JP2005132214A - Roof structure for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a roof structure for an automobile capable of strengthening the bonding force between a roof panel and each drip channel effectively in total by relieving the stress concentration in the coupling parts of a plurality of roof reinforcements with drip channels without restriction on the space over the cabin. <P>SOLUTION: The roof structure of the automobile is configured so that drip channels 4 stretching in the longitudinal direction are coupled with a left and a right roof side rail 3, the roof reinforcements 2 extending in the automobile width direction are provided along the inner surface of the roof panel 1 at a certain spacing fore and aft. The left and right side edges of the roof panel 1 and the left and right side ends of each roof reinforcement 2 are coupled with the drip channels 4, wherein a roof inner panel 5 is installed extending fore and aft in such a way as adhering on the inner surface of each side end of the roof panel 1, whereto a plurality of the side ends of the roof reinforcements 2 are coupled, while the side edges of the roof panel 1 and the end edges of the roof inner panel 5 are coupled with the drip channels 4, and thereby the stress concentration in the coupling parts of the roof reinforcements 2 with the drip channels 4 is relieved. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a roof structure of an automobile, and more particularly to a roof structure in which a roof panel and a roof reinforcement reinforcing the roof panel are coupled to a roof side rail via a drip channel.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, generally, a roof of an automobile such as a wagon car has a plurality of roof reinforcements extending in a belt shape in the vehicle width direction on the inner surface of the roof panel 1 with a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. 2 is provided and reinforced. The roof panel 1 and each roof reinforcement 2 are drip channel 4 having a groove-shaped cross section welded to the outer surface of the roof side rail 3 having a closed cross section composed of an outer panel 3a and an inner panel 3b extending in the front-rear direction. The side edge flange 10 of the roof panel 1 and the end flange 20 of the roof reinforcement 2 are overlapped with each other on the inner surface of the groove and welded together. Between the roof reinforcements 2, the side edge flanges 10 of the roof panel 1 are directly welded to the groove inner surface of the drip channel 4.

  By the way, in the above structure, the drip channel 4 is coupled to the roof side rail 3 over the entire length in the front-rear direction, so that the coupling strength is sufficiently ensured. The roof reinforcements 2 are interspersed with joints, and in these joints, stress is easily concentrated when a torsional load is applied to the vehicle body, and the joint strength is sufficient. Absent. In particular, stress concentration tends to occur at the joint portion in the vicinity of the intersection between the intermediate pillar 8 and the roof side rail 3 located at the front edge and rear edge of the door opening 9 provided at the front and rear intermediate positions on the side surface of the vehicle body. This tendency is particularly strong for high roof wagons.

Therefore, Patent Document 1 below proposes a structure that reinforces the coupling strength at the intersection between the intermediate pillar and the roof side rail. As shown in FIG. 6, the outer panel 3 a of the roof side rail 3 and the intermediate pillar 8 are integrally formed at the intersection, and the upper end of the pillar reinforcement 81 provided inside the intermediate pillar 8 is attached to the roof side rail. 3, and an appellation force 7 projecting obliquely upward from the upper opening of the roof side rail 3 where the outer panel 3 a and the inner panel 3 b are separated is provided through the appellation force 7. The pillar reinforcement 81 and the roof reinforcement 2 are connected to each other so that stress concentration at the connecting portion between the roof reinforcement 2 and the drip channel 4 is reduced. FIG. 6 shows a structure in which an appellation force 7 is provided on a standard roof vehicle.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-20266

  However, in this conventional structure, the stress concentration at the joint portion of the roof reinforcement 2 at the intersection of the roof side rail 3 and the intermediate pillar 8 can be alleviated, but the stress at the joint of the roof reinforcement 2 other than the intersection is reduced. Concentration is not relaxed. Moreover, in the high roof specification vehicle, the reinforcement force 7 extending from the roof side rail 3 to the upper part of the vehicle interior becomes long, so that the reinforcement effect by the reinforcement force 7 is not sufficiently exhibited. Furthermore, since the appellation reinforcement 7 projects toward the vehicle compartment side from the roof side rail 3, the space above the vehicle compartment is restricted, and the head clearance of the occupant sitting near the side wall of the vehicle compartment is reduced.

  Therefore, the present invention reduces the stress concentration at the joint portion between the plurality of roof reinforcements and the drip channel without restricting the space in the upper part of the passenger compartment, so that the coupling force between the roof panel and the drip channel is totally reduced. An object of the present invention is to provide an automobile roof structure that can be efficiently reinforced.

