JP4895085B2 - Energy absorption structure for automobile occupant protection - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile, and more particularly to an energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile provided on a vehicle body structural member constituting a part of the vehicle body.

Conventionally, as a vehicle occupant protection energy absorbing member, longitudinal ribs and lateral ribs disposed on the vehicle interior side such as front pillars, center pillars, roof side rails, etc., which are vehicle body structural members constituting a part of the vehicle body. A lattice-shaped rib member made of synthetic resin is known.
When the vehicle collides, a part (head) of the occupant's body abuts against the rib member, so that the rib member is plastically deformed, thereby absorbing and relaxing the collision force received by the occupant from the vehicle body. Yes.

  As an energy absorption structure using such a rib member, Patent Document 1 discloses a high collision absorption performance by forming notches and the like in a plurality of lateral ribs provided between the pillar inner panel and the pillar trim. The rib height of the rib protruding toward the passenger compartment is reduced while maintaining the above. In the structure described in Patent Document 1, by forming notches, thick boundary portions, stepped portions, or thin portions in the lateral ribs, it is possible to perform multi-stage deformation and fracture due to lateral rib buckling or crack progression. The load that the occupant receives from the vehicle body side is controlled.

JP 2001-138846 A

Here, when a predetermined amount of collision energy is absorbed by the rib member, the stroke amount (deformation amount) of the rib member is preferably as short as possible due to the arrangement space and the like. At this time, in order to obtain the required energy absorption amount while shortening the stroke amount, the initial load when the occupant's head comes into contact with the energy absorbing member is started up in a very short time, and further, the head injury In order not to deteriorate the index (HIC), it is necessary to shift the load value thereafter as high as possible while keeping it within a predetermined reference value.
However, in the energy absorbing structure described in Patent Document 1, after the lateral rib is buckled or deformed and broken due to the progress of a crack, the load value is greatly reduced, and as a result, a necessary collision absorption amount is obtained. Therefore, the stroke amount must be increased.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to satisfy the above-described conventional demands, and provides an occupant protection energy absorbing structure for an automobile that can reliably protect the occupant's head with favorable load characteristics. It is an object.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an energy absorption structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile provided on a vehicle body structural member constituting a part of the vehicle body, and covers the vehicle compartment side of the vehicle body structural member. An interior material provided in the vehicle body , a rib member for absorbing collision energy provided between the interior material and the vehicle body structural member along a cross-sectional direction of the vehicle body structural member, and the rib member formed on the rib member A breakage guide portion that breaks when a passenger in the vehicle interior collides with the vehicle body structural member and induces breakage of the rib member, and is attached to the vehicle body structural member, extends along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body structure, and A regulating member that is disposed away from the rib member and regulates the movement of the broken rib member, and the regulating member has an edge portion on the rib member side at an edge portion of the rib member. The above rules The edge part of the member and the edge part of the rib member extend in directions orthogonal to each other, and when the rib member breaks, the rib member moves and comes into contact with the edge part of the setting member It is characterized that it is.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the rib member for collision energy absorption is provided between the interior material and the vehicle body structural member, when the head of the occupant collides with the interior material, The rib member is deformed and the collision energy is absorbed. Furthermore, since the load rises and increases due to the deformation of the rib member, the amount of collision energy absorbed by the occupant's head can be increased, and injury to the head can be reduced. And since the fracture | rupture induction | guidance | derivation part which fractures | ruptures and induces the fracture | rupture of a rib member is formed in the rib member by colliding with a vehicle body structural member, a rib member can be fractured | ruptured. Since the load is reduced by such a rupture of the rib member, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the occupant's head from becoming too high and causing damage to the head. Although the load is reduced by such a breakage of the rib member, according to the present invention, since the restriction member for restricting the movement of the broken rib member is provided, the movement of the rib member is restricted. Due to the restriction, the rib member is greatly deformed by the collision force transmitted from the head and the force applied from the restriction member, and as a result, the collision energy is more reliably absorbed. In particular, since the generated load is increased by restricting the movement of the rib member, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the load due to breakage and maintain a higher load. As a result, the necessary energy absorption amount can be obtained with a shorter stroke. According to the present invention, a preferable load characteristic can be obtained in this way, and as a result, the passenger's head can be reliably protected.
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile provided on a vehicle body structural member that constitutes a part of the vehicle body, and covers the passenger compartment side of the vehicle body structural member. The provided interior material, the collision energy absorbing rib member provided between the interior material and the vehicle body structural member, and the rib member formed on the rib member and ruptured by colliding with the vehicle body structural member A breaking guide portion that induces breakage, and a regulating member that is attached to the vehicle body structural member and regulates movement of the broken rib member, the rib member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body structural member; A lateral rib extending across the longitudinal rib, the lateral rib extending from one side of the longitudinal rib and having a high strength portion with increased proof against the collision force of the occupant. Of the horizontal ribs at the time of collision with the interior material The vehicle body of the high strength portion of the lateral rib is disposed at a position where it collides with the vehicle body structural member before the breaking guide portion, and the fracture guidance portion causes a crack in the high strength portion by colliding with the vehicle body structural member. Formed on the edge facing the structural member, the restricting member moves from the breakage guiding portion when the high strength portion of the lateral rib moves and the vehicle body structural member and the breakage guiding portion come into contact when the passenger collides with the interior material. It is placed at a position away from the high strength portion of the lateral rib so that the crack is generated and allowed to propagate in the high strength portion of the lateral rib, and then the crack of the high strength portion breaks. The high-strength portion of the lateral rib is arranged at a position where it further restricts the movement in contact with the high-strength portion of the lateral rib in the moving direction.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the rib member for collision energy absorption is provided between the interior material and the vehicle body structural member, when the head of the occupant collides with the interior material, The rib member is deformed and the collision energy is absorbed. Furthermore, since the load rises and increases due to the deformation of the rib member, the amount of collision energy absorbed by the occupant's head can be increased, and injury to the head can be reduced. And since the fracture | rupture induction | guidance | derivation part which fractures | ruptures and induces the fracture | rupture of a rib member is formed in the rib member by colliding with a vehicle body structural member, a rib member can be fractured | ruptured. Since the load is reduced by such a rupture of the rib member, it is possible to prevent the load applied to the occupant's head from becoming too high and causing damage to the head. Although the load is reduced by such a breakage of the rib member, according to the present invention, since the restriction member for restricting the movement of the broken rib member is provided, the movement of the rib member is restricted. Due to the restriction, the rib member is greatly deformed by the collision force transmitted from the head and the force applied from the restriction member, and as a result, the collision energy is more reliably absorbed. In particular, since the generated load is increased by restricting the movement of the rib member, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the load due to breakage and maintain a higher load. As a result, the necessary energy absorption amount can be obtained with a shorter stroke. According to the present invention, a preferable load characteristic can be obtained in this way, and as a result, the passenger's head can be reliably protected. Further, the rib member has a longitudinal rib and a lateral rib that intersect each other, and further, the lateral rib has a high strength portion in which the proof strength against the occupant's collision force is increased. The yield strength of the entire member can be greatly increased, and the initial load rises, that is, the amount of increase in load with respect to the stroke can be increased. Further, the breakage guide portion is provided in the high strength portion, and the restricting member restricts the movement of one of the broken high strength portions. In other words, since the restricting member restricts the movement of the high yield strength portion (one portion of the fractured portion) with increased yield strength, it is possible to obtain a larger amount of collision energy absorption, and further reduce the load due to the fracture. It can suppress more and can maintain a high load more reliably. Further, when the occupant collides with the interior material, the regulating member moves the high strength portion of the lateral rib so that the vehicle body structural member and the fracture inducing portion come into contact with each other, a crack is generated from the fracture inducing portion, and the height of the lateral rib is increased. Placed at a position away from the high strength portion of the lateral rib to allow the crack to occur at the strength portion, and then the crack of the high strength portion breaks and the high strength portion of the lateral rib moves further In the moving direction, it is arranged at a position where it abuts and regulates the high strength portion of the lateral rib, so that before the movement of the high strength portion of the lateral rib is regulated by the regulating member, The high yield strength portion can be reliably broken, and as a result, the load characteristics due to the deformation of the rib member can be stabilized.

