Motor vehicle door damping mechanism

Abstract

This invention discloses a vibration damping mechanism 10, 100 for a motor vehicle door, comprising male components 20, 120 and female components 30, 130. The male components 20, 120 are fixed to the doors 5, 105 of a motor vehicle 1, and the female components 30, 130 are fixed to the doorposts 7, 107 of the motor vehicle 1. The male components 20, 120 include expandable members 29, 129, which selectively engage with grooves 31, 131 in the female components 30, 130 to suppress relative movement between the male components 20, 120 and the female components 30, 130, and thus suppress vibration of the doors 5, 105.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a door for motor vehicles and more particularly to a door that provides shock absorption when a vehicle to which the door is part traverses uneven terrain. Background Technology

[0002] The stability of a vehicle door is difficult to achieve without affecting the closing force when traversing rough surfaces. Excessive door movement can cause squeaking and vibration, and increase wear on the door's hardware, such as wedges, latches, and strikers.

[0003] In extreme cases, the movement of the door may be so great that it can cause paint damage between the door and the surrounding vehicle body structure.

[0004] Achieving a good door setting for a passive wedge involves iterative setup and reset to obtain the optimal trade-off between vibration and door closing force. Achieving good closing force with good squeak and vibration performance requires extensive tuning, which is a time-consuming and therefore expensive process.

[0005] A significant problem with known passive door wedges used to prevent vibration is that they rely on an interference fit that cannot be too large to prevent the door from closing, which often makes them less effective at preventing unwanted door movement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a shock-absorbing mechanism for motor vehicle doors, which can be used to replace conventional door wedges, but does not require long-term setting or adjustment.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, a vehicle door anti-vibration mechanism is provided, comprising a male member including an actuating member having an actuator head located at a first end of an actuator rod and a body of the actuator rod slidably supporting the actuating member for use in fixing to one of a door and a doorpost of a vehicle (the anti-vibration mechanism forming part of the vehicle), the anti-vibration mechanism further comprising a female member (the anti-vibration mechanism forming part of the vehicle) located on the other of the door and doorpost of the vehicle and an expandable member made of an elastic compressible material, the expandable member being located between an end face of the aforementioned body and a surface of the actuator head, wherein, when the male member is in a non-actuated state, it can engage with a groove of the female member with a gap, and the expandable member has a surface that, when the male member is engaged in the groove and actuated to prevent relative movement between the male member and the female member, contacts the groove in the female member by axial compression of the expandable member.

[0008] Axial compression of the expandable member can cause the expandable member to expand outward so that the outer surface of the expandable member contacts the groove in the female part.

[0009] Outward expansion can be radial outward expansion.

[0010] The groove can be a cylindrical groove with a constant diameter.

[0011] If axial compression is applied by a force equal to that used when actuating the male component, the unconstrained diameter of the expandable member can be larger than the diameter of the cylindrical groove, thereby generating an interference force between the male and female components when the male component engages with the groove in the female component and the male component is in the actuated state.

[0012] The movement of the actuator head toward the main body can cause axial compression of the expandable component.

[0013] The actuator rod can be connected at a second end to an actuator mechanism, which is used to move the actuator head toward the body to actuate the male component, thereby axially compressing the expandable member.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is provided having a door movably mounted on the vehicle body structure and a doorpost fixed thereto by a latching mechanism when the door is in a closed position, and a motor vehicle door anti-vibration mechanism constructed according to the first aspect of the invention described above, wherein a male component is fixed to one of the door and the doorpost, while a female component is located on the other of the door and the doorpost.

[0015] The male component can be fixed to the door, and the female component can be located on the doorpost.

[0016] The door can be a sliding door.

[0017] According to a third aspect of the invention, a vehicle door damping system for a motor vehicle is provided, having a door movably mounted on the vehicle body structure and a door post fixed thereto by a latching mechanism when the door is in a closed position. The system includes a vehicle door damping mechanism constructed according to the first aspect of the invention described above, wherein the system further includes an electronic controller and an electronically controllable actuator operably connected to the electronic controller to selectively actuate a male component of the door damping mechanism, and the electronic controller operably responds to an input indicating whether the door is fully closed and whether there is a request to open the door, and actuates the male component only when the input indicates that the door is fully closed and there is currently no request to open the door.

[0018] The electronic controller can be further operated to prevent the actuation of the male component when the motor vehicle is stationary.

[0019] The male component can be fixed to the door, and the female component can be located on the doorpost.