  According to the present invention, a drip channel is coupled to the left and right roof side rails extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of roof reinforcements extending in the vehicle width direction along the inner surface of the roof panel are provided in the front-rear direction. In a roof structure of an automobile in which left and right side edges of the roof panel and left and right side edges of the roof reinforcement are coupled to the drip channel. A roof inner panel extending in the front-rear direction is provided along the inner surface of the end portion, and side end portions of the plurality of roof reinforcements are coupled to the roof inner panel, respectively, and the side edge of the roof panel and the roof inner The edge of the panel is integrally joined to the drip channel (Claim 1). Multiple roof reinforcements are connected to the drip channel via a common roof inner panel that joins these side ends, reducing stress concentration on the joints, and reducing the amount of stress to each roof reinforcement and drip. The bond strength with the channel can be strengthened. Further, since the roof inner panel is provided along the roof panel, the roof inner panel does not protrude into the vehicle interior, and the space above the vehicle interior is not restricted.

  The roof reinforcement is disposed in the vicinity of the intersection between the pillar located on the front edge or the rear edge of the door opening provided on the side surface of the vehicle body and the roof side rail, and at least at the intersection. A side end portion of the reinforcement and a side end portion of another roof reinforcement located before and after the roof reinforcement are joined to the roof inner panel. In particular, at the intersection between the roof side rail and the pillar where stress concentration is likely to occur, the stress concentration at the joint between the roof reinforcement and the drip channel can be relaxed to enhance the coupling strength.

  According to the present invention, the stress concentration at the joint portion between the roof panel and the drip channel at the portion reinforced by the roof reinforcement is alleviated without restricting the space above the passenger compartment, and the roof panel and the drip are entirely formed. The bond strength with the channel can be strengthened.

  In the high roof specification wagon car shown in FIG. 4, the roof panel 1 is reinforced by providing a plurality of roof reinforcements 2 on the inner surface of the roof panel 1 at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction. Hereinafter, based on FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, a plurality of reinforcements 2 provided at the intersection of the intermediate pillar 8 at the rear edge of the door opening 9 on the side of the vehicle body and the roof side rail 3 and the front and rear positions thereof are connected to the drip channel. An embodiment of the present invention will be described focusing on a structure that is coupled to the roof side rail 3 via 4. In addition, the joint structure on both the left and right sides of the roof is the same, and only one joint structure will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the side end portion of the roof panel 1 is formed in a substantially L-shaped cross section provided with a side wall 11 bent downward from a substantially horizontal general portion. In the high roof specification car, the height of the side wall 11 is increased. A side edge flange 10 is formed at the edge of the side wall 11 so as to be refracted almost horizontally toward the vehicle exterior.

  A plurality of belt-like roof reinforcements 2 extending in the vehicle width direction are provided on the inner surface of the roof panel 1 at predetermined intervals in the front-rear direction. The roof reinforcement 2 is a rail body having a substantially reverse hat shape with flange portions 21 on both front and rear sides, and the side end in the vehicle width direction is bent downward corresponding to the side wall 11 of the roof panel 1. is there. In the side end portion, the step between the flange portion 21 and the bottom wall 22 on both sides is gradually lowered so that the cross-sectional shape becomes substantially flat from the inverted hat shape toward the terminal direction from the bent portion side.

  In the roof reinforcement 2, flange portions 21 on both sides of the substantially horizontal general portion are bonded to the inner surface of the general portion of the roof panel 1 with a structural adhesive such as a mastic sealer.

  The intersection of the roof side rail 3 and the intermediate pillar 8 and the side ends of a total of three reinforcements 2 disposed at the front and rear positions of the intersection are along the inner surface of the side wall 11 of the roof panel 1 A vertical plate-shaped roof inner panel 5 is provided. The height dimension of the roof inner panel 5 is smaller than the side wall portion 11 of the roof panel 1, and an edge flange 50 that is bent toward the vehicle outer side is formed at the lower edge.

  On the inner surface of the roof inner panel 5, the respective side end portions of the three roof reinforcements 2 are overlapped on the front end portion, the front and rear center portion, and the rear end portion, and the flange portions 21 on both front and rear sides are overlapped and welded. It is connected. The front end portion, the central portion, and the rear end portion of the roof inner panel 5 to which the roof reinforcements 2 are coupled are each increased in height, and the coupling surface with each roof reinforcement 2 is increased. . The edge flange 50 of the roof inner panel 5 is superimposed on the lower surface of the side edge flange 10 of the roof panel 1.

  When assembling the roof panel 1, each roof reinforcement 2 and the roof inner panel 5, the roof reinforcement 2 and the roof inner panel 5 are combined in advance, and then the roof reinforcement 2 is attached to the inner surface of the roof panel 1. To form a roof assembly in which the roof panel 1, each roof reinforcement 2 and the roof inner panel 5 are assembled.