In the present invention, preferably, the vehicle body structural member is a pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, and the rib member and the regulating member are provided in a first region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first in the pillar, In the second region below the first region of the pillar where the collision of the occupant's face is predicted after the first collision, an energy absorbing structure is provided that is less resistant to the occupant's collision force than the rib member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the rib member and the restriction member are provided in the first region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first in the pillar. At the first collision that will cause severe damage, as mentioned above, the collision energy can be absorbed more securely, the head can be protected more reliably, and the collision when the face collides afterwards We can weaken power beforehand. In addition, an energy absorbing structure is provided in the second region below the first region of the pillar where the collision of the occupant's face is predicted after the first collision, which is less resistant to the occupant's collision force than the rib member. Therefore, the face can be protected without applying an excessive load to the face.

In the present invention, preferably, the vehicle body structural member is a roof rail extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the rib member and the regulating member are provided in a first region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first in the roof rail, In the second region ahead of the first region of the roof rail where the collision of the occupant's face is predicted after the first collision, an energy absorbing structure that is less resistant to the occupant's collision force than the rib member is provided.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the rib member and the regulating member are provided in the first region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first on the roof rail, and therefore, particularly when the front collision of the vehicle occurs. At the time of the first collision of the occupant's head with the roof rail, the collision energy can be absorbed more securely as described above, and the head can be protected more reliably. Can be weakened in advance. Furthermore, an energy absorption structure is provided in the second region in front of the first region of the roof rail where the collision of the occupant's face is predicted after the first collision, which is less resistant to the occupant's collision force than the rib member. Therefore, the face can be protected without applying an excessive load to the face.

