Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Structural detail
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-13
2001-12-11
Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Structural detail
C296S182100, C296S210000, C296S030000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06328376
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a center pillar assembly of a motor vehicle, which is arranged between a front door and a rear door in such a way as to connect a roof and a floor with each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional motor vehicle as shown in
FIG. 1
, a plurality of pillar assemblies
1
which are located on a left side and a right side of a vehicle body along a lengthwise direction of the body, function to support a roof
2
at a predetermined height from a floor and to hold front and rear doors
3
and
4
each of which is installed between two pillar assemblies
1
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, among the plurality of pillar assemblies
1
, an example of a center pillar assembly which connects the roof
2
and the floor with each other between the front and rear doors
3
and
4
, is illustrated.
As can be readily seen from
FIG. 2
, the center pillar assembly includes outer and inner panels
12
and
16
which are joined with each other in such a way as to delimit a closed space therebetween and connect the roof
2
and the floor with each other, and a reinforcing panel
14
which is disposed in the closed space defined between the outer and inner panels
12
and
16
in such a way as to reinforce rigidity of the center pillar assembly.
The outer panel
12
has an upper end portion
13
and a lower end portion which are integrated with a side frame of the vehicle body. The upper end portion
13
of the outer panel
12
is formed in a manner such that it projects outward and upward to correspond to a contour of an upper portion of the side frame. A flange portion which is formed on an upper end of the outer panel
12
, is joined to a flange portion of a roof panel
32
, which flange portion is formed on a side end of the roof panel
32
.
The inner panel
16
is joined, below the roof panel
32
, to a surface of a roof rail member
36
which is opposed to the upper portion of the side frame to delimit the closed space, and extends downward toward the floor. The inner panel
16
cooperates with the outer panel
12
to define the closed space.
As described above, the reinforcing panel
14
is disposed in the closed space which is delimited by the outer and inner panels
12
and
16
, so as to reinforce rigidity of the center pillar assembly against external force.
Also, an anchor nut plate
19
for fastening a seat belt anchor nut is placed between the reinforcing panel
14
and the inner panel
16
, adjacent to an upper end of the center pillar assembly.
In the center pillar assembly constructed as mentioned above, external force which is applied to the center pillar assembly upon side impact or the like, is absorbed by the reinforcing panel
14
which is disposed in the closed space defined between the outer and inner panels
12
and
16
.
In this regard, because a head portion of an occupant is apt to be severely damaged upon impact in comparison with other portions of the human body and is very difficult to be restored to health, an upper part of a center pillar assembly must have excellent rigidity not to be deformed by side impact and thereby not to cause damage to the head portion of the occupant. In view of this consideration, the reinforcing panel
14
is formed, at an upper end thereof, with a stepped portion
15
which is bent toward the upper end portion
13
of the outer panel
12
in a manner such that rigidity of the upper part of the center pillar assembly is further reinforced.
However, in practice, even though the stepped portion
15
is formed on the upper end of the reinforcing panel
14
, rigidity of the upper part of the center pillar assembly cannot be sufficiently increased in a manner such that the upper part of the center pillar assembly is not deformed due to side impact not to cause damage to the head portion of the occupant.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a center pillar assembly of a motor vehicle, which is reinforced in rigidity of its upper part so that the upper part is prevented from being deformed in such a way as not to cause damage to a head portion of an occupant.
In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a center pillar assembly arranged between a front door and a rear door of a motor vehicle, for connecting a roof and a floor with each other, the center pillar assembly comprising: an outer panel extending from a lower surface of a flange portion of a roof panel toward the floor, the outer panel having an upper end portion which projects outward and upward to form a portion of a side frame arranged along a side of the roof panel; a reinforcing panel extending from a lower surface of an upper flange portion of the outer panel toward the floor in a manner such that the reinforcing panel is separated from the outer panel, the reinforcing panel having a stepped portion which is bent toward the upper end portion of the outer panel in such a way as to define a step-shaped configuration; an inner panel extending from a surface of a roof rail member which is opposed to an upper portion of the side frame, toward the floor, the inner panel cooperating with the outer panel to define a closed space therebetween, the roof rail member having a flange portion on which the roof rail member is joined to an upper end of the side frame; and an upper reinforcing member extending from the upper flange portion of the reinforcing panel along an inner surface of the reinforcing panel, the upper reinforcing member cooperating with the stepped portion of the reinforcing panel to form a closed cross-section.
By the feature of the present invention, rigidity of an upper part of the center pillar assembly is remarkably reinforced by the presence of the upper reinforcing member which cooperates with the stepped portion of the reinforcing panel to form the closed cross-section.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4682812 (1987-07-01), Hurten et al.
patent: 4950024 (1990-08-01), Watari et al.
patent: 5246264 (1993-09-01), Yoshii
patent: 5873618 (1999-02-01), Ejima
patent: 5984402 (1999-11-01), Takeuchi
patent: 6027160 (2000-02-01), Brodt
patent: 6073992 (2000-06-01), Yamuchi et al.
patent: 6086141 (2000-07-01), Masuda et al.
patent: 6-239267 (1994-08-01), None
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
Engle Patricia
Kia Motors Corporation
Pape Joseph D.
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