ARRANGEMENT OF A VEHICLE WITH A GALLET DOOR AND A HOLDING DEVICE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle arrangement comprising a sliding pocket door and a retaining device. The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising such an arrangement.

[0002] Some motor vehicles are equipped with sliding rear doors that allow access to the passenger compartment and / or a cargo area of ​​the vehicle to be opened or closed. For each sliding door, a retaining device, commonly called a "shock retaining pin," is generally fixed to the vehicle body, for example at the B-pillar, to hold the front part of the sliding rear door open when necessary. Such a "shock retaining pin" is described, for example, in patent application DE 10 2007 051 718 A1.

[0003] A retaining device is used to hold the sliding rear door in its closed position, thus preventing the sliding rear door from opening in the event of lateral movement of the door relative to the vehicle body, either inwards and / or outwards. A known retaining device typically resembles a male component mounted on the vehicle body. This male component is then configured to be inserted into a female housing, such as a hole in the sliding rear door frame, at the front of the rear door.

[0004] Thus, in the event of a forced transverse movement of the rear sliding door outwards during a collision, the restraint device comes to rest against the wall delimiting a housing fitted in the rear side sliding door box so as to mechanically link the latter to the body of the vehicle, thus preventing the door from opening outwards.

[0005] Thus, according to current state-of-the-art solutions, the rear sliding door is held closed by a retaining pin whose positioning on the body is highly dependent on the door's normal movement kinematics, particularly at the end of its closing path. Often, such movement kinematics are complex, combining simultaneous movements of the front of the sliding rear door along longitudinal and transverse axes. Positioning the retaining pin to be integrated into the body is all the more complex when the door's movement kinematics are oriented at an angle from the front and inward of the vehicle.

[0006] Document US1,000,551A discloses an exterior pocket sliding door.

[0007] The aim of the invention is to offer an alternative to known solutions and to provide a simpler solution for a front service door for a utility vehicle.

[0008] To this end, the invention relates to an arrangement of a motor vehicle, in particular one side of the vehicle, comprising a body and a sliding pocket door, in particular an external pocket door, the sliding door being configured to be moved in a straight line along one side of the body, between a closed position in which the sliding door blocks access to the interior of a passenger compartment and / or a loading area of ​​the vehicle, and an open position in which the sliding door leaves access to the interior of said passenger compartment and / or said loading area of ​​the vehicle, the arrangement being characterized in that the sliding door includes a straight longitudinal opening, in particular of the type of a groove or a channel, formed in the sliding door, in particular at the level of a bottom wall of the sliding door frame,and in that the arrangement includes at least one retaining device intended to hold said sliding door in its closed position, particularly in the event of a lateral impact against the sliding door, particularly from the inside to the outside of the vehicle, the retaining device being intended to move freely within the longitudinal straight opening during the sliding of the door.

[0009] According to the invention, the arrangement may comprise the following features, taken separately or in combination with each other: the retaining device is fixed to a front leg on one side of the body, in particular at a rear edge of a front leg intended to be positioned opposite a front edge of the sliding door in the closed position; the retaining device is fixed to a middle leg on one side of the body, in particular at a front edge of the middle leg extending substantially perpendicularly, in particular transversely, to the inner wall of the sliding door; the sliding door, in particular an outer wall of the front door, in the closed position is flush with the front leg, in particular an outer wall of the front leg;the restraint device includes a finger projecting out of the side of the vehicle body, in particular out of the rear edge of the front pillar, said finger having a main rod extending longitudinally along the vehicle, one free end of which includes a head, in particular in the shape of a hook or a disc, the restraint device being spaced away from the door, in particular from the front edge of the sliding door, so that it can move freely between the open and closed positions without coming into contact with the restraint device; the bottom wall of the sliding door box extends opposite an outer edge of the middle pillar regardless of the position of the sliding door;The restraint device comprises a finger projecting transversely from the side of the vehicle body, said finger having a main rod extending transversely and longitudinally from the vehicle, one end of which, free for longitudinal orientation, comprises a head, in particular in the form of a hook or a disc; said finger has a mounting plate for attachment to the side of the body, in particular a mounting plate screwed onto the rear face of the front pillar or onto the front face of the middle pillar; the restraint device is intended to come into contact with the sliding door in order to hold it in the closed position on the side of the body during a side impact;The retaining device is spaced away from the sliding door, in particular from the edges of the longitudinal opening and / or a passage provided at the level of a transverse wall, the retaining device being intended to come into mechanical contact with the door in the closed position during an impact, in particular against the transverse wall of the box, the wall being in particular a reinforcing piece attached to the bottom wall of the box; the arrangement includes a deformable element for masking said longitudinal housing, in particular an element of the type of a lip seal, through which the retaining device passes so as to spread the lips apart.