In the present invention, preferably, the vehicle body structural member has a corner portion projecting toward the breakage induction portion, and the breakage induction portion is a corner portion of the edge portion of the lateral rib facing the vehicle body structure member of the high strength portion. Is a thin-walled portion provided at a position opposed to the vehicle body structure member, and is formed so as to extend so that its width is narrowed from the end edge on the vehicle body structural member side toward the predicted collision position of the head of the passenger of the interior material.
According to the present invention configured as described above, the fracture guide portion of the rib member is a thin-walled portion, and the head of the passenger of the interior material is predicted from the edge facing the vehicle body structural member of the high strength portion of the lateral rib. Since it extends so that the width becomes narrower toward the collision position, the breakage of the breakage guide portion is likely to propagate toward the high strength portion of the lateral rib, and as a result, the breakage of the high strength portion can be more reliably generated. I can do it.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the rib member is made of resin, and the restricting member is a steel plate reinforcing member welded to a side surface portion of the vehicle body structural member.
According to the present invention configured as described above, since the rib member is made of resin, the collision energy can be absorbed more efficiently by the deformation. Furthermore, since the regulating member is a plate member made of a steel plate having a higher rigidity than that of the resin, the movement of the rib member can be more reliably regulated.

  According to the energy absorbing structure of the present invention, the passenger's head can be reliably protected by favorable load characteristics.

Next, an energy absorption structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
First, a schematic structure of a side surface of a vehicle to which the present embodiment is applied will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is an external view of a side surface portion of a vehicle provided with an occupant protection energy absorbing structure according to the present embodiment as viewed from the vehicle interior side.
As shown in FIG. 1, a front pillar 2, a first center pillar 4, a second center pillar 6, and a rear pillar 8 that extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle body are formed on the side surface of the vehicle 1 as vehicle body structural members. The pillars 2, 6, and 8 are connected to a roof side rail 10 that is also a vehicle body structural member and extends in the vehicle body longitudinal direction. Each pillar 2, 6, 8 is provided with synthetic resin pillar trims 12, 14, 16, 18 as interior materials so as to cover the passenger compartment side. As shown in FIG. 1, a roof side trim 20 is provided as an interior material covering the vehicle compartment side from the roof side rail 10 to the roof portion (ceiling portion) above the vehicle compartment.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, energy absorbing rib members 24 and 26 are provided in the upper part of the front pillar 2 and the side parts of the second and third row seats of the roof side rail 10, respectively. Is provided. The first rib member 24 is formed in a region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first during a frontal collision or a side collision. In this case, an area where a collision is predicted is determined by an experiment using a dummy doll that variously defines the height and physique of the occupant. When the head of the occupant collides with the front pillar 2 or the roof side rail 10, the upper part of the head (for example, the part with the skull) collides first, and then the lower part thereof. It has been experimentally known that the face part (the whole face and the part including the ears) collides.

Such a region where the face collides is a region below the front pillar 2 and a region ahead on the roof side rail 10 than the region where the head collides first. The second rib member 26 is provided in the region, and the proof strength against the collision force by the occupant's head is smaller than that of the first rib member 24 in order to reduce damage to the occupant's face. It is formed as follows. In other words, the maximum load value and the average load value applied to the occupant's head are reduced.
On the other hand, as will be described in detail later, the first rib member 24 in the region where the occupant's head is expected to collide first is protected by the first rib member 24 in order to reliably protect the occupant's head. At the time of a collision, the initial load is raised in a very short time, and a structure that can maintain a load value as high as possible within a predetermined load value that does not deteriorate the head injury index (HIC) is applied.
Although FIG. 1 shows the right side portion of the vehicle body, the left side portion of the vehicle body is configured similarly, including the following description.

Next, the structure of the rib members 24 and 26 provided on the front pillar 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the energy absorbing structure provided in the upper part of the front pillar according to the present embodiment as seen from the passenger compartment side. In FIG. 2, the pillar trim 12 is not shown. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the front pillar and the second rib member as viewed along line III-III in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a front pillar as viewed along line IV-IV in FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the structure of the movement restricting member and the first rib member, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fracture guide portion taken along line VV in FIG.
Since the basic structures of the rib members 24 and 26 provided on the front pillar 2 and the roof side rail 10 are the same, the structure of the rib members 24 and 26 provided on the front pillar 2 will be described here and the roof side rail will be described. The description of the structure of the rib members 24 and 26 provided in FIG.

First, the structure of the front pillar 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the front pillar 2 is mainly provided between a pillar outer panel 30 provided on the outside of the vehicle, a pillar inner panel 32 provided on the passenger compartment side, and the panels 30 and 32. The pillar reinforcement 34 is configured. These panels 30 and 32 and the reinforcement 34 are made of steel plates.
Flange portions 30a, 32a are formed at one end edge of each panel 30, 32, and one end edge portion 34a of the reinforcement 34 is sandwiched between the flange portions 30a, 32a and welded together. It is fixed. Note that a windshield (not shown) is formed on the step portion formed by the flange portion 30a of the outer panel 30 and the flat portion 30c adjacent to the flange portion 30a and extending substantially orthogonal to the flange portion 30a. These are attached so as to extend substantially parallel to the flange portion 30a.

  Further, flange portions 30b, 32b, and 34b are formed at the other edge portions of the panels 30 and 32 and the reinforcement 34, respectively, and the reinforcement is provided between the flange portions 30a and 32a of the panels 30 and 32. The flange portion 34b of the ment 34 is sandwiched and fixed to each other by welding. A front door (not shown) is provided on the flange portion 30b of the outer panel 30 and the side surface portion 30d formed on the vehicle exterior side.

