Side door of a motor vehicle including a stiffener with a specific geometry for side impact and vehicle equipped with such a door

Abstract

A motor vehicle side door comprising a stiffener with a specific geometry for side impact, and a vehicle having such a door. The invention relates to a motor vehicle side door, comprising: - an inner lining, - a stiffener (5) fixed to said inner lining, comprising a rear leg (13) connecting an upper horizontal portion and a lower horizontal portion, - a lock configured to control a mechanism for opening and closing said door, arranged between said stiffener and said inner lining. According to the invention, the rear leg (13) has a narrowed portion (21) relative to a longitudinal direction of said vehicle, having a curved portion extending in a transverse plane of said vehicle when said door is mounted on said vehicle. Figure 4

Description

Title of the invention: Side door of a motor vehicle comprising a stiffener with a specific geometry for side impact and vehicle comprising such a door. Technical field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, in particular to the field of passive safety of the motor vehicle to ensure protection in the event of a side impact.

[0002] The invention relates more particularly to a side door of a motor vehicle and to a motor vehicle comprising such a door. Previous technique

[0003] A motor vehicle body structure comprises a set of sheet metal structural elements that provide rigidity to the vehicle, assembled together and forming the vehicle's frame.

[0004] In the event of a barrier side impact, the barrier puts stress on both side doors, and one of the main paths of stress during a side impact is the rear door.

[0005] Thus, significant deformations occur at the rear door and the risk of intrusion into the passenger compartment is high.

[0006] Reference is made to [Fig.1] partially showing a rear left door 101 of a prior art motor vehicle.

[0007] To limit deformations at the door 101 in the event of a barrier side impact, and thus reduce the risk of intrusion into the passenger compartment, it is known to equip the door with a diagonal reinforcement 103 and a door stiffener 105, defining a structural sheet metal element giving stiffness to the door 101 and forming one of the main ways of resisting forces on the door 101 during a side impact.

[0008] Certain types of motor vehicles, in particular those of the electric type with battery (motor vehicle known as "BEV", Anglo-Saxon acronym for "Battery Electric Vehicle") or those of the D-SUV type, are heavy and long.

[0009] In the event of a side impact suffered or caused by this type of heavy and long vehicle, the intrusions are more significant than on smaller and less heavy vehicles.

[0010] In order to further limit deformations and the risk of intrusion, the dimensions of the door stiffener 105 have increased compared to the stiffeners equipping the doors of smaller and lighter motor vehicles.

[0011] Also, the stiffener 105 has a ladder shape, covering a significant area of ​​the door 101 in height.

[0012] For this purpose, the stiffener 105 comprises an upper horizontal portion 107 and a lower horizontal portion 109 connected to each other by a vertical middle leg 111 and an oblique rear leg 113.

[0013] In the event of a barrier side impact, the barrier presses on the stiffener, which will bend particularly at the rear leg 113. There is then a high risk that the rear leg 113 of the stiffener 103 will come into contact with a reinforcement 115 of a door lock 117 positioned at the rear of the stiffener 103, as shown in [Fig.2] showing an enlargement of zone II of [Fig.1], the door 101 having suffered a barrier side impact.

[0014] Such contact may result in contact between the exit of a cable 119, arranged behind the lock reinforcement 115, and the rear leg 113 of the stiffener 103, as represented by reference 121.

[0015] This can lead to unintentional actuation of the lock cable 119, thereby increasing the risk of the door 101 opening in the event of a lateral barrier impact.

[0016] However, such an opening of the door 101 in the event of a side impact is prohibitive for the homologation of the motor vehicle.

[0017] A solution aimed at drastically strengthening the stiffener 105 would make it possible to considerably reduce intrusions and thus avoid any contact with the door lock, either by adding an additional reinforcement piece, or by increasing the thickness of the stiffener.

[0018] However, in either case, the manufacturing cost would be significantly impacted given that an additional step is required to assemble the additional reinforcement piece to the stiffener 105 or given the need to perform weld points to assemble the additional reinforcement piece to the stiffener 105. Also, the overall mass of the motor vehicle would also be increased, which goes against the recurring problem of mass reduction in the automotive field. Description of the invention

[0019] The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, and for this purpose relates to a side door of a motor vehicle, comprising: - an inner door lining, - a stiffener fixed to said inner door lining, comprising a rear leg connecting an upper horizontal portion and a lower horizontal portion of said stiffener, - a lock, configured to control a mechanism for opening and closing said door, said lock being arranged between said stiffener and said inner door lining, said door being remarkable in that said rear leg comprises a narrowed portion, relative to a longitudinal direction of said motor vehicle, said narrowed portion further comprising a curved portion extending in a transverse plane of said motor vehicle when said door is mounted on said vehicle.

[0020] Thus, the fact that the rear leg of the stiffener includes a portion that is narrowed relative to a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle allows said rear leg to no longer come into contact with the lock, and the lock reinforcement if applicable, in the event of a barrier side impact suffered by the motor vehicle.

[0021] In this way, the risk of contact between the rear leg and the lock cable connected to the door opening control mechanism is limited.

[0022] This reduces the risk of the lock cable being activated unintentionally, thereby limiting the risk of the door opening in the event of a lateral impact with a barrier.

[0023] Furthermore, the fact that the rear leg of the stiffener also has a curved portion extending in a transverse plane of the vehicle allows the rear leg of the stiffener to maintain good rigidity despite the narrower portion which tends to structurally weaken the rear leg. In this way, the stiffener is able to dissipate sufficient energy in the event of a barrier side impact.

[0024] Thanks to the present invention, it is possible to limit the risk of the lock cable being activated unintentionally, which in turn limits the risk of the door opening in the event of a side impact with a barrier, while avoiding the need to reinforce the stiffener by means of an additional reinforcement piece or by increasing the thickness of the stiffener, which means that the manufacturing cost will not be impacted and the overall mass of the vehicle will not be increased.

[0025] According to optional features of the side door according to the invention: - the entirety of said curved portion is made on said narrowed portion of said rear leg; - said rear leg includes a rear edge comprising a base and, in continuity with said base, a connecting edge linking said base to said upper horizontal portion or to said lower horizontal portion, said connecting edge of said rear leg extending behind said base relative to a longitudinal direction of said vehicle; - the width of said base is greater than or equal to 108mm and the width of said narrowed portion is between 96mm and 108mm; - the length of the rear leg is greater than or equal to 191mm; - said curved portion has a C shape; - the thickness of said curved portion is constant; - the thickness of said curved portion is between 20mm and 30mm.

[0026] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one side door, notable in that said side door is according to the invention. Brief description of the drawings

[0027] Other features, purposes and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, for the understanding of which reference should be made to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0028] [Fig. 1] is a side view partially showing a left rear door of a prior art motor vehicle.

[0029] [Fig. 2] is an enlargement of zone II of [Fig. 1], the door having sustained an impact lateral barrier.

[0030] [Fig.3] is a side view partially showing a vehicle side door automobile according to the invention.

[0031] [Fig.4] illustrates the door stiffener of the invention, centered on zone IV of the [Fig.3],

[0032] [Fig.5] shows the rear leg of the stiffener in rear view.

[0033] [Fig.6] is an enlargement of zone IV of [Fig.3], the door having sustained an impact lateral barrier. Description of the implementation methods

[0034] In the following description, elements having an identical structure or analogous functions are designated by the same reference.

[0035] By convention, and without limitation, longitudinal, vertical and transverse orientations will be adopted as indicated by the direct trihedron (L, V, T) designating the longitudinal, vertical and transverse axes of the vehicle.

[0036] In what follows, the terms "left", "right", "lower" and "upper" are understood in relation to the vehicle.

[0037] Similarly, the terms "front" and "rear" are understood in relation to the general orientation of the vehicle as taken in its normal direction of travel.

[0038] Reference is made to [Fig. 3] showing a side door 1 of a motor vehicle. In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, door 1 is a left rear door of the motor vehicle. Of course, the present invention applies to any type of side door, including, for example, the right rear door.

[0039] The door 1 comprises an outer wall (not shown) and an inner lining 2.

[0040] Between the outer wall of the door and the inner lining 2 of the door, the door 1 has a diagonal reinforcement 3 and a stiffener 5, arranged between the outer wall and the inner lining 2 and designed to take up the forces suffered by the door 1 in the event of a barrier side impact.

[0041] The stiffener 5 defines a structural sheet metal element giving stiffness to the door 1 and forms one of the main ways of resisting forces on the door 1 during a lateral impact.

[0042] Also, the stiffener 5 has a ladder shape, comprising in particular an upper horizontal portion 7 and a lower horizontal portion 9 connected to each other by a vertical middle leg 11 and a rear leg 13, for example oblique.

[0043] The number of legs connecting the upper horizontal portion 7 and the lower horizontal portion 9 can be adjusted as desired. In an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the stiffener 5 has only one leg, corresponding to the rear leg 13 and arranged at the rear of the stiffener 5 when the stiffener 5 is mounted in the door 1.

[0044] The door 1 also includes a lock 15 and optionally a lock reinforcement 17, fixed to the inner lining 2 of the door.

[0045] When the door 1 has a lock reinforcement 17, the lock 15 and the lock reinforcement 17 are arranged between the stiffener 5 and the inner lining 2 of the door.

[0046] The lock 15 is configured to control an opening and closing control mechanism (not visible) for door 1.

[0047] The lock 15 further includes a cable 19 intended to be connected to the door opening control mechanism.

[0048] The lock reinforcement 17 is designed to protect the cable 19 connected to the door opening control mechanism. For this purpose, the reinforcement 17 may, for example, consist of an L-shaped cover arranged to protect the end of the cable 19. The presence of the lock reinforcement 17 helps to limit the risk of contact between the cable 19 and the rear leg 13 of the stiffener 5.

[0049] The rear leg 13 defines a proximal leg relative to the lock 15 and the lock reinforcement 17, that is to say, it is located close to the lock 15 and the lock reinforcement 17.

[0050] Reference is made to [Fig.4] showing the door stiffener 5, centered on zone IV of [Fig.3].

