JP3962185B2 - Pillar structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pillar structure of a vehicle.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a four-door type vehicle, a center pillar that rises from an appropriate position of a rocker extending in the vehicle front-rear direction defines a space between a door opening on the front seat side and a door opening on the rear seat side, A seat belt retractor for the front seat is built in the lower part of the center pillar.
[0003]
4 to 6 show an example of a conventional pillar structure, in which 1 is a rocker, 2 is a center pillar, 3 is a door opening on the front seat side, 4 is a door opening on the rear seat side, The rocker 1 that bears the rigidity in the front-rear direction is constituted by a rocker reinforcement 5 and a rocker inner panel 6 so as to have a hollow closed cross-sectional structure. The welding flanges 5a and 6a formed in the above are joined together by spot welding.
[0004]
A pillar outer panel 7 is integrally formed on the outside of the rocker 1 configured in this manner, extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction along the rocker 1 and rising upward at an appropriate position in the longitudinal direction. A side panel 8 is disposed, and the side panel 8 has weld flanges 8 a formed at upper and lower ends of a portion extending along the rocker 1 and weld flanges 5 a of the rocker reinforcement 5 and the rocker inner panel 6. , 6a are joined together by spot welding together.
[0005]
Further, a pillar inner panel 9 having a lower end near the welding flanges 5a and 6a on the rocker 1 is disposed on the inner side (vehicle compartment side) of the pillar outer panel 7, and the pillar inner panel 9 and the pillar outer panel are arranged. 7 are welded to each other by spot welding by overlapping the welding flanges 9a, 7a formed on both side portions, whereby the center pillar 2 is configured as a hollow closed cross-sectional structure.
[0006]
Further, a retractor 10 is built in the lower part of the center pillar 2 so as to wind up and hold the seat belt of the front seat so that the seat belt can be unwound and unwound. The retractor 10 is located inside the pillar inner panel 9 (the vehicle compartment side). ) And is slightly overhanging from the opening 11, and the upper end is fixed to the inner side surface of the pillar inner panel 9 and the lower end is fixed to the upper inclined surface of the rocker inner panel 6 with a bolt or the like. It is supposed to be.
[0007]
In FIG. 4, reference numeral 12 denotes a floor panel welded to the upper inclined surface of the rocker inner panel 6 to form the floor of the passenger compartment.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional structure, when the retractor 10 is laid out, a required clearance C (between the upper ends of the welding flanges 5a, 6a that extend horizontally in a straight line above the rocker 1 and the outermost portion of the retractor 10 is provided. 5 and 6 is secured, and the retractor 10 is disposed, and the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel of the side panel 8 are arranged so as not to interfere with the outermost portion of the retractor 10 with reference to the retractor 10 disposed at this position. 9 was designed, the lower shapes of the welding flanges 7a, 9a on the rear seat side of the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel 9 could not be shifted further forward.
[0009]
More specifically, the lower shape of the welding flanges 7a, 9a on the rear seat side of the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel 9 in FIGS. 4 and 5 is to avoid interference with the outermost portion of the retractor 10. A corner portion must be formed along the rocker 1 by drawing a gentle arc from a position sufficiently higher than the rocker 1, and this corner portion protrudes more than necessary to form a dead space. It was.
[0010]
For this reason, in a vehicle designed such that the door opening 4 on the rear seat side is designed to be relatively small, such as a four-door type truck cab, when getting on and off the rear seat, The tip of the toe easily hits the lower end portion of the center pillar 2, and there was a problem that it had to get on and off in a cramped posture.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a pillar structure that can improve the ease of getting on and off the rear seat.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention, by forming a plurality of notch in a portion which faces the center pillar lower in the welding flange of the rocker top is left welding flange between the respective notch, the center pillar by using the respective notch The present invention relates to a pillar structure characterized in that a fixed position of a seat belt retractor built in a lower portion is moved downward and a welding flange between the notches is spot-welded .
[0013]
In this way, the retractor fixing position can be lowered while avoiding interference with the weld flange at the upper part of the rocker, so that the design constraints due to the retractor fixing position are greatly relaxed. It is possible to shift the rear seat side portion at the lower end of the center pillar to the front, and the door opening on the rear seat side is designed to be relatively small, such as a 4-door type truck cab. Even if the vehicle is designed, when getting on and off the rear seat, the toes of the passenger will not easily hit the lower end of the center pillar, and it will not be necessary to get on and off the rear seat in a tight posture. In addition, it is possible to reliably ensure the same level of rocker strength and rigidity by spot welding the remaining flanges between the notches. To become.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0015]
