JP2023127895A - Side collision testing device of center pillar of vehicle, testing condition determination method and side collision testing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To reproduce a deformation state of a center pillar that is close to a full vehicle test with a simple configuration in a side collision testing device, a testing condition determination method and a side collision testing method of a center pillar of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A side collision testing device 1 comprises: a collision body 10 which collides with a center pillar 110; a locker support body 30 which supports a front end part 131 and a rear end part 132 of a locker simulation part 130 in a first terminal part 32 of each of a pair of first support members 31; and a roof rail support body 20 which supports a roof rail simulation part 120. Each of the pair of first support members 31 is configured such that a first terminal part 32 rotates relative to a first base end part 33 with a first thin wall part 34 as a starting point due to bending of the first thin wall part 34 when the collision body 10 collides with the center pillar 110. The locker simulation part 130 is configured so as to be translated in the vehicle width direction and be rotated in the vehicle cross direction following the first terminal part 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a side impact test device for a center pillar of an automobile, a method for determining test conditions, and a side impact test method.

A side collision of a vehicle is a type of collision in which there is a high risk of injury to the occupant because the distance between the collision object and the occupant is small. Therefore, automobiles are required to have high safety performance against side collisions. In this type of side collision, the center pillar, also known as the B-pillar, is an important component to ensure high safety performance. For this reason, structural examination and evaluation tests of the center pillar are important.

However, conducting a crash test using the entire vehicle (full vehicle test) requires a large amount of time, cost, and labor, and is inefficient. Therefore, there is a need to devise an evaluation test for center pillars that can perform evaluations equivalent to full vehicle tests, and to speed up and improve the efficiency of structural studies.

Patent Document 1 discloses a side collision test device for a center pillar of an automobile. This side impact test device has a rotation mechanism and a rotation braking mechanism for a locker and a roof rail. In a full vehicle test, since the rocker and roof rail exhibit rotating behavior, it is not reasonable to test the rocker and roof rail with complete restraint, and it is preferable to be able to reproduce the rotation of the rocker and roof rail. The side impact test device is provided with a rotation mechanism that allows rotation while restraining translation at the front and rear ends of the locker and the front and rear ends of the roof rail. Additionally, in order to reproduce the full-vehicle test regarding the rotational behavior of the rocker and roof rail, a rotational braking mechanism is provided that uses the tensile resistance of the plate material to adjust the rotational resistance.

JP2020-201238A

In Patent Document 1, the rotation mechanism and rotation braking mechanism are configured separately, so the structure of the side impact test device is complicated. Additionally, in full vehicle tests, the rocker and roof rails exhibit not only rotational but also translational behavior. Specifically, as the center pillar deforms due to a side collision, the rocker is translated upward and the roof rail is translated downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle. However, in Patent Document 1, since the translation of the rocker and the roof rail is restricted, such a phenomenon in which the rocker and the roof rail are pulled in cannot be reproduced. As a result, excessive tensile force is generated in the center pillar in the vertical direction of the vehicle, which may result in results that deviate from the full vehicle test. In particular, rockers have a large cross-section compared to roof rails and have a large degree of rotation and translation, making it important that the behavior of the rocker can be accurately reproduced.

An object of the present invention is to reproduce a deformed state of a center pillar close to that in a full vehicle test with a simple configuration in a side impact test device, a method for determining test conditions, and a side impact test method for an automobile center pillar.

The first aspect of the present invention is
A center pillar of an automobile, a locker simulating portion simulating a locker of the automobile connected to a lower end of the center pillar, and a roof rail simulating portion simulating a roof rail of the automobile connected to an upper end of the center pillar. A side impact test device for a center pillar of an automobile that performs a side impact test of the center pillar using a test object having the following features:
a collision body that has a step-like collision surface in which the lower stage is more protruding than the upper stage, and is caused to collide with the center pillar;
a first end portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction, a first proximal end portion at an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction, and a first end portion located between the first end portion and the first proximal end portion. a pair of first support members each having a first thin wall portion thinner than the first proximal end portion; a rocker support supporting the front and rear ends of the
a roof rail support that supports the roof rail simulating part;
In each of the pair of first support members, when the collision body collides with the center pillar, the first thin part bends, so that the first end part starts from the first thin part and the first thin part bends. configured to rotate relative to the proximal end;
The rocker simulating part is configured to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate in the vehicle longitudinal direction along with the first end part.

