JPH115502A - Shock energy absorbing structure in car body upper part of automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a shock energy absorbing structure in a car body upper part of an automobile able to adjust an energy absorbing characteristic without accompaniment of a change of shape. SOLUTION: In a structure absorbing shock energy in a car body upper part of an automobile provided with a structural member 10 extended in a lengthwise direction and a resin-made interior trimming material 14 arranged in the car room inward with a space 12 apart necessary for absorbing energy from this structural member, an aluminum-made tubular body 26 is provided. This tubular body is bonded to an outer side surface 15 of the interior trimming material 14, so as to extend an axial line in a lengthwise direction of the structural member, to be arranged in the space 12.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an impact energy absorbing structure for an upper portion of a vehicle body of an automobile, particularly a passenger car.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an upper part of a vehicle body comprising a structural member of a vehicle body and an interior material disposed at a distance required for absorbing energy from the structural member toward a vehicle interior, an energy absorber made of resin is provided within the distance. Is proposed (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 8-119047).

[0003]

Not only the impact energy absorbing structure according to the above-mentioned proposal but also the energy absorbing structure currently used, the size of the interval where the energy absorber is to be arranged, and the material and size of the energy absorber. In this case, the energy absorption characteristics are substantially determined. Therefore, in order to change the energy absorption characteristics, it is necessary to replace the energy absorber with another energy absorber or change the size of the interval to change the shape.

[0004] The present invention provides an impact energy absorbing structure at the upper part of the body of an automobile, in which the energy absorbing characteristics can be adjusted without changing the shape.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a structural member extending in a longitudinal direction, and a resin interior material disposed in a vehicle interior at a distance required for energy absorption from the structural member. A structure for absorbing impact energy in the upper part of the body of an automobile comprising: a metal tubular body. The cylindrical body is adhered to the outer surface of the interior material so that the axis extends in the longitudinal direction of the structural member, and is disposed within the interval.

[0006] While the interior material is a resin, the tubular body is a metal, so that the two have different ductility. As a result, when a load equal to or more than a predetermined value is applied to the tubular body via the interior material, a relative displacement occurs at a portion where the two are bonded, and a shear force based on the displacement acts on the adhesive. The impact energy is also absorbed by the reaction force of the shear force, so that an absorption characteristic different from the energy absorption characteristic of the tubular body itself is obtained. In addition, the energy absorption characteristics can be changed by changing the bonding mode.

[0007] Since the cylindrical body can be manufactured to have an arbitrary cross-sectional shape, it is easy to fit the cylindrical body into the space between the structural member and the interior material. In addition, the energy absorption characteristic is selected because various points can be imparted by selecting the thickness and the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical body, since the bonding position and the bonding area with the interior material can be selected from a wide range. High degree of freedom.

When the interior material is attached to the structural member, an adhesive is applied to a required portion on the outer surface of the interior material, and the tubular body is adhered to the interior material with the adhesive, or the outer surface of the interior material is Since the tubular body is placed on a required portion and an adhesive is applied, thereby bonding the tubular body to the interior material and then attaching the interior material to the structural member, the assembling is simple.

In one embodiment, the tubular body is bonded to the interior material at a plurality of locations.

A shear force due to a load acts on each of a plurality of bonding portions between the interior material and the cylindrical body, and reaction forces based on the shear forces interact with each other, so that different energy absorption characteristics can be easily obtained.

[0011] In another aspect, the tubular body is bonded to the interior material on a surface that receives a load applied to the tubular body.

A load is applied to the cylindrical body through the interior material, and the cylindrical body starts to deform and absorbs energy. At the same time, a shearing force acts on the adhesive, and the adhesive absorbs energy from the beginning, so that the rise is started. Since a sharp energy absorption characteristic can be obtained and the peak value of the load can be increased, the displacement required for energy absorption can be reduced. This means that the space between the interior material and the structural member may be small, so that the cabin space can be enlarged.

[0013] In the cross section cut along a plane intersecting with the axis, the cylindrical body couples the inner wall facing the interior material, the outer wall facing the structural member, and the inner wall and the outer wall. It is preferable that the cylindrical body has a square shape having two side walls, and in this case, the tubular body can be bonded to the interior material at the two side walls.

When a load is applied to the tubular body through the interior material, the inner wall of the tubular body is first deformed, and then the shearing force acts on the adhesive as the side wall is deformed. Energy absorption characteristics capable of absorbing a large amount of energy can be obtained, and energy absorption utilizing the deformation stroke can be achieved.

It is preferable that the interior material has a means for regulating the amount or range of application of the adhesive on the outer surface.

By regulating the amount or range of application of the adhesive, an appropriate amount of the adhesive can be applied to an appropriate place, so that the waste of the adhesive can be eliminated and the energy absorption characteristics of the adhesive can be reduced. Easy to manage.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A structural member includes an inner panel, an outer panel, a roof pillar, a center pillar, a rear pillar, a roof side rail or a header, in which a section cut by a virtual plane is formed into a closed structure. The interior material is a pillar garnish or roof trim made of hard resin, and is disposed in the vehicle cabin at an interval of 5 to 40 mm, which is necessary for absorbing energy from the inner panel.

