JP2007237890A - Upper body structure of vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To weaken the presence in appearance of a front header while sufficiently ensuring the cross sectional area of the front header in a vehicle equipped with a roof window panel which continuously extends from the upper end of a front window. <P>SOLUTION: The front header 15 is constituted of a member equipped with a closed cross section 18, and a recess section 19 is formed on the rear end section of a header lower part 17. The front header 15 is arranged to be positioned while tilting downward at an angle θ from a horizontal line HL. The tilting angle θ is preferably set so as to approximately meet the viewing lines of passengers on second and third seat trains 3 and 4. The front end section of the front header 15 is apart from the bent front end section of a roof window panel 13. In the recess section 19 of the front header 15, the front section of a sun visor 21 is housed, and the sun visor 21 under the housed state is located on the extended line of the front header 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an upper body structure of a vehicle, and more particularly to a vehicle in which at least a front portion of a vehicle body roof is made of a light transmissive roof window panel such as glass.

Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle including a roof window panel formed integrally with a front window, and a part of the roof is configured by the roof window panel. This type of vehicle has an advantage that a so-called glass sunroof is continuous from the front window, so that a large amount of external light is taken into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior is bright, and an occupant can feel open.
EP1405744

  As a basic structure of the vehicle, both side edges of the front window are supported by front pillars, and upper ends of the left and right front pillars are connected to each other by a front header extending in the vehicle width direction. Needless to say, the front header is one of the members that affect the rigidity of the vehicle body.

  In a vehicle as disclosed in Patent Document 1, that is, a vehicle having a window panel connected to the front window, the window panel continuously extends from the upper end of the front window, so that the presence of the front header is visible from the outside. There is a problem of appearance. To deal with this problem, it may be possible to reduce the front header cross-sectional area to weaken the presence of the front header, but this is not necessarily a preferable countermeasure because it is a technique to reduce the rigidity of the vehicle body. .

  An object of the present invention is to presuppose a vehicle having a roof window panel that continuously extends from the upper end of a front window, while ensuring a sufficient cross-sectional area of the front header and weakening the presence on the appearance of the front header. An object of the present invention is to provide an upper body structure of a vehicle.

According to the present invention, the above technical problem is
Light that is disposed in the front opening formed between the left and right front pillars and is continuously provided with respect to the upper end of the front window supported on both side edges by the left and right front pillars, and constitutes at least the front portion of the roof A vehicle with a permeable roof window panel,
A front header extending in the vehicle width direction for connecting the upper ends of the left and right front pillars is formed of a member having a closed cross-sectional structure,
This is achieved by providing an upper vehicle body structure for a vehicle, wherein the roof window panel is disposed above the front header, and at least a rear portion of the front header is spaced apart from the roof window panel.

  That is, according to the present invention, instead of disposing the front header along the front end of the roof window panel, the front header is a member having a closed cross-sectional structure, typically a closed cross-section member formed by a header upper and a header lower. By configuring and separating at least the rear part of the front header from the roof window panel, the presence of the front header is weakened in appearance. In other words, the roof window panel generally has a curved shape at the confluence with the front window, but the front header is designed independently of the curved shape at the front end of the roof window panel. By devising the arrangement of the front header having a large closed cross section, it is possible to obtain a degree of design freedom that makes the front header inconspicuous in appearance.

  As a specific aspect, the front header is made to have a flat cross-sectional shape vertically, and the flat front header has a front end adjacent to the roof window panel and a rear end separated from the rule window panel. By locating the front header, it is possible to make the front header appear slender when viewed from the front of the front window.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sun visor disposed on the front header is set to take a storage position extending in substantially the same direction as the front header. Thereby, the presence in appearance including a sun visor can be diluted. As a specific example, a recess may be formed in the rear end and lower surface of the front header, and the front portion of the sun visor may be accommodated in this recess, or the sun visor may be stored along the lower surface of the front header. You may make it take a position.

  In addition, if the vehicle has the second seat row or the third seat row, it is preferable to set the inclination angle of the front header along the line of sight of the occupant in the second seat row, for example, behind the first seat row. . According to this, an occupant seated in a seat behind the first seat row feels open by the roof window panel, but seated in a seat behind the first seat row such as the second seat row. Since it can reduce that a crew member's line of sight is obstructed by a front header, a feeling of further opening can be given. This can provide a passenger with a more open feeling in a vehicle in which the second seat row is set higher than the first seat row. In particular, in a vehicle in which the second seat row is arranged at a higher position than the first seat row and the third seat row is arranged at a higher position than the second seat row, the passengers in the second and third seat rows On the other hand, it is possible to reduce the obstruction of the line of sight by the front header.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a one-box car according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. The illustrated one-box car 1 has three rows of seats 2 to 4 as can be understood from FIG. 2, and the occupant of the first seat row 2 located in the foremost row of the passenger compartment is a front side door that opens rearward of the front hinge The passengers in the second seat row 3 and the third seat row 4 located behind the first seat row 2 can get on and off through the rear side door 6 that is a sliding door.

