Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016244101-A1
Application number	US-201615044650-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 24, 2015
Publication date	Aug 25, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle body structure, with at least one hollow profile beam ( 1 ) that extends in the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension and with a hollow profile ( 7 ) whose height (Δz 1 ; Δz 2 ) between two opposite profile walls ( 17 ) varies along the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension, and in this hollow profile ( 7 ) at least one dividing element ( 23 ) is arranged in order to reinforce the hollow profile beam ( 1 ) in a crosswise direction (y). According to the invention, the dividing element ( 23 ) consists of two separate sheet metal parts ( 33, 35 ) which are each firmly attached to the opposite profile walls ( 17 ) and which are firmly joined together at a shared connection point (A)

First claim

1 . A vehicle body structure, comprising:
at least one hollow profile beam ( 1 ) that extends in the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension and a hollow profile ( 7 ) whose height (Δz 1 ; Δz 2 ) between two opposite profile walls ( 17 ) varies along the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension, wherein in this hollow profile ( 7 ) at least one dividing element ( 23 ) is arranged in order to reinforce the hollow profile beam ( 1 ) in a crosswise direction (y), wherein the dividing element ( 23 ) consists of two separate sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) which are each firmly attached to the opposite profile walls ( 17 ) and which are firmly joined together at a shared connection point (A).

2 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 ,
wherein the two sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) have contact surfaces at the connection point (A) and these contact surfaces overlap each other by a given overlapping amount (Δm) and are firmly joined together, and wherein, during the assembly of the dividing element ( 23 ), the excess (Δm) can be adjusted as a function of the profile height (Δz 1 ; Δz 2 ) that varies in the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension.

3 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 ,
wherein a plurality of identical dividing elements ( 23 ) are installed in the hollow profile beam ( 1 ), whereby these elements are at a distance from each other in the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension and, wherein, in order to match the profile height (Δz) that varies in the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension, the sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) of the dividing elements ( 23 ) are joined together with different overlapping amounts (Δm) at the appertaining shared connection points (A).

4 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow profile beam ( 1 ) is a door sill that extends in the lengthwise direction (x) of the vehicle and that delimits the bottom of a front door opening ( 3 ) as well as of a rear door opening ( 5 ), and its profile height (Δz) is reduced in the area of the rear door opening ( 5 ) while, at the same time, the door-entry area is enlarged.

5 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein the hollow profile ( 7 ) is delimited by the profile walls ( 17 ) that are opposite from each other in the vertical direction (z) of the profile as well as by the profile walls ( 15 ) that are opposite from each other in the crosswise direction (y) and/or in that the dividing element ( 23 ) has a crosswise wall ( 25 ) which covers the hollow profile ( 7 ) and which has edge flanges ( 27 to 30 ) that are bent upwards from it.

6 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 5 , wherein the two sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) of the dividing element ( 23 ) have edge flanges ( 29 , 30 ) that are opposite from each other in the crosswise direction (y) and that are preferably angled away from the crosswise wall ( 25 ) of the dividing element in the opposite direction from the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension.

7 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 5 , wherein the two sheet metal parts of the dividing element ( 23 ) each have edge flanges ( 27 , 28 ) that are opposite from each other in the vertical direction (z) of the profile and that are preferably angled away from the crosswise wall ( 25 ) of the dividing element in the same direction as the direction (x) of the lengthwise extension.

8 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 , wherein the contact surfaces of the two sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) form a double-walled structure ( 42 ), and/or in that the contact surfaces are formed on the wall sections ( 37 , 39 ) of the sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) that form the crosswise wall ( 25 ) of the dividing element as well as on the edge flanges ( 29 , 30 ) of the two sheet metal parts ( 33 , 35 ) that are opposite from each other in the crosswise direction (y).

9 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 8 ,
wherein the edge flanges ( 29 , 30 ) that are opposite from each other in the crosswise direction (y) as well as the sheet-metal wall sections ( 37 , 39 ) that are in contact with each other form a double-walled structure ( 42 ), and wherein the edge flanges ( 29 , 30 ) are joined so as to form a three-layered structure together with the profile walls ( 15 ) of the hollow profile beam ( 1 ).

10 . The vehicle body structure according to claim 4 ,
wherein the hollow profile beam configured as a door sill ( 1 ) consists of two sheet metal shell parts ( 9 , 11 ) that are firmly joined together at angled edge flanges ( 13 ) so as to form the closed hollow profile ( 7 ), and wherein the cross section of the sheet metal shell part ( 9 ) on the inside of the vehicle is U-shaped with a profile base ( 15 ) as well as with side flanges that are bent upwards from it, and wherein the two side flanges form the profile walls ( 17 ) that are opposite from each other in the vertical direction (z) of the profile, and the profile base forms one of the profile walls ( 15 ) that are opposite from each other in the crosswise direction (y).

Assignees

• Volkswagen Ag

Inventors

• Blum Oliver

Classifications

• B62D25/025 Primary

  Side sills thereof · CPC title