JP2000203456A - Rear car body structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reinforce bending rigidity and twisting rigidity of the opening upper edge of the back door of a car body. SOLUTION: This rear car body structure is formed that an opening rail 1 in a closed section forming the opening upper edge of the back door opening 3 of a car body and consisting of upper and lower panels 1a and 1b is covered with the rear end part of a roof panel 2 in a Z-shape in cross section provided on the rear end side with a lower step part 22. In this case, the lower panel 1b of an opening rail 1 is formed in an uneven surface in cross section and has a protrusion part 13 formed on the central part in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle throughout an overall length in the direction of a car width, and the upper end part of the protrusion part 13 and the upper panel 1a are integrally coupled with the rear end lower step part 22 of the roof panel 2. A first closed section D1 consisting of the upper and lower panels 1a and 1b, the front edges 11 and 14 of which are intercoupled, is formed on its front side through the integrally coupled part. A second closed section D2 is formed on the rear side consisting of the lower step part 22 of the roof panel 2 and the lower panel 1b, the rear edges 15 and 13 of which are coupled together.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a rear body structure, and more particularly to a structure of an upper edge of a back door opening.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 2, in a vehicle having a back door 5 such as a wagon type vehicle, an upper edge of a back door opening 3 is a rear end of a roof. FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the conventional roof rear end at a position along the line XX in FIG. 2. The roof rear end has a structure in which the opening rail 1A installed in the vehicle width direction is covered by the rear end of the roof panel 2. And The opening rail 1A includes an upper panel 1a having a substantially Z-shaped cross section and a lower panel 1 having a substantially L-shaped cross section.
b has a substantially L-shaped closed cross-section structure in which the front edge and the rear edge are connected to each other. On the other hand, the rear end portion of the roof panel 2 is provided with a lower step portion 22 which is bent to have a substantially Z-shaped cross section corresponding to the upper panel 1a of the opening rail 1A and which is positioned lower than the general portion 20.

[0003] Opening rail 1A and roof panel 2
Is the opening rail 1A at the rear end of the roof panel 2.
And the lower surface of the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 is fixed together with the mastic sealer 4 or the like to fix the lower surface of the general portion 20 of the roof panel 2 and the upper surface of the front half of the opening rail 1A.
The rear edge is integrally welded to the joint between the rear edge of the upper panel 1a and the rear edge of the lower panel 1b of the opening rail 1A. The back door 5 is hingedly coupled to the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 at the left and right positions in the vehicle width direction so that the back door 5 can be flipped open and closed. When the back door 5 is closed, the general portion 20 of the roof panel 2 and the upper edge of the back door 5 are opened. And the upper edge of the back door 5 enters the step at the rear end of the roof panel 2 when the back door 5 is opened. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 30 denotes a weather strip which is in close contact with the inner surface of the back door 5 when the back door 5 is closed.

[0004]

Since the opening rail 1A of the conventional structure has a substantially L-shaped closed cross section, the rigidity, particularly the rigidity against bending in the vertical direction, and the longitudinal center axis of the opening rail 1A are increased. The rigidity against twisting about the axis is not always sufficient.
Therefore, the opening rail 1A has a wide front-rear width and a large cross-sectional area to enhance rigidity. However, the opening rail 1A becomes large and heavy in proportion to the increase in the front-rear width. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to realize a rear vehicle body having enhanced rigidity without increasing the size, particularly, a vehicle body structure at an upper edge portion of a back door opening.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a rear body structure in which an opening rail at an upper edge of a back door opening of a vehicle is covered with a rear end of a roof panel, and the opening rail is composed of an upper panel and a lower panel. In a rear body structure in which a closed cross section is formed and the upper panel is covered with a rear end portion of a roof panel having a Z-shaped cross section with the rear end side being a lower step, the lower panel has a cross-sectional shape at a central portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The upper end of the protrusion and the upper panel are integrally connected to the lower end of the roof panel at the rear end of the roof panel. Forming a first closed cross-section with the upper panel and the lower panel having their front edges joined together;
A second closed cross section is formed by the lower rear end portion of the roof panel and the lower panel, the rear end edges of which are joined to each other on the rear side (claim 1). By forming a closed cross section before and after the joint between the opening rail and the roof panel, bending rigidity and torsional rigidity of the upper edge of the back door opening are enhanced.

