JP2021167173A - Vehicle body upper part structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a vehicle body upper part structure capable of improving coupling quality between an inclination wall of a side panel outer and a roof panel.SOLUTION: A vehicle body upper part structure 10 includes a roof side rail outer 16, a roof panel 14 and a side panel outer 13. The side panel outer is installed outward of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction and includes an outer panel horizontal part 31 and an outer panel upper inclination part 35. The outer panel horizontal part includes a coupling surface part 32 and a deformation absorption part 33. The coupling surface part is formed at an interval L inward in the vehicle width direction relative to the outer panel upper inclination part and coupled under such a state as to be pressed against an outer rail flat part 21 of the roof side rail outer. The deformation absorption part is formed on the side of the outer panel upper inclination part in the vehicle width direction to the coupling surface part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle body superstructure.

As a vehicle body superstructure, for example, a configuration is known in which a horizontal wall of a side panel outer is connected to a roof side rail outer by a self-piercing rivet. Hereinafter, the binding by self-piercing rivet may be referred to as "rivet binding" (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Further, as another configuration for connecting the horizontal wall to the roof side rail outer, for example, a structure in which the horizontal wall is pushed into the die together with the roof side rail outer by a punch and is connected to the roof side rail outer by a clinch is known. There is. Hereinafter, the clinch bond between the punch and the die may be referred to as a "clinch bond" (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP-A-2018-149828 Special Table 2019-505390

By the way, in the pre-process of riveting or clinching the horizontal wall of the side panel outer to the roof side rail outer, it is conceivable that the horizontal wall is arranged with a gap above the roof side rail outer. In this case, in the subsequent process, when the horizontal wall is clinched or riveted to the roof side rail outer, the horizontal wall is deformed downward.
Due to the deformation of the horizontal wall, for example, the vertical wall of the side panel outer also moves downward. Due to the movement of the vertical wall, the inclined wall of the side panel outer is distorted downward. Therefore, for example, it is difficult to ensure the bonding quality in a state where the roof panel is brazed to the inclined wall of the side panel outer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body superstructure capable of improving the connection quality between the inclined wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
(1) The vehicle body upper structure according to the present invention includes a roof side rail outer (for example, the roof side rail outer 16 of the embodiment) provided on the outer side of the upper body in the vehicle width direction, and a vehicle above the roof side rail outer. A roof panel provided at the center in the width direction (for example, the roof panel 14 of the embodiment) and a horizontal wall provided on the outer side of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction and connected to the roof side rail outer (for example). With an outer panel horizontal portion 31) of the embodiment and a side panel outer (for example, the side panel outer 13 of the embodiment) having an inclined wall (for example, inclined portions 35, 61 on the outer panel of the embodiment) coupled to the roof panel. A vehicle body upper structure (for example, the vehicle body upper structure 10 of the embodiment) comprising A joint surface portion (for example, the joint surface portion 32 of the embodiment) bonded while being pressed by the outer, and a deformation absorbing portion (for example, an embodiment) formed on the inclined wall side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the joint surface portion. It has a deformation absorbing portion 33) of the form.

According to this configuration, in the horizontal wall of the side panel outer, a deformation absorbing portion is formed on the side of the inclined wall with respect to the joint surface portion. The joint surface portion is a portion to be joined by, for example, a clinch bond or a rivet bond in a state of being pressed by the side panel outer.
Here, for example, in a state where the horizontal wall is arranged with a gap above the roof side rail outer, when the joint surface portion is joined to the roof side rail outer, the deformation due to the joint surface portion to the lower side is performed. It can be absorbed by the deformation absorption part formed on the horizontal wall.
By absorbing the deformation of the joint surface portion by the deformation absorbing portion in this way, the downward distortion of the inclined wall can be suppressed, and the bonding quality between the inclined wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel can be improved.

(2) The deformation absorbing portion is formed between the bent end portion of the inclined wall (for example, the bent side 63a of the embodiment) and the joint surface portion, or the end portion of the inclined wall on the horizontal wall side (for example). For example, between the bent end portion (for example, the bent side 52a of the embodiment) of the vertical wall (for example, the outer panel vertical portion 34 of the embodiment) extending from the lower side 35a) of the embodiment toward the horizontal wall and the joint surface portion. It may be formed in.

