SIDE DOOR FOR AUTOMOBILE WITH INTERNAL REINFORCING RAIL AND INTERMEDIATE WEDGE

Abstract

A motor vehicle side door comprising an outer panel, an inner lining sheet (4), a reinforcing rail (14) disposed between this outer panel and this lining sheet (4), and an inner trim panel (16) fixed to this lining sheet (4), having a free area of ​​hard or protruding equipment (24) presenting a risk to passengers in the event of intrusion into the passenger compartment, and comprising an intermediate rigid wedge (30) which is wedged between the rail (14) and the inner lining sheet (16) at the level of the free area of ​​hazardous equipment (24). Figure 4

Description

Title of the invention: SIDE DOOR OF MOTOR VEHICLE WITH INTERNAL RAIL REINFORCEMENT AND INTERMEDIATE SHED

[0001] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle side door comprising an internal reinforcing rail and an intermediate rigid wedge, as well as to a motor vehicle equipped with such a door.

[0002] The side doors of motor vehicles generally comprise an outer panel, an inner panel forming a lining sheet, and an inner trim panel covering the lining sheet, including various equipment such as a door operating handle located in the upper part, or a storage pocket located below this handle.

[0003] A known type of motor vehicle side door, presented in particular by document FR-A1-2999487, comprises a generally flat complete sub-assembly, inserted between the outer panel and the lining sheet metal, including in an integrated manner a handle support, a window lift mechanism, a speaker support and a bass resonance chamber for this speaker.

[0004] The subassembly further includes a reinforcement against side impacts on the vehicle, forming a rigid, inclined rail that extends across the width of the door, to resist impacts on the outer panel in the event of an accident by absorbing energy through its deformation, with the energy distributed along the length of this rail. In particular, the rail may be hollow and contain the speaker's subwoofer enclosure, which also forms a shock-absorbing spacer.

[0005] However, for vehicle type approval, side impact test standards impose increasingly stringent requirements, including in particular protection of passengers against damage caused by these impacts to the interior door trim panel.

[0006] In the event of significant deformation of the reinforcement rail caused by a sufficiently high impact, this rail in turn deforms the lining sheet metal, which pushes the trim panel, including its various integrated components, into the passenger compartment. This can result in the trim panel becoming detached, breaking, its components becoming dislodged, or fragments being projected, which can be dangerous for the passengers. Side impact test standards require protection against these risks.

[0007] The present invention is specifically designed to avoid these problems of the prior art.

[0008] It proposes for this purpose a side door of a motor vehicle comprising an external panel, an internal lining sheet, a reinforcement rail disposed between this external panel and this lining sheet, and an internal trim panel fixed to this lining sheet, having an area free of hard or protruding equipment presenting risks to passengers in the event of intrusion into the passenger compartment, this door being notable in that it has an intermediate rigid wedge which is wedged between the rail and the internal lining sheet at the level of the area free of risky equipment.

[0009] One advantage of this door is that, in the event of a significant side impact, deformation of the rail causes the intermediate rigid wedge to push the trim panel, fixed to the lining sheet metal, into the passenger compartment in an area that is not dangerous for the passengers. Energy absorption of the impact is achieved through deformations of both the rail and the lining sheet metal driven by this rail, but with localized denting of the trim panel in the area free of potentially hazardous equipment.

[0010] In a simple and economical way, without adding significant generalized reinforcement over large areas of the door, with the rigid intermediate wedge which can have a reduced mass, it is possible to meet more stringent standards for passenger protection against side impacts.

[0011] The vehicle side door according to the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, which may be combined with each other.

[0012] Advantageously, the area free of hazardous equipment includes a storage pocket.

[0013] Advantageously, the intermediate wedge forms along the transverse direction of the a vehicle in a vertical plane, a closed contour constituting a box.

[0014] In this case, the box may include an inner face close to the lining sheet, connected to an outer face close to the rail by an upper side and a lower side.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the intermediate wedge is formed by a plastic molding.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the intermediate wedge is formed by a folded sheet metal.

[0017] In this case, advantageously the intermediate wedge comprises successively, starting from the rail, an upper side, an inner vertical face close to the lining sheet and a lower side returning to the rail.

[0018] In this case, advantageously the ends of the intermediate wedge are welded onto the upper and lower edges of the rail.

[0019] Alternatively, the intermediate wedge can be fixed to the rail by means of a system of clipping wedge hooks.

[0020] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle remarkable in that it has side doors comprising any one of the preceding characteristics.

[0021] The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become more apparent upon reading the following description given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0022] [Fig. 1] is a view of the inner face of a side door according to the prior art without its inner trim panel;

[0023] [Fig.2] is a cross-sectional view of this door along the vertical section plane ILII;

[0024] [Fig.3] is a view showing an area for the implantation of a rigid wedge intermediate on a door according to the invention;

[0025] [Fig.4] is a cross-sectional view of this door along the vertical section plane ILII presenting in detail an intermediate rigid wedge according to a first variant; and

[0026] [Fig. 5] is a cross-sectional view of this door along the vertical section plane ILII presenting in detail an intermediate rigid wedge according to a second variant.

[0027] Throughout the document the transverse axis of the vehicle is perpendicular to its length, the external direction is turned towards the outside of this vehicle.

[0028] Figures 1 and 2 show a side door comprising an external panel 2 receiving an internal lining sheet 4 assembled on the contour by welding, and an upper frame 6 receiving a sliding window 8 moved by a mechanism with electric motorization 10 disposed in a central part of the door.

