Abstract:
A vehicle body reinforcement structure has a reinforcing member positioned at a predetermined height from a floor panel such that the reinforcing member may function as an armrest. The reinforcing member extends substantially at the center of a vehicle compartment in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle. This structure allows the reinforcing member to be disposed in the space of the vehicle compartment without causing an occupant to sense discomfort, and improves stiffness of the vehicle body.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a vehicle body reinforcement structure. 
     (2) Description of the Related Art 
     Conventionally, a vehicle body reinforcement structure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,704, for example, has been known. 
     This conventional vehicle body reinforcement structure includes a dash lower cross member provided at an engine room side of a dashboard lower panel and extends in the lateral direction of a vehicle. The dash lower cross member also has a tunnel reinforcement that extends from an intermediate portion thereof along an upper surface of a tunnel part of a floor panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A rear-most end of the tunnel reinforcement is connected to a cross member mounted on an upper surface of the floor panel and extends in the lateral direction of the vehicle. This structure is intended to increase the stiffness of the tunnel part of the floor panel and to absorb a load applied by a frontal impact against the vehicle. 
     In the above-described conventional structure, however, the stiffness of the vehicle body is enhanced only at a certain portion of the vehicle body, i.e. the floor panel. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body reinforcement structure that may increase the vehicle body stiffness. 
     To attain the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle body reinforcement structure comprising: a vehicle body front member provided in a front part of a vehicle; a vehicle body rear member provided in a rear part of the vehicle; and a reinforcing member that extends between the vehicle body front member and the vehicle body rear member in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle, at least a portion of the reinforcing member being totally spaced apart from a floor panel such that said reinforcing member does not make contact with the floor panel. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The nature of this invention, as well as other subjects and advantages thereof, will be explained in the following with the reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front part of a vehicle compartment interior including a reinforcing member according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a front part of the reinforcing member; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing a rear part of the reinforcing member; 
     FIG. 4 is a view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 5 is a view showing an operation of a shift lever; 
     FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which a rear video monitor is used; and 
     FIG. 7 is a view showing a state in which the rear video monitor is housed in the reinforcing member. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 shows a reinforcing member  1  interposed between a driver seat and a passenger seat, neither of which is illustrated, that extends in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle. A front end of the reinforcing member  1  is attached to vehicle body front members, i.e. an upper surface of a convex tunnel part  3  formed on a floor panel  2 , a lower surface of an instrument panel  4 , and a dashboard panel  5  that divides an engine room and a vehicle compartment. 
     The reinforcing member  1  also functions as an armrest for the driver seat or the passenger seat in order to give occupants some comfort. Accordingly, the reinforcing member  1  is disposed at a suitable height and spaced apart from the floor panel  2  so that the reinforcing member  1  can function as the armrest. More specifically, at least a portion of the reinforcing member  1  adjacent to the driver and passenger seats is totally spaced apart from the floor panel  2  such that the reinforcing member  1  does not make contact with the floor panel. Further, a cushioning member  6  is provided at a position where the reinforcing member  1  can be used as the armrest such that the cushioning member  6  covers the reinforcing member  1  as shown in FIG.  4 . The cushioning member  6  is also attached pivotally to the reinforcing member  1  such that the cushioning member  6  is capable of opening and closing a space mentioned later. A container box  20 , capable of storing small items a the like, is formed in the space. 
     Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the reinforcing member  1  has such a bifurcated structure that, along a longitudinal direction thereof, the reinforcing member  1  is bifurcated into right and left portions, which extend substantially parallel with each other. Accordingly, a shift lever  7  of an automatic transmission can be adapted to pass through the space formed by the bifurcated structure of the reinforcing member  1 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the shift lever  7  includes a shift knob  7 A, an arm part  7 B, and a shift switch  7 C. The shift knob  7 A is provided at one end of the arm art  7 B and positioned above the reinforcing member  1 . The other end of the arm part  7 B passes through the space formed by the bifurcated structure of the reinforcing member  1  and is attached to a support member  9  fixed at the front art of the reinforcing member  1  such that the arm part  7 B may pivot about the support member  9  in the longitudinal direct on of the vehicle. Further, one end of a push rod  10 , which is connected to a shift cable S extending from an automatic transmission, not shown, is attached to a substantially middle portion of the arm part  7 B. The other end of the push rod  10  is attached to a mounting part  11  provided between the reinforcing member  1  and the lower surface of the instrument panel  4  such that the push rod  10  may slide therethrough. The shift switch is pivotally attached to the arm part  7 B and below the shift knob  7 A. By moving the shift switch  7 C, a lock member, not shown, which locks the shift lever  7  in predetermined positions can be released. 
     The position of the shift lever  7  can be selected among a Parking position, a Reverse position, a Neutral position, and a Drive position, and so forth, by moving the shift switch  7 C upward toward the shift knob  7 A as shown in FIG.  5 . 
     As shown in FIG. 2, at the upper side of the reinforcing member  1 , a release lever  8  for releasing a foot-operated parking brake is provided pivotally behind the shift lever  7  such that the parking brake is released when the release lever  8  is turned upward. The release lever  8  passes through an internal space of the reinforcing member  1  and is joined to a brake cable connected to a brake lock mechanism, not shown. A concaved part  1 A, which is sized to allow a fingertip to be inserted, is formed at an upper surface of the reinforcing member  1  and adjacent the release lever  8  so that the release lever  8  can be easily operated. With this arrangement, the parking brake can be released by inserting a fingertip into the concaved part  1 A and turning the release lever  8  upward. 
     A description will now be given of a mounting structure of the reinforcing member  1  in the rear part of the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear end of the reinforcing member  1  is bent downward and attached to the rear part of the floor panel  2 , as a vehicle body rear member, that rises upward. The rear end of the reinforcing member  1  is also attached to a cross member  13 , as a vehicle body rear member, via a fixing member  12 . The fixing member  12  has one end thereof attached to the reinforcing member  1  and the other end thereof attached to the cross member  13 . The cross member  13  extends in the lateral direction of vehicle and has both ends thereof joined to a rear side frame, not shown. 
     A rear monitor  14  is mounted on the rear portion of the reinforcing member  1  as shown in FIG.  6 . The rear monitor  14  is attached to the reinforcing member  1  such that the rear monitor  14  may be housed in the space formed by the bifurcated structure of the reinforcing member  1  as shown in FIG.  7 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the above-described embodiment, but certain changes and modifications may be possible within the scope of the appended claims. 
     For example, although in the above-described embodiment, the front end of the reinforcing member  1  is attached to three vehicle body front members, i.e. the tunnel part  3 , instrument panel  4 , and dashboard panel  5 , the present invention is not limited to this. The front end of the reinforcing member  1  may be attached only to one or two of the above three members. 
     Further, although in the above-described embodiment, the rear end of the reinforcing member  1  is attached to the floor panel  2  and the cross member  13  as the vehicle body rear members, the present invention is not limited to this. The rear end of the reinforcing member  1  may be attached to only one of the floor panel  2  and the cross member  13 . 
     Further, although in the above-described embodiment, the floor panel  2  has the tunnel part  3 , the present invention is not limited to this. The floor panel  2  may not have the tunnel part  3 . In the case where the tunnel part  3  is not provided, a wide space can be ensured between the reinforcing member  1  and the floor panel  2  and the space can be used to place items therein, or the like.