[0020] The door can be a sliding door. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0022] Figure 1 This is a partial side view of a motor vehicle with a sliding side door, showing the sliding door in a partially open position;

[0023] Figure 2 It is along Figure 1 A cross-sectional view along line AA shows the female component of the shock-absorbing mechanism according to the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3a This is a schematic cross-sectional view of the shock-absorbing mechanism according to the present invention, showing the corresponding positions of the male and female components of the shock-absorbing mechanism when a sliding door on which the male component of the shock-absorbing mechanism is fixed approaches the closed position.

[0025] Figure 3b yes Figure 3a The schematic cross-sectional view of the shock-absorbing mechanism shown illustrates the shock-absorbing mechanism when the sliding door of the male component of the sliding door mechanism, to which it is fixed, is in the closed position and the shock-absorbing mechanism is in an unactuated state.

[0026] Figure 3c yes Figure 3a and 3b The schematic cross-sectional view of the shock-absorbing mechanism shown illustrates the shock-absorbing mechanism when the sliding door is in the closed position and the shock-absorbing mechanism is in the actuated state.

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a door system that includes two anti-vibration mechanisms installed on a sliding door.

[0028] Figure 5 This is a table showing the various factors that influence whether a seismic isolation mechanism should be in an activated state;

[0029] Figure 6 This is an enlarged view showing the expandable interference component in the axial and radial directions; and

[0030] Figure 7 This is a graphic illustration of the second embodiment of the shock-absorbing mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0031] For details, please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2The diagram illustrates a motor vehicle 1 having a body structure 2 defining a side door opening 3, the front end of which is formed by a door post 7. As is known in the art, a sliding door 5 is slidably mounted on the motor vehicle 1 to selectively expose or conceal the door opening 3. When the sliding door 5 is in the closed position, it is secured to the door post 7 by a latching mechanism 9 known in the art. The latching mechanism 9 can be selectively released in response to a request from a user of the motor vehicle 1 to open the sliding door 5. This request can be a manual action, such as pulling a door handle (not shown), or an electrically assisted action using a button or switch to request a power door opening mechanism for opening the sliding door 5.

[0032] The main movement of the sliding door 5 during opening and closing is the sliding movement of the vehicle in the XX direction, which corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 1.

[0033] However, it should be understood that, since the amount of tolerances and clearances in the mechanism for sliding the sliding door 5 onto the motor vehicle 1 is very small (on the order of millimeters), the sliding door 5 can also move in the vertical or ZZ direction and in the lateral or YY direction of the motor vehicle 1.

[0034] In this example, the sliding door 5 has a guide end or front end 6 from which two male components 20 of a pair of shock-absorbing mechanisms 10 protrude. One male component 20 is located near the top of the sliding door 5, and the other male component 20 is located near the bottom of the sliding door 5.

[0035] It should be understood that each male component 20 is fixed to a part of the structure forming the sliding door 5. It should also be understood that, depending on the size and weight of the respective sliding door, there may be fewer or more male components. It can be further understood that the outer component of the sliding door 5 covers the doorpost 7 when the sliding door 5 is in the closed position. Figure 1 It is indicated by a dash.

[0036] Each shock-absorbing mechanism 10 also includes a female component 30, which in... Figure 1 It is shown in the middle with a dashed outline and in Figure 2 The image is shown in cross-section. In this example, each female component 30 is a separate component, which is fastened to a position on the doorpost 7 such that when the sliding door 5 is in the closed position, the central axis of each female component 30 is substantially aligned with the longitudinal central axis of the corresponding male component 20.

[0037] In this preferred embodiment, each female component 30 is secured to the doorpost 7 by a pair of threaded fasteners 35. However, it should be understood that other fastening methods, such as rivets or welding, can be used. It should also be understood that in other embodiments (not shown), each female component 30 may be formed as an integral part of the doorpost 7.

[0038] Each female component 30 includes a body portion 32 and an end flange 34 for securing the body of the female component 30 to the doorpost 7. The body portion 32 defines a cylindrical groove 31 in this example. The cylindrical groove 31 is defined by a cylindrical wall 33 having a constant diameter along its length.

[0039] However, it should be understood that the male component and the groove can be another uniform shape, such as a rectangle (see...). Figure 7 The shape can be square or polygonal, and the invention is not limited to the use of cylindrical male parts and cylindrical grooves, although such shapes are particularly easy to manufacture.