  The height dimension of the cabin of the one-box car 1 is designed to be relatively large, and the second sheet row 3 is arranged at a height (H2) higher than the height level (H1) of the first sheet row 2. In addition, the third sheet row 4 is disposed at a higher position (H3) than the second sheet row 3. That is, the first sheet row 2 to the third sheet row 4 provided in the one box car 1 are arranged at a higher position in the rear row. In the figure, reference numeral 7 is a handle provided in the driver seat of the first seat row 2, 8 is a front wheel, and 9 is a rear wheel.

  The one-box car 1 has a front window 11 disposed in a front opening formed between the left and right front pillars 10, 10. As is well known, the front window 11 has both left and right front pillars 10. 10 is supported.

  The roof 12 of the one-box car 1 includes a light transmissive roof window panel 13 at a front portion thereof, that is, a portion extending from the front end of the roof 11 to the head of the second sheet row 3. The roof window panel 13 extends continuously from the upper end of the front window 11, and as best seen in FIG. 2, the front window 11 and the roof window panel 13 are made of a single glass material that is integrally formed. ing. That is, the front window 11 and the roof window panel 13 continuous thereto extend obliquely backward from the lower end of the front window 11 toward the upper end, and the upper end of the front window 11 is curved and extends rearward substantially horizontally. , And ends above the second sheet row 3.

  A front header 15 is located at a curved portion where the roof window panel 13 joins the front window 11 (FIG. 2). As is well known, the front header 15 is a member extending in the vehicle width direction, and both left and right ends of the front header 15 are connected to the front pillar 10.

  FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a section where the roof window panel 13 merges with the front window 11. Referring to FIG. 3, the front header 15 is configured by joining the header upper 16 and the front end flanges 16a, 17a and the rear end flanges 16b, 17b of the header lower 17 in a state of being overlapped with each other. A closed section 18 is formed at 17.

  More specifically, in the front header 15, the header upper 16 and the header lower 17 both have a substantially hat-shaped cross section, and as shown in FIG. The header lower 17 has a stepped portion 17c at the rear end thereof, and a recess 19 is formed in the rear end portion and the lower surface of the front head 15 by the stepped portion 17c. The front header 15 is attached to the vehicle body in a state surrounded by the trim 20.

  A line CL in FIG. 3 shows a center line that divides the cross section of the flat-shaped front header 15 substantially vertically. As can be seen from the center line CL, the front header 15 is disposed so as to be inclined below the inclined line X where the window panel 13 joins the front window 11. Preferably, the front header 15 is disposed such that the center line CL of the front header 15 is inclined downward by an angle θ with respect to the horizontal line HL. The inclination angle θ is most preferably set so as to substantially coincide with the line of sight of the occupant of the second seat row 3 or the third seat row 4 (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2). preferable.

  In other words, the front header 15 has an upper surface of the header upper 16 and a lower surface of the header lower 17 extending along the line of sight of the occupant of the second seat row 3 or the third seat row 4 (indicated by arrows in FIG. 2). It is preferable to set as follows.

  By constructing and arranging the front header 15 in this way, the front end portion of the front header 15 is closest to the curved portion where the roof window panel 13 merges with the front window 11, that is, the curved front end portion of the roof window panel 13. And the rear end portion of the front header 15 is in the most separated state.

  In the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the front end portion of the front header 15 is separated from the curved front end portion of the roof window panel 13, and a clearance 22 is provided between them. As will be described, it goes without saying that the curved front end portion of the roof window panel 13 and the front end portion of the front header 15 may be brought close to each other and bonded together with an adhesive.

  The front portion of the sun visor 21 is disposed in the recess 20 formed in the rear end portion and the lower surface of the front header 15. The sun visor 21 extends in the extending direction of the front header 15, that is, in the second state in the illustrated sun visor retracted state. It is preferable to position the seat row 3 or the third seat row 4 at a position extending substantially along the line of sight of the occupant (indicated by an arrow in FIG. 2). As a result, the sun visor 21 is positioned on an extension line of the front header 15 that is flat in the vertical direction, and can be stored in substantially the same plane as the front header 15.