According to this configuration, a deformation absorbing portion is formed between the bent end portion of the inclined wall and the joint surface portion, or between the bent end portion of the vertical wall and the joint surface portion. Therefore, the deformation absorbing portion can be brought closer to the inclined wall, and the amount of protrusion in the vehicle width direction due to the horizontal wall can be suppressed to be small. Thereby, for example, when the horizontal wall is bent and molded from the inclined wall or the vertical wall, the press formability of the horizontal wall can be sufficiently ensured.

(3) In the deformation absorbing portion, the gap between the bent end portion and the joint surface portion (for example, the interval L of the embodiment) is the amount of a gap (for example, the gap L between the horizontal wall and the roof side rail outer). It may be determined from the proportional relationship between the gap amount S) of the embodiment and the surface strain amount generated on the inclined wall (for example, the surface strain amount δ of the embodiment).

According to this configuration, the distance from the bent end portion of the deformation absorbing portion to the joint surface portion is determined from the proportional relationship between the amount of gap between the horizontal wall and the roof side rail outer and the amount of surface strain of the inclined wall. bottom. This makes it possible to easily design the deformation absorbing portion (that is, the vehicle body superstructure), further reduce the cost, and stabilize the connection quality between the inclined wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel.

(4) The deformation absorbing portion maintains the quality of the coupling of the coupling surface portion to the roof side rail outer in a pressed state, and the quality of the brazing coupling of the roof panel to the inclined wall. The amount of surface strain may be secured.

According to this configuration, the amount of gap is secured so as to maintain the quality of the coupling in the pressed state by the coupling surface portion with respect to the roof side rail outer. In addition, the amount of surface strain was secured so as to maintain the quality of brazing connection by the roof panel to the inclined wall.
This makes it possible to easily design the deformation absorbing portion (that is, the vehicle body superstructure), further reduce the cost, and stabilize the connection quality between the inclined wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel.

(5) A roof side rail inner (for example, the roof side rail inner 17 of the embodiment) provided inside in the vehicle width direction with respect to the roof side rail outer is provided, and the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner (For example, the connecting portion 28 of the embodiment) may be arranged at a portion corresponding to the deformation absorbing portion.

According to this configuration, the joint portion between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner is arranged so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion. Therefore, the joint surface portion can be moved inward in the vehicle width direction and separated from the inclined wall of the side panel outer in the vehicle width direction. Thereby, for example, in a state where the joint surface portions are connected by a clinch bond or a rivet bond, the amount of surface strain generated in the inclined portion can be suitably suppressed.

In addition, the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner form a closed cross section that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body superstructure. Therefore, by arranging the joint portion so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion, the joint portion can be connected adjacent to the closed cross section formed by the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner. As a result, the rigidity of the closed cross section of the skeleton formed by the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner can be ensured.

(6) The joint surface portion may be connected to the roof side rail outer by a clinch bond or a rivet bond in a heated state of the roof side rail outer.

According to this configuration, by heating the roof side rail outer, for example, even when the roof side rail outer is a hot stamping material, the joint surface portion can be connected to the roof side rail outer by clinching connection or rivet connection. Thereby, for example, a hot stamping material can be used for the roof side rail outer, the rigidity of the vehicle body superstructure can be increased, and the weight can be reduced.

(7) The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer are members formed from a steel plate, the side panel outer is a member formed from an aluminum alloy plate material, and the roof side rail inner is formed with the roof side rail outer. The first spot welding tip (for example, the first spot welding tip 65 of the embodiment) in contact with the roof side rail inner in a state where the horizontal wall of the side panel outer is overlapped with the roof side rail outer. ) And the second spot welding tip (for example, the first spot welding tip of the embodiment) in which the contact surface in contact with the horizontal wall (for example, the second contact surface 66a of the embodiment) is flatter than the first spot welding tip. The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer may be resistance welded by the two-spot welding tip 66).

According to this configuration, the contact surface of the second spot welded tip in contact with the horizontal wall was made flatter than that of the first spot welded tip in contact with the roof side rail inner. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the horizontal wall (that is, the side panel outer) can be suppressed. As a result, resistance welding can be performed only between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner. As a result, it is possible to suppress the generation of brittle intermetallic compounds due to welding of dissimilar materials between the horizontal wall and the roof side rail outer.

