Automobile pillar structure

• US 10,150,512 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Toyota, Masaru
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Melissa A
• Application Number:
  US15/183,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20160368537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/004 Mounting of windows
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 29/043 Superstructures B62D25/161 takes precedence

Abstract

An automobile pillar structure is provided that includes a transparent portion that configures a skeleton of a pillar of a vehicle, the transparent portion being made of transparent resin, and being disposed such that a lengthwise direction thereof coincides with a vehicle vertical direction; and a glass holding portion that is disposed at least at a vehicle width direction outer side of the transparent portion, and that holds a glass, the glass holding portion being configured such that width dimension along a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the transparent portion is set equal to or less than an interpupillary distance of a driver.

Claims

1. An automobile pillar structure comprising:

a transparent portion that configures a skeleton of a pillar of a vehicle, the transparent portion being made of transparent resin, and being disposed such that a lengthwise direction thereof coincides with a vehicle vertical direction; and

a glass holding portion that is disposed at least at a vehicle width direction outer side of the transparent portion, and that holds a glass, the glass holding portion being configured such that width dimension along a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the transparent portion is set equal to or less than about 65 mm,

wherein a width dimension of the transparent portion is set equal to or greater than about 60 mm.

2. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein the glass holding portion comprises:

a first glass holding portion that is disposed at a vehicle width direction inner side of the transparent portion and holds one vehicle width direction end portion of a first glass disposed at a cabin front portion or a cabin rear portion, and

a second glass holding portion that is disposed at the vehicle width direction outer side of the transparent portion and holds one vehicle front-rear direction end portion of a second glass disposed at a cabin side portion, and

a width dimension, along a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the transparent portion, of at least one of the first glass holding portion or the second glass holding portion is set equal to or less than the interpupillary distance of the driver.

3. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein the glass holding portion comprises:

a third glass holding portion that is disposed at the vehicle width direction outer side of the transparent portion and holds one vehicle width direction end portion of a first glass disposed at a cabin front portion or a cabin rear portion, and

a fourth glass holding portion that is disposed at the vehicle width direction outer side of the transparent portion, that is placed adjacent to the third glass holding portion in a vehicle front-rear direction, and that holds one vehicle front-rear direction end portion of a second glass disposed at a cabin side portion, and

a width dimension, along a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the transparent portion, of the fourth glass holding portion is set equal to or less than the interpupillary distance of the driver.

4. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein the transparent portion comprises an opaque portion that is opaquely colored and hides the glass holding portion from the driver.

5. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein a front portion of the transparent portion includes a cutout portion disposed on the vehicle direction outer side of the transparent portion, the cutout portion is disposed along an entire lengthwise direction of the transparent portion, and the glass holding portion is configured as a result of the cutout portion being formed.

6. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 5, wherein the cutout portion presents a substantially L-shape in a plan sectional view.

7. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein the glass holding portion comprises:

a first glass holding portion that holds one vehicle width direction end portion of a first glass disposed at a cabin front portion or a cabin rear portion, and

a second glass holding portion that holds one vehicle front-rear direction end portion of a second glass disposed at a cabin side portion, and

wherein a width dimension, along a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the transparent portion, of at least one of the first glass holding portion or the second glass holding portion is set equal to or less than about 65 mm.

8. The automobile pillar structure according to claim 4, wherein a total width dimension of the width dimensions of the glass holding portion and the opaque portion along a direction intersecting the lengthwise direction of the transparent portion is set equal to or less than about 65 mm.