VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A VEHICLE DOOR LOCKING DEVICE IN CASE OF IMPACT

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle equipped with at least one opening fitted with a locking device in the closed position in the event of a collision. The device comprises a non-deformable locking member (10) fixed to a deformable locking member support (5). The locking member support (5) moves from a first, inactive position in which the non-deformable locking member (10) and the locking member support (5) are housed within the opening (2), to a second, active position in which the locking member support (5) is deformed and housed within the opening (2). The locking member (10) is displaced and, at least partially, irreversibly lodged within a part of the vehicle's structure (3). Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig. 1

Description

Title of the invention: VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH A VEHICLE OPENING LOCKING DEVICE IN CASE OF IMPACT

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle equipped with a locking device for an opening in case of impact.

[0002] Here, the term vehicle refers to a car, a van, a truck, a public transport vehicle, a piece of public works or agricultural machinery, the vehicle being powered by an electric motor, a thermal engine or by a hybrid motorization.

[0003] Here, the term "opening" refers to any element capable of occupying a first open position allowing access to an internal part or the passenger compartment of a vehicle and capable of occupying a second closed position preventing access to an internal part or the passenger compartment of a vehicle. Thus, it may be a front side door, a rear side door, a tailgate, a trunk lid, or an engine hood.

[0004] In the event of an impact, particularly a side impact, current standards require that the opening remain in the closed position during the impact to prevent any object, person, or internal vehicle part from being ejected from the opening. The closed position must also be maintained after the impact to preserve the integrity of the vehicle and its occupants. US-B-10 557 289 describes an opening whose lock is equipped with a rotating latch that engages with a ratchet in the event of an impact. A release lever is provided to allow opening. DA-102021 127 878 ​​describes a motor vehicle lock comprising a pivoting ratchet that, in the locked position, engages in a recess in the lock strike plate. These known solutions are relatively complex to implement due to the number of parts involved.Furthermore, these methods only address the locking of a vehicle's door or window, thus excluding doors or windows without locks, such as a hood. Moreover, it is possible to open the door or window by other means, by indirectly acting on the lock, for example, by pulling on a cable or a cable that operates the door or window. In the event of an impact, these known solutions can be deformed or damaged due to their location, thereby impairing their function. The invention aims to provide a solution for keeping a vehicle's door or window closed, preventing accidental opening, in the event of an impact, regardless of the type of door or window, in a simple manner, with a minimum number of parts.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to a vehicle equipped with at least one opening allowing access to an internal part or to the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the opening being connected to a part of the vehicle's structure and movable relative to said structure, the opening being equipped with a locking device in the closed position in the event of an impact on the opening, characterized in that the device comprises a non-deformable locking member, called a latch, fixed on a deformable locking member support, the locking member support moving from a first position, called the inactive position, in which the locking member and the non-deformed locking member support are housed in a part of the opening, to a second position, called the active position, in which the locking member support is deformed and housed in the part of the opening, a free end of the locking member being displaced and, at least partially,irreversibly lodged in a part of the vehicle's structure.

[0006] Thanks to the invention, a vehicle can be obtained in which at least one opening remains closed during and after a collision, in a simple manner with a minimum of parts. The device is placed on the opening, outside the lock; the locking is secured mechanically by attaching the body of the opening to the vehicle structure.

[0007] According to advantageous, but not mandatory, aspects of the invention, such a vehicle may include one or more of the following features:

[0008] In the inactive position, the locking member includes a free end in support of or opposite a structural weakness zone provided on an internal lining of the opening.

[0009] The passage of the free end of the locking member into a part of the vehicle structure is facilitated by the presence of a structural weakness zone on the part of the structure.

[0010] The free end of the locking member is configured as an arrowhead or a hook.

[0011] The locking mechanism is configured as a solid bar.

[0012] The locking mechanism support is configured as a flattened V-shaped bar.

[0013] Several locking devices are fitted to the same opening.

[0014] All openings are equipped with at least one locking device.

[0015] The invention will be better understood and other advantages thereof will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0016] [Fig. 1] is a partial perspective view showing the interior of a vehicle opening before an impact, a shock-generating component being partially and schematically illustrated, as well as part of the vehicle's internal structure and,

[0017] [Fig.2] is a view similar to [Fig.1] and at the same scale, after an impact.

[0018] Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a vehicle opening and a portion of the vehicle's internal structure, in this case, a portion of the passenger compartment. Specifically, it is a portion of the left-hand side front door of a vehicle. Hereafter, the term "opening" will be used preferentially instead of "part of an opening" for ease of reading. In other embodiments, and advantageously, all the vehicle's doors, front and rear, are equipped with the device of the invention. Alternatively, the other vehicle openings, namely the tailgate or trunk lid and the engine hood, are also equipped with a device of the invention. In this case, it is easy to understand that the dimensions and / or configuration of the device are adapted to the type of opening.

