Lightweight vehicle door structure

Abstract

The utility model discloses a light-weight automobile door structure, which relates to the technical field of automobile doors and comprises an outer plate, an inner plate, a support component and an anti-collision beam. Reinforcing ribs are arranged on the outer plate in the length direction, and the outer plate is made of plastic. The inner plate is made of metal, the edge of the inner plate is connected with the edge of the outer plate, and a mounting cavity is formed between the inner plate and the outer plate; the support assembly is connected with the inner plate and located in the installation cavity. The anti-collision beam is installed on the support assembly and is parallel to the inner plate. According to the support assembly and the anti-collision beam, the inner plate is allowed to be made of lighter thin plate materials such as aluminum alloy or high-strength steel, reinforcement is achieved only in a key stress area through the support assembly and the anti-collision beam, and light weight is achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of automotive door technology, and in particular to a lightweight door structure. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional car door assemblies are generally divided into one-piece door assemblies and two-piece door assemblies. Two-piece door assemblies typically consist of components such as the inner door panel, window frame, anti-collision beam, outer window sill reinforcement plate, inner window sill reinforcement plate, limiter mounting plate, door lock reinforcement plate, and hinge reinforcement plate, welded together using methods such as spot welding, MIG welding, and laser welding to form the inner door panel assembly. This assembly is then bonded to the outer door panel with adhesive and edge-sealing processes to form the final door assembly. One-piece door assemblies, on the other hand, have the window frame and inner door panel stamped together. The manufacturing processes for other parts are the same as for two-piece doors. Typically, the inner door panel, outer door panel, and reinforcement plates are formed using steel sheet stamping, the window frame using roll forming, and the anti-collision beam using steel sheet stamping or steel tube bending and welding. With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and increasingly stringent emission regulations, lightweighting has become a core technological path to improve driving range, optimize handling performance, and reduce carbon emissions. Currently, there is still significant room for weight reduction in car door assemblies. However, current mainstream car door assemblies are made by stamping multiple parts from a steel sheet and then welding and edging them together. First, the entire car door assembly is very heavy. Second, traditional car door assemblies require welding multiple parts, which increases the need for welding fixtures and welding processes, making manufacturing complex and costly. Utility Model Content

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a lightweight car door structure that can achieve the goal of lightweighting the car door.

[0004] A lightweight vehicle door structure according to a first aspect of this utility model includes: an outer panel, an inner panel, a bracket assembly, and a crash beam. The outer panel has reinforcing ribs along its length and is made of plastic. The inner panel is made of metal, and its edge is connected to the edge of the outer panel, forming a mounting cavity between the inner and outer panels. The bracket assembly is connected to the inner panel and is located within the mounting cavity. The crash beam is mounted on the bracket assembly and is parallel to the inner panel.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a lightweight car door structure has at least the following advantages: The outer panel is made of plastic, which effectively saves costs and makes the car body lighter. The bracket assembly, as an intermediate connector, can evenly transfer the impact force from the anti-collision beam to the inner panel, avoiding localized stress concentration and reducing the risk of breakage of the inner panel or anti-collision beam. The bracket assembly and anti-collision beam allow the inner panel to use lighter sheet materials such as aluminum alloy or high-strength steel, with reinforcement only in critical stress areas, thus achieving door lightweighting.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the outer panel and the inner panel are connected by an adhesive.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an outer adhesive portion is formed on the edge of the outer panel, and an inner adhesive portion is formed on the edge of the inner panel, wherein the outer adhesive portion and the inner adhesive portion are parallel.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an adhesive groove is provided on the side of the outer adhesive portion near the inner adhesive portion.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the bracket assembly includes a front mounting bracket and a rear mounting bracket, both of which are mounted on the inner plate. The front end of the anti-collision beam is connected to the front mounting bracket, and the rear end of the anti-collision beam is connected to the rear mounting bracket.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the front mounting bracket is provided with a front mounting groove, the front end portion of the anti-collision beam is embedded in the front mounting groove, the rear mounting bracket is provided with a rear mounting groove, and the rear end portion of the anti-collision beam is embedded in the rear mounting groove.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a hinge mounting plate is provided in the mounting cavity, the hinge mounting plate is used to mount the door hinge, the hinge mounting plate is connected to the inner panel, and the front mounting bracket is connected to the inner panel through the hinge mounting plate.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the inner panel is connected to a window mounting plate, the window mounting plate is located in the mounting cavity, and a gap is left between the upper end of the window mounting plate and the upper end of the inner panel to facilitate the installation of the window.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the inner plate is connected to a door lock mounting plate, the door lock mounting plate is located in the mounting cavity, and the door lock mounting plate is attached to the outer plate.

