Vehicle with a side door opening for a sliding door

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle with a side door opening (3) that can be closed by means of a sliding door (1) that is adjustable, in particular, in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (x), and with an entry aid (11) that makes it easier for a vehicle occupant to enter or exit through the side door opening (3). According to the invention, the sliding door (1) has a receiving contour (31) that covers the entry aid (11) towards the inside of the vehicle when the sliding door (1) is closed, so that, in particular, the entry aid (11) does not form an obstructive contour for the vehicle occupant when the sliding door (1) is closed.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle with a side door opening for a sliding door according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In a vehicle, the side door opening can be closed by a sliding side door, which can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, for example, via a roller guide. To facilitate entry and exit for the vehicle occupant, a grab handle can be provided in the entry area. The grab handle is usually designed as a rigid bar that, in the current state of the art, extends into the vehicle interior.

[0003] With such a grab handle extending into the vehicle interior, there is a conflict between the static requirements of the grab handle and the energy absorption of the grab handle during a head impact test. Furthermore, the grab handle can impair the field of vision of the vehicle occupants, causing it to be perceived as an obstructive contour.

[0004] US 2023 / 0011089 A1 discloses a vehicle door system having a laterally arranged sliding door that can be extended from the B-pillar. A securing system is provided for locking the sliding door to the B-pillar in the event of an external impact against the B-pillar from an angle from the front. The securing system can prevent the opening of the at least one sliding door due to the external impact. The securing system comprises a catch claw that engages a securing hook to hold the at least one sliding door to the B-pillar. JP 2020055332 A2 discloses a vehicle with a sliding door. This door has an opening / closing switch connected to a fully closing locking unit and a drive motor that actuates the sliding door.The full-closing locking unit includes a release device that releases a full-closing locking mechanism provided on the full-closing locking unit from a locked state. The release device is connected to a hook mechanism for full opening.

[0005] The object of the invention is to provide a vehicle with a side door opening for a sliding door, in which an arrangement of the entry aid is possible that is free of interfering contours and ergonomically favorable compared to the prior art.

[0006] The object is solved by the features of claim 1. Preferred developments of the invention are disclosed in the subclaims.

[0007] The invention relates to a vehicle with a side door opening that can be closed by means of a sliding door that is adjustable, in particular, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The vehicle has an entry aid in the area of ​​the side door opening, which is implemented as a grab handle or a grab bar, with the aid of which it is easier for a vehicle occupant to enter or exit through the side door opening. According to the characterizing part of claim 1, the sliding door has a receiving contour that covers the entry aid towards the interior of the vehicle when the sliding door is closed. In this way, the entry aid does not form an obstructive contour for the vehicle occupant when the sliding door is closed. Furthermore, the conflict of objectives between static grab bar requirements and energy absorption during head impact testing is eliminated.According to the invention, the entry aid can be designed with high grip rigidity and space-intensive compared to the prior art and can be ergonomically positioned in particular in the vertical direction of the vehicle without conflicting with design or safety requirements in the vehicle interior.

[0008] In a structurally simple implementation, the entry aid and the sliding door are coordinated in such a way that the entry aid automatically engages the sliding door-side receiving contour when the sliding door is closed. The side sliding door is preferably adjustable along the vehicle's longitudinal direction on the body side wall using a sliding door roller guide. For this purpose, the sliding door roller guide has a guide rail mounted on the body side wall that runs in the vehicle's longitudinal direction and has a curved outlet that forms an inlet curve for the sliding door. By means of this guide rail, the sliding door engages the side door opening in the vehicle's transverse direction towards the inside of the vehicle when it is closed. The inlet angle and the orientation of the entry aid are coordinated in such a way that the entry aid automatically engages the sliding door-side receiving contour with sufficient clearance.

[0009] In a specific design variant, the side door opening is limited to the front of the vehicle, viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, by a vehicle pillar, particularly the B-pillar. The entry aid can also be mounted as a rigid component on the vehicle pillar.

[0010] For example, the entry aid is a rigid grab bar or rigid grab handle that can extend over a significant part of the body-side side door opening in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

[0011] In common practice, the vehicle pillar is a vertical hollow beam with a U-shaped cross-section sheet metal outer section and a sheet metal inner section, which is covered by an interior paneling towards the inside of the vehicle, as well as a pillar reinforcement arranged between the inner and outer sheet metal sections. The entry aid is preferably mounted in a rigid manner directly on the outer sheet metal section of the vehicle pillar, for example via a screw connection or similar. The outer sheet metal section is usually hat-shaped or U-shaped with a vehicle-outer profile base, from which a vehicle-front profile flank and a vehicle-rear profile flank are drawn up towards the inside of the vehicle. The two profile flanks are flange-connected to the sheet metal inner section. When the sliding door is closed, the vehicle pillar and a facing frame section of the sliding door are longitudinally aligned and spaced from each other by a free gap.It is therefore preferable if the entry aid is mounted directly on the rear profile flank of the vehicle pillar, while the receiving contour is formed on the frame part of the sliding door.