  These panels 30, 32 and reinforcement 34 are connected from the connection portion with the rule side rail 10 at the upper end portion of the front pillar 2 to the connection portion with a cowl box (not shown) disposed at the rear of the engine room. It extends diagonally in the vertical direction of the vehicle body. Further, a steel plate reinforcing member (gusset) 40 is attached to the side surface portion 32c of the inner panel 32 on the passenger compartment side by welding, and the reinforcing member 40 is attached to the front roof header (from the middle in the longitudinal direction of the front pillar 2). The reinforcing member 40 also serves as a movement restricting member 70, which will be described later. In FIG. 2, only the portion that functions as the movement restricting member 70 is provided. Is illustrated.

Next, the structure of the second rib member 26 will be described with reference to FIGS.
The second rib member 26 has the same structure as a conventionally used rib member. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the second rib member 26 is formed by integrally molding synthetic resin, and includes a vertical rib 50 extending along the longitudinal direction of the front pillar 2, and the vertical rib. 50 and a plurality of transverse ribs 52 intersecting with In the present embodiment, the second rib member 26 and the pillar trim 12 are also integrally formed. Further, as will be described later, the first rib member 24 is also integrally formed with the pillar trim 12. Therefore, in this embodiment, the 1st rib member 24, the 2nd rib member 26, and the pillar trim 12 are integrally molded, and such a unit is attached with respect to the front pillar 2. As shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of the lateral ribs 52 are provided at predetermined intervals in the region where the face portion collides. The longitudinal rib 50 also extends continuously over this region. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the horizontal rib 52 includes a first portion 54 provided on one side of the vertical rib 50, i.e., the side surface portions 32 c to e of the inner panel 32, and the vertical rib 50. It has the 2nd part 56 provided in the other side, ie, the flange part 32b side of the inner panel 32. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the first portion 54 extends along the longitudinal rib 50 and the pillar trim 12, and its width is smaller and elongated than an enlarged portion 64 (see FIG. 4) of the first rib member 24 described later. It is formed as follows. The second portion 56 is formed so as to fill a space surrounded by the vertical rib 50 and the pillar trim 12, but the area thereof is smaller than that of the first portion 54. As described above, since the second rib member 26 and the pillar trim 12 are integrally formed, the edge portions on the passenger compartment side of the first and second portions 54 and 56 and the passenger compartment side of the vertical rib 50 are provided. The end edge portion and the front pillar trim 12 are integrated.

When an occupant's head (particularly the face) collides with the second rib member 26 via the pillar trim 12, the ribs 50 and 52 are deformed to absorb the occupant's collision energy. Yes. The reinforcing member 40 (not shown in FIG. 1) is attached to the side surface portion 32c of the inner panel 32.
The vertical rib 50 is formed integrally with the vertical rib 60 of the first rib member 24, and the mounting angle and dimensions thereof are the same. Here, for convenience of explanation, the vertical ribs are described using different symbols.
In this region, instead of the second rib member 24, an elastic member such as rubber for absorbing collision energy, or a tube-shaped energy having both ends opened and extending along the longitudinal direction of the front pillar 2 is used. An absorbing member may be provided.

Next, the structure of the first rib member 24 and the structure of the front pillar 2 associated with the first rib member 24 will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the first rib member 24 is formed by integrally molding synthetic resin, and a plurality of vertical ribs 60 extending along the longitudinal direction of the front pillar 2 and a plurality of crossing the vertical ribs 60. Side ribs 62. In the present embodiment, the first rib member 24 and the pillar trim 12 are integrally formed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the horizontal rib 62 includes a first portion 64 provided on one side of the vertical rib 60, that is, the side surface portions 32 c to 32 e of the inner panel 32, and the vertical rib 60. It has the 2nd part 66 provided in the other side, ie, the flange part 32b side of the inner panel 32. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, the first portion 64 is formed between the longitudinal rib 50, the pillar trim 12, and the inner panel 32, and the second portion 66 and the first lateral rib portion 54 ( The width and the area are larger than those of the vertical rib 60, and the gap between the vertical rib 60 and a certain portion of the pillar trim 12 in the vicinity of the vertical rib 60 is not filled. The enlarged portion 64 is formed. In the first rib member 24, by forming such an enlarged portion 64, the proof strength against the collision force of the occupant's head is enhanced as compared with the second rib member 26 described above. On the other hand, the second portion 66 is formed so as to substantially fill a space surrounded by the vertical rib 60 and the pillar trim 12.

  A plurality of the lateral ribs 62 formed in this way are provided at a predetermined interval in the region where the head first collides as described above. The longitudinal rib 60 also extends continuously over this region. Further, the edge portions 64 a and 66 a on the passenger compartment side of the portions 64 and 66 of the lateral rib 62 and the edge portion 60 a on the passenger compartment side of the vertical rib 60 are integrated with the front pillar trim 12.