[0014] According to some embodiments of this utility model, the anti-collision beam is a hollow metal tube.

[0015] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of one embodiment of the present utility model;

[0018] Figure 2 This is an exploded view of one embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle window mounting plate and a door lock mounting plate according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a bracket assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a rear mounting bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a front mounting bracket according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 7 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the mounting cavity according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Icon labels:

[0025] Outer panel 100, mounting cavity 101, reinforcing rib 110, external adhesive part 120, glue groove 121;

[0026] Inner panel 200, inner adhesive part 210, hinge mounting plate 220, window mounting plate 230, door lock mounting plate 240;

[0027] Bracket assembly 300, front mounting bracket 310, front mounting slot 311, rear mounting bracket 320, rear mounting slot 321;

[0028] 400mm anti-collision beam. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of this utility model are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model.

[0030] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0031] In the description of this utility model, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0032] In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installation," and "connection" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0033] Reference Figures 1 to 7 As shown, a lightweight car door structure according to an embodiment of this utility model includes: an outer panel 100, an inner panel 200, a bracket assembly 300, and a crash beam 400. The outer panel 100 has reinforcing ribs 110 along its length, extending in the front-to-back direction. The outer panel 100 is injection-molded from plastic; the reinforcing ribs 110 are injection-molded structures protruding from the outer panel 100. The front end of the reinforcing ribs 110 gradually narrows to reduce wind resistance. The reinforcing ribs 110 increase the structural strength of the outer panel 100 and also serve a decorative purpose. The inner panel 200 is made of metal, selected from aluminum alloy or steel and stamped. The edge of the inner panel 200 is connected to the edge of the outer panel 100, forming a mounting cavity 101 between them. The mounting cavity 101 is used to install components such as car windows and door locks. Compared to the use of metal sheet metal outer panels 100 in existing technologies, using plastic outer panels 100 can effectively save costs. Furthermore, sheet metal parts have a higher density than plastic parts, increasing the vehicle's energy consumption and hindering vehicle weight reduction. In humid, salt-spray, and other corrosive environments, especially in coastal areas or regions where salt is applied in winter, metal sheet metal also faces the problem of rusting. The bracket assembly 300 is connected to the inner panel 200 and is located in the mounting cavity 101. The anti-collision beam 400 is installed on the bracket assembly 300, and is arranged along the diagonal of the inner panel 200, parallel to the inner panel 200. This embodiment achieves a balance between safety, weight reduction, and cost control through mechanical optimization and material innovation. The bracket assembly 300, as an intermediate connector, can evenly transfer the impact force from the anti-collision beam 400 to the inner panel 200, avoiding localized stress concentration and reducing the risk of breakage of the inner panel 200 or the anti-collision beam 400. The bracket assembly 300 and the anti-collision beam 400 allow the inner panel 200 to use lighter sheet materials such as aluminum alloy or high-strength steel, and only reinforce critical stress areas with the bracket assembly 300 and the anti-collision beam 400 to achieve weight reduction.

[0034] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7As shown, it is understandable that the outer panel 100 and the inner panel 200 are connected by adhesive. Using adhesive reduces the need for mechanical fasteners: eliminating the need for welding, riveting, or bolting, avoiding the additional weight added by using metal fasteners, and better aligning with the trend towards lightweight vehicles. Using adhesives also avoids door panel warping caused by the high temperatures of welding, reducing subsequent reshaping and rework costs. The adhesives used include polyurethane adhesives, epoxy resin adhesives, and hot melt adhesives.

[0035] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, it can be understood that the outer panel 100 has an outer adhesive portion 120 at its edge, and the inner panel 200 has an inner adhesive portion 210 at its edge. The outer adhesive portion 120 and the inner adhesive portion 210 are parallel. The parallel outer adhesive portion 120 and the inner adhesive portion 210 form a continuous adhesive band, which distributes the impact force or daily load evenly along the adhesive surface, avoids local stress concentration, and improves the overall bending and torsional resistance. It is foreseeable that surface pretreatment is required before bonding. The specific steps are as follows: use solvents such as isopropyl alcohol to remove oil and dust, and polish the metal surface for slight roughening treatment. Ensure that the surfaces of the outer adhesive portion 120 and the inner adhesive portion 210 are dry and free of water stains or residual solvent.

