JP7133581B2 - car body superstructure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle body upper structure.

As a vehicle body upper structure, for example, a configuration is known in which a horizontal wall of a side panel outer is joined to a roof side rail outer by self-piercing rivets. Hereafter, joining by self-piercing rivets may be referred to as "riveting" (see Patent Document 1, for example).

As another configuration for joining the roof side rail outer to the horizontal wall, for example, there is known a configuration in which the horizontal wall is pressed into a die together with the roof side rail outer by a punch and joined to the roof side rail outer by clinching. there is Hereinafter, clinch bonding by a punch and a die may be referred to as "clinching bonding" (see Patent Document 2, for example).

JP 2018-149828 A Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-505390

By the way, in the process prior to riveting or clinching the horizontal wall of the side panel outer to the roof side rail outer, it is conceivable that the horizontal wall is arranged with a gap above the roof side rail outer. In this case, the horizontal wall is deformed downward when the horizontal wall is clinch-bonded or riveted to the roof side rail outer in a post-process.
Due to the deformation of the horizontal wall, for example, the vertical wall of the side panel outer also moves downward. Movement of the vertical wall distorts the inclined wall of the side panel outer downward. For this reason, for example, it is difficult to ensure the quality of the connection when the roof panel is connected to the sloped wall of the side panel outer by brazing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle body upper structure capable of improving the joint quality between the sloped wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
(1) The vehicle body upper structure according to the present invention includes a roof side rail outer (for example, the roof side rail outer 16 of the embodiment) provided on the vehicle width direction outer side of the vehicle body upper portion, and a vehicle body upper structure above the roof side rail outer. A roof panel (for example, the roof panel 14 of the embodiment) provided at the center in the width direction, and a horizontal wall (for example, a an outer panel horizontal portion 31 of the embodiment) and a side panel outer (for example, the side panel outer 13 of the embodiment) having an inclined wall (for example, the outer panel upper inclined portions 35 and 61 of the embodiment) coupled with the roof panel; , wherein the horizontal wall is spaced inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the inclined wall, and the roof side rail A joint surface portion (for example, the joint surface portion 32 of the embodiment) that is joined while being pressed by the outer, and a deformation absorbing portion (for example, the embodiment) that is formed on the inclined wall side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the joint surface portion and a deformation absorbing portion 33) of the shape, and the deformation absorbing portion is between the bent end portion of the inclined wall (for example, the bent side 63a in the embodiment) and the connecting surface portion, or between the inclined wall Among them, the bent end portion (for example, the bent end portion of the embodiment) of the vertical wall (for example, the outer panel vertical portion 34 of the embodiment) extending from the end portion on the horizontal wall side (for example, the lower side 35a in the embodiment) toward the horizontal wall. side 52a) and the connecting surface portion, and the deformation absorbing portion is such that the distance from the bent end portion to the connecting surface portion (for example, the distance L in the embodiment) is equal to the horizontal wall and the roof side rail. It is determined from the proportional relationship between the amount of clearance between the outer layers (for example, the amount of clearance S in the embodiment) and the amount of surface distortion generated in the inclined wall (for example, the amount of surface distortion δ in the embodiment) .

According to this configuration, in the horizontal wall of the side panel outer, the deformation absorbing portion is formed on the inclined wall side with respect to the connecting surface portion. The joint surface portion is a portion that is joined by, for example, clinch joint or rivet joint in a state of being pressed against the side panel outer.
Here, for example, in a state in which the horizontal wall is arranged with a gap upward from the roof side rail outer, when the connecting surface is connected to the roof side rail outer, the downward deformation of the connecting surface is It can be absorbed by the deformation absorbing part formed on the horizontal wall.
In this way, by absorbing the deformation of the connecting surface portion with the deformation absorbing portion, the downward distortion of the inclined wall can be suppressed, and the joint quality between the inclined wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel can be improved.

According to this configuration, the deformation absorbing portion is formed between the bent end portion of the inclined wall and the connecting surface portion, or between the bent end portion of the vertical wall and the connecting surface portion. Therefore, the deformation absorbing portion can be brought closer to the inclined wall, and the amount of protrusion of the horizontal wall in the vehicle width direction can be reduced. As a result, for example, when a horizontal wall is bent from an inclined wall or a vertical wall, the press formability of the horizontal wall can be satisfactorily secured.