Here, FIG. 4 shows the predicted collision position P and the predicted collision direction D of the occupant's head obtained by experiments or the like, and the symbol H represents the head. The predicted collision position P is the portion of the pillar trim 12 that protrudes most toward the passenger compartment, and in this embodiment, the curvature of that portion is the smallest. Further, the first rib member 24 is formed so that the enlarged portion 64 of the lateral rib 62 exists at the portion of the pillar trim 12 that protrudes most toward the passenger compartment. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the end portion 64 a on the passenger compartment side of the enlarged portion 64 is formed so as to extend in accordance with the shape of the pillar trim 12, and the end portion 64 a corresponds to the predicted collision position P. To extend through.
In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the pillar trim 12 or the shape of the lateral rib 62 prevents the actual collision position from greatly deviating from the predicted collision position P, and the occupant's collision force is applied to the enlarged portion 64. Effectively communicated.

  On the other hand, the vertical rib 60 extends from the position near the predicted collision position P of the pillar trim 12 toward the front pillar 2 in the width direction. More specifically, the vertical rib 60 extends toward the base portion 32f of the flange portion 32b of the inner panel 32, that is, the bent V-shaped portion between the flange portion 32b and the side surface portion 32e. The front end portion (the outer edge portion of the vehicle) 60b in the width direction is located in a recessed space formed by the flange portion 32b and the side surface portion 32e of the base portion 32f. Further, the vertical rib 60 extends while being inclined with respect to the predicted collision direction D. Specifically, the longitudinal rib 60 has a predetermined angle in the width direction in the direction opposite to the side where the enlarged portion 64 that is one side of the longitudinal rib 60 is formed with respect to the predicted collision direction D. It extends with an inclination of α.

Next, a breakage guide portion 68 is formed at an edge portion 64b of the enlarged portion 64 facing the front pillar 2, and the breakage guide portion 68 is formed by the side surface portion 32d and the side surface portion 32e of the inner panel 32. It is provided at a position facing the formed corner 32g. This breakage guiding portion 68 is for causing the corner portion 32 to abut at the time of the collision of the occupant to cause a crack to propagate along a line as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. It is.
As shown in the cross-sectional shape of FIG. 5, the breakage guide portion 68 is formed so as to be continuously thinner toward the end edge portion 64 b and is thinner than the other portions of the enlarged portion 64. . Note that a stepped portion may be formed so that the edge portion 64b becomes thin.
As shown in FIG. 4, the breakage guide portion 68 is formed with an acute angle shape in which a notch 68 a is formed and the width becomes narrower toward the inside of the enlarged portion 64. The acute-angled breakage guide portion 68 extends toward the predicted collision position P.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the inner panel 32 is provided with a movement restricting member 70 that restricts the movement of the lateral rib 62 at a predetermined timing after the collision of the occupant. The movement restricting member 70 is made of a steel plate, and is attached to the side surface portion 32c and the flange portion 32a by welding.
The movement restricting member 70 rises obliquely from the side surface portion 32 c, is bent at the tip thereof, and extends substantially parallel to the side surfaces 32 c and 32 d of the inner panel 32 toward the enlarged portion 64 of the lateral rib 62. As shown in FIG. 2, the movement restricting member 70 extends along the longitudinal direction of the front pillar 2 and is provided at a position facing all the enlarged portions 64 of the plurality of lateral ribs 62. And the edge part 70a by the side of the compartment of the movement control member 70 faces the edge part 64c (end edge part located in the side of each flange part 30a, 32a, 34a) of the vehicle outside of the expansion part 64. The end edge portions 64c and 70a extend in directions substantially orthogonal to each other.

  The distance between these end edges 64c and 70a is defined as follows. That is, as will be described in detail later, when the enlarged portion 64 moves and the corner portion 32g of the inner panel 32 and the breakage guiding portion 68 come into contact with each other, the end edge portions 64c and 70a are in a separated position. Then, after the rupture of the enlarged portion 64, the distance is such that the end edge portions 64c and 70a come into contact with each other. In addition, the distance which contact | abuts during the fracture | rupture which the fracture | rupture of the enlarged part 64 advanced to some extent may be sufficient.

  Although the front pillar 2 and the rib members 24 and 26 related to the front pillar 2 have been described above, the roof side rail 10 is not shown in the figure, but similar to the front pillar 2, the outer panel, the inner panel, and the reinforcement are used. The first rib member 24 and the second rib member 26 are formed on the vehicle interior side in the same configuration as described above. The rib members 24 and 26 provided on the roof side rail 10 are integrally formed with the roof side trim 20. Also in the rib members 24 and 26 provided on such a roof side, the same effects as those described below can be obtained.

  With the configuration of the first rib member 24 described above, when the head of the occupant collides with the pillar trim 12 or the roof rail 10, the collision energy of the occupant is absorbed by the deformation and breakage of the first rib member 24. It has become. In particular, in the present embodiment, the first rib member 24 is provided in a region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first, and the initial load is applied when the head collides due to the configuration of the ribs 60 and 62 described above. The robot is started up in a very short time, and the breakage guide portion 68 and the movement restricting member 70 can maintain a load value as high as possible within a predetermined load value that does not deteriorate the head injury index (HIC).

