JP3324493B2 - Car front pillar structure - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a front pillar of an automobile, and more particularly to a front pillar structure capable of absorbing a collision load in a frontal collision of a vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A front pillar of an automobile is an important rigid member for preventing deformation of a cabin at the time of a vehicle frontal collision, and has a closed cross-sectional structure formed by an inner panel and an outer panel.
In addition, a reinforcement panel is provided inside the closed cross section of the front pillar so as to partition the closed cross section over the entire length so as to have high rigidity.

However, if the entire front pillar has high rigidity, there is a problem that a strong impact acts on the cabin during a vehicle collision. Therefore, as a front pillar structure that absorbs the impact of a vehicle collision and reduces deformation,
For example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-277958, as shown in FIG. 5, in the lower half of the front pillar 1 'forming a closed cross section by the inner panel 11' and the outer panel 12 ', The inner panel 11 'and the outer panel 12' are formed with a bead 41 and a bent portion 43 on the front half side, respectively, so as to be easily deformed, and the front half side of the front pillar 1 'at the time of a vehicle collision is provided. Are deformed in the direction of the arrow to absorb the collision load, and are prevented from being deformed in the rear half of the pillar 1 '. In the figure, 5 is an apron upper member provided on the upper edge of the left and right side walls of the engine room, 8 is a fender panel, 9 is a front door, and 91 is a hinge.

[0004] In recent years, front windshields of automobiles have tended to be cab-forward in which the inclination angle of the front windshield is moderated in order to increase the driver's visibility and reduce the air resistance of the windshield during traveling. is there. In such a cab-forward type car, the lower edge of the front window moves forward, and accordingly, the front pillar projects the front edge of the middle portion corresponding to the lower edge of the front window forward to reduce the width. The front end is connected to the rear end of the apron upper member. And a triangular window is provided in the wide part.

[0005]

In a cab-forward type vehicle, the apron upper member is set to be shorter by the amount of the front pillar projecting forward, so that a large collision load is applied to the front pillar during a vehicle frontal collision. In particular, at the time of an offset frontal collision, a large load is applied to one of the front pillars, and in the above-described conventional structure, the front half of the front pillar may not be able to absorb the impact and the rear half may be deformed. If the panel thickness of the front pillar is increased in order to prevent this deformation, the front pillar's impact load absorbing performance is reduced.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a cab forward type front pillar having a wide portion and a triangular window opening, which absorbs a collision load at the time of a frontal collision and prevents the entire pillar from being deformed. The objective was to achieve a front pillar structure that minimized the impact on the vehicle.

[0007]

The present invention relates to an inner panel.
A front pillar (1) of a vehicle having a closed cross-sectional structure constituted by (11) and an outer panel (12) and having a reinforcement panel (2) provided therein, wherein the front pillar is provided.
1 in the vertical direction intermediate the Yes and wide portion leading edge thereof is attached to the rear end of the apron upper member front end protrudes forward (5) (1A) is formed, and the width wide portion (1A)
Front pillar with a triangular window opening (3) in the upper half
In (1) , in the wide portion (1A) , the reinforcement panel (2) is connected to the lower half of the lower half and
A vertical frame portion forming a rear edge of the triangular window opening (3)
(1C) , and the lower half of the reinforcement panel (2) has an inner panel at its rear end.
(11) and the joint flange of the rear edge of the outer panel (12) are integrally welded, and the front part is formed on the side face of the outer panel (12).
The inner panel (11) is welded to the inner surface on the rear half side and is not welded to the inner panel (11).
An easily deformable portion such as a vertically extending bead (41) or a hole (42) formed in a panel surface, which is easily deformed by a frontal collision load, is provided on the first half side of the screw (12). ). At the time of a vehicle frontal collision, the front half of the lower half of the wide portion of the front pillar and the inclined frame portion forming the front edge of the triangular window opening are deformed to absorb the collision load. Since the front end of the reinforcement panel is separated from the inner panel, the effect of the load on the rear half side is reduced.