[0012] According to the invention, the entry aid can be attached to the vehicle pillar outside the interior trim, i.e., to the rear profile flank of the outer sheet metal part of the vehicle pillar. Thus, when the sliding door is closed, the entry aid is positioned behind the door-side receiving contour, concealed from view, providing additional design flexibility in the vehicle interior.

[0013] The functionality of the entry aid can be further enhanced as follows: For example, the entry aid can be part of a sliding door locking system. In the sliding door locking system, a positive-locking contour of the entry aid can be engageable with or disengaged from a door locking component of the sliding door to lock or unlock the sliding door. For example, the entry aid can have a locking bar that can be engaged with a handle on the sliding door side.

[0014] Alternatively and / or additionally, the entry aid can be part of a centering system that can be used to laterally support the sliding door in the transverse direction of the vehicle in the event of a crash. In this case, the centering system can have at least one catch bolt on the sliding door side, which retracts into a contoured, body-side pin opening when the sliding door is closed. In this case, the pin opening can also be directly integrated into the entry aid. Accordingly, the catch bolt on the sliding door side retracts directly into the pin opening formed in the entry aid during the closing process.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the attached figures.

[0016] They show: Fig. 1 to 7 each show different views illustrating the entry aid according to the invention.

[0017] In the Fig. 1 shows a two-track motor vehicle, in whose body side structure a side door opening 3 closed by a sliding door 1 ( Fig. 2). The side door opening 3 is limited in the vehicle longitudinal direction x between a B-pillar and a C-pillar. Fig. 1 The sliding door 1 shown in its closed position is adjustable in the vehicle's longitudinal direction x by means of a roller guide, which, among other things, has a guide rail 9 running centrally in the vehicle's vertical direction z and in the vehicle's longitudinal direction x, in which a roller carriage mounted on the sliding door 1 runs. The guide rail 9 has an entry curve for the sliding door 1, by means of which the sliding door 1 is guided over an entry angle α ( Fig. 4) in the vehicle transverse direction y into the side door opening 3 towards the inside of the vehicle.

[0018] In the Fig. 2 shows the sliding door opening 3 with the sliding door 1 open. Accordingly, a bow-shaped, rigid grab handle 11 is mounted on the B-pillar as an entry aid, which facilitates entry or exit through the sliding door opening 3 for a vehicle occupant. The grab handle 11 extends in the vehicle vertical direction z over a significant portion of the height of the sliding door opening 3 to enable vehicle occupants of different body sizes to grasp the grab handle 11 ergonomically.

[0019] In the sectional view of the Fig. 3, the body side structure is indicated to the extent necessary for understanding the invention. Accordingly, the B-pillar is a vertical hollow beam with a sheet metal outer part 15 with a U-shaped cross-section xy and a sheet metal inner part 17. A pillar reinforcement 10 extends within the hollow beam. The sheet metal outer part 15 has a profile base 19 which is on the outside in the vehicle transverse direction y, from which a vehicle-front profile flank 21 and a vehicle-rear profile flank 23 extend upwards towards the inside of the vehicle. The two profile flanks 21, 23 are flange-connected to the sheet metal inner part 17, which is covered by an inner panel 25. The sheet metal outer part 15 of the B-pillar is covered by a sheet metal outer skin 27 towards the outside in the vehicle transverse direction y. Fig. 3 shows the sliding door 1 in its closed position, with a frame part 29 of the sliding door 1 positioned longitudinally and spaced apart from the vehicle-rear profile flank 23 of the outer sheet metal part 15 of the B-pillar. In the closed position shown, the sheet metal outer skin 27 is flush with the outer side of the sliding door 1.

[0020] A core feature of the invention is that the sliding door 1 has a receiving contour 31 that covers the handle 11 toward the interior of the vehicle when the sliding door is closed. Therefore, when the sliding door 1 is closed, the handle 11 does not pose a nuisance to the vehicle occupant.

[0021] The handle receiving contour 31 is formed as a recess in the frame part 29 of the sliding door 1. According to the Fig. 3, the grab handle 11 is mounted outside the interior panel 25 via an indicated screw connection S directly on the vehicle rear profile flank 23 of the outer sheet metal part 15 and, if applicable, on the pillar reinforcement 10 of the B-pillar.

[0022] In the Fig. 4, a closing process is indicated. Accordingly, at the end of the closing process, the sliding door 1 retracts in the vehicle's transverse direction y via the entry angle α into the side door opening 3 toward the inside of the vehicle. The grab handle 11 is aligned with the entry angle α of the sliding door 1 such that it retracts automatically and without any interference contours into the receiving contour 31 on the sliding door side.