[0010] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising an arrangement having in whole or in part the aforementioned characteristics.

[0011] These objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following description of a particular embodiment, given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying figures, among which: There [ Fig.1 ] schematically illustrates a vertical axis section of a motor vehicle body arrangement comprising a sliding pocket door and a retaining device, the door being in the closed position, according to the invention. The [ Fig.2 ] schematically illustrates a variant of the implementation of an arrangement of the figure 1 , the door being in the closed position, according to the invention. The [ Fig.3 ] represents the arrangement of the figure 2 with the sliding door in the open position, according to the invention. The [ Fig.4 ] is a cross-sectional view along axis AA of the figure 1 , according to the invention.

[0012] A trihedral coordinate system with three axes X, Y, and Z is illustrated in some figures. In this document, the X-axis represents the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle. When moving forward in a straight line, the vehicle progresses from rear to front, in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis. The X-axis is oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle, that is, in the direction of reverse. The Y-axis represents the transverse axis of the vehicle. The Z-axis represents the axis perpendicular to the X and Y axes. The vehicle is assumed to be resting on a horizontal surface. The Z-axis is a vertical axis, oriented from bottom to top. The X, Y, and Z axes form an orthogonal coordinate system.

[0013] There are several types of bodywork configurations with a sliding door for motor vehicles. Generally speaking, a distinction is made between so-called "classic" sliding doors and so-called "pocket" sliding doors.

[0014] A sliding door on a motor vehicle is considered "conventional" when its movement from the closed to the open position, or vice versa, involves a lateral movement of the door outwards from the vehicle. In other words, in a "conventional" sliding door design, the movement of the door is not a straight line along a single axis, such as a longitudinal axis for a side-sliding door, but rather a movement in two perpendicular directions, specifically along the lateral Y direction and the longitudinal X direction.

[0015] A sliding door 4 of a motor vehicle is said to be a "pocket door" when the sliding door 4 is not moved laterally outwards during its movements between its open and closed positions. In other words, in a vehicle body arrangement 2 with a pocket sliding door 4, the sliding door 4 can be moved in a straight line between its open and closed positions in a single direction, parallel to the X-axis of the motor vehicle.

[0016] Two subcategories of 2-carton layouts with a 4-pocket sliding door are distinguished, namely the 4-pocket sliding door inside and the 4-pocket sliding door outside.

[0017] In the case of sliding doors 4 with internal pocket doors, the sliding door 4 slides along the inner side of a body 6 of the motor vehicle. Thus, when the sliding door 4 is in its open position, said sliding door 4 is located behind a body pillar of the motor vehicle, inside the passenger compartment 8 or a loading area of ​​said motor vehicle.

[0018] In the case of sliding doors 4 with external pocket doors, the sliding door 4 slides along the outer side 3 of the body 6 of the motor vehicle, i.e., in front of the body sill as seen from the outside, so that it is continuously visible. Thus, said sliding door 4 is located on the outer side 3 and outside the passenger compartment 8 of said motor vehicle both in its open and closed positions, as can be seen on the [ Fig.1], [Fig.2] et [Fig.3 ].

[0019] In such an arrangement 2, it is possible to design a retaining device 10 which makes it possible to keep the sliding door 4 with outward sliding in its closed position, in particular in the case of a shock exerted laterally against the sliding door 4. Such a shock exerts a force against the sliding door oriented either inwards or outwards from the door, so that the retaining device is respectively able to either prevent the intrusion of the door into the passenger or loading area, or to keep the body opening in the closed state by the door.