According to the present invention, in the side panel outer, a deformation absorbing portion is formed on the side of the inclined wall with respect to the joint surface portion. As a result, the quality of connection between the inclined wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel can be improved.

It is sectional drawing which shows the car body superstructure of one Embodiment which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the vehicle body superstructure of one Embodiment. It is a cross-sectional view which expanded the part III of FIG. (A) is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the outer rail flat portion is pushed into the die together with the joint surface portion of one embodiment, and (b) is a state in which the joint surface portion of one embodiment is clinched to the outer rail flat portion. It is sectional drawing explaining. The comparative example of (a) is a perspective view for explaining the amount of gap generated between the horizontal portion of the outer panel and the flat portion of the outer rail of one embodiment, and the comparative example of (b) is generated in the inclined portion on the outer panel of one embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the amount of downward distortion of the surface strain to be performed. It is a graph which determines the interval L from the outer panel vertical part to the joint surface part by the proportional relation of the gap amount between the outer panel horizontal part and the outer rail flat part of one Embodiment, and the surface distortion amount of the outer panel upper slope part. It is sectional drawing which shows the modification of one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which connects the flat part of the outer rail and the flat part of an inner rail of one embodiment by spot welding or the like.

Hereinafter, the vehicle body superstructure according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the arrow FR indicates the front of the vehicle, the arrow UP indicates the upper side of the vehicle, and the arrow LH indicates the left side of the vehicle.

<Car body superstructure>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vehicle body superstructure 10 includes a roof side rail 12, a side panel outer 13, and a roof panel 14.
The roof side rail 12 is provided on the upper side of the vehicle body on the outside in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction. The roof side rail 12 includes a roof side rail outer (stiffener) 16 and a roof side rail inner 17.

The roof side rail outer 16 is provided on the outer side of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction. The roof side rail outer 16 has an outer rail flat portion 21, an outer rail outer portion 22, and an outer rail inclined portion 23. The outer rail flat portion 21 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body in a state of being arranged substantially horizontally. The outer rail outer portion 22 is bent downward from the outer side 21a of the outer rail flat portion 21 and is formed in an L-shaped cross section so as to project outward in the vehicle width direction. The outer rail inclined portion 23 is bent outward from the lower side 22a of the outer rail outer portion 22 in the vehicle width direction and downward.

For example, the roof side rail outer 16 is processed into high strength by press-molding a high-strength steel steel plate into the outer rail flat portion 21, the outer rail outer portion 22, and the outer rail inclined portion 23 in a heated state, and then quenching. It is a hot stamping material. By using a hot stamping material for the roof side rail outer 16, the strength of the roof side rail outer 16 is higher than that of high-strength steel, and the weight is reduced.

The roof side rail inner 17 is provided inside the roof side rail outer 16 in the vehicle width direction, and extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction along the roof side rail outer. The roof side rail inner 17 has an inner rail flat portion 25, an inner rail inner portion 26, and an inner rail inclined portion 27.
The roof side rail inner 17 is formed by, for example, press-molding the inner rail flat portion 25, the inner rail inner portion 26, and the inner rail inclined portion 27 in a state where a high-strength steel steel plate is heated, and then quenching. It is a hot stamping material processed to high strength. By using a hot stamping material for the roof side rail inner 17, the strength of the roof side rail inner 17 is higher than that of high-strength steel, and the weight is reduced.

The inner rail flat portion 25 is arranged along the lower surface of the outer rail flat portion 21, and the inner side 25a is arranged inside the inner side 21b of the outer rail flat portion 21 in the vehicle width direction. The inner rail flat portion 25 is connected to the outer rail flat portion 21 by pinch resistance welding (resistance welding) such as spot welding. The connection of the outer rail flat portion 21 and the inner rail flat portion 25 by spot welding will be described in detail later.

The inner rail inner portion 26 is bent downward from the outer side 25b of the inner rail flat portion 25 in an L-shaped cross section so as to project inward in the vehicle width direction. The inner rail inclined portion 27 is bent outward from the lower side 26a of the inner rail inner portion 26 in the vehicle width direction and downward along the inner surface of the outer rail inclined portion 23. The inner rail inclined portion 27 is connected to the outer rail inclined portion 23 by, for example, pinching resistance welding (resistance welding) such as spot welding.

