JP7491962B2 - Vehicle reinforcement structure - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle reinforcement structure.

Conventionally, a vehicle body structure is known as a vehicle reinforcement structure that improves the rigidity of the side sill so that it can support the load of the lower rail of the sliding door (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The vehicle body structure described in Patent Document 1 improves the rigidity of the side sill by overlapping and joining the flange portion of the reinforcing member that reinforces the side sill to the wall portion of the lower rail storage section that stores the lower rail of the sliding door in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has revised and promulgated the "Road Transport Vehicle Safety Standards," which stipulates vehicle safety standards, to include new passenger protection standards for side collisions with utility poles and other objects (hereafter referred to as "side impacts"). The new passenger protection standards for side impacts with utility poles and other objects stipulate that collision tests be conducted at collision speeds of 32 km/h from 26 km/h and collision angles of 75 degrees from 90 degrees to 254 mm, respectively, against poles simulating utility poles with a diameter of 254 mm.

In addition, the Road Transport Vehicle Safety Standards require that "the input value of the impact on the dummy must be below a certain value," that "the doors must not come off," and that "fuel leakage after a collision must be below a certain amount."

JP 2018-114918 A

In recent years, society has demanded safer cars, and further improvements are desired. In conventional vehicle body structures, it is desirable to be able to prevent the deformed side sill from intruding too far inward in the vehicle width direction beyond a desired range, even if the speed during a side collision is increased and the amount of side sill intrusion increases.

Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a vehicle reinforcement structure that can prevent the impact area of the side sill, which receives the impact load during a side collision, from extending too far into the inside of the vehicle body.

As a means for solving the above problem, the present invention provides a reinforcement structure for a vehicle equipped with a side sill having a side sill inner having a generally U-shaped cross section with an opening that opens toward the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, a side sill outer provided to cover the opening, and a reinforcing member sandwiched between the side sill inner and the side sill outer and covering the opening, wherein the side sill supports a rail storage section that stores a lower rail of a sliding door that moves along the extension direction of the side sill, and the reinforcing member has a first reinforcing section connected to both upper and lower ends of the opening, a second reinforcing section connected only to one front-rear end of the rail storage section, and an inclined edge section formed obliquely with respect to the side sill extending in the front-rear direction between the first reinforcing section provided at a lower end of the opening and the second reinforcing section, and the second reinforcing section is disposed above the lower end of the opening, and the inclined edge section is inclined so as to move away from the lower end of the opening as it moves from the lower first reinforcing section toward the second reinforcing section .

The present invention provides a vehicle reinforcement structure that can prevent the impact area of the side sill, which receives the impact load during a side collision, from extending too far into the vehicle body.

1 is a side view showing an example of a vehicle reinforcement structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion showing a rail storage section. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main portion showing an installation state of a reinforcing member. FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view of a main portion showing a state of the reinforcing member when a vehicle crashes into a side; FIG. 4 is an enlarged bottom view of a main portion showing a state near the tank when a vehicle crashes into a side of the tank; FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a normal state of a side sill before a vehicle crashes into a vehicle body and an intrusion amount of the side sill when the vehicle crashes into a vehicle body. FIG.

Hereinafter, an example of a reinforcement structure for a vehicle C according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figs.
In the following description, the forward direction of the vehicle C shown in FIG. 1 is referred to as the "front", the backward direction as the "rear", the vertically upward direction as the "upper", the vertically downward direction as the "lower", and the vehicle width direction as the "left" and "right".
First, a vehicle C to which a reinforcement structure for a vehicle C according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described.

<Vehicles>
The vehicle has a door (not shown) movably supported on a vehicle body side portion 1d, a door opening portion 1a in which the door is arranged so as to be able to be opened and closed, a center pillar 2 provided in the approximate center of the vehicle body side portion 1d, and a side sill 3 forming a lower frame portion of the door opening portion 1a. In other words, the vehicle C only needs to have the center pillar 2 and the side sill 3 on the vehicle body side portion 1d, and the type and form thereof are not particularly limited.

<Body>
1, a pair of left and right side sills 3 and a pair of left and right front pillars 11, for example, are provided substantially symmetrically on the lower part of the vehicle body on both the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1. In addition, a sliding door (not shown) that slides along the extension direction of the side sills 3 to open and close the door opening 1a is provided in the door opening 1a. Since the lower part of the vehicle body 1 is substantially symmetrical, hereinafter, one of the left and right sides of the vehicle body 1 will be mainly described, and the description of the other left and right side of the vehicle body 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

<Vehicle reinforcement structure>
The reinforcement structure of vehicle C is a vehicle body structure for preventing the collision area of the side sill 3 that receives the collision load F1 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) during a side collision from excessively intruding into the vehicle body. The reinforcement structure of vehicle C is a structure that reduces the intrusion amount C1 (see FIG. 9) of the side sill 3 during a side collision by collapsing the closed cross section of the side sill 3, rather than increasing the rigidity of the entire vehicle body.

As shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcement structure of the vehicle C is configured with a side sill 3 having a side sill inner 31, a side sill outer 32 (see Fig. 3), and a reinforcing member 33 arranged between the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 to reinforce the side sill 3. As a method for reducing the intrusion amount C1 (see Fig. 9), a triangular cut portion 33k formed on the lower rear end of the reinforcing member 33 shown in Fig. 5 and a plurality of openings 33h formed in the reinforcing member 33 are cut. This weakens the reinforcing member 33, and the opening deformation of the side sill 3 is promoted in the event of a side collision, making it more likely to be crushed than before, and the side sill 3 absorbs the collision load F1 (see Figs. 8 and 9) by being crushed, thereby reducing the intrusion amount C1 (see Figs. 8 and 9) toward the inside in the vehicle width direction at the side collision point.
In areas where the side sill 3 does not have the reinforcing member 33 installed, the side sill 3 is more likely to open and deform in the event of a side collision than in areas where the reinforcing member 33 is installed. This opening deformation absorbs the collision load F1 (see Figures 8 and 9).

<Center pillar>
As shown in Fig. 1, the center pillar 2 is a frame member that forms the rear frame of the door opening 1a on the front seat side and the front frame of the door opening 1a on the rear seat side. As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the center pillar 2 is configured to include a center pillar outer part 22 arranged on the vehicle exterior side and a center pillar inner part 21 arranged on the vehicle interior side. The center pillar 2 forms a closed cross section extending in the vertical direction by overlapping and joining the center pillar outer part 22 and the center pillar inner part 21 in the vehicle width direction. The center pillar 2 is joined vertically to a connection part 1b in the center of the side sill 3, and extends from the connection part 1b to a roof side rail (not shown) arranged above.

<Center pillar inner>
4, the center pillar inner member 21 is a member that constitutes the inner surface of the center pillar 2. A lower end portion of the center pillar inner member 21 is joined to the inside of the side sill inner member 31. The center pillar inner member 21 is made of a metal plate member that has a substantially concave shape in cross section.

<Center pillar outer>
2 and 3, the center pillar outer 22 is a member that constitutes the outer surface of the center pillar 2. A lower end of the center pillar outer 22 is joined to the outer surface of the side sill outer 32. The center pillar outer 22 is made of a metal plate member that has a substantially concave shape in cross section.

<Side sill>
As shown in Fig. 1, the side sill 3 is a frame member extending in the front-rear direction between the lower end of the front pillar 11 and the front end of the rear wheel house 12. As shown in Fig. 4 or 6, the side sill 3 includes a side sill inner 31 on the inside of the vehicle, a side sill outer 32 on the outside of the vehicle, a reinforcing member 33, a bulkhead 34, a lower rail 5, and a rail storage portion 6.

As shown in Figure 6, the side sill 3 is formed by joining the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 in the vehicle width direction to form a hollow structure that is roughly U-shaped (a shape that forms a closed cross section) in vertical cross section. As shown in Figure 4, the side sill 3 supports a rail storage section 6 that stores a lower rail 5 of a sliding door (not shown) that moves along the extension direction of the side sill 3. Between the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 (see Figure 6), there are provided a reinforcing member 33 that reinforces the side sill 3, and a bulkhead 34.

<Side sill inner>
6, the side sill inner panel 31 is an inner half that forms the passenger compartment side of the side sill 3. The side sill inner panel 31 is made of a member that is substantially U-shaped (substantially hat-shaped) in cross section, with an opening 31a that opens toward the vehicle exterior in the vehicle width direction. Between the front and rear ends of the side sill 3, a side sill inner upper flange 31b is formed at the upper end of the side sill inner panel 31, and a side sill inner lower flange 31c is formed at the lower end of the side sill inner panel 31.

As shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 8, the side sill inner 31 is joined to the lower end of the center pillar inner 21, the vehicle width direction outer end of the floor panel 7, and the vehicle width direction outer end of the floor cross member 8. As shown in FIG. 4, the side sill inner 31 has first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b joined to the side sill inner upper flange 31b and the side sill inner lower flange 31c from the vicinity of the connection part 1b with the center pillar 2 to the front corner part 1c.

<Side sill outer>
As shown in Fig. 6, the side sill outer 32 is an outer half that forms the vehicle exterior side of the side sill 3. The side sill outer 32 is made of a member that is substantially U-shaped (substantially hat-shaped) in cross section. The side sill outer 32 is disposed so as to cover the opening 31a of the side sill inner 31. A side sill outer upper flange 32a is formed at the upper end of the side sill outer 32, and a side sill outer lower flange 32b is formed at the lower end of the side sill outer 32. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a V-shaped groove 32c for dispersing a load is formed at a connection portion 1b of the side sill outer 32 with the center pillar outer 22.

<Reinforcing materials>
As shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcing member 33 is a metal plate member for reinforcing the side sill 3. The reinforcing member 33 is particularly disposed from the vicinity of the connection portion 1b between the side sill inner panel 31 and the center pillar 2 to the front of the vehicle to a corner portion 1c. Therefore, the corner portion 1c is reinforced by the reinforcing member 33. As shown in Fig. 6, the reinforcing member 33 is sandwiched between the side sill inner panel 31 and the side sill outer panel 32, and disposed at the connection portion between the center pillar 2 and the side sill 3 so as to cover the opening 31a.

As shown in FIG. 5, the reinforcing member 33 is formed of a metal plate member that is substantially heptagonal when viewed from the front. The reinforcing member 33 has first reinforcing portions 33a and 33b, a second reinforcing portion 33c, an inclined edge portion 33d, a flange portion 33f, an opening 33h, a cut portion 33k, and a ridge line 33m.

<First reinforcing portion>
As shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6, the first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b are flanges connected to both ends of the opening 31a of the side sill inner 31 in the upper and lower directions in the reinforcing member 33. The upper first reinforcing part 33a is reinforced by being sandwiched and joined between the side sill inner upper flange 31b and the side sill outer upper flange 32a. The lower first reinforcing part 33b is reinforced by being sandwiched and joined between the side sill inner lower flange 31c and the side sill outer lower flange 32b. The boundary parts between the first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b and the main body of the reinforcing member 33 are reinforced by ridge lines 33m formed by bending in a stepped shape and extending in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper first reinforcing part 33a is reinforced by being joined to the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 at the corner part 1c from the vicinity of the connection part 1b between the side sill inner 31 and the center pillar 2 to the front of the vehicle.
For this reason, the connection portion 1b between the center pillar 2 and the side sill 3 is reinforced by the reinforcing member 33, so that a desired strength can be obtained.

<Second reinforcing portion>
4 or 5, the second reinforcing portion 33c is a flange connected only to one end ( front end) in the front-rear direction of the rail storage portion 6 and joined to the rail storage portion 6. The second reinforcing portion 33c is formed by bending the rear end portion of the reinforcing member 33 into an L-shape in a plan view so as to be joined in a state of abutting against the front end portion of the rail storage portion 6. As shown in Fig. 5, a vertical dimension L4 of the second reinforcing portion 33c is formed to be smaller than a vertical dimension L3 of the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b.

4, the second reinforcing portion 33c extends from the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b toward the rail storage portion 6 while narrowing, and is connected to the rail storage portion 6. Therefore, the portion of the reinforcing member 33 rearward of the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b is not joined to and spaced apart from the upper and lower flanges of the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32. Therefore, the portion of the reinforcing member 33 rearward of the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b has weaker rigidity than the portion where the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b are located, and the side sill inner 31 is more likely to be deformed to open in a side collision.
In addition, since the rail storage section 6 is joined to the second reinforcing section 33c of the reinforcing member 33, the load of the lower rail 5 and the sliding door (not shown) can be supported by the reinforcing member 33 and transmitted to the side sill 3.

<Inclined Edge>
As shown in FIG. 5, the inclined edge 33d is an edge formed between the lower first reinforcing portion 33b and the second reinforcing portion 33c, and is obliquely upward toward the rear with respect to the side sill 3 extending in the front-rear direction. The inclined edge 33d is formed by cutting a triangular cut portion 33k in the reinforcing member 33. The inclined edge 33d is not joined to members such as the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32. In addition, the upper first reinforcing portion 33a facing the inclined edge 33d and the flange portion 33f are not joined to the side sill 3. Therefore, the strength of the rear portion of the reinforcing member 33 is weak due to the formation of the unjoined portions such as the inclined edge 33d and the cut portion 33k, and the side sill inner 31 is easily opened up and down near the second reinforcing portion 33c during a side collision.

<Flange>
As shown in Fig. 5, the flange portion 33f is formed by bending the rear end of the reinforcing member 33 into a substantially L-shape in cross section. The flange portion 33f is formed in a shape bent at an obtuse angle in side view. A second reinforcing portion 33c is formed in a vertically formed portion (rear end portion of the reinforcing member 33) closer to the lower side of the flange portion 33f. The reinforcing member 33 is formed such that the vertical width gradually narrows from the upper end of the flange portion 33f and the rear end of the lower first reinforcing portion 33b toward the second reinforcing portion 33c.

<Opening>
The openings 33h are formed by punching the reinforcing member 33 as lightening holes for reducing the weight of the reinforcing member 33, or as holes for inserting a welding torch (not shown) for welding when connecting the side sill inner panel 31 to the center pillar inner panel 21. The openings 33h are made up of large and small elongated holes that are formed at appropriate intervals in a plurality of positions in the reinforcing member 33 and are long in the vertical direction.

<Cutting section>
The cut portion 33k is a portion for dispersing stress applied during a side collision by cutting the lower side of the inclined edge portion 33d, and for making the opening amount L2 (see FIG. 7) of the side sill inner 31 during a side collision larger than the opening amount L1 (see FIG. 4) before the side collision. The cut portion 33k is formed at a position closer to the rear side of the lower end portion of the reinforcing member 33. As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing member 33 can adjust the size of the cut portion 33k to control the joining range of the joining portion in the lower first reinforcing portion 33b, thereby promoting the opening deformation of the side sill inner 31 and adjusting the opening amount L2 (see FIG. 7). In addition, the reinforcing member 33 is made small and lightweight by forming the cut portion 33k and a plurality of through holes.

<Ridgeline>
5, the ridge line 33m is a portion for reinforcing the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b. The ridge line 33m is formed by bending the lower end of the upper first reinforcing portion 33a and the upper end of the lower first reinforcing portion 33b in a stepped shape.

<Bulkhead>
As shown in Fig. 4, the bulkhead 34 is a reinforcing member made of a metal plate that divides the hollow portion of the side sill 3 into front and rear portions. The bulkhead 34 is disposed in the hollow portion of the side sill 3, spaced rearward from the rear end portion of the center pillar inner 21. The bulkhead 34 functions to prevent the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 from separating in the event of a collision. The bulkhead 34 has an upper flange 34a, a lower flange 34b, a joint piece 34c, and a partition surface 34d.

The partition surface 34d is a bulkhead body arranged to divide the inside of the side sill inner panel 31 into front and rear sections.
The upper flange 34a is a protruding piece that extends upward from the outer circumferential edge of the partition surface 34d and is joined to the side sill inner upper flange 31b.
The lower flange 34b is a protruding piece that extends downward from the outer circumferential edge of the partition surface 34d and is joined to the side sill inner lower flange 31c.
The joining piece 34 c is a protruding piece formed by bending the outer periphery of the partition surface 34 d in the front-rear direction and joined to the inner wall of the side sill inner panel 31 .

<Rail storage section>
As shown in Fig. 4, the rail storage section 6 is hat-shaped in vertical cross section with the outside of the vehicle open, and is formed into a bag shape with a part of the front side protruding downward from a floor panel 7 (see Fig. 8) located inside the vehicle cabin. A lower rail 5 of a sliding door is laid on the upper side of the inside surface of the rail storage section 6. A guide roller (not shown) rolls along the lower rail 5, and the sliding door (not shown) slides in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle to open and close the door opening 1a.

<Floor panels, floor frames and floor cross members>
8 is a metal plate member that forms the floor surface of the vehicle interior. The floor panel 7 is disposed between the left and right side sills 3.
The floor frame 9 is a metal frame member having a generally hat-shape in vertical cross section that holds the floor panel 7 from below. The floor frame 9 has a front end connected to a rear portion of a front side frame (not shown) and a rear end connected to the floor cross member 8, for example.
The floor cross member 8 is a metal frame member having a generally hat-like shape in vertical cross section, which is installed between the left and right side sills 3. The floor cross member 8 is made up of two members which are installed in front of and behind the fuel tank T and extend in the vehicle width direction.

Fuel Tank
The fuel tank T is disposed, for example, at an appropriate interval between the left and right side sills 3. The fuel tank T has a front end portion fixed to the front floor cross member 8 and a rear end portion fixed to the rear floor cross member 8, and is held by tank holding band members Ta that are installed between the front and rear floor cross members 8.

[Function of vehicle reinforcement structure]
The reinforcement structure for the vehicle C according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above. Next, the operation of the reinforcement structure for the vehicle C according to this embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9, taking as an example a case in which the vehicle C crashes into a pole simulating a utility pole, and comparing it with the vehicle body structure described in Patent Document 1.

As shown in FIG. 4, the corner portion 1c from the vicinity of the connection portion 1b between the side sill inner panel 31 and the center pillar 2 to the front of the vehicle is reinforced by joining a reinforcing member 33. Therefore, the connection portion between the center pillar 2 and the side sill 3 is reinforced by the reinforcing member 10 and has the desired strength.

The reinforcing member 33 is joined in a state where the upper and lower first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b are sandwiched between the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 (see Figure 6), and is arranged to connect the upper and lower parts of the opening 31a, partially reinforcing the side sill 3 below the corner part 1c.

The reinforcing member 33 is formed so that its vertical width gradually narrows from the upper and lower first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b to the rear end second reinforcing part 33c, and the rear end second reinforcing part 33c is joined to the rail storage part 6 to hold the rail storage part 6.

As shown in Figure 5, the reinforcing member 33 has a triangular cut portion 33k cut from the first reinforcing portion 33b on the lower side to the second reinforcing portion 33c at the rear end, thereby forming an inclined edge portion 33d and reducing the size of the entire reinforcing member 33.
In addition, since the reinforcing member 33 has the inclined edge 33d, the lower rear portion of the reinforcing member 33 is not welded to the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32, as shown in Fig. 6. Therefore, the inclined edge 33d of the reinforcing member 33 is not supported by the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32, and the portion of the reinforcing member 33 near the rear end is in a weak state. As a result, the opening 31a of the side sill inner 31 is not restricted from opening in the vertical direction.

Under normal circumstances, the opening amount L1 (vertical length) of the side sill inner 31 below the center pillar 2 is the length shown in Figure 4.