[0020] THE [ Fig.1], [Fig.2] et [Fig.3 ] schematically illustrate cross-sectional views of an arrangement 2 on one side 3 of a motor vehicle comprising a sliding door 4 with an external pocket door and a restraint device 12, 12A and 12B. On the [ Fig.1 [ ], the sliding door 4 is shown in its closed position. This is a service door which, when closed, extends transversely opposite the driver's seat or the row of seats containing the driver's seat. In this closed position, the sliding door 4 obstructs access to the interior of a passenger compartment 8 and / or a cargo compartment of the motor vehicle. The body opening 6, which is intended to be closed by the sliding door 4, is partially defined by the front pillar 6A and the middle pillar 6B. In the closed position, the front edge of the door 4 is arranged in line with the front leg 6A, in the sense that the rear wall 6AR of the front leg 6A is arranged opposite the front edge of the door 4, while the rear edge of the door 4 is arranged to overlap the outside of the middle leg 6B, the inner wall of the door 5 being partly arranged to overlap the outer wall 6BE of the middle leg 6B.The middle leg 6B is transversely offset inwards relative to the front leg 6A, such that the offset in Y is substantially related to the thickness of the sliding door 4.

[0021] Thus, the restraint device 10 includes a protruding rod 12 carried by a side 3 of the vehicle body 6. More specifically, the protruding rod 12 extends from a mid-pillar of said vehicle body 6, commonly referred to as pillar B0. The protruding rod 12 includes a free end 14 which has a disc shape. According to an alternative embodiment not shown, this could be a free end 14 having a hook shape. This free end 14 is configured to hold the sliding door 4 in its closed position, particularly in the event of a lateral impact against said sliding door 4.

[0022] In the specific embodiment illustrated on the [ Fig.1 ], the free end 14 cooperates with a housing 16 provided in the sliding door 4 so as to maintain said door 4 in its closed position. This housing 16 may be delimited by a door frame 43, said frame having a back wall, the inner face of which is intended to be aligned with the center jamb 6A, as illustrated in the [ Fig.3 The housing 16 can be delimited by at least one transverse partition 42, which extends vertically into the door 4. The portion of the protruding rod 12 that extends along the X axis passes through the transverse partition 42 via a dedicated opening 46, which has a cross-section at a minimum substantially complementary to that of the free end 14, within the limits of sliding clearance. The [ Fig.4 ] represents a particular embodiment which will be described in detail later.

[0023] The door housing 43 has a longitudinal opening 40 that extends from the rear recess 16 to the front of the door 4. The dimensions of the opening 40, which is a straight line along axis X, are greater than the opening stroke of the door, so that the retaining device 10, extending through the opening 40 along axis Y, can move freely when the door 4 is moved between its open and closed positions. The height of the opening 40 is greater than that of the protruding rod 12, so that the free end 14 can move through the straight opening 40 when the retaining device 10 is mounted on the side 3 of the housing 6.

[0024] The straight opening 40 can be a groove or a cut made in the bottom wall of the box 43.

[0025] According to a specific embodiment of the retaining device 10, it is a single, monolithic piece, which makes it more robust. In this embodiment, the protruding rod 12 has a cross-section that is substantially square. More generally, the protruding rod 12 may have a cross-section that is polygonal. At the junction between the protruding rod 12 and its free end 14, a connecting block in the shape of a triangular prism may be present to reinforce the junction between the protruding rod 12 and its free end 14.

[0026] According to a specific embodiment of the retention device 10, a fixing plate 20 is secured to the protruding rod 12, in particular by welding. On the [ Fig.4 ] such a fixing plate 20 is shown with screwing means allowing assembly on the middle leg 6B, more particularly on the front wall 6BF.

[0027] According to a particular arrangement of configuration 2, the front wall 6BF of the center jamb 6B extends transversely to the extension of the transverse partition 42 of the door 4 in the closed position. This design feature aims to distribute the force of an external impact applied to the door 4 directly onto a highly structural area of ​​the center jamb 6B.

