Side vehicle-body structure of automotive vehicle

• US 10,035,543 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Kenichi, Kawasaki, Keizo, Sugimura, Yuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow, Jason S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, E Turner
• Application Number:
  US15/234,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20170080979A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 2961469, 29618712, 29619305, 296202, 296 30
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0444 characterised by a special cross section
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/157 for side impacts
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/02 Side panels B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/2036 the subunits being side panels, sills or pillars B62D21/157 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided an automotive vehicle which comprises a side door, impact bars provided at the side door, a side inner panel, a first reinforcing member provided to extend along a rear side of a peripheral portion of an entrance portion and joined to an outside of the side inner panel so as to form a first closed cross section together with the side inner panel, and second reinforcing members joined to an outside of the first reinforcing member so as to form second closed cross sections together with the first reinforcing member, the second reinforcing members being configured to overlap with the impact bars, in a side view, when the side door closes the entrance portion.

Claims

1. A side vehicle-body structure of an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a side door provided to open and close an entrance portion formed at a vehicle-body side face portion;

an impact bar provided at the side door to extend in a vehicle longitudinal direction;

a side inner panel forming the vehicle-body side face portion including a rear side of a peripheral portion of the entrance portion;

a first reinforcing member provided to extend along the rear side of the peripheral portion of the entrance portion and joined to an outside of the side inner panel so as to form a first closed cross section together with the side inner panel; and

a second reinforcing member joined to an outside of the first reinforcing member so as to form a second closed cross section together with the first reinforcing member,

wherein said second closed cross section formed between the first reinforcing member and the second reinforcing member is provided to be piled, in a vehicle width direction, on said first closed cross section formed between the side inner panel and the first reinforcing member such that the second closed cross section is positioned on an outward side, in the vehicle width direction of the first closed cross section, and

said first and second reinforcing members are both provided to overlap with a rear end of said impact bar both in the vehicle longitudinal direction and in a vehicle vertical direction when the side door closes the entrance portion such that an impact load inputted from a vehicle-body side is transmitted to both the first and second reinforcing members via the impact bar and causes the first and second closed cross sections of the first and second reinforcing members to be crushed in the vehicle width direction.

2. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein yield strength of said second reinforcing member against the impact load inputted from the vehicle-body side is higher than that of said first reinforcing member.

3. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein a load transmitting member connected to a vehicle-body structural member is joined to an outside of said side inner panel;

and one end, in a longitudinal direction, of said first reinforcing member is joined to said load transmitting member.

4. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 2, wherein a load transmitting member connected to a vehicle-body structural member is joined to an outside of said side inner panel, and one end, in a longitudinal direction, of said first reinforcing member is joined to said load transmitting member.

5. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein said second reinforcing member has a front face portion which faces forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a bead extending in a vehicle width direction is provided at said front face portion of the second reinforcing member.

6. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 2, wherein said second reinforcing member has a front face portion which faces forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a bead extending in a vehicle width direction is provided at said front face portion of the second reinforcing member.

7. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 3, wherein said second reinforcing member has a front face portion which faces forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a bead extending in a vehicle width direction is provided at said front face portion of the second reinforcing member.

8. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 4, wherein said second reinforcing member has a front face portion which faces forward in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a bead extending in a vehicle width direction is provided at said front face portion of the second reinforcing member.

9. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 8, wherein at said front face portion of the second reinforcing member are provided a joint portion which is joined to a specified portion of said first reinforcing member so as to overlap with the specified portion and a projection portion which is configured to be continuous to said joint portion on an outward side, in the vehicle width direction, of the joint portion and project outward, in the vehicle width direction, from said specified portion of the first reinforcing member, and said bead is provided so as to extend over said joint portion and said projection portion.

10. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein said second reinforcing member has a side face portion which faces said impact bar, and a bead extending in a longitudinal direction of said first reinforcing member is provided at said side face portion of the second reinforcing member.

11. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 2, wherein said second reinforcing member has a side face portion which faces said impact bar, and a bead extending in a longitudinal direction of said first reinforcing member is provided at said side face portion of the second reinforcing member.

12. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 3, wherein said second reinforcing member has a side face portion which faces said impact bar, and a bead extending in a longitudinal direction of said first reinforcing member is provided at said side face portion of the second reinforcing member.

13. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 5, wherein said second reinforcing member has a side face portion which faces said impact bar, and a bead extending in a longitudinal direction of said first reinforcing member is provided at said side face portion of the second reinforcing member.

14. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 9, wherein said second reinforcing member has a side face portion which faces said impact bar, and a bead extending in a longitudinal direction of said first reinforcing member is provided at said side face portion of the second reinforcing member.

15. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein said second reinforcing member comprises plural members which are provided to be spaced apart from each other in the vehicle vertical direction.

16. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 1, wherein said first reinforcing member is provided to extend in the vehicle longitudinal direction between said entrance portion and a wheel house.

17. The side vehicle-body structure of the automotive vehicle of claim 3, wherein said vehicle-body structural member where said load transmitting member is connected is a roof side rail which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction at an upper end portion of the vehicle, and the other end, in the longitudinal direction, of said first reinforcing member is joined to a side sill which extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction at a lower end portion of the vehicle.