The outer rail flat portion 21 and the inner rail flat portion 25 are joined by spot welding, and the outer rail inclined portion 23 and the inner rail inclined portion 27 are joined by spot welding, whereby the roof side rail 12 is formed into a substantially rectangular closed cross section. Has been done. The roof side rail 12 is a highly rigid member that forms the skeleton of the vehicle body superstructure. A side panel outer 13 is provided on the outer side of the roof side rail 12 in the vehicle width direction.

The side panel outer 13 is provided on the outer side of the roof side rail outer 16 in the vehicle width direction, and extends in the vehicle body front-rear direction along the roof side rail outer. The side panel outer 13 includes an outer panel horizontal portion (horizontal wall) 31, an outer panel vertical portion (vertical wall) 34, an outer panel upper inclined portion (tilted wall) 35, an outer panel outer portion (outer wall) 36, and an outer panel downward inclined portion. It has a part 37 and. In the side panel outer 13, for example, an aluminum alloy plate is press-molded on the outer panel horizontal portion 31, the outer panel vertical portion 34, the outer panel upper inclined portion 35, the outer panel outer portion 36, and the outer panel lower inclined portion 37.

The outer panel horizontal portion 31 is arranged along the upper surface of the outer rail flat portion 21, and the inner side 31a is arranged along the inner side 21b of the outer rail flat portion 21. The outer panel horizontal portion 31 has a joint surface portion 32 and a deformation absorbing portion 33. The connecting surface portion 32 is connected to the outer rail flat portion 21 by a clinch (mechanical clinch) at a portion closer to the inner side 31a of the outer panel horizontal portion 31. The clinching connection (that is, clinching connection) of the joint surface portion 32 and the outer rail flat portion 21 will be described in detail later.

The outer panel vertical portion 34 is raised upward from the outer side 33a of the deformation absorbing portion 33 formed on the outer panel horizontal portion 31. The outer panel vertical portion 34 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body along the outer side 33a of the deformation absorbing portion 33. The outer panel upper inclined portion 35 is bent in an inclined shape at an inclination angle of approximately 45 ° from the upper side of the outer panel vertical portion 34 to the outside in the vehicle width direction and upward. The outer panel upper inclined portion 35 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body along the outer panel vertical portion 34. The outer panel outer side portion 36 is bent outward from the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 in the vehicle width direction and downward.

The outer panel outer side portion 36 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body along the outer panel upper inclined portion 35, and is formed in a substantially V-shaped cross section toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction. The outer panel lower inclined portion 37 is bent along the outer surface of the outer rail inclined portion 23 outward from the lower side 36a of the outer panel outer portion 36 in the vehicle width direction and downward. The outer panel lower inclined portion 37 is connected to, for example, the outer rail inclined portion 23 by a clinch (mechanical clinch).

The roof panel 14 is arranged above the outer rail flat portion 21 and the outer panel horizontal portion 31. The roof panel 14 is provided in the center portion in the vehicle width direction above the outer rail flat portion 21 and the outer panel horizontal portion 31. The roof panel 14 has a roof flat portion 41 and a roof bent portion 42. In the roof panel 14, for example, an aluminum alloy plate material is press-molded on the roof flat portion 41 and the roof bent portion 42.
The roof flat portion 41 is formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view. The roof bent portion 42 is bent inward in the vehicle width direction from the outer side of the roof flat portion 41 and extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body. The roof bent portion 42 is brazed to the outer surface of the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 with a brazing material 43, for example.

<Joining surface>
Next, an example in which the outer panel horizontal portion 31 (specifically, the joint surface portion 32) of the side panel outer 13 is clinched to the outer rail flat portion 21 of the roof side rail outer 16 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 3, in order to facilitate understanding of the configuration, the joint surface portion 32 and the deformation absorbing portion 33 will be described as existing in the same cross section.
As shown in FIG. 3, the outer panel horizontal portion 31 of the side panel outer 13 has a joint surface portion 32 and a deformation absorbing portion 33, as described above. The joint surface portion 32 is formed at an interval L inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 (specifically, the outer panel vertical portion 34). The coupling surface portion 32 is mechanically coupled (that is, clinched coupling) by clinching while being pressed against the outer rail flat portion 21.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, the roof side rail outer 16 is a hot stamping material. Of the outer rail flat portion 21 of the roof side rail outer 16, the portion 21c corresponding to the joint surface portion 32 is, for example, heated and then annealed to ensure formability. In a state where the joint surface portion 32 is overlapped on the surface of the outer rail flat portion 21, the outer rail flat portion 21 is pushed into the die 46 by the punch 45 together with the joint surface portion 32.

