Description:A REINFORCEMENT STRUCTURE ON A SIDE SILL

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

BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present subject matter. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[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 subject to a variety of externally derived forces, such as vertical bends and longitudinal twists that act around the axis of the vehicle body.
[0004] In the existing design, the side sills are independently positioned at the lower right and lower left portions of a vehicle body and extend in the longitudinal direction of the body of the vehicle. The side sills are further divided into a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel. The 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.
[0005] Therefore, during the cornering of a vehicle or during lane change, the vehicle encounters high lateral loads majorly from the front suspension area which tends to deform the side sill region laterally if it is weak. Consequently, deteriorating the handling performance for the customer due to inertia.
[0006] Further, due to weak section in the side-body outer, 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 front-suspension attachment point. 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 front-suspension attachment point static stiffness performance, the following types of countermeasures are carried out such as increasing the thickness of the side sill panels. The problem with increasing the thickness of the side sill panels may lead to weight and cost addition in vehicle development and consequently may effect the fuel efficiency. 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] It is therefore desirable to reduce the deformation around the side sill structure and further increase the rigidity with cost-effective measures.

OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0009] 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.
[0010] It is a primary object of the present disclosure to reduce the deformation around the side sill structure and improve the lateral stiffness of a vehicle body.
[0011] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a reinforcement structure for inducing resistance to body deformation as it encounters the lateral loads.
[0012] It is another object of the present disclosure to provide a cost-effective solution to achieve the above objectives.
[0013] 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
[0014] 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.
[0015] The present disclosure provides a solution in the form of a side sill structure of a vehicle for improving lateral stiffness of a vehicle body. It includes a side sill inner panel and a side sill outer panel defining a hat shape, wherein the side sill inner panel and the side sill outer panel have a longitudinal side, a first transverse side and a second transverse side, wherein a flange is protruded outwardly away from each of the first transverse side and the second transverse side of the side sill inner panel and the side sill outer panel in parallel direction of the longitudinal side, wherein the flanges of the side sill inner panel are joined to the flanges of the side sill outer panel to define a box section. A reinforcement structure is mounted on the longitudinal side and the second transverse side of the side sill outer panel and has a first portion connected to the longitudinal side, wherein a first flange is extended outward from an upper side of the first portion in a direction away from the longitudinal side of the side sill outer panel and towards the side sill inner panel. A second portion extends from lower side of the first portion and form, at a bent section between the longitudinal side and the second transverse side of the side sill outer panel, a concave shaped profile, where combination of the bent section and the concave shaped profile defines a box section. A third portion is extended from the second portion and formed corresponding to the second transverse side of the side sill outer panel and mounted on the second transverse side. A second flange is protruded perpendicularly outward from the third portion in a downward direction, wherein the second flange is sandwiched in between the flange of the side sill outer panel and the flange of the side sill inner panel thereby forming a three-ply joinery.
[0016] In an aspect, first flange has a plurality of step ribs provided throughout the length of the first flange.
[0017] In an aspect, the first portion defines a plurality of step structures provided along the length of the reinforcement structure.
[0018] In an aspect, a plurality of tapered beads is provided along a length of the third portion, wherein the plurality of tapered beads defines higher width adjacent to the second portion and width of the plurality of tapered beads narrow down toward the second flange.
[0019] In an aspect, the third portion extends at an angle (α) from mounting of the third portion with the second transverse side upto a middle point of the second transverse side defining a peak from where the third portion extends in a downward direction and runs parallel with the second transverse side for mounting.
[0020] In an aspect, the third portion with the peak defines a triangular shaped closed section with the second transverse side to increase lateral rigidity of the side sill structure.
[0021] In an aspect, the reinforcement structureis provided in between A-pillar and B-pillar and closer to the B-pillar.
[0022] 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
[0023] 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:
[0024] Fig. 1a illustrates a perspective view of a side sill structure according to the present disclosure;
[0025] Fig. 1b illustrates a side view of the side sill structure according to the present disclosure;
[0026] Fig. 2a illustrates a perspective view of a reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure;
[0027] Fig. 2b illustrates a front view of the reinforcement structure according to the present disclosure;
[0028] Fig. 3 illustrates a side view of the reinforcement structure depicting the shape of a third portion according to the present disclosure.
[0029] 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
[0030] 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.
[0031] 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.
[0032] 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.
[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill 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.
[0034] 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.
[0035] 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.
[0036] 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 improving the rigidity of the side sill structure and further reduce deformation.
[0037] Referring to FIG. 1a and FIG. 1b, it shows the side sill structure (100) that is provided at lower portion near door opening of vehicle body. The side sill structure (100) comprises a side sill inner panel (101) and a side sill outer panel (102) defining a hat shape. Further, each of the side sill inner panel (101) and the side sill outer panel (102) has a longitudinal side (103a, 103b), a first transverse side (104a, 104b) and a second transverse side (105a, 105b).
[0038] A flange (106a, 106b, 106c, 106d) is connected to the first transverse side (104a, 104b) and the second transverse side (105a, 105b) on each of the side sill inner panel (101) and the side sill outer panel (102). The flanges (106a, 106b, 106c, 106d) protrude outward and away from each of the first transverse side (104a, 104b) and the second transverse side (105a, 105b) of the side sill inner panel (101) and the side sill outer panel (102) in a parallel direction as of the longitudinal side (103a,103b).
[0039] The flanges (106a, 106b) of the side sill inner panel (101) are joined to the flanges (106c, 106d) of the side sill outer panel (102) forming a hollow closed cross-section, i.e., a box section.
[0040] The side sill outer panel (102) has a reinforcement structure (200) that is mounted on the longitudinal side (103b) and the second transverse side (105b) on the side of the side sill outer panel (102) that faces the side sill inner panel (101). The longitudinal side (103b) and the second transverse side (105b) connect at a joint (107). The reinforcement structure (200) provides rigidity around the 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.
[0041] Referring to FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b, it shows the reinforcement structure (200) that is mounted on the longitudinal side (103b) and the second transverse side (105b) on the side sill outer panel (102). The reinforcement structure (200) is further divided into a first portion (201), a second portion (202), a third portion (203) and a first flange (204), and a second flange (205).
[0042] The first portion (201) is connected to the longitudinal side (103b) of the side sill outer panel (102). Further, the first flange (204) is extended outwards from an upper side of the first portion (201) in a direction away from the longitudinal side (103b) of the side sill outer panel (102) and towards the side sill inner panel (101).
[0043] On the surface of the first portion (201), a plurality of step structures is provided along the length of the first portion (201) of the reinforcement structure (200).
[0044] The first flange (204) has a plurality of step ribs (207) that are provided throughout the length of the first flange (204). The plurality of step ribs (207) is thereby given to strengthen the first flange (204).
[0045] Further, a second portion (202) extends from a lower side of the first portion (201). The second portion (202) is formed at a bent section (107) between the longitudinal side (103b) and the second transverse side (105b) of the side sill outer panel (102).
[0046] Therefore, the second portion (202) forms a concave-shaped profile (206) at the bent section (107). The combination of the bent section (107) and the concave shaped profile (206) defines a box section. The box section forms a closed section to provide resistance to lateral bending.
[0047] Also, the third portion (203) is provided and extended from lower end of the second portion (202). The third portion (203) is formed corresponding to the second transverse side (105b) of the side sill outer panel (102) and the third portion (203) gets mounted on the transverse side (105b).
[0048] The third portion (203) includes a plurality of tapered beads (208). The tapered beads (208) are provided along a length of the third portion (203). The plurality of tapered beads (208) defines higher width adjacent to the second portion (202) and width of the plurality of tapered beads (208) further narrow down towards the second flange (205).
[0049] Further, the second flange (205) protrudes perpendicularly outward from the third portion (203) in a downward direction towards the vehicle bottom. Furthermore, the second flange (205) gets sandwiched in between the flange (106d) of the side sill outer panel (102) and the flange (106b) of the side sill inner panel (101) thereby forming a three-ply joinery. The three-ply joinery ensures strength around that area.
[0050] Referring to FIG. 3, illustrates the side view of the reinforcement structure (200). The figure illustrates the shape of the third portion (203).
[0051] The figure shows that the third portion (203) is extended at an angle (α) from a mounting of the third portion (203) with the second transverse side (105b) upto a middle point (301) of the second transverse side (105b) defining a peak (302) from where the third portion (203) gets extend in a downwards direction and then the third portion (203) run parallel with the second transverse side (105b) for mounting.
[0052] As the third portion (203) forms the peak (302), a triangular shaped closed section is formed with the second transverse side (105b) further leading to increase in the lateral rigidity of the side sill structure (100).

TECHNICAL ADVANTAGES
[0053] With the help of the solution as proposed herein in the context of the present disclosure, the lateral stiffness of the vehicle body to resist deformation when lateral load is received by the body through front suspension attachment locations is inproved.
[0054] Due to improvement in the lateral stiffness, the structural deformation in the lateral direction is reduced.
[0055] It is observed that there is an improvement of about 7% lateral stiffness at the front suspension attachment point with the help of the reinforcement addition.
[0056] The comfort inside the cabin is subsequently improved.
[0057] It will be understood by those 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 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.”
[0058] 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 above that the fabrication of the unique structures herein and the operation thereof also constitute methods in accordance with the present disclosure. 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) of a vehicle for improving lateral stiffness of a vehicle body, the side sill structure (100) comprising:
a side sill inner panel (101) and a side sill outer panel (102) defining a hat shape, wherein the side sill inner panel (101) and the side sill outer panel (102) have a longitudinal side (103a, 103b), a first transverse side (104a, 104b) and a second transverse side (105a, 105b),
wherein a flange (106a, 106b, 106c, 106d) is protruded outwardly away from each of the first transverse side (104a, 104b) and the second transverse side (105a, 105b) of the side sill inner panel (101) and the side sill outer panel (102) in parallel direction of the longitudinal side (103a, 103b),
wherein the flanges (106a, 106b) of the side sill inner panel (101) are joined to the flanges (106c, 106d) of the side sill outer panel (102) to define a box section;
characterized in that
a reinforcement structure (200) mounted on the longitudinal side (103b) and the second transverse side (105b) of the side sill outer panel (102), the reinforcement structure (200) comprising:
a first portion (201) connected to the longitudinal side (103b), wherein a first flange (204) is extended outward from an upper side of the first portion (201) in a direction away from the longitudinal side (103b) of the side sill outer panel (102) and towards the side sill inner panel (101);
a second portion (202) extend from lower side of the first portion (201) and form, at a bent section (107) between the longitudinal side (103b) and the second transverse side (105b) of the side sill outer panel (102), a concave shaped profile (206), where combination of the bent section (107) and the concave shaped profile (206) defines a box section;
a third portion (203) extended from the second portion (202) and formed corresponding to the second transverse side (105b) of the side sill outer panel (102) and mounted on the second transverse side (105b); and
a second flange (205) protruded perpendicularly outward from the third portion (203) in a downward direction, wherein the second flange (205) is sandwiched in between the flange (106d) of the side sill outer panel (102) and the flange (106b) of the side sill inner panel (101) thereby forming a three-ply joinery.
2. The side sill structure (100) of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first flange (204) has a plurality of step ribs (207) provided throughout the length of the first flange (204).
3. The side sill structure (100) of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first portion (201) defines a plurality of step structures provided along the length of the reinforcement structure (200).
4. The side sill structure (100) of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of tapered beads (208) is provided along a length of the third portion (203), wherein the plurality of tapered beads (208) defines higher width adjacent to the second portion (202) and width of the plurality of tapered beads (208) narrow down toward the second flange (205).
5. The side sill structure (100) of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third portion (203) extends at an angle (α) from mounting of the third portion (203) with the second transverse side (105b) upto a middle point (301) of the second transverse side (105b) defining a peak (302) from where the third portion (203) extends in downward direction and runs parallel with the second transverse side (105b) for mounting.
6. The side sill structure (100) of the vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the third portion (203) with the peak (302) defines a triangular shaped closed section with the second transverse side (105b) to increase lateral rigidity of the side sill structure (100).
7. The side sill structure (100) of the vehicle as claimed as in claim 1, wherein the reinforcement structure (200) is provided in between A-pillar and B-pillar and closer to the B-pillar.