JP7584345B2 - Vehicle upper structure - Google Patents

Description

This specification discloses a vehicle interior upper structure surrounding a curtain shield airbag.

In the event of a side collision, a curtain shield airbag is installed on the ceiling side of the vehicle cabin to protect the occupants from hard components such as door glass on the side of the cabin.

For example, in Patent Document 1, a curtain shield airbag is housed in a resin cover. This cover is provided with a receiving portion for temporarily placing a roof headlining, which is an interior component of the vehicle cabin ceiling. When the roof headlining is assembled, an engagement piece protruding from a side end of the roof headlining is placed on the receiving portion. In this temporary placement state, the roof headlining is fixed to the roof panel using an engagement member such as a clip.

International Publication No. 2012-150634

However, when the cover that houses the curtain shield airbag is omitted to reduce costs, it is necessary to provide the receiving function that the cover previously had to other peripheral components.

Therefore, this specification discloses an upper compartment structure that allows the temporary placement function of the ceiling cover member, which was previously provided by the cover of a curtain shield airbag, to be provided by other surrounding members so as not to interfere with the deployment of the curtain shield airbag.

The vehicle interior upper structure disclosed in this specification includes a curtain shield airbag and a guide member. The curtain shield airbag is arranged in a rolled state above the vehicle interior side cover member. The guide member is arranged above the vehicle interior side cover member, below the curtain shield airbag and outside in the vehicle width direction. The guide member includes a guide plate portion, a retraction plate portion, and an inclined plate portion. The guide plate portion faces the curtain shield airbag and inclines from the outside to the inside in the vehicle width direction from above to below. The retraction plate portion is connected to the lower end of the guide plate portion and extends from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction. The inclined plate portion is connected to the outer end of the retraction plate portion in the vehicle width direction from above to below and extends from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction. The inclined plate portion is perforated in the thickness direction with a temporary placement hole for hanging a protruding piece of the ceiling cover member.

According to the above configuration, the guide member is provided with a function for temporarily placing the ceiling cover member. In this configuration, by providing a temporary placement hole further outward in the vehicle width direction than the retraction plate portion that extends (escapes) outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the guide plate portion facing the curtain shield airbag, the temporary placement hole can be separated from the deployment trajectory of the curtain shield airbag.

In the above configuration, the guide member may also include a step plate portion. The step plate portion is connected to the lower end of the inclined plate portion and extends outward in the vehicle width direction at an inclination angle smaller than the inclined plate portion with respect to the vehicle width axis. The lower edge of the temporary placement hole is formed within the step plate portion.

The above configuration allows the lower edge of the temporary placement hole to be pulled outward in the vehicle width direction, effectively preventing the curtain shield airbag from coming into contact with the lower edge of the temporary placement hole.

The vehicle interior upper structure disclosed in this specification makes it possible to provide the temporary placement function of the ceiling cover member, which was previously provided by the cover of a curtain shield airbag, to other surrounding members so as not to interfere with the deployment of the curtain shield airbag.

1 is a diagram illustrating the interior of a vehicle cabin on which a vehicle cabin upper structure according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a roof lining which is a ceiling covering member. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a guide bracket. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1. This is an A-A cross-sectional view showing an example of when the roof lining is temporarily placed on the guide bracket.

The vehicle interior upper structure according to this embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. In Figs. 1 to 5, the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by the axis represented by the symbol FR, the vehicle width direction is indicated by the axis represented by the symbol RW, and the vertical direction is indicated by the axis represented by the symbol UP.

The symbol FR stands for Front, with the forward direction being the positive direction of the front-rear axis FR. The symbol RW stands for Right Width, with the right-hand width direction being the positive direction of the width axis RW. The height axis UP stands for the positive direction of the upward direction. As shown in FIG. 1, these FR axis, RW axis, and UP axis are mutually perpendicular. Below, the vehicle interior upper structure according to this embodiment will be described appropriately based on these three axes.

<Vehicle interior structure>
Fig. 1 shows an example of the interior of a vehicle cabin equipped with a vehicle cabin upper structure according to this embodiment. A curtain shield airbag device 10 is housed in an end portion of the ceiling of the vehicle cabin in the vehicle width direction. Although Fig. 1 shows only the driver's seat side, a curtain shield airbag device 10 similar to that shown in Fig. 1 may also be provided on the opposite side, the passenger seat side.