According to this configuration, the locker simulating part is supported by the rocker support body so as to be translated in the vehicle width direction and rotated around the vehicle longitudinal direction by bending the first thin wall part, so that the rocker simulating part in the full vehicle test is Rotation and translation can be reproduced. In particular, since it is possible to reproduce the phenomenon in which the rocker simulator is translated upward, it is possible to reproduce the deformed state of the center pillar that is similar to that seen in full vehicle tests. Further, since the rocker simulating portion can be rotated and translated with a simple configuration in which the first thin portion is bent, a complicated configuration can be avoided. The rotational resistance can be adjusted by changing the thickness or material properties of the first thin portion. Preferably, a full vehicle test or a side impact simulation simulation thereof is performed, the center of rotation is determined from the rotation trajectory of the rocker, and the first thin section is placed at the center of rotation to improve reproducibility. Preferably, the thickness, material properties, etc. of the first thin portion are adjusted in accordance with the results of a full vehicle test or a full side impact analysis that simulates the full vehicle test. The greater the thickness of the first thin section, the greater the rotational resistance, and the harder the material properties of the first thin section, the greater the rotational resistance. Furthermore, since the collision object has a stepped collision surface, it is possible to simulate the shape of the front part of a car, including the bumper, in a full vehicle test.

The first thin part may be formed as a remaining part of a first notch that opens upward in the vehicle vertical direction, and the opening amount of the first notch may be larger as it goes upward. .

According to this configuration, since the first notch opens upward, the first thin portion is bent by the collision of the collision body so that the first end portion is lifted upward. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the phenomenon in which the locker simulating portion is translated upwardly. Furthermore, since the opening amount of the first notch is larger toward the top, it is possible to prevent the first notch from unintentionally closing due to bending of the first thin-walled portion, thereby preventing the rotation and translation of the rocker simulating portion from unintentionally stopping. .

The roof rail support body may include a wall member that simply supports the roof rail simulating portion so as to stop the roof rail simulating portion from translating in the vehicle width direction and allowing translation in the vehicle vertical direction and rotation around the vehicle longitudinal direction. good.

According to this configuration, it is possible to easily realize a configuration in which the wall member prevents translation of the roof rail simulating portion in the vehicle width direction, and allows translation in the vehicle vertical direction and rotation around the vehicle longitudinal direction. This is close to a full vehicle test and can ensure high reproducibility. Moreover, the roof rail support body can be constructed simply and at low cost. Furthermore, since the roof rail has a smaller cross section than a rocker and has less rotational resistance, the reproducibility of the deformed state of the center pillar can be maintained to some extent even if it is simply supported (free rotation).

The roof rail support is located at a second end portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction, a second base end portion at an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction, and between the second end portion and the second base end portion. a pair of second support members each having a second thinned portion having a thickness thinner than the second end portion and the second proximal end portion, the second end portion of each of the pair of second support members; The front end and the rear end of the roof rail simulating part may be supported by
In each of the pair of second support members, when the colliding body collides with the center pillar, the second thin part bends, so that the second end part starts from the second thin part and the second thin part bends. may be configured to rotate relative to the proximal end;
The roof rail simulating portion may be configured to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate in the vehicle longitudinal direction by rotating together with the second end portion.

According to this configuration, the roof rail simulating part is supported by the roof rail support body so as to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate around the vehicle longitudinal direction by bending the second thin wall part, so that the roof rail simulating part is It is possible to reproduce the rotation and translation of In particular, since it is possible to reproduce the phenomenon in which the roof rail simulator is translated downward, it is possible to reproduce the deformed state of the center pillar that is similar to that seen in a full vehicle test. Further, since the roof rail simulating portion can be rotated and translated with a simple configuration in which the second thin portion is bent, a complicated configuration can be avoided. The rotational resistance can be adjusted by changing the thickness or material properties of the second thin portion. Preferably, a full vehicle test or a side impact simulation simulation thereof is performed, the center of rotation is determined from the rotation trajectory of the roof rail, and the second thin portion is placed at the center of rotation to improve reproducibility. Preferably, the thickness, material properties, etc. of the second thin portion are adjusted in accordance with the results of a full vehicle test or a full side impact analysis that simulates the full vehicle test. The greater the thickness of the second thin part, the greater the rotational resistance, and the stiffer the material properties of the second thinner part, the greater the rotational resistance.