In the inner panel (11) , the easily deformable portions (41) and (42) are connected to the outer panel (1 ).
More than 2) is provided (claim 3). During a vehicle head-on collision,
In particular, at the time of an offset head-on collision, the front half of the wide portion of the front pillar is deformed toward the inside of the vehicle, and does not hinder the openability of the front door.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a front pillar 1 is entirely composed of an inner panel 11 and an outer panel 12, and a joining flange of a front edge and a rear edge of both panels 11, 12. A columnar member extending vertically in a closed cross-section welded by overlapping each other, a lower half bent in the vicinity of the center in the vertical direction and extending vertically, and an upper half extending rearward with a gentle inclination upward. It is formed in a substantially U-shape. The lower end of the front pillar 1 is bent backward and is connected to the front end of the floor side rail 6 having a closed cross section, and the upper end is connected to the front end of the roof side rail 7 having a closed cross section. The rear edge forms an opening front edge of the front door opening. A lower half of the front pillar 1 is covered with a fender panel 8, and a front door 9 is rotatably mounted on a side surface of the outer panel 12 of the lower half via a hinge 91.

At the bent portion near the center of the front pillar 1, a wide portion 1A having a wide front end is formed by extending the front edge forward. The wide portion 1A protrudes forward in a chevron shape. The front end of the wide portion 1A is connected to the rear end of the apron upper member 5. A triangular window opening 3 is formed in the upper half of the wide portion 1A. Triangle window opening 3
Is an inclined frame portion 1B at the front edge of the upper half portion of the wide portion 1A, a vertical frame portion 1C at the rear edge of the upper half portion of the wide portion 1A, and the lower half portion of the wide portion 1A forming the opening bottom edge extending horizontally in the front-rear direction. And fix the triangular window glass (not shown).

Inside the closed cross section of the front pillar 1, a reinforcement panel 2 is provided over the entire length of the front pillar 1 in the vertical direction. The reinforcement panel 2 includes a lower reinforcement 21 provided in the lower half of the front pillar 1 and an reinforcement reinforcement 22 provided in the upper half of the front pillar 1. Inside, both terminals are opposed to each other. The reinforcement panel 2 is not installed on the inclined frame portion 1B at the front edge of the triangular window opening 3.

The lower reinforcement 21 extends over substantially the entire length of the outer panel 12 below the front pillar 1.
The cross-sectional shape is substantially the same as that of the front pillar 1 and is provided from the lower part of the front pillar 1 to the lower edge of the triangular window opening 3. The lower reinforcement 21 is integrally welded so that the front edge and the rear edge thereof are sandwiched between the front and rear joining flanges of the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12 of the front pillar 1. It is welded to the inner side surface of the outer panel 12 (FIG. 2).

In the wide portion 1A of the front pillar 1, (FIG. 1
(B)), the lower reinforcement 21 is integrally welded such that its rear edge is sandwiched between the joining flanges at the rear edge of the inner panel 11 and the rear panel 12 of the front pillar 1, and the middle portion is the outer panel of the front pillar 1. It is welded to the inner surface of the rear half of the 12 side surfaces . The front edge has advanced to the inner panel 11 side so as to cross the middle in the front-rear direction in the closed cross section of the wide portion 1A, but is not welded to the inner surface of the inner panel 11 and is not in contact with the inner surface of the inner panel 11. There is a gap between them. The upper terminal of the lower reinforcement 21 has advanced into the vertical frame 1C.

At the upper part of the front pillar 1 (FIG. 3), both ends of the reinforcement 22 are integrally welded to a joining flange on the front window opening side edge side of the front pillar 1 and a joining flange on the front edge side of the back door opening. Thus, the closed section of the front pillar 1 is partitioned.
In FIG. 3, G is a front window shield glass.

Similarly, in the vertical frame 1C (FIG. 4), the reinforcements 22 are integrated with both ends of the vertical frame 1B into the joining flange on the rear edge of the triangular window opening and the joining flange on the front edge of the front door opening. To form a closed section of the vertical frame 1C. The connection part 23 of the lower end of the reinforcement reinforcement 22 and the connection part 23 of the upper terminal of the lower reinforcement 21 are opposed to each other and are not welded.

In the front half of the lower half of the wide portion 1A, beads 41 protruding in the vehicle exterior direction and the vehicle interior direction are formed in the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12, respectively, at opposing positions. Further, a hole 42 is formed in the inner panel 11 at a position in front of the bead 41.