The metal tubular body capable of absorbing energy can be formed of aluminum or titanium, but is preferably aluminum from the viewpoint of ease of molding and reusability. The cylindrical body can be given a required thickness and a required shape by extrusion molding. The tubular body is bonded to the outer surface of the interior material so that the axis extends in the longitudinal direction of the structural member. The cylindrical body has an inner wall facing the interior material, an outer wall facing the structural member, and two side walls connecting the inner wall and the outer wall in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting the axis. It is convenient to form it into a square shape having a portion.

The tubular body is adhered to the interior material at the inner wall portion, at the two side wall portions, or at the inner wall portion and the two side wall portions. As the adhesive, urethane-based, epoxy-based, acrylic-based, polyolefin-based, polyester-based, or polypropylene-based adhesive can be used in addition to synthetic rubber.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An impact energy absorbing structure is shown in FIG. 1 which shows a cross section cut along a horizontal imaginary plane. It absorbs impact energy in the upper part of the body of an automobile having a resin interior material 14 disposed indoors, and includes a metal tubular body 16.

The structural member 10 includes an inner panel 18, an outer panel 20 spaced from the inner panel 18 to the outside of the vehicle, and a reinforcing panel 22 disposed between the inner panel 18 and the outer panel 20. Are welded together to form a closed structure. In the embodiment shown, the structural member 10 is a front pillar of the vehicle body and has two flange joints 24,25. A front shield glass 28 is arranged near the flange joint 24, and an opening trim 30 is attached to the flange joint 25.

The interior material 14 is a pillar garnish formed of a hard resin, and is arranged at a distance 12 from the inner panel 18. Although the size of the interval 12 is different in each part, the size can be determined in the range of 5 to 40 mm described above.

The cylindrical body 16 is disposed in the space 12 near the flange joint 25. The cylindrical body 16 is formed by extruding aluminum, and has an inner wall portion 32 facing the interior material 14 in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting the axis.
And an outer wall portion 33 facing the inner panel 18 of the structural member.
And two side walls 34 and 35 connecting the inner wall 32 and the outer wall 33 to form a horn. The thickness of each wall of the tubular body 16 can be, for example, the same thickness of about 1 mm, or different thicknesses in the range of about 1 to 3 mm. The tubular body 16 is formed to extend in the longitudinal direction of the interior material 14, as shown in FIG. 5 in a perspective state.

The cylindrical body 16 is adhered to the outer surface 15 of the interior material 14 so that the axis extends in the longitudinal direction of the structural member 10, and is disposed within the interval 12. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the tubular body 16 is bonded to the outer surface 15 of the interior material by an adhesive 40 on the side wall portion 34 and by an adhesive 42 on the side wall portion 35. As the adhesives 40 and 42, a synthetic rubber hot melt was used in the illustrated embodiment.

The adhesives 40 and 42 are applied over the entire length of the cylindrical body 16 in the longitudinal direction, but it is not necessary to apply the adhesives uniformly at all locations in the longitudinal direction. As is clear from FIGS. 1 and 2, the cylindrical body 16 obtained by extrusion has the same cross-sectional shape and the same size over its entire length, but the interior material 14 has the cross-sectional shape and the size in the longitudinal direction. May be different. Therefore, the side wall portion 34
As shown in FIG. 2, the amount of the adhesive 40 applied between the interior material 14 and the interior material 14 may be increased, or the adhesive 42 between the side wall 35 and the interior material 14 may be applied as shown in FIG. It is preferable to secure appropriate adhesiveness by pushing the gap into the gap between the portion 32.

Since the adhesive 42 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is applied to the acute angled portion formed by the interior material 14 and the side wall 35, the adhesive state can be maintained by the angled portion. . In contrast, the interior material 14 and the side wall portion 34
Since the angle between them is obtuse, it is difficult to maintain the adhesive 40 in the applied state. Therefore, a regulating means 44 is provided to maintain the adhesive 40 in the applied state. The application amount of the adhesive 40 can be regulated by the height of the regulating means 44 and the distance from the side wall 34, and the application range can be regulated by the distance of the regulating means 44 from the side wall 34. The regulating means 44 is a plate-like rib in the illustrated embodiment, and is integrally protruded from the interior material 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the tubular body 16 is
By the adhesive 40 between the side wall portion 34 and the interior material 14,
The side wall 35 and the interior material 14 are adhered by an adhesive 42, and the inner wall 32 and the interior material 14 are partially adhered by an adhesive 46. The application amount of the adhesive 46 can be regulated by a warp-shaped regulating means 48 provided on the interior material 14.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical body 16 is
It is adhered to the interior material 14 on the surface that receives the load applied to the cylindrical body. The load applied to the tubular body 16 to be absorbed by energy is from the occupant, and the occupant's head can be one of the load sources. Therefore, the tubular body 16 is bonded to the interior material 14 at a position corresponding to the head of the occupant. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the cylindrical body 16 is bonded between the side wall portion 34 and the interior material 14 by an adhesive 40 and between the side wall portion 35 and the interior material 14 by an adhesive 42. Further, the entire surface of the inner wall portion 32 substantially corresponding to the head and the interior material 14
Are bonded by an adhesive 50. The application amount of the adhesive 50 can be regulated by regulating means 48 provided on the interior material 14. The two adhesives 40 and 42 are applied over the longitudinal direction of the tubular body 16 to hold the tubular body 16.

