JP5088570B2 - Center pillar structure of the vehicle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a center pillar structure of a vehicle including an outer panel, an inner panel, and a reinforcement.

Conventionally, the center pillar structure of the vehicle has a cross-sectional hat shape in which each of the reinforcement, the outer panel, and the inner panel has a front flange on the vehicle front side, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion between them. The reinforcement flange is formed by sandwiching the front flange of the reinforcement between the front flange of the outer panel and the front flange of the inner panel and welding them together. The rear flange of the reinforcement is formed by the rear flange of the outer panel and the rear flange of the inner panel. The three parties were integrally welded together with a pinch (see Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-347655 A

According to the above conventional structure, as shown in FIG. 3 of Patent Document 1, a closed cross section can be formed in the center pillar structure to increase the rigidity and strength of the center pillar structure, but at the front edge of the inner panel, One front flange must extend to the front flange side of the reinforcement on the front side of the vehicle, and the rear flange, which is the rear edge of the inner panel, must extend to the rear flange side of the reinforcement on the rear side of the vehicle. The width of the panel in the vehicle front-rear direction is increased, the inner panel is enlarged, and the weight of the vehicle is increased.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle center pillar structure capable of reducing weight while having a structure capable of increasing rigidity and strength. . Furthermore, the present invention provides a center pillar structure for a vehicle that can easily adjust the deformation of the center pillar due to an impact load from the side of the vehicle.

The feature of the present invention is that
A center pillar structure of a vehicle having an outer panel, an inner panel, and a reinforcement,
The reinforcement is formed into a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the vehicle front side, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion between them.
A front edge and a rear edge on the vehicle front side of the inner panel are welded to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement, respectively,
A front extending portion that extends to the front side of the vehicle with respect to the first joint portion between the front flange of the reinforcement and the front edge of the inner panel is provided on the front flange of the reinforcement, and the front extending portion is Welding to the outer panel,
A rear extension portion that extends toward the vehicle rear side from a second joint portion between the rear flange of the reinforcement and the rear edge of the inner panel is provided on the rear flange of the reinforcement, and the rear side The extending portion is welded to the outer panel. (Claim 1)

According to this configuration, the reinforcement is formed into a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the vehicle front side, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion therebetween, and a front edge portion on the vehicle front side of the inner panel. And the rear edge of the rear side is welded to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement separately, so it is possible to form a closed cross section with the reinforcement and the inner panel, The inner panel can prevent the both side walls (the side wall on the vehicle front side and the side wall on the vehicle rear side) from separating from each other. As a result, the rigidity and strength of the center pillar portion composed of the reinforcement and the inner panel can be sufficiently increased.
In addition, a front extension portion that extends to the front side of the vehicle with respect to the first joint portion between the front flange of the reinforcement and the front edge portion of the inner panel is provided on the front flange of the reinforcement, and the front extension portion is formed on the outer panel. A rear extension part is provided on the rear flange of the reinforcement, and is connected to the rear flange of the reinforcement with a rear extension extending rearward of the second joint between the rear flange of the reinforcement and the rear edge of the inner panel. Since the extension part is welded and joined to the outer panel, it is possible to effectively utilize the reinforcement composed of a generally strong member and use the reinforcement front end and the vehicle rear end as the inner panel. . And, compared with a structure in which the front edge portion and the rear edge portion of the inner panel are separately welded to the front flange and the rear flange of the outer panel, the width of the inner panel in the vehicle front-rear direction can be reduced. The vehicle can be reduced in size and weight. (Claim 1)

In the present invention,
Bulging the bulge portion of the reinforcement to the outside of the vehicle with respect to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement;
The inner panel is formed in a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the front side of the vehicle, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion therebetween, and the front edge of the inner panel is a front flange of the inner panel. And the rear edge of the inner panel is formed by the rear flange of the inner panel, and the bulging portion of the inner panel bulges toward the inside of the vehicle with respect to the front flange and the rear flange of the inner panel. Let
When the bulging amount of the bulging portion of the inner panel is smaller than the bulging amount of the bulging portion of the reinforcement, the following effects can be achieved. (Claim 2)

Since both the reinforcement and the inner panel are formed in a hat shape in cross section, the closed cross section can be enlarged and the rigidity of the center pillar structure can be increased. As a result, the rigidity of the vehicle body is increased, and the steering stability can be improved.
Further, since the bulging amount of the bulging portion of the inner panel is made smaller than the bulging amount of the bulging portion of the reinforcement, even the inner panel made of a member thinner than the reinforcement is bulging of the inner panel. The deformation of the protruding portion can be easily suppressed, and the inner panels can more easily prevent the side walls of the bulging portion of the reinforcement from separating from each other.
In general, a wide range of the closed cross section can be formed by the reinforcement composed of a member having a high strength, and the rigidity and strength of the center pillar structure can be increased by utilizing the reinforcement effectively. (Claim 2)

In the present invention,
The first joint comprises a plurality of first weld joints arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The second joint comprises a plurality of second weld joints arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The third joint portion between the front extension portion of the reinforcement and the outer panel is composed of a plurality of third weld joint portions arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The fourth joint portion between the rear extension portion of the reinforcement and the outer panel is composed of a plurality of fourth weld joint portions arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The first weld joint and the third weld joint are displaced in the vehicle vertical direction,
When the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint are misaligned in the vehicle vertical direction, the following effects can be achieved. (Claim 3)

For example, a first weld joint that forms a first joint between the front flange of the reinforcement and the front edge of the inner panel, and a third joint that forms a third joint between the front extension of the reinforcement and the outer panel. If the weld joint is located at the same position in the vehicle vertical direction, the first weld joint must be separated from the third weld joint to the vehicle rear side so as not to interfere with the third weld joint. Don't be. Similarly, when the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint are located at the same position in the vehicle vertical direction, the second weld joint must be separated from the fourth weld joint toward the vehicle front side. . Then, the rear end of the front flange of the reinforcement where the first weld joint is provided is further retracted toward the rear of the vehicle, and the front end of the rear flange of the reinforcement where the second weld joint is provided is located closer to the front of the vehicle. As a result, the interval between the side walls of the bulging portion of the reinforcement is reduced, and the size of the closed cross section is reduced.
On the other hand, according to the above configuration of the present invention, the first weld joint and the third weld joint are displaced in the vehicle vertical direction, and the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint are in the vehicle vertical direction. Since the position is shifted, even if the distance between the first weld joint and the third weld joint in the vehicle front-rear direction and the distance between the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint in the vehicle front-rear direction are short, Interference between the first weld joint and the third weld joint, and interference between the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint can be avoided, and the area of the welded portion can be secured. One weld joint can be positioned more on the vehicle front side than the third weld joint, the second weld joint can be positioned more on the vehicle rear side than the fourth weld joint, The distance between both side walls of the force bulge can be increased, and It is possible to increase the size of the cross section. As a result, the rigidity and strength of the center pillar can be increased. (Claim 3)

In the present invention,
In the first weld joint and the third weld joint adjacent to each other, a front edge portion on the vehicle front side of the inner panel in the first weld joint is positioned on the vehicle rear side of the third weld joint. Project to the front side of the vehicle from the front edge portion of the inner panel,
In the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint adjacent to each other, a rear end edge portion of the inner panel at the vehicle rear side of the second weld joint is placed on the vehicle front side of the fourth weld joint. If it is made to project to the vehicle rear side from the rear end edge part of the inner panel located, the following operation can be produced. (Claim 4)

  Since the front end edge portion on the vehicle front side of the inner panel in the first weld joint is protruded toward the vehicle front side from the front end edge portion of the inner panel located on the vehicle rear side of the third weld joint. The size (area) of the front flange of the inner panel other than the welded portion can be minimized. In addition, the rear end edge portion of the inner panel in the second weld joint portion on the vehicle rear side protrudes from the rear end edge portion of the fourth weld joint portion on the vehicle front side to the vehicle rear side. Therefore, the size (area) of the rear flange of the inner panel other than the welded portion can be minimized. As a result, the inner panel can be reduced in size and the vehicle can be reduced in weight. (Claim 4)

In the present invention,
In the first weld joint and the third weld joint adjacent to each other, the front edge portion of the third weld joint on the vehicle front side of the reinforcement is positioned on the vehicle front side of the first weld joint. Projecting from the front edge portion of the reinforcement to the vehicle front side,
In the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint adjacent to each other, a rear end edge portion of the fourth weld joint at the vehicle rear side of the reinforcement is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the second weld joint. If the rear end edge portion of the reinforcement that is positioned protrudes toward the vehicle rear side, the following effects can be obtained. (Claim 5)

  The front end edge portion of the third weld joint portion on the vehicle front side of the reinforcement is protruded further toward the vehicle front side than the front end edge portion of the reinforcement located on the vehicle front side of the first weld joint portion. The size (area) of the front flange of other reinforcements can be minimized. In addition, the rear end edge portion of the reinforcement in the fourth weld joint is protruded toward the vehicle rear side than the rear end edge portion of the reinforcement located in the vehicle rear side of the second weld joint. Therefore, the size (area) of the rear flange of the reinforcement other than the welded portion can be minimized. As a result, the reinforcement can be reduced in size and the vehicle can be reduced in weight. (Claim 5)

In the present invention,
Extend the lower end of the reinforcement to the side sill side and join the side sill,
The lower end of the inner panel is disposed above the upper end of the side sill inner panel to form a retractor accommodating space between the lower end of the inner panel and the upper end of the side sill inner panel,
A retractor is accommodated in the retractor accommodating space,
The following effect | action can be show | played when the to-be-attached part provided in the said retractor is attached to the retractor attaching part provided in the lower end part of the said inner panel. (Claim 6)

  The lower end of the reinforcement is extended to the side sill side and joined to the side sill, the lower end of the inner panel is disposed above the upper end of the side sill inner panel, and between the lower end of the inner panel and the upper end of the side sill inner panel. Since the retractor accommodating space is formed, the root part (lower end part) of the center pillar has a cross-sectional shape in which the inner side is opened without a closed cross-section formed by the reinforcement and the inner panel. Therefore, it is difficult for the inner panel to prevent the side walls (the vehicle front side wall and the vehicle rear side wall) from separating from each other at the lower end portion of the reinforcement at the bulging portion of the reinforcement having a hat-shaped cross section. Become. As a result, the rigidity and strength of the lower end portion of the center pillar can be made weaker than the rigidity and strength above the lower end portion, and when the vehicle collides with the side, the center pillar is deformed around the lower end portion toward the inside of the vehicle. And the deformation mode of the center pillar can be optimized. Further, compared to a structure in which the inner panel extends to the upper end side of the side sill, the length of the inner panel (length in the vertical direction) can be shortened, and the vehicle can be reduced in weight. (Claim 6)

In the present invention,
A reinforcing member positioned on the vehicle outer side of the retractor and having a lower end positioned below the lower end of the inner panel is fixed to the reinforcement, and the lower end portion of the reinforcement is reinforced. The rigidity and strength of the lower end of the center pillar below the inner panel can be easily changed and adjusted. As a result, the deformation mode of the center pillar when the vehicle collides side can be further optimized. (Claim 7)

In the present invention,
The reinforcing member is formed in a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the front side of the vehicle, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion therebetween, and the width of the reinforcing member in the vehicle front-rear direction is wider toward the lower end side. Set to
The bulging portion of the reinforcing member is overlapped and welded to the bulging portion of the reinforcement from the inside of the vehicle,
When the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcing member are overlapped and welded separately to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement, the rigidity and strength of the reinforcing member can be increased. The vehicle can be reduced in size and weight. (Claim 8)

In the present invention,
A seat bracket that is interposed between a rear end portion of a seat rail that slidably supports a vehicle seat in the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle body and couples the rear end portion to the vehicle body, the lower end portion of the center pillar When the outer panel is displaced to the front side of the vehicle with respect to the center line in the vehicle longitudinal direction and fixed to the side sill inner panel, the center pillar can be disposed on the rear side of the vehicle seat, and the vehicle collides sideways. It is possible to prevent the center pillar that is deformed by the impact load of the time from interfering with the seat. Furthermore, the center pillar can be safely deformed using the space behind the seat. (Claim 9)

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, although it is a structure which can strengthen rigidity and intensity | strength, the center pillar structure of the vehicle which can achieve weight reduction, and the deformation | transformation of the center pillar by the impact load from the side of a vehicle are easy. The center pillar structure of the vehicle can be provided.

Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 to 5 show a center pillar structure of an automobile (corresponding to a vehicle) provided with an outer panel 1, an inner panel (center pillar inner panel) 2, a first reinforcement 3, a second reinforcement 4, and a center pillar trim 5. is there. The outer panel 1, the inner panel 2, the first reinforcement 3, the second reinforcement 4, and the center pillar trim 5 form a center pillar that extends obliquely up and down so that the upper end portion is located slightly behind the lower end portion of the vehicle. ing. The center pillar trim 5 includes a lower trim 5A and an upper trim 5B, which are separate from each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the engaging portion R1 on the upper end side of the lower trim 5A and the engaged portion R2 on the lower end side of the upper trim 5B. Are engaged and connected. Reference numeral 6 in FIG. 1 is an opening for a front door, and reference numeral 7 is an opening for a rear door. Next, each structure of the outer panel 1, the inner panel 2, the first reinforcement 3 and the second reinforcement 4 will be briefly described, and then the detailed structure and the joining structure will be described.

[Structure of outer panel 1]
The outer panel 1 is a panel member serving as a design surface on the side of the vehicle. The upper part is a roof side rail and the lower part is a panel on the outside of the side sill. An opening 6 for a front door and an opening 7 for a rear door are formed. The outer panel 1 is a part positioned on the outermost side W2 (the left and right outer sides of the vehicle body) of the center pillar. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer panel 1 has a gentle circular arc shape that protrudes toward the outer side W2 in the longitudinal section of the center pillar. It is formed. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer panel 1 includes a front flange 1F1 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the vehicle front side Fr, a rear flange 1F2 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the rear side, and a bulging portion 1B between them. The bulging portion 1B is bulged to the vehicle outer side W2 with respect to the front flange 1F1 and the rear flange 1F2. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the upper end portion of the bulging portion 1B is gradually narrowed toward the upper Z1, and the lower end portion is gradually widened downward. ("Width" is the length in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The same applies hereinafter)

[Structure of the first reinforcement 3]
The first reinforcement 3 is a member that reinforces the center pillar, and is disposed within the closed cross section of the center pillar, and in detail, is located on the vehicle inner side W <b> 1 of the outer panel 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the first reinforcement 3 is formed in a gentle circular arc shape protruding in the vehicle outer side W <b> 2 in the longitudinal section and is along the outer panel 1. The upper end of the first reinforcement 3 has a shape extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the shape part extending in the front-rear direction enters the closed cross-section of the roof side rail formed near the upper end of the outer panel 1. In addition to being coupled, the roof side rail is firmly welded to a roof side inner reinforcement of a reinforcing member disposed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle within a closed cross section of the roof side rail. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the first reinforcement 3 includes a front flange 3 </ b> F <b> 1 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the vehicle front side Fr and a rear flange 3 </ b> F <b> 2 extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the rear side. It is formed in a cross-sectional hat shape having a bulging portion 3B, the bulging portion 3B is bulged to the vehicle outer side W2 with respect to the front flange 3F1 and the rear flange 3F2, and the upper end of the bulging portion 3B of the first reinforcement 3 The first reinforcement 3 is formed in a shape corresponding to the outer panel 1 by forming the portion gradually narrower toward the upper Z1 and the lower end portion gradually wider downward.
The bulging portion 3B is bent (drawn) by pressing a panel member that is a material of the first reinforcement 3, and is bent outward from the rear end of the front flange 3F1 to the side of the front side of the vehicle 3S1, the rear The bulging portion 3B is composed of a side wall 3S2 bent from the front end of the side flange 3F2 to the vehicle outer side and serving as the rear side of the vehicle, and a back wall 3H between the vehicle outer end portions of the side walls 3S1 and 3S2.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the front end edge 3M1 of the front flange 3F1 on the vehicle front side Fr is gently inclined so that the lower end side is positioned on the vehicle front side Fr, and the upper end portion of the front flange 3F1 and the middle portion in the vertical direction are The width is gradually increased downward. The lower end portion of the bulging portion 3B projects to the front side of the vehicle on the lower end portion side of the front flange 3F1, and therefore the lower end portion of the front flange 3F1 is narrower than the middle portion in the vertical direction of the front flange 3F1. Yes. The rear flange 3F2 is formed with a substantially constant width over the entire length in the vertical direction.

A reinforcing member 8 that reinforces the lower end portion is fixed to the lower end portion of the first reinforcement 3. The structure of the reinforcing member 8 and the structure of connecting the reinforcing member 8 to the first reinforcement 3 will be described in detail later.
[Structure of the second reinforcement 4]
The 2nd reinforcement 4 is a member which reinforces a center pillar, and is arrange | positioned in the closed cross section of a center pillar. More specifically, the second reinforcement 4 is located on the vehicle inner side W1 of the first reinforcement 3, and as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the vehicle interior side W1 is opened at the side wall 4S1 which is the front side of the vehicle, the side wall 4S2 which is the rear side of the vehicle, and the back wall 4H between the side walls 4S1 and 4S2. The second reinforcement 4 is formed so as to have a U-shaped cross section, and the length in the vertical direction is set to be shorter than that of the first reinforcement 3 so as to be along the outer panel 1 and the first reinforcement 3. That is, the lower end of the second reinforcement 4 is positioned above the lower end of the first reinforcement 3, and the upper end of the second reinforcement 4 is positioned lower than the upper end of the first reinforcement 3. The second reinforcement 4 is basically disposed in the space inside the bulging portion 3B of the first reinforcement 3, and has a cross-sectional shape that can be stored in the space inside the bulging portion 3B. Yes.

[Structure of inner panel 2]
The inner panel 2 is a panel member that constitutes a part of the vehicle inner side W1 of the closed cross-sectional structure of the center pillar, and is located on the vehicle inner side W1 of the first reinforcement 3 and the second reinforcement 4, FIG. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the inner panel 2 includes a front flange 2F1 (corresponding to a front edge) extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the vehicle front side Fr and a rear flange extending in the vehicle front-rear direction on the rear side. 2F2 (corresponding to the rear edge) and a bulging portion 2B between them are formed into a cross-sectional hat shape, and the bulging portion 2B bulges toward the vehicle inner side W1 with respect to the front flange 2F1 and the rear flange 2F2. I'm allowed. Then, the bulging amount of the bulging portion 2B of the inner panel 2 (the height of the bulging portion with respect to the flange) is set smaller than the bulging amount of the bulging portion 3B of the first reinforcement 3, and the inner panel 2 is The length in the vertical direction is set shorter than that of 1 reinforcement 3. The upper end of the inner panel 2 is located in the vicinity of the upper ends of the first reinforcement 3 and the outer panel 1, and is disposed up to the lower end of the closed cross section of the roof side rail. As shown in FIG. 5, the bulging portion 2B of the inner panel 2 is formed such that both end portions in the width direction (end portions in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle) bulge larger in a trapezoidal cross section than the bulging portion portion between both end portions. Has been.

[Junction structure of outer panel 1, inner panel 2, first and second reinforcements 3, 4 and reinforcing member 8]
[A] Joining structure of the first reinforcement 3 and the second reinforcement 4 As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the second phosphorus is attached to the side walls 3 </ b> S <b> 1 and 3 </ b> S <b> 2 of the bulging portion 3 </ b> B of the first reinforcement 3. The side walls 4S1 and 4S2 of the force 4 are individually fitted and welded to each other, and the side walls 4S1 and 2S1 of the second reinforcement 4 are formed on the upper half of the back wall 3H between the side walls 3S1 and 3S2 of the first reinforcement 3. The back wall 3H and the back wall 4H are welded and joined with the upper half of the back wall 4H between 4S2 overlapped. In addition, the lower half parts of each back wall 3H and 4H are spaced apart, and the side walls 3S1 and 3S2 form a closed cross section. The lower end of the back wall 4H of the second reinforcement 4 is welded to the back wall 3H together with the upper end of the reinforcing member 8.
[B] Joining structure of inner panel 2, first reinforcement 3 and outer panel 1 As shown in FIG. 5, the front flange 2F1 and the rear flange 2F2 of the inner panel 2 are connected to the front flange 3F1 of the first reinforcement 3 and the rear. The first joint portion 11 and the second joint portion 12 are configured to overlap the side flange 3F2 from the vehicle inner side W1 separately, and are welded and joined at the first weld joint portion 21 and the second weld joint portion 22 respectively. is there.
In addition, the front flange 3F1 extending from the first joint 11 between the front flange 3F1 of the first reinforcement 3 and the front flange 2F1 of the inner panel 2 to the vehicle front side Fr is used as the front flange of the first reinforcement 3. The third joint 13 is formed by overlapping the front extension 3 </ b> A <b> 1 on the front flange 1 </ b> F <b> 1 of the outer panel 1, and welded at the third weld joint 23. Similarly, the rear extension portion 3A2 extending to the vehicle rear side from the second joint portion 12 between the rear flange 3F2 of the first reinforcement 3 and the rear flange 2F2 of the inner panel 2 is provided with the first reinforcement 3. It is provided on the rear flange 3F2, and the fourth extension 14 is formed by superimposing the rear extension 3A2 on the rear flange 1F2 of the outer panel 1, and the fourth weld joint 24 is welded. In the first weld joint 21 and the second weld joint 22, the front flange 1F1 and the rear flange 1F2 of the outer panel 1 are separated from the front flange 3F1 and the rear flange 3F2 of the first reinforcement 3.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the vicinity of the upper end of the center pillar, the front flange 2F1 of the inner panel 2, the front flange 3F1 of the first reinforcement 3 and the front flange 1F1 of the outer panel 1 are overlapped and spot welded together ( Similarly, the rear flange 2F2 of the inner panel 2, the rear flange 3F2 of the first reinforcement 3, and the rear flange 1F2 of the outer panel 1 are overlapped and spotted together. It is welded (the black square mark in FIG. 6). Then, on the vehicle front side below the vicinity of the upper end of the center pillar, the first joint portion 11 is a plurality of spot welded first weld joint portions 21 (indicated by black circles in FIG. 6) arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction. The third joint portion 13 between the front extension 3A1 of the first reinforcement 3 and the front flange 1F1 of the outer panel 1 is a plurality of spot welded thirds arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction. It consists of a welded joint 23 (the portion marked with * in FIG. 6). And in the part below the upper end part of the 1st reinforcement 3, the 1st welding junction 21 and the said 3rd welding junction 23 shift in position in the vehicle up-and-down direction, and the 1st welding junction 21 and the 3rd The weld joints 23 are alternately positioned along the vehicle vertical direction. That is, each of the first weld joints 21 and the third weld joints 23 provided in a plurality of places are not provided at the same height position but are arranged at different height positions.

On the rear side of the vehicle below the vicinity of the upper end of the center pillar, the second joint 12 is a plurality of spot-welded second weld joints 22 (indicated by black circles in FIG. 6) arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction. ), And the fourth joint portion 14 between the rear extension 3A2 of the first reinforcement 3 and the rear flange 1F2 of the outer panel 1 is a plurality of spot welds arranged in the vertical direction of the vehicle at intervals. It consists of four weld joints 24 (the part marked with * in FIG. 6). In the upper half of the first reinforcement 3 (excluding the upper end), the second weld joint 22 and the fourth weld joint 24 are displaced in the vehicle vertical direction, and the second weld joint 22 and the fourth weld The weld joints 24 are alternately positioned along the vehicle vertical direction. That is, each of the second weld joint portions 22 and the fourth weld joint portions 24 provided in a plurality of places are not provided at the same height position but are arranged at different height positions.
The lower half of the first reinforcement 3 and the lower half of the inner panel 2 are the rear flange 2F2 of the inner panel 2, the rear flange 3F2 of the first reinforcement 3, and the rear flange 1F2 of the outer panel 1. Are overlapped and spot welded together (the black triangle mark in FIG. 6).

  As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 6, in the first weld joint 21 and the third weld joint 23 adjacent to each other in the vehicle vertical direction, the vehicle front side Fr of the inner panel 2 in the first weld joint 21 is shown. The front edge portion 2E1 protrudes to the vehicle front side Fr from the front edge portion 2G1 of the inner panel 2 located on the vehicle rear side of the third weld joint 23, and is adjacent to each other in the vehicle vertical direction. And the fourth weld joint 24, the rear end edge portion 2E2 of the second weld joint 22 on the vehicle rear side of the inner panel 2 is positioned on the vehicle front side Fr of the fourth weld joint 24. The rear end edge portion 2G2 protrudes toward the vehicle rear side.

  Further, in the first weld joint 21 and the third weld joint 23 that are adjacent to each other in the vehicle vertical direction, the front edge portion 3E3 of the vehicle front side Fr of the first reinforcement 3 in the third weld joint 23 is The second weld joint 22 and the fourth weld that protrude from the front end edge portion 3G3 of the first reinforcement 3 located on the vehicle front side Fr of the first weld joint 21 to the vehicle front side Fr and are adjacent to each other in the vehicle vertical direction. The rear end edge portion 3E4 of the first reinforcement 3 in the fourth welded joint 24 at the vehicle rear side of the fourth welded joint 24 after the first reinforcement 3 positioned on the vehicle rear side of the second welded joint 22 It protrudes toward the vehicle rear side from the edge portion 3G4.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 6, the lower end of the inner panel 2 is not connected to the side sill, and the lower end of the inner panel 2 is spaced apart from the upper end 20J of the side sill inner panel 20 and above that Z1 Is disposed between the lower end 2K of the inner panel 2 and the upper end 20J of the side sill inner panel 20 to form a retractor accommodating space S that opens inward of the vehicle in the cross section of the center pillar. . Then, the retractor 61 of the seat belt is accommodated in the retractor accommodating space S, and the attached portion 63 provided on the retractor 61 is overlapped with the retractor attaching portion 62 provided on the lower end portion of the inner panel 2 from the vehicle inner side W1. The mounting bolt 64 is inserted into the bolt insertion hole 62H (see FIG. 6) of the mounting portion 62 and the bolt insertion hole of the mounted portion 63 of the retractor 61, and is screwed and fastened to the nut 65 on the back surface side of the retractor mounting portion 62. It is. In the present embodiment, the inner panel 2 does not have the inner panel 2 disposed below the retractor mounting portion 62, so that further weight reduction and easy adjustment of the deformation of the center pillar are achieved. In addition, you may provide a notch etc. in the lower end of the inner panel 2, and open an opening. Accordingly, the retractor mounting portion 62 may be provided above the notch.

