CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-046888, filed on Mar. 17, 2020, contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The technology disclosed herein relates to a vehicle.

BACKGROUND

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-5912 describes a vehicle. The vehicle includes a vehicle body provided with an opening in a rear portion thereof, a door configured to close the opening, and a hinge configured to swingably connect the door to the vehicle body. The vehicle body includes a frame extending along an upper edge of the opening in a left-right direction of the vehicle and a hinge mounting portion to which the hinge is attached. The frame of the vehicle body is located between the hinge mounting portion and the upper edge of the opening of the vehicle body.

SUMMARY

In the above-described vehicle, the frame of the vehicle body is located rearward of the hinge mounting portion. Thus, when a rear-end collision occurs to the vehicle, the collision load applied from behind the vehicle is likely to be transmitted from the door to the vehicle body through the hinge mounting portion, which may result in significant deformation of the vehicle body. The disclosure herein provides a technology that diminishes deformation of a vehicle body upon a rear-end collision of a vehicle comprising a door.

A vehicle disclosed herein may comprise: a vehicle body comprising an opening in a rear portion thereof; a door configured to close the opening; and a hinge configured to swingably connect the door to the vehicle body. The vehicle body may further comprise: a frame extending along an upper edge of the opening in a left-right direction of the vehicle; and a rear header located between the frame and the upper edge of the opening. The rear header may comprise: a hinge mounting portion to which the hinge is attached; and an intermediate portion located between the hinge mounting portion and the frame and below the hinge mounting portion with respect to an up-down direction of the vehicle. The intermediate portion of the rear header may have a lower flexural strength than the frame against a collision load that acts in a front-rear direction of the vehicle.

In the above vehicle, the hinge mounting portion is located rearward of the frame of the vehicle body, and the intermediate portion of the rear header is located between the frame and the hinge mounting portion. Further, the intermediate portion of the rear header has the lower flexural strength than the frame. With this configuration, when a collision load is applied to the door upon a rear-end collision of the vehicle, the intermediate portion of the rear header is relatively easily deformed or fractured. Thus, the collision load is less likely to be transmitted to the vehicle body, and thus deformation of the vehicle body upon the rear-end collision can be diminished.

In addition, the intermediate portion of the rear header is located below the hinge mounting portion. With this configuration, the intermediate portion of the rear header is likely to undergo flexural deformation when deformed or fractured by a collision load to the door, such that the hinge mounting portion is moved upward (i.e., away from the opening of the vehicle body). Since the hinge and the door connected thereto are moved away from the opening of the vehicle body, interference of the door with the vehicle body can be prevented. Transmission of the collision load from the door to the vehicle body can be efficiently reduced. Thus, deformation of the vehicle body upon a rear-end collision can further be diminished.

