Edge protection for a vehicle door and vehicle equipped with it

Abstract

Edge protection (9) for a vehicle door (3, 4) comprising a first leg (15) for attachment to an inner side of the vehicle door (3, 4), a second leg (16) for attachment to a flank (11) of the vehicle door (3, 4) angled from the inner side, a claw (18) hinged to an outer edge of the first leg (15) for gripping an edge of the vehicle door (3, 4), and a clamping device connected to the claw (18) and the second leg (16), the first and second legs (15, 16) being connected in an angle profile, characterized in that the clamping device comprises an actuating element (28) which is pivotally connected to the second leg (16) and is pivotable from a rest position towards the first leg (15), and comprises a tensioning element (22) which is hinged to the claw (18), and which The pulling element (22) interacts with the actuating element (28) in such a way thatthat the actuating element (28) and the pulling element (22) can touch each other and can move away from each other.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an edge protector for a vehicle door and a vehicle equipped with such an edge protector.

[0002] From DE 35 23 391 A1, an edge protector for a vehicle door is known, comprising a first leg bonded to an inside side of the vehicle door adjacent to the edge to be protected, a second leg bonded to a flank of the vehicle door angled from the inside, a claw molded onto an outer edge of the first leg which, in a rest position, engages the edge of the vehicle door, and a clamping device which is integrally connected with the claw and the second leg and extends diagonally through an angle formed by the inside and the flank. When the clamping device is deflected by a body wall engaging in the angle during the closing of the door, it exerts a tensile force on the claw, which deflects the claw from its rest position and pulls it into the space between the door and the body wall.

[0003] The tensioning device of this well-known edge protector is essentially a flexible band that connects the two legs, but cannot precisely define their position relative to each other. Therefore, it is quite possible that the two legs are not glued to the door at the correct distance from one another. If the distance is too small and the tensioning device is consequently not tight enough, the deflection of the tensioning device by the body wall is insufficient to make the claw disappear invisibly into the vehicle when the door is closed. Furthermore, when the door is closed, a considerable tensile load acts on the adhesive bond of the first leg, especially on its edge facing the claw, which can lead to the bond failing. As a result, the claw no longer wraps around the edge when the door is opened and therefore can no longer protect it.

[0004] US Patent 3,513,595 A also discloses an edge protector for a vehicle door in the form of a one-piece rubber profile, in which a rocker-shaped extension is formed on an I-shaped angle profile used for attachment, via a web. At one end of this extension is an arcuate claw 29, and at the other end is a straight actuating lever 35. In this embodiment as a one-piece rubber profile, the actuating lever serves as the actuating element, and the rocker-shaped extension as the tensioning element, so that the actuating element and the tensioning element are rigidly coupled to each other.

[0005] Further edge protection arrangements for an edge of a vehicle door are known from DE 10 2004 059 272 A1, FR 2 901 511 A1 and DE 26 28 233 A1.

[0006] One object of the present invention is to create an edge protector for a vehicle door that is easy to install and permanently secure.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, the problem is solved by an edge protector for a vehicle door with the features of claim 1.

[0008] Even if not completely rigid, the angle profile maintains a distance between the two ends of the clamping device, thus facilitating the correct installation of the edge protector. Additionally, the angle profile's resistance to deformation can relieve the edge protector's anchoring from tensile stress when the door is closed, thereby contributing to the edge protector's durability and long-lasting effectiveness.

[0009] The two legs of the angle profile can be glued to the door, but do not have to be; in particular, it may be sufficient if only one of the legs is glued, since the freedom of the other leg to yield to a tensile force of the clamping device is generally restricted by adjacent body parts when the door is closed.

[0010] The claw and the first leg can be formed cost-effectively as a single piece and connected by a foil hinge.

[0011] To ensure sufficient stroke of movement of the claw, the clamping device may include an actuating element that is articulated to the second leg and pivotable from a rest position towards the first leg.

[0012] Preferably, the second leg has a web projecting from the flank, which carries a joint connecting the second leg to the actuating element. This allows the actuating element to pivot into a groove bounded by the web and the first leg, in order to retract the claw far enough from the edge of the vehicle door so that it disappears into the vehicle interior when the door is closed.

[0013] The actuating element and the second leg can also be formed in one piece and connected by a foil hinge.

[0014] In particular, the entire edge protection can be manufactured in one piece as an extruded profile.

[0015] The clamping device may further include a tension element that is articulated to the claw and interacts with the actuating element to exert tension on the claw in the event of deflection of the actuating element.

[0016] The pulling element can, in particular, form a hook into which a projection of the actuating element engages.

[0017] In particular, because the pulling element and the actuating section are not directly connected to each other, but are slidably movable against each other, strong deflections are possible without strong internal stresses forming in the edge protection, which would cause material fatigue over a long period of time.

[0018] Particularly when the edge protector is installed between two doors of the vehicle, which can both pivot independently of each other, it may be desirable for the actuating section to be pivotable from the rest position further away from the first leg.