In this embodiment, at the time of a vehicle offset head-on collision, one of the front pillars 1 has a wide portion 1A.
A large collision load acts on the front end of the apron upper member 5. Due to this collision load, first, in the wide portion 1A,
The inclined frame portion 1B, the hole 42 forming portion and the bead 41 forming portion of the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12 are deformed,
Subsequently, the entire first half side of the wide portion 1A is bent and deformed, and the deformation absorbs the collision load. In this case, in the lower half of the wide portion 1A, the inner panel 11 is not connected to the lower reinforcement 21, and the hole 42 is provided in addition to the bead 41, so that the inner panel 11 has lower rigidity than the outer panel 12. The wide portion 1A bends and deforms inward in the vehicle width direction . Therefore, the outer panel 12 is deformed so that the hinge member 91 rotates in the opening direction of the front door 9. This does not hinder opening of the front door 9 after a collision.

In the wide portion 1A, the inner panel 11 is separated from the lower reinforcement 21, so that the deformation at the time of vehicle collision starts from the inner panel 11, and the deformation of the inner panel 11 is
Since it is larger than 2, the load absorbing efficiency at the time of collision is good, and the rear half of the front pillar 1 is prevented from being deformed, and the impact acting on the cabin is reduced.

Further, the reinforcement panel 2 in the front pillar 1 is divided into a lower reinforcement 21 for reinforcing the lower half of the front pillar 1 and an reinforcement reinforcement 22 for reinforcing the upper half thereof. Since the terminal joints 23 of the elements 21 and 22 are simply butted without welding, the transmission of the collision load acting on the lower reinforcement 21 to the reinforcement reinforcement 22 at the time of a vehicle collision is reduced, and the occupant's head is The upper half of the corresponding front pillar 1 is prevented from being deformed.

In the above-described embodiment, the bead 41 and the hole 42 are provided in the inner panel 11 and the outer panel 12 of the wide portion 1A of the front pillar 1 to form the easily deformable portion. The easily deformable portion may be formed only by using. Further, in the wide portion 1A, the front end of the lower reinforcement 21 is bent and extended in the direction of the inner panel 11 so as to cross the closed cross section, but the bent extension end may be omitted.

[0021]

The front pillar structure of the present invention places the highest priority on minimizing the influence of the collision load on the cabin during a vehicle frontal collision, especially at an offset frontal collision. In the middle wide part of the front pillar where the load acts, the reinforcement panel is provided only on the rear half side to reduce the rigidity of the front half side relatively, and the front end of the reinforcement panel is uncoupled with a part of the pillar panel. Accordingly, the collision load is absorbed by the deformation in the first half, the deformation in the second half is reduced, and the deformation of the cabin is prevented. In addition, the wide portion of the front pillar bends toward the inside of the vehicle, so that the openness of the front door is ensured.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a front pillar of the present invention.
(A) is a side view thereof, and FIG. 1 (B) is an IB-IB of FIG. 1 (A).
It is sectional drawing in the position along a line.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along a line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a conventional front pillar, and FIG.
It is sectional drawing corresponding to (B).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Front pillar 1A Wide part 1C Vertical frame part 11 Inner panel 12 Outer panel 2 Reinforcement panel 3 Triangular window opening 41 Bead (Easily deformable part) 42 Hole (Easily deformable part) 5 Apron upper member

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B62D 25/04

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An inner panel (11) and an outer panel.
(12) Front pillar of a vehicle having a closed cross-section structure and a reinforcement panel (2) provided inside
(1) , a wide portion (1A) having a front edge protruding forward and a front end connected to a rear end of the apron upper member (5 ) is formed in the middle of the front pillar (1) in the vertical direction. and the width at the wide portion (1A) front pillar (1) in half in which a triangular window opening (3) on the, in the wide portion (1A), said reinforcement panel
(2) the lower half of the lower half and the triangular window opening (3)
Is installed in the vertical frame (1C) forming the rear edge of the opening, and the lower half of the reinforcement panel
In (2) , the rear end is integrally welded to the joining flange of the rear edge of the inner panel (11) and the outer panel (12), and the front portion is welded to the rear inner surface of the side surface of the outer panel (12). (11) and is a non-welded, and, in
Easily deformable portions on the front half side of the na panel (11) and the outer panel (12), each of which is easily deformed by a frontal collision load.
(41) A front pillar structure for an automobile , wherein (41) and (42) are provided. 2. The front pillar structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein said easily deformable portions (41) and (42) are beads (41) extending in a vertical direction or holes (42) formed in a panel surface. 3. In the inner panel (11) , the easily deformable portions (41) and (42) are connected to the outer panel (1 ).
3. The front pillar structure for an automobile according to claim 2, wherein the number of the front pillars is larger than that of the vehicle.