According to this configuration, the distance from the bent end portion of the deformation absorbing portion to the connecting surface portion is determined from the proportional relationship between the amount of clearance between the horizontal wall and the roof side rail outer and the amount of surface distortion of the inclined wall. did. This facilitates the design of the deformation absorbing portion (that is, the vehicle body upper structure), reduces the cost, and stabilizes the quality of the connection between the sloped wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel.

( 2 ) The deformation absorbing portion maintains the gap amount that maintains the quality of the connection of the joint surface portion to the roof side rail outer in a pressed state, and the above-mentioned that maintains the quality of the brazing connection of the roof panel to the inclined wall. and the amount of surface distortion may be ensured.

According to this configuration, the amount of clearance is ensured so as to maintain the quality of the joint in the state of being pressed by the joint surface portion with respect to the roof side rail outer. In addition, the amount of surface distortion was ensured so as to maintain the quality of the brazed connection by the roof panel to the sloping wall.
This facilitates the design of the deformation absorbing portion (that is, the vehicle body upper structure), reduces the cost, and stabilizes the quality of the connection between the sloped wall of the side panel outer and the roof panel.

( 3 ) A vehicle body upper structure according to the present invention includes: a roof side rail outer provided on a vehicle width direction outer side of a vehicle body upper portion; a roof panel provided above the roof side rail outer at a vehicle width direction central portion; A vehicle body upper structure comprising: a horizontal wall provided outside the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction and coupled with the roof side rail outer; and a side panel outer having an inclined wall coupled with the roof panel. The horizontal wall includes a connecting surface portion formed inwardly of the inclined wall in the vehicle width direction at an interval and connected to the roof side rail outer while being pressed, and a connecting surface portion and a deformation absorbing portion formed on the side of the inclined wall in the vehicle width direction, the deformation absorbing portion being located between the bending end portion of the inclined wall and the connecting surface portion, or between the inclined wall. Among them, the bent end portion of the vertical wall extending from the end portion on the horizontal wall side toward the horizontal wall and the connecting surface portion is provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the roof side rail outer. A roof side rail inner (for example, the roof side rail inner 17 of the embodiment) is provided, and a connecting portion (for example, the connecting portion 28 of the embodiment) between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner is the deformation absorbing portion. It is located in the part corresponding to

According to this configuration, the connecting portion between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner is arranged so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion. Therefore, the connecting surface portion can be moved inward in the vehicle width direction to be separated inward in the vehicle width direction from the inclined wall of the side panel outer. As a result, for example, in a state in which the connecting surface portions are connected by clinch bonding or riveting, it is possible to suitably suppress the amount of surface distortion that occurs in the inclined portion.

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

( 4 ) The joint surface portion may be joined to the roof side rail outer by clinch joining or riveting while the roof side rail outer is heated.

According to this configuration, by heating the roof side rail outer, for example, even if the roof side rail outer is made of hot stamping material, the joint surface portion can be joined to the roof side rail outer by clinch or riveting. As a result, for example, a hot stamping material can be used for the roof side rail outer, and the rigidity of the upper body structure can be increased and the weight can be reduced.

( 5 ) The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer are members formed from a steel plate, and the side panel outer is a member formed from an aluminum alloy plate material, and the roof side rail inner is attached to the roof side rail outer. are overlapped, and the horizontal wall of the side panel outer is overlapped on the roof side rail outer, the first spot welding tip (for example, the first spot welding tip 65 of the embodiment) is in contact with the roof side rail inner. ) and a second spot welding tip (eg, the second The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer may be resistance welded by a two-spot welding tip 66).

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

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

1 is a cross-sectional view showing a vehicle body upper structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the vehicle body upper structure of one Embodiment. It is sectional drawing which expanded the III section of FIG. (a) is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the outer rail flat portion is pressed into the die together with the connecting surface portion of the embodiment; (b) is a state in which the connecting surface portion of the embodiment is clinch-bonded to the outer rail flat portion; It is a sectional view explaining. (a) is a perspective view illustrating the amount of gap generated between the outer panel horizontal portion and the outer rail flat portion of the embodiment, and (b) is a comparative example generated in the outer panel upper inclined portion of the embodiment. It is a perspective view explaining the distortion amount of the surface distortion to the downward direction. 4 is a graph for determining the distance L from the outer panel vertical portion to the connecting surface portion based on the proportional relationship between the amount of clearance between the outer panel horizontal portion and the outer rail flat portion and the surface distortion amount of the outer panel upper inclined portion of the embodiment. It is a sectional view showing a modification of one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the outer rail flat portion and the inner rail flat portion of the embodiment are joined by spot welding or the like;

