Vehicle pillar reinforcement construction for side impact

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630652-B2
Application number	US-201514638616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2015
Priority date	Mar 4, 2015
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A side structure for a vehicle is provided and includes a sill and a header spaced apart from the sill. A pillar outer body extends between the sill and the header and defines an inner channel open toward an interior of the vehicle. An inner cover is attached to the pillar outer body and extends between the sill and the header. The inner cover has a lower cover portion disposed proximate to the sill and formed of a first material having a first ductility and an upper cover portion disposed proximate to the header and formed of a second material having a second ductility less than the first ductility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A side structure for a vehicle, the side structure comprising:
a sill;
a header spaced apart from said sill;
a pillar outer body extending between said sill and said header and defining an inner channel open toward an interior of the vehicle, said pillar outer body having a lower body portion formed of a first material and an upper body portion formed of a second material, said lower body portion disposed between said upper body portion and said sill;
an inner cover attached to said pillar outer body and extending between said sill and said header, said inner cover having a lower cover portion disposed proximate to said sill and formed of said first material having a first ductility and an upper cover portion disposed proximate to said header and formed of said second material having a second ductility less than said first ductility; and
a reinforcement member disposed within said inner channel and welded to said pillar outer body proximate to a junction of said pillar outer body and said sill, said reinforcement member overlapping with said lower body portion and a first length of said upper body portion that is less than an entire length of said upper body portion, said entire length being from said lower body portion to said header.

2. The side structure of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is formed of said first material.

3. The side structure of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member is formed of said second material.

4. The side structure of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member has a generally U-shaped cross-section open toward said interior of the vehicle.

5. The side structure of claim 1 , wherein said reinforcement member widens in a direction toward said sill.

6. The side structure of claim 1 , wherein said first ductility corresponds to a steel of grade PQS370Y550T, and said second ductility corresponds to a steel of grade PHS950Y1300T.

7. The side structure of claim 1 , wherein said upper cover portion overlaps with said upper body portion and a length of said lower body portion.

8. A side structure for a vehicle, the side structure comprising:
a sill;
a header spaced apart from said sill;
a pillar outer body extending between said sill and said header and defining an inner channel open toward an interior of the vehicle, said pillar outer body having a lower body portion formed of a first material and an upper body portion formed of a second material, said lower body portion disposed between said upper body portion and said sill; and
an inner cover attached to said pillar outer body and extending between said sill and said header, said inner cover having a lower cover portion disposed proximate to said sill and formed of said first material having a first ductility and an upper cover portion disposed proximate to said header and formed of said second material having a second ductility less than said first ductility;
wherein said upper body portion includes a lower segment proximate to said lower body portion and an upper segment proximate to said header that cooperate to define said inner channel, said lower segment and said upper segment each being formed of a different gauge of the second material.

9. The side structure of claim 8 , further comprising a reinforcement member disposed within said inner channel and welded to said pillar outer body proximate to a junction of said pillar outer body and said sill, wherein said reinforcement member is between said pillar outer body and said inner cover and overlaps with said lower segment and not with said upper segment.

10. The side structure of claim 8 , further comprising a reinforcement member disposed within said inner channel and welded to said pillar outer body proximate to a junction of said pillar outer body and said sill, wherein said reinforcement member is formed of one of said first material or said second material.

11. A side structure for a vehicle comprising:
a sill;
a header spaced apart from said sill;
a pillar extending between said header and said sill and defining an inner channel having a lower portion disposed proximate to said sill and an upper portion disposed proximate to said header, said lower portion being formed from a first material having a first ductility;
a reinforcement member formed from a second material having a second ductility less than said first ductility, said reinforcement member being received within said lower portion of said inner channel and attached to said pillar proximate to a junction of said pillar and said sill; and
an insert received in said inner channel and including a first portion disposed proximate to said sill and overlapping with said reinforcement member such that said reinforcement member is between said lower portion and said first portion, and a second portion disposed proximate to said header and defining a plurality of ribs.

12. The side structure of claim 11 , wherein said inner channel has a generally U-shaped cross-section open toward an interior of said vehicle.

13. The side structure of claim 12 , wherein said inner channel extends substantially the entire length of said pillar.

14. The side structure of claim 12 , wherein said reinforcement member includes a body having a base end disposed proximate to said sill and a top end disposed proximate to said header, said body having a generally U-shaped cross-section open toward said interior of said vehicle and widening from said top end to said base end.

15. The side structure of claim 11 , wherein said first ductility corresponds to a steel of grade PQS370Y550T, and said second ductility corresponds to a steel of grade PHS950Y1300T.

16. The side structure of claim 11 , wherein said upper portion is formed from a third material having a third ductility that is less than said first ductility.

17. The side structure of claim 16 , wherein said reinforcement member extends between and overlaps said upper portion and said lower portion.

18. The side structure of claim 11 , further comprising an inner cover attached to and extending along a length of said pillar, said inner cover opposing said inner channel to provide the side structure with a closed cross-section at said inner cover, said reinforcement member being disposed between said inner cover and said inner channel.

19. The side structure of claim 11 , wherein said insert is a thermoplastic material.

20. The side structure of claim 11 , wherein said reinforcement member does not overlap with said second portion of said insert.

Assignees

• Balur Santosh
• Hulway Andrew S
• Bailey Gary J
• Raman Radhakrishnan
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Balur Santosh
• Hulway Andrew S
• Bailey Gary J
• Raman Radhakrishnan

Classifications

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title

• B62D25/025

  Side sills thereof · CPC title

• B62D25/04 Primary

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D25/02

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

• B62D29/00

  Superstructures, {understructures, or sub-units thereof,} characterised by the material thereof {(B62D33/044, B62D33/048 take precedence)} · CPC title