Vehicle body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11465685-B2
Application number	US-202117369148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2021
Priority date	Sep 4, 2020
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle body may include a rear opening; a rear header extending in a width direction of the vehicle body along an upper edge of the rear opening; a rear pillar extending from an end of the rear header along a side edge of the rear opening; a rear wheelhouse located below the rear pillar; and a rear suspension tower disposed at the rear wheelhouse, wherein a rear suspension is mounted on the rear suspension tower. The rear pillar may include a first portion extending rearward from the end of the rear header; and a second portion bending at a rear end of the first portion and extending downward therefrom. The vehicle body may further include a first frame connecting the rear suspension tower to the rear header; and a second frame connecting a halfway point of the first portion of the rear pillar to the rear wheelhouse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body comprising:
a rear opening;
a rear header extending in a width direction of the vehicle body along an upper edge of the rear opening;
a rear pillar extending from an end of the rear header along a side edge of the rear opening;
a rear wheelhouse located below the rear pillar;
a rear suspension tower disposed at the rear wheelhouse, wherein a rear suspension is mounted on the rear suspension tower; and
a rear side panel extending between the rear pillar and the rear wheelhouse, wherein
the rear pillar comprises:
a first portion extending rearward from the end of the rear header;
a second portion bending at a rear end of the first portion and extending downward therefrom; and
an inner sheet material and an outer sheet material that define a first enclosed space along a longitudinal direction of the rear pillar,

the inner sheet material and the outer sheet material are welded to each other at both ends of the first enclosed space in a width direction of the first enclosed space,
the vehicle body further comprises:
a first frame connecting the rear suspension tower and the rear header to each other; and
a second frame connecting a halfway point of the first portion of the rear pillar and the rear wheelhouse to each other,

the second frame is welded to the inner sheet material at a halfway point of the first enclosed space in the width direction of the first enclosed space,
the second frame comprises a sheet material that is welded to the rear side panel to define a second enclosed space, and
at a connection of the rear pillar and the second frame, the second enclosed space defined in the second frame opposes the first enclosed space defined in the rear pillar with the inner sheet material interposed therebetween.

2. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the rear pillar meets the second frame approximately at a right angle at a connection of the first portion and the second frame.

3. The vehicle body according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a rear side door opening; and
a window glass opening located rearward of a rear edge of the rear side door opening and forward of the first frame.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd
• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Kamimura Shinya
• Yoshida Sachiko
• Mizusaki Tomoaki
• Itoh Tadashi

Classifications

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D25/02 Primary

  Side panels {(B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023)} · CPC title

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title

• B62D25/08

  Front or rear portions {(sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions B62D21/11)} · CPC title

• B62D21/11 Primary

  with resilient means for suspension {, e.g. of wheels or engine; sub-frames for mounting engine or suspensions} · CPC title