[C] Joining Structure of Reinforcing Member 8, First Reinforce 3 and Second Reinforce 4 As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end 8K is located below the lower end 2K of the inner panel 2 and is located on the outer side W2 of the retractor 61. The reinforcing member 8 thicker than the second reinforcement 4 is fixed to the lower end portion of the first reinforcement 3, and the lower end portion of the first reinforcement 3 is reinforced. The upper end of the reinforcing member 8 is located above the lower end 2K of the inner panel 2. That is, in this embodiment, the reinforcing member 8 is disposed on the vehicle outer side of the lower end 2K of the inner panel 2 that is disposed only halfway along the center pillar. Further, in this embodiment, the lower end 8K is not directly coupled to the member constituting the side sill, and the lower end 8K is disposed on the upper side Z1 at a distance from the upper end 18F1 of the side sill strength 18 described later. .
As shown in FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b), the reinforcing member 8 has a cross section having a front flange 8F1 on the front side Fr, a rear flange 8F2 on the rear side, and a bulging portion 8B between them. It is formed in a hat shape, and the width of the reinforcing member 8 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is set wider toward the lower end side.
Then, the back wall 8H between the side walls 8S1 and 8S2 of the bulging portion 8B of the reinforcing member 8 is overlapped with the back wall 3H between the side walls 3S1 and 3S2 of the bulging portion 3B of the first reinforcement 3 from the vehicle inner side W1. The front flange 8F1 and the rear flange 8F2 of the reinforcing member 8 are welded and joined to the front flange 3F1 and the rear flange 3F2 of the first reinforcement 3 separately from the vehicle inner side W1 and welded together. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end portion of the back wall 4H of the second reinforcement 4 is formed by the upper end portion of the back wall 8H of the bulging portion 8B of the reinforcing member 8 and the back wall 3H of the bulging portion 3B of the first reinforcement 3. They are sandwiched and welded together. A reference symbol H in FIG. 2 denotes a rear door hinge mounting hole, and the hole H is passed through the reinforcing member 8, the first reinforcement 3, and the outer panel 1 that overlap each other. Reference numeral 66 denotes a bead portion that is formed on the indoor side and is formed in the reinforcing member 8 and the first reinforcement 3. The bead portion 66 facilitates deformation of the center pillar against an impact load from the side of the vehicle, which will be described later. Further, the bead portion 66 formed on the reinforcing member 8 is formed continuously up to the side wall 8S2 as well as the back wall 8H, and adjusts the load of the opening deformation of the cross-sectional hat shape of the reinforcing member 8 so as to deform the center pillar. It works to adjust.
By arranging in this way, when an impact load is input to the center pillar from the side of the vehicle, the center pillar is deformed at the lower part of the center pillar where the inner panel 2 of the center pillar is not disposed. While the position is below the center pillar, the amount of deformation into the vehicle compartment can be reduced while absorbing the impact load. That is, the lower part of the center pillar has an open cross section in which the panel member is disposed only on the outer side (outer panel side) of the retractor 61 and is connected between the flanges of the hat-shaped panel member to connect the flanges together. Since the inner panel 2 is not disposed, the panel member is configured to be easily deformed as compared with other portions. And the comparatively small reinforcement member 8 is arrange | positioned in the site | part, and it becomes possible to make adjustment of a deformation load etc. easy by the change of the shape and plate | board thickness of the reinforcement member 8. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, a mounting base portion of a pair of front and rear opening trims 10 is externally fitted to the third joint portion 13 and the fourth joint portion 14 from the vehicle front side Fr and the vehicle rear side, respectively, and the center pillar trim 5 A pair of front and rear L-shaped attachment portions 53 formed on the outer periphery of the opening trim 10 are fitted around the outer periphery of the L-shaped cross section of the opening trim 10, and the first pillar 3, the second reinforcement 4, and the inner panel are formed by the center pillar trim 5. 2 and the front flange 1F1 and the rear flange 1F2 of the outer panel 1 are also covered with the center pillar trim 5 from the vehicle inner side W1.

[Procedure for welding the joint structure]
The welding procedure of the joint structure is as follows (refer to the above [A] to [C] for details of the weld joint).
(1) The first reinforcement 3, the second reinforcement 4, and the reinforcing member 8 are joined by welding.
(2) The inner panel 2 is welded to the above (1). That is, the inner panel 2 is welded to the first reinforcement 3, and the lower end 2 </ b> K of the inner panel 2 is welded to the overlapping portion of the first reinforcement 3 and the reinforcing member 8.
(3) The above (2) is welded to the outer panel 1. That is, the first body 3 (including the inner panel 2 and the reinforcing member 8 that are stacked depending on the location) is welded to the outer panel 1 to form a side body. And a side body is couple | bonded with the underbody in which the main floor 16, the side sill inner panel 20, etc. were assembled.

[Structure of side sill 50]
As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end portion of the center pillar of the outer panel 1 extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and its cross-section is bent into an open cross-sectional U shape on the vehicle inner side W1 to bulge to the vehicle outer side W2. The lower wall 15 at the lower end of the U-shaped cross section extends from the upper wall 45 to the vehicle inner side W1, and a flange 15F extending downward from the extended end is formed. In addition, the flanges 20F1 and 20F2 at both upper and lower ends of the side sill inner panel 20 having a hat-shaped cross section that opens in the vehicle front side Fr and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the vehicle front side Fr extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The side sill rear reinforcement 17 is sandwiched between flanges 18F1 and 18F2 at both upper and lower end portions of the side sill strength 18 having a hat-shaped cross section that is open to the vehicle inner side W1.

