Vehicle side portion structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449840-B2
Application number	US-201715850048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2017
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A vehicle side portion structure includes a vehicle body side portion in which a door opening portion allowing an occupant to enter or leave a vehicle is formed, the vehicle body side portion being configured to include a center pillar dividing the door opening portion into front and rear portions, a slide door disposed such that the door opening portion is openable and closable, the slide door in a closed state being disposed across the center pillar in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and an elongated reinforcing member disposed inside the slide door with a longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member directed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and intersecting with the center pillar in side view of the vehicle in the state where the slide door is closed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle side portion structure comprising:
a vehicle body side portion in which a door opening portion allowing an occupant to enter or leave a vehicle is formed, the vehicle body side portion being configured to include a center pillar dividing the door opening portion into a front side door opening portion and a rear side door opening portion when a slide door is in an open state;
the slide door disposed such that the door opening portion is openable and closable, the slide door in a closed state being disposed across the center pillar in a front-rear direction of the vehicle, the slide door being movable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle; and
a reinforcing member having an elongated shape, the reinforcing member being disposed inside the slide door with a longitudinal direction of the reinforcing member directed in the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and the reinforcing member intersecting with the center pillar in side view of the vehicle in the state where the slide door is closed.

2. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein a size of a cross section of the center pillar orthogonal to an up-down direction of the vehicle at a height at which the center pillar and the reinforcing member intersect with each other in side view of the vehicle is smaller than a size of a cross section of a front pillar orthogonal to the up-down direction of the vehicle at the height at which the center pillar and the reinforcing member intersect with each other in side view of the vehicle, the front pillar being disposed in front of the door opening portion.

3. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein a recessed portion is provided in a surface of the slide door on a vehicle cabin side, at least a part of the center pillar being positioned in the recessed portion in the state where the slide door is closed.

4. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 3 , wherein the recessed portion extends in an up-down direction of the vehicle.

5. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein a front end and a rear end of the reinforcing member overlap the vehicle body side portion in side view of the vehicle in the state where the slide door is closed.

6. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein:
the slide door includes
a door outer panel disposed on an outermost side of the slide door in a width direction of the vehicle,
a door inner panel disposed on an inner side of the door outer panel in the width direction of the vehicle, and
a door trim disposed on an inner side of the door inner panel in the width direction of the vehicle; and

the reinforcing member is disposed in a door interior space defined by the door outer panel and the door inner panel.

7. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 6 , wherein:
a front end of the reinforcing member in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is attached to a front portion of the door inner panel; and
a rear end of the reinforcing member in the front-rear direction of the vehicle is attached to a rear portion of the door inner panel.

8. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein an upper end of the center pillar is connected to a roof side rail of the vehicle, the roof side rail extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and constituting upper portions of the front side door opening portion and the rear side door opening portion.

9. The vehicle side portion structure according to claim 1 , wherein the center pillar includes an outer panel constituting an outer side of the center pillar in a width direction of the vehicle and an inner panel constituting an inner side of the center pillar in the width direction of the vehicle, each of the outer panel and inner panel presenting a hat-shaped cross section, and the center pillar extending in an up-down direction of the vehicle with a closed cross-sectional structure formed by flanges of the outer panel and the inner panel being joined to each other.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ajisaka Satoshi

Classifications

• B60J5/0458

  Passive coupling of the reinforcement elements to the door or to the vehicle body · CPC title

• B60J5/047

  characterised by the opening or closing movement · CPC title

• B60J5/0455

  integrated in door structure or other door elements, e.g. beam-like shapes stamped in inner door panel · CPC title

• B60J5/0425 Primary

  the elements being arranged essentially horizontal in the centre of the lower door structure (B60J5/0426 - B60J5/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60J5/06 Primary

  slidable; foldable · CPC title