Retaining device for an exterior pocket sliding door arrangement for a motor vehicle.

Abstract

Retaining device (10) for an arrangement (2) of a sliding door (4) with an external pocket for a vehicle, in particular of the automobile type, said arrangement (2) comprising at least one sliding door (4) with an external pocket configured to be moved between a closed position in which the sliding door (4) closes access to the interior of a passenger compartment (8) and / or a loading area of ​​the vehicle, and an open position in which the sliding door (4) leaves free access to the interior of said passenger compartment (8) and / or said loading area of ​​the vehicle, the retaining device (10) being characterized in that it is configured to maintain said sliding door (4) in its closed position, in particular in the case of an impact exerted laterally against the sliding door (4),the retaining device (10) being characterized in that it is also configured to cooperate with a door stop system (20) of the arrangement (2) when said sliding door (4) is in its open position, so as to maintain said sliding door (4) in its open position. Figure for abstract: Fig. 2,

Description

Title of the invention: Retaining device for an exterior sliding pocket door arrangement for a motor vehicle.

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

[0002] Some motor vehicles are equipped with sliding doors which make it possible to obstruct or free access to the passenger compartment and / or the trunk of the motor vehicle with which they are fitted. For each sliding door, a retaining device, commonly called a "shock retaining pin" is generally fixed to the body of the motor vehicle, for example at the B-pillar. Such a "shock retaining pin" is for example described in patent application DE 10 2007 051 718 AL

[0003] A retaining device serves to maintain the sliding door in its closed position, thus preventing the sliding door from opening in the event of a forced transverse movement of said door towards the outside. A retaining device known from the state of the art is generally similar to a male part carried by the body of the motor vehicle, this male part is then configured to be inserted into a female housing such as a hole made in the casing of the sliding side door.

[0004] Thus, in the case of a forced transverse movement of the sliding door towards the outside, which can happen when the motor vehicle rolls over after leaving the road for example, the retaining device comes into abutment in the housing provided in the sliding side door box so as to prevent the latter from opening towards the outside.

[0005] Furthermore, holding the sliding door in the open position is generally ensured by a door stop. Different types of door stops are known in the state of the art, such as so-called "hard point" door stops or so-called "positive" door stops. A "hard point" type door stop is for example described in document EP1775404A1. A "positive" type door stop is for example described in documents FR2541716 and EP1780354.

[0006] These door stops are mechanisms independent of the "shock retaining pin" known from the state of the art described above in this introduction. The door stops are configured to hold a sliding door in the open position in order to prevent said sliding door from accidentally closing, which can happen under the effect of gravity, for example when the motor vehicle equipped with such doors cou- smoothing is stopped on a sloping and inclined ground.

[0007] Thus, according to the solutions known in the current state of the art, the sliding door is held in its closed position by a shock retaining pin while the same sliding door is held in the open position by a door stop which is separate from the shock retaining pin. In other words, the two functions of holding the door in one or the other position are provided by two separate and independent mechanisms.

[0008] The aim of the invention is to propose an alternative to these two distinct mechanisms.

[0009] To this end, the invention relates to a retaining device for an external pocket sliding door arrangement for a vehicle, in particular of the automobile type, said arrangement comprising at least one external pocket sliding door configured to be moved between a closed position in which the sliding door closes 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 free access to the interior of said passenger compartment and / or said loading area of ​​the vehicle, the retaining device being characterized in that it is configured to maintain said sliding door in its closed position, in particular in the case of an impact exerted laterally against the sliding door,the retaining device being characterized in that it is also configured to cooperate with a door stop system of the arrangement when said sliding door is in its open position, so as to maintain said sliding door in its open position.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the retaining device comprises a protruding rod with a hook-shaped free end configured to hold said sliding door in its closed position.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the retaining device has a connecting block between the protruding rod and the free hook-shaped end.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the protruding rod and / or its free end has a marked area on the surface of said rod and said marked area is configured to allow an evaluation of the state of wear of the retaining device.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the protruding rod has a straight section of polygonal or rounded shape.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the retaining device comprises a single, one-piece part.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the retaining device comprises a metallic material.

[0016] The invention also relates to an arrangement of a sliding door with external pocket for a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a retaining device as described previously and characterized in that said retaining device retainer projects from a foot of a body of a motor vehicle so that it cooperates with a housing provided in the sliding door so as to maintain said sliding door in its closed position.

