Claims:We Claim:
1. A side body outer extension panel (200) on rear portion of a vehicle, the panel (200) comprises:
a lateral portion (201) and an elongated longitudinal portion (202),
wherein the lateral portion (201) is connected to a roof panel (203) and a side body outer panel (204) at D-pillar and the longitudinal portion (202) is connected to lamp house outer panel on rear body of the vehicle,
characterized in that,
a funnel shaped protruded bead (206) is integrated between the lateral portion (201) and the longitudinal portion (202) of the side body outer extension panel (200).
2. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lateral portion (201) is connected to the roof panel (203) and the side body outer panel (204) by spot welds.
3. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal portion (202) is connected to the lamp house outer panel by one of spot welds and bolting.
4. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the longitudinal portion (202) comprises flange (207a, 207b) on each side of the longitudinal portion (202).
5. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bead (206) is larger at top and is being narrowed down along the width of the panel (200).
6. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the bead (206) is provided across the cross sectional width of the panel (200) below the lateral portion (201).
7. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bead (206) is connected to the flanges (207a, 207b) at both ends.
8. The panel (200) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the panel (200) is a single structured panel.

Description:A SIDE BODY OUTER EXTENSION PANEL ON REAR PORTION OF A VEHICLE

FIELD OF INVENTION
[0001] The present disclosure, in general, relates to a side body outer extension panel on rear portion of a vehicle and in particular, to the side body outer extension panel for controlling twisting loads acting on the vehicle and for improving torsional rigidity of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention.
[0003] In general, all vehicles especially automobiles comprise of a side body outer extension panel that is an important load bearing member. The side body extension panel provides torsional rigidity and counters stresses developed due to twisting loads or forces acting on the vehicle. The design of the panel for such side body outer extension plays an important role in achieving the torsional rigidly and twist strength.
[0004] Referring to Fig.1, the existing structures 100 are in form of a two-part structure or multiple part structure connected to roof panel 103 and side body outer panel 104 on the rear portion of the vehicle at the D-pillar. Such multi-structural panels have an upper part 101 and a lower part 102 connected to the roof panel 103 and side body outer panel 104 through spot welds. The existing structure(s) also require additional bolting 105 to control and counter the stresses developed on account of twisting loads acting on the vehicle. These multi-part structures 100 also result to a larger width of the side body outer extension panel which in turn reduces the lateral visibility of the driver. The cost associated with tooling requirements, development and manufacturing of such panel are also high. Due to a comparatively higher weight on account of multiple components, the weight of the side body outer extension panel is also high.
[0005] In addition, during movement of the vehicle or during vehicle running condition, load is transferred through side body outer panel 104 to the roof panels 103 and D-pillar. In order to reduce the stresses, bolting 105 is required at the joinery area of side body outer panel 104, roof panel 103 and side body outer extension panel 100 which increases number of parts and overall cost to manufacture a vehicle. If bolting is eliminated at the joinery area, high stresses are generated which causes cracks in panels.
[0006] Therefore, in order to overcome the limitations of the existing provisions, there is need in the art to provide for a structure to effectively counter the stresses developed due to twisting loads acting on the vehicle and for improving the torsional rigidity of the vehicle while reducing number of parts and overall cost of the vehicle.
OBJECTS OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0007] It is therefore the object of the invention to overcome the aforementioned and other drawbacks in prior systems used for countering twisting loads acting on the vehicle and for improving torsional rigidity of the vehicle.
[0008] Another object of the present invention is to improve the lateral visibility of the driver of the vehicle.
[0009] Another object of the present invention is to reduce the weight, tooling requirements and development cost of the side body outer extension panel.
[0010] These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred form of the present invention is illustrated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] This summary is provided to introduce concepts related to side body outer extension panel which counters twisting loads acting on the vehicle and improves torsional rigidity of the vehicle.
[0012] The concepts are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0013] In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a side body outer extension panel on rear portion of a vehicle comprising a lateral portion and an elongated longitudinal portion, wherein the lateral portion is connected to roof panel and side body outer panel at D-pillar and the longitudinal portion is connected to lamp house outer panel on the rear body of the vehicle. A funnel shaped protruded bead is integrated between the lateral portion and the longitudinal portion of the side body outer extension panel for diverting stresses from top portion towards lower portion of the side body outer extension panel.
[0014] In an aspect, the lateral portion is connected to the roof panel and the side body outer panel at D-pillar by spot welding and bolting.
[0015] In an aspect, the longitudinal portion is connected to the lamp house outer panel by bolting or spot welds.
[0016] In an aspect, the longitudinal portion comprises a flange on each side of the longitudinal portion.
[0017] In an aspect, the bead is provided across the cross section of the panel below the lateral portion.
[0018] In an aspect, the bead is connected to the flanges for diverting the stress from the top portion towards the lower portion of the side body outer extension panel along the flanges of the longitudinal portion.
[0019] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.
[0020] It is to be understood that the aspects and embodiments of the disclosure described above may be used in any combination with each other. Several of the aspects and embodiments may be combined to form a further embodiment of the disclosure.
[0021] 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 DRAWINGS
[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of 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 and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
[0023] Fig. 1 illustrates a schematic view of the two-part side body outer extension panel in accordance with the prior art.
[0024] Fig. 2 illustrates a side body outer extension panel as seen from rear of vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and
[0025] Fig. 3 illustrates flow and diversion of stresses in the side body outer extension panel as seen from rear of vehicle, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] 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 clearly 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.
[0027] 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.
[0028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a", “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes” and/or “including,” when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and/or groups thereof.
[0029] 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, in fact, be executed concurrently or may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality/acts involved.
[0030] 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.
[0031] The present subject matter discloses a side body outer extension panel on rear portion of a vehicle for controlling twisting loads acting on the vehicle and for improving torsional rigidity of the vehicle. The present subject matter has been developed to effectively counter stresses developed due to twisting forces acting on the vehicle and to improve the torsional rigidity of the vehicle. The structure provides numeral advantages such as improved lateral visibility, reduced weight, lesser tooling and bolting requirements, low development cost and ease of assembly during the assembly of the vehicle.
[0032] The stresses developed at the joining area of roof panel, side body outer at D-pillar area and side body outer extension panel are concentrated and high and therefore, the present structure diverts and distributes these forces efficiently from the high stress area to the less stress area of the side body outer extension panel.
[0033] As shown in figure 2 and figure 3, the present subject matter discloses a side body outer extension panel to effectively control and uniformly divert stresses developed at the joining area 301 of side body outer extension panel 200, roof panel 203 and side body outer panel 204. The side body outer extension panel 200 includes a lateral portion 201 and an elongated longitudinal portion 202. The lateral portion 201 is connected to the roof panel 203 and side body outer panel 204 at D-pillar and the elongated longitudinal portion 202 is connected to lamp house outer panel (not shown in figures) on the rear body of the vehicle. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the longitudinal portion 202 is connected to the lamp house outer panel by means of bolting or spot welds.
[0034] The panel 200 further comprises a funnel shaped protruded bead 206 integrated between the lateral portion 201 and the longitudinal portion 202 of the side body outer extension panel 200 for diverting stresses from the joinery area 301 at top portion towards the lower portion of side body outer extension panel. The bead 206 is embedded across the cross-sectional width of the panel 200 below the lateral portion 201. The funnel shaped bead 206 eliminates the use of additional bolting of the side body outer extension panel 200 with the roof panel 203 for additional stiffness thereby reducing the blank size of the side body outer extension panel 200. In addition, the cross-sectional area of the bead 206 is larger at top which has been narrowed down along the width of the panel 200 thereby providing a guided pathway for the flow of stresses from the joining area 301 to the longitudinal portion 202 in a uniform manner.
[0035] Referring to figure 3, the longitudinal portion 203 has flange (207a, 207b) on each side of the longitudinal portion 203 of the panel 200 acting as a pathway for the flow of stresses from the joining area 301 to the bottom portion of the panel 200 in a uniform manner. Further, the end portion of the bead 206 on each side of the bead 206 is connected to the flanges 207a, 207b of the longitudinal portion 202. In the present invention, the side body outer extension panel (200) is a single structured panel.
[0036] Thus, the side body outer extension panel 200 with a funnel shaped bead 206 prevents the concentration of stresses developed due to twisting forces acting on the vehicle and in return improves the torsional rigidity of the vehicle.
Technical advantages:
[0037] With the present disclosure, the stresses developed due to twisting forces or loads acting on the vehicle are countered effectively and diverted to other parts in a uniform manner. Therefore, the stresses do not remain concentrated at the joint portion of the side body outer extension panel, the roof panel and the side body outer panel.
[0038] With the present disclosure, the torsional rigidity of the vehicle is improved.
[0039] With the present disclosure, the development and manufacturing cost of the side body outer extension panel is reduced as a result of a single form of structure.
[0040] With the present disclosure, the tooling requirements are reduced and requirement of bolting of side body outer extension panel with the roof panel of the vehicle is eliminated.
[0041] With the present disclosure, the lateral visibility of the driver is increased due to a narrower width of the side body outer extension panel.
[0042] With the present disclosure, substantial weight reduction of the panel is achieved due to a simpler design and single part structure.
[0043] It should be understood, however, that all of these and similar terms are to be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities. Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the discussion herein, it is appreciated that throughout the description, discussions utilizing terms such as “receiving,” or “determining,” or “retrieving,” or “controlling,” or “comparing,” or the like, refer to the action and processes of an electronic control unit, or similar electronic device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the control unit’s registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the control unit memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.
[0044] Further, the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. It will be appreciated that several of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into other systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may subsequently be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as encompassed by the following claims.
[0045] It will be appreciated that variants of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives thereof, may be combined into many other different systems or applications. Various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations, or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
[0046] The claims, as originally presented and as they may be amended, encompass variations, alternatives, modifications, improvements, equivalents, and substantial equivalents of the embodiments and teachings disclosed herein, including those that are presently unforeseen or unappreciated, and that, for example, may arise from applicants/patentees and others.
[0047] Reference Numerals
Reference Numeral Description
200 Side Body Outer Extension Panel
201 Lateral Portion
202 Longitudinal portion
203 Roof panel
204 Side body outer panel
206 Bead
207a, 207b Flanges
301 Joining area of the side body outer extension panel, side body outer panel and roof panel