The second thin wall portion may be formed as a remaining wall portion of a second notch that is cut out to open downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the opening amount of the second notch may be larger as it goes downward. .

According to this configuration, since the second notch opens downward, the second thin portion is bent by the collision of the collision body so that the second end portion falls downward. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the phenomenon in which the roof rail simulating portion is translated downwardly. In addition, since the opening amount of the second notch is larger toward the bottom, it is possible to prevent the second notch from unintentionally closing due to bending of the second thin-walled portion, thereby preventing the rotation and translation of the roof rail simulating portion from unintentionally stopping. .

The second aspect of the invention is
Material properties, shapes, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support in a side impact test device for a center pillar of a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A test condition determination method for determining at least one of the following as a test condition, the method comprising:
The first deformation state is obtained by modeling the entire vehicle and performing an overall side collision analysis,
Obtaining a second deformation state by performing a side impact partial analysis that models the test object and the side impact test device;
the material properties, shapes, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support until the difference between the first deformation state and the second deformation state becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. Repeating the side impact partial analysis by changing at least one of the changes,
determining as test conditions at least one of material properties, shapes, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support when the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value; Provides a method for determining test conditions, including

According to the method, at least one of the material properties, shape, and dimensions of at least one of the impact body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support are tested by comparing a full side impact analysis and a partial side impact analysis. It can be easily determined as a condition. The difference between the first deformed state and the second deformed state may be simply a difference in the amount of deformation, or may be a difference in a parameter that contributes to deformation, such as a bending moment.

The third aspect of the present invention is
A center pillar of an automobile, a locker simulating portion simulating a locker of the automobile connected to a lower end of the center pillar, and a roof rail simulating portion simulating a roof rail of the automobile connected to an upper end of the center pillar. Prepare a test object with
a collision body having a step-shaped collision surface in which the lower stage is more protruding than the upper stage, the collision body colliding with the center pillar; a first end portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction; and a first base end portion at an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction. , and a pair of first thin parts each having a first thin part located between the first end part and the first proximal end part and having a thickness thinner than the first end part and the first proximal end part. a rocker support that includes a support member and supports front and rear ends of the rocker simulator at the first end of each of the pair of first support members; and a roof rail support that supports the roof rail simulator. Prepare a side impact test device with a body,
setting the test object in the side collision test device;
Colliding the collision body against the center pillar;
By bending the first thin part, the first distal end part is rotated with respect to the first proximal end part using the first thin part as a starting point,
Provided is a side impact test method for a center pillar of an automobile, which includes: translating the rocker simulating part in the vehicle width direction and rotating the rocker simulating part in the vehicle longitudinal direction with the first end part.

According to this method, as described above, it is possible to reproduce the deformed state of the center pillar similar to that in a full vehicle test with a simple configuration.

According to the present invention, a deformation state close to that of a full vehicle test can be reproduced with a simple configuration in a side impact test device, a method for determining test conditions, and a side impact test method for a center pillar of an automobile.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a side collision test device for a center pillar of an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the center pillar before it is deformed by the side impact test apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a side view of the center pillar after it has been deformed by the side impact test apparatus of FIG. 1; Flowchart showing a test condition determination method. A graph comparing the three analysis results. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a side collision test device for a center pillar of an automobile according to a second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a side view of the center pillar before it is deformed by the side impact test apparatus of FIG. 6; FIG. 7 is a side view of the center pillar after it has been deformed using the side impact test apparatus of FIG. 6;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a side collision test apparatus 1 for a center pillar 110 of an automobile according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The side impact test device 1 performs a side impact test on the center pillar 110 using a test object 100 including the center pillar 110.

In FIG. 1, the center pillar 110 is shown in an upright state so that the attitude of the center pillar 110 in the side impact test is the same as when it is assembled into an automobile. In the figure, the inward direction (inside) in the vehicle width direction is indicated by the symbol X, and the opposite direction is indicated as outward (outside). Moreover, the upward direction (upper side) in the vertical direction of the vehicle is indicated by the symbol Y, and the opposite direction is indicated as downward direction (lower side). Further, the backward direction (rear side) in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is indicated by the symbol Z, and the opposite direction is indicated as the forward direction (front side). This also applies to subsequent figures.

The configuration of the test object 100 will be explained.

The test object 100 includes a center pillar 110 of an automobile, a roof rail simulating section 120 connected to an upper end 111 of the center pillar 110, and a locker simulating section 130 connected to a lower end 112 of the center pillar 110. There is.