As shown in FIG. 4 (b), the outer rail flat portion 21 is pushed into the die 46 (see FIG. 4 (a)) by the punch 45 together with the joint surface portion 32, so that the joint surface portion 32 is mechanically clinched to the outer rail flat portion 21. It is combined. Thereby, for example, a hot stamping material can be used for the roof side rail outer 16, the rigidity of the vehicle body superstructure 10 (see FIG. 1) can be increased, and the weight can be reduced.

In the embodiment, an example in which the joint surface portion 32 and the outer rail flat portion 21 are joined by clinching has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As another example, for example, the joint surface portion 32 and the outer rail flat portion 21 may be joined by self-piercing rivets (rivets) (that is, rivet coupling).
In this case, similarly to the clinch coupling, the portion 21c of the outer rail flat portion 21 of the roof side rail outer 16 corresponding to the coupling surface portion 32 is, for example, heated and then annealed to ensure moldability. Thereby, for example, a hot stamping material can be used for the roof side rail outer 16, the rigidity of the vehicle body superstructure 10 (see FIG. 1) can be increased, and the weight can be reduced.

<Deformation absorption part>
As shown in FIG. 3, a deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed on the side of the outer panel inclined portion 35 (specifically, the outer panel vertical portion 34) in the vehicle width direction with respect to the connecting surface portion 32. The outer panel vertical portion 34 extends from the lower side (end portion) 35a of the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 on the side of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 toward the outer panel horizontal portion 31. The outer panel vertical portion 34 has a vertical vertical portion 51 and a vertically curved portion 52. The vertical vertical portion 51 extends vertically from the lower side 35a of the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 toward the outer panel horizontal portion 31. The vertically curved portion 52 is formed by bending the vertically vertical portion 51 and the outer panel horizontal portion 31 in an intersecting shape (specifically, an orthogonal shape). The deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed between the bent side (bending end portion) 52a connected to the outer panel horizontal portion 31 of the vertically curved portion 52 and the joint surface portion 32.

Here, as shown in the graphs of FIGS. 3, 5 (a), 5 (b), and 6, the distance L from the bent side 52a of the outer panel vertical portion 34 to the joint surface portion 32 is as follows. It is determined. That is, the interval L is determined by the proportional relationship (that is, linear change) between the gap amount S between the outer panel horizontal portion 31 and the outer rail flat portion 21 and the surface strain amount δ generated in the outer panel upper inclined portion 35. .. The gap amount S and the surface strain amount δ will be described with reference to the comparative examples shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b).

In the comparative examples of FIGS. 5A and 5B, the outer rail flat portion 21, the outer panel horizontal portion 31, the joint surface portion 32, the outer panel vertical portion 34, the outer panel upper inclined portion 35, and the bent side 52a are It will be described as an outer rail flat portion 21A, an outer panel horizontal portion 31A, a joint surface portion joint surface portion (that is, a clinch coupling position) 32A, 32A, an outer panel vertical portion 34A, an outer panel upper inclined portion 35A, and a bent side 52aA. The bonding surface portion 32A is, that is, the clinch bonding position 32A.

As shown in the comparative example of FIG. 5A, in the state before the clinch coupling in which the joint surface portion 32A is pushed into the die 46 together with the outer rail flat portion 21A by the punch 45, between the outer panel horizontal portion 31A and the outer rail flat portion 21A. There is a gap with a gap amount S.

As shown in the comparative example of FIG. 5B, the outer panel horizontal portion 31A is deformed downward in a state where the coupling surface portion 32A is clinched to the outer rail flat portion 21A. Due to the deformation of the outer panel horizontal portion 31A, for example, the outer panel vertical portion 34A is also deformed downward. Further, due to the deformation of the outer panel vertical portion 34A, a surface strain (recess) 39A is generated downward on the outer panel upper inclined portion 35A so that the surface strain amount δ.