[0019] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the problem is solved by a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, with a first door and an edge protector attached to a narrow side of the first door far from the hinge, as described above.

[0020] Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. These show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a motor vehicle in which doors are equipped with edge protection according to the invention; Fig. 2 a section through a rear edge of a front door of the motor vehicle in a partially open position; Fig. 3. a cut through the trailing edge in the closed position; and Fig. 4. One possible form of edge protection for the front door when the rear door is open.

[0021] Fig. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a motor vehicle body according to the invention. The body has, in the usual manner, front and rear fenders 1, 2, and at least two, here four, doors 3, 4. The doors 3, 4 each comprise an outer wall panel 5 in their lower area and a window 6 in their upper area. Joints 7, 8 extend between the doors 3, 4 and between the rear door and the rear fender. In the Fig. In the closed position of the doors 3, 4 shown in Figure 1, edge protectors 9 mounted on their hinge-remote, i.e. rear, edges are concealed inside the joints 7, 8 and do not project beyond the outer wall sheets 5 of the doors 3, 4.

[0022] Fig. Figure 2 shows a horizontal section through a rear part of the door 3 in a partially open position. An inner panel of the door 3 has a stepped cross-section with a main side 10 facing a passenger compartment of the vehicle and a narrow side 11, which together with the outer wall panel 5 form a hollow door frame 12, and an edge section 13 angled away from the side 11 in the direction away from the hinge. The outer panel 5 is bent around the edge section 13 to form a narrow rib 14 projecting from the door frame 12.

[0023] The edge protector 9 mounted there is in a relaxed resting position.

[0024] The edge protector 9 is extruded from an elastic, tough plastic. It comprises an angle profile with two legs 15, 16 joined at their inner edges, one leg 15 bearing against the inside of the rib 14 and the other leg 16 bearing against the flank 11. The angle profile is thick-walled enough to deform only to a negligible extent under the forces acting on the edge protector 9 during normal use. It can be bonded to the rib 14, the flank 11, or both.

[0025] An outer edge of the leg 15 is formed by a foil hinge 17, which connects the leg 15 to a claw 18. In the relaxed position of the Fig. 2 A protective profile 19 of the claw 18 encompasses an edge of the rib 14 and thus protects it from damage when striking an obstacle. In addition to the protective profile 19, the claw 18 includes a profile section 20, which in the position of the Fig. 2 extends from the foil hinge 17 almost opposite to the protective profile 19. A tension element 22 is hinged to the tip of the profile section 20, connected via another foil hinge 21. The cross-section of the tension element 22 comprises an elongated section 23, which extends along the leg 15 towards the flank 11, and, at its end facing the flank 11, a hook-shaped section 24.

[0026] The leg 16 carries a web 25 projecting from the flank 11, which, together with the leg 15, forms the side walls of a groove 26 opposite the hook-shaped section 24 of the tension element 22. At the free end of the web 25 is another foil hinge 27, which connects a profile section, here referred to as the actuating element 28, to the leg 16. The actuating element 28 comprises a hook-shaped section 29 extending from the foil hinge 27 towards the leg 15. A free end of the hook-shaped section 24 engages in the concavity of the hook-shaped section 29, and conversely, the free end of the hook-shaped section 29 touches the concave side of the hook-shaped section 24. A web 30 extends from the convex side of the hook-shaped section 29 in a direction extending away from both the flank 11 and the rib 14.At the base of the bridge 30 another foil hinge 31 can be formed, however its wall thickness is higher than that of the foil hinges 17, 21, 27, so that it is harder to deflect and can only be deflected to a lesser extent than the latter.

[0027] In the semi-open position of the Fig. 2 points the free end of the bridge 30 towards a body part 32, which is a B-pillar of the vehicle or, if a B-pillar is not present or is too deep inside the vehicle to be visible in the image section of the Fig. 2 to become visible, which can be a front edge of the rear door 4.

[0028] Based on Fig. 2. It is easy to understand that if door 3 is removed from the position of the Fig. 2 towards their in Fig. When the closed position shown in Figure 3 is moved, the bridge 30 initially abuts a surface 33 of the body part 32 oriented transversely to the direction of movement. This forces the actuating element 28 to pivot clockwise. The free end of the hook-shaped section 29 presses against the concave side of the hook-shaped section 24 and drives it into the groove 26. The resulting tensile load on the pull element 22 causes the claw 18 to pivot counterclockwise, the protective profile 19 lifts from the outside of the rib 14 and pivots into the joint 7. As the actuating element 28 continues to rotate during the closing of the door 3, the free end of the hook-shaped section 29 slides along the concave side of the hook-shaped section 24 and finally reaches, as shown in Figure 3. Fig. Figure 3 shows a position in which the two hook-shaped sections 24, 29 dip into the groove 26 and nestle together to save space.

[0029] In the closed position, viewed from the outside of the vehicle, the rib 14 and the surface 33 of the body part 32 overlap. To allow the pull element 22 and the actuating element 28 to fit between them, the web 30 can be positioned as shown in Fig. 3 can be seen, angled relative to the hook-shaped section 29 in the foil hinge 31.

[0030] The claw 18 is completely received in the joint 7; at most, an edge of the protective profile 19 furthest from the hinge is still flush with the outer wall sheet 5 of the door 3 and an outer wall sheet 5 of the body part 32 opposite the joint 7 on the other side.

[0031] If the body part 32 is a B-pillar, then the surface 33 is fixed and, when the door 3 is closed, always faces the actuating element 28 in the same orientation, so that the actuating element 28 reliably pivots in the manner described above, thereby retracting the claw 18 from the outside of the door 3. If, on the other hand, the body part 32 is the rear door 4, i.e., if the doors 3 and 4 abut each other at the joint 7 without an intervening B-pillar, then when the rear door 4 is opened, the surface 33 retracts into the vehicle interior, thus allowing the edge protector 9 to return to its position in the same way as when the front door 3 is opened. Fig. 2 relaxed configurations shown.

[0032] Surface 33 is recessed into the vehicle interior against the outer surfaces of doors 3 and 4, which are flush with each other in the closed position, and is connected to the outer surface of door 4 via a step 34. When the rear door 4 is opened further, an edge 35 between the step 34 and the outer surface of door 4 eventually abuts the actuating element 28. The actuating element 28 can only yield to this pressure by pivoting counterclockwise. This is possible without overextending the edge protector 9, since the actuating element 28 and the pull element 22 are not connected to each other and therefore, as in Fig. 4 shown can move away from each other. Therefore, the edge protector 9 can withstand the deformations that occur when the door 4 is opened, without suffering structural damage or being torn away from the door 3.

[0033] It is understood that the above detailed description and the drawings, while representing certain exemplary embodiments of the invention, are intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of the invention. Various modifications of the described embodiments are possible without departing from the scope of the following claims and their equivalence range. In particular, this description and the figures also reveal features of the exemplary embodiments that are not mentioned in the claims. Such features can also occur in combinations other than those specifically disclosed here.The fact that several such features are mentioned together in the same sentence or in another type of textual context does not justify the conclusion that they can only occur in the specifically disclosed combination; instead, it should generally be assumed that individual features of several such features can be omitted or modified, provided that this does not call into question the functionality of the invention. Reference symbol list 1 front fender 2 rear fender 3 front door 4 rear doors 5 Exterior wall sheet 6 windows 7 joint 8 joint 9 edge protectors 10 Main page 11. Flank 12 Door boxes 13 Marginal section 14th rib 15 thighs 16 thighs 17 foil hinge 18 Claw 19 Protection profile 20 Profile section 21 foil hinge 22 Tension element 23 elongated section 24 hook-shaped section 25 Bridge 26 Nut 27 foil hinge 28 Actuating element 29 hook-shaped section 30 Bridge 31 foil hinge 32 Body part 33 Surface 34th level 35 edge

Claims

[1] Edge protection (9) for a vehicle door (3, 4) with a first leg (15) for attachment to an inside of the vehicle door (3, 4), a second leg (16) for attachment to a flank (11) of the vehicle door (3, 4) angled from the inside, a claw (18) hinged to an outer edge of the first leg (15) for gripping an edge of the vehicle door (3, 4), and with a tensioning device which is connected to the claw (18) and the second leg (16), the first and the second leg (15, 16) are connected in an angle profile, characterized bythat the tensioning device comprises an actuating element (28) which is pivotally connected to the second leg (16) and can be pivoted from a rest position towards the first leg (15) and comprises a pulling element (22) which is pivotally connected to the claw (18), and the pulling element (22) cooperates with the actuating element (28) in such a way that the actuating element (28) and the pulling element (22) can touch one another and can move away from one another. [2] Edge protection according to claim 1, characterized by that the claw (18) and the first leg (15) are formed in one piece and connected by a foil hinge (17). [3] Edge protection according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the second leg (16) has a web (25) projecting from the flank (11), which carries a joint connecting the second leg (16) to the actuating element (28), and the actuating element (28) can be pivoted into a groove (26) delimited by the web (25) and the first leg (15). [4] Edge protection according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (28) and the second leg (16) are formed in one piece and connected by a foil hinge (27). [5] Edge protection according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the pulling element (22) forms a hook (24) into which a projection of the actuating element (28) engages. [6] Edge protection according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the pulling element (22) and the actuating element (28) are slidably movable relative to one another in contact with one another. [7] Edge protection according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the actuating element (28) can be pivoted away from the rest position further from the first leg (15). [8] Edge protection (9) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that it is manufactured as a one-piece extruded profile. [9] Vehicle with a first door (3) and an edge protection (9) according to one of the preceding claims attached to a narrow side of the first door (3) remote from the hinge. [10] Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized by that the edge protection is arranged in an intermediate space (7) between the first door (3) and a second door (4) and can be deflected from the rest position by the second door (4).

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