Vehicle body front portion structure, and vehicle body assembly method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016194033-A1
Application number	US-201414916198-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 4, 2014
Priority date	Sep 4, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle body front portion structure that enables an increase in vehicle body rigidity and strength while suppressing an increase in weight and a decrease in layout freedom, and a vehicle body assembly method. A vehicle body front portion structure ( 1 ) is provided with: a first weld portion ( 11 ) where a shield lower flange ( 4 a ) of a windshield lower ( 4 ) is abutted on a closed cross section of a front pillar ( 2 ), and where the shield lower flange ( 4 a ), an inner front flange ( 21 a ), and a rear end portion ( 5 a ) are spot-welded; and a second weld portion ( 12 ) where a general portion ( 5 b ) of a side member ( 5 ), a stiffener front flange ( 22 a ), and an outer front flange ( 3 a ) are spot-welded at a position forwardly of the first weld portion ( 11 ).

First claim

1 . A vehicle body front portion structure comprising:
a front pillar which is provided in a pair on left and right sides to extend in a vertical direction in a vehicle body front portion, and has a front pillar inner on a vehicle width inner side and a front pillar stiffener joined to a vehicle outer surface of the front pillar inner; an outer panel joined to a vehicle outer surface of the front pillar; a windshield lower extending in a vehicle width direction between the front pillars; and a side member extending forwardly from the front pillar to form a part of a closed cross section of the front pillar, wherein the windshield lower comprises a shield lower flange at a vehicle width outer end portion thereof, wherein the front pillar inner comprises an inner front flange formed at a front end thereof, wherein the side member comprises a rear end portion which is spot-welded with the shield lower flange and the inner front flange to form a first weld portion, and a general portion extending forwardly from the rear end portion, wherein the front pillar stiffener comprises a stiffener front flange in front of the first weld portion, wherein the outer panel comprises an outer front flange in front of the first weld portion, and wherein the vehicle body front portion structure comprises a second weld portion where the general portion of the side member, the stiffener front flange and the outer front flange are spot-welded at a position in front of the first weld portion.

2 . The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the side member is divided laterally into a side member upper and a side member lower, and wherein the shield lower flange is joined to the side member to straddle a divided portion in which the side member upper and the side member lower are overlapped with each other, and has a flange cutout portion over the divided portion.

3 . The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 2 , wherein a sealing member is provided in the divided portion behind the second weld portion.

4 . The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the front pillar stiffener has a stiffener side wall facing in the vehicle width direction, a stiffener front wall extending inwardly in the vehicle width direction from a front end of the stiffener side wall, and the stiffener front flange extending forwardly from the stiffener front wall, wherein the outer panel has an outer side wall facing in the vehicle width direction, an outer front wall extending inwardly in the vehicle width direction from a front end of the outer side wall, the outer front flange extending forwardly from the outer front wall, and an outer cutout portion for exposing the stiffener side wall by cutting out a portion of the outer front wall and the outer side wall, and wherein the vehicle body front portion structure comprises an upper member, which is joined to an exposed portion of the stiffener side wall exposed by the outer cutout portion at a rear end thereof, and extends forwardly along the side member.

5 . The vehicle body front portion structure according to claim 4 , comprising a dashboard panel extending in the vehicle width direction between the front pillars below the windshield lower,
wherein the dashboard panel comprises a dash flange at a vehicle width outer end portion thereof, and wherein in an area lower than the outer cutout portion, the vehicle body front portion structure comprises a third weld portion where the stiffener front wall and the outer front wall are spot-welded, and a fourth weld portion where the dash flange, the inner front flange and the stiffener front flange are spot-welded.

6 . A vehicle body assembly method, in a vehicle body front portion structure comprising:
a front pillar which is provided in a pair on left and right sides to extend in a vertical direction in a vehicle body front portion, and has a front pillar inner on a vehicle width inner side and a front pillar stiffener joined to a vehicle outer surface of the front pillar inner; an outer panel joined to a vehicle outer surface of the front pillar; a windshield lower extending in a vehicle width direction between the front pillars; and a side member extending forwardly from the front pillar to form a part of a closed cross section of the front pillar, wherein the windshield lower comprises a shield lower flange at a vehicle width outer end portion thereof, wherein the front pillar inner comprises an inner front flange formed at a front end thereof, and wherein the vehicle body front portion structure is assembled by a first welding step and a second welding step,
the first welding step in which a first weld portion is formed by spot welding the shield lower flange, the inner front flange, and a rear end portion of the side member,
wherein the front pillar stiffener comprises a stiffener front flange in front of the first weld portion, and the outer panel comprises an outer front flange in front of the first weld portion, and

the second welding step in which a second weld portion is formed by spot welding a general portion of the side member, the stiffener front flange and the outer front flange, at a position in front of the first weld portion.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kondo Yuichi

Classifications

• B62D65/00

  Designing, manufacturing, e.g. assembling, facilitating disassembly, or structurally modifying motor vehicles or trailers, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B62D25/081 Primary

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

• B23K31/02

  relating to soldering or welding · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title