[0017] According to one embodiment, the arrangement further comprises a door stop system comprising an elastic return member, said door stop system being configured to cooperate with said retaining device.

[0018] According to one embodiment, the door stop system further comprises a displacement member, and said displacement member is configured to cooperate with the retaining device.

[0019] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle characterized in that it is equipped with a retaining device as described above or equipped with a sliding pocket door arrangement as described above.

[0020] These objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will be explained in detail in the following description of a particular embodiment made without limitation in relation to the attached figures among which:

[0021] [Fig.l] schematically illustrates a sectional view of an external pocket sliding door arrangement which comprises a retaining device according to the invention.

[0022] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates another sectional view of an arrangement of sliding door with exterior pocket which includes a retaining device according to the invention.

[0023] [Fig. 3] is a perspective view of the retaining device according to the invention.

[0024] [Fig.4] is a perspective view of a sliding door arrangement with exterior pocket in closed configuration and including the retaining device of [Fig.3],

[0025] [Fig.5] is a perspective view of a sliding door arrangement with exterior pocket in open configuration and including the retaining device of [Fig.3],

[0026] [Fig.6] is a detail view of [Fig.5].

[0027] [Fig.7] is a detail view of a pocket sliding door arrangement exterior in open configuration with another type of stopping system.

[0028] A trihedron with three axes X, Y, Z is illustrated in certain figures. In this document, the X axis designates the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle. When moving forward and in a straight line, the vehicle moves from the rear to the front, in a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis. The X axis is oriented from the front to the rear of the vehicle, i.e. in the direction of reverse. The Y axis designates the transverse axis of the vehicle. The Z axis designates the axis perpendicular to the X axis and the Y axis. The vehicle is considered to be resting on horizontal ground. The Z axis is a vertical axis, oriented from bottom to top. The X, Y and Z axes form an orthogonal reference frame.

[0029] There are several types of arrangement 2 for sliding doors 4 for motor vehicles. Generally speaking, a distinction is made, for example, between so-called "classic" sliding doors and so-called "pocket" sliding doors 4.

[0030] A sliding door of a motor vehicle is said to be “conventional” when the movement of the sliding door from its closed position to its open position or vice versa involves a lateral movement of the door towards the outside of the vehicle. In other words, in a “conventional” sliding door arrangement, the movement of said sliding door is not a rectilinear translation along a single axis of movement, but a movement along two directions perpendicular to each other, in particular along the lateral direction Y and along the longitudinal direction X.

[0031] 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 movement between its open position and its closed position. In other words, in an arrangement 2 of a sliding door 4 with a pocket for a motor vehicle, the sliding door 4 is movable in rectilinear translation between its open position and its closed position in a single direction, parallel to the axis X of the motor vehicle.

[0032] Two sub-categories of arrangements 2 are also distinguished for sliding doors 4 with pocket, namely sliding doors 4 with interior pocket and sliding doors 4 with exterior pocket.

[0033] In the case of sliding doors 4 with interior pocket, the sliding door 4 slides along the interior 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 between a body foot of the motor vehicle and the interior of the passenger compartment 8 of said motor vehicle.

[0034] In the case of sliding doors 4 with external pocket, the sliding door 4 slides along the external side of the body 6 of the motor vehicle. Thus, said sliding door 4 is located on the external side and outside the passenger compartment 8 of said motor vehicle both in its open position and in its closed position.

[0035] In such an arrangement 2 of a sliding door 4 with an external pocket, it is possible to design a retaining device 10 which not only makes it possible to maintain the sliding door 4 in its closed position, in particular in the case of an impact exerted laterally against the sliding door 4, but which is also configured to cooperate with a door stop system 20 when said sliding door 4 is in its open position, so as to maintain said sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0036] Figures 1 and 2 schematically illustrate sectional views of an arrangement 2 of sliding door 4 with external pocket for a motor vehicle which comprises such a retaining device 10.

[0037] In [Fig.l], the sliding door 4 is shown in its closed position. In this closed position, the sliding door 4 obstructs access to the interior of a passenger compartment 8 and / or a trunk of a motor vehicle.

[0038] In [Fig. 2], the sliding door 4 is shown in its open position. In this open position, the sliding door 4 provides access to the interior of a passenger compartment 8 and / or a trunk of a motor vehicle. An arrow indicates the direction of movement followed by the sliding door 4 when it is moved from its closed position to its open position.

[0039] In all the embodiments conceivable for the retaining device 10, the latter comprises a protruding rod 12 with a free end 14 which has a hook shape, configured to maintain said door in its closed position.

