UPPER VEHICLE-BODY STRUCTURE OF VEHICLE

• US 20130119647A1
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: TANAKA, Kazuhiro, FUJII, Hiroaki, KIYOSHITA, Daisuke
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 280/730.1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/213 in vehicle roof frames or pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/04 Door pillars ; windshield pillars
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/06 Fixed roofs non-fixed roofs or like shelters B60J7/00; roof liners B60R13/02; insulating elements B60R13/08

Abstract

A pair of right-and-left center pillars, a pair of right-and-left roof side rails, and an inflator provided on the inside, in a vehicle width direction, of the roof side rails and capable of supplying a gas pressure to an airbag are provided. A roof reinforcing member which extends in the vehicle width direction over respective upper end portions of the center pillars or respective nearby portions to upper ends of the center pillars is provided, which includes a front concave portion and a rear concave portion which are concaved downward respectively. The inflator is arranged such that at least a portion of the inflator overlaps with the roof reinforcing member, and a depth of the rear concave portion overlapping with the inflator is shallower than that of the front concave portion positioned nearer the center pillars.

Claims

1. An upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a pair of right-and-left pillars provided at right and left side portions of the vehicle and extending vertically;

a pair of right-and-left roof side rails connected to respective upper ends of the pillars and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction;

a roof reinforcing member extending in a vehicle width direction over respective upper end portions of the pillars or respective nearby portions to the upper ends of the pillars, the roof reinforcing member including a concave portion which is concaved downward; and

an inflator provided on the inside, in the vehicle width direction, of the pair of roof side rails and capable of supplying a gas pressure to an airbag,

wherein said inflator is arranged such that at least a portion of the inflator overlaps with said roof reinforcing member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and said concave portion is configured such that a depth of a part of the concave portion which overlaps with the inflator is shallower than that of anther part of the concave portion which is positioned nearer said pillars than said part of the concave portion overlapping with the inflator is.

2. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein said roof reinforcing member is arranged in back of said pillars with an offset distance and further includes a slant portion which is formed at an end portion of the roof reinforcing member and slants outward and downward, said concave portion is provided to extend inward, in the vehicle width direction, from the end portion of the roof reinforcing member, and the concave portion is comprised of plural concave portions which are arranged away from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction, a foremost concave portion of which is configured such that an outside end portion thereof approaches gradually closer to the pillars along said slant portion, a rearmost concave portion of which is configured such that an outside end portion thereof goes rearward gradually further away from the foremost concave portion and the depth thereof is shallower than that of the foremost concave portion.

3. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein outside end portions, in the vehicle width direction, of said concave portion and inside end portions, in the vehicle width direction, of said roof side rails are arranged to face to each other and away from each other.

4. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein a sunroof is provided at a roof of the vehicle, a peripheral-frame reinforcing member to reinforce a connection portion of said roof reinforcing member to said pillars is provided at a peripheral frame of the sunroof, and said peripheral-frame reinforcing member and said concave portion of the roof reinforcing member form together a closed cross section.

5. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 1, wherein an assist-grip attachment seat portion which projects toward the inside of a vehicle compartment is provided at an inside portion, in the vehicle width direction, of a specified portion of said roof side rail which is located further away from said pillar than said roof reinforcing member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, said inflator and said airbag are arranged above and below said assist-grip attachment seat portion, respectively, the inflator is arranged such that a portion thereof positioned nearer the pillar approaches closer to a lower edge portion of the roof side rail, and the airbag comprises a connection portion which is coupled to an end portion of the inflator positioned on the side of the pillar.

