Connection structure of vehicle body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11167807-B2
Application number	US-202016836227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2020
Priority date	Dec 9, 2019
Publication date	Nov 9, 2021
Grant date	Nov 9, 2021

Abstract

A connection structure of a vehicle body includes a roof side rail member extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, a roof rear cross member extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle body, and having an end coupled to the roof side rail member, a rear pillar member extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle body, and having an upper portion coupled to the roof side rail member and aligned with the end of the roof rear cross member, wherein the upper portion of the rear pillar member and the roof side rail member are coupled to each other by an insertion protrusion and an insertion groove, and a cover bracket covering a portion where the roof side rail member, the roof rear cross member, and the rear pillar member are connected to each other.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A connection structure of a vehicle body, the connection structure comprising:
a roof side rail member extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body;
a roof rear cross member extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle body and having an end coupled to a rear end of the roof side rail member;
a rear pillar member extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle body and having an upper portion coupled to the rear end of the roof side rail member and aligned with the end of the roof rear cross member, wherein the upper portion of the rear pillar member and the rear end of the roof side rail member are coupled to each other by an insertion protrusion and an insertion groove; and
a cover bracket covering a portion where the rear end of the roof side rail member, the end of the roof rear cross member, and the upper portion of the rear pillar member are connected to each other, the cover bracket configured to be integrated with the portion in a single body;
wherein the upper portion of the rear pillar member includes a reinforcement part, wherein the reinforcement part is bent along a longitudinal direction of the roof side rail member; and
wherein the reinforcement part and the rear end of the roof side rail member are coupled to each other by the insertion protrusion and the insertion groove.

2. The connection structure of claim 1 , further comprising:
a protruding bracket coupled to the rear end of the roof side rail member, wherein the protruding bracket protrudes to face the rear pillar member, and wherein the insertion protrusion is integrally provided with the protruding bracket; and
a groove bracket engaged with the reinforcement part to protrude to face the roof side rail member, wherein the groove bracket is provided with the insertion groove, so that the insertion protrusion is engaged with the insertion groove.

3. The connection structure of claim 2 , wherein:
the insertion protrusion comprises a neck portion and a locking portion, the neck portion protrudes from the protruding bracket toward the rear pillar member, and the locking portion is provided at an end of the neck portion and has a sectional width relatively larger than that of the neck portion; and
the insertion groove has a depressed shape corresponding to outer lines of the neck portion and the locking portion of the insertion protrusion.

4. The connection structure of claim 2 , wherein a plurality of insertion protrusions and a plurality of insertion grooves are provided in an arrangement in which the insertion protrusions and the insertion grooves are respectively spaced apart from each other in a front to rear direction, wherein the front to rear direction is the longitudinal direction of the roof side rail member.

5. The connection structure of claim 2 , wherein the cover bracket comprises:
a first cover bracket provided at an inside of the vehicle body to integrally cover the rear end of the roof side rail member, the end of the roof rear cross member, and the upper portion of the rear pillar member;
a second cover bracket provided at an outside of the vehicle body to integrally cover the rear end of the roof side rail member and the end of the roof rear cross member; and
a third cover bracket provided at the outside of the vehicle body to integrally cover the rear end of the roof side rail member and the upper portion of the rear pillar member.

6. The connection structure of claim 5 , wherein the second cover bracket and the third cover bracket are coupled to each other without a gap between them.

7. The connection structure of claim 6 , wherein the second cover bracket and the third cover bracket are in contact with each other at the roof side rail member outside the vehicle body and are connected to each other in a flat surface-contact manner.

8. The connection structure of claim 5 , wherein:
the first cover bracket and the third cover bracket are disposed to be overlapped with each other to provide a flange part having a predetermined area; and
the flange part is disposed at a region between the rear end of the roof side rail member and the upper portion of the rear pillar member.

9. The connection structure of claim 8 , wherein the flange part of the cover bracket is provided to integrally cover the protruding bracket having the insertion protrusion and the groove bracket having the insertion groove, in addition to the reinforcement part of the rear pillar member.

10. The connection structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the insertion protrusion and the insertion groove are configured to engage with each other as an upper end of the rear pillar member is moved in the transverse direction of the vehicle body toward the rear end of the roof side rail member; and
the rear pillar member is configured to be restricted from being moved in the vertical direction and the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body by engagement between the insertion protrusion and the insertion groove.

11. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body;
a roof side rail member extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, the roof side rail member having a rear end;
a roof rear cross member extending in a transverse direction of the vehicle body, the roof rear cross member having an end coupled to the rear end of the roof side rail member;
a rear pillar member extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle body, the rear pillar member aligned with the end of the roof rear cross member and having an upper portion coupled to the rear end of the roof side rail member by an insertion protrusion engaged with an insertion groove; and
a cover bracket covering a portion where the rear end of the roof side rail member, the end of the roof rear cross member, and the upper portion of the rear pillar member are connected to each other;
wherein the upper portion of the rear pillar member includes a reinforcement part, wherein the reinforcement part is bent along a longitudinal direction of the roof side rail member; and
wherein the reinforcement part and the rear end of the roof side rail member are coupled to each other by the insertion protrusion and the insertion groove.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , further comprising:
a protruding bracket coupled to the rear end of the roof side rail member, wherein the protruding bracket protrudes to face the rear pillar member, and wherein the protruding bracket comprises an insertion protrusion; and
a groove bracket engaged with the upper portion of the rear pillar member to protrude to face the roof side rail member, wherein the groove bracket comprises an insertion groove.

13. The vehicle of claim 12 , wherein:
the insertion protrusion comprises a neck portion and a locking portion, the neck portion protrudes from the protruding bracket toward the rear pillar member, and the locking portion is provided at an end of the neck portion and has a sectional width relatively larger than that of the neck portion; and
the insertion groove has a depressed shape corresponding to outer lines of the neck portion and the locking portion of the insertion protrusion.

14. The vehicle of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of insertion protrusions and a plurality of insertion grooves, wherein the insertion protrusions and the insertion grooves are respectively spaced apart from each other in a front to rear direction, wherein the front to rear direction is the longitudinal direction of the roof side rail member.

15. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the cover bracket comprises:
a first cover bracket provided at an inside of the vehicle body to integrally cover the rear en

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Do Hoi

Classifications

• B62D27/023 Primary

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B60Y2306/01

  Reducing damages in case of crash, e.g. by improving battery protection · CPC title

• B62D25/2036

  the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars (B62D21/157 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60Y2304/07

  Facilitating assembling or mounting · CPC title