Patent ID: 9233717
Filing Date: 2016-01-12
CPC Classification: B62D

Claim Text:
1. A vehicle side section structure comprising: a rocker that includes a rocker outer panel and a rocker inner panel, the rocker outer panel and the rocker inner panel each having a hat-shaped cross section, the rocker forming a first closed cross section with an opening of the rocker outer panel and an opening of the rocker inner panel facing one another, the first closed cross section being formed by fixing an upper flange portion of the rocker outer panel and an upper flange portion of the rocker inner panel together and by fixing a lower flange portion of the rocker outer panel and a lower flange portion of the rocker inner panel together, and the rocker extending in a vehicle longitudinal direction along a lower edge portion of a vehicle side section; and a bulkhead disposed inside of the rocker, the bulkhead being provided to correspond to a portion coupling a center pillar with the rocker, the bulkhead including a first flange portion, a second flange portion, and a third flange portion, the first flange portion being sandwiched between the upper flange portion of the rocker inner panel and the upper flange portion of the rocker outer panel and fixed to the upper flange portion of the rocker inner panel and the upper flange portion of the rocker outer panel, the second flange portion downwardly extending from the first flange portion, and the third flange portion extending from the first flange portion, wherein the second flange portion and the third flange portion are coupled to the first flange portion, the third flange portion includes an upper wall portion, a sidewall portion and a lower wall portion, the sidewall portion contacts with an inner surface of the rocker inner panel or an inner surface of the rocker outer panel, the sidewall portion is fixed to the inner surface of the rocker inner panel or the inner surface of the rocker outer panel, the bulkhead includes a longitudinal wall portion that extends in a direction to intersect with the second flange portion and the third flange portion, the longitudinal wall portion is disposed such that the vehicle longitudinal direction coincides with a thickness direction of the longitudinal wall portion, an edge line in a corner portion formed between the second flange portion and the longitudinal wall portion extends from a lower end of the bulkhead, and the first flange portion is welded to the upper flange portion of the rocker inner panel and the upper flange portion of the rocker outer panel at an extended line of the edge line or at a proximity of the extended line.