Vehicle pillar structure

• US 10,703,316 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Issued: 07/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Ken, Kawamoto, Masashi, Ito, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Romain, Pinel E
• Application Number:
  US16/176,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20190152419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 29618705
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/025 Pillars; Roof rails
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0435 associated with the side or roof pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/04 Padded linings for the vehicle interior ; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars

Abstract

There is provided a vehicle pillar structure including: a pillar-shaped component that forms a pillar; a pillar garnish that is disposed on a vehicle cabin side of the pillar-shaped component; and a supporting component that is provided between the pillar-shaped component and the pillar garnish and is capable of undergoing elastic deformation, and that supports one or a plurality of mounted components that have been mounted along the pillar-shaped component.

Claims

1. A vehicle pillar structure comprising:

a pillar-shaped component that forms a pillar;

a pillar garnish that is disposed on a vehicle cabin side of the pillar-shaped component; and

a supporting component that is provided between the pillar-shaped component and the pillar garnish and is capable of undergoing elastic deformation, and that supports one or a plurality of mounted components that have been mounted along the pillar-shaped component.

2. The vehicle pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein:

the pillar garnish is formed substantially in a U shape whose cross-section has an opening on a pillar-shaped component side thereof, the pillar garnish including;

protruding portions that are formed protruding from a rear surface of the pillar garnish, and

projecting portions that are formed on the protruding portions so as to protrude in a direction that intersects a direction faced by the openings; and

the supporting component has a holding portion that holds the protruding portions and the projecting portions.

3. The vehicle pillar structure according to claim 1, wherein the supporting component comprises:

a first base portion on which are formed first fixing portions for fixing the pillar-shaped component;

a second base portion on which are formed second fixing portions for fixing the pillar-shaped component; and

a hinge portion that rotatably connects the second base portion to the first base portion.

4. The vehicle pillar structure according to claim 3, wherein the first fixing portions and the second fixing portions are fixed to mutually different surfaces of the pillar-shaped component.

5. The vehicle pillar structure according to claim 3, wherein a space bounded by the first base portion, the hinge portion, and the second base portion forms a housing portion in which one of the mounted components is housed.

6. The vehicle pillar structure according to claims 3, wherein

the first fixing portions are hooks that are hooked inside through holes in the pillar-shaped component, and

the second fixing portions are clips that are anchored in fixing holes in the pillar-shaped component.

7. The vehicle pillar structure according to claims 1, wherein the supporting component further comprises:

a plurality of tube portions that are formed extending along the pillar-shaped component.