1 to 3 show an example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and portions denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 4 to 6 represent the same items.
[0016]
As shown in the figure, in the present embodiment, a plurality of (in accordance with the shape of the outermost portion of the seat belt retractor 10 of the front seat) is provided on the portion of the welding flange 5a, 6a on the rocker 1 facing the lower portion of the center pillar 2. In the example shown, two) notches 13 are formed, welding flanges 5a ′ and 6a ′ capable of spot welding are left between the notches 13, and the retractor 10 is utilized by using the notches 13. A layout in which the fixing position is moved downward is employed, and spot welding is also performed on the welding flanges 5a ′ and 6a ′ remaining between the notches 13.
[0017]
In addition, between the upper end of the notch part 13 in the welding flanges 5a and 6a on the rocker 1 and the outermost part of the retractor 10, and the upper end of the welding flanges 5a 'and 6a' sandwiched between the notch parts 13 and the retractor 10 The required clearance C (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is ensured at each position between the outermost portion and the outermost portion as in the prior art.
[0018]
In this way, the fixing position of the retractor 10 can be lowered while avoiding interference with the welding flanges 5a, 6a at the top of the rocker 1, so that the design according to the fixing position of the retractor 10 can be reduced. The restrictions are greatly relaxed, and the lower shapes of the welding flanges 5a and 6a on the rear seat side of the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel 9 can be shifted forward from the conventional one.
[0019]
More specifically, the lower shape of the welding flanges 7a and 9a on the rear seat side of the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel 9 in FIGS. Form a corner that bends to draw an arc with a relatively small radius of curvature at a relatively low position, and reduce the dead space by preventing the corner from projecting more than necessary. As a result, the lower shape of the welding flanges 7a, 9a forming the corner portion is shifted forward from the conventional position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line x in FIGS.
[0020]
Thus, when the lower shape of the welding flanges 7a, 9a on the rear seat side of the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel 9 is shifted forward, the door opening 4 on the rear seat side is opened, for example, like a four-door type truck cab. Even if the vehicle is designed to be relatively small, the toes of the passengers are difficult to hit the lower end of the center pillar 2 when getting on and off the rear seat, and the posture is tight with respect to the rear seat. You don't have to get on and off.
[0021]
Therefore, according to the above-described embodiment, the toe of the foot of the passenger getting on and off the rear seat by shifting the lower shape of the welding flanges 7a and 9a on the rear seat side of the pillar outer panel 7 and the pillar inner panel 9 to the front from the conventional one. Since it can be made hard to hit the lower end part of the center pillar 2, the boarding / alighting property of a rear seat can be improved significantly conventionally.
[0022]
Further, in particular, as in this embodiment, a plurality of notches 13 are formed according to the shape of the outermost portion of the retractor 10, and welding flanges 5 a ′ and 6 a ′ capable of spot welding are provided between the notches 13. If it is made to remain, the strength and rigidity of the rocker 1 comparable to the conventional one can be surely ensured by spot welding this portion.
[0023]
Note that the pillar structure of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
According to the above-described pillar structure of the present invention, the rear seat side portion at the lower end portion of the center pillar can be shifted forward as compared with the conventional structure, so that the toes of the feet of passengers getting on and off the rear seat can It is possible to make it difficult to hit the lower end, so it is possible to greatly improve the ease of getting on and off the rear seat than before , and by spot welding the remaining flanges between the notches, the same level as before it an excellent effect is Ru can be of the rocker strength and reliably secure the rigidity.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of an embodiment for carrying out the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrows II-II in FIG.
3 is a cross-sectional view in the III-III direction of FIG.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a conventional example.
FIG. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrows VV in FIG. 4;
6 is a cross-sectional view in the VI-VI direction of FIG.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Rocker 2 Center Pillar 5a Welding Flange 6a Welding Flange 10 Retractor 13 Notch

Claims (1)

A plurality of notches are formed in a portion of the welding flange at the upper part of the rocker facing the lower part of the center pillar, and the welding flange is left between the notch parts. A pillar structure characterized in that the fixing position of the seat belt retractor is moved downward and the welding flange between the notches is spot-welded .

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