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

<Vehicle upper structure>
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , the vehicle body upper structure 10 includes roof side rails 12 , side panel outers 13 , and roof panels 14 .
The roof side rail 12 is provided outside in the vehicle width direction in the upper portion of the vehicle body and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The roof side rail 12 includes a roof side rail outer (stiffener) 16 and a roof side rail inner 17. - 特許庁

The roof side rail outer 16 is provided outside in the vehicle width direction in the upper portion of the vehicle body and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The roof side rail outer 16 has an outer rail flat portion 21 , an outer rail outer portion 22 and an outer rail inclined portion 23 . The outer rail flat portion 21 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body in a substantially horizontal arrangement. The outer rail outer portion 22 is inclined downward from the outer side 21a of the outer rail flat portion 21, and is formed to have an L-shaped cross section so as to protrude outward in the vehicle width direction. The outer rail inclined portion 23 is bent downward in the vehicle width direction from the lower side 22a of the outer rail outer portion 22 .

The roof side rail outer 16 is worked to a high strength by, for example, pressing a high-strength steel plate into the outer rail flat portion 21, the outer rail outer portion 22, and the outer rail inclined portion 23 in a heated state and then quenching. It is a hot stamping material. By using a hot stamping material for the roof side rail outer 16, the strength of the roof side rail outer 16 is increased compared to that of high-strength steel, and weight reduction is achieved.

The roof side rail inner 17 is provided inside the roof side rail outer 16 in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction along the roof side rail outer. The roof side rail inner 17 has an inner rail flat portion 25 , an inner rail inner portion 26 and an inner rail inclined portion 27 .
The roof side rail inner 17 is formed, for example, by press-molding a heated steel plate of high-strength steel into the inner rail flat portion 25, the inner rail inner portion 26, and the inner rail inclined portion 27, and then quenching. It is a hot stamping material processed to high strength. By using a hot stamping material for the roof side rail inner 17, the strength of the roof side rail inner 17 is increased compared to that of high-strength steel, and weight reduction is achieved.

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

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

The outer rail flat portion 21 and the inner rail flat portion 25 are spot welded together, and the outer rail inclined portion 23 and the inner rail inclined portion 27 are spot welded together, whereby the roof side rail 12 is formed to have a generally rectangular closed cross section. It is The roof side rail 12 is a highly rigid member that forms the framework of the vehicle upper structure. A side panel outer 13 is provided outside the roof side rail 12 in the vehicle width direction.

The side panel outer 13 is provided outside the roof side rail outer 16 in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction along the roof side rail outer. The side panel outer 13 includes an outer panel horizontal portion (horizontal wall) 31, an outer panel vertical portion (vertical wall) 34, an outer panel upper inclined portion (inclined wall) 35, an outer panel outer portion (outer wall) 36, and an outer panel downwardly inclined portion. a portion 37; In the side panel outer 13, for example, an aluminum alloy plate material is press-formed into an outer panel horizontal portion 31, an outer panel vertical portion 34, an outer panel upper inclined portion 35, an outer panel outer portion 36, and an outer panel lower inclined portion 37.

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

A vertical portion 34 of the outer panel rises upward from an outer edge 33 a of the deformation absorbing portion 33 formed in the horizontal portion 31 of the outer panel. The outer panel vertical portion 34 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body along the outer side 33 a of the deformation absorbing portion 33 . An outer panel upper inclined portion 35 is bent at an inclination angle of approximately 45° upward from the upper edge of the outer panel vertical portion 34 in the vehicle width direction. The outer panel upper inclined portion 35 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body along the outer panel vertical portion 34 . An outer panel outer portion 36 is bent outward from the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 in the vehicle width direction and downward.

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

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

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

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the roof side rail outer 16 is a hot stamp material. A portion 21c of the outer rail flat portion 21 of the roof side rail outer 16, which corresponds to the joint surface portion 32, is heated and then annealed to ensure formability. The outer rail flat portion 21 is pushed into the die 46 by the punch 45 together with the joint surface portion 32 while the joint surface portion 32 is superimposed on the surface of the outer rail flat portion 21 .

