C-pillar assembly for vehicle body

A vehicle C-pillar assembly including a C-pillar, a rear quarter extension, and a rocker panel is provided. The rear quarter extension mounts to the C-pillar and includes an arc portion. The rocker panel mounts to the rear quarter extension to define a horizontal joint therebetween and includes a notch providing space for the arc portion to extend upward along the C-pillar. The rocker panel may include an end and the rocker panel may be secured to the C-pillar so that the end extends rearward of the C-pillar to contact and reduce rotation of a tire mounted adjacent to the C-pillar when a force directs the tire forward. A profile of the rocker panel may be a C shape. The rocker panel may extend from a vehicle A-pillar rearwardly past the C-pillar. The rocker panel may be roll-formed and of an ultra-high strength steel.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to components for joint assemblies between vehicle pillars and a vehicle rocker panel.

BACKGROUND

Joint assemblies between vehicle pillars and vehicle rocker panels undergo a greater amount of stress for electrified vehicles in comparison to combustion engine vehicles due to an increased weight. The electrified vehicle joint assemblies require different materials and designs to achieve acceptable structural rigidity. Current practices may use reinforcement components to achieve acceptable structural rigidity but add additional weight and cost to manufacturing the components for the joint assemblies.

This disclosure is directed to solving the above problems and other problems as summarized below.

SUMMARY

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle C-pillar assembly includes a C-pillar, a rear quarter extension, and a rocker panel. The rear quarter extension mounts to the C-pillar and includes an arc portion. The rocker panel mounts to the rear quarter extension to define a horizontal joint therebetween and includes a notch providing space for the arc portion to extend upward along the C-pillar. The rocker panel may include an end and the rocker panel may be secured to the C-pillar so that the end extends rearward of the C-pillar to contact and reduce rotation of a tire mounted adjacent to the C-pillar when a force directs the tire forward. A profile of the rocker panel may be a C shape. The rocker panel may extend from a vehicle A-pillar rearwardly past the C-pillar. The rocker panel may be roll-formed and of an ultra-high strength steel. The rocker panel may be treated to form a fully martensitic microstructure. The rocker panel may be a rocker outer panel sized for securing to a rocker inner panel to define a tubular component.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a rocker panel for a vehicle pillar joint assembly includes a first flange, a second flange, a first horizontal flange extending between the first flange and the second flange, a third flange, and a second horizontal flange extending between the second flange and the third flange. The flanges are arranged with one another to define a C-shape and are sized for mounting to a rear quarter extension to define a horizontal joint therebetween. The first flange, the second flange, and the third flange may each be located on planes oriented parallel with one another. The first flange may be sized for mounting to one of a vehicle A-pillar, a vehicle B-pillar, and a vehicle C-pillar. The second flange and second horizontal flange may define a longitudinal axis along an edge therebetween oriented parallel with an axis defined by the horizontal joint. The first flange and the third flange may be sized for mounting to corresponding flanges of a rocker inner panel to form a hollow tubular component. The rocker panel may be fully martensitic and sized to extend from a vehicle A-pillar rearward of a vehicle C-pillar. The rocker panel may be a rocker outer panel sized for securing to a rocker inner panel to define a tubular component.

According to a further aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle C-pillar joint assembly includes a vehicle C-pillar, a rear quarter extension, and a rocker panel. The rear quarter extension is mounted to the vehicle C-pillar and includes a base portion. The rocker panel is mounted to the rear quarter extension, covers the base portion, and defines a horizontal joint oriented parallel with an axis defined by the base portion. A length between the horizontal joint and the base portion is variable based on a selected number of weld rows to secure the rear quarter extension and the rocker panel to one another. The rear quarter extension may further include a tab for mounting a flange of the rocker panel thereto to further orient the horizontal joint in parallel with the axis defined by the base portion. The rocker panel may further include an end and the rocker panel may be secured to the vehicle C-pillar so that the end extends rearward of the vehicle C-pillar to contact and reduce rotation of a tire mounted adjacent to the vehicle C-pillar when a force directs the tire forward. The base portion of the rear quarter extension and the horizontal joint may be spaced from one another such that welds securing the rear quarter extension to the rocker panel are on a first plane different than a second plane of a moment of the vehicle C-pillar. The rocker panel may be treated to have a fully martensitic microstructure and anti-corrosion characteristics. The base portion of the rear quarter extension may be spaced from the horizontal joint approximately 17 mm-45 mm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1illustrates an example of a portion of a vehicle body referred to generally as a vehicle body10. The vehicle body10includes an A-pillar assembly14, a B-pillar assembly16, and a C-pillar assembly18. A roof rail22is secured to an upper portion of each of the pillars and a rocker panel assembly24is secured to a lower portion of each of the pillars. The pillar assemblies, the roof rail22, and the rocker panel assembly24are arranged with one another to define openings for vehicle doors.

