JPH10167113A - Front pillar structure of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To increase the tartional rigidity and buckling ridigity of a front pillar. SOLUTION: The tartional ridigity and buckling rigidity of a front pillar 1 is increased by changing either one side section shape of the upper end of a hinge brace 7 arranged along the inner surface of a pillar outer 2 and the lower end of a front roof rail brace 8 arranged along the side surface of the car room side of a pillar inner 3 and continuiting the neutral axis P of the section of the front pillar 1 in a vertical direction gently at the intermediate part of the front pillar 1 where the upper end of these hinge brace 7 and the lower end of the front roof rail brace 8 are lapped.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vehicle front pillar structure.

[0002]

Conventionally, a hinge brace for reinforcing the periphery of a door hinge fixing portion as a front pillar structure of an automobile is provided in a spaced state along the inner surface of a pillar outer from a lower end to an intermediate portion of the front pillar. On the other hand, a three-pronged front roof rail brace that reinforces a portion where the roof side rail, the front roof rail, and the front pillar gather is provided along the side of the pillar inner on the vehicle interior side from the upper end to the middle of the front pillar. The front pillar is reinforced by arranging the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace so as to be wrapped in the middle part of the front pillar in a side view. Is known.

However, each of the hinge brace and the front roof rail brace has a constant cross-sectional shape and extends vertically, and an intermediate portion of a front pillar where the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace overlap. In the upper part, the neutral axis of the cross section of the front pillar (neutral axis of the second moment of area) is biased toward the pillar inner side, while in the lower part of the intermediate part, the neutral axis of the cross section of the front pillar is the outer pillar. , And the neutral axis suddenly forms a step at the portion corresponding to the upper terminal of the hinge brace and the lower terminal of the front roof rail brace at the intermediate portion. Changes and becomes continuous in the vertical direction, so that the neutral axis of the cross section at the middle part of the front pillar suddenly changes. The torsional rigidity, the seat 屈剛 resistance may decrease.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a front pillar of an automobile in which the torsional rigidity and buckling rigidity of an intermediate portion of the front pillar where the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace overlap can be increased without using a separate reinforcing member. Provides structure.

[0005]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the hinge brace has flanges on both side edges thereof joined to a flange overlapping portion of the front pillar, and the outer surface of the pillar outer extends from the lower end portion to the intermediate portion of the front pillar. On the other hand, the front roof rail brace is joined to the flange overlap portion of the front pillar by joining the flanges on both side edges thereof to the flange overlapping portion of the front pillar, and the front roof rail brace is arranged on the vehicle interior side of the pillar inner from the upper end portion to the middle portion. In a structure in which the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace are arranged so as to be wrapped in the middle part of the front pillar when viewed from the side, the upper end of the hinge brace The middle part of the front pillar where the lower part of the front roof rail brace overlaps with the lower part, and the upper end of the hinge brace Alternatively, the cross-sectional shape of one of the lower ends of the front roof rail brace is changed so that the neutral axis of the cross-section of the front pillar is gently continued vertically in the middle of the front pillar. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the hinge brace according to the first aspect is formed by deep drawing toward the pillar outer side to change the cross-sectional shape, and is joined to the back surface of the pillar outer. I have.

[0007]

According to the first aspect, by changing the sectional shape of either the upper end of the hinge brace or the lower end of the front roof rail brace, the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace are changed. Since the neutral axis of the cross section of the front pillar is gently continuous in the vertical direction at the intermediate portion of the front pillar where the front pillar overlaps, the intermediate portion of the front pillar without a special reinforcing member is separately provided. The torsional rigidity and the buckling rigidity can be increased, and a front pillar having high strength and rigidity can be advantageously obtained in terms of cost.

According to the second aspect, in addition to the effect of the first aspect, the upper end portion of the hinge brace is formed by deep drawing toward the pillar outer side to change the cross-sectional shape, and is joined to the inner surface of the pillar outer. Therefore, in the case of a vehicle with a sunroof specification, a sunroof drain hose is inserted into a closed cross-section where a front pillar, a roof side rail, and a front roof rail are assembled, and the sunroof drain hose is inserted and routed within a closed cross-section of the front pillar. At this time, the deep drawn part at the upper end of the hinge brace functions as a hose guide, and the tip of the sunroof drain hose can be guided downward along the deep drawn part, and therefore, the middle part of the front pillar This allows smooth insertion and routing without the tip of the sunroof drain hose getting caught, improving workability. Rukoto can.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5, reference numeral 1 denotes a front pillar formed in a closed cross section by a pillar outer 2 and a pillar inner 3. In this embodiment, the pillar outer 2 is a side sill outer 4, a center pillar outer and a roof side rail (not shown). It is press-formed integrally with the outer 6.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a hinge brace for reinforcing a door hinge fastening portion (not shown) on the lower side of the pillar outer 2. The hinge brace 7 joins flanges 7 a on both side edges thereof to a flange overlapping portion 1 a of the front pillar 1, Pillar outer 2
Are arranged from the lower end to the middle.

The hinge brace 7 is overlapped with the inner surface of the lower portion of the pillar outer 2 around the door hinge fastening portion to increase the surface rigidity by using the door hinge fastening portion as a multiple panel, and the other portions are slightly separated along the inner surface of the pillar outer 2. The front pillars 1 are arranged in such a state that the closed cross section of the front pillars 1 is present as a beam section for partitioning in the vehicle width direction, so that the torsional rigidity and the buckling rigidity of the front pillars 1 are increased.

Numeral 8 designates a three-pronged front roof rail brace for reinforcing a portion where the front pillar 1 and a roof side rail and a front roof rail (not shown), which are roof frame members, are assembled, and the front pillar of the front roof rail brace 8 is provided. The extending portion extending to one side has the flanges 8a on both side edges thereof joined to the flange overlapping portion 1a of the front pillar 1, and the inner side surface of the pillar inner 3 from the upper end portion to the middle portion of the front pillar 1 on the passenger compartment side. Are arranged slightly apart from each other.

The upper end of the hinge brace 7 and the lower end of the front roof rail brace 8 are arranged so as to overlap with each other in a side view, and are discontinuous at an intermediate portion of the front pillar 1. The front pillar 1 is reinforced by the presence of a reinforcing member composed of a front roof rail brace 8 and a front roof rail 8.

Here, the substantially upper half portion of the hinge brace 7 extending to the front pillar intermediate portion and the portion of the front roof rail brace 8 extending to the front pillar 1 side substantially follow the cross-sectional shape of the pillar outer 2 or the pillar inner 3. And has a constant cross-sectional shape and extends in the vertical direction.

Therefore, above the middle portion of the front pillar 1 where the upper end of the hinge brace 7 and the lower end of the front roof rail brace 8 overlap, the neutral axis P of the cross section of the front pillar 1 is While it is biased toward the pillar inner 3 side with
In a lower portion than the intermediate portion, the neutral axis P of the cross section of the front pillar 1 is a hinge brace 7 along the pillar outer 2.
On the middle of the front pillar 1
In the lower part, the neutral axis P of the cross section is shifted between the pillar inner 3 side and the pillar outer 2 side, and the neutral axis P changes its position in the intermediate part in accordance with the strength of the hinge brace 7 and the front roof rail brace 8 and moves up and down. It becomes continuous in the direction.

However, if the cross-sectional shapes of the upper end of the hinge brace 7 and the lower end of the front roof rail brace 8 remain the above-mentioned fixed cross-sectional shape, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. As a result, the neutral axis P of the cross section suddenly changes in a stepped manner at portions corresponding to the upper terminal of the hinge brace 7 and the lower terminal of the front roof rail brace 8, and becomes continuous in the vertical direction.

Therefore, the present invention changes the cross-sectional shape of either the upper end of the hinge brace 7 or the lower end of the front roof rail brace 8 so that a cross section of the front pillar 1 is formed at an intermediate portion of the front pillar 1. Neutral axis P
Are smoothly continued in the vertical direction as shown by the dashed line in FIG.

In this embodiment, the upper end of the hinge brace 7 is deep drawn from the state of the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 1 and 4 toward the pillar outer 2 to change the cross-sectional shape. Is joined to the back surface of the pillar outer 2, so that the neutral axis P of the cross section moves vertically from the hinge brace 7 side along the pillar outer 2 at the middle part of the front pillar 1 to the pillar inner 3 side provided with the front roof rail brace 8. It is made to continue smoothly.

According to the structure of the above-described embodiment, the upper end of the hinge brace 7 disposed apart from the inner surface of the pillar outer 2 is formed by deep drawing and joined to the inner surface of the pillar outer 2. An intermediate portion of the front pillar 1 where the upper end of the hinge brace 7 and the lower end of the front roof rail brace 8 arranged apart from each other along the side surface of the pillar inner 3 on the passenger compartment side overlap with the cross section of the front pillar 1. Since the vertical axis P is smoothly continued in the vertical direction to eliminate the sudden change in the level of the neutral axis P, the torsional rigidity of the intermediate portion of the front pillar 1 without using a special reinforcing member separately. , Buckling rigidity can be increased, and the front pillar 1 having high strength and rigidity can be advantageously obtained in terms of cost.

As described above, the upper end of the hinge brace 7 existing in the closed cross section of the front pillar 1 is deep drawn toward the pillar outer 2 to change the cross sectional shape.
Since it is joined to the inner surface of the pillar outer 2, in the case of a sunroof specification vehicle, the sunroof drain hose 9 is inserted into a closed cross-section where the front pillar 1 and a roof side rail (not shown) and a front roof rail are assembled.
When the sunroof drain hose 9 is inserted and routed in the closed cross section of the front pillar 1, the deep drawing portion at the upper end of the hinge brace 7 functions as a hose guide, and the tip of the sunroof drain hose 9 is deep drawn. It can be guided downward along the molded portion, and therefore, without providing a dedicated guide member as shown in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1-81383 in the middle of the front pillar 1.
At the intermediate portion, the leading end of the sunroof drain hose 9 is not caught and smooth insertion and wiring can be performed, thereby improving workability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line DD of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 front pillar 1a flange overlapped portion 2 pillar outer 3 pillar inner 7 hinge brace 7a flange 8 front roof rail brace 8a flange P neutral shaft

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hinge brace having flanges on both side edges thereof joined to a flange overlap portion of a front pillar, and arranged so as to be spaced along the inner surface of a pillar outer from a lower end portion to an intermediate portion of the front pillar, The front roof rail brace has flanges on both side edges thereof joined to a flange overlap portion of the front pillar, and is disposed apart from the upper end portion of the front pillar to an intermediate portion along the side surface on the passenger compartment side of the pillar inner, In a structure in which the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace are arranged to be wrapped in the middle of the front pillar in a side view, the upper end of the hinge brace and the lower end of the front roof rail brace wrap. At the middle of the front pillar, at the upper end of the hinge brace or at the front roof rail brace A front pillar structure for an automobile, wherein a cross-sectional shape of one of the lower ends is changed so that a neutral axis of a cross section of the front pillar is gently continued vertically in an intermediate portion of the front pillar. . 2. The front pillar structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the upper end of the hinge brace is deep drawn toward the pillar outer side to change its cross-sectional shape, and is joined to the back surface of the pillar outer.