Side structure of vehicle body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12528541-B2
Application number	US-202318170489-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2023
Priority date	Mar 31, 2022
Publication date	Jan 20, 2026
Grant date	Jan 20, 2026

Abstract

The invention provides a side structure of a vehicle body, which realizes a pillar structure that can efficiently absorb the collision energy in the event of a side collision with a simple configuration to be capable of effectively increasing the vehicle body support rigidity in the event of a vehicle side collision. The side structure of the vehicle body includes a reinforcing member ( 75 ) joined to the upper surface of an outer sill ( 19 b ) of a side sill ( 19 ) on the inner side of an outer pillar ( 72 ) of a center pillar ( 70 ) in the vehicle width direction; and a bracket ( 85 ) for attaching a seat belt retractor ( 81 ) to the side sill ( 19 ). The bracket ( 85 ) is fixed to and interposed between a surface of the reinforcing member ( 75 ) on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the upper surface of an inner sill ( 19 a ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A side structure of a vehicle body, comprising:
a side sill extending in a front-rear direction on an outer side of a floor portion of the vehicle body in a vehicle width direction; and a pillar portion extending upward from the side sill, wherein the side sill comprises an inner sill that forms an inner side in the vehicle width direction and an outer sill that forms an outer side in the vehicle width direction, the pillar portion comprises an inner pillar and an outer pillar arranged respectively on the inner side and the outer side in the vehicle width direction, the side structure of the vehicle body comprises: a reinforcing member joined to an upper surface of the outer sill on the inner side of the outer pillar in the vehicle width direction; and a bracket for attaching a seat belt retractor to the side sill, wherein the bracket is directly fixed to a surface of the reinforcing member and an upper surface of the inner sill, and the bracket is interposed between the surface of the reinforcing member on the inner side in the vehicle width direction and the upper surface of the inner sill.

2 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing member has a cross-sectional shape that opens toward the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and
a closed cross section is formed by the reinforcing member and a constituent member of the pillar portion.

3 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 2 , wherein the bracket comprises a front side portion and a rear side portion extending from the reinforcing member toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and an inner side portion extending in the front-rear direction on the inner side of the reinforcing member in the vehicle width direction and connecting the front side portion and the rear side portion.

4 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 3 , wherein the reinforcing member comprises a first reinforcing member arranged in front and a second reinforcing member arranged in rear, and
the front side portion of the bracket is connected to the first reinforcing member, and the rear side portion is connected to the second reinforcing member.

5 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 4 , comprising a cover member installed between the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body, and
a closed cross section is formed by the cover member and an upper surface of the outer sill.

6 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 3 , wherein the outer pillar comprises a front wall extending toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction on a front side, and a rear wall extending toward the inner side in the vehicle width direction on a rear side, and
the reinforcing member comprises a front joint portion joined to the front wall of the outer pillar, and a rear joint portion joined to the rear wall.

7 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 6 , wherein the reinforcing member comprises a bent portion that bends in the vehicle width direction at an intermediate position in an up-down direction of the reinforcing member, and a notch portion that is formed at a height position overlapping with the bent portion, and
the front side portion and the rear side portion of the bracket are connected to the reinforcing member across the bent portion vertically.

8 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 3 , wherein the front side portion and the rear side portion of the bracket comprise a bead portion that comprises a plurality of elongated protruding portions protruding forward or rearward and extending in the vehicle width direction.

9 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 3 , wherein the inner side portion of the bracket comprises:
an attachment portion attaching the retractor; and an other bead portion that comprises a plurality of elongated protruding portions protruding in the vehicle width direction and extending in the front-rear direction, wherein the attachment portion is provided on an upper side of the inner side portion, and the other bead portion is provided on a lower side of the attachment portion of the inner side portion.

10 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 3 , comprising:
a door attached to be openable and closable to a side of the vehicle body; and a door beam installed inside the door, wherein in a state where the door is closed, at least a part of the door beam is arranged at a position overlapping with the reinforcing member and the bracket as viewed in the vehicle width direction.

11 . The side structure of the vehicle body according to claim 1 , wherein the inner pillar is formed with an opening in which the retractor is arranged, and
the reinforcing member is arranged at a position lower than an upper edge of the opening as viewed in the vehicle width direction.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hasegawa Atsushi
• Yamada Hitomi
• Takeuchi Ryotaro

Classifications

• B60J5/0425

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

• B60J5/0429

  the elements being arranged diagonally · CPC title

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D25/025 Primary

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• B60R2022/3402

  Retractor casings; Mounting thereof · CPC title