[0028] The front part of the door 4 may include a locking device 50 ensuring the locking of the door onto the front foot 6A.

[0029] Depending on the variant of the implementation of the [ Fig.2 The retaining device 10 includes another protruding finger 12A carried by the front leg 6A. In this case, said other protruding finger 12A is projecting out of the rear wall 6AR of the front leg 6A. It can be positioned vertically at the same level as the protruding finger 12B of the middle leg 6B. The sliding door 4 includes a front end edge in which an opening 46A is provided, through which said other protruding finger 12A can extend when the door is in the closed position. The opening 46A at the front edge of the door 4 can then be substantially coaxial with the opening 46B in the transverse partition 42. Such a double retaining finger design allows the lateral forces of an impact applied to the door to be distributed between the front leg 6A and the middle leg 6B. The dimensions of each of the protruding rods 12A, 12B can be reduced, compared to the embodiment of the [ Fig.1 ] whose restraint device 10 includes a single protruding finger 12 at the middle foot 6B.

[0030] On the [ Fig.3 ], the sliding door 4 of the [ Fig.2 [ ] is shown in its open position. In this open position, the sliding door 4 provides access to the interior of the vehicle. An arrow indicates the direction of movement of the sliding door 4 as it moves from its closed position to its open position.

[0031] In all conceivable embodiments for the retaining device 10, it comprises a protruding rod 12 with a free end 14 which has a disc or hook shape, configured to hold said door in its closed position.

[0032] In the embodiment illustrated on the [ Fig.3 The protruding rod 12B, supported by the body 6, more specifically by the center pillar 6B of the vehicle, is outside the housing 16 located in the rear part of the door. The protruding rod 12B is then positioned near the front end of the straight opening 40 of the door 4, which adjoins the locking device 50. According to one embodiment, the latter could include a bolt capable of engaging with the protruding rod 12B, which would then act as a center pillar strike plate. In this case, the retaining device 10 is partially combined with a locking device 50 for the sliding door 4 in its open configuration.

[0033] Thus, the retaining device 10 allows on the one hand to keep the sliding door 4 in its closed position, and on the other hand the locking device 50 to keep the sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0034] There [ Fig.4 ] is an enlargement of the layout of the [ Fig.1 ] according to section AA, the sliding door 4 is shown in its closed position. In this closed position, the sliding door 4 obstructs access to the interior of the vehicle such that the restraint device 10 extends via the protruding rod 12 through the straight opening 40, and by its end 14 into the housing 16. According to the embodiment illustrated in the [ Fig.4The opening 46 in the partition 42 is substantially rectangular in cross-section, while the end 14 has a circular profile. The partition 42 connects the bottom of the box 43 to the outer panel (not shown), at least in a section of the door 4 located opposite the retaining device 10. The straight opening 40 is covered by a masking means 60 assembled against the outer face of the bottom of the box 43. This masking means 60 is deformable and may be made of a plastic material, such as rubber. The masking means 60 may comprise two lips that are vertically opposed to each other. According to an alternative embodiment (not shown), this masking means could be of the comb type with vertically extending teeth. The masking means 60 is preferably open at the protruding rod 12 and closed at a distance from the rod, as shown in dotted lines.Advantageously such a means of masking 60 contributes to the sealing of the door 4, so that it could also be described as a means of sealing.

[0035] As an example, the restraint device 10 comprises a metallic material. This metallic material may, for example, include aluminum. The restraint device 10 may, in particular, be manufactured using a molding process.

[0036] It is therefore possible to design, in the case of a vehicle body arrangement 2 with an outward-opening sliding door 4, a retaining device 10 that can move within a straight opening 40 during the door's movement. Such a design allows for a reduction in the thickness of the door 4 as it moves outside the vehicle, thereby increasing the usable volume in the passenger compartment or the cargo area 8 accessible from the outside through a body opening 6 that the door 4 is designed to close.

[0037] Furthermore, the retaining device 10, whose primary function is to hold the door 4 against the body 6 in the event of a lateral impact likely to cause relative displacement between the closed sliding door 4 and the body 6, is also capable of contributing to locking the door 4 in the open position. Moreover, the body arrangement 2 is noteworthy in that the retaining device 10 is discreetly integrated, and the straight opening 40 can be advantageously concealed in a watertight manner.

