JP2001206177A - Energy absorbing structure of body side part - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a body side part occupant crash protective structure of an automobile capable of providing an excellent secondary impact energy absorptivity of occupant at the time of side impact of the automobile. SOLUTION: An energy absorbing member disposed on the side part of the automobile (center pillar) in the longitudinal vertical direction is formed of an aluminum alloy extruded material in generally hexagonal cross sectional shape.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an energy absorbing structure on a side of a vehicle body for protecting an occupant in a side collision of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various measures against side collisions have been taken in vehicles, particularly automobiles, in order to improve occupant protection performance in the event of a side collision (hereinafter abbreviated as "collision").

As one method of countermeasures for this kind of side collision, an energy absorbing structure is conventionally provided in a center pillar portion.

As a conventional example, in the structure shown in FIG. 9, an energy absorbing member 1 formed separately from an inner panel 120 of a center pillar 100 and a garnish 130 and made of urethane foam, styrene foam or the like.
55 is disposed inside the vehicle cabin so as not to hinder sliding of the seat belt 140.

[0005] According to the above configuration, when the outer panel 110 of the center pillar 100 is deformed toward the vehicle cabin during a side collision (behavior at the time of a primary collision), the occupant moves to the outside of the vehicle cabin due to the reaction at that time.

At this time, energy absorption at the time of the secondary collision of the occupant is performed by the elastic deformation of the energy absorbing member 155.

However, in the case of the above configuration,
Considering the energy absorption characteristics of urethane foam and styrene foam, the compression ratio of the energy absorbing member 155 is about 7
Since it must be set to 0%, there is a technical problem that the thickness D1 of the energy absorbing member to be provided is increased in order to obtain a deformation stroke necessary for protecting the occupant.

Further, it is necessary to secure a space D2 for ensuring the slidability of the seat belt 140.

[0009] Therefore, it protrudes largely into the vehicle cabin, and the occupant space is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an energy absorbing structure for a vehicle body side portion capable of reducing the protrusion toward the vehicle interior while obtaining ideal energy absorbing characteristics at the time of a side collision.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle body is arranged at a predetermined portion (center pillar) of a vehicle body side portion which comes into contact with an occupant at the time of a collision, with the vehicle body vertical direction being a longitudinal direction,
In addition, the present invention provides an energy absorbing structure on a vehicle body side including a plastically deformable energy absorbing member, wherein the energy absorbing member is formed into a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to improve the ease of assembling a seat belt or the like, a portion of the vehicle having a substantially hexagonal cross section outside the vehicle compartment is opened.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the thickness of the energy absorbing member on the vehicle front and rear sides is made thinner than the thickness of the energy absorbing member on the outside and inside the vehicle. Features.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the center pillar 100 is provided with an outer panel 110 disposed outside the vehicle compartment.
And an inner panel 120 disposed on the vehicle interior side, a garnish 130 attached to a surface of the inner panel 120 on the vehicle interior side, and restraining an occupant to the seat between the garnish 130 and the inner panel 120 described above. And a seat belt 140.

Between the garnish 130 and the inner panel 120 described above, a thin hexagonal cross-sectionally shaped energy absorbing body having an open part outside the vehicle compartment whose longitudinal direction is the vehicle vertical direction shown in FIG. The member 155 connects the seat belt 140 to the opening W of the energy absorbing member 155.
1, it is arranged so as to be put into the energy absorbing member 155.

Although the case where the energy absorbing member is provided with an opening to improve the ease of assembling the seatbelt is described, excellent energy absorption is exhibited even when the energy absorbing member has no opening. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the thickness t1 of the hexagonal cross-sectional shape of the vehicle interior and exterior having a partially opened portion is
By reducing the thickness t2 on the front and rear sides of the vehicle, more ideal energy absorption characteristics can be obtained.

Here, the ideal energy absorption characteristics are as follows:
The occupant's waist is covered with more bones than the chest and can withstand sudden changes in load. is there.

More specifically, it is preferable to set each of them so that the thickness ratio (thickness dimension t2 / thickness dimension t1)> = 0.8.

Further, the energy absorbing member 1 of the present embodiment
55 is formed by extrusion using an aluminum alloy.

When a side collision occurs, the outer panel 110 of the center pillar 100 is deformed toward the vehicle interior (primary collision).

In addition, due to the reaction at this time, the occupant moves toward the inner panel 120 of the center pillar 100 and contacts the garnish 130 (secondary collision). Here, in the present embodiment, the inner panel 120 and the garnish 130
The energy absorbing member 155 having a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape having a predetermined shape and a predetermined thickness is disposed between the energy absorbing member 155 and the load at the time of the secondary collision of the occupant is absorbed as follows. .

First, in the initial stage of the collision, when the side of the occupant abuts on the garnish 130, the energy absorbing member 155 receives a reaction force F from the inner panel 120 and undergoes compression plastic deformation in the vehicle longitudinal direction (FIG. 5). .

In this embodiment, since the energy absorbing member 155 in the state before the collision is formed to be thin with a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape in which a part outside the vehicle compartment is opened, the initial stage of the collision occurs. By deforming the corner portion of the substantially hexagonal shape so as to break so as to hold the load, a target energy absorption characteristic as shown in FIG. 6 can be obtained.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the thickness t2 on the front and rear sides of the vehicle is made thinner than the thickness t1 inside and outside the vehicle compartment having a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape, so that the energy absorbing member 155 can be mounted on the vehicle. Deformation of the indoor surface 155a and the outdoor surface 155b is suppressed, and a more targeted energy absorption characteristic as shown in FIG. 8 is obtained.

[0027]

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an occupant protection performance against a side collision without enlarging the center pillar toward the interior of the vehicle, and to improve the assembling property by providing the opening.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a pillar portion of an automobile according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a pillar portion according to the present invention (I
-I).

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an energy absorbing member according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the energy absorbing member according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the energy absorbing member of FIG. 3 in the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a load-displacement curve of the energy absorbing member in FIG. 3 in the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the energy absorbing member of FIG. 4 according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a load-displacement curve of the energy absorbing member in FIG. 4 in the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a pillar portion of a conventional structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 vehicle 160 weatherstrip

Continuation of the front page F term (reference) 3D003 AA05 AA11 BB01 CA34 3J066 AA23 BA03 BB01 BC01 BD07 BF02

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vehicle body side part provided with a longitudinally extending vehicle body in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body and provided with a plastically deformable energy absorbing member at a predetermined part of the vehicle body side part which comes into contact with a side part of an occupant during a side collision of the vehicle. An energy absorbing structure for a vehicle body side portion, wherein the energy absorbing member is formed into a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape. 2. The vehicle body energy absorbing structure according to claim 1, wherein the energy absorbing member has a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape in which a part outside the vehicle compartment is opened. 3. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a thickness of the energy absorbing member having a substantially hexagonal cross-sectional shape on a vehicle front-rear side is smaller than a thickness of the energy absorbing member on the vehicle interior and exterior sides. Energy absorption structure on the side of the vehicle.