6. An upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a pair of right-and-left pillars provided at right and left side portions of the vehicle and extending vertically;

a pair of right-and-left roof side rails connected to respective upper ends of the pillars and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction;

a roof reinforcing member extending in a vehicle width direction over respective upper end portions of the pillars or respective nearby portions to the upper ends of the pillars and arranged in back of said pillars with an offset distance, the roof reinforcing member including plural concave portions which are concaved downward, provided to extend inward, in the vehicle width direction, from the end portion of the roof reinforcing member, and arranged away from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction and a slant portion which is formed at an end portion of the roof reinforcing member and slants outward and downward; and

an inflator provided on the inside, in the vehicle width direction, of the pair of roof side rails and capable of supplying a gas pressure to an airbag,

wherein said inflator is arranged such that at least a portion of the inflator overlaps with said roof reinforcing member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a foremost concave portion of said plural concave portions is configured such that an outside end portion thereof approaches gradually closer to the pillars along said slant portion, and a rearmost concave portion of said plural concave portions is configured such that an outside end portion thereof goes rearward gradually further away from the foremost concave portion and a depth thereof is shallower than that of the foremost concave portion.

7. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein outside end portions, in the vehicle width direction, of said concave portions and inside end portions, in the vehicle width direction, of said roof side rails are arranged to face to each other and away from each other.

8. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein a sunroof is provided at a roof of the vehicle, a peripheral-frame reinforcing member to reinforce a connection portion of said roof reinforcing member to said pillars is provided at a peripheral frame of the sunroof, and said peripheral-frame reinforcing member and said concave portions of the roof reinforcing member form together a closed cross section.

9. The upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle of claim 6, wherein an assist-grip attachment seat portion which projects toward the inside of a vehicle compartment is provided at an inside portion, in the vehicle width direction, of a specified portion of said roof side rail which is located further away from said pillar than said roof reinforcing member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, said inflator and said airbag are arranged above and below said assist-grip attachment seat portion, respectively, the inflator is arranged such that a portion thereof positioned nearer the pillar approaches closer to a lower edge portion of the roof side rail, and the airbag comprises a connection portion which is coupled to an end portion of the inflator positioned on the side of the pillar.

10. An upper vehicle-body structure of a vehicle, comprising:

a pair of right-and-left pillars provided at right and left side portions of the vehicle and extending vertically;

a pair of right-and-left roof side rails connected to respective upper ends of the pillars and extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction;

a roof reinforcing member extending in a vehicle width direction over respective upper end portions of the pillars or respective nearby portions to the upper ends of the pillars and arranged in back of said pillars with an offset distance, the roof reinforcing member including plural concave portions which are concaved downward, provided to extend inward, in the vehicle width direction, from the end portion of the roof reinforcing member, and arranged away from each other in the vehicle longitudinal direction and a slant portion which is formed at an end portion of the roof reinforcing member and slants outward and downward; and

an inflator provided on the inside, in the vehicle width direction, of the pair of roof side rails and capable of supplying a gas pressure to an airbag,

wherein said inflator is arranged such that at least a portion of the inflator overlaps with said roof reinforcing member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and a foremost concave portion of said plural concave portions is configured such that an outside end portion thereof approaches gradually closer to the pillars along said slant portion, and a rearmost concave portion of said plural concave portions is configured such that an outside end portion thereof goes rearward gradually further away from the foremost concave portion and a depth thereof is shallower than that of the foremost concave portion,

outside end portions, in the vehicle width direction, of said concave portions and inside end portions, in the vehicle width direction, of said roof side rails are arranged to face to each other and away from each other,

a sunroof is provided at a roof of the vehicle, a peripheral-frame reinforcing member to reinforce a connection portion of said roof reinforcing member to said pillars is provided at a peripheral frame of the sunroof, and said peripheral-frame reinforcing member and said concave portions of the roof reinforcing member form together a closed cross section, and

an assist-grip attachment seat portion which projects toward the inside of a vehicle compartment is provided at an inside portion, in the vehicle width direction, of a specified portion of said roof side rail which is located further away from said pillar than said roof reinforcing member in the vehicle longitudinal direction, said inflator and said airbag are arranged above and below said assist-grip attachment seat portion, respectively, the inflator is arranged such that a portion thereof positioned nearer the pillar approaches closer to a lower edge portion of the roof side rail, and the airbag comprises a connection portion which is coupled to an end portion of the inflator positioned on the side of the pillar.