As shown in Figure 7 or Figure 8, when vehicle C collides with a pole simulating a utility pole, a collision load F1 is applied to the side sill 3 in the vehicle width direction by the pole, and the side sill 3 is pressed and crushed by the collision load F1.

As shown in FIG. 7, the corner portion 1c where the first reinforcing portions 33a, 33b of the reinforcing member 33 of the side sill inner panel 31 are joined has the opening 31a covered by the reinforcing member 33, improving the rigidity against a side impact. In other words, the portion of the vehicle C that will impact the pole from the side is reinforced by the reinforcing member 33.

The rear portion of the first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b of the reinforcing member 33 is narrow from the first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b toward the rail storage part 6, and has a weak inclined edge part 33d (cut part 33k (see FIG. 5)). As a result, in the event of a side collision, the part rear of the upper and lower first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b (inclined edge part 33d) opens and deforms so as to become longer in the vertical direction as shown in FIG. 9, thereby dispersing the stress applied during a side collision and maintaining appropriate lateral stiffness, torsional stiffness, and bending stiffness at the contact point.

As shown in Figure 7, the rear portion of the side sill inner panel 31 beyond the reinforcing member 33 does not have the reinforcing member 33, so the opening deformation is promoted and the opening deformation is greater than that of the portion where the reinforcing member 33 is present, absorbing the collision load F1 (see Figure 8). The opening amount L2 of the side sill inner panel 31 is greater than the opening amount of the approximately trapezoidal reinforcing member described in Patent Document 1.

In this way, the side sill inner 31 is designed to be easily crushed so that the opening amount L2 during a side collision is large, and thus the side sill inner 31 opens and deforms during a side collision to absorb the collision load F1. Therefore, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, the inward intrusion amount C1 in the vehicle width direction during a side collision can be made smaller than the intrusion amount of the side sill described in Patent Document 1.

As described above, the present invention is a reinforcement structure for a vehicle C equipped with a side sill 3 having a side sill inner 31 with a generally U-shaped cross section having an opening 31a that opens toward the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction, a side sill outer 32 that is provided to cover the opening 31a, and a reinforcing member 33 that is sandwiched between the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32 and covers the opening 31a, as shown in Figure 4 or Figure 6. The side sill 3 supports a rail storage section 6 that stores a lower rail 5 of a sliding door (not shown) that moves along the extension direction of the side sill 3, and the reinforcing member 33 has first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b connected to both ends of the opening 31a in the vertical direction and a second reinforcing part 33c connected only to one end of the rail storage section 6 in the front-rear direction.

According to this configuration, the reinforcement structure of the vehicle C (see FIG. 1) of the present invention is, as shown in FIG. 6, sandwiched between the side sill inner panel 31 and the side sill outer panel 32 and reinforced with the reinforcing member 33 that covers the opening 31a of the side sill inner panel 31. Therefore, the reinforcing member 33 can prevent the collision area of the side sill 3 that receives the collision load F1 during a side collision from going too far into the inside of the vehicle body.
As shown in Fig. 4, the reinforcing member 33 has first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b connected to both ends in the vertical direction of the opening 31a of the side sill inner 31, and a second reinforcing part 33c connected only to one end in the front-rear direction of the rail storage part 6. In this way, the reinforcing member 33 does not connect the second reinforcing part 33c to the side sill inner 31, so that the side sill inner 31 is easily deformed in the vertical direction. Therefore, the reinforcing member 33 can promote the opening deformation of the side sill inner 31 at the time of a side collision to absorb the collision load F1, and as shown in Fig. 8, it is possible to reduce the intrusion amount C1 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction at the time of a side collision and prevent the deformed side sill 3 from intruding too far in the inside in the vehicle width direction beyond a desired range.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second reinforcement portion 33c extends from the first reinforcement portions 33a and 33b toward the rail storage portion 6 while narrowing, and then abuts against and connects to the rail storage portion 6.

