JPH09309458A - Connecting structure of body panel for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely ensure prescribed connecting strength and rigidity, by providing a confirmation window confirming an applying condition of a bonding agent in one flange part of first/second panels. SOLUTION: Relating to, for instance, a side outer panel 2 of a side member, in a connection part of a front pillar upper inner panel 3, flange parts 2a, 3a, formed by bending these side end parts almost at a right angle, are provided, therebetween through a thermosetting bonding agent 6, the fellow flange parts 2a, 3a are welded. In the flange part 2a in a side of the side outer panel 2, a confirmation window 7 confirming a coating condition of the applied bonding agent 6 is provided. Whether a prescribed amount of the bonding agent 6 is surely applied or not is confirmed visually and by an observatory camera through the confirmation window 7. After a heating process, whether this bonding agent 6 is hardened or not to prescribed hardness is confirmed by a hardness meter or the like by a contact needle.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle body panel joining structure for joining flange portions of panels constituting a vehicle body of an automobile.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, a side member 11 forming a part of an automobile body includes a side outer panel 12, a front pillar upper inner panel 13, a roof side rail inner panel 14, and a rocker inner. It is configured by combining a plurality of panels such as the panel 15. As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, these panels 12 to 15 are spot welded by abutting flange portions 12a to 15a formed by bending their side end portions at substantially right angles (in FIG. It is joined by the mark X).

The joints of the flanges 12a to 15a are connected to each other for the purpose of reducing vibration and noise, or sealing or rust prevention when the joints are exposed to the outside, for example, a hemming adhesive. A thermosetting adhesive 16 made of epoxy resin such as shiv is applied. The adhesive 16 is applied before performing spot welding, and is cured through a heating process thereafter.

[0004]

By the way, when the flange portions 12a to 15a of the panels 12 to 15 are joined to each other as described above, the rigidity is remarkably lowered when the spot pitch is enlarged in the case of only spot welding. On the other hand, when spot welding and an adhesive are used together, the amount of decrease in rigidity is small even if the spot pitch is expanded. However,
When spot welding and adhesive are used together, the rigidity tends to decrease as the spot pitch becomes narrower, but it is assumed that this is due to the deterioration of the adhesive due to spot heat. Needs to fully consider the effect of spot heat.

Regarding the vibration characteristics, in the case of only spot welding, the resonance frequency decreases as the spot pitch increases, whereas in the case of using spot welding and an adhesive together, the spot pitch increases. However, the amount of decrease in the resonance frequency is small. However, when an adhesive is used together with the joints between the flanges 12a to 15a of the respective panels 12 to 15, although the joint strength and the rigidity can generally be expected to improve, the presence or absence of the application is confirmed and the adhesive is cured. Since it is difficult to confirm this by non-destructive inspection, it is unclear whether or not the required predetermined bonding strength and rigidity are secured. Therefore, conventionally, the adhesive is not used for the purpose of improving the bonding strength and the rigidity, but is used mainly for the purpose of reducing the vibration and noise or sealing as described above.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and when the adhesive is used together for joining the flange portions of each panel, the application state of the adhesive can be confirmed, and the predetermined condition can be determined by the adhesive. It is an issue to be solved to ensure the joint strength and rigidity of the.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the invention for solving the above-mentioned problems, the flange portion of the first panel and the flange portion of the second panel constituting the vehicle body of the automobile are spot-welded via an adhesive. In the joining structure of the vehicle body panel of the automobile joined by the method, a means for checking the application state of the adhesive is provided on one of the flanges of the first and second panels. .

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation window is a hole or a notch formed through the flange portion. . The invention according to claim 3 is the same as the claim 1.
In the described invention, the means that the adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive is adopted.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a side member that constitutes a vehicle body of an automobile according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a II-II of FIG.
3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a side member which constitutes a part of a vehicle body of an automobile. A front door (not shown) mounting peripheral portion of the side member 1 is attached to a front pillar with respect to a side outer panel 2. An upper inner panel 3, a roof side rail inner panel 4, a rocker inner panel 5 and the like are joined together. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, flange portions 2a to 5a formed by bending the side end portions of the panels 2 to 5 at substantially right angles are provided at the joints of the panels 2 to 5, and the flanges abutted against each other. The flange portions 2a to 5a are interposed via a thermosetting adhesive (hemming adhesive) 6 applied between the portions 2a to 5a.
They are joined together by spot welding (the spots are indicated by crosses in FIG. 1).

