Joint structure for vehicle body member, and vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9399491-B2
Application number	US-201414513798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2014
Priority date	Oct 16, 2013
Publication date	Jul 26, 2016
Grant date	Jul 26, 2016

Abstract

A joint structure for a vehicle body member, the vehicle body member including at least two panel members, the at least two panel members constituting part of a vehicle body and being formed of a steel plate, the joint structure includes: spot-welds formed by spot-welding the at least two panel members to each other at a predetermined spot interval such that a predetermined clearance is formed between the at least two panel members; a laser-weld formed by laser-welding the at least two panel members to each other between the spot-welds; and an electrodeposition coating film portion that covers a surface of each of the at least two panel members, at least part of the electrodeposition coating film portion filling the clearance.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A joint structure for a vehicle body member, the vehicle body member including at least two panel members, the at least two panel members constituting part of a vehicle body and being formed of a steel plate, the joint structure comprising:
spot-welds formed by spot-welding the at least two panel members to each other at a predetermined spot interval such that a predetermined clearance is formed between the at least two panel members;
a plurality of laser-welds formed by laser-welding the at least two panel members to each other between the spot-welds such that each of the plurality of laser-welds and the spot-welds are not in direct contact with each other; and
an electrodeposition coating film portion that covers a surface of each of the at least two panel members, at least part of the electrodeposition coating film portion filling the clearance,
wherein the laser-welds and the spot-welds are arranged along the same straight line, the straight line intersecting a center of both the laser-welds and the spot-welds.

2. A vehicle body structure comprising:
the joint structure according to claim 1 , the joint structure being applied to a vehicle body member of an upper body that constitutes a vehicle body upper part.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 2 , wherein
the vehicle body member of the upper body is a corner of a door opening in the upper body.

4. A joint structure for a vehicle body member, the vehicle body member including at least two panel members, the at least two panel members constituting part of a vehicle body and being formed of a steel plate, the joint structure comprising:
spot-welds formed by spot-welding the at least two panel members to each other in a state where a predetermined clearance is formed between the at least two panel members;
a plurality of laser-welds formed by laser-welding the at least two panel members to each other between the spot-welds such that each of the plurality of laser-welds and the spot-welds are not in direct contact with each other; and
an electrodeposition coating film portion that covers a surface of each of the at least two panel members, at least part of the electrodeposition coating film portion filling the clearance,
wherein the laser-welds and the spot-welds are arranged along the same straight line, the straight line intersecting a center of both the laser-welds and the spot-welds.

5. The joint structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the predetermined clearance is provided by a protrusion formed in the at least two panel members.

6. The joint structure according to claim 4 , wherein
the predetermined clearance is provided by a shim jig that is inserted between the at least two panel members and that is removed after spot welding.

7. A vehicle body structure comprising:
the joint structure according to claim 6 , the joint structure being applied to a vehicle body member of an upper body that constitutes a vehicle body upper part.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the vehicle body structure is applied to a corner of a door opening in the upper body.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Watanabe Akiyoshi
• Koreishi Norimasa

Classifications

• B23K26/32

  taking account of the properties of the material involved · CPC title

• B23K26/22

  Spot welding · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B23K26/244

  Overlap seam welding · CPC title

• B23K26/211

  with interposition of special material to facilitate connection of the parts · CPC title