[0019] In the lower part of [Fig. 1], an element is partially visible. This is a barrier 1 used during a standardized impact test, according to current regulations. The barrier 1 simulates a side impact on a vehicle, whether such an impact occurs against a wall, a post, a tree, or another vehicle. A portion 2 of the vehicle's door opening is shown opposite the barrier 1. This is the so-called external portion 2 of the door opening, namely the part that will be in contact with the element generating the impact, therefore, in the case of a standardized test, with the barrier 1. In Figures 1 and 2, portion 2 corresponds to the part of the front door that is opposite the portion of the door opening connected by a hinge to the vehicle structure. This is the portion 2 that is operated by the vehicle user, i.e., opened or closed, to enter or exit the passenger compartment. To facilitate reading, part 2 is shown without an operating handle.

[0020] A portion of the vehicle structure 3 is shown in a simplified manner in Figures 1 and 2. In the illustrated example, this is the center pillar of the vehicle's passenger compartment. In the case of the rear door, it is the rear pillar. In the case of a tailgate, trunk lid, or engine hood, it would be, respectively, the roof arch, a passenger compartment side member, or the engine compartment.

[0021] An internal part or lining 4 of the opening is positioned opposite the structural part 3. The term lining and the expression internal part of the opening will be used interchangeably hereafter. The lining 4 has a shape complementary to the structural part 3 of the opening. A device according to an embodiment of the invention occupies a portion of the internal volume V of the opening, therefore a portion of the available space V between the external part 2 and the internal part 4 of the opening.

[0022] The device comprises a support 5 for a locking member made, at least in part, of a deformable, advantageously metallic material. The support 5 is, in this case, a generally flattened, open V-shaped tab, in this example, at an angle greater than 90°. One arm 6 of the support 5 is fixed, permanently or temporarily, for example by Rivets, screws, or weld points 7 are attached to the lining 4, on the inner side of the opening, therefore within volume V. The other arm 8, which forms part of the support 5, is also configured as a flattened tab. Advantageously, but not necessarily, its length is greater than the length of arm 6. The free end 9 of arm 8 is secured, for example by welding, to a rigid locking element for the opening, also referred to as a latch 10. Hereafter, the term latch and the expression locking element will be used interchangeably. Here, the free end 9 is fixed to the latch 10 approximately at its midpoint. In other embodiments, depending on the configuration of the opening and / or the configuration of the structural part 3, the attachment takes place at a different location on the latch.Similarly, the support 5 can be of a different shape; for example, the arm 8, or at least its end 9, fixed to the latch 10, can have a different shape, for example, Y-shaped, U-shaped, or otherwise. It is understood that the arm 6 of the support 5 fixed to the internal part 4 of the opening can also have a different shape, for example, U-shaped, Y-shaped, or otherwise. In all cases, at least the part, here arm 8, of the support 5 connected to the latch 10 is less rigid than the part, here arm 6, of the support 5 that is integral with the lining 4. For this reason, arms 6 and 8 can be made of a different material and / or have different configurations and / or dimensions.

[0023] In the illustrated embodiment, the latch 10 is in the form of a solid bar. Alternatively, it is a profile or a rail. In all cases, the locking member 10 is made of a material and / or has a configuration and / or dimensions such that it is rigid and non-deformable. Advantageously, it is made of steel or another metal or metal alloy.

[0024] The latch 10 includes a free end 11, here curved. This end 11 bears against an area 12 of the lining 4 of the opening 2. The area 12 is a structurally weak point, for example, provided with a pre-cut, a hole, or using a material of lesser strength or thickness in the area 12. Advantageously, the area 12 is visually marked. The area 12 is designed so that, upon impact, it opens and allows free passage of the end 11 through the lining 4. In all cases, the area 12 and the end 11 are facing each other or mutually supporting each other, but are not fixed to each other by any means whatsoever.

[0025] The end 13 of the latch 10 opposite the end 11 bears against, near, or advantageously fixed to a face 14 of the outer part 2 of the opening. This face 14 is called the inner face because it is oriented towards the lining 4 of the opening. The end 13 is advantageously fixed, for example by welding, to the face 14. Advantageously, the area where the end 13 is fixed to the face 14 is reinforced so that, in the event of an impact, the end 13 does not pierce the outer part 2 of the opening. Thus, the latch 10 is fixed to any movement made by the external part 2 of the opening, while being able to move within the opening by passing through the lining 4, towards the structural part 3 of the vehicle.

[0026] Fig. 1 illustrates the first so-called inactive position of the device inserted in the part of the opening 2. In this configuration, there is no structural deformation of the opening and of the structural part 3. The support 5 and the latch 10 are in the initial configuration and position, such as when they were mounted in the opening.

[0027] Figure 2 illustrates the device in its second, so-called active, position, following an impact induced by a displacement of the barrier 1 against the opening. Arrow F illustrates the direction of displacement of the barrier 1 and therefore of the outer part 2 of the opening. The impact induces a more or less significant and complex deformation of the outer part 2. During the impact, regardless of its severity, the inner part 4 of the opening also undergoes deformation and is pushed towards the structural part 3 of the vehicle. In other words, there is crushing and deformation of the entire opening during a side impact.

[0028] During this impact, the deformation, and therefore the displacement along arrow F, of the external part 2 of the opening induces a displacement of the latch 10, due to the fixing of the end 13 on the face 14 of the external part 2. This displacement is indicated by arrow FL

[0029] During this movement along Fl, the end 11 of the latch passes through the zone 12, referred to as the zone of weakness, towards the structural part 3 of the vehicle and also pierces the part 3. This perforