Disclosed is an upper connecting structure of a side rail and a center pillar. The side rail has a closed cross section constituted by a side rail outer member and a side rail inner member disposed inside of the side rail outer member. A ridge line extending in a lengthwise direction of a vehicle is formed by an upper surface and a side surface of the side rail outer member. Further, a plurality of bead sections are formed over the upper and side surfaces of the side rail outer member across the ridge line. More specifically, a pair of bead sections are formed with a connection portion of the side rail outer member and the center pillar between so as to securely prevent the upper connecting structure from being collapsed.

A pillar structure which includes a pillar member connected to an upper potion and a lower portion of a transversely outer vehicle body. The pillar member is formed into a channel open toward a compartment, with a transversely outer base wall, and a pair of side walls which are thinner than the base wall and extend from both front and rear sides of the base wall. Each side wall is formed to have a first tapered portion gradually reducing in thickness from a base end portion of the side wall to a substantially center portion of the width thereof. Stiffening projections are formed on an inner surface of each side wall at predetermined intervals in a pillar longitudinal direction, and extend from a distal end portion of the side wall to the base end portion thereof.

A vehicle frame structure includes an outer pillar panel, an inner pillar panel and a bulkhead. The outer pillar panel includes an outer upper end, an outer lower end and an outer bulkhead attachment section located between the outer lower end and the outer upper end and at or above a mid-point of the outer pillar panel. The inner pillar panel includes an inner upper end, an inner lower end and an inner bulkhead attachment section located between the inner lower end and inner upper end and at or above a mid-point of the inner pillar panel. The bulkhead is fixedly coupled to the outer and inner bulkhead attachment sections.

The vehicle body side structure is provided that comprises a front pillar, a center pillar, a rear pillar, a side sill, a roof side rail, and front and rear strengthening members. The center pillar further comprises an inner pillar member or portion coupled to the roof side rail and the side sill and an outer pillar member or portion disposed on the transversely outward side of the inner pillar member. The outer pillar member is coupled to the side sill a vertically approximate center portion of the inner pillar member. A main energy absorbing section is provided at a lower end portion of the outer pillar member. The front and rear strengthening members are coupled only to the outer pillar member of the center pillars. As a result, a load input during a side collision is dispersed and transmitted through the strengthening members and through the inner pillar member.

The invention relates to a device for reinforcing a hollow element (16) of a motor vehicle, especially a column of the body. The inventive device consists of at least one elongate, dimensionally stable plastic support frame (10) insertable into the hollow element (16) which is provided with free supporting surfaces (18) that can be engaged gaged with the inner wall (32) of the hollow element (16).