The center pillar 110 is a component to be evaluated in a side impact test by the side impact test device 1. In this embodiment, the center pillar 110 has a generally T-shape when viewed from the vehicle width direction, and an outer panel 110a located on the outside in the vehicle width direction and an inner panel 110b located on the inside in the vehicle width direction are stuck together. It is composed together. The outer panel 110a and the inner panel 110b are made of metal plates such as steel plates. The center pillar 110 may have a multi-layered structure with reinforcing parts inside, or may have a structure in which the upper and lower parts are divided.

The roof rail simulating section 120 is a member that simulates the roof rail of an automobile and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The roof rail simulating portion 120 is, for example, a roof rail of an actual vehicle cut in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle before and after the connection portion with the upper end portion 111 of the center pillar 110. However, the form of the roof rail simulating section 120 is not particularly limited.

The locker simulating section 130 is a member that simulates a locker of an automobile and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The locker simulating portion 130 is, for example, a locker of an actual vehicle cut in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle before and after the connection portion with the lower end portion 112 of the center pillar 110. However, the form of the locker simulating section 130 is not particularly limited.

The configuration of the side impact test device 1 will be explained.

The side impact test device 1 includes a collision body 10, a roof rail support 20, and a rocker support 30.

The collision body 10 has a stepped collision surface 13 in which a lower stage 11 projects more than an upper stage 12. The lower tier 11 simulates the bumper of a car. The upper stage 12 simulates the vehicle body of an automobile. In the test, the collision object 10 is moved horizontally from the side of the test object 100 (outside in the vehicle width direction) so as to collide with the side surface of the center pillar 110 so that the collision surface 13 is pressed against the center pillar 110.

In the illustrated example, the lower stage 11 and the upper stage 12 of the collision body 10 are constructed as separate bodies, but they may be constructed integrally. Preferably, the dimensions of the upper tier 12 and the lower tier 11 are adjustable. For example, the configuration may be such that the amount of protrusion of the lower stage 11 relative to the upper stage 12 can be adjusted.

The roof rail support body 20 supports the roof rail simulating part 120. The roof rail support 20 includes a wall member 21 that simply supports the roof rail simulating part 120 so as to stop the roof rail simulating part 120 from translating in the vehicle width direction, and allowing translation in the vertical direction of the vehicle and rotation around the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. I'm here.

The wall member 21 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape that is longer than the roof rail simulating portion 120 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The wall member 21 is in contact with the roof rail simulating portion 120 over the entire longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and simply supports the roof rail simulating portion 120. Preferably, as shown in the drawing, the outer lower end of the wall member 21 in the vehicle width direction is chamfered to form a chamfered portion 21a. This makes it easier to avoid interference between the center pillar 110 and the wall member 21 due to deformation of the center pillar 110, which will be described later.

The rocker support body 30 includes a pair of first support members 31 that support the locker simulating portion 130.

In this embodiment, each of the pair of first support members 31 has a substantially rectangular column shape extending in the vehicle width direction. Each of the pair of first support members 31 is made of metal such as steel, for example. Each of the pair of first support members 31 has a first end portion 32 at an outer end in the vehicle width direction, a first proximal end portion 33 at an inner end in the vehicle width direction, and a first end portion 32 and a first proximal end. The first thin part 34 is located between the first end part 32 and the first base end part 33 and is thinner than the first end part 32 and the first proximal end part 33.

In this embodiment, the first thin part 34 is formed as a remaining part of a first notch 35 that is cut out so as to open upward in the vehicle vertical direction. The opening amount of the first notch 35 is larger toward the upper side. Specifically, the first notch 35 opens more upwardly in the vehicle width direction. In the illustrated example, the first notch 35 has a generally triangular shape when viewed from the vehicle front-rear direction.

The rocker support 30 supports the front end 131 and the rear end 132 of the rocker simulating part 130 at the first end parts 32 of each of the pair of first support members 31 via a fixing plate 36 . The fixing plate 36 is a rectangular metal plate for stabilizing support, and can be omitted if necessary.

Although the details will be described later, with the above configuration, each of the pair of first support members 31 has a first end portion 32 that bends when the collision body 10 collides with the center pillar 110. It is configured to rotate with respect to the first base end portion 33 with the first thin wall portion 34 as a starting point. The locker simulating portion 130 is configured to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate around the vehicle longitudinal direction along with the first end portion 32.

A side impact test method using the side impact test device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of the center pillar 110 before it is deformed by the side impact test apparatus 1. FIG. 3 shows a side view of the center pillar 110 after it has been deformed by the side impact test apparatus 1. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the portion surrounded by the dashed circle is shown enlarged.

Referring to FIG. 2, the thickness t1 of the first thin portion 34 is smaller than the thickness t2 of the first end portion 32 and the thickness t3 of the first proximal end portion 33 (t1<t2, t1<t3). In addition, in this embodiment, the thickness t2 of the first end portion 32 and the thickness t3 of the first proximal end portion 33 are the same size (t2=t3).

First, the test object 100 and the side impact test apparatus 1 are prepared, and the test object 100 is set in the side impact test apparatus 1 (see FIG. 2). Next, the collision surface 13 of the collision body 10 is caused to collide with the side surface of the center pillar 110 (see FIG. 3). Then, as the first thin part 34 bends, the first end part 32 rotates with respect to the first proximal end part 33 using the first thin part 34 as a starting point. The locker simulating portion 130 translates in the vehicle width direction and rotates in the vehicle longitudinal direction along with the first end portion 32. At this time, the locker simulating section 130 moves so as to be pulled upward. Further, the roof rail simulating portion 120 is prevented from translating in the vehicle width direction by the wall member 21. At this time, since the roof rail simulating section 120 is allowed to translate in the vehicle vertical direction and rotate around the vehicle longitudinal direction, it rotates around the vehicle longitudinal direction and moves so as to be drawn downward.

A method for determining test conditions will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart showing a test condition determination method.

The test condition determination method determines at least one material property, shape, and dimension of at least one of the collision body 10, the rocker support 30, and the roof rail support 20 in the side collision test apparatus 1 as a test condition. be.

When the test condition determination method is started, a first deformation state is obtained by modeling the entire vehicle and performing an overall side collision analysis (step S1). The overall side impact analysis is an analysis that simulates a full vehicle test, and can use existing analysis methods such as the finite element method, for example.

Next, a second deformation state is obtained by performing a side impact partial analysis that models the test object 100 and the side impact test apparatus 1 (step S2). The side impact partial analysis is an analysis that simulates a crash test using the side impact test apparatus 1 of this embodiment, and can use an existing analysis method such as the finite element method, for example.

Next, it is determined whether the difference between the first deformed state and the second deformed state is less than or equal to a predetermined value (step S3). The difference serving as the criterion here may be simply a difference in the amount of deformation, or may be a difference in a parameter that contributes to deformation, such as a bending moment.

If the difference is not less than a predetermined value (N: step S3), at least one of the material properties, shape, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body 10, the rocker support 30, and the roof rail support 20 is changed as a parameter ( Step S4). If the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value (Y: step S3), at least one of the material properties, shape, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body 10, the rocker support 30, and the roof rail support 20 is determined as a test condition. (Step S5). This ends the test condition determination method.

Referring to FIG. 5, a method for determining test conditions will be described using an example.

FIG. 5 shows a graph comparing the three analysis results. The vertical axis indicates the height [mm] of the center pillar 110, and the horizontal axis indicates the bending moment [kNm] applied to the center pillar 110.

The graph connecting circles with solid lines shows the results of the overall side collision analysis. A graph in which square marks are connected by rough broken lines shows the results of a side impact partial analysis using the impact object 10 having a stepped shape. A graph in which triangular marks are connected by fine broken lines shows the results of a side impact partial analysis using an impactor 10 that does not have a stepped shape (the impact surface 13 is flat). Both results show bending moments at a plurality of predetermined heights of the center pillar 110, and the deformation state can be visually and numerically confirmed.

In the above test condition determination method, first, a first deformation state is obtained as a result of the entire side collision analysis (a graph in which circles are connected with solid lines) (step S1 in FIG. 4). Next, a second deformation state is obtained as a result of a side impact partial analysis (a graph in which triangular marks are connected by fine broken lines) using an impact object 10 that does not have a stepped shape (the impact surface 13 is flat) (Fig. 4 step S2). Then, for each analysis result, the total value of bending moments at a plurality of heights is calculated and the difference is taken, and this is used as the difference between the first deformed state and the second deformed state. In the illustrated example, it is determined that the difference is not less than a predetermined value (N: step S3), and the shape of the collision surface 13 of the collision body 10 is changed to a stepped shape (step S4 in FIG. 4). Then, a second deformation state is obtained as a result of a side impact partial analysis using the impact object 10 having a step shape (a graph in which square marks are connected by rough broken lines) (step S2 in FIG. 4). The difference is calculated again in the same way, and it is determined that the difference is less than or equal to the predetermined value (Y: step S3), and the shape of the collision object 10 is determined as a test condition (step S5 in FIG. 4).

