Vehicle layout including a sliding door and a restraint device.

Abstract

[Arrangement (2) of a motor vehicle comprising a body (6) and a sliding pocket door (4), the sliding door (4) being configured to be moved in a straight line along one side (3) of the body, between open and closed positions, the arrangement (2) being characterized in that the sliding door (4) comprises a longitudinal straight opening (40) formed in the sliding door, and in that the arrangement comprises at least one retaining device (10) for holding said sliding door (4) in its closed position, the retaining device (10) being designed to move freely within the longitudinal straight opening (40) during the sliding of the door. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig.2]

Description

Title of the invention: Layout of a vehicle comprising a sliding door and a restraint device.

[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 obstructed or opened. 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 level of the foot B, in order to retain the front part of the sliding rear door when necessary. Such a "shock retaining pin" is, for example, described in patent application DE 10 2007 051 718 AL

[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 a relative transverse movement of said door with respect to the body, inwards and / or outwards. A retaining device known in the prior art generally resembles 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 provided in the housing of the sliding rear side door, at the level of a front portion of the rear door.

[0004] Thus, in the case of a forced transverse displacement of the rear sliding door outwards during a collision, the retention 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 solutions known in the current state of the art, the rear sliding door is held in its closed position by a retaining pin whose positioning on the body is highly dependent on the normal movement kinematics of the door, particularly at the end of its closing path. Often, such movement kinematics of the door are complex, in that they simultaneously combine concurrent 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 towards the front and the interior of the vehicle.

[0006] The object of the invention is to offer an alternative to known solutions and to propose a simpler solution for a front service door for a utility vehicle.

[0007] 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 free, 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.

[0008] According to the invention, the arrangement may comprise the following features, taken separately or in combination with each other: - the restraint device is fixed to a front foot on one side of the crate, specifically at the level of a rear edge of a front foot intended to be positioned opposite a front edge of the sliding door in the closed position; - the retaining device is fixed to a middle post on one side of the crate, in particular at the level of a front edge of the middle post extending substantially perpendicularly, in particular transversely, to the back wall of the sliding door; - the sliding door, in particular an outer wall of the sliding door, in the closed position is flush with the front post, in particular an outer wall of the front post; - 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 foot, said finger having a main rod extending longitudinally along the vehicle, a 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 back wall of the sliding door frame extends opposite an outer edge of the middle jamb regardless of the position of the sliding door; - the restraint device includes a finger projecting transversely out of the side of the vehicle body, said finger having a main rod extending transversely and longitudinally to the vehicle, one end of which is free to orient longitudinally and includes a head, in particular in the shape of a hook or a disc; - said finger includes a fixing plate to the side of the case, in particular a fixing plate screwed onto the rear face of the front foot or onto the front face of the middle foot; - the restraint device is designed to come into contact with the sliding door in order to keep it in the closed position on the side of the body during a side impact; - the restraint device is spaced away from the sliding door, in particular spaced away from the edges of the longitudinal opening and / or a passage provided at the level of a transverse wall, the restraint device being intended to come into mechanical contact against 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 added to the bottom wall of the box; - the arrangement includes a deformable masking element for 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.

[0009] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising an arrangement having in whole or in part the aforementioned characteristics.

[0010] 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: Figure 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. Figure [Fig.2] schematically illustrates a variant of an arrangement of [Fig.1], with the door in the closed position, according to the invention. Figure 3 represents the arrangement of Figure 2 with the sliding door in the open position, according to the invention. [Fig.4] is a cross-sectional view of axis AA of [Fig.2], according to the invention.

[0011] A trihedron with three axes X, Y, Z is illustrated in some figures. In this document, the X-axis designates 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 designates the axis The vehicle's transverse axis. The Z-axis is 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.

[0012] There are several types of body layouts 2 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 4.

[0013] 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 outwards from 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, in particular along a longitudinal axis for a sliding side door, but a movement in two perpendicular directions, in particular along the lateral direction Y and along the longitudinal direction X.

[0014] 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 comprising a pocket sliding door 4, the sliding door 4 can be moved in rectilinear translation between its open and closed positions in a single direction, parallel to the X axis of the motor vehicle.

[0015] Two subcategories of box arrangements 2 comprising a sliding pocket door 4 are distinguished, namely the internal sliding pocket door 4 and the external sliding pocket door 4.

[0016] In the case of the 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.

[0017] In the case of the 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 shown in [Fig. 1], [Fig. 2] and [Fig. 3].

[0018] 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 opening in its closed position, particularly in the event of a lateral impact against the door sliding 4. Such an impact exerts a force against the sliding door oriented either inwards or outwards from the door, so that the restraint device is respectively able to either prevent the door from entering the passenger or cargo area, or to keep the body opening in the closed state by the door.

[0019] Figures [1], [2], and [3] schematically illustrate cross-sectional views of an arrangement 2 of a lateral side 3 of a motor vehicle comprising an outward-opening sliding door 4 and a retaining device 10. In [1], the sliding door 4 is shown in its closed position. It is a service door which, in the closed position, 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 delimited by the front pillar 6A and the middle pillar 6B.In the closed position, the front edge of the door 4 is positioned in line with the front leg 6A, such that the rear wall 6AR of the front leg 6A is positioned opposite the front edge of the door 4, while the rear edge of the door 4 overlaps the outside of the middle leg 6B, the inner wall of the door 4 being partly positioned 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 Y-shaped offset is substantially related to the thickness of the sliding door 4.

[0020] Thus, the retaining device 10 comprises a protruding rod 12A, 12B carried by a side 3 of the vehicle body 6. More specifically, the protruding rod 12B projects from a mid-pillar of said vehicle body 6, commonly referred to as pillar B. The protruding rod 12B comprises a free end 14 which has a disc shape. According to an embodiment not shown, it 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.

[0021] In the specific embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 1], the free end 14 cooperates with a housing 16 provided in the sliding door 4 so as to hold 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 6B, as illustrated in [Fig. 3]. The housing 16 may be delimited by at least one transverse partition 42, which extends vertically into the door 4. The portion of the protruding rod 12B that extends along the axis X passes through the transverse partition 42 via an opening 46 dedicated, which has at least a cross-section substantially complementary to that of the free end 14, within the limits of sliding clearance. [Fig. 4] represents a particular embodiment which will be described in detail later.

[0022] The door housing 43 has a longitudinal opening 40 that extends from the rear housing 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, such 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, such 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.

[0023] The straight opening 40 can be a groove or a cut made in the bottom wall of the box 43.

[0024] According to a specific embodiment, the retaining device 10 comprises at least one protruding rod 12, 12A, 12B, which is a single, monolithic piece, thus making it more robust. In this embodiment, the protruding rod 12A, 12B has a cross-section that is substantially square. More generally, the protruding rod 12A, 12B may have a cross-section that is polygonal. At the junction between the protruding rod 12A, 12B 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 12A, 12B and its free end 14.

[0025] According to a specific embodiment of the retaining device 10, a mounting plate 20 is secured to the protruding rod 12B, in particular by welding. In [Fig. 4] such a mounting plate 20 is shown with screwing means allowing assembly onto the middle leg 6B, more particularly onto the front wall 6BF.

[0026] According to a particular arrangement of the configuration 2, the front wall 6BF of the mid-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 mid-jamb 6B.

[0027] The front part of the door 4 may include a locking device 50 ensuring the locking of the door on the front foot 6A.

[0028] According to the embodiment shown in [Fig. 2], the retaining device 10 comprises a protruding rod 12A carried by the front foot 6A. In this case, the protruding rod 12A is disposed projecting out of the rear wall 6AR of the front foot 6A. It can The sliding door 4 is positioned vertically at the same level as the protruding rod 12B of the middle post 6B. The sliding door 4 has a front end edge in which an opening 46A is formed, through which the protruding rod 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. This double-finger retaining design allows the lateral forces of an impact applied to the door to be distributed between the front post 6A and the middle post 6B. The dimensions of each of the protruding rods 12A, 12B can be reduced compared to the embodiment of [Fig. 1], in which the retaining device 10 comprises a single protruding rod 12, 12B at the middle post 6B. In [Fig. 3], the sliding door 4 of [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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 3], the protruding rod 12B carried by the body 6, more particularly 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 door opening 40, which adjoins the locking device 50. According to one embodiment, the latter could include a bolt that would be able to engage 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.

[0031] 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.

[0032] Figure 4 is an enlargement of the arrangement of Figure 1 in section AA, with the sliding door 4 shown in its closed position. In this closed position, the sliding door 4 obstructs access to the interior of the vehicle such that the retaining 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 Figure 4, the opening 46 made at the level of The partition 42 is substantially rectangular in cross-section, while the end 14 has a circular profile. The partition 42 connects the back wall 44 of the enclosure 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 back wall 44 of the enclosure 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 vertically opposing lips. According to an alternative embodiment (not shown), the 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 masking method 60 contributes to the sealing of door 4, so that it could also be described as a sealing method.

