Vehicle front structure and assembly method of vehicle front structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016159408-A1
Application number	US-201514962308-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2014
Publication date	Jun 9, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The front pillar includes a pillar outer panel and a pillar inner panel. The pillar outer panel is disposed on an outside in a vehicle width direction. The pillar inner panel is disposed on an inside in the vehicle width direction. The pillar outer panel and the pillar inner panel form a closed cross-section. A cowl extends in the vehicle width direction and includes a cowl-side bent portion. The cowl-side bent portion is an end of the cowl on the outside in the vehicle width direction that is bent toward a rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction, and laid and welded on the outside in the vehicle width direction of a front end of the pillar inner panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A vehicle front structure comprising:
a front pillar extending on a vehicle side part, in a vehicle upper-lower direction, the front pillar including a pillar outer panel and a pillar inner panel, the pillar outer panel being disposed on an outside in a vehicle width direction, the pillar inner panel being disposed on an inside in the vehicle width direction, the pillar outer panel and the pillar inner panel forming a closed cross-section; and a cowl extending in the vehicle width direction, the cowl including a cowl-side bent portion, the cowl-side bent portion being an end of the cowl on the outside in the vehicle width direction that is bent toward a rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction, the cowl-side bent portion being laid and welded on the outside in the vehicle width direction of a front end of the pillar inner panel.

2 . The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein the pillar inner panel includes an inner-side bent portion, the inner-side bent portion being an end of the cowl on a front side in the vehicle front-rear direction that is bent toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, the inner-side bent portion being laid and welded on the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the cowl.

3 . The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the pillar inner panel includes a rear-side inner panel and a front-side inner panel, the rear-side inner panel constituting the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction, the front-side inner panel constituting the front-side in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a rear end of the inner panel is laid and welded on the outside in the vehicle width direction of a front end of the rear-side inner panel, and the cowl-side bent portion is held between the front end of the rear-side inner panel and the rear end of the front-side inner panel.

4 . The vehicle front structure according to claim 1 , further comprising a gusset that is welded on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the pillar inner panel and on the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the cowl.

5 . An assembly method of a vehicle front structure, the vehicle front structure including a front pillar, a cowl, and a gusset, the front pillar extending on a vehicle side part, in a vehicle upper-lower direction, the front pillar including a pillar outer panel and a pillar inner panel, the pillar outer panel being disposed on an outside in a vehicle width direction, the pillar inner panel being disposed on an inside in the vehicle width direction, the pillar outer panel and the pillar inner panel forming a closed cross-section, the cowl extending in the vehicle width direction, the cowl including a cowl-side bent portion, the cowl-side bent portion being an end of the cowl on the outside in the vehicle width direction that is bent toward a rear side in a vehicle front-rear direction, the cowl-side bent portion being laid and welded on the outside in the vehicle width direction of a front end of the pillar inner panel, the gusset being welded on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the pillar inner panel and on the rear side in the vehicle front-rear direction of the cowl, the assembly method comprising:
welding the pillar inner panel and the cowl with each other; welding the gusset onto the welded pillar inner panel and cowl; and welding the pillar outer panel onto the pillar inner panel on which the gusset has been welded.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Teramoto Daisuke
• Yoshioka Hideyuki

Classifications

• B23K31/02 Primary

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D25/081

  Cowls (ventilating openings situated directly in front of the vehicle front window B60H1/28) · CPC title

• B62D27/023 Primary

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title

• B62D25/02

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