integrally formed with the front pillar body, and a fitting hole into which the insertion claw can be inserted and a concave portion or a convex portion into which the hook portion can be hooked are integrally formed; The protective member is removed from the front pillar main body by fitting the insertion claw extending from the protective member into the fitting hole of the front pillar main body while holding the locking portion of the protective member on the concave or convex portion of the pillar main body. A front pillar of a vehicle, wherein the front pillar is mounted as possible. 2. A front surface of the front pillar body is formed as a non-flat surface bent and formed in a substantially staircase shape, the concave portion or the convex portion is provided on one surface of a step, and the fitting hole is provided on the other surface of the step. The front pillar of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the front pillar is provided. 3. A front pillar of a motor vehicle having a front pillar main body having a cylindrical cross section and a protection member for absorbing an impact mounted on a front surface of the front pillar body, wherein a clip extending rearward of the vehicle body is integrally formed on a rear surface of the protection member. An automobile wherein a protection hole is detachably attached to the front pillar body by opening a fitting hole into which the clip can be inserted in the front pillar body and fitting the clip into the fitting hole. Front pillar. 4. The front pillar of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the front pillar body is provided with a fragile portion for promoting deformation of the front pillar body. 5. A method of manufacturing an elongated protective member having a clip attached to a front surface of a front pillar and absorbing a shock, wherein a step of extruding the protective member in a state where a clip portion is arranged along a side portion of the protective member; Cutting the remaining clip portion of the clip portion after extrusion molding, leaving a portion necessary for the clip, and manufacturing the front pillar protection member.