[0023] In the Fig. 5a to 5d show different versions of the handle 11. According to the Fig. 5a, the handle 11 is designed as a bracket with an elongated central part 39 and end pieces 41 projecting therefrom. Each of the end pieces 41 of the bracket is attached to the B-pillar via a screw connection S. In the Fig. 5b, the handle 11 is mounted only at its foot-side end piece 41 on the B-pillar, while the head-side end terminates with a spherical, large-diameter handle 43. In the Fig. 5c and Fig. 5d shows further variants of the handle 11, which are also each mounted with their foot-side end piece 41 on the B-pillar.

[0024] In the Fig. 6a to 6c, the handle 1 is part of a centering system 34, with which the sliding door 1 can be supported laterally in the vehicle transverse direction y in the event of a crash. The centering system 34 has at least one sliding-door-side catch bolt 35. During a sliding-door closing process, the sliding-door-side catch bolt 35 moves into a contour-adapted, body-side bolt opening 37, which is formed directly in the handle 11. The Fig. 6b and Fig. 6c show different positioning of the catch bolt 35 along the middle part 39 of the bracket and the corresponding bolt opening 37.

[0025] In the Fig.Figure 7 shows a roughly schematic representation of another embodiment of the invention, in which the handle 11 additionally has a locking function. As such, the handle 11 is a component of a sliding door locking system 30, in which a locking pawl 33 of the sliding door 1 can be brought into / out of engagement with a positive-locking contour 32 of the handle 11. List of reference symbols 1 sliding door 3 side door opening 9 Guide rail 10 Column reinforcement 11 Handle 13 Recording contour 15 Sheet metal outer part 17 Inner sheet metal part 19 profile floor 21 vehicle front profile flank 23 rear profile flank 25 Interior paneling 27 Sheet metal outer skin 29 Frame part 30 locking system 31 Recording contour 32 Form-fitting contour 33 jack 34 Centering system 35 catch bolts 37 bolt opening 39 Middle section 41 End piece 43 spherical handle S screw connection α inlet angle B B-pillar C C-pillar α inlet angle QUOTES CONTAINED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents submitted by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the convenience of the reader. This list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] US 2023 / 0011089 A1

[0004] JP 2020055332 A2

[0004]

Claims

[1] Vehicle with a side door opening (3) which can be closed by means of a sliding door (1) which is adjustable in particular in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x), and with an entry aid (11) which makes it easier for a vehicle occupant to get in or out through the side door opening (3), characterized by that the sliding door (1) has a receiving contour (31) which covers the entry aid (11) towards the inside of the vehicle when the sliding door (1) is closed, so that in particular the entry aid (11) does not form an obstructive contour for the vehicle occupant when the sliding door (1) is closed. [2] Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized by that the entry aid (11) automatically dips into the sliding door-side receiving contour (31) when the sliding door is closed. [3] Vehicle according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized bythat the side door opening (3) is delimited in the vehicle longitudinal direction (x) towards the front of the vehicle by a vehicle pillar (B), in particular a B-pillar, and that in particular the entry aid (11) is preferably mounted as a rigid component on the vehicle pillar (B). [4] Vehicle according to claim 3, characterized by that the vehicle pillar (B) is a vertical hollow beam with a sheet metal outer part (15) which is in particular U-shaped in cross section (xy) and a sheet metal inner part (17), and that in particular the entry aid (11) is mounted on the sheet metal outer part (15) of the vehicle pillar (B). [5] Vehicle according to claim 4, characterized bythat the sheet metal outer part (15) has a profile base (19) which is on the outside of the vehicle in the vehicle transverse direction (y), from which a vehicle-front profile flank (21) and a vehicle-rear profile flank (23) are drawn up towards the inside of the vehicle and are in flange connection with the sheet metal inner part (17), and / or that in particular when the sliding door (1) is closed, the vehicle pillar (B), in particular the vehicle-rear profile flank (23) of the sheet metal outer part (15) of the vehicle pillar (B), lies opposite a frame part (29) of the sliding door (1) in longitudinal alignment and at a distance across a clearance. [6] Vehicle according to claim 5, characterized by that the receiving contour (31) is formed in the frame part (29) of the sliding door (1). [7] Vehicle according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized bythat the vehicle pillar (B), in particular its inner sheet metal part (17), is covered with an inner lining (25), and that the entry aid (11) is connected outside the inner lining (25) to the vehicle pillar (B), in particular to the vehicle-rear profile flank (23) of the outer sheet metal part (15) of the vehicle pillar (B). [8] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the entry aid (11) is a component of a sliding door locking system (30) in which a form-fitting contour (32) of the entry aid (11) can be brought into / out of engagement with a door locking component (33) of the sliding door (1). [9] Vehicle according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the entry aid (11) is part of a centering system (34) and / or supports the sliding door (1) laterally in the vehicle transverse direction (y) in the event of a crash. [10] Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized bythat the centering system (34) has at least one sliding-door-side catch bolt (35) which, during the sliding-door closing process, moves into a contour-adapted, body-side bolt opening (37), and that in particular the bolt opening (37) is formed directly in the entry aid (11).

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