[0040] Special Reference Figures 3a to 3c The individual shock-absorbing mechanism 10 is shown in more detail in a graphical manner.

[0041] refer to Figure 3a The male component 20 of the shock-absorbing mechanism 10 includes a body 22 for fixing the male component 20 to the sliding door 5, an actuator component 25 slidably supported by the body 22, and an expandable interference component 29. The expandable interference component 29 is made of an elastically compressible material that, when not axially compressed, will return to its natural relaxation size, which is smaller than the size used during axial compression.

[0042] In this example, the expandable interference member 29 is in the form of a compressible tubular elastomer or rubber ring, which has a cylindrical outer surface when uncompressed, and expands radially when compressed longitudinally to contact the cylindrical wall 33 of the groove 31 formed in the female member 30.

[0043] Figure 6 The expandable interference member 29 is shown at an enlarged scale, with arrow "C" indicating axial compression and arrow "R" indicating radial expansion.

[0044] The term "interference" is used for component 29 because when component 29 is compressed, the outer diameter of the expandable interference component 29, if not limited by the cylindrical wall 33, would be larger than the diameter of the cylindrical groove 31 defined by the cylindrical wall 33.

[0045] However, it should be understood that, alternatively, the expandable interference member may comprise multiple individual blocks that, when axially compressed, expand in a direction perpendicular to the applied compressive force to contact the female component.

[0046] The actuator component 25 includes a cylindrical actuator rod 26 and a disc-shaped actuator head 27. In this example, the actuator head is a separate component fixed to the first end of the actuator rod 26, but it can be combined with the actuator rod 26 to form an integral component.

[0047] The second distal end (not shown) of actuator rod 26 is arranged to connect to an actuation mechanism. The actuation mechanism can be a manually operated mechanism, or as... Figure 4 The image shows an electrically operated actuation mechanism.

[0048] The actuator rod 26 is slidably supported in a cylindrical hole 23 formed in the body 22.

[0049] The main body 22 has an annular end face 24 from which the actuator rod 26 protrudes. The actuator head 27 has an annular surface 28 facing the annular end face 24 of the main body 22. The expandable interference member 29 has a central hole 21 through which the actuator rod 26 extends to connect to the actuator head 27. Therefore, the expandable interference member 29 is positioned between the annular end face 24 of the main body 22 and the annular surface 28 of the actuator head 27.

[0050] exist Figure 3a The image shows the situation when the sliding door 5 approaches the doorpost 7. In this position, the male component 20 of the shock-absorbing mechanism 10 moves along... Figure 3a The arrow "D" in the diagram has moved in the direction of movement, but it is not currently engaged with the female component 30 of the shock-absorbing mechanism 10. The expandable interference member 29 is in a free state, meaning it is not compressed.

[0051] exist Figure 3b The diagram illustrates the situation when the sliding door 5 is in the fully closed position. In this position, the male component 20 of the shock-absorbing mechanism 10 no longer moves, but is now fully engaged with the cylindrical groove 31 defined by the body portion 32 of the female component 30 of the shock-absorbing mechanism 10. Note that the depth of the cylindrical groove 31 is sufficient to create a gap between the actuator head 27 and the end wall 34 of the cylindrical groove 31 when the sliding door 5 is fully closed. It should be understood that in other embodiments, the female component 30 may have a tubular body, so that there is no end wall for the actuator head 27 to contact.

[0052] In this fully engaged but unacted state, the expandable interference member 29 remains in a free state, that is, it is not compressed.

[0053] exist Figure 3c The diagram shows the situation when the sliding door 5 is in the fully closed position and the male component 20 is in the actuated state. The male component 20 of the anti-vibration mechanism 10 is fully engaged with the cylindrical groove 31 defined by the main body portion 32 of the female component 30 of the anti-vibration mechanism 10, and the actuator component 25 has passed through... Figure 3c The action of the actuation mechanism (not shown) along the line Figure 3c Move to the actuation position in the direction of the arrow "L".

[0054] In the actuated position of actuator member 25, due to the force applied by the actuation mechanism connected to the second end of actuator rod 26, the expandable interference member 29 is axially compressed between the annular surface 28 of actuator head 27 and the annular end face 24 of body 22. Applying this force will cause actuator rod 26 to move along... Figure 3c The direction of the middle arrow "L" moves longitudinally, thereby axially compressing the expandable interference member 29.