In the above example, the shape of the collision body 10 is determined as the test condition, but similarly, at least one material property, shape, and dimension of the collision body 10, the rocker support 30, and the roof rail support 20 are determined. One can be determined as the test condition.

According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects are achieved.

Since the rocker simulating part 130 is supported by the rocker support body 30 so as to be translated in the vehicle width direction and rotated in the vehicle longitudinal direction by bending the first thin wall part 34, the rocker rotation and translation in the full vehicle test are can be reproduced. In particular, since it is possible to reproduce the phenomenon in which the rocker simulating portion 130 is translated upwardly, it is possible to reproduce a deformed state of the center pillar 110 similar to that in a full vehicle test. Further, since the rocker simulating portion 130 can be rotated and translated with a simple configuration in which the first thin portion 34 is bent, a complicated configuration can be avoided. The rotational resistance can be adjusted by changing the thickness or material properties of the first thin portion 34. Preferably, a full vehicle test or a side impact simulation simulation is performed to determine the center of rotation from the rocker's rotation locus, and the first thin portion 34 is placed at the center of rotation to improve reproducibility. Preferably, the thickness, material properties, etc. of the first thin portion 34 are adjusted in accordance with the results of a full vehicle test or a full side impact analysis that simulates the full vehicle test. The greater the thickness of the first thin part 34, the greater the rotational resistance, and the harder the material properties of the first thin part 34, the greater the rotational resistance. Furthermore, since the collision object 10 has a stepped collision surface 13, it is possible to simulate the shape of the front part of an automobile including a bumper in a full vehicle test.

Moreover, since the first notch 35 opens upward, the first thin part 34 is bent by the collision of the collision body 10 so that the first end part 32 is lifted upward. Therefore, the phenomenon in which the locker simulating section 130 is translated upwardly can be more reliably reproduced. Further, since the opening amount of the first notch 35 is larger toward the upper side, the first notch 35 unintentionally closes as the first thin part 34 bends, and the rotation and translation of the rocker simulating part 130 stops unintentionally. can be suppressed.

Moreover, the wall member 21 can easily realize a configuration in which translation of the roof rail simulating portion 120 in the vehicle width direction is stopped, and translation in the vehicle vertical direction and rotation around the vehicle longitudinal direction are allowed. This is close to a full vehicle test and can ensure high reproducibility. Moreover, the roof rail support body 20 can be configured simply and at low cost. Further, since the roof rail has a smaller cross section than a rocker and has less rotational resistance, the reproducibility of the deformed state of the center pillar 110 can be maintained to some extent even if it is simply supported (free rotation).

In addition, by comparing the entire side impact analysis and the side impact partial analysis, at least one of the material properties, shape, and dimensions of at least one of the impact body 10, the rocker support 30, and the roof rail support 20 is determined under test conditions. It can be easily determined as

(Second embodiment)

A side collision test apparatus 1 for a center pillar 110 of an automobile according to a second embodiment shown in FIG. 6 differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of a roof rail support 20. The configuration other than this is substantially the same as the first embodiment. Therefore, the description of the parts shown in the first embodiment may be omitted.

In this embodiment, the roof rail support body 20 includes a pair of second support members 22 that support the roof rail simulating part 120. Note that in this embodiment, the roof rail support 20 does not include the wall member 21 (see FIG. 1) in the first embodiment.

In this embodiment, each of the pair of second support members 22 has a substantially rectangular column shape extending in the vehicle width direction. Each of the pair of second support members 22 is made of metal such as steel, for example. Each of the pair of second support members 22 has a second end portion 23 at an outer end in the vehicle width direction, a second proximal end portion 24 at an inner end in the vehicle width direction, and a second end portion 23 and a second proximal end. It has a second thin part 25 which is located between the second end part 23 and the second proximal end part 24 and is thinner than the second end part 23 and the second proximal end part 24.