  Next, referring to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7, the first rib provided on the front pillar 2 regarding the action of absorbing the collision energy of the head of the occupant by the first rib member 24, the movement restriction member 70 and the vehicle body structural member. The member 24 will be described as an example. FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4 for explaining the action of the collision energy absorption of the head of the occupant by the first rib member 24 according to the present embodiment, and before deformation of the first rib member immediately after the collision. It is a figure which shows a state (a), the deformation | transformation state (b) of the 1st rib member in the middle of a collision, and the deformation state (c) of the 1st rib member when a collision progresses further. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the load applied to the head of the occupant and the stroke. In FIG. 7, the conventional case where the breakage guide portion 68 and the movement restricting portion 70 are not provided and the proof stress is increased. Load characteristics (a) by technology, load characteristics (b) as a comparative example indicated by a one-dot chain line in the case where the breaking guide portion 68 is provided but the movement restricting member 70 is not provided, and the breaking guide portion 68 and the movement restricting portion 70 are The load characteristic (b) shown with the continuous line by this provided embodiment is shown.

  First, FIG. 6A shows a case where a passenger's head H comes into contact with the pillar trim 12 and a force starts to be transmitted to the first rib member 24 at the time of a side collision of the automobile (point A in FIG. 7B). ). As shown in FIG. 7, the load applied to the occupant begins to rise from this point.

Here, the amount of collision energy absorbed by the occupant's head by the energy absorption structure is the product (integrated value) of the load applied to the occupant's head (the product of the head weight and acceleration) and the stroke amount (deformation amount). ). On the other hand, as shown by the head injury index HIC defined in the US standard (FMVSS201), the head injury index is the magnitude of the load when the head hits and the time (stroke amount) applied. It is known that it is necessary to reduce the average load (average acceleration) below a predetermined reference value in order to reduce injury to the head due to such a relationship.
Considering both the amount of absorbed energy and the head injury index, the smaller the average load, the smaller the injury to the head. On the other hand, a larger amount of stroke is required to obtain the required amount of absorbed energy. . However, in order to secure such a stroke amount, there is a limit due to the arrangement space and the like. Therefore, the load characteristics are as close to the target load as possible within a range that does not exceed the target load that satisfies the criteria of the head injury index after the initial load is started up (increase the load rising angle) in as short a time as possible. It is ideal to change at.

  FIG. 7 shows such a target load. In the present embodiment, the first rib member 24 has the occupant's head because the longitudinal rib 60 and the lateral rib 62 intersect and the area of the enlarged portion 64 of the lateral rib 62 is large. Strength against the collision force of the part is increased. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7B, the rising angle of the load from the point A can be increased. By increasing the rising angle in this way, it is possible to raise the initial load in a very short time and reach the target load in a short time. The second rib member 26 described above has a lower proof strength than the first rib member 24, and the rising angle and the maximum load value are smaller.

Here, the deformation state of the first rib member 24 at the time of such rising will be described.
When the head H collides with the pillar trim 12 (collision position P), the collision force is transmitted to the entire first rib member 24, that is, the enlarged portion (first portion) 64, the second portion 64, and the vertical rib 60. The The first rib member 24 generally moves in the same direction as the collision direction D. Due to the movement, first, the vertical rib 60 collides with the base portion 32 f of the flange portion 32 b of the inner panel 32. Due to this collision, the vertical rib 60 is somewhat buckled and deformed, and a part of the enlarged portion 64, that is, a portion 64 d between the breaking guide portion 68 and the vertical rib 60 collides with the side surface portion 32 e of the inner panel 32. .
At the same time, the breakage guide portion 68 collides with the corner portion 32g of the inner panel 32. As described above, the breakage guide portion 68 has a thin edge and extends at an acute angle, and the corner portion 32g protrudes toward the breakage guide portion 68, so immediately after such a collision, Cracks occur.

  Here, as described above, the vertical rib 60 is not easily deformed by being provided so that the horizontal rib 62 intersects. Further, since the vertical rib 60 extends from the vicinity of the collision position P toward the base portion 32f of the inner panel 32, the collision force is easily applied in the width direction of the vertical rib 60, and further, the vertical rib 60 is formed by the V-shaped base portion 32f. The movement of the tip 60b of the 60 is restrained. Therefore, the vertical rib 60 is stretched and withstands the collision force. And as above-mentioned, since the vertical rib 60 inclines with the predetermined angle (alpha) on the opposite side to the side of the expansion part 64 with respect to the estimated collision direction D, it is in the vertical rib 60 and the horizontal rib 62. In FIG. 6B, a rotational force as indicated by a symbol R is applied. As a result, the first rib member 24 starts to be displaced in the direction indicated by the symbol R with the longitudinal rib tip 60b in contact with the base 32f as an axis.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6B, the first rib member 24 is rotated in the direction of the symbol R as a whole, and the crack generated in the breakage guide portion 68 is developed, and the enlarged portion 64 is broken. In the present embodiment, at the time of the break, the above-described target load is almost obtained, and the load value is indicated by a point B in FIG. 7B. Then, when the point B is passed, the load value decreases as the stroke amount increases due to the rupture of the enlarged portion 64. That is, in the present embodiment, the load does not exceed the target load value due to the rupture of the enlarged portion 64.
Further, the rotational displacement of the first rib member 24 can increase the deformation stroke, and more reliably absorb the collision energy of the head of the occupant, than the ribs 60 and 62 are displaced straight toward the front pillar 2. The amount can be secured.