The upper panel is formed to have an inverted U-shaped cross section, and the lower panel is formed to have a U-shaped cross section on the front side and the rear side of the protrusion having a trapezoidal cross section. A top surface and a rear end edge of the upper panel are integrally joined to the lower end of the rear end of the roof panel, and the first and second closed cross-sections having a rectangular cross section are formed on the front side and the rear side of the integrated joint. (Claim 2). Since the first and second closed sections are each formed in a rectangular shape having high rigidity, the bending rigidity and the torsional rigidity of the upper edge of the back door opening are enhanced without increasing the front-rear width of the opening rail.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIG. 2, a wagon type vehicle has a back door opening 3 at its rear end face.
It is opened and closed by a flip-up type back door 5. FIG.
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a main part of the back door opening 3, and FIG.
2 shows a sectional view of the opening edge of the back door opening 3 at a position along the line XX in FIG. The upper edge of the back door opening 3 is
Opening rail 1 with the upper and lower quarter pillars 6 (only one is shown) spanned in the vehicle width direction
And a rear end portion of the roof panel 2 that covers this.

The rear end of the roof panel 2 has a substantially Z-shaped cross section, and a lower step portion 22 which is lower than the general portion 20 is formed through a step 21 formed by bending a rear edge of the substantially horizontal general portion 20 downward. I have. The lower portion 22 is formed substantially horizontally, and a welded portion 23 formed at a position lower than the lower portion 22 is formed at a rear edge thereof, and a flange 24 bent upward is provided at a rear edge of the welded portion 23. It is. In addition, the step 21 is formed in a slightly curved shape toward the front so as not to interfere with the upper edge of the back door 5 when the back door 5 that opens and closes the back door opening 3 is opened.

The roof panel 2 has a side edge of the general portion 20 joined along an inner edge of the roof side rail 7 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a concave drip groove 70 extending in the front-rear direction at the joint portion of the two. Is formed. The rear end of the roof side rail 7 is connected to the upper end of the quarter pillar 6 in series. The side edge of the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 is connected to the upper end of the opening frame portion 61 inside the back door opening 3 of the quarter pillar 6.

The opening rail 1 is an upper panel 1a.
And a lower panel 1b. The left and right side ends are integrally connected to a joint between the upper ends of the left and right quarter pillars 6 and the rear end of the roof side rail 7, respectively. The upper panel 1a of the opening rail 1 is a steel plate having a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section, and a connecting flange 11 bent forward at a front edge and a connecting flange 12 bent backward at a rear edge.
Are provided respectively. The rear surface of the upper panel 1a extends below the front surface, and the height of the rear surface is substantially the same as the height of the step 21 of the roof panel 2.

On the other hand, the lower panel 1b of the opening rail 1 is formed of an uneven steel plate having a substantially trapezoidal cross-sectional projection 13 having a flat top surface at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. The protruding portion 13 is formed continuously over the entire length of the opening rail 1 in the vehicle width direction. Lower panel 1
b has a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape in which the front end is bent upward, and the front half thereof has a front-rear width substantially equal to the front-rear width of the upper panel 1a with respect to the top surface of the protruding portion 13. At the front edge, the connecting flange 1 at the front edge of the upper panel 1a
2 are provided. On the other hand, the rear half has a welded portion 23 of the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 at the rear edge.
And a front-rear width including a top surface of the protruding portion 13 is substantially the same as the front-rear width of the lower portion 22.

The opening rail 1 comprises an upper panel 1
a and the lower panel 1b are welded at the connecting flanges 11 and 14 at the front edge thereof, and the connecting flange 12 at the rear edge of the upper panel 1a and the top surface of the projection 13 of the lower panel 1b are welded. The first half of 1b forms a first closed cross section D1 having a vertically-long, substantially rectangular shape having a larger vertical width with respect to the front-rear width. And
The opening rail 1 is covered at the rear end of the roof panel 2, and the upper surface of the upper panel 1a of the opening rail 1 is fixed to the lower surface of the general portion 20 of the roof panel 2 with a mastic sealer 4 or the like, and the rear edge of the upper panel 1a is joined. The front end of the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 is welded and connected integrally with the connection between the flange 12 and the top surface of the protrusion 13 of the lower panel 1b. Furthermore, the connecting flange 15 at the rear edge of the rear half of the lower panel 1b and the lower step 22 of the roof panel 2
The rear edge of the lower panel 1b and the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 are welded to the rear edge welded portion 23 so that the vertical width is smaller than the first closed cross section D1, and the front and rear width is the first closed cross section D1. The second closed section D2 is substantially the same, and the bottom surface is substantially the same as the bottom surface of the first closed section D1 and has a substantially rectangular cross section. The front and rear widths of the integrated portion are the first and second widths.
Are approximately half of the front and rear widths of the closed sections D1 and D2.