[0033] 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.

[0034] It is thus possible to design, in the case of a vehicle body arrangement 2 comprising an outward-opening sliding door 4, a retention device 10 that is capable of moving within a straight opening 40 during the movement of the door. Such a design makes it possible to limit the thickness of the door 4 that moves outside the vehicle, which helps to increase 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 intended to close.

[0035] Furthermore, the retaining device 10, whose primary function is to hold the door 4 onto 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 located, and the straight opening 40 can be advantageously concealed in a watertight manner.

Claims

Demands

1. An arrangement (2) of a motor vehicle, in particular one side (3) of the vehicle, comprising a body (6) and a sliding pocket door (4), in particular an outwardly sliding door, the sliding door (4) being configured to move in a straight line along one side (3) of the body, between a closed position in which the sliding door (4) blocks access to the interior of a passenger compartment (8) and / or a cargo area of ​​the vehicle, and an open position in which the sliding door (4) allows access to the interior of said passenger compartment (8) and / or said cargo area of ​​the vehicle, the arrangement (2) being characterized in that the sliding door (4) comprises a longitudinal straight opening (40), in particular of the type of a groove or channel, formed in the sliding door, in particular at the level of a bottom wall (44) of the door frame (43) sliding,and in that the arrangement includes at least one retaining device (10) intended to hold said sliding door (4) in its closed position, particularly in the event of a lateral impact against the sliding door (4), particularly from the inside to the outside of the vehicle, the retaining device (10) being intended to move freely within the longitudinal straight opening (40) during the sliding of the door.

2. Arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the retaining device (10) is fixed to a front foot (6A) on one side (3) of the body (6), in particular at the level of a rear edge (6AR) of a front foot (6A) intended to be arranged opposite a front edge (4F) of the sliding door (4) in the closed position.

3. Arrangement (2) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining device (10) is fixed to a middle pedestal (6B) on one side (3) of the crate (6), in particular at the level of a front edge (6BF) of the middle pedestal extending substantially perpendicularly, in particular transversely, to the bottom wall (44) of the sliding door (4).

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

5. Arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (10) comprises a finger (13) projecting out of the side (3) of the vehicle body (6), in particular out of the rear edge (6AR) of the front foot (6A), said finger (13) having a main rod extending longitudinally along the vehicle, a free end (14) of which comprises a head, in particular in the form of a hook or a disc, the restraint device (10) being spaced away from the door (4), in particular from the front edge (4F) of the sliding door (4), so that it can move freely between the open and closed positions without coming into contact with the restraint device (12).

6. Arrangement (2) according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with claim 3, characterized in that the bottom wall (44) of the box (43) of the sliding door (4) extends opposite an outer edge (6BE) of the middle jamb (6B) regardless of the position of the sliding door.

7. Arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the restraint device (10) comprises a finger (13) projecting transversely out of the side (3) of the vehicle body (6), said finger (13) comprising a main rod extending transversely and longitudinally to the vehicle, a free end (14) of longitudinal orientation comprising a head (15), in particular in the form of a hook or a disc.

8. Arrangement (2) according to any one of the preceding claims in combination with claim 3, characterized in that said finger (13) comprises a fixing plate (20) to the side (3) of the case (6), in particular a fixing plate (20) screwed onto the rear face (6AR) of the front foot (6A) or onto the front face (6BF) of the middle foot (6B).

9. Arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the retaining device (10) is intended to come into contact with the sliding door (4) in order to keep it in the closed position on the side (3) of the body (6) during a side impact.

10. Arrangement (2) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the retaining device (10) is spaced from the sliding door (4), in particular spaced from the edges of the longitudinal opening (40) and / or a passage (46) provided at the level of a transverse wall (41, 42), the retention device (10) being intended to come into mechanical contact against the door in the closed position during an impact, in particular against the transverse wall (41, 42) of the box (43), the wall being in particular a reinforcement piece attached to the bottom wall (44) of the box (43).

11. Arrangement (2) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a deformable masking element (60) of said longitudinal housing (40), in particular an element of the type of a lip seal, through which the retaining device (10) passes so as to separate in particular the lips.

12. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises an arrangement (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

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