[0036] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 7 As shown, it can be understood that an adhesive groove 121 is provided on the side of the outer bonding part 120 near the inner bonding part 210. The width of the adhesive groove 121 is typically 3~5mm. The adhesive groove 121 is a groove structure pre-set on the surface of the outer panel 100 to accommodate the adhesive. The adhesive groove 121 guides the adhesive to flow along a predetermined path, ensuring that the adhesive layer is evenly distributed on the bonding surface, reducing air bubbles or voids, and improving bonding reliability. The adhesive groove 121 can also provide clear path guidance for robot adhesive application, reducing programming complexity and improving application speed and accuracy. After installation, a rain test is required, simulating a rainstorm environment with a water pressure ≥1MPa, to ensure that there is no water leakage inside the door.

[0037] Reference Figures 3 to 6As shown, the bracket assembly 300 includes a front mounting bracket 310 and a rear mounting bracket 320, both of which are mounted on the inner panel 200. The front end of the anti-collision beam 400 is connected to the front mounting bracket 310, and the rear end of the anti-collision beam 400 is connected to the rear mounting bracket 320. The front and rear brackets form a stable triangular support structure between the anti-collision beam 400 and the inner panel 200. During a collision, the impact force is transmitted to the inner panel 200 through both ends of the anti-collision beam 400 and dispersed to the vehicle frame, preventing localized overload. The front mounting bracket 310 and the rear mounting bracket 320 can be pre-installed on the inner panel 200 by welding or riveting. The anti-collision beam 400, as an independent module, is welded to the front mounting bracket 310 and the rear mounting bracket 320, simplifying the production line process and improving production efficiency.

[0038] Reference Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the front mounting bracket 310 has a front mounting groove 311, into which the front end of the anti-collision beam 400 is embedded. The rear mounting bracket 320 has a rear mounting groove 321, into which the rear end of the anti-collision beam 400 is embedded. The anti-collision beam 400 is embedded in the front mounting groove 311 and the rear mounting groove 321, which form a wrapping constraint on the beam, limiting its lateral displacement and rotation, thus reducing the risk of separation of the anti-collision beam 400, the front mounting bracket 310, and the rear mounting bracket 320 in a side collision. The geometric contours of the front mounting groove 311 and the rear mounting groove 321 match the ends of the anti-collision beam 400, allowing for positioning without complex tooling during assembly, simplifying the production process and improving production efficiency. To save production costs, both the front mounting bracket 310 and the rear mounting bracket 320 are formed by stamping steel plates.

[0039] Reference Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the mounting cavity 101 contains a hinge mounting plate 220 for mounting the door hinge 221. The hinge mounting plate 220 is bolted to the inner panel 200, and the front mounting bracket 310 is connected to the inner panel 200 via the hinge mounting plate 220. During a collision, the force is first transmitted from the anti-collision beam 400 to the hinge mounting plate 220, and then from the hinge mounting plate 220 to the inner panel 200 of the door, increasing the force transmission area and improving energy absorption. Since the hinge mounting plate 220 serves as the common anchor point for the door hinge 221, the inner panel 200, and the front mounting bracket 310, it experiences significant stress and is therefore formed from a thicker steel plate. This localized reinforcement achieves a balance between lightweighting and strengthening key areas. The hinge mounting plate 220 and the front mounting bracket 310 can be pre-welded together before being connected to the inner panel 200.

[0040] Reference Figures 2 to 6As shown, it can be understood that the inner panel 200 is connected to the window mounting plate 230, which is located in the mounting cavity 101. A gap is left between the upper end of the window mounting plate 230 and the upper end of the inner panel 200 to facilitate window installation. Since window operation requires guidance and the window operation mechanism needs a suitable installation location, components such as the window operation motor, guide rails, and sealing strips are centrally mounted on the window mounting plate 230, reducing the structural design requirements of the inner panel 200. Due to the simplified structure during stamping, the manufacturing cost of the inner panel 200 is reduced. It is foreseeable that the window mounting plate 230 and the inner panel 200 are connected by welding.

