SIDE PANEL STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE

• US 20140319877A1
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Hida, Kazunori
• Granted Patent: US 9,452,786 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/191
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/02 Side panels B62D33/046 takes precedence; sideboards for open load compartments B62D33/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 25/025 Side sills thereof
• 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 side panel structure (20), including a side outer panel (21) provided on the vehicle exterior side, and a side inner panel (22) provided on the vehicle interior (12) side. The side outer panel (21) and the side inner panel (22) form, as a closed cross-section structure, a peripheral edge section forming door openings (35, 36). The side outer panel (21) comprises an inner frame (26) formed from a high-strength steel sheet having a high tensile strength, and an outer frame (27) provided to the outer periphery section (26a) of the inner frame (26). The outer frame (27) is formed from a low-strength steel sheet having a low tensile strength.

Claims

1. A vehicular side panel structure including a side outer panel provided on a vehicle exterior side and a side inner panel provided on a vehicle interior side, the side outer panel and the side inner panel jointly forming a structure of closed cross-section at a periphery of a door opening,

wherein the side outer panel includes an inner frame formed of a high strength steel sheet having high tensile strength and an outer frame which is provided at an outer peripheral portion of the inner frame and forms an external appearance of a vehicle body.

2. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure in which the closed cross-section is formed includes a roof side rail, and a closed cross-section shape is formed on the roof side rail by the inner frame and the outer frame.

3. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure in which the closed cross-section is formed includes a side sill, and a closed cross-section formed by the inner frame and the outer frame is formed on the side sill.

4. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure in which the closed cross-section is formed includes a front pillar, and the front pillar includes a closed cross-section formed by a front pillar inner of the side inner panel and the inner frame, and the outer frame is connected to a front fender.

5. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure in which the closed cross-section is formed includes a rear pillar, and the rear pillar includes a closed cross-section formed by the joined inner frame and the outer frame and a rear wheel house extension.

6. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame is either high tensile strength steel material or a hot stamp product.

7. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer frame is any one of a low strength steel sheet, an aluminum alloy sheet, and a resin sheet.

8. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the structure in which the closed cross-section is formed includes a side sill, and the side sill includes a closed cross-section formed by the inner frame and the side inner panel, and the outer frame forms an external surface below the door openings.

9. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame is formed by applying hot stamp molding to the high strength steel sheet, the structure in which the closed cross-section is formed includes a front pillar, a center pillar, and a rear pillar, respective strength of the front pillar, the center pillar, and the rear pillar are varied by changing conditions of the hot stamp molding for the inner frame or by joining a plurality of high tensile strength steel material having different strength so as to allow the front pillar, the center pillar, and the rear pillar to have different tensile strength.

10. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein the outer frame of the side outer panel is joined to a rear edge of a front fender that covers a side of a front portion of the vehicle body.

11. The side panel structure according to claim 1, wherein a receiving surface configured to receive an input from a door beam of a vehicle door is formed on the inner frame of the side outer panel.