The proportional relationship between the gap amount S and the surface strain amount δ is
δ = A × S + B
It is decided by.
However, A and B are determined according to the distance L from the bending side 52aA to the clinch coupling position 32A.

In the graph of FIG. 6, the vertical axis shows the surface strain amount δ and the horizontal axis shows the gap amount S. Here, the upper limit of the gap amount S is S1, and the upper limit of the surface strain amount δ is δ1. By keeping the gap amount S within the range of the upper limit value S1, the quality of the clinch coupling (that is, the coupling in the pressed state) of the coupling surface portion 32A with respect to the outer rail flat portion 21A can be maintained. Further, by keeping the surface strain amount δ within the range of the upper limit value δ1, the quality of the brazing connection of the roof panel 14 (FIGS. 2 and 3) to the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 can be maintained.

The graph G1 shows the proportional relationship of the clinch coupling at the position near the bending side 52aA (hereinafter referred to as the first position) by a linear change. The graph G2 shows the proportional relationship of the clinch coupling at the second position where the interval L is separated from the bending side 52aA by a predetermined interval L1.
The graph G3 shows the proportional relationship of the clinch coupling at the second position (that is, the position where the distance L is separated from the bending side 52aA by a predetermined distance L2) from the first position inward in the vehicle width direction. The graph G4 shows the proportional relationship of the clinch coupling at the third position separated from the second position inward in the vehicle width direction (that is, the position where the interval L is separated by a predetermined interval L3 from the bending side 52aA). The graph G5 shows the proportional relationship of the clinch coupling at the fourth position (that is, the position where the distance L is separated from the bending side 52aA by a predetermined distance L4) from the third position inward in the vehicle width direction. However, the fourth position is located inside the vehicle width direction from the second position.

As shown in the graphs of FIGS. 3 and 6, graphs G2, G4, and G5 can be considered as graphs in which the gap amount S is suppressed within the range of the upper limit value S1 and the surface strain amount δ is suppressed within the range of the upper limit value δ1. .. That is, the distance L from the bent side 52a to the clinch coupling site (that is, the coupling surface portion 32) is determined to be L2, L3, and L4 based on the graphs G2, G4, and G5. The quality of the brazed bond to 35 can be maintained. Further, by determining the interval L to be L2, L3, L4 based on the graphs G2, G4, and G5, the quality of the clinch connection of the joint surface portion 32 to the outer rail flat portion 21 can be maintained.

Here, in the graphs G2 and G5, the joint surface portion 32 is separated from the bent side 52a to some extent inward in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent and molded from the outer panel vertical portion 34, it is difficult to ensure good press moldability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31.
On the other hand, in the graph G4, the interval at which the joint surface portion 32 is separated from the bent side 52a inward in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed to some extent. Therefore, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent and molded from the outer panel vertical portion 34, the press formability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 can be satisfactorily ensured. Thereby, based on the graph G4, the interval L from the bent side 52a to the clinch coupling site (bonding surface portion 32) is determined to be L3.

As described above, based on the proportional relationship between the gap amount S between the outer panel horizontal portion 31 and the outer rail flat portion 21 and the surface strain amount δ of the outer panel upper inclined portion 35, the upper limit value S1 of the gap amount S and the surface strain amount δ The interval L to be the deformation absorbing portion 33 is determined from the upper limit value δ1 of. As a result, the deformation absorbing portion 33 (that is, the vehicle body superstructure 10) can be easily designed, the cost can be further suppressed, and the connection quality between the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 and the roof panel 14 can be stabilized.
Here, by suppressing the gap amount S between the joint surface portion 32 and the outer rail flat portion 21 to be smaller than the upper limit value S1, the quality of the clinch coupling of the joint surface portion 32 to the outer rail flat portion 21 can be stabilized. By suppressing the surface strain amount δ in the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 to be smaller than the upper limit value δ1, the quality of the brazing coupling of the roof panel 14 to the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 can be further stabilized.