In this embodiment, the second thin portion 25 is formed as a remaining portion of a second notch 26 that is cut out to open downward in the vehicle vertical direction. The opening amount of the second notch 26 is larger toward the bottom. Specifically, the second notch 26 opens more downwardly in the vehicle width direction. In the illustrated example, the second notch 26 has a generally triangular shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

The roof rail support 20 supports the front end 121 and the rear end 122 of the roof rail simulating section 120 at the second end portions 23 of each of the pair of second support members 22 via a fixing plate 27 . The fixing plate 27 is a rectangular metal plate for stabilizing support, and may be omitted if necessary.

In each of the pair of second support members 22, when the collision body 10 collides with the center pillar 110, the second thin part 25 bends, so that the second end part 23 forms a second base starting from the second thin part 25. It is configured to rotate relative to end 24 . The roof rail simulating portion 120 is configured to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate around the vehicle longitudinal direction along with the second end portion 23.

A side impact test method using the side impact test device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the center pillar 110 before it is deformed by the side impact test apparatus 1. FIG. 8 shows a side view of the center pillar 110 after it has been deformed by the side impact test apparatus 1. In FIGS. 7 and 8, the portion surrounded by the dashed circle is shown enlarged.

Referring to FIG. 7, the thickness t4 of the second thin portion 25 is smaller than the thickness t5 of the second end portion 23 and the thickness t6 of the second proximal end portion 24 (t4<t5, t4<t6). In addition, in this embodiment, the thickness t5 of the second end portion 23 and the thickness t6 of the second proximal end portion 24 are the same size (t5=t6).

First, the test object 100 and the side impact test apparatus 1 are prepared, and the test object 100 is set in the side impact test apparatus 1 (see FIG. 7). Next, the collision surface 13 of the collision body 10 is caused to collide with the side surface of the center pillar 110 (see FIG. 8). Then, the second thin wall portion 25 bends, so that the second end portion 23 rotates with respect to the second base end portion 24 using the second thin wall portion 25 as a starting point. The roof rail simulating portion 120 translates in the vehicle width direction and rotates around the vehicle longitudinal direction along with the second end portion 23. At this time, the roof rail simulating section 120 moves so as to be drawn downward. Note that the locker simulator 130 operates in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects are achieved.

The roof rail simulating part 120 is supported by the roof rail support body 20 so as to be translated in the vehicle width direction and rotated in the vehicle longitudinal direction by bending the second thin part 25, so that the roof rail rotation and the rotation in the full vehicle test are Translation can be reproduced. In particular, since it is possible to reproduce the phenomenon in which the roof rail simulating portion 120 is translated downwardly, it is possible to reproduce a deformed state of the center pillar 110 that is close to that in a full vehicle test. Furthermore, since the roof rail simulating portion 120 can be rotated and translated with a simple configuration in which the second thin portion 25 is bent, a complicated configuration can be avoided. The rotational resistance can be adjusted by changing the thickness or material properties of the second thin portion 25. Preferably, a full vehicle test or a side impact simulation simulation is performed to determine the rotation center from the rotation locus of the roof rail, and the second thin portion 25 is placed at the rotation center to improve reproducibility. Preferably, the thickness, material properties, etc. of the second thin portion 25 are adjusted in accordance with the results of a full vehicle test or a side impact overall analysis simulating the test. The greater the thickness of the second thin part 25, the greater the rotational resistance, and the harder the material properties of the second thin part 25, the greater the rotational resistance.

Further, since the second notch 26 opens downward, the second thin portion 25 is bent by the collision of the collision body 10 so that the second end portion 23 falls downward. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably reproduce the phenomenon in which the roof rail simulating portion 120 is translated downwardly. Further, since the opening amount of the second notch 26 is larger in the downward direction, the second notch 26 unintentionally closes as the second thin part 25 bends, and the rotation and translation of the roof rail simulating part 120 stops unintentionally. can be suppressed.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various changes within the scope of the present invention.