Claims

1. An arrangement (2) of a motor vehicle, in particular of one side (3) of the vehicle, including a body (6) and a partition sliding door (4), in particular an outer partition, the sliding door (4) being configured to be displaced rectilinearly along a body side (3), between a closed position wherein the sliding door (4) closes the access to the inside of a passenger compartment (8) and / or of a loading zone of the vehicle, and an open position wherein the sliding door (4) gives free access to the inside of the passenger compartment (8) and / or to said loading zone of the vehicle, the arrangement (2) being characterized in that the sliding door (4) comprises a longitudinal rectilinear opening (40), in particular such as kerf or a groove, provided in the sliding door, in particular at a bottom wall (44) of a casing (43) of the sliding door, and in that the arrangement comprises at least a restraint device (10) intended to hold said sliding door (4) in the closed position thereof, in particular in the event of an impact exerted laterally against the sliding door (4), in particular from the inside toward the outside of the vehicle, the restraint device (10) being intended to move freely inside the longitudinal rectilinear opening (40) during the sliding of the door.

2. The arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (12A) is fastened to a front pillar (6A) of a side (3) of the body (6), in particular at the rear edge (6AR) of a front pillar (6A) intended to be arranged opposite a front edge (4F) of the sliding door (4) in the closed position.

3. The arrangement (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the restraint device (12, 12B) is fastened to a middle pillar (6B) on a side (3) of the body (6), in particular at a front edge (6BF) of the middle pillar extending substantially perpendicularly, in particular transversely, to the inner wall (43) of the sliding door (4).

4. The arrangement (2) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the sliding door (4), in particular an outer wall (45) of the front door (4), in the closed position is flush with the front pillar (6A), in particular with an outer wall (6AE) of the front pillar (6A).

5. The arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (12A) comprises a finger (13) protruding from the side (3) of the body (6) of the vehicle, in particular from the rear edge (6AR) of the front pillar (6A), said finger (13) including a main rod extending longitudinally to the vehicle, a free end (14) of which comprises a head, in particular in the shape of a hook or a disc, the restraint device (12A) being spaced apart from the door (4), in particular from the front edge (4F) of the sliding door (4), in such a way that same can move freely between the closed and open positions without coming into contact with the restraint device (12).

6. The arrangement (2) according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the bottom wall (44) of the casing (43) of the sliding door (4) extends opposite an outer edge (6BE) of the middle pillar (6B) whatever the position of the sliding door.

7. The arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (12, 12B) comprises a finger (13) protruding transversely from the side (3) of the body (6) of the vehicle, said finger (13) including a main rod extending transversely and longitudinally to the vehicle, a longitudinally oriented free end (14) of which comprises a head (15), in particular in the shape of a hook or a disk.

8. The arrangement (2) according to one of the preceding claims in combination with claims 2 and 5, characterized in that the said finger (13) includes a fastening plate (20) for fastening to the side (3) of the body (6), in particular a fastening plate (20) screwed onto the rear face (6AR) of the front pillar (6A) or onto the front face (6BF) of the middle pillar (6B).

9. The arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (12, 12A, 12B) is intended to come into contact with the sliding door (4) in order to hold same in the closed position on the side (3) of the body (6) in the event of a lateral impact.

10. The arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (10) is spaced apart from the sliding door (4), in particular spaced apart from the edges of the longitudinal opening (40) and / or from a passage (46) provided at the transverse wall (41, 42), the restraint device (10) being intended to come into mechanical relation against the door in the closed position during an impact, in particular against the transverse wall (41, 42) of the casing (43), the wall being a reinforcement part directly mounted on the bottom wall (44) of the casing (43).

11. The arrangement (2) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that same comprises a deformable masking element (60) for said longitudinal housing (40), in particular an element such as a lip seal letting through the restraint device (12, 12B) so as to separate the lips in particular.

12. A motor vehicle, characterized in that same comprises an arrangement (2) according to any of claims 1 to 11.