EP4013664A1

EP4013664A1 - Vehicle body with a reinforced rear pillar

Info

Publication number: EP4013664A1
Application number: EP18906644.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Yanran WANG; Matthieu BARBIER; Zhongxiang Zhou; Guo Hui Hu; Bing Li
Original assignee: PSA Automobiles SA
Current assignee: Stellantis Auto SAS
Priority date: 2018-02-14
Filing date: 2018-02-14
Publication date: 2022-06-22
Also published as: WO2019157746A1; EP4013664A4

Abstract

A vehicle body comprises: a rear wheel housing (107); a rear pillar inner panel (103) extending upwardly from the rear wheel housing (107); a seat belt retractor mounting area (109) comprising an aperture (110) in the rear pillar inner panel (103) for receiving said retractor and a mounting bracket (112) for attaching said retractor. The vehicle body further comprises a reinforcing bracket (113), which one is attached to the rear wheel housing (107), to the rear pillar and to the mounting bracket (112). The vehicle body particularly enables improvements in the torsion stiffness of rear pillars, in a simple and efficient manner. The reinforcing bracket (113) enables the rear pillars to efficiently absorb forces associated with an impact event, when a seat belt retractor mounting area (109) is set in each rear pillar inner panel (103), in the vicinity of the rear wheel housing (107).

Description

VEHICLE BODY WITH A REINFORCED REAR PILLAR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to the body of automotive vehicle, and more particularly to the torsional stiffness of the rear structure of the body.

BACKGROUND

The torsional stiffness is one of the key parameters of a vehicle (body) design. It describes the resistance to twist that the body has when a torsion load is applied to the Body in White (BIW) . It plays a significant role when designing a car. Indeed, variations in torsional stiffness generally affect suspension kinematics and compliance, handling, steering and ride behavior of the vehicle. Thus, a vehicle with a high torsion rigidity gives the driver and the passenger a more “solid” feel when the vehicle is running, more particularly when the road is bumpy and has lot of potholes. Moreover, the interior of a vehicle with a high torsion rigidity, presents less rattling and popping noises when forces are transmitted from the suspension.
The rear body of a vehicle is particularly concerned by the torsional stiffness because in this area during impact events the rear pillars, commonly also designated third pillars or C-pillars, areusually flex concentration points for the lateral inputs. To counter actually this tendency, reinforcing structures are thus implemented on each rear pillar inner panels of the vehicle at the level of the rear wheel housing.
Figure 1 illustrates the rear portion of a vehicle body 1, for instance the right rear portion, according to prior art. In this figure, the rear pillar inner panel 3 is reinforced with two metal bars 5.1, 5.2, one 5.1 being fixed upwardly at one end on the rear wheel housing 7and the other 5.2, which is connected to the second end of the first one 5.1 and horizontally attached on the rear pillar inner panel 3. Although the configuration and the arrangement of these two reinforcing structures 5.1, 5.2 effectively improve the torsion stiffness of the rear portion of the vehicle body 1, these structures 5.1, 5.2 present the disadvantage to be voluminous and heavy.
Most of the vehicles comprise a seat belt retractor in the area of the rear pillars. In this case, the rear pillar inner panels present each a large aperture which serves to receive the retractor, as well as a mounting bracket to fix it. However, in addition to directly weaken the rear portion of the vehicles concerned, and thus to decrease the torsion stiffness of the vehicle body, these apertures also tend to limit the place which is necessary to implement reinforcing structures for the rear pillars.
SUMMARY
The invention has for technical problem to overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the above cited prior art. More specially, the invention has for technical problem to provide a rear structure of a vehicle body that enables improvement in the stiffness and strength of the rear pillars while inhibiting an increase in the weight of the vehicle body.
For this purpose, the invention is directed to a vehicle body comprising: a rear wheel housing; a rear pillar inner panel extending upwardly from the rear wheel housing; a seat belt retractor mounting area comprising an aperture in the rear pillar inner panel for receiving said retractor and a mounting bracket for attaching said retractor; and further comprising: a reinforcing bracket attached to the rear wheel housing, to the rear pillar and to the mounting bracket.
According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing bracket comprises a central plate portion that extends transversally on the rear wheel housing.
According to a preferred embodiment, the rear wheel housing comprises a beam portion extending upwardly and configured for supporting a rear seat back, the reinforcing bracket being mounted and attached to said beam portion.
According to a preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket is located directly above the beam portion of the rear wheel housing.
According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing bracket is attached by welding to the rear wheel housing.
According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing bracket is attached by screwing to the rear pillar inner panel and/or to the mounting bracket.
According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing bracket comprises at least one side portion extending transversally to the central plate portion and along the rear pillar inner panel and/or to the mounting bracket, and comprising at least one hole receiving a screw engaging with said panel or bracket.
According to a preferred embodiment, the mounting bracket is attached to the rear pillar inner panel at a lower edge of the aperture thereof.
According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing bracket is a stamped steel plate.
According to a preferred embodiment, the reinforcing bracket is a Z-shaped plate.
The invention is interesting in that it provides a vehicle body that particularly enables improvements in the torsion stiffness of rear pillars, in a simple and efficient manner. This invention is also interesting in that the reinforcing bracket enables the rear pillars to efficiently absorb forces associated with an impact event, when a seat belt retractor mounting area is set in each rear pillar inner panel, in the vicinity of the rear wheel housing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood from the following details description and drawings among them:
Figure 1 shows a view of a rear portion of a vehicle body according to the prior art;
Figure 2 illustrates a view of a rear portion of a vehicle body with a reinforcing bracket according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective and enlarged view of the reinforcing bracket of the figure 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Figure 1 has been already described above in relation with the prior art.
Figure 2 is a view of a rear portion of a vehicle body 101 according to the invention. This rear portion comprises a rear wheel housing 107, a rear pillar inner panel 103 extending upwardly from the rear wheel housing 107, a seat belt retractor mounting area 109 with a mounting bracket 112, and a reinforcing bracket 113.
The rear wheel housing107 comprises actually a beam portion 108 which extends upwardly and configured for supporting a rear seat back (not represented on figure 2) . The seat belt retractor mounting area109 for its part is formed by an aperture 110 located in the rear pillar inner panel 103, a retractor (not represented) and a mounting bracket 112, this last one 112ispositioned directly above the beam portion 108 of the wheel housing107 and serves to fix the retractor.
Concerning the reinforcing bracket 113, it is attached at the same time to the rear wheel housing 107, to the rear pillar inner panel 103 and to the mounting bracket 112. The attachment of the reinforcing bracket 113 to these three elements 107, 103, 112strengthens the area of the rear pillar inner panel 103 in which is located the aperture110 for the seat belt retractor.
Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the reinforcing bracket 113 fixed to the rear pillar inner panel 103 of the figure 2. As observed on this figure, the mounting bracket 112 of the seat belt retractor (not represented) is actually connected to the rear pillar inner panel 103 at a lower edge of the aperture 110, and the reinforcing bracket 113 is mounted and attached in particular to the beam portion108 of the rear wheel housing 107.
This reinforcing bracket 113 comprises in particular a central plate portion 115 that extends transversally on the rear wheel housing 107, and at least one side portion 117.1, 117.2 which extends transversally to the central plate portion 115 and along the rear pillar inner panel 103 and/or to the mounting bracket 112. Actually, these side portions 117.1, 117.2 serve to fix the reinforcing bracket 113. In this case, figure 3, two side portions 117.1, 117.2 extend transversally to the central plate portion 115, one 117.1 along the rear pillar inner panel 103, and the other 117.2 along the mounting bracket 112.
The attachment of the reinforcing bracket 113 on the beam portion 108 of the rear wheel housing 107 is realized by welding, while its attachment to the rear pillar inner panel 103 and/or to the mounting bracket 112 is performed by screwing. To this effect, the side portions 117.1, 117.2 comprise at least one hole 119 receiving a screw 121 engaging with the rear pillar inner panel 103 or the mounting bracket 112.
The reinforcing bracket 113 is formed with a steel plate having a shape realized by stamping. In this case, figure 3, the reinforcing bracket 113 is a Z-shaped plate.
Generally, the present invention has the advantage to increase the stability of rear pillar inner panels of vehicle body in which a large aperture is formed to fix a seat belt retractor and its mounting bracket. In this invention, the reinforcing bracket has for advantage to be a reinforcing element with a simple, light, and no-voluminous structure which effectively improves the torsion stiffness of the rear pillars in a reliable way and at low cost.

