Vehicle body structure
Disclosed is a vehicle body structure, which comprises a body sidewall which forms a side portion of a vehicle body, a wheel house formed on a lower side of the body sidewall and provided with a mounting portion on which a rear suspension system mounts, a side pillar reinforcing member arranged in a side pillar located above the wheel house to extend in a vertical direction of the vehicle body so as to reinforce the side pillar, a rear pillar reinforcing member arranged in a rear pillar located rearward of the wheel house to extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle body to reinforce the rear pillar, a first connection member connecting the side pillar reinforcing member and a lower end of the wheel house, a second connection member connecting the rear pillar reinforcing member and a vicinity of the mounting portion of the wheel house, and a third connection member connecting the side pillar reinforcing member and the rear pillar reinforcing member, in a position above the wheel house.
1. A vehicle body structure comprising:
a body sidewall which forms a side portion of a vehicle body;
a wheel house formed on a lower side of said body sidewall and provided with a mounting portion on which a rear suspension system mounts;
a side pillar reinforcing member arranged in a side pillar located above said wheel house, said side pillar reinforcing member extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle body to reinforce said side pillar;
a rear pillar reinforcing member arranged in a rear pillar located rearward of said wheel house, said rear pillar reinforcing member extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle body to reinforce said rear pillar;
a first connection member connecting said side pillar reinforcing member and a lower end of said wheel house;
a second connection member connecting said rear pillar reinforcing member and a vicinity of said mounting portion of said wheel house; and
a third connection member connecting said side pillar reinforcing member and said rear pillar reinforcing member, in a position above said wheel house.
2. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second connection member is arranged to extend from said wheel house in an upward direction of the vehicle body, and jointed to said rear pillar reinforcing member through a region of the vehicle body including at least a joint portion between said third connection member and said rear pillar reinforcing member.
3. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 2 , wherein said second connection member is jointed to said rear pillar reinforcing member at a laterally inward position relative to the joint portion between said third connection member and said rear pillar reinforcing member.
4. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a body floor which forms a floor surface of a vehicle interior, said body floor being at least partly jointed to a rear side frame extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein said rear pillar reinforcing member is jointed to a rear end of said rear side frame.
5. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a fourth connection member connecting an upper end of said pillar reinforcing member and an upper end of said rear pillar reinforcing member.
6. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of support members supporting a seat belt for protection of a passenger, said support members mounted to plural portions selected from said side pillar reinforcing member, said rear pillar reinforcing member, said body floor, said first connection member, said second connection member and said third connection member in a decentralized manner.
7. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a body floor which forms a floor surface of a vehicle interior, wherein:
said wheel house includes a wheel house inner;
said mounting portion is located offset from a top region of said wheel house in a rearward direction of the vehicle body; and
said second connection member includes a wheel house connection gusset which connects said rear pillar and a portion of said wheel house inner located in a vicinity of said mounting portion, and a floor gusset which is located on a laterally inward side of the vehicle body relative to said mounting portion and below said mounting portion, and joined to said body floor, wherein said floor gusset is connected to said wheel house connection gusset in the vicinity of said mounting portion.
8. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 7 , wherein:
said floor gusset is connected to said wheel house connection gusset at least two connection points spaced apart from each other in at least either one of the vertical direction and lateral direction of the vehicle body; and
said mounting portion is located between said two connection points.
9. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 8 , further comprising a fastener member provided on the respective connection points to fasten said floor gusset and said wheel house connection gusset together in such a manner as to penetrate therethrough in different directions from each other.
10. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 8 , further comprising a body floor which forms a floor surface of a vehicle interior, wherein said floor gusset includes:
a main floor gusset connecting said body floor; and
a sub floor gusset connecting said main floor gusset and said wheel house connection gusset.
11. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 10 , wherein said vehicle interior includes a cargo compartment and said sub floor gusset is provided with a cargo hook.
12. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 7 , further comprising a floor reinforcing member provided at a lower end of said wheel house and adapted to transmit load applied to said wheel house, to a rear side frame extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein said floor gusset is fixed to said floor reinforcing member.
13. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 10 , further comprising a floor reinforcing member provided at a lower end of said wheel house and transmits loads from said wheel house to a rear side frame which extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein said sub floor gusset is fixed to said floor reinforcing member.
14. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , wherein said second connection member is arranged such that an extension direction thereof is equal to a transmit direction of a major load from a part of said rear suspension system.
15. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
a body floor which forms a floor surface of a vehicle interior;
a rear side frame arranged in a bottom surface of said body floor to extend in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body; and
a plate member arranged between said rear side frame and said body sidewall to extend in a lateral direction of the vehicle body so as to connect said rear side frame and said body sidewall, said plate member having a wheel house joint portion jointed to a lower end of said wheel house.
16. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 15 , wherein said wheel house joint portion is located in a vicinity of said mounting portion.
17. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 15 , wherein said plate member includes:
a frame side-surface junction member joined to a side surface of said rear side frame; and
a frame bottom-surface junction member joined to a bottom surface of said rear side frame.
18. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 17 , wherein said plate member comprises a main plate and a sub bracket, said sub bracket having said frame side-surface junction member and said frame bottom-surface junction member.
19. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 15 , further comprising a side floor panel which form an outward part of a floor surface of a vehicle interior, wherein said plate member is jointed to said floor panel.
20. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 19 , wherein said plate member has an edge located on the side of said body sidewall and sandwiched between said side floor panel and said body sidewall.
21. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 15 , wherein said plate member has a height dimension approximately equal to that of said rear side frame.
22. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a floor reinforcing member provided at a lower end of said wheel house and adapted to transmit a load to which said wheel house is subjected to a rear side frame extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
23. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 22 , further comprising a main floor panel which forms a major part of a floor surface of a vehicle interior, wherein said floor reinforcing member is formed as a separate component from said main floor panel.
24. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 22 , wherein said first connection member has a lower portion fixed to said floor reinforcing member.
25. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 22 , wherein said second connection member has a lower portion fixed to said floor reinforcing member.
26. The vehicle body structure as defined in claim 22 , wherein each of said first and second connection member has a lower portion fixed to said floor reinforcing member.