As described above, in the outer panel horizontal portion 31 of the side panel outer 13, the deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed on the side of the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 with respect to the joint surface portion 32. Here, for example, the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is arranged with a gap amount S (upper limit value S1) above the outer rail flat portion 21. In this state, when the coupling surface portion 32 is coupled to the outer rail flat portion 21, the downward deformation caused by the coupling surface portion 32 can be absorbed by the deformation absorbing portion 33 formed on the outer panel horizontal portion 31.
By absorbing the deformation of the joint surface portion 32 by the deformation absorbing portion 33 in this way, the downward distortion of the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 can be suppressed, and the bonding quality between the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 and the roof panel 14 can be improved. ..
When the means for connecting the bonding surface portion 32 to the outer rail flat portion 21 is selected from clinch bonding, rivet bonding, and the like, it is preferable to select clinch bonding from the viewpoint of weight reduction and dissimilar material bonding.

Further, the deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed between the bent side 52a of the outer panel vertical portion 34 and the connecting surface portion 32. Therefore, the deformation absorbing portion 33 can be brought closer to the inclined portion 35 on the outer panel, and the amount of protrusion of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 inward in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed to be small. Thereby, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent and molded from the outer panel vertical portion 34, the press formability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 can be satisfactorily ensured.

(Modification example)
In the embodiment, an example in which the deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed between the bent side 52a of the outer panel vertical portion 34 and the connecting surface portion 32 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. As another modification, for example, the deformation absorbing portion 33 may be formed between the bent side (bending end portion) 63a (see FIG. 7) of the outer panel upper inclined portion (inclined wall) 61 and the joint surface portion 32.

In the case of the modified example, as shown in FIG. 7, the outer panel upper inclined portion 61 has an inclined straight portion 62 and an inclined curved portion 63. The inclined straight line portion 62 extends from the upper side 36b of the outer panel outer portion 36 toward the outer panel horizontal portion 31 inward in the vehicle width direction and downward in an inclined straight line. The inclined curved portion 63 is formed by bending the inclined straight portion 62 and the outer panel horizontal portion 31 in an intersecting manner. The deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed between the bent side 63a connected to the outer panel horizontal portion 31 and the connecting surface portion 32 of the inclined curved portion 63.
Also in the modified example, the deformation absorbing portion 33 can be brought closer to the outer panel upper inclined portion 61, and the amount of protrusion of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 inward in the vehicle width direction can be suppressed to be small. Thereby, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent and molded from the outer panel upper inclined portion 61, the press formability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 can be satisfactorily ensured.

<Combination of roof side rails>
Next, the coupling of the outer rail flat portion 21 and the inner rail flat portion 25 by spot welding or the like by pinch resistance welding will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 8.
As shown in FIG. 3, the joint portion 28 between the outer rail flat portion 21 and the inner rail flat portion 25 is arranged at a portion corresponding to the deformation absorbing portion 33. The inner rail flat portion 25 is connected to the outer rail flat portion 21 by spot welding, for example.

The roof side rail inner 17 and the roof side rail outer 16 are, for example, hot stamping materials press-formed from a steel plate of high-strength steel. The side panel outer 13 is, for example, a member press-molded from an aluminum alloy plate material.
The outer rail flat portion 21 is superposed on the inner rail flat portion 25, and the outer panel horizontal portion 31 of the side panel outer 13 is superposed on the outer rail flat portion 21. In this state, of the inner rail flat portion 25 and the outer rail flat portion 21, the joint portions 28 of the flat portions 25, 21 corresponding to the deformation absorbing portion 33 of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 are joined by spot welding.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the inner rail flat portion 25, the outer rail flat portion 21, and the outer panel horizontal portion 31 (specifically, the deformation absorbing portion 33) are overlapped with each other, and the outer rail flat portion 21 is overlapped. The adhesive 29 is interposed between the deformation absorbing portion 33 and the deformation absorbing portion 33. In this state, the first contact surface 65a of the first spot welding tip 65 is brought into contact with the inner rail flat portion 25. In this state, the second contact surface (contact surface) 66a of the second spot welding tip 66 is brought into contact with the deformation absorbing portion 33.

Here, the second spot welding tip 66 has a flatter second contact surface 66a as compared with the first spot welding tip 65. Therefore, the amount of heat generated by the deformation absorbing unit 33 can be suppressed. As a result, only the joint portion 28 can be spot welded between the inner rail flat portion 25 and the outer rail flat portion 21. As a result, it is possible to suppress the generation of brittle intermetallic compounds due to welding of different materials between the deformation absorbing portion 33 and the outer rail flat portion 21.