Claims

Vehicle body (101) comprising:

a rear wheel housing (107) ;

a rear pillar inner panel (103) extending upwardly from the rear wheel housing (107) ;

a seat belt retractor mounting area (109) comprising an aperture (110) in the rear pillar inner panel (103) for receiving said retractor and a mounting bracket (112) for attaching said retractor;

and further comprising:

a reinforcing bracket (113) attached to the rear wheel housing (107) , to the rear pillar (103) and to the mounting bracket (112) .
Vehicle body (101) according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcing bracket (113) comprises a central plate portion (115) that extends transversally on the rear wheel housing (107) .
Vehicle body (101) according to one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the rear wheel housing (107) comprises a beam portion (108) extending upwardly and configured for supporting a rear seat back, the reinforcing bracket (113) being mounted and attached to said beam portion (108) .
Vehicle body (101) according to claim 3, wherein the mounting bracket (112) is located directly above the beam portion (108) of the rear wheel housing (107) .
Vehicle body (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reinforcing bracket (113) is attached by welding to the rear wheel housing (107) .
Vehicle body (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the reinforcing bracket (113) is attached by screwing to the rear pillar inner panel (103) and/or to the mounting bracket (112) .
Vehicle body (101) according to claims 2 and 6, wherein the reinforcing bracket (113) comprises at least one side portion (117.1) extending transversally to the central plate portion (115) and along the rear pillar inner panel (103) and/or to the mounting bracket (112) , and comprising at least one hole (119) receiving a screw (121) engaging with said panel (103) or bracket (112) .
Vehicle body (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the mounting bracket (113) is attached to the rear pillar inner panel (103) at a lower edge of the aperture (110) thereof.
Vehicle body (101) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the reinforcing bracket (113) is a stamped steel plate.
Vehicle body (101) according to claim 9, wherein the reinforcing bracket (113) is a Z-shaped plate.