  As shown in FIG. 7 (a), in the structure corresponding to the prior art in which the fracture inducing portion 68 is not provided, when the proof strength of the rib member is increased in order to quickly start up the initial load, the load value becomes the target load. This greatly increases the head injury index. Therefore, conventionally, in order to prevent the load value from exceeding the target load, the proof strength of the rib member has to be lowered, and as a result, the rising angle is small and the stroke amount is large.

  Next, when the deformation proceeds from the state shown in FIG. 6B, the enlarged portion 64 and the movement restricting member 70 collide as shown in FIG. 6C. Since the movement restricting member 70 is made of a steel plate, its own deformation is unlikely to occur, and therefore the movement restricting member 70 deforms the resin enlarged portion 64 while suppressing the movement of the enlarged portion 64. Therefore, the deformation amount of the enlarged portion 64 is increased, and the collision energy is greatly absorbed.

  In the diagram shown in FIG. 7B, the point C is a point in time when the enlarged portion 64 and the movement restricting member 70 contact each other. As indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 7B, if the movement restricting member 70 is not provided, the load decreases as the stroke proceeds. That is, a load is generated by the deformation force of the first rib member 24 itself including the enlarged portion 64 and the reaction force from the inner panel 32, but the load is reduced by the absence of the reaction force by the movement restricting member 70. . Therefore, when the movement restricting member 70 is not provided, the stroke becomes large in order to obtain a necessary collision energy absorption amount.

  On the other hand, in the load characteristic of the present embodiment shown by the solid line in FIG. 7B, the deformation force of the first rib member 24 itself including the enlarged portion 64 and the reaction force from the inner panel 32, and further, the movement restricting member 70 With the reaction force applied to the enlarged portion 64, the load value after contact can be shifted to a value closer to the target load.

  In particular, in the state shown in FIG. 6B or FIG. 6C, the collision progresses and the contact area between the head H and the pillar trim 12 is increased, and as described above, the edge of the enlarged portion 64 Since the portion 64 a extends through the predicted collision position P, the collision force is greatly applied to the enlarged portion 64. Furthermore, as described above, since the enlarged portion 64 has a rotational displacement in the direction of the symbol R, a collision force is more easily applied to the enlarged portion 64. Such a rotational force is also generated when the portion remaining on the side of the vertical rib 60 (the portion including the end edge portion of 64d) in the enlarged portion 64 that has broken is stretched. Therefore, the movement restricting member 70 can greatly deform the enlarged portion 64 to absorb the collision energy, and the movement restricting action by the movement restricting member 70 can be more reliably obtained.

  Furthermore, as described above, the movement restricting member 70 is separated from the end edge portion 64c of the enlarged portion 64 when the end edge portion 70a thereof contacts the corner portion 32g of the inner panel 32 and the breakage guiding portion 68. Since the first rib member 24 is disposed at such a position that it is disposed at a position so as to contact the end edge portion 64c after the enlarged portion 64 is broken, the load characteristics generated by the deformation of the first rib member 24 can be stabilized. In addition, by adjusting the distance between the corner portion 32g and the breakage guide portion 68 and the distance between the end edge portion 70a and the end edge portion 64c, the timing at which the enlargement portion 64 breaks, and the enlargement portion The timing at which 64 abuts against the movement restricting member 70 can be adjusted, and as a result, optimum load characteristics as indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7B can be obtained. In addition, it is also possible to raise the load value of C point in FIG.7 (b) by making the expansion part 64 and the movement control member 70 contact in the middle of the fracture | rupture of the expansion part 64. FIG.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first and second rib members 24 and 26 and the pillar trim 12 or the roof side trim 20 are integrally molded. However, as a modified example, after these are molded separately, The first and second rib members and the pillar trim or the roof side trim may be fixed to each other with an adhesive. In this configuration, there is an advantage that a mold for molding the rib member and the trim member can be separately provided at the time of manufacture, and the degree of freedom of molding can be increased and the above-described effects can be obtained. .
As another example, the pillar trim or the roof side trim may be fixed to the pillar or the roof side rail with a screw or a hook, and the pillar trim or the roof side rail may be separated without being bonded to each rib member. In such a case, there are fewer restrictions on the shapes of the rib members, pillar trims, etc., the specifications can be easily changed, and the degree of design freedom can be increased. Even in such a case, the above-described effects can be obtained.
Furthermore, as another example, the first rib member and the second rib member are integrally formed and provided on the roof side rail, and the first and second rib members and the roof side rail are connected to the ceiling in the vehicle interior. The top ceiling provided so as to cover may be extended and covered with the top ceiling. Thus, by covering the ceiling portion and the roof side rail portion with a common top sealing, the roof side trim can be omitted, and the number of parts can be reduced, and the appearance can be improved. Even in such a case, the above-described effects can be obtained.

  With the configuration and operation of the embodiment or modification of the present invention described above, the head of the occupant can be reliably protected with a shorter stroke.