  At the lower end of the center pillar, the flange 18F1 at the upper end of the side sill strength 18, the upper end of the side sill rear reinforcement 17, and the flange 20F1 at the upper end of the side sill inner panel 20 are welded together. The flange 15F is overlapped with the flange 18F2 at the lower end of the side sill strength 18, the flange 15F of the outer panel 1, the flange 18F2 at the lower end of the side sill strength 18, the lower end of the side sill rear reinforcement 17, and the lower end of the side sill inner panel 20 And the lower end 3K of the first reinforcement 3 is welded and joined to the lower end of the back wall 18H along the vertical direction of the side sill strength 18 from the vehicle outer side W2, whereby the side sill 50 is joined. It is form. The side sill inner panel 20 and the side sill strength 18 form a closed cross section, and the side sill rear reinforcement 17 divides the closed cross section into left and right (vehicle width direction). Before and after the center pillar, the flange of the outer panel 1 is overlapped and welded to the flange 18F1 at the upper end of the side sill strength 18, the upper end of the side sill rear reinforcement 17 and the flange 20F1 at the upper end of the side sill inner panel 20. A closed cross section of the side sill is formed. Reference numeral 67 in FIG. 2 denotes a seat belt anchor nut.

At the lower end of the back wall 20H along the up-down direction of the side sill inner panel 20, a flange 16F extending in the upper Z1 formed at the end of the vehicle outer side W2 of the main floor 16 (corresponding to the vehicle body) is overlapped from the vehicle inner side W1. It is welded (see FIG. 2).
Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a pair of left and right seat rails 28 that slidably support a vehicle seat 29 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a pair of left and right seat brackets 27 on the front side, and a pair of left and right seat brackets 26 on the rear side. Is supported on the main floor 16.
As shown also in FIG. 6, a pair of left and right seat brackets 26 that are interposed between the rear end portion of the seat rail 28 and the main floor 16 and connect the rear end portion to the main floor 16 are provided as center pillars. The lower end portion of the outer panel 1 corresponding to this portion is fixed to the side sill inner panel 20 by being displaced to the vehicle front side Fr with respect to the center line O in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

Then, the seat brackets 26, 27 are formed in a hat shape with a lower open cross section, and flanges 26F1, 27F1 and a rear wall at the lower end of the front walls 26M1, 27M1 (walls on the vehicle front side Fr) of the seat brackets 26, 27 are formed. A flange at the lower end of a vehicle rear wall (not shown) is overlapped and welded to the main floor 16 from above Z1.
The front wall 27M1 of the seat bracket 27 on the outside W2 of the pair of left and right seat brackets 27 and the flange 27F2 formed on the outside end of the rear wall are overlapped and welded to the side sill inner panel 20 from the inside W1. It is joined.
Further, of the rear left and right pair of seat brackets 26, the front wall 26M1 of the seat bracket 26 on the outer side W2 and the flange 26F2 formed on the outer end of the rear wall, and the outer side of the upper wall 26J of the seat bracket 26 A flange 26F3 extending in the upper direction Z1 formed at the end of each of the two is overlapped and welded to the side sill inner panel 20 from the vehicle inner side W1.
With this arrangement, when an impact load is input to the center pillar from the side of the vehicle, the deformation position of the center pillar into the vehicle interior can be set behind the seat 29 of the vehicle. The influence of the deformation of the center pillar on 29 can be reduced. Further, the side sill is reinforced by the pair of left and right seat brackets 26 on the rear side, the deformation of the side sill into the room is suppressed, and the space of the seat 29 is secured.

[Another embodiment]
(1) In the above embodiment, the reinforcement on the vehicle interior side of the center pillar is divided into upper and lower parts, and the rigidity of the lower reinforcement (reinforcing member 8) is made higher than the upper reinforcement (second reinforcement 4). However, the reinforcing portion including the second reinforcement 4 and the reinforcing member 8 may be integrally formed using a tailored blank material formed by welding and joining plate materials having different plate thicknesses. That is, it is composed of a plate material portion corresponding to the second reinforcement 4 and a plate material portion corresponding to the reinforcing member 8, and the plate material portion corresponding to the reinforcing member 8 is thicker than the plate material portion corresponding to the second reinforcement 4. You may comprise the said reinforcement part using material.
(2) The welding joint in the above embodiment is spot welding.

Perspective view showing the center pillar structure of an automobile Longitudinal front view of center pillar (longitudinal section viewed from the front side of the vehicle) A view of the first reinforcement and the second reinforcement / reinforcement member joined to the first reinforcement from the inside of the vehicle AA sectional view of FIG. BB sectional view of FIG. View of the center pillar from the inside before the center pillar trim is installed (A) is a perspective view of a reinforcing member, (b) is a cross-sectional view of the reinforcing member, first reinforcement, and outer panel. BB sectional view of FIG. 6 with the center pillar trim attached