In this way, the connecting portion 28 of the inner rail flat portion 25 and the outer rail flat portion 21 is arranged so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion 33. Therefore, the connecting surface portion 32 can be moved inward in the vehicle width direction and separated from the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 of the side panel outer 13 inward in the vehicle width direction. Thereby, for example, the surface strain amount δ (see FIG. 5B) generated in the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 can be suitably suppressed in a state where the coupling surface portion 32 is connected by a clinch connection, a rivet connection, or the like.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the roof side rail 12 which is the skeleton of the vehicle body superstructure 10 is formed in a closed cross section by the roof side rail outer 16 and the roof side rail inner 17. Therefore, by arranging the coupling portion 28 so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion 33, the coupling portion 28 can be coupled so as to be adjacent to the closed cross section of the roof side rail 12. As a result, the rigidity of the roof side rail 12, which is the skeleton of the vehicle body superstructure 10, can be ensured.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the embodiment with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the above-mentioned modifications may be appropriately combined.

10 Body superstructure 13 Side panel outer 14 Roof panel 16 Roof side rail Outer 17 Roof side rail Inner 21 Outer rail Flat part 28 Joint part 31 Outer panel horizontal part (horizontal wall)
32 Joint surface 34 Outer panel vertical part (vertical wall)
33 Deformation absorption part 35,61 Outer panel upper inclined part (inclined wall)
35a Lower side (the end of the inclined wall on the horizontal wall side)
52 Vertical bending part 52a Bending side (bending end part)
63a Bending edge (bending end)
65 First Spot Welding Tip 66 Second Spot Welding Tip 66a Second Contact Surface (Contact Surface)
L Distance from the bent side to the joint surface (distance from the bent end to the joint surface)
S Gap amount S1 Upper limit of gap amount δ Surface strain amount δ1 Upper limit of surface strain amount

Claims (7)

A roof side rail outer provided on the outer side of the upper part of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, a roof panel provided in the center portion in the vehicle width direction above the roof side rail outer, and an outer side of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction. A vehicle body superstructure comprising a horizontal wall coupled to the roof side rail outer and a side panel outer having an inclined wall coupled to the roof panel.
The horizontal wall
A joint surface portion formed at a distance inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the inclined wall and joined in a state of being pressed by the roof side rail outer.
It has a deformation absorbing portion formed on the side of the inclined wall in the vehicle width direction with respect to the connecting surface portion.
The superstructure of the car body is characterized by this. The deformation absorbing part is
Between the bent end of the inclined wall and the joint surface, or between the bent end of the vertical wall extending from the end of the inclined wall on the side of the horizontal wall toward the horizontal wall and the joint surface. Formed between,
The vehicle body superstructure according to claim 1. The deformation absorbing portion has a distance from the bent end portion to the joint surface portion.
It is determined from the proportional relationship between the amount of gap generated between the horizontal wall and the roof side rail outer and the amount of surface strain generated on the inclined wall.
The vehicle body superstructure according to claim 2. The deformation absorbing part is
The amount of the gap that maintains the quality of the connection of the joint surface portion to the roof side rail outer in the pressed state and the amount of surface strain that maintains the quality of the brazed connection of the roof panel to the inclined wall are secured. Yes,
The vehicle body superstructure according to claim 3, characterized in that. A roof side rail inner provided inside the vehicle width direction with respect to the roof side rail outer is provided.
The joint portion between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner is arranged at a portion corresponding to the deformation absorbing portion.
The vehicle body superstructure according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle body superstructure is characterized by this. The joint surface portion is bonded to the roof side rail outer by a clinch bond or a rivet bond in a heated state of the roof side rail outer.
The vehicle body superstructure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that. The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer are members formed from a steel plate, and the side panel outer is a member formed from an aluminum alloy plate material.
In a state where the roof side rail outer is superposed on the roof side rail inner and the horizontal wall of the side panel outer is superposed on the roof side rail outer.
By the first spot welding tip in contact with the roof side rail inner and the second spot welding tip in which the contact surface in contact with the horizontal wall is flatter than the first spot welding tip.
The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer are resistance welded.
The vehicle body superstructure according to claim 5.

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