It is the external view which looked at the side part of the vehicle provided with the energy absorption structure for passenger | crew protection by embodiment of this invention from the vehicle interior side. It is a perspective view which shows the energy absorption structure provided in the upper part of the front pillar by embodiment of this invention in the direction seen from the compartment side. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the front pillar and the 2nd rib member seen along the III-III line of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the front pillar seen along the IV-IV line of FIG. 1, a movement control member, and a 1st rib member. It is sectional drawing of the fracture | rupture induction | guidance | derivation part seen along the VV line | wire of FIG. It is a figure shown like FIG. 4 for demonstrating the effect | action of the collision energy absorption of the passenger | crew's head by the 1st rib member by this embodiment. It is a diagram showing the relationship between the load applied to the head of the occupant and the stroke, the load characteristics (a) according to the prior art, the load characteristics (b) shown by a one-dot chain line as a comparative example in which no breakage induction portion is provided, and It is a diagram which shows the load characteristic (b) shown as the continuous line by embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

2 Front pillar 10 Roof side rail 12 Pillar trim 20 Roof side trim 24 First rib member 26 Second rib member 32 Pillar inner panel 32a, b Flange portion 32c-e Side surface portion 32f Base portion 32g Corner portion 50 Vertical rib of the second rib member 52 Second rib member transverse rib 60 First rib member longitudinal rib 60a, b Edge end of longitudinal rib, tip portion 62 First rib member transverse rib 64 Expanded portion of first rib member transverse rib (first portion)
64a, b, c, d Edge portion of the enlarged portion 66 Second portion of the lateral rib of the first rib member 68 Breakage guide portion 70 Movement restriction member 70a Edge portion H of the movement restriction member 70 Crew's head P Predictive collision Position D Predicted collision direction R Direction of rotation of first rib member (rotational force)

Claims (6)

An energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile provided on a vehicle body structural member constituting a part of the vehicle body,
An interior material provided to cover the passenger compartment side of the vehicle body structural member;
A rib member for absorbing collision energy provided between the interior material and the vehicle body structural member along the cross-sectional direction of the vehicle body structural member;
A rupture induction portion that is formed on the rib member and breaks when an occupant in the vehicle compartment collides with the vehicle body structural member to induce the rupture of the rib member;
A regulation member attached to the vehicle body structural member, extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body structure and arranged away from the rib member, and restricting movement of the fractured rib member;
The regulating member has an edge on the rib member side facing the edge of the rib member, and the edge of the setting member and the edge of the rib member are orthogonal to each other. An energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile, wherein when the rib member is broken, the rib member moves and abuts against an end edge of the regulating member. An energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile provided on a vehicle body structural member constituting a part of the vehicle body,
An interior material provided to cover the passenger compartment side of the vehicle body structural member;
A rib member for absorbing collision energy provided between the interior material and the vehicle body structural member, and the rib member formed on the rib member is broken by colliding with the vehicle body structural member, thereby inducing breakage of the rib member. A break induction part;
A regulating member that is attached to the vehicle body structural member and regulates the movement of the fractured rib member;
The rib member has a vertical rib extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body structural member, and a horizontal rib extending to intersect the vertical rib,
The horizontal rib has a high strength portion that extends from one side of the vertical rib and has increased strength against the occupant's collision force,
The vertical rib is disposed at a position where the longitudinal rib collides with the vehicle body structural member before the breakage guide portion of the lateral rib when the occupant collides with the interior material.
The breaking guide portion is formed at an edge of the high strength portion of the lateral rib facing the vehicle body structural member so as to cause a crack in the high strength portion by colliding with the vehicle body structural member, and the restriction member When the occupant collides with the interior material, the high-strength portion of the lateral rib moves, the vehicle body structural member and the fracture guiding portion come into contact with each other, a crack is generated from the fracture guiding portion, and the lateral rib In order to allow the cracks that have occurred in the high strength portion of the steel plate to develop, the transverse ribs are disposed at a position spaced apart from the high strength portion of the horizontal rib. An energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile, wherein the proof portion is disposed at a position where the proof portion is further restricted in contact with the high proof portion of the lateral rib in the moving direction. The vehicle body structural member is a pillar extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle body,
The rib member and the regulating member are provided in a first region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first in the pillar,
In the second area below the first area of the pillar where the collision of the occupant's face is predicted after the first collision, an energy absorbing structure is provided that is less resistant to the occupant's collision force than the rib member. The energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile according to claim 1 or 2. The vehicle body structural member is a roof rail extending in the vehicle longitudinal direction,
The rib member and the restricting member are provided in a first region where the head of the occupant is predicted to collide first in the roof rail,
In the second region ahead of the first region of the roof rail where a collision of the occupant's face is predicted after the first collision, an energy absorbing structure that is less resistant to the occupant's collision force than the rib member is provided. The energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile according to claim 1 or 2. The vehicle body structural member has a corner portion protruding toward the breakage induction portion,
The breakage induction portion is a thin portion provided at a position facing the corner portion of the edge portion of the high-strength portion of the lateral rib that faces the vehicle body structure member, and the edge portion on the vehicle body structure member side 3. The energy absorbing structure for protecting an occupant of an automobile according to claim 2, wherein the occupant protecting energy absorbing structure is formed to extend toward the predicted collision position of the head of the occupant of the interior material.   6. The vehicle occupant protection energy according to claim 1, wherein the rib member is made of resin, and the restricting member is a steel plate reinforcing member welded to a side surface of the vehicle body structural member. Absorbing structure.

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