Center pillar outer and manufacturing method thereof
AssigneeKia Motors Corporation
InventorsChul Hee Heo, Hee Dae Oh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A center pillar outer, and a method of manufacturing a center pillar outer, may include an upper panel portion which forms an upper end portion of the center pillar outer, and a lower panel portion which forms a lower end portion of the center pillar outer. The upper and lower panel portions are molded using different methods. A lower end of the upper panel portion and an upper end of the lower panel portion are overlapped with each other, and the overlapping portions are coupled to each other, for example, through welding.
Claims9
A center pillar outer, comprising:
- an upper panel portion configured to form an upper end portion of the center pillar outer;
- and
- a lower panel portion configured to form a lower end portion of the center pillar outer,
- wherein the upper and lower panel portions are molded using different methods from each other,
- wherein the upper and lower panel portions are integrally coupled to each other by bonding portions at which a lower end of the upper panel portion and an upper end of the lower panel portion are overlapped with each other,
- wherein upper flanges are respectively formed at both left and right sides of the upper panel portion, and lower flanges are respectively formed at both left and right sides of the lower panel portion,
- wherein the lower flanges are formed narrower than the upper flanges such that the lower flanges are not to be bonded between flanges of a side outer panel and a side inner panel but to be bonded to the respective upper flanges, and
- wherein the upper flanges are interposed and bonded between the flanges of the side outer panel and the side inner panel.
A method of manufacturing a center pillar outer, the method comprising:
- a first process of manufacturing an upper end portion of the center pillar outer by molding an upper panel portion;
- a second process of manufacturing a lower end portion of the center pillar outer by molding a lower panel portion, using a method different from that of the upper panel portion;
- and
- a third process of manufacturing the center pillar outer by coupling the upper and lower panel portions to each other,
- wherein upper flanges are respectively formed at both left and right sides of the upper panel portion, and lower flanges are respectively formed at both left and right sides of the lower panel portion,
- wherein the lower flanges are formed narrower than the upper flanges such that the lower flanges are not to be bonded between flanges of a side outer panel and a side inner panel but to be bonded to the respective upper flanges, and
- wherein the upper flanges are interposed and bonded between the flanges of the side outer panel and the side inner panel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.