Description:
A REINFORCEMENT STRUCTURE ON A SIDE SILL

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter described herein relates to a side sill of a vehicle. The present invention is particularly related to a reinforcement structure provided inside the side sill structure on a base of the vehicle for improving the lateral stiffness and reducing the noise inside the vehicle cabin.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present subject matter.
[0003] A vehicle is necessarily provided with wide openings for accommodating doors on both sides of its body. It is essential that the parts of the vehicle body that surround the door openings, particularly the lower portions, be sufficiently rigid because the vehicle body is subjected to a variety of externally derived forces, such as vertical bends and longitudinal twists that act around the axis of the vehicle body.
[0004] Side sills serve as reinforcing members for ensuring the rigidity of the vehicle body around the door openings as stated above and form a hollow closed cross-section, i.e., a box-like cross-section. In certain vehicles, the side sills are independently positioned at the front side and a rear side of a vehicle body and extend in the longitudinal direction of the body of the vehicle. The front and rear side sill are connected near a B-pillar forming a joinery. These side sills are further divided into a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel.
[0005] In some vehicles, the rear floor is flat shaped rather than well shaped. In such vehicles, especially, during the cornering of a vehicle or during lane change, forces entering through a rear suspension get transferred to the surrounding areas. In vehicles having flat floor at rear end, joinery of sills being the comparatively weaker area, is susceptible to deformation.
[0006] Further, due to structural changes in the floor area of the vehicle, it is observed that the structural deformation is high in the lateral direction. This deteriorates the lateral stiffness performance of the vehicle as it encounters the load from the rear suspension. Further, the vibration performance of the rear torsion beam attachment point would result in the problem of road noise inside the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle handling is affected which results in adding discomfort to the passengers inside the vehicle.
[0007] Therefore in order to improve the rear torsion beam attachment point vibration performance, the following types of countermeasures are carried out such as increasing the thickness of the torsion beam and side sill components. The problem with increasing the thickness of the side sill panels may lead to weight and cost addition in vehicle development. Furthermore, in another solution, high damping material can be added around the side sill outer panel but this would also lead to an increase in cost.
[0008] Another solution is to increase the thickness of the collar diameter of torsion beam. This would also add to the cost of vehicle development
[0009] It is therefore desirable to strengthen the joinery area to reduce in-cabin noise and vibration generated due to load transferred from rear torsion beam attachment point.

OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0010] It forms an object of the present disclosure to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks/limitations in the existing solutions available in the form of related prior arts.
[0011] It is a primary object of the present disclosure to strengthen the joinery area to reduce in-cabin noise and vibration generated due to load transferred from rear torsion beam attachment point.
[0012] It is another object of the present disclosure to improve passenger comfort inside a vehicle cabin.
[0013] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a reinforcement structure for inducing resistance to lateral loads received by the vehicle body.
[0014] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a cost-effective solution to achieve the above objectives.
[0015] These and other objects and advantages of the present subject matter will be apparent to a person skilled in the art after consideration of the following detailed description taken into consideration with accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present subject matter are illustrated.