[0040] Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in [Fig.l], the retaining device 10 comprises a protruding rod 12 carried by one side of the body 6 of the motor vehicle. More specifically, the protruding rod 12 projects from a foot B of said body 6 of the motor vehicle. The protruding rod 12 comprises a free end 14 which has a hook shape. This hook-shaped free end 14 is configured to hold the sliding door 4 in its closed position, in particular in the case of an impact exerted laterally against said sliding door 4. In the specific embodiment illustrated in [Fig.l], the hook-shaped free end 14 cooperates with a housing 16 arranged in the sliding door 4 so as to hold said door 4 in its closed position.

[0041] A specific embodiment of the retaining device 10 is more particularly illustrated in [Fig. 3]. According to this particular embodiment, the retaining device 10 comprises a single monobloc part, which makes it more robust. In this embodiment, the protruding rod 12 has a cross section of substantially square shape. More generally, the protruding rod 12 may have a cross section of polygonal shape. At the junction between the protruding rod 12 and its free end 14 in the form of a hook, a connecting block 13 in the form of a prism with a triangular base may be present. The connecting block 13 may make it possible to reinforce the junction between the protruding rod 12 and its free end 14 in the form of a hook.

[0042] Another end of the protruding rod 12, the one that is not connected to the hook-shaped free end 14, may have a holding plate 11 which allows the retaining device 10 to be fixed to a support. The holding plate 11 may have at least one opening such as a circular orifice to allow the passage of a holding element, such as a screw for example. In the illustrated embodiment in [Fig.3], the holding plate 11 has for example two circular holes.

[0043] According to a particular and non-illustrated embodiment of the retaining device 10, the protruding rod 12 and / or its free end 14 has a marked area at their surface. Said marked area is then configured to allow an evaluation of the state of wear of the retaining device 10. The marked area may be in the form of a colored area on the surface of the protruding rod 12 and / or its free end 14, the color of which varies depending on the state of wear of the retaining device 10.

[0044] According to an alternative, the marked area may be in the form of an area on the surface of the protruding rod 12 and / or its free end 14 with a ribbed pattern and / or a particular roughness, the appearance and roughness of which changes depending on the state of wear of the retaining device 10.

[0045] Figures 4, 5 and 6 illustrate perspective views of an arrangement 2 of a sliding door 4 with external pocket for a motor vehicle which comprises the retaining device 10 as described previously.

[0046] In all the embodiments conceivable for the retaining device 10, the latter is also configured to cooperate with a door stop system 20 when said sliding door 4 is in its open position, so as to maintain said sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0047] Thus, in the embodiment illustrated in [Fig.2], the protruding rod 12 carried by the body 6 of the motor vehicle and / or its free end 14 in the form of a hook cooperates with the door stop system 20 when the sliding door is in its open position, so as to maintain said door in its open position.

[0048] Thus, the retaining device 10 makes it possible on the one hand to maintain the sliding door 4 in its closed position, and on the other hand to participate with the door stop system 20 in maintaining the sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0049] In [Fig. 4], the sliding door 4 is shown in its closed position. In this closed position, the sliding door 4 obstructs access to the interior of a passenger compartment 8 and / or to the interior of a motor vehicle trunk. The retaining device 10 is fixed to a foot of the body 6 of the motor vehicle equipped with said arrangement 2.

[0050] In Figures 5 and 6, the sliding door 4 is shown in its open position. In this open position, the sliding door 4 provides access to the interior of a passenger compartment 8 and / or to the interior of a motor vehicle trunk. When the sliding door 4 adopts this open position, the retaining device 10 cooperates with the door stop system 20, so as to maintain said door in its open position. This is shown in more detail in [Fig.6].

[0051] In the case where the door stop system 20 is of the “positive” type, it comprises for example a pivoting lever with a hook-shaped free end. When the sliding door 4 adopts its open position, the hook at the free end of the pivoting lever of the "positive" type door stop system is engaged around the protruding rod 12 of the retaining device 10 so as to hold the sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0052] In the case where the door stop system 20 is of the “hard point” type, it comprises for example an elastic return member, such as a spring or a spring blade, and, optionally, a displacement member 22, which may be in the form of a wheel or in the form of a slider, or even in the form of a pad.