The vehicle body includes an A-pillar joint assembly26, a B-pillar joint assembly27, and a C-pillar joint assembly28. Each of the joint assemblies include components from the respective pillar secured to the rocker panel assembly24. These joint assembly locations receive stress in a form of energy when the vehicle body10receives an impact. Preferably, each of the joint assemblies is arranged with a respective pillar such that when a moment is applied to the pillar a load is uniformly distributed across the joint assembly.

FIG. 2illustrates an example of a previously known C-pillar joint assembly from an inboard side view referred to as a C-pillar joint assembly30. The C-pillar joint assembly30includes a rocker inner panel34mounted to a C-pillar extension panel36. The mounting of the rocker inner panel34to the C-pillar extension panel36creates a vertical joint40. Reinforcement components, such as a rocker reinforcement component41, are needed at the vertical joint40to achieve satisfactory structural rigidity of the C-pillar joint assembly30. This rocker reinforcement component41add cost and weight. The rocker inner panel34is a hot stamped boron component without anti-corrosion characteristics. Durability issues arise from water collecting within the C-pillar joint assembly30due to a lack of anti-corrosion characteristics of these components.

FIGS. 3 through 6Billustrate further detail of the C-pillar joint assembly28shown inFIG. 1. The C-pillar joint assembly28includes portions of the rocker panel assembly24and the C-pillar assembly18. For example, the C-pillar joint assembly28includes a rocker outer panel52, a rocker inner panel54, a wheel house outer56(sometimes referred to as a rear quarter extension), and a quarter inner57(sometimes referred to as a rear quarter extension). The C-pillar joint assembly28is mounted to a wheel house58of the C-pillar assembly18.

In this example, the rocker outer panel52and the rocker inner panel54are mounted to the wheel house outer56and the quarter inner57creating an outer horizontal joint60(FIG. 5) and an inner horizontal joint62(FIG. 4). The outer horizontal joint60and the inner horizontal joint62provide a structural rigidity improvement in comparison to the vertical joint40. For example, the outer horizontal joint60and the inner horizontal joint62provide an increase in moment resistance relating to energy from rear impacts in comparison to the vertical joint40as further described herein. The outer horizontal joint60defines an outer axis61and the inner horizontal joint62defines an inner axis63.

The rocker outer panel52is oriented with the vehicle body10so that an end70of the rocker outer panel52extends rearward of a lower portion of the C-pillar assembly18. For example, the end70may extend within a wheel house cavity defined by the wheel house58. The end70extends a predetermined length into the wheel house cavity to assist in reducing rotation of a tire72(shown inFIG. 5) mounted within the wheel house cavity when a force directs the tire72toward the end70. For example, under a rear impact to the vehicle body10, the tire72may be directed forward and contact the end70of the rocker outer panel52. In this example, the end70may reduce a rotation of the tire72to assist in reducing forward movement of the vehicle following the rear impact.

FIG. 6Bfurther illustrates a comparison of the C-pillar joint assembly30and the C-pillar joint assembly28. An example moment74is shown about a center point75and an example moment76is shown about a center point77. Vertical weld spots78are shown oriented vertically along the vertical joint40and horizontal weld spots79are shown oriented horizontally along the outer horizontal joint60. A force resulting from the moment74is represented with an arrow74aoriented in line with the vertical weld spots78. This alignment with the vertical weld spots78provides for a likelihood of component failure on either side of the vertical weld spots78. In contrast, a force resulting from the moment76is represented with arrows76adistributed across the horizontal weld spots79. This distribution across the horizontal weld spots79provides for the C-pillar joint assembly28to have a higher structural rigidity than the joint assembly.

FIG. 7illustrates further detail of the rocker outer panel52and the rocker inner panel54. The rocker outer panel52includes a first flange80, a second flange82, and a first horizontal flange84extending between the first flange80and the second flange82. A second horizontal flange88extends from a base portion of the second flange82to a third flange90. The rocker outer panel52defines a first longitudinal axis94along an edge between the second flange82and the second horizontal flange88. The first longitudinal axis94is oriented parallel to the outer axis61defined by the outer horizontal joint60and the inner axis63defined by the inner horizontal joint62when the rocker outer panel52is secured to the wheel house outer56. The flanges of the rocker outer panel52may be arranged with one another to define a C shape.

The rocker outer panel52defines a notch96sized to facilitate securement of the rocker outer panel52to the wheel house outer56and the C-pillar assembly18. For example and referring again toFIG. 3, the notch96provides space for an arc portion97of the wheel house outer56to extend upward along the C-pillar assembly18. The arc portion97is a component of the C-pillar joint assembly28. The first horizontal flange84of the rocker outer panel52is secured to another portion of the wheel house outer56adjacent the arc portion.

The rocker inner panel54includes a first flange100, a second flange102, and a first horizontal flange104extending between the first flange100and the second flange102. A second horizontal flange106extends from a base portion of the second flange102to a third flange108. The rocker inner panel54defines a second longitudinal axis110along an edge between the second flange102and the second horizontal flange106. The second longitudinal axis110is oriented parallel to the outer axis61and the inner axis63when the rocker inner panel54is secured to the quarter inner57. The flanges of the rocker inner panel54may be arranged with one another to define a C shape.

The flanges of the rocker outer panel52and the flanges of the rocker inner panel54form a hollow tubular component when secured to one another as shown inFIG. 8. The flanges of the rocker outer panel52and the flanges of the rocker inner panel54are shaped to facilitate securement of the pillars to the rocker panel assembly24at respective pillar joint assemblies.

FIG. 9illustrates a tunable overlap relationship between the rocker outer panel52and the wheel house outer56. Inclusion of the outer horizontal joint60provides for various C-pillar joint assembly28embodiments having a tunable length120between the outer horizontal joint60(outer axis61) and a base portion124of the wheel house outer56. A length of the length120may be based on an amount of space desired to accommodate weld points to secure the rocker outer panel52to the wheel house outer56. The wheel house outer56may include a tab121to secure the first flange80of the rocker outer panel52to the wheel house outer56. A capability to tune the length of the length120provides options for different structural rigidity characteristics and weld configurations of the C-pillar joint assembly28based on vehicle design requirements.

In one example, the length120between the outer horizontal joint60and the base portion124of the wheel house outer56may be between 17 mm and 45 mm. At 17 mm, the wheel house outer56and the quarter inner57may provide space for one row of welds securing the respective rocker outer panel52and the rocker inner panel54thereto. At 45 mm, the wheel house outer56and the quarter inner57may provide space for two rows of welds securing the respective rocker outer panel52and the rocker inner panel54thereto. It is contemplated that the length120may be greater than 45 mm to provide space for one or more additional rows of welds.

FIG. 10further illustrates the rocker outer panel52extending from the A-pillar14rearward of the C-pillar assembly18. The use of a horizontal joint further provides that the rocker outer panel52may be formed as a single component having a fully martensitic microstructure with anti-corrosion characteristics. In comparison to the boron material included in the C-pillar joint assembly30, the anti-corrosion characteristics of the fully martensitic microstructure provides improved durability at a location on the vehicle body10that may be exposed to water or other elements. Further, the fully martensitic microstructure provides increased structural rigidity in comparison to the boron material included in the C-pillar joint assembly30.