  As described above, because the front header 15 having a closed cross-sectional structure composed of the header upper 16 and the header lower 17 is disposed so as to be inclined and separated from the curved front end portion of the roof window panel 13, When this is viewed from the outside, it is possible to weaken the appearance of the front header despite having a sufficiently large closed cross section. This effect becomes even more effective when the front header 15 has a flat cross-sectional shape up and down.

  In particular, when the front header 15 is inclined and arranged along the line of sight of the occupants of the second and third seat rows 3 and 4, the front view of the occupants seated in the second and third seat rows 3 and 4 is provided. Is obstructed by the front header 15. In particular, in the vehicle in which the second seat row 3 and the third seat row 4 are arranged higher than the first seat row 2 as in the vehicle of the embodiment, the second seat row 3 and the third seat row 4 The occupant's forward view is important to give these occupants a more open feeling.

  Further, by positioning the storage position of the sun visor 21 at a position substantially along the line of sight of the occupant seated in the second seat row 3 and the third seat row 4, the occupants of the second seat row 3 and the third seat row 4 Can be mitigated from being obstructed by the sun visor 21.

  4 and subsequent drawings show other embodiments of the present invention, but it should be understood that the matters relating to the inclination of the front header 15 are the same as those of the first embodiment.

  With respect to the relationship between the curved front end portion of the roof window panel 13 and the front header 15, as shown in FIG. 4, a ridge 16 c is provided at a part of the head upper 16 at the front end of the front header 15. It is also possible to use a dam 24 and an adhesive 25 to join the curved portion of the front end of the roof window panel 13. For example, the raised portions 16c may be provided only in the center portion of the front header 15 in the vehicle width direction, or a plurality of raised portions 16c may be provided so as to be scattered in the vehicle width direction of the front header 15.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the curved front end portion of the roof window panel 13 and the front end portion of the front header 15 are brought close to each other so as to be joined via an adhesive 25 extending linearly in the vehicle width direction. It may be.

  Further, regarding the arrangement of the sun visor 21, as shown in FIG. 6, the storage position of the sun visor 21 may be set at a position along the lower surface of the header lower 17 of the front header 15. In this case, you may make it utilize the recess 19 formed in the rear-end part and lower surface of the front header 15 for accessory cases (for example, sunglasses case).

It is the perspective view which looked at the one box car of the example from diagonally forward. It is a figure for demonstrating arrangement | positioning of the 1st thru | or 3rd sheet row | line | column of the one box car of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the surroundings of the front header of the one box car of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the other Example of the front header periphery of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the further another Example of the surroundings of the front header of FIG. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment around the front header of FIG. 3 related to the arrangement of the sun visor.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 One box car 2 1st sheet row 3 2nd sheet row 4 3rd seat row 10 Front pillar 11 Front window 13 Roof window panel 15 Front header 16 Header upper 17 Header lower 18 Front header closed section 19 Front header recess 21 Sun visor 23 Adhesive

Claims (7)

Light that is disposed in the front opening formed between the left and right front pillars and is continuously provided with respect to the upper end of the front window supported on both side edges by the left and right front pillars, and constitutes at least the front portion of the roof A vehicle with a permeable roof window panel,
A front header extending in the vehicle width direction for connecting the upper ends of the left and right front pillars is formed of a member having a closed cross-sectional structure,
An upper body structure of a vehicle, wherein the roof window panel is disposed above the front header, and at least a rear portion of the front header is separated from the roof window panel.   The upper body structure of the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the front window is integrally formed with the roof window panel.   The front header has an up and down flat cross-sectional shape, and the flat front header is inclined so that a front end thereof is adjacent to the roof window panel and a rear end thereof is separated from the rule window panel. The upper body structure of a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein   The vehicle upper body structure according to claim 3, wherein a sun visor is disposed in the front header, and the sun visor has a storage position extending in substantially the same direction as the front header.   The vehicle upper body structure according to claim 4, wherein a recess is formed in a rear end portion and a lower surface of the front header, and a front portion of the sun visor is accommodated in the recess.   The upper body structure of the vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the sun visor takes a storage position along a lower surface of the front header.   The vehicle includes a plurality of rows of seats in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the inclination angle of the front header of the flat cross section is set so as to substantially coincide with the line of sight of a passenger in a row behind the first seat row. The upper body structure of the vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

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