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

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

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

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

5(a) and 5(b), the outer rail flat portion 21, the outer panel horizontal portion 31, the joint surface portion 32, the outer panel vertical portion 34, the outer panel upper inclined portion 35, and the bent side 52a are Outer rail flat portion 21A, outer panel horizontal portion 31A, joint surface portion joint surface portions (that is, clinch joint positions) 32A, 32A, outer panel vertical portion 34A, outer panel upper inclined portion 35A, and bent side 52aA. The joint surface portion 32A is the position 32A of the clinch joint.

As shown in the comparative example of FIG. 5A, in a pre-clinching state in which the joining surface portion 32A is pushed into the die 46 together with the outer rail flat portion 21A by the punch 45, there is a gap between the outer panel horizontal portion 31A and the outer rail flat portion 21A. A gap having a gap amount S is generated.

As shown in the comparative example of FIG. 5(b), the outer panel horizontal portion 31A is deformed downward in a state where the connecting surface portion 32A is clinch-connected to the outer rail flat portion 21A. Due to the deformation of the outer panel horizontal portion 31A, for example, the outer panel vertical portion 34A is also deformed downward. Furthermore, due to the deformation of the outer panel vertical portion 34A, a downward surface distortion (recess) 39A is generated in the outer panel upper inclined portion 35A so as to have a surface distortion amount δ.

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

In the graph of FIG. 6, the vertical axis indicates the amount of surface distortion δ, and the horizontal axis indicates the gap amount S. As shown in FIG. Here, the upper limit value of the gap amount S is S1, and the upper limit value of the surface distortion amount δ is δ1. By suppressing the gap amount S within the range of the upper limit value S1, it is possible to maintain the quality of clinch coupling (that is, coupling in a pressed state) of the coupling surface portion 32A to the outer rail flat portion 21A. Also, by suppressing the amount of surface distortion δ within the range of the upper limit value δ1, it is possible to maintain the quality of the brazing connection of the roof panel 14 (FIGS. 2 and 3) to the outer panel upper inclined portion 35. FIG.

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

As shown in the graphs of FIGS. 3 and 6, graphs G2, G4, and G5 can be considered as graphs in which the gap amount S is suppressed within the range of the upper limit value S1, and the surface distortion amount δ is suppressed within the range of the upper limit value δ1. . That is, by determining the distance L from the bent side 52a to the clinch joint portion (that is, the joint surface portion 32) to L2, L3, and L4 based on the graphs G2, G4, and G5, the outer panel upper inclined portion of the roof panel 14 is determined. The quality of the braze joint to 35 can be maintained. Further, by setting the intervals L to L2, L3, and L4 based on the graphs G2, G4, and G5, it is possible to maintain the quality of clinch coupling of the coupling surface portion 32 to the outer rail flat portion 21. FIG.

Here, in the graphs G2 and G5, the joint surface portion 32 is somewhat largely separated from the bent side 52a inward in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent from the outer panel vertical portion 34, it is difficult to ensure good press formability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31. As shown in FIG.
On the other hand, the graph G4 can reduce the interval at which the joint surface portion 32 separates inward in the vehicle width direction from the bent side 52a to some extent. Therefore, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent from the outer panel vertical portion 34, the press-formability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 can be ensured well. As a result, based on the graph G4, the distance L from the bent side 52a to the clinch joint portion (joint surface portion 32) is determined to be L3.

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

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

The deformation absorbing portion 33 is formed between the bent side 52 a of the outer panel vertical portion 34 and the connecting surface portion 32 . Therefore, the deformation absorbing portion 33 can be brought closer to the outer panel upper inclined portion 35, and the amount of protrusion of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 inward in the vehicle width direction can be reduced. As a result, for example, when the outer panel horizontal portion 31 is bent from the outer panel vertical portion 34, the press formability of the outer panel horizontal portion 31 can be favorably secured.

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this manner, the connecting portion 28 of the inner rail flat portion 25 and the outer rail flat portion 21 is arranged so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion 33 . Therefore, the connecting surface portion 32 can be moved inward in the vehicle width direction and separated from the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 of the side panel outer 13 inward in the vehicle width direction. As a result, for example, the amount of surface distortion δ (see FIG. 5(b)) generated in the outer panel upper inclined portion 35 can be suitably suppressed when the connecting surface portion 32 is connected by clinch bonding, riveting, or the like.

