Patent ID: 6086141
Filing Date: 2000-07-11
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A vehicle body comprising:a roof side rail extending along an upper side portion of said vehicle body in a longitudinal direction with respect to the vehicle body;a side sill extending along a lower side portion of said vehicle body in the longitudinal direction, wherein the side sill includes a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel, the side sill inner panel having a top surface and a side surface;a center pillar interposed between said roof side rail and said side sill at an intermediate position along the longitudinal direction, wherein the center pillar includes a center pillar inner panel and a center pillar outer panel;a connection member for connecting the center pillar and the roof side rail, wherein the connection member provides a hinge point for the center pillar when the vehicle body is involved in a side impact;a floor panel extending along an edge of the side sill and along a lower bottom portion of the vehicle body, the floor panel provided for separating a ground surface from a passenger compartment of the vehicle body;a center tunnel including a first side having a first side wall, a second side having a second side wall, and an upper surface connecting the first and second side walls, wherein the center tunnel is located at a middle portion of the floor panel and extends in the longitudinal direction, and wherein the center tunnel is provided for housing equipment;a doubler with an U-shaped cross section mounted on said floor panel, wherein an outer end of the doubler overlaps both said side sill inner panel and said center pillar;a pillar mating section defined at an upper end portion of the outer end of said doubler, the pillar mating section for covering a lower end portion of said center pillar inner panel; a first side sill mating section defined in the outer end of the doubler at a first side of the pillar mating section, wherein the first side sill mating section contacts the top surface and the side surface of the side sill inner panel; anda second side sill mating section defined in the outer end of the doubler at a second side of said pillar mating section, wherein the second side sill mating section contacts the top surface and the side surface of said side sill inner panel;wherein a width ""D"" of the doubler along the longitudinal direction from an outside edge of said first side sill mating section to an outside edge of the second side sill mating section is greater than a width ""d"" of the doubler along the longitudinal direction between outside edges of said pillar mating section; andwherein a cross-sectional height of the doubler along the width ""d"" is greater than a cross-sectional height of the doubler outside the width ""d"", to thereby provide a flattened configuration to the doubler, such that the doubler more easily collapses when said vehicle body is subject to a side impact as compared to a middle portion of said center pillar, so as to protect a passenger in the passenger compartment by absorbing shock and providing augmented room in the passenger compartment.