Side vehicle-body structure of automotive vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9637173-B2
Application number	US-201514735813-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2015
Priority date	Jul 24, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A ridgeline portion is provided at a pillar inner panel such that the ridgeline portion extends substantially vertically from a side sill (a roof side rail), and a load-transmission restraint portion is provided between the ridgeline portion and a welding portion of a pillar end portion where the pillar inner panel is welded to a pillar outer panel or a pillar reinforcement, and the side sill (the roof side rail), the load-transmission restraint portion being configured to have a longitudinal width which is wider than that of a central portion, in the vertical direction, of a center pillar and be substantially flat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle comprising a center pillar, an upper end of which is welded to a roof side rail and a lower end portion of which is welded to a side sill, the center pillar having a closed cross section extending in a vertical direction which is formed by a pillar inner panel and a pillar outer panel or a pillar reinforcement which are positioned on an outward side, in a vehicle width direction, of the pillar inner panel,
wherein said pillar inner panel comprises a front-side joint flange portion which is positioned at a front side of the pillar inner panel and welded to said pillar outer panel or said pillar reinforcement at a welding portion, a rear-side joint flange portion which is positioned at a rear side of the pillar inner panel and welded to said pillar outer panel or said pillar reinforcement at a welding portion, and an inner panel body which is positioned between said front-side and rear-side joint flange portions,
a ridgeline portion is provided at the pillar inner panel of said center pillar between at least one of said front-side and rear-side joint flange portions and said inner panel body such that the ridgeline portion extends substantially vertically from at least one of the roof side rail and the side sill, and
a pillar end portion of at least one of said front-side and rear-side joint flange portions where the pillar inner panel is welded to the pillar outer panel or the pillar reinforcement and the side sill or the roof side rail is configured such that a longitudinal width between said welding portion and said ridgeline portion is wider than that between said welding portion and said ridgeline portion of a central-side portion, in the vertical direction, of the center pillar.

2. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a hole portion for deformation transmission restraint is provided at said pillar end portion between said ridgeline portion and said welding portion.

3. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein an upper portion of said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the side sill is configured such that a section located on the side of said ridgeline portion in a vehicle longitudinal direction has a smaller curvature-radius than a section located on the side of said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

4. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein a lower portion of said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the roof side rail is configured such that a section located on the side of said ridgeline portion in a vehicle longitudinal direction has a smaller curvature-radius than a section located on the side of said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

5. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein an upper portion of said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the side sill is configured such that a section located on the side of said ridgeline portion in a vehicle longitudinal direction has a smaller curvature-radius than a section located on the side of said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a lower portion of said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the roof side rail is configured such that a section located on the side of said ridgeline portion in a vehicle longitudinal direction has a smaller curvature-radius than a section located on the side of said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

6. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the side sill is configured such that an upper portion thereof is located above said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vertical direction.

7. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the roof side rail is configured such that a lower portion thereof is located below said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vertical direction.

8. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the side sill is configured such that an upper portion thereof is located above said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vertical direction, and said hole portion which is provided between the ridgeline portion and the welding portion of the pillar end portion on the side of the roof side rail is configured such that a lower portion thereof is located below said welding portion of the pillar end portion in the vertical direction.

9. The side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle of claim 2 , wherein said hole portion is formed at the pillar inner panel and covered with another panel.

Assignees

• Mazda Motor

Inventors

• Nishimura Yoshikazu
• Kouno Katsuhito

Classifications

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B62D27/02

  rigid · CPC title

• B62D25/02

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

• B62D27/023

  Assembly of structural joints · CPC title

• B62D21/157 Primary

  for side impacts · CPC title