Referring to FIG. 1, the curtain shield airbag device 10 includes an inflator 12 and a curtain shield airbag 20. The curtain shield airbag 20 is housed in a rolled-up state on the rear side (the side hidden from the passenger) of the roof lining 34. Note that the curtain shield airbag 20 may not be housed in a housing member such as a resin case, and may be exposed to the roof lining 34.

During a side collision of the vehicle, gas is sent from the inflator 12 to the curtain shield airbag 20, causing the curtain shield airbag 20 to expand downward from its rolled state.

When deployed (inflated), the curtain shield airbag 20 covers the side of the vehicle interior. Referring to FIG. 1, the side of the vehicle interior is composed of the front door 41, the B-pillar garnish 32, the rear door 43, and the C-pillar garnish 33. For example, the curtain shield airbag 20 deploys to cover the area on the side of the vehicle from the front door 41 through the rear door 43 to the front part of the luggage space.

Various interior components are provided in the vehicle interior. For example, A-pillar cover 30, B-pillar garnish 32, and C-pillar garnish 33, which are vehicle interior side cover members that cover the A-pillar, B-pillar, and C-pillar, respectively, which are columnar framework members, are provided on the sides of the vehicle interior. In addition, roof lining 34, which is a ceiling cover member, is provided so that its lower end is connected to the upper ends of A-pillar cover 30, B-pillar garnish 32, and C-pillar garnish 33. These interior cover members are formed, for example, from a resin material.

The curtain shield airbag 20 is covered by an A-pillar cover 30, which is an interior cover member, and a roof lining 34. For example, the curtain shield airbag 20 is fixed to a roof rail (not shown), which is a framework member provided at the end of the ceiling of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. The A-pillar cover 30 and the roof lining 34 are provided in the vehicle interior so as to cover the roof rail and the curtain shield airbag 20.

Figure 2 shows an oblique view of the roof lining 34 alone. The roof lining 34 is a ceiling cover member that covers the passenger compartment ceiling, and has a mountain-like shape with a raised central portion. The roof lining 34 is also drilled with openings 34A for attaching interior components such as a map lamp 40 (see Figure 1), a center lamp 42, and an assist grip 44 to the roof panel, which is an outer panel member of the passenger compartment ceiling, or to the roof rail, which is a framework member. Although not shown, the roof lining 34 is also drilled with fastening holes (clip holes) for fastening the roof lining 34 to the roof panel.

In addition, a pair of protruding pieces 34B, 34B are provided at both ends of the roof lining 34 in the vehicle width direction, protruding further in the vehicle width direction from both ends of the roof lining 34. For example, the protruding pieces 34B, 34B are provided in the rear region of the roof lining 34.

As shown in FIG. 5 described below, when the roof lining 34 is fixed to a roof panel (not shown), the protruding pieces 34B, 34B are inserted into the temporary placement holes 60 of the guide bracket 50. This allows the rear of the roof lining 34 to be temporarily placed (temporarily fastened), eliminating the need for a worker to support the rear of the roof lining 34. In this state, the front part of the roof lining 34 is fastened to the roof panel using a fastening member such as a clip. After that, the rear part of the roof lining 34 is fastened to the roof panel by a fastening member.

<Guide bracket>
Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. Although Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-section of the right side of the vehicle compartment, the left side also has a similar structure due to the symmetry of the vehicle structure.

Referring to Figures 1 and 4, the curtain shield airbag 20 is disposed above the C-pillar garnish 33, which is a cover member for the side of the vehicle compartment, between the roof lining 34, which is a ceiling cover member, and the C-pillar 25, which is a framework member. As described above, the curtain shield airbag 20 is disposed in a rolled-up state. Furthermore, a guide bracket 50, which is a guide member, is disposed above the C-pillar garnish 33, below the curtain shield airbag 20 and on the outside in the vehicle width direction.

The guide bracket 50 guides the deployment direction of the curtain shield airbag 20 inward in the vehicle width direction to prevent the curtain shield airbag 20 from entering the gap between the C-pillar garnish 33 and the C-pillar 25 when deployed.

Figure 3 shows an oblique view of the guide bracket 50 alone. In Figure 3, the guide bracket 50 is angled so that the temporary placement hole 60 can be seen from below.

The guide bracket 50 is, for example, generally box-shaped and is made of a sheet metal member using a metal material such as aluminum. For example, the guide bracket 50 is so-called R-chamfered, and the boundary between adjacent surfaces is curved. Furthermore, the shape of the guide bracket 50 is determined so that the end portion of the guide bracket 50 is separated from the guide plate portion 53 arranged on the deployment trajectory of the curtain shield airbag 20.

The guide bracket 50 has flanges 51A and 51B at its upper and lower ends. The flanges 51A and 51B abut against the C-pillar 25 and are joined to the C-pillar 25 by welding or the like.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, the guide bracket 50 includes plate portions that protrude inward in the vehicle width direction, such as an extension plate portion 52, a guide plate portion 53, a retraction plate portion 55, an inclined plate portion 56, a step plate portion 57, a lower end inclined plate portion 58, a front side plate portion 59A, and a rear side plate portion 59B.

The protruding plate portion 52 is connected to the lower end of the upper flange 51A and extends from the outer side to the inner side in the vehicle width direction starting from the lower end. The protruding plate portion 52 extends from the outer side to the inner side in the vehicle width direction at a smaller inclination angle with respect to the vehicle width axis RW than the guide plate portion 53, for example.

The upper end of the guide plate portion 53 is connected to the inner end of the protruding plate portion 52 in the vehicle width direction. Starting from this connection point, the guide plate portion 53 slopes downward and inward in the vehicle width direction. The guide plate portion 53 is disposed so as to face the curtain shield airbag 20, in other words, on the deployment trajectory of the curtain shield airbag 20.

As shown by the arrow in FIG. 4, when the curtain shield airbag 20 deploys downward, it hits the guide plate portion 53 and deploys downward and inward in the vehicle width direction. At least the lower end of the guide plate portion 53 protrudes further inward in the vehicle width direction than the upper end portion 33A of the C-pillar garnish 33. This structure prevents the curtain shield airbag 20 from entering the gap between the C-pillar garnish 33 and the C-pillar 25.

The lower end of the guide plate portion 53 is connected to the inner end of the retraction plate portion 55 in the vehicle width direction. Starting from this connection point, the retraction plate portion 55 extends from the inner end in the vehicle width direction toward the outside. The upper end of the inclined plate portion 56 is connected to the outer end in the vehicle width direction of the retraction plate portion 55. Starting from this connection point, the inclined plate portion 56 extends from the top to the bottom, from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction. In other words, the inclined plate portion 56 is inclined in the opposite direction to the guide plate portion 53. The inclination angle of the inclined plate portion 56 with respect to the vehicle width axis RW is formed to be larger than that of the retraction plate portion 55, and is closer to vertical.

The inner end of the step plate portion 57 in the vehicle width direction is connected to the lower end of the inclined plate portion 56. Starting from this connection point, the step plate portion 57 extends outward in the vehicle width direction at a smaller inclination angle with the vehicle width axis RW than the inclined plate portion 56. The upper end of the lower inclined plate portion 58 is connected to the outer end of the step plate portion 57 in the vehicle width direction. Starting from this connection point, the lower inclined plate portion 58 extends from above to below, and from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction. The lower end of the lower inclined plate portion 58 is connected to the upper end of the flange 51B.

Furthermore, the guide bracket 50 has a temporary placement hole 60 formed through it in the thickness direction across the inclined plate portion 56 and the step plate portion 57. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the temporary placement hole 60 is drilled across most (approximately 80%) of the inclined plate portion 56 and the step plate portion 57 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction. For example, the vehicle fore-and-aft direction length of the temporary placement hole 60 is formed to be slightly longer (for example, approximately 1.1 times) than the vehicle fore-and-aft direction length of the protruding piece 34B of the roof lining 34 (see FIG. 2).

In this way, the temporary placement holes 60 are provided in the inclined plate portion 56 and the step plate portion 57, which are provided further outboard in the vehicle width direction than the retraction plate portion 55. By arranging the temporary placement holes 60 in this way, it is possible to separate the temporary placement holes 60 from the deployment trajectory of the curtain shield airbag 20.

In addition, the lower edge 62 (the lower portion of the opening edge) of the temporary placement hole 60 is provided within the step plate portion 57, which is recessed further outward in the vehicle width direction than the inclined plate portion 56. This arrangement of the lower edge 62 effectively prevents the curtain shield airbag 20 from coming into contact with the lower edge 62.

Figure 5 illustrates an example of an A-A cross section when fastening the roof lining 34 to a roof panel (not shown), which is an outer plate of the ceiling of the vehicle compartment. A guide bracket 50 is joined to the C-pillar 25 by welding or the like. In this state, the protruding piece 34B of the roof lining 34 is inserted into the temporary placement hole 60 of the guide bracket 50. Here, the protruding piece 34B of the roof lining 34 and the temporary placement hole 60 of the guide bracket 50 are provided on both side surfaces of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. By inserting and hooking the pair of protruding pieces 34B, 34B into the pair of temporary placement holes 60, 60, the rear portion of the roof lining 34 is temporarily placed (temporarily fastened) in a position near the roof panel.

With the rear portion of the roof lining 34 temporarily placed, the front portion of the roof lining 34 is fastened to the roof panel using a fastening member such as a clip. After that, the rear portion of the roof lining 34 is fastened to the roof panel using a fastening member such as a clip. At this time, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the rear portion of the roof lining 34 that was temporarily placed is lifted toward the roof panel and positioned so that it is pressed from above by the retraction plate portion 55 of the guide bracket 50. After that, the C-pillar garnish 33 is fastened to the C-pillar 25 using a fastening member such as a clip.

<Another example of upper cabin structure>
In the above-described embodiment, the guide bracket 50 is provided on the C-pillar 25, and the protruding piece 34B is provided behind the roof lining 34 corresponding to the guide bracket 50. However, the upper compartment structure according to this embodiment is not limited to this form.

For example, when temporarily placing the central portion of the roof lining 34 in the vehicle's fore-aft direction, a guide bracket 50 is provided on the B-pillar, and the roof lining 34 is also provided with protruding pieces 34B, 34B on both sides in the vehicle width direction at the central portion of the vehicle's fore-aft direction.

10 Curtain shield airbag device, 12 Inflator, 20 Curtain shield airbag, 33 C-pillar garnish (vehicle compartment side cover member), 34 Roof lining (ceiling cover member), 34B Protruding piece, 50 Guide bracket (guide member), 51A, 51B Flange, 52 Extension plate portion, 53 Guide plate portion, 55 Retraction plate portion, 56 Inclined plate portion, 57 Step plate portion, 58 Lower end inclined plate portion, 60 Temporary placement hole, 62 Lower end edge of temporary placement hole.

Claims (3)

a curtain shield airbag disposed in a rolled state above the vehicle interior side cover member;
a guide member disposed above the vehicle interior side cover member, below the curtain shield airbag and outboard in a vehicle width direction;
A vehicle compartment upper structure comprising:
The guide member is
A guide plate portion facing the curtain shield airbag and inclined from the upper to the lower side and from the outer side to the inner side in the vehicle width direction;
A lead-in plate portion connected to a lower end of the guide plate portion and extending from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction;
An inclined plate portion connected to an outer end of the lead-in plate portion in the vehicle width direction and extending from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction from the upper side to the lower side;
Equipped with
The inclined plate portion is provided with a temporary placement hole that penetrates the inclined plate portion in the thickness direction and into which the protruding piece of the ceiling cover member is hooked ,
The temporary placement hole has an opening dimension in a vehicle height direction such that the protruding piece inserted into the temporary placement hole can move in the vehicle height direction.
Car cabin superstructure. The vehicle compartment upper structure according to claim 1,
The guide member includes a step plate portion connected to a lower end of the inclined plate portion and extending outward in the vehicle width direction at an inclination angle smaller than that of the inclined plate portion with respect to the vehicle width axis,
The lower edge of the temporary placement hole is formed in the step plate portion.
Car cabin superstructure. a curtain shield airbag disposed in a rolled state above the vehicle interior side cover member;
a guide member disposed above the vehicle interior side cover member, below the curtain shield airbag and outboard in a vehicle width direction;
A vehicle compartment upper structure comprising:
The guide member is
A guide plate portion facing the curtain shield airbag and inclined from the upper to the lower side and from the outer side to the inner side in the vehicle width direction;
A lead-in plate portion connected to a lower end of the guide plate portion and extending from the inside to the outside in the vehicle width direction;
An inclined plate portion connected to an outer end of the lead-in plate portion in the vehicle width direction and extending from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction from the upper side to the lower side;
Equipped with
The inclined plate portion is provided with a temporary placement hole that penetrates the inclined plate portion in the thickness direction and into which the protruding piece of the ceiling cover member is hooked,
The guide member includes a step plate portion connected to a lower end of the inclined plate portion and extending outward in the vehicle width direction at an inclination angle smaller than that of the inclined plate portion with respect to the vehicle width axis,
The lower edge of the temporary placement hole is formed in the step plate portion.
Car cabin superstructure.

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