1 and 3, the roof side rail outer 16 and the roof side rail inner 17 form a closed cross section of the roof side rail 12 serving as the framework of the vehicle body upper structure 10. As shown in FIGS. Therefore, by arranging the connecting portion 28 so as to correspond to the deformation absorbing portion 33 , the connecting portion 28 can be connected adjacent to the closed cross section of the roof side rail 12 . As a result, the rigidity of the roof side rails 12 that form the framework of the vehicle body upper structure 10 can be ensured.

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

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

10 Car body upper structure 13 Side panel outer 14 Roof panel 16 Roof side rail outer 17 Roof side rail inner 21 Outer rail flat portion 28 Joint portion 31 Outer panel horizontal portion (horizontal wall)
32 Connecting surface portion 34 Outer panel vertical portion (vertical wall)
33 deformation absorbing parts 35, 61 outer panel upper inclined part (inclined wall)
35a Lower side (end of inclined wall on horizontal wall side)
52 Vertically curved portion 52a bent side (bent end)
63a bent side (bent end)
65 First spot welding tip 66 Second spot welding tip 66a Second contact surface (contact surface)
L Distance from the bent side to the joint surface (distance from the bend end to the joint surface)
S Gap amount S1 Upper limit value of gap amount δ Surface distortion amount δ1 Upper limit value of surface distortion amount

Claims (5)

A roof side rail outer provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the upper portion of the vehicle body, a roof panel provided in the center portion in the vehicle width direction above the roof side rail outer, and a roof panel provided on the outer side of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction. A vehicle body upper structure comprising: a horizontal wall coupled with the roof side rail outer; and a side panel outer having an inclined wall coupled with the roof panel,
The horizontal wall is
a joint surface portion formed with a space inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the inclined wall and joined to the roof side rail outer while being pressed;
a deformation absorbing portion formed on the inclined wall side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the coupling surface portion ;
The deformation absorbing portion is
between the bent end of the inclined wall and the connecting surface, or between the bent end of the vertical wall extending from the horizontal wall side end of the inclined wall toward the horizontal wall and the connecting surface; formed between
In the deformation absorbing portion, the distance from the bent end portion to the connecting surface portion is
It is determined from the proportional relationship between the amount of gap generated between the horizontal wall and the roof side rail outer and the amount of surface distortion generated in the inclined wall.
A vehicle body upper structure characterized by: The deformation absorbing portion is
The amount of clearance for maintaining the quality of the connection of the connecting surface portion to the roof side rail outer in a pressed state, and the amount of surface distortion to maintain the quality of the brazing connection of the roof panel to the inclined wall are ensured. there is
The vehicle body upper structure according to claim 1 , characterized in that: A roof side rail outer provided on the outer side in the vehicle width direction of the upper portion of the vehicle body, a roof panel provided in the center portion in the vehicle width direction above the roof side rail outer, and a roof panel provided on the outer side of the roof side rail outer in the vehicle width direction. A vehicle body upper structure comprising: a horizontal wall coupled with the roof side rail outer; and a side panel outer having an inclined wall coupled with the roof panel,
The horizontal wall is
a joint surface portion formed with a space inward in the vehicle width direction with respect to the inclined wall and joined to the roof side rail outer while being pressed;
a deformation absorbing portion formed on the inclined wall side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the coupling surface portion;
The deformation absorbing portion is
between the bent end of the inclined wall and the connecting surface, or between the bent end of the vertical wall extending from the horizontal wall side end of the inclined wall toward the horizontal wall and the connecting surface; formed between
a roof side rail inner provided on the inner side in the vehicle width direction with respect to the roof side rail outer,
A connecting portion between the roof side rail outer and the roof side rail inner is arranged at a portion corresponding to the deformation absorbing portion,
A vehicle body upper structure characterized by: 4. The joint surface portion according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the joint surface portion is joined to the roof side rail outer by a clinch joint or a riveted joint when the roof side rail outer is heated. Body superstructure as described. The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer are members formed from a steel plate, and the side panel outer is a member formed from an aluminum alloy plate,
In a state in which the roof side rail outer is overlaid on the roof side rail inner and the horizontal wall of the side panel outer is overlaid on the roof side rail outer,
A first spot welding tip that contacts the roof side rail inner and a second spot welding tip that contacts the horizontal wall and has a flatter contact surface than the first spot welding tip,
The roof side rail inner and the roof side rail outer are resistance welded,
The vehicle body upper structure according to claim 3 , characterized in that:

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