Vehicle Structures and Methods Of Assembling The Same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016101815-A1
Application number	US-201514682789-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 10, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Vehicle structures and methods of assembling the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of assembling a unibody structure of a vehicle includes assembling a door surround ring comprising a forward pillar portion, a roof rail portion, a rearward pillar portion, and a rocker portion. The method also includes, subsequent to assembling the door surround ring, installing the door surround ring into a vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring to the vehicle side outer panel. The method further includes, subsequent to installing the door surround ring into the vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring and the vehicle side outer panel to a vehicle interior structural member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A door surround sub-assembly comprising:
a door surround ring comprising:
a forward pillar portion;
a rocker portion welded to the forward pillar portion;
a rearward pillar portion welded to the rocker portion; and
a roof rail portion welded to the rearward pillar portion;
a vehicle side outer panel welded to the door surround ring; and a vehicle side inner panel coupled to the door surround ring; wherein the forward pillar portion, the rocker portion, the rearward pillar portion, and the roof rail portion are welded to one another before the door surround ring is welded to the vehicle side outer panel and the vehicle side inner panel.

2 . The sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle side outer panel and the door surround ring are spaced apart from one another in an interior volume, the vehicle side outer panel encapsulating at least a portion of the door surround ring in the vehicle lateral direction.

3 . The sub-assembly of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle side outer panel is free from welds at positions within the interior volume.

4 . The sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein the door surround ring further comprises a roof patch that is coupled to a side region of the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion and extends along the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion across a joint location at which the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion are coupled to one another.

5 . The sub-assembly of claim 4 , wherein the roof patch is welded to the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion along a patch weld interface that is offset from a clamshell weld interface of the forward pillar portion or the roof rail portion evaluated in the vehicle lateral direction.

6 . The sub-assembly of claim 5 , wherein the patch weld interface is positioned in the outboard direction relative to the clamshell weld interface and between the forward pillar portion and the vehicle side outer panel in the vehicle lateral direction.

7 . The sub-assembly of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the forward pillar portion overlaps at least a portion of the roof rail portion.

8 . A method of assembling a unibody for a vehicle comprising:
assembling a door surround ring comprising a forward pillar portion, a roof rail portion, a rearward pillar portion, and a rocker portion; subsequent to assembling the door surround ring, installing the door surround ring into a vehicle side outer panel; coupling the door surround ring to the vehicle side outer panel; and subsequent to installing the door surround ring into the vehicle side outer panel, coupling the door surround ring and the vehicle side outer panel to a vehicle interior structural member.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising installing the door surround ring into a vehicle side inner panel subsequent to assembling the door surround ring and coupling the door surround ring to the vehicle side inner panel.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the door surround ring is assembled by:
welding the forward pillar portion to the roof rail portion and the rocker portion; and welding the rearward pillar portion to the roof rail portion and the rocker portion.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the door surround ring further comprising a roof patch that is coupled to the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion and extends along the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion across a joint location at which the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion are coupled to one another.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the roof patch is welded to the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion along a patch weld interface that is offset from a clamshell weld interface of the forward pillar portion or the roof rail portion evaluated in a vehicle lateral direction.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the patch weld interface is positioned in an outboard direction relative to the clamshell weld interface and between the forward pillar portion and the vehicle side outer panel in the vehicle lateral direction.

14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein at least a portion of the forward pillar portion overlaps at least a portion of the roof rail portion.

15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the forward pillar portion is welded to the roof rail portion from an inboard direction and from an outboard direction.

16 . A unibody for a vehicle comprising:
a vehicle interior structural member; a vehicle side outer panel coupled to the vehicle interior structural member; and a door surround ring coupled to the vehicle side outer panel, the door surround ring comprising:
a forward pillar portion;
a rocker portion welded to the forward pillar portion;
a rearward pillar portion welded to the rocker portion; and
a roof rail portion welded to the forward pillar portion and the rearward pillar portion, wherein components of the door surround ring are welded to one another by welds that are applied in an inboard direction and an outboard direction relative to a vehicle lateral direction; and
a roof patch that is welded to the forward pillar portion and the roof rail portion along a patch weld interface that is offset from a clamshell weld interface of the forward pillar portion or the roof rail portion evaluated in the vehicle lateral direction.

17 . The unibody of claim 16 , wherein the patch weld interface is positioned in the outboard direction relative to the clamshell weld interface and between the forward pillar portion and the vehicle side outer panel in the vehicle lateral direction.

18 . The unibody of claim 16 , wherein the vehicle side outer panel and the door surround ring are spaced apart from one another in an interior volume, the vehicle side outer panel encapsulating at least a portion of the door surround ring in the vehicle lateral direction.

19 . The unibody of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the forward pillar portion overlaps at least a portion of the roof rail portion.

20 . The unibody of claim 19 , wherein the vehicle side outer panel is free from welds at positions within the interior volume.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Schnug Tyler E
• Sun Kuo
• Clauser Mark D
• Fan Yizhou
• Maynard Donald E
• O'Beirne Kevin J

Classifications

• B62D21/157 Primary

  for side impacts · CPC title

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D25/06

  Fixed roofs (non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08) · CPC title

• B23K31/02

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title

• B23K2101/18

  Sheet panels · CPC title