1 Side collision test device 10 Collision object 11 Lower stage 12 Upper stage 13 Collision surface 20 Roof rail support body 21 Wall member 21a Chamfered part 22 Second support member 23 Second end part 24 Second base end part 25 Second thin part 26 Second Notch 27 Fixed plate 30 Rocker support 31 First support member 32 First end portion 33 First proximal end portion 34 First thin wall portion 35 First notch 36 Fixed plate 100 Test object 110 Center pillar 110a Outer panel 110b Inner Panel 111 Upper end 112 Lower end 120 Roof rail simulator 121 Front end 122 Rear end 130 Rocker simulator 131 Front end 132 Rear end

Claims (7)

A center pillar of an automobile, a locker simulating portion simulating a locker of the automobile connected to a lower end of the center pillar, and a roof rail simulating portion simulating a roof rail of the automobile connected to an upper end of the center pillar. A side impact test device for a center pillar of an automobile that performs a side impact test of the center pillar using a test object having the following features:
a collision body that has a step-like collision surface in which the lower stage is more protruding than the upper stage, and is caused to collide with the center pillar;
a first end portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction, a first proximal end portion at an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction, and a first end portion located between the first end portion and the first proximal end portion. a pair of first support members each having a first thin wall portion thinner than the first proximal end portion; a rocker support supporting the front and rear ends of the
a roof rail support that supports the roof rail simulating part;
In each of the pair of first support members, when the collision body collides with the center pillar, the first thin part bends, so that the first end part starts from the first thin part and the first thin part bends. configured to rotate relative to the proximal end;
The rocker simulating portion is configured to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate in the vehicle longitudinal direction as it approaches the first end portion. The first thin wall portion is formed as a remaining wall portion of a first notch that is cut out to open upward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the opening amount of the first notch is larger as it goes upward. 1. A side collision test device for a center pillar of an automobile according to item 1. The roof rail support includes a wall member that simply supports the roof rail simulating portion so as to stop the roof rail simulating portion from translating in the vehicle width direction, and allowing translation in the vertical direction of the vehicle and rotation around the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The side impact test device for a center pillar of an automobile according to claim 1 or 2. The roof rail support is located at a second end portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction, a second base end portion at an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction, and between the second end portion and the second base end portion. a pair of second support members each having a second thinned portion having a thickness thinner than the second end portion and the second proximal end portion, the second end portion of each of the pair of second support members; supporting the front end and rear end of the roof rail simulating part,
In each of the pair of second support members, when the colliding body collides with the center pillar, the second thin part bends, so that the second end part starts from the second thin part and the second thin part bends. configured to rotate relative to the proximal end;
The center pillar of an automobile according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roof rail simulating part is configured to translate in the vehicle width direction and rotate around the vehicle longitudinal direction by rotating together with the second end part. side impact test equipment. The second thin wall portion is formed as a remaining wall portion of a second notch that is cut out to open downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and the opening amount of the second notch is larger as it goes downward. 4. The side collision test device for a center pillar of an automobile according to item 4. Material properties, shapes, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support in a side impact test device for a center pillar of a motor vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A test condition determination method for determining at least one of the following as a test condition, the method comprising:
The first deformation state is obtained by modeling the entire vehicle and performing an overall side collision analysis,
Obtaining a second deformation state by performing a side impact partial analysis that models the test object and the side impact test device;
the material properties, shapes, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support until the difference between the first deformation state and the second deformation state becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value. Repeating the side impact partial analysis by changing at least one of the changes,
determining as test conditions at least one of material properties, shapes, and dimensions of at least one of the collision body, the rocker support, and the roof rail support when the difference is equal to or less than the predetermined value; including how to determine test conditions. A center pillar of an automobile, a locker simulating portion simulating a locker of the automobile connected to a lower end of the center pillar, and a roof rail simulating portion simulating a roof rail of the automobile connected to an upper end of the center pillar. Prepare a test object with
a collision body having a step-shaped collision surface in which the lower stage is more protruding than the upper stage, the collision body colliding with the center pillar; a first end portion at an outer end portion in the vehicle width direction; and a first base end portion at an inner end portion in the vehicle width direction. , and a pair of first thin parts each having a first thin part located between the first end part and the first proximal end part and having a thickness thinner than the first end part and the first proximal end part. a rocker support that includes a support member and supports front and rear ends of the rocker simulator at the first end of each of the pair of first support members; and a roof rail support that supports the roof rail simulator. Prepare a side impact test device with a body,
setting the test object in the side collision test device;
Colliding the collision body against the center pillar;
By bending the first thin part, the first distal end part is rotated with respect to the first proximal end part using the first thin part as a starting point,
A side impact test method for a center pillar of an automobile, comprising: translating the rocker simulating part in the vehicle width direction and rotating the rocker simulating part in the vehicle longitudinal direction with the first end part.

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