[0055] By moving the actuator head 27 toward the body 22, the axial compression of the expandable interference member 29 causes it to expand radially and engage the cylindrical groove 31, thereby creating an interference fit between the male component 20 and the female component 30 of the shock-absorbing mechanism 10. In effect, the expansion of the expandable interference member 29 clamps the male component 20 to the female component of the shock-absorbing mechanism, thus preventing the sliding door 5 from moving relative to the motor vehicle 1 in three directions (i.e., vertical (ZZ), lateral (YY), and longitudinal (XX) directions).

[0056] This arrangement has many advantages. First, it prevents the sliding door 5 from vibrating. Second, it prevents the sliding door 5 from wobbling back and forth due to the tolerance of the latching mechanism 9 used to keep the sliding door 5 closed. Third, since the interference between the male component 20 and the female component 30 only occurs when the sliding door is fully closed, it will not have an adverse effect on the opening or closing of the sliding door 5.

[0057] Preferably, the groove in the female component 30 has a constant width along its length, as this provides optimal resistance to movement of the motor vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction. It should be understood that if the groove has a converging tapered width, any movement of the sliding door 5 away from the doorpost 7 will tend to reduce the clamping force of the male component 20, particularly in the longitudinal direction XX of the motor vehicle 1.

[0058] Furthermore, because interference only occurs when the sliding door 5 is fully closed, a significant gap can be provided between the male component 20 and the female component 30 during the opening and closing of the sliding door 5. Therefore, a lengthy setup process is not required, and a larger relative tolerance can be used.

[0059] For details, please refer to the following: Figure 4 and 5 ,exist Figure 4 An embodiment of a vehicle door shock absorption system 80 is schematically shown.

[0060] In the illustrated example, system 80 includes two shock-absorbing mechanisms, such as mechanism 10 described earlier, where only the male component is illustrated. In this example, the male component 20 is shown as fixed to... Figure 1 The front edge 6 of the sliding door 5 shown.

[0061] However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to using two male components, using the same position for the male components, or using the same type of gate.

[0062] Each male component 20 is operatively connected to an electronically controlled actuator 40. Each electronically controlled actuator 40 is connected to the door 5 via a corresponding bracket 8.

[0063] The electronically controllable actuator 40 can be of any suitable type, such as, but not limited to, electric, electro-hydraulic, or electro-pneumatic.

[0064] The electronically controlled actuator 40 is operatively connected to the electronic controller 50, which is arranged to control the operation of the two electronically controlled actuators 40.

[0065] System 80 also includes a door sensor 60 for sensing when the sliding door 5 is fully closed and a latch sensor 70 for determining when a request to open the sliding door 5 exists. This request may occur when a passenger of the vehicle 1 operates the door handle to open the sliding door 5 in the case of manual door operation, or when an opening command is present in the case of a power-operated sliding door mechanism.

[0066] In the actuated state, each electronically controllable actuator 40 moves towards the corresponding actuator rod 26. Figure 4 A longitudinal force is applied in the direction of arrow "F" in the diagram. The electronically controlled actuator 40 is connected to the actuator rod 26, which causes the associated expandable interference member 29 to be axially compressed, thereby causing it to expand radially and contact the groove 31 in the female member 30 with which it engages. When the electronically controlled actuator 40 is not actuated, the corresponding expandable interference member 29 will return to its natural relaxation diameter, thereby creating a gap between the male member 20 and the female member 30.

[0067] like Figure 5 As shown, the electronic controller 50 will cause the electronically controllable actuator 40 to be actuated to create an interference engagement between the male part 20 and the female part 30 of the anti-vibration mechanism 10 only when the input from the door sensor 60 indicates that the door 5 is completely closed and the input from the latch sensor 70 indicates that there is currently no request to open the sliding door 5.

[0068] If the sliding door 5 is in the fully closed position and the latch sensor 70 senses a request from the occupant of the vehicle 1 to open the sliding door 5, the electronic controller 50 will automatically place the two electronically controllable actuators 40 into a de-actuated state, thereby allowing the sliding door 5 to open freely.

[0069] Similarly, whenever an input from the door sensor 60 indicates that the sliding door 5 is not fully closed, the two electronically controlled actuators 40 will remain in an inactive state.

[0070] Apart from Figure 4In addition to the inputs shown, the electronic controller 50 may also receive inputs from a vehicle speed sensor (not shown) and is arranged to always keep the two electronically controllable actuators 40 in a non-actuated state whenever the motor vehicle 1 is not moving.

[0071] It should be understood that in other embodiments, the two male components 20 may be actuated by a manual actuation system, and the invention is not limited to use with an electronically controlled actuation system.