Unillustrated hinge members are provided at the left and right ends of the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 at the upper edge of the back door opening 3 thus configured, and the back door 5 is flipped up by these hinge members. The back door 5 is rotatably supported and the back door 5 opens and closes the back door opening 3.
The rear edge flange 24 of the lower portion 22 of the roof panel 2 is provided with a weather strip 30 which presses against the inner surface of the back door 5 when the back door 5 is closed to seal between the back door opening 3 and the back door 5.

In the vehicle body structure of the upper edge of the back door opening 3, the first closed section D1 formed on the opening rail 1 by the upper panel 1a and the front half of the lower panel 1b, and the rear half of the lower panel 1b. Since two parallel closed cross sections composed of the second closed cross section D2 formed by the lower step portion 22 of the roof panel 2 and the second closed cross section D2 are provided to substantially divide the closed cross section of the opening rail 1 into two, a back door is provided. The rigidity of the opening 3 against the bending load applied to the upper edge of the opening in the vertical and front-rear directions is high. Further, first and second closed sections D1 and D2 are provided, and both closed sections D1 and D2 are provided.
D2 was joined by an integral joint where the top surface of the projecting portion 13 of the lower panel 1b, the joining flange 12 on the rear edge of the upper panel 1a, and the lower panel 22 of the roof panel 2 were overlapped and welded. Is strengthened against torsional load.

When the vehicle is running, the opening rail 1
Is smaller than the vertical bending load and the torsional load, so that even if the front-rear width of the first closed section D1 having the rectangular shape is reduced, the bending load in the front-rear direction is sufficient. Rigidity is ensured, and therefore, the opening rail 1 can be reduced in size by making its front-rear width smaller than that of the conventional opening rail 1A.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the opening rail, which forms the upper edge of the back door opening of the vehicle body, can be made compact and have high bending rigidity and torsional rigidity, and the rear vehicle body structure can be strengthened.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a rear body structure of the present invention, and FIG.
2A is a perspective view of a main part thereof, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along a line XX in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a wagon-type vehicle to which the rear body structure of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the conventional rear body structure at a position along line XX in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Opening rail 1a Upper panel 11 Front edge (connection flange) 12 Rear edge (connection flange) 1b Lower panel 13 Projection 14 Front edge (connection flange) 15 Rear edge (connection flange) 2 Roof panel 22 Lower step 23 rear edge (Welded part) 3 Back door opening D1 First closed section D2 Second closed section

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A rear vehicle body structure in which an opening rail at an upper edge of a back door opening of a vehicle is covered by a rear end of a roof panel, wherein the opening rail forms a closed cross section by an upper panel and a lower panel. In the rear body structure covered with a rear end portion of a roof panel having a Z-shaped cross section with the rear end side being a lower step, the lower panel includes:
The cross-sectional shape is formed in a concave and convex shape having a projection extending over the entire length in the vehicle width direction at the center in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the upper end of the projection and the upper panel are integrally connected to the lower end of the rear end of the roof panel. , On the front side through the integral joint,
A first closed section is formed by the upper panel and the lower panel where the front edges are coupled to each other, and a second closed section is formed by the lower rear panel and the lower panel of the roof panel where the rear edges are coupled to the rear side. A rear body structure characterized by being formed. 2. The upper panel has an inverted U-shaped cross-sectional shape, and the lower panel has a trapezoidal cross-section, and the front side and the rear side of the protrusion have a cross-sectional shape having a U-shaped cross-section, respectively. The upper end top surface and the rear end edge of the upper panel are integrally joined to the lower end of the roof panel, and the first and second closed cross-sections having a U-shaped cross section are provided on the front side and the rear side of the integrated connection portion. The rear body structure according to claim 1, wherein the rear body structure is formed.