  The roof side rail 3 has a closed cross-sectional structure composed of an outer panel 3a and an inner panel 3b and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The upper end of the intermediate pillar 8 is coupled to the roof side rail 3 at a predetermined position so as to intersect with the T-shape. The roof side rail 3 is provided with a drip channel 4 extending over the entire length in the longitudinal direction on the side surface outside the vehicle. The drip channel 4 is a long body having a generally U-shaped shallow cross section that opens upward, and one side wall surface is overlapped with the outer side surface of the roof side rail 3 and welded.

  In the drip channel 4, the side edge flange 10 of the roof panel 1 and the end edge flange 50 of the roof inner panel 5 which are stacked one above the other are overlapped on the upper surface of the bottom wall in the groove from above. The roof assembly is joined to the roof side rail 3 through a drip channel 4 by welding and joining together.

  In a high-roof specification wagon car or the like, when a torsional load or the like acts on the vehicle body, stress tends to concentrate on the portion reinforced with the roof reinforcement 2 in the joint portion between the roof panel 1 and the drip channel 4. Stress concentration is likely to occur in the reinforcing portion of the roof reinforcement 2 at the intersection of the roof side rail 3 and the intermediate pillar 8. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the plurality of roof reinforcements 2 are coupled to the roof inner panel 5 extending in the front-rear direction, and are integrally coupled to the drip channel 4 through the roof inner panel 5 with a wide continuous surface. Since the stress concentration is dispersed and relaxed over a wide range of the roof inner panel 5, the overall bonding strength between the roof panel 1 and the drip channel 4 can be efficiently enhanced.

  Further, since the roof inner panel 5 is composed of a vertical plate along the inner surface of the side wall 11 of the roof panel 1, it does not protrude toward the vehicle compartment side from the roof side rail 3, and does not restrict the upper space of the vehicle compartment.

  In the above-described embodiment, the intersection of the intermediate pillar 8 at the rear edge of the door opening 9 on the side of the vehicle body and the roof side rail 3 and the plurality of roof reinforcements 2 at the front and rear positions thereof are integrally coupled by the roof inner panel 2. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 4, a roof inner is formed at the intersection between the intermediate pillar 8 at the front edge of the door opening 9 and the roof side rail 3 and at the side ends of the plurality of roof reinforcements 2 at the front position. A panel may be provided, whereby both roof reinforcements 2 may be integrally coupled to the drip channel 4.

  Note that a roof inner panel may be provided on the inner surface of the side end of the roof panel 1 over the entire length in the front-rear direction, and all roof reinforcements may be coupled to the drip channel 4 to form a roof inner panel. Since the panel becomes large in size and increases in weight and cost, it is possible to sufficiently secure the bonding strength by providing the inner panel around the connecting portion where stress concentration is likely to occur. Further, the present invention may be applied not only to a high roof vehicle but also to a standard roof vehicle.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a main part showing a roof structure of an automobile of the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IB-IB in FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view corresponding to FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the III-III line | wire of FIG. 1 (B). It is a side view of a high roof specification wagon car. It is sectional drawing which follows the VV line | wire of FIG. 4 which shows the conventional roof structure. It is sectional drawing which shows another conventional structure.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Roof panel 2 Roof reinforcement 3 Roof side rail 4 Drip channel 5 Roof inner panel 8 Pillar (intermediate pillar)
9 Door opening

Claims (2)

Each of the left and right roof side rails extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body is coupled with a drip channel along the longitudinal direction, and a plurality of roof reinforcements extending in the vehicle width direction along the inner surface of the roof panel are predetermined in the longitudinal direction. In the roof structure of an automobile provided with a gap, the left and right side edges of the roof panel and the left and right side edges of the roof reinforcement are coupled to the drip channel,
A roof inner panel extending in the front-rear direction is provided along the inner surface of the side end of the roof panel, and the side ends of the plurality of roof reinforcements are coupled to the roof inner panel, respectively. An automobile roof structure characterized in that an edge and an edge of the roof inner panel are integrally coupled to a drip channel. The roof reinforcement is disposed in the vicinity of the intersection between the pillar located at the front edge or the rear edge of the door opening provided on the side surface of the vehicle body and the roof side rail, and at least the roof disposed at the intersection. 2. The roof structure of an automobile according to claim 1, wherein a side end portion of the reinforcement and a side end portion of another roof reinforcement located before and after the roof reinforcement are joined to the roof inner panel.

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