[0029] A substantially horizontal reinforcing upper rail 12 and a lower rail 14 inclined downwards towards the rear each cover the width of the door. Each rail 12, 14, formed of a sheet metal having ribs arranged along its length, has high rigidity, absorbing energy and limiting deformation in the event of a lateral impact on the vehicle.

[0030] An interior trim panel 16 covering the lining sheet 4 forms an aesthetic covering of the door incorporating equipment for the use of passengers.

[0031] The trim panel 16 has a rigid handle 18 in its upper part, formed by a raised section protruding into the passenger compartment and open at the top, allowing it to be grasped and pulled. Below the handle, it has a storage compartment 20 in its lower part, forming a flat, elastic wall resting against the panel, allowing flat objects to be pulled out. The trim panel 16 also includes other features such as a window motor control button 10.

[0032] In the event of a significant lateral impact on the vehicle door, carried out according to standardized tests, a deformation of the rails 12, 14 occurs, which pushes back the inner lining sheet 4, resulting in deformations of the trim panel 16 which can crack, detach at least partially, or contain parts that break off with projections towards the passengers.

[0033] Figure 3 shows the definition on the trim panel 16 of areas comprising hard or protruding elements 22 presenting risks to passengers in the event of a side impact causing deformation of this panel, with intrusion or projection of elements that could injure them, including in particular the protruding handle 18. A free zone of these hard or protruding equipment 24 is also defined, having a generally flat or soft surface, which is located below the electric window lift mechanism 10, opposite the storage compartment 20.

[0034] Figure 4 shows an intermediate rigid wedge 30 fixed to the rail 14, formed by a A molded part made of rigid plastic material that allows complex shapes to be created in a single operation at a reduced cost.

[0035] The intermediate wedge 30 has a substantially flat, vertical outer face 32 bearing against the face of the rail 14 facing the interior of the vehicle, terminating above and below with an edge forming a hook 34 parallel to the rail, the two hooks curving back towards each other. The rail 14 has ribs arranged along its length, terminating on the sides with a rounded rim 44 facing the exterior of the vehicle, receiving the hooks 34.

[0036] In a vertical plane arranged along the transverse direction, the intermediate wedge 30 has a closed contour constituting a box 36 formed by a wall turned towards the interior of the vehicle, which on the side and the bottom is close to the lining sheet 4, comprising a substantially flat vertical inner face 38 connected to the vertical outer face 32 by an upper side 40 and a lower side 42.

[0037] The mounting of the intermediate wedge 30 on the rail 14 is done in a simple and quick manner, without tools, by clipping by spreading the two hooks 34 of the upper and lower edges apart to pass over the rounded edges 44 of the rail 14 in order to fix them on it by elastic return of these hooks.

[0038] During a significant impact on the door with deformation of the rail 14, this rail pushes the intermediate wedge 30, which has a high rigidity, in the transverse direction thanks to its box 36, which causes deformation of the lining sheet 4, and of the trim panel 16 fixed on it in its area free of hazardous equipment 24.

[0039] Depending on the intensity of the impact, damage to the trim panel 16 may result in detachment, deformation or breakage, but in its flat area free of hazardous equipment 24, including in particular the storage pocket 20 forming a flat and flexible element which cannot injure the passengers.

[0040] Figure 5 shows, as an alternative, an intermediate wedge 30 formed by a folded sheet metal comprising successively the upper side 40, the inner vertical face 38 and the lower side 42, with at each end edges turned towards each other 50 which are welded to the rounded edges 44 of the rail 14 by weld points 52 in order to obtain a resistant bond forming with the rail in cross section a closed box contour 36.

[0041] A strongly rigid intermediate wedge 30 is obtained in a similar manner in the transverse direction, which transmits the indentation of the rail 14 to the lining plate 4 and to the trim panel 16 in its area free of hazardous equipment 24.

Claims

Demands

1. Side door of a motor vehicle comprising an outer panel (2), an inner lining sheet (4), a reinforcement rail (14) disposed between this outer panel (2) and this lining sheet (4), and an inner trim panel (16) fixed to this lining sheet (4), having a free area of ​​hard or protruding equipment (24) presenting risks to passengers in the event of intrusion into the passenger compartment, characterized in that it includes an intermediate rigid wedge (30) which is wedged between the rail (14) and the inner lining sheet (16) at the level of the free area of ​​risky equipment (24).

2. Side door according to claim 1, characterized in that the area free of hazardous equipment (24) includes a storage pocket (20).

3. Side door according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the intermediate wedge (30) forms along the transverse direction of the vehicle in a vertical plane a closed contour constituting a box (36).

4. Side door according to claim 3, characterized in that the box (36) has an inner face (38) close to the lining sheet (4), connected to an outer face (32) close to the rail (14) by an upper side (40) and a lower side (42).

5. Side door according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the intermediate wedge (30) is formed by a plastic molding.

6. Side door according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the intermediate wedge (30) is formed by a folded sheet metal.

7. Side door according to claim 6, characterized in that the intermediate wedge (30) comprises successively from the rail (14) an upper side (40), an inner vertical face (38) close to the lining sheet (4) and a lower side (42) returning to the rail (14).

8. Side door according to claim 7, characterized in that the ends of the intermediate wedge (30) are welded onto upper and lower edges (44) of the rail (14).

9. Side door according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the intermediate wedge (30) is fixed to the rail (14) by a system of clipping hooks of the wedge (30).

10. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises side doors according to any one of the preceding claims.

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