SUMMARY
[0016] A solution to one or more drawbacks of existing technology and additional advantages are provided through the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the technicalities of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered to be a part of the claimed disclosure.
[0017] The present disclosure provides a solution in the form of a side sill structure provided on a base of a vehicle for improving lateral stiffness of a vehicle body. The side sill structure includes a front side sill and a rear side sill disposed on right and left sides of a floor of a vehicle body forming a joinery near a B pillar, wherein the front side sill and a rear side sill are formed of a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel, wherein the side sill outer panel and the side sill inner panel jointly define a closed cross-section extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, wherein the side sill outer panel has a longitudinal side, a first transverse side and a second transverse side extending from the longitudinal side. A reinforcement structure is provided at the joinery, wherein the reinforcement structure is mounted on the longitudinal side, the first transverse side and the second transverse side of the side sill outer panel, the reinforcement structure has a center member defining a bowl shape, wherein the center member has a first side, a second side, a third side and a fourth side. A triangular flange protruded from the fourth side towards the side sill inner, wherein width of the triangular flange increases from a top surface till a bottom surface, wherein the bottom surface of the triangular flange is welded to the second transverse side of the side sill outer panel. A side flange protruding from the first side, the second side, the third side and the triangular flange in a direction of the front side sill, wherein the side flange is welded to the longitudinal side, the first transverse side and the second transverse side of the side sill outer panel.
[0018] In an aspect, a step bead is provided throughout the length of the center member.
[0019] In an aspect, a plurality of holes are provided along the length of the step bead.
[0020] In an aspect, the triangular flange extends at an angle (a) having a range from 30-70 degrees from the center member.
[0021] In an aspect, the side flange is extended in the direction of an A-pillar.
[0022] In an aspect, the reinforcement structure faces the side inner panel.
[0023] In an aspect, the first side and the third side have a slanted surface.
[0024] In an aspect, the side flange matches with the shape of the side outer panel.
[0025] In an aspect, the front side sill and the rear side sill extend along the length in the front and rear direction of the side body of the vehicle.
[0026] In an aspect, an additional flange is provided on a side of the triangular flange that is opposide to a side connected to the fourth side of the reinforcement structure.
[0027] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0028] It is to be noted, however, that the appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of the present subject matter and are therefore not to be considered for limiting of its scope, for the present disclosure may admit to other equally effective embodiments. The detailed description is described with reference to the accompanying figures. In the figures, a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system or methods or structure in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0029] Fig. 1 illustrates a front side sill and a rear side sill of a side sill structure according to the present disclosure;
[0030] Fig. 2 illustrates a reinforcement structure provided on joinery according to the present disclosure;
[0031] Fig. 3 illustrates a side view of a reinforcement structure connected to the side sill outer panel according to the present disclosure;
[0032] Fig. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure;
[0033] Fig. 5 illustrates another perspective view of the reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure.
[0034] The figures depict embodiments of the present subject matter for illustration only. A person skilled in the art will easily recognize from the following description that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated herein may be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosure described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0035] The detailed description of various exemplary embodiments of the disclosure is described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments are described herein in such details as to communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of details provided herein is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[0036] It is also to be understood that various arrangements may be devised that, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the present disclosure, as well as specific examples, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.
[0037] It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two figures shown in succession may be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0038] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skilled in the art to which example embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, e.g., those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.
[0039] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0040] Hereinafter, a description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0041] The present invention discloses a side sill structure of a vehicle for improving the lateral stiffness of a vehicle body. More importantly, the present invention relates to a reinforcement structure that is provided on the side sill structure for reducing in-cabin noise and vibration that is generated due to load transferred from rear torsion beam attachment point.
[0042] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, it shows the side sill structure (100) that is provided on a base of the vehicle between a A-pillar, a B-pillar and a C-pillar. The side sill structure (100) includes a front side sill (102) and a rear side sill (103).
[0043] The front side sill (102) and a rear side sill (103) form joinery (104) near the B-pillar. Therefore, the side sill structure (100) is disposed on the base (100) and is extended in the left and the right side in longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 3, the side sill structure (100) comprises of a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel (304). The side sill outer panel (304) and the side sill inner panel jointly define a closed cross-section extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
[0045] Further, the side sill outer panel (304) has a longitudinal side (301), a first transverse side (302a) and a second transverse side (302b). The first transverse side (302a) and a second transverse side (302b) extend from the longitudinal side (301).
[0046] Flanges (303a, 303b) are connected to the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b) respectively on the side sill outer panel (304). The flanges (303a, 303b) protrude outward and away from the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304) in a parallel direction as that of the longitudinal side (301).
[0047] A reinforcement structure (200) that is provided at the joinery (104) near the B-pillar. The reinforcement structure (200) is mounted on the longitudinal side (301), the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304). Moreover, the reinforcement structure (200) is welded at the first and the second transverse sides (302a, 302b) and the longitudinal side (301) of the side sill outer panel (304).
[0048] The reinforcement structure (200) provides rigidity around the joinery (104) of the front and rear side sill outer panel (102), thereby improving the lateral stiffness of the vehicle body to resist deformation when the lateral load is received by the vehicle body.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 4, it shows the reinforcement structure (200) provided on the joinery (104) of the side sill outer panel (304) having longitudinal side (301), the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b).
[0050] The reinforcement structure (200) is further divided into a center member (401) that defines a bowl shape, wherein the center member (401) has a first side (402a), a second side (402b), a third side (402c) and a fourth side (402d). The first side (402a) and the third side (402c) have a slanted surface.
[0051] The first side (402a) of the center member (401) is welded to the first transverse side (302a). The second side (402b) of the center member (401) is welded to the longitudinal side (301) and the third side (402c) of the center member (401) is welded to the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304).
[0052] Further, a triangular flange (403) is protruded outwards from the fourth side (402d) of the center member (401) and the triangular flange (403) moves towards the side sill inner from the fourth side (402d) of the center member (401). The width of the triangular flange (403) increases from a top surface (405a) to a bottom surface (405b) that is welded to the second transverse side (302b).
[0053] Also, the triangular flange (403) extends at an angle (a) that ranges from 30-70 degrees from the center member (401) and the width of the triangular flange (403) is maximum near the bottom where the triangular flange (403) is welded to the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304) for providing strength and optimization of weight on the side sill structure (100).
[0054] An additional flange (408) is protruded from the a side (409a) of the triangular flange (403) that is faced opposite to a side (409b) connected to the fourth side (402d) of the reinforcement structure (200) to provide more rigidity to the triangular flange (403).
[0055] A side flange (404) is protruded from the center member (401) in a direction of the front side sill (102). The side flange (404) is welded to the longitudinal side (301), the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304). Further, the side flange (404) also matches the shape of the side outer panel (304).
[0056] The side flange (404) protrudes from the first side (402a), the second side (402b), the third side (402c) and a bottom surface (405b) of the triangular flange (403) in the direction of the front side sill (102).
[0057] The side flange (404) also provides strength as the surface area of the reinforcement structure (200) is increased.
[0058] Further, a step bead (406) is provided throughout the length of the center member (401) and a plurality of holes (407a, 407b, 407c) are provided along the length of the step bead (406). The step bead (406) is provided at the center for further strengthening along with triangular flange (403) at the bottom of the reinforcement structure (200).