[0053] In the case where the door stop system 20 comprises an elastic return member in the form of a spring blade, as in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, said spring blade is caused to strike the protruding rod 12 of the retaining device 10 when the sliding door 4 is moved from its closed position to its open position, and to be deformed under the effect of this impact. The spring blade generally returns to its nominal position after the impact, when the sliding door 4 is in its open position. Thus, the spring blade is retained by the protruding rod 12 of the retaining device and / or its hook-shaped free end 14, so as to maintain said sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0054] In the case where the door stop system 20 comprises an elastic return member in the form of a spring and a displacement member 22, such as a roller or a slider or a pad, said displacement member 22 is caused to strike the protruding rod 12 of the retaining device 10 when the sliding door 4 is moved from its closed position to its open position. The elastic return member is then caused to deform under the impact, so as to follow the movement of the displacement member 22 which is then caused to be housed behind the protruding rod 12 of the retaining device 10, or in the hollow of its free end 14 in the form of a hook. In other words, the displacement member 22 of the door stop system 20 is held in a blocking position by the retaining device 10, which makes it possible to maintain the sliding door 4 in its open position.Such a blocking position of the movement member 22 of the door stop system 20 by the retaining device 10 is notably illustrated in [Fig.7].

[0055] According to a particular embodiment of the retaining device 10, the protruding rod 12 may have a rounded cross-section, as illustrated in particular in [Fig. 7]. More precisely, the protruding rod 12 may have a cylindrical shape or a conical shape. Such a shape of the protruding rod 12 of the retaining device 10 may allow less abrupt deformation, i.e. more progressive of the elastic return member and / or facilitate the passage of the displacement member 22 on said protruding rod 12, which can contribute to the durability of the mechanism.

[0056] According to one example, the retaining device 10 comprises a metallic material. This metallic material may for example comprise aluminum. The retaining device 10 may in particular be manufactured using a molding process.

[0057] It is thus possible to design, in the case of an arrangement 2 of a sliding door 4 with an external pocket, a retaining device 10 which not only makes it possible to maintain the sliding door 4 in its closed position, in particular in the case of an impact exerted laterally against the sliding door 4, but which is also configured to cooperate with a door stop system 20 when said sliding door 4 is in its open position, so as to maintain said sliding door 4 in its open position.

Claims

Claims

1. A retaining device (10) for an arrangement (2) of a sliding door (4) with an external pocket for a vehicle, in particular of the automobile type, said arrangement (2) comprising at least one sliding door (4) with an external pocket configured to be moved between a closed position in which the sliding door (4) closes access to the interior of a passenger compartment (8) and / or a loading area of ​​the vehicle, and an open position in which the sliding door (4) leaves free access to the interior of said passenger compartment (8) and / or said loading area of ​​the vehicle, the retaining device (10) being characterized in that it is configured to maintain said sliding door (4) in its closed position, in particular in the case of an impact exerted laterally against the sliding door (4),the retaining device (10) being characterized in that it is also configured to cooperate with a door stop system (20) of the arrangement (2) when said sliding door (4) is in its open position, so as to maintain said sliding door (4) in its open position.,

2. Retaining device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it comprises a protruding rod (12) with a free end (14) in the form of a hook configured to maintain said sliding door (4) in its closed position.

3. Retaining device according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it has a connecting block (13) between the protruding rod (12) and the free end (14) in the form of a hook.

4. A retaining device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the protruding rod (12) and / or its free end (14) has a marked area on the surface of said rod (12), and in that said marked area is configured to allow an assessment of the state of wear of the retaining device (10).

5. Retaining device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the protruding rod (12) has a cross section of polygonal or rounded shape.

6. Retaining device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a single monobloc part.

7. Retaining device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a metallic material.

8. Arrangement (2) of sliding door (4) with external pocket for a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a retaining device (10) according to one of 1 to 7 and in that said retaining device (10) projects from a foot (B) of a body (6) of a motor vehicle so that it cooperates with a housing (16) arranged in the sliding door (4) so ​​as to maintain said sliding door (4) in its closed position.

9. Arrangement (2) of sliding door (4) with external pocket according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it further comprises a door stop system (20) comprising an elastic return member, and characterized in that said door stop system (20) is configured to cooperate with said retaining device (10).

10. Arrangement (2) of sliding door (4) with external pocket according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the door stop system (20) further comprises a displacement member (22), and characterized in that said displacement member (22) is configured to cooperate with said retaining device (10).

11. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it is equipped with a retaining device (10) according to one of claims 1 to 7 or equipped with a sliding door arrangement (2) (4) with pocket according to one of claims 8 to 10.

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