Upper connecting structure of center pillar for automobile

Details Upper connecting structure of center pillar for automobile Upper connecting structure of center pillar for automobile

2003-01-22

2004-09-14

Coletta, Lori L (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Bodies

Structural detail

C296S187120, C296S193060

Reexamination Certificate

active

06789840

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a body structure for a vehicle and more particularly to a connecting structure of an upper part of a center pillar of the vehicle.
2. Discussion of Related Arts
With respect to a body structure for connecting a center pillar with a side rail of a vehicle, Japanese Patent Application No. Toku-Kai-Hei 11-348821 proposes a connecting structure constituted by a panel side outer integrally formed with a center pillar outer and a side rail outer, a side rail inner, a center pillar inner and a reinforcement.
Further, with respect to another connecting structure of a center pillar with a side rail, there is a connecting structure shown in a perspective view of
FIG. 7
showing an upper connecting portion of a center pillar and in a sectional view of
FIG. 8
taken along a line VIII—VIII of FIG.
7
. This connecting structure of the center pillar comprises a side rail, a center pillar and a reinforcement disposed in the center pillar. That is, a side rail
50
provided outside of a vehicle body has a closed cross section formed by a side rail outer
52
extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle and a side rail inner
54
disposed inside of the side rail outer
52
and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
The center pillar
56
is constituted by a center pillar outer member
62
and a center pillar inner member
64
. The center pillar outer member
62
is bent outwardly at the upper portion thereof along the outer shape of the side rail outer member
52
and is superposed on the outer surface of the side rail outer member
52
. Reference numeral
66
of
FIG. 8
denotes a drip rail and reference numeral
68
denotes a roof panel.
Further,
FIG. 9
shows still another example of the upper connecting structure of a center pillar. There are differences between the upper connecting structure of the center pillar shown in
FIG. 7
(or
FIG. 8
) and that shown in
FIG. 9
in providing a center pillar outer reinforcement
70
inside of the center pillar outer
62
and providing a welding surface
72
(shown in a two-dots chain line of
FIG. 7
) in the side rail outer
52
. That is, the top portion of the center pillar outer reinforcement
70
is interposed into the side rail constituted by the side rail outer
52
and the side rail inner
54
and is welded at the upper portion thereof to the back surface of the side rail outer
52
.
However, the aforesaid upper connecting structure of the center pillar has a problem that the connecting portion of the center pillar with the side rail is easy to be broken when a big load is exerted from the lateral side of a vehicle in case of a side-on collision and the like. Accordingly, in order to increase the strength of the connecting portion of the center pillar with the side rail, there are countermeasures such as using plate material with large thickness for the constituents of the side rail, center pillar and the like, adding reinforcements thereto et cetera.
However, using steel plates with large thickness for the center pillar, side rail and the like causes bad weldability, weight increase and cost increase. Further, additional reinforcements require an establishment of new welding surfaces and the welding surfaces themselves have a possibility of providing starting points of breakage, depending upon the position and configuration of the reinforcements. Further, in case where high tension steel plates are used for material of the side rail and the like, it is necessary to fix bent edges of the high tension steel plates by beads in order to prevent spring back phenomena after molding. In this case, sometimes the beads themselves become starting points from which breakage of the side rail start.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an upper connecting structure of a center pillar having a large rigidity and capable of efficiently dispersing a load exerted on the center pillar from the lateral side of a vehicle to a side rail.
In order to attain the object, an upper connecting structure of a center pillar of a vehicle for connecting said center pillar with a side rail comprises a ridge line formed on the side rail outer and extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a plurality of bead sections formed on the side rail outer and provided across the ridge line in the vicinity of a connecting portion of the side rail outer with the center pillar. The bead sections are formed with the connecting portion of the side rail outer and the center pillar between.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5171058 (1992-12-01), Ishikawa
patent: 6474726 (2002-11-01), Hanakawa et al.
patent: 6607239 (2003-08-01), Fuji
patent: 2001/0033096 (2001-10-01), Hanyu
patent: 10218018 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 11-348821 (1999-12-01), None

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