CENTER PILLAR UPPER PORTION JOINING STRUCTURE

• US 20130300155A1
• Filed: 01/26/2011
• Published: 11/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kurokawa, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,845,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/193.06
• 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 center pillar upper portion joining structure that may improve joining strength and rigidity between an upper portion of a center pillar and a roof side rail. A recess portion that is indented to the vehicle inner side is formed in a roof side rail outer panel at a joining portion with a center pillar. An upper portion extended portion that closes off the recess portion is provided at an upper portion oft a center pillar reinforcement, and an upper end portion of the upper portion extended portion is joined to the roof side rail outer panel. In a vehicle rear elevation view, an upper face of the recess portion is provided upward in the vehicle relative to a centroid of a cross section of the roof side rail.

Claims

1. A center pillar upper portion joining structure that joins a center pillar to a roof side rail, the center pillar extending along a vehicle up-down direction at a vehicle side portion, the roof side rail being disposed at a vehicle upper side of the center pillar and extending along a vehicle front-rear direction, and the center pillar upper portion joining structure comprising:

a recess portion provided at a lower portion side of an outer wall face of a side rail outer that constitutes a vehicle width direction outer side wall of the roof side rail, the recess portion being indented toward a vehicle inner side and opening toward a vehicle lower side, and an upper face of the recess portion being disposed at a vehicle upper side relative to a centroid of a cross section of the roof side rail; and

an upper portion joining portion that extends from an upper portion of a center pillar reinforcement constituting a vehicle width direction outer side wall of the center pillar and that is joined to the side rail outer so as to close off the recess portion.

2. The center pillar upper portion joining structure according to claim 1, wherein, from a vehicle front-rear direction view, a lower end portion of a floor face of the recess portion is disposed so as to substantially coincide with extension lines extending upward in the vehicle from mating flange positions at the vehicle front and rear of the center pillar.

3. The center pillar upper portion joining structure according to claim 1, wherein the recess portion is disposed between terminal ends of a pair of front and rear circular arc-shaped connection portions that are provided at a joining portion between the center pillar reinforcement and the side rail outer and that are each formed in a circular arc shape from a vehicle side view.

4. The center pillar upper portion joining structure according to claim 2, wherein the recess portion is disposed between terminal ends of a pair of front and rear circular arc-shaped connection portions that are provided at a joining portion between the center pillar reinforcement and the side rail outer and that are each formed in a circular arc shape from a vehicle side view.