Vehicles having upper side member reinforcement portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159407-A1
Application number	US-201414559065-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Vehicle structures for dissipating energy associated with an impact are described herein. In one embodiment, a vehicle includes an A-pillar support having a first engagement surface that is oriented forward in a vehicle longitudinal direction. The first engagement surface extends across at least a portion of the A-pillar support in a vehicle lateral direction. The vehicle also includes an upper side member assembly that is coupled to and extends forward from the A-pillar support. The upper side member assembly includes an upper side member outer portion and an upper side member inner portion that is coupled to the upper side member outer portion and is positioned inboard of the upper side member outer portion in the vehicle lateral direction. The upper side member assembly also includes a second engagement surface that is oriented to face rearward and to face the first engagement surface of the A-pillar support.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle comprising:
an A-pillar support comprising a first engagement surface that is oriented forward in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the first engagement surface extending across at least a portion of the A-pillar support in a vehicle lateral direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction; and an upper side member assembly coupled to and extending forward from the A-pillar support, the upper side member assembly comprising:
an upper side member outer portion;
an upper side member inner portion coupled to the upper side member outer portion and positioned inboard of the upper side member outer portion in the vehicle lateral direction; and
an upper side member reinforcement portion positioned between the upper side member outer portion and the upper side member inner portion and coupled to at least one of the upper side member outer portion or the upper side member inner portion, the upper side member reinforcement portion comprising a second engagement surface that is oriented to face rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction and to face the first engagement surface of the A-pillar support.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising an A-pillar support attachment flange that is coupled to the upper side member assembly and to the A-pillar support, the A-pillar support attachment flange extending in a direction that is transverse to the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the upper side member assembly further comprises a rearward flange that extends rearward from an outboard end of the second engagement surface and that is coupled to the A-pillar support and to the A-pillar support attachment flange, the rearward flange extending in a direction that is transverse to the first engagement surface and the second engagement surface.

4 . The vehicle of claim 3 , wherein the rearward flange is sandwiched between the A-pillar support attachment flange and the A-pillar support in the vehicle lateral direction.

5 . The vehicle of claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of mechanical fasteners that couple the upper side member assembly to the A-pillar support through the A-pillar support attachment flange, wherein each of the plurality of mechanical fasteners comprise a centerline axis, and the centerline axes of the plurality of mechanical fasteners are oriented transverse to the A-pillar support attachment flange.

6 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the upper side member assembly is coupled to the A-pillar support through a welded attachment between the A-pillar support and the A-pillar support attachment flange.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the upper side member reinforcement portion further comprises an inboard wall that is positioned inboard of the upper side member outer portion in the vehicle lateral direction.

9 . The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the upper side member reinforcement portion further comprises an upper wall that extends between the inboard wall and the upper side member outer portion and a lower wall that extends between the inboard wall and the upper side member outer portion.

10 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the upper side member reinforcement portion has a height that is evaluated between the upper wall and the lower wall that is greater at a rearward position of the upper side member reinforcement portion than the height of the upper side member reinforcement portion at a forward position of the upper side member reinforcement portion that is positioned forward of the rearward position in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

11 . The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the upper side member assembly further comprises a bulkhead portion that is coupled to and positioned between the upper side member reinforcement portion and the upper side member outer portion.

12 . The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the bulkhead portion extends transverse to the upper wall, the lower wall, and the inboard wall of the upper side member reinforcement portion and the bulkhead portion is coupled to the upper wall, the lower wall, and the inboard wall of the upper side member reinforcement portion.

13 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the second engagement surface of the upper side member assembly extends from a position proximate to an outboard end of the A-pillar support and terminates at a position spaced apart from an inboard end of the A-pillar support.

14 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the upper side member inner portion comprises an upper wall, a lower wall that is positioned below the upper wall in a vehicle vertical direction, and an inboard wall that extends between the upper wall and the lower wall, and the vehicle further comprises a bulkhead portion that is coupled to and positioned between the upper wall and the lower wall.

15 . A vehicle comprising:
an A-pillar support extending upward in a vehicle vertical direction, the A-pillar support comprising:
a first engagement surface that is oriented forward in a vehicle longitudinal direction, the first engagement surface extending across at least a portion of the A-pillar support in a vehicle lateral direction that is transverse to the vehicle longitudinal direction;
an inboard end;
an outboard end that is positioned outboard of the inboard end in the vehicle lateral direction; and
an A-pillar support centerline that bisects the A-pillar support between the inboard end and the outboard end; and
an upper side member assembly coupled to and extending forward from the A-pillar support in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the upper side member assembly comprising:
an upper side member outer portion;
an upper side member inner portion coupled to and positioned inboard of the upper side member outer portion in the vehicle lateral direction; and
a second engagement surface that is oriented to face rearward in the vehicle longitudinal direction and to face the first engagement surface of the A-pillar support, and wherein the second engagement surface extends at least between the outboard end and the A-pillar support centerline in the vehicle lateral direction, wherein the second engagement surface extends from a position proximate to the outboard end of the A-pillar support and terminates at a position spaced apart from the inboard end of the A-pillar support.

16 . The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the upper side member assembly further comprises an upper side member reinforcement portion positioned between the upper side member outer portion and the upper side member inner portion and coupled to at least one of the upper side member outer portion or the upper side member inner portion, wherein the upper side member reinforcement portion comprises the second engagement surface.

17 . The vehicle of claim 16 , wherein the upper side member reinforcement portion further comprises an inboard wall that is positioned inboard of the upper side member outer portion in the vehicle lateral direction.

18 . The vehicle of claim 17 , wherein the upper side member reinforcement portion further comprises an upper wall that extends between the inboard wall and the upper side member outer portion and a lower wall that extends between the inboard wall and the upper side member outer portion.

19 . The vehicle of claim 18 , wherein the upper side member assembly further comprises a bulkhead portion that is coupled to and positioned between the upper side member reinforcement portion and the upper side member outer portion

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Holmstrom Adam D
• Briceno Carlos M

Classifications

• B62D27/023 Primary

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title

• B62D25/082

  Engine compartments · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title