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer panel 2 Inner panel 2B The bulging part 2E1 of an inner panel The front edge part 2E2 of the inner panel at the vehicle front side The rear edge part 2F1 of the inner panel at the vehicle rear side The front flange of the inner panel (the front edge part of the inner panel)
2F2 Rear flange of inner panel (Rear edge of inner panel)
2G1 Inner panel front end edge portion 2G2 located on the vehicle rear side of the third weld joint 2G2 Inner panel rear end edge portion 2K located on the vehicle front side of the fourth weld joint lower end 3 of the inner panel Reinforce)
3A1 Front extension part (Front extension part of reinforcement)
3A2 Rear extension (rearforce rear extension)
3B bulge (reinforce bulge)
3E3 Front end edge portion 3F4 of the front side of the reinforcement 3E4 Rear end edge portion 3F1 of the rear side of the reinforcement front flange (front flange of the reinforcement)
3F2 Rear flange (Reinforce rear flange)
3G3 Reinforce front edge portion 3G4 located on the vehicle front side of the first welded joint 3G4 Reinforce rear edge portion 3K located on the vehicle rear side of the second welded joint Lower end portion (lower end portion of the reinforcement)
8 Reinforcement member 8B Reinforcement member bulge 8F1 Reinforcement member front flange 8F2 Reinforcement member rear flange 8K Lower end (lower end of reinforcement member)
11 1st junction part 12 2nd junction part 13 3rd junction part 14 4th junction part 16 Car body (main floor)
20 Side sill inner panel 20J Upper end 21 of side sill inner panel 21st weld joint 22 Second weld joint 23 Third weld joint 24 Fourth weld joint 26 Seat bracket 28 Seat rail 29 Seat 50 Side sill 61 Retractor 62 Retractor attachment part 63 Mounted portion Fr Vehicle front side O Center line S in the vehicle front-rear direction of the lower end portion of the outer panel 1 Retractor accommodating space W2 Vehicle exterior W1 Vehicle interior Z1 Upper

Claims (9)

A center pillar structure of a vehicle having an outer panel, an inner panel, and a reinforcement,
The reinforcement is formed into a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the vehicle front side, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion between them.
A front edge and a rear edge on the vehicle front side of the inner panel are welded to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement, respectively,
A front extending portion that extends to the front side of the vehicle with respect to the first joint portion between the front flange of the reinforcement and the front edge of the inner panel is provided on the front flange of the reinforcement, and the front extending portion is Welding to the outer panel,
A rear extension portion that extends toward the vehicle rear side from a second joint portion between the rear flange of the reinforcement and the rear edge of the inner panel is provided on the rear flange of the reinforcement, and the rear side A vehicle center pillar structure in which an extending portion is welded to the outer panel. Bulging the bulge portion of the reinforcement to the outside of the vehicle with respect to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement;
The inner panel is formed in a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the front side of the vehicle, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion therebetween, and the front edge of the inner panel is a front flange of the inner panel. And the rear edge of the inner panel is formed by the rear flange of the inner panel, and the bulging portion of the inner panel bulges toward the inside of the vehicle with respect to the front flange and the rear flange of the inner panel. Let
The center pillar structure for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a bulge amount of the bulge portion of the inner panel is made smaller than a bulge amount of the bulge portion of the reinforcement. The first joint comprises a plurality of first weld joints arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The second joint comprises a plurality of second weld joints arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The third joint portion between the front extension portion of the reinforcement and the outer panel is composed of a plurality of third weld joint portions arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The fourth joint portion between the rear extension portion of the reinforcement and the outer panel is composed of a plurality of fourth weld joint portions arranged at intervals in the vehicle vertical direction,
The first weld joint and the third weld joint are displaced in the vehicle vertical direction,
The center pillar structure for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint are displaced in the vehicle vertical direction. In the first weld joint and the third weld joint adjacent to each other, a front edge portion on the vehicle front side of the inner panel in the first weld joint is positioned on the vehicle rear side of the third weld joint. Project to the front side of the vehicle from the front edge portion of the inner panel,
In the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint adjacent to each other, a rear end edge portion of the inner panel at the vehicle rear side of the second weld joint is placed on the vehicle front side of the fourth weld joint. The center pillar structure for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the center pillar structure of the vehicle is protruded rearward from the rear edge portion of the inner panel. In the first weld joint and the third weld joint adjacent to each other, the front edge portion of the third weld joint on the vehicle front side of the reinforcement is positioned on the vehicle front side of the first weld joint. Projecting from the front edge portion of the reinforcement to the vehicle front side,
In the second weld joint and the fourth weld joint adjacent to each other, a rear end edge portion of the fourth weld joint at the vehicle rear side of the reinforcement is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the second weld joint. The center pillar structure of a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the center pillar structure of the vehicle protrudes rearward from the rear edge portion of the reinforcement. Extend the lower end of the reinforcement to the side sill side and join the side sill,
The lower end of the inner panel is disposed above the upper end of the side sill inner panel to form a retractor accommodating space between the lower end of the inner panel and the upper end of the side sill inner panel,
A retractor is accommodated in the retractor accommodating space,
The center pillar structure for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a mounted portion provided on the retractor is attached to a retractor mounting portion provided on a lower end portion of the inner panel.   The vehicle according to claim 6, wherein a reinforcing member positioned on the vehicle outer side of the retractor and having a lower end positioned below the lower end of the inner panel is fixed to the reinforcement, and the lower end portion of the reinforcement is reinforced. Center pillar structure. The reinforcing member is formed in a cross-sectional hat shape having a front flange on the front side of the vehicle, a rear flange on the rear side, and a bulging portion therebetween, and the width of the reinforcing member in the vehicle front-rear direction is wider toward the lower end side. Set to
The bulging portion of the reinforcing member is overlapped and welded to the bulging portion of the reinforcement from the inside of the vehicle,
The center pillar structure for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcing member are overlapped and welded to the front flange and the rear flange of the reinforcement.   A seat bracket that is interposed between a rear end portion of a seat rail that slidably supports a vehicle seat in the vehicle front-rear direction and the vehicle body and couples the rear end portion to the vehicle body, the lower end portion of the center pillar The center pillar structure of a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the center pillar structure of the vehicle is fixed to the side sill inner panel by being displaced from the center line of the outer panel in the vehicle front-rear direction to the vehicle front side.

Images