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[0059] With the help of the solution as proposed herein in the context of the present disclosure, the lateral stiffness of the body vehicle to resist deformation when lateral load is received by the body through the rear torsion attachment point is improved.
[0060] The structural deformation in the lateral direction is reduced.
[0061] The noise and vibration inside the vehicle is reduced.
[0062] The comfort inside the cabin is subsequently improved with noise and vibration reduction
[0063] It will be understood by those skilled within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those skilled within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation, no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to disclosures containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. Also, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances, where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general, such construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
[0064] It will be further appreciated that functions or structures of a plurality of components or steps may be combined into a single component or step, or the functions or structures of one-step or component may be split among plural steps or components. The present disclosure contemplates all of these combinations. Unless stated otherwise, dimensions and geometries of the various structures depicted herein are not intended to be restrictive of the disclosure, and other dimensions or geometries are possible. Also, while a feature of the present disclosure may have been described in the context of only one of the illustrated embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of other embodiments, for any given application. It will also be appreciated from the above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present disclosure. The present disclosure also encompasses intermediate and end products resulting from the practice of the methods herein. The use of “comprising” or “including” also contemplates embodiments that “consist essentially of” or “consist of” the recited feature. , Claims:We claim:
1. A side sill structure (100) provided on a base of a vehicle for improving lateral stiffness of a vehicle body, the side sill structure (100) comprising:
a front side sill (102) and a rear side sill (103) disposed on right and left sides of a floor of a vehicle body forming a joinery (104) near a B pillar,
wherein the front side sill (102) and a rear side sill (103) are formed of a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel (304), wherein the side sill outer panel (304) and the side sill inner panel jointly define a closed cross-section extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
wherein the side sill outer panel (304) has a longitudinal side (301), a first transverse side (302a) and a second transverse side (302b) extending from the longitudinal side (301),
characterized in that
a reinforcement structure (200) provided at the joinery (104), wherein the reinforcement structure (200) is mounted on the longitudinal side (301), the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304), the reinforcement structure (200) comprising:
a center member (401) defining a bowl shape, wherein the center member (401) has a first side (402a), a second side (402b), a third side (402c) and a fourth side (402d);
a triangular flange (403) protruded from the fourth side (402d) towards the side sill inner, wherein width of the triangular flange (403) increases from a top surface (405a) till a bottom surface (405b),
wherein the bottom surface (405b) of the triangular flange (403) is welded to the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304);
a side flange (404) protruding from the first side (402a), the second side (402b), the third side (402c) and the triangular flange (403) in a direction of the front side sill (102),
wherein the side flange (404) is welded to the longitudinal side (301), the first transverse side (302a) and the second transverse side (302b) of the side sill outer panel (304).

2. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a step bead (406) is provided throughout the length of the center member (401).

3. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein a plurality of holes (407a, 407b, 407c) are provided along the length of the step bead (406).

4. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the triangular flange (403) extends at an angle (a) having a range 30-70 degrees from the center member (401).

5. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side flange (404) is extended in the direction of an A-pillar.

6. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement structure (200) faces the side inner panel.

7. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first side (402a) and the third side (402c) have a slanted surface.

8. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the side flange (404) matches with the shape of the side outer panel (304).

9. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the front side sill (102) and the rear side sill (103) extend along the length in the front and rear direction of the side body of the vehicle.

10. The side sill structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein an additional flange (408) is provided on a side (409a) of the triangular flange (403) that is opposide to a side (409b) connected to the fourth side (402d) of the reinforcement structure (200).