According to this configuration, the reinforcing member 33 shown in FIG. 4 is connected to the rail storage section 6 by the second reinforcing portion 33c. Therefore, the reinforcing member 33 can firmly hold the rail storage section 6 that supports the lower rail 5 and the sliding door (not shown). In addition, the reinforcing member 33 is narrowed from the first reinforcing portions 33a and 33b toward the rail storage section 6, which reduces the area and allows for weight reduction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first reinforcing parts 33a, 33b reinforce the corner part 1c from the vicinity of the connection part 1b between the side sill inner panel 31 and the center pillar 2 to the front of the vehicle.

With this configuration, the reinforcing member 33 reinforces the connection portion 1b between the side sill inner panel 31 and the center pillar 2 to the corner portion 1c with the first reinforcing portions 33a and 33b, thereby improving the strength of the connection portion between the center pillar 2 and the side sill 3 and enabling a firm fixation.

As shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing member 33 has an inclined edge 33d formed at an angle to the side sill 3 extending in the front-rear direction between the first reinforcing portion 33b and the second reinforcing portion 33c provided at the lower end of the opening 31a, and the inclined edge 33d is spaced apart in the vertical direction from the side sill inner lower flange 31c (lower flange) of the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer lower flange 32b (lower flange) of the side sill outer 32.

According to this configuration, the reinforcing member 33 has an inclined edge portion 33d between the first reinforcing portion 33b and the second reinforcing portion 33c, which is spaced apart in the vertical direction from the side sill inner lower flange 31c and the side sill outer lower flange 32b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, the reinforcing member 33 has an inclined edge portion 33d that is not joined to the side sill inner 31 and the side sill outer 32, so that in the event of a side collision, the portion where the inclined edge portion 33d is formed can deform and absorb the collision load F1.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the technical concept, and the present invention naturally extends to such modified and altered inventions.

For example, in the above embodiment, a passenger car was used as an example of the present invention, but the vehicle C may be any vehicle C having a center pillar 2 and a side sill 3, and may be a work vehicle, etc.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vehicle body 1b connection portion 1c corner portion 2 center pillar 3 side sill 5 lower rail 6 rail storage portion 31 side sill inner 31a opening 31c side sill inner lower flange (lower flange)
32 Side sill outer 32b Side sill outer lower flange (lower flange)
33 Reinforcement member 33a, 33b First reinforcing portion 33c Second reinforcing portion 33d Sloped edge portion C Vehicle L3 Vertical dimension of first reinforcing portion L4 Vertical dimension of second reinforcing portion

Claims (4)

A side sill inner having a substantially U-shaped cross section and an opening portion that opens toward the vehicle outer side in the vehicle width direction;
A side sill outer provided to cover the opening;
a reinforcing member sandwiched between the side sill inner and the side sill outer and covering the opening;
A reinforcing structure for a vehicle having a side sill having
The side sill supports a rail housing portion that houses a lower rail of a sliding door that moves along an extension direction of the side sill,
The reinforcing member is
A first reinforcing portion connected to both ends of the opening in the upper and lower directions;
a second reinforcing portion connected only to one end of the rail storage portion in the front-rear direction;
an inclined edge portion formed obliquely with respect to the side sill extending in the front-rear direction between the first reinforcing portion and the second reinforcing portion provided at a lower end of the opening;
having
The second reinforcing portion is disposed above a lower end of the opening,
The inclined edge portion is inclined so as to move away from a lower end of the opening as it goes from the lower first reinforcement portion toward the second reinforcement portion. The reinforcing member extends from the first reinforcing portion toward the rail storage portion while narrowing between the first reinforcing portion and the second reinforcing portion,
The vehicle reinforcement structure according to claim 1 , wherein the second reinforcement portion abuts against and is connected to the rail storage portion. The vehicle reinforcement structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first reinforcement portion reinforces a corner portion from a vicinity of a connection portion between the side sill inner panel and a center pillar to a front portion of the vehicle. The vehicle reinforcement structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the inclined edge portion is spaced apart in the up-down direction from a lower flange of the side sill inner member and a lower flange of the side sill outer member.

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