[0072] Although the embodiments described in this invention relate to a sliding door, with the male component fixed to the door and the female component fixed to or forming part of the doorpost, the invention is not limited to this arrangement. For example, the female component may be fixed to the door or formed part of the door, and the male component may be fixed to the doorpost.

[0073] Furthermore, the door need not be a sliding door, and the invention is equally applicable to other types of vehicle enclosures, such as, but not limited to, side-hinged doors, side-hinged rear doors, and top-hinged rear doors.

[0074] Furthermore, although, as previously stated, the male component enters the female component along the longitudinal axis of the male component, this need not be the case; the male component may enter the female component laterally.

[0075] Figure 7 This arrangement, in the form of a second embodiment of the shock-absorbing mechanism 100, is shown, wherein a rectangular male member 120 attached to the door 105 is shown to move in a lateral “T” direction to engage with a rectangular recess 131 in a female member 130 mounted to the doorpost 107. As previously described, the male member 120 has an expandable interference member 129 located between the body 122 of the male member 120 and the actuator head 127 of the male member 120. As in the previous embodiment, when the actuator head 127 moves toward the body 122, the expandable interference member 129 expands outward to engage with the recess 131.

[0076] Those skilled in the art will understand that although the invention has been described by way of example with reference to one or more embodiments, the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, and alternative embodiments may be constructed without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A shock-absorbing mechanism for a motor vehicle door, the mechanism forming part of the motor vehicle, and comprising: The actuating member includes a male component having an actuator rod, an actuator head located at a first end of the actuator rod, and a body slidably supporting the actuator rod, the body being used to be fixed to one of a door and a doorpost of the motor vehicle; A female component located on another of the door and the doorpost; as well as An expandable member made of an elastically compressible material and carried by the actuator rod, wherein, when the male member is in a non-actuated state, the male member can engage with a groove of the female member with a gap, the expandable member having a surface that contacts the groove in the female member by axial compression of the expandable member when the male member engages in the groove and the male member is actuated to prevent relative movement between the male member and the female member.

2. The mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The axial compression of the expandable member causes it to expand outward, thereby bringing the outer surface of the expandable member into contact with the groove in the female component.

3. The mechanism of claim 2, wherein, The expansion of the expandable member is radial outward expansion from the actuator rod.

4. The mechanism of claim 3, wherein, The groove is a cylindrical groove with a constant diameter.

5. The mechanism according to claim 4, wherein, If axially compressed by the same force used when actuating the male component, the unconstrained diameter of the expandable member is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical groove, thus generating an interference force between the male component and the female component when the male component engages with the groove in the female component and the male component is in an actuated state.

6. The mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The expandable member is located between the end face of the body and the face of the actuator head.

7. The mechanism according to claim 6, wherein, The movement of the actuator head toward the body causes the expandable member to be axially compressed.

8. The mechanism according to claim 7, wherein, The actuator rod is connected at its second end to an actuator mechanism for moving the actuator head toward the body to actuate the male component, thereby axially compressing the expandable member.

9. A motor vehicle comprising: a door movably mounted on the vehicle body structure; Doorposts, which are secured to the doorposts by a latching mechanism when the door is in the closed position; and The motor vehicle door anti-vibration mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, The male component is fixed to one of the door and the doorpost, while the female component is located on the other of the door and the doorpost.

10. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, The male component is fixed to the door, and the female component is located on the doorpost.

11. The motor vehicle according to claim 9, wherein, The door is a sliding door.

12. A vehicle door shock absorption system for a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle having: A door that is movably mounted on the body structure of the motor vehicle; When the door is in the closed position, it is secured to the doorpost by a latching mechanism. The system includes a vehicle door anti-vibration mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein... The system also includes an electronic controller and an electronically controllable actuator operatively connected to the electronic controller to selectively actuate the male component of the door anti-vibration mechanism, and the electronic controller operatively responding to an input indicating whether the door is fully closed and whether there is a request to open the door, and actuating the male component only when the input indicates that the door is fully closed and there is currently no request to open the door.

13. The vehicle door anti-vibration system according to claim 12, wherein, The electronic controller is further operable to prevent actuation of the male component when the motor vehicle is stationary.

14. The vehicle door anti-vibration system according to claim 12, wherein, The male component is fixed to the door, and the female component is located on the doorpost.

15. The vehicle door anti-vibration system according to claim 12, wherein, The door is a sliding door.

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