When the tubular body 16 is bonded to the interior material 14 on the surface receiving the load applied to the tubular body, the thickness of the tubular body 15 can be determined as follows. Now, the load source 52
When a load is applied in the direction A of FIG. 1, the displacement amount that the load source 52 can move for energy absorption, that is, the stroke D _1, is determined when the load is applied in the direction B of FIG.
Larger than the stroke D ₂ a load source 52 may move, defining the thickness and shape of the tubular body 16 to allow a predetermined energy absorbed by the stroke D _1. Then, B
Although the stroke is insufficient for the load from the direction, the load can be increased by bonding the portion of the cylindrical body 16 which receives the load to the interior material 14, and the shortage of the stroke can be compensated. Incidentally, in one embodiment, the stroke D ₁ is about 25
whereas a mm, the stroke D ₂ is about 17 mm.

Next, some experimental results are shown. FIG. 6 (a) shows the characteristic C when the tubular body having the shape shown in FIG. 1 is bonded to the interior material on the surface receiving the load, and the characteristic D when the cylindrical body is fixed to the inner panel of the structural member. Is shown.
Both loads were applied in the direction B in FIG. Characteristic C
Shows that the rise of the initial load is larger and the peak load is larger than that of the characteristic D. Thus, the load can be qualitatively adjusted by bonding the tubular body to the interior material.

FIG. 6 (b) shows the characteristic E when the tubular body having the shape shown in FIG. 1 is bonded to the interior material on the surface receiving the load (FIG. 4), and the cross section of the tubular body. A characteristic F in the case of bonding to the interior material in three places (FIG. 3) and a characteristic G in the case of bonding to the interior material in two sections of the cylindrical body (FIG. 2) are shown. Both loads were applied in the direction B in FIG. The greater the range in which the cylindrical body is restricted by the adhesive, the greater the rise of the initial load. In this way, the load can be qualitatively adjusted depending on the place (range) where the tubular body is bonded to the interior material.

FIG. 6C shows another effect when the tubular body is bonded to the interior material on the surface receiving the load.
As shown in FIG. 6A, the initial load is increased by bonding the tubular body to the interior material. This, on the contrary,
If the initial load is the same as when the tubular body is fixed to the inner panel, the wall thickness of the tubular body can be further reduced. As a result, if the thickness of the cylindrical body was not reduced, the bottom H was generated at a certain displacement amount, but the cylindrical body was reduced in thickness while maintaining the initial load at the same state.
The total displacement can be increased by I, and the displacement at which bottoming occurs can be increased. As described above, the effective displacement can be increased while the same initial load is secured, and energy can be efficiently absorbed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken along a horizontal imaginary plane, showing an embodiment of an impact energy absorbing structure on an upper part of a vehicle body according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the impact energy absorbing structure on the upper part of the vehicle body according to the present invention, which is cut along a horizontal imaginary plane, and shows a part of the structural members.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a further embodiment of the impact energy absorbing structure on the upper part of the vehicle body according to the present invention, which is cut along a horizontal imaginary plane, showing a structural member arrangement portion.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a horizontal imaginary plane, showing still another embodiment of the impact energy absorbing structure on the upper part of the vehicle body according to the present invention, and a structural member is partially shown;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the interior material as viewed from the back.

FIG. 6 is a characteristic diagram showing a relationship between a load and a displacement, wherein (a),
(B) and (c) are of different embodiments.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Structural member 12 Interval 14 Interior material 16 Cylindrical body 18 Inner panel 20 Outer panel 32 Inner wall part 33 Outer wall part 34, 35 Side wall part 40, 42, 46, 50 Adhesive 44, 48 Regulation means

Claims (5)

[Claims] An impact energy is absorbed in an upper part of an automobile body comprising a structural member extending in a longitudinal direction and a resin interior material disposed in a vehicle interior at a distance required for energy absorption from the structural member. A metal tubular body, the tubular body is adhered to the outer surface of the interior material so that the axis extends in the longitudinal direction of the structural member, and is disposed within the interval. , Impact energy absorbing structure on the upper part of the body of the car. 2. The impact energy absorbing structure according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is bonded to the interior material at a plurality of locations. 3. The impact energy absorbing structure according to claim 1, wherein the tubular body is bonded to the interior material on a surface that receives a load applied to the tubular body. 4. The tubular body, in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axis, includes an inner wall portion facing the interior material, an outer wall portion facing the structural member, and the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion. 2. The impact energy absorbing structure for an upper part of a vehicle body according to claim 1, wherein the structure has two side walls that are coupled to each other, and is bonded to the interior material at the two side walls. 3. 5. The impact energy absorbing device according to claim 1, wherein said interior material has means for regulating the amount or range of application of an adhesive on said outer surface. Construction.