[0051] According to the invention, the rear leg 13 of the stiffener 5 has a narrowed portion 21 relative to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the door 1 is mounted on the vehicle and is in its closed position. In other words, the narrowed portion 21 defines a pinching zone of the rear leg 13.

[0052] The rear leg 13 has a rear edge 23 comprising a base 25 arranged in the example embodiment in the lower part of the rear leg 13. In continuity with the base 25, the rear edge 23 has a connecting edge 27 which connects the base 25 to the upper horizontal portion 7.

[0053] According to one embodiment, the connecting edge 27 of the rear leg 13 extends behind the base 25, relative to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0054] In an alternative embodiment not shown in the figures, the base 25 can be arranged in the upper part of the rear leg 13. In this case, the connecting edge 27 of the rear edge 23 connects the base 25 to the lower horizontal portion 9.

[0055] A rear edge 123 of a rear leg according to the prior art is illustrated in dashed lines to allow comparison with the geometry of the rear leg 13 of the invention. The rear edge 123 of the rear leg of the prior art defines a straight edge, unlike the rear edge 23 of the invention, which includes the portion 21 narrowed along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0056] By way of non-limiting illustration, the width 11 of the base 25 may be greater than or equal to about 108mm while the width 12 of the narrowed portion 21 may be between about 96mm and about 108mm.

[0057] Similarly, by way of non-limiting illustration, the length L of the rear leg 13 may be greater than or equal to approximately 191mm.

[0058] Reference is made to [Fig.5] showing the rear leg 13 in rear view, i.e. view from the rear towards the front of the vehicle.

[0059] According to the invention, the narrowed portion 21 further comprises a curved portion 29, extending in a transverse plane (L, V) of the motor vehicle when the door 1 is mounted on the vehicle, i.e. in a transverse plane relative to the plane containing the narrowed portion 21.

[0060] This allows the rear leg 13 to have good stiffness, despite the presence of the narrowed portion 21 which tends to structurally weaken the rear leg 13.

[0061] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the entire curved portion 29 is made on the narrowed portion 21 of the rear leg 13.

[0062] In an alternative embodiment not shown, the curved portion 29 extends over only part of the narrowed portion 21 of the rear leg 13.

[0063] The curved portion 29 has a C shape.

[0064] In one embodiment, the thickness of the curved portion 29 may be constant. Alternatively, the thickness of the curved portion 29 may be non-constant.

[0065] By way of non-limiting illustration, the thickness E of the curved portion 29 can be between approximately 20mm and approximately 30mm, for example approximately 28mm.

[0066] Reference is made to [Fig.6] showing an enlargement of zone IV of [Fig.3], door 1 having suffered a barrier side impact.

[0067] In the event of a side impact with a barrier sustained by the motor vehicle, no further contact is made between the lock 15 and the rear leg 13 thanks to the narrowed portion 21 of the rear leg 13. In this way, the risk of contact between the rear leg 13 and the lock cable 19, connected to the door opening control mechanism, is limited.

[0068] As previously seen, the curved portion 29 provides the rear leg 13 with sufficient stiffness to avoid bending during the impact, despite the presence of the narrowed portion 21.

[0069] As will be understood, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments of this motor vehicle side door, and of this motor vehicle comprising such a side door, described above solely by way of illustrative examples, but on the contrary it encompasses all variants involving the technical equivalents of the means described as well as their combinations if these fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Side door (1) of a motor vehicle, comprising: - an inner door lining (2), - a stiffener (5) fixed to said inner door lining (2), comprising a rear leg (13) connecting an upper horizontal portion (7) and a lower horizontal portion (9) of said stiffener (5), - a lock (15), configured to control an opening and closing control mechanism for said door (1), said lock (15) being arranged between said stiffener (5) and said inner door lining (2), said door (1) being characterized in that said rear leg (13) has a narrowed portion (21), relative to a longitudinal direction of said motor vehicle, said narrowed portion (21) further comprising a curved portion (29) extending in a transverse plane of said motor vehicle when said door (1) is mounted on said vehicle.

2. Side door (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the whole of said curved portion (29) is made on said narrowed portion (21) of said rear leg (13).

3. Side door (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 2, wherein said rear leg (13) has a rear edge (23) comprising a base (25) and, in continuity with said base (25), a connecting edge (27) connecting said base (25) to said upper horizontal portion (7) or to said lower horizontal portion (9), characterized in that said connecting edge (27) of said rear leg (13) extends behind said base (25) relative to a longitudinal direction of said vehicle.

4. Side door (1) according to claim 3, characterized in that the width (11) of said base (25) is greater than or equal to 108mm and the width (12) of said narrowed portion (21) is between 96mm and 108mm.

5. Side door (1) according to any one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the length (L) of the rear leg (13) is greater than or equal to 191mm.

6. Side door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said curved portion (29) has a C-shape.

7. Side door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the thickness (E) of said curved portion (29) is constant.

8. Side door (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the thickness (E) of said curved portion (29) is between 20mm and 30mm.

9. Motor vehicle comprising at least one side door (1), characterized in that said side door (1) is according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

Images