Then, the joined flange portions 2a to 5a
Flange portion 2a on the side of the outer side panel 2
Is provided with a confirmation window 7 having a circular through hole for confirming the application state of the adhesive 6 corresponding to the application portion of the adhesive 6 applied between the flange portions 2a to 5a. . The confirmation window 7 is provided at appropriate intervals so as not to overlap the spot portion of spot welding.

The confirmation window 7 is used at the stage of inspection in the manufacturing process of the side member 1. That is, each panel 2
Whether or not a predetermined amount of the adhesive 6 is reliably applied to a predetermined portion between the flange portions 2a to 5a of 5 is visually confirmed through a confirmation window 7 or a monitoring camera. After the applied adhesive 6 has undergone the heating step, whether or not the adhesive 6 is cured to a predetermined hardness is confirmed through the confirmation window 7 using a hardness meter with a stylus or the like. As a result, it is checked whether or not predetermined qualities such as joint strength and rigidity of the vehicle body are secured.

As described above, according to the joint structure of the vehicle body panel of this embodiment, the flange portions 2a to 2f of the panels 2 to 5 are
The presence or absence of the adhesive 6 applied between the 5a and the cured state can be surely confirmed through the confirmation window 7. Therefore, in addition to securing the joint strength and rigidity by spot welding, the predetermined joint strength and rigidity by the adhesive 6 can also be reliably ensured. As a result, the number of spots for spot welding can be reduced to simplify the manufacturing, and in some cases, the weight can be reduced by reducing the thickness of the flange portions 2a to 5a of the panels 2 to 5. It becomes possible.

Although the confirmation window 7 is provided on the flange portion 2a on the side outer panel 2 side in the above embodiment, the confirmation window 7 may be provided on the opposite side of the front pillar upper inner panel 3 in some cases. You may provide in 3a-5a. Further, the confirmation window 7 as described above may be one capable of confirming the presence or absence of the applied adhesive agent 6 and the cured state thereof, and the shape, size, number, etc. thereof are not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, each flange portion 2a, 3a
A circular hole (confirmation window 7a) or a square hole (confirmation window 7b) may be provided at a position overlapping with the application portion of the adhesive 6 applied between the two. Alternatively, a cutout portion (a confirmation window 7c) may be provided at the end portion of the flange portion 2a so as to partially overlap the application portion of the adhesive 6. Note that such a confirmation window may be continuously provided like the rectangular confirmation window 7b shown in FIG.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the application state of the adhesive applied between the flange portions of the first and second panels can be reliably confirmed through the confirmation window. Therefore, in addition to securing the joint strength and rigidity by spot welding, it is possible to reliably secure the predetermined joint strength and rigidity by the adhesive. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of spots for spot welding and simplify manufacturing, and it is possible to reduce weight by ensuring the strength and thinning the flange of each panel. Becomes

According to the third aspect of the invention, when a thermosetting adhesive is used as the adhesive, the presence or absence of the applied adhesive is confirmed, and the degree of cure of the adhesive cured by heat treatment is confirmed. The confirmation can also be made through the confirmation window.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a side member that constitutes a vehicle body of an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a portion corresponding to line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to a line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a portion corresponding to line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a side member that constitutes a vehicle body of a conventional automobile.

7 is a cross-sectional view of a portion corresponding to line VII-VII in FIG.

8 is a sectional view of a portion corresponding to line VIII-VIII in FIG.

9 is a sectional view of a portion corresponding to line IX-IX in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 11 ... Side members 2, 12 ... Side outer panels 3, 13 ... Front pillar upper inner panels 4, 14 ... Roof side rail inner panels 5, 15 ... Rocker inner panels 2a-5a ... Flange portions 6, 16 ... Adhesives 7 , 7a, 7b, 7c ... Confirmation window

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A joint structure for a vehicle body panel of an automobile, wherein a flange portion of a first panel and a flange portion of a second panel constituting a vehicle body of an automobile are joined by spot welding via an adhesive. A joining structure for a vehicle body panel of an automobile, characterized in that a confirmation window for confirming the application state of the adhesive is provided on one of the flange portions of the second panel. 2. The joint structure for a vehicle body panel of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation window is formed of a hole or a cutout portion formed through the flange portion. 3. The joint structure for an automobile body panel according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a thermosetting adhesive.