[0041] Reference Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the inner panel 200 is connected to a door lock mounting plate 240, which is located in the mounting cavity 101 and is in contact with the outer panel 100. The door lock mounting plate 240 and the outer panel 100 are tightly fitted together, forming a double-layer panel structure. This structure supports the outer panel 100 and distributes the pulling force during door lock operation, preventing deformation of the outer panel 100 due to localized stress. The outer panel 100 has a handle hole for the door handle to pass through. Because the outer panel 100 is made of plastic, its structural strength is limited, so the door lock cannot be directly installed on the outer panel 100. The door lock mounting plate 240 is concealed inside the outer panel 100, with only the door handle operating components of the door lock exposed.

[0042] Reference Figures 3 to 6 As shown, it can be understood that the crash beam 400 is a hollow metal tube. The crash beam 400 uses a hollow circular tube with the same shaft diameter of 24mm and a wall thickness of 1.5mm. The hollow tube maximizes the moment of inertia of the cross-section through its hollow structure, and its bending and torsional resistance is significantly better than that of a solid rod under the same weight.

[0043] Assembly steps: Clean the surface of the inner panel 200, weld the rear mounting bracket 320 to the designated position of the inner panel 200, weld the front mounting bracket 310 to the designated position of the hinge mounting plate 220, install the hinge mounting plate 220 onto the inner panel 200 using a combination of welding and bolt connection, embed the front end of the anti-collision beam 400 into the front mounting groove 311, embed the rear end of the anti-collision beam 400 into the rear mounting groove 321, weld both ends of the anti-collision beam 400 to the front mounting bracket 310 and the rear mounting bracket 320 respectively, install the door lock and window system, apply continuous adhesive lines along the edge of the outer panel 100, and glue the outer panel 100 to the inner panel 200.

[0044] The embodiments of the present utility model have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A lightweight vehicle door structure, characterized in that, include: The outer panel (100) is provided with reinforcing ribs (110) along its length, and the outer panel (100) is made of plastic. The inner plate (200) is made of metal. The edge of the inner plate (200) is connected to the edge of the outer plate (100). An installation cavity (101) is formed between the inner plate (200) and the outer plate (100). A bracket assembly (300) is connected to the inner plate (200), and the bracket assembly (300) is located in the mounting cavity (101); A crash beam (400) is installed on the bracket assembly (300), and the crash beam (400) is parallel to the inner plate (200).

2. The lightweight door structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer panel (100) and the inner panel (200) are connected by adhesive.

3. The lightweight door structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The outer panel (100) has an outer adhesive portion (120) formed on its edge, and the inner panel (200) has an inner adhesive portion (210) formed on its edge. The outer adhesive portion (120) and the inner adhesive portion (210) are parallel.

4. The lightweight door structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The outer adhesive portion (120) has an adhesive groove (121) on the side near the inner adhesive portion (210).

5. The lightweight door structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bracket assembly (300) includes a front mounting bracket (310) and a rear mounting bracket (320), both of which are mounted on the inner plate (200). The front end of the anti-collision beam (400) is connected to the front mounting bracket (310), and the rear end of the anti-collision beam (400) is connected to the rear mounting bracket (320).

6. The lightweight door structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: The front mounting bracket (310) is provided with a front mounting groove (311), and the front end of the anti-collision beam (400) is embedded in the front mounting groove (311). The rear mounting bracket (320) is provided with a rear mounting groove (321), and the rear end of the anti-collision beam (400) is embedded in the rear mounting groove (321).

7. The lightweight door structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: The mounting cavity (101) is provided with a hinge mounting plate (220), which is used to install the door hinge (221). The hinge mounting plate (220) is connected to the inner panel (200), and the front mounting bracket (310) is connected to the inner panel (200) through the hinge mounting plate (220).

8. The lightweight door structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner panel (200) is connected to a window mounting plate (230), which is located in the mounting cavity (101). A gap is left between the upper end of the window mounting plate (230) and the upper end of the inner panel (200) to facilitate the installation of the window.

9. The lightweight door structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner plate (200) is connected to a door lock mounting plate (240), which is located in the mounting cavity (101) and is attached to the outer plate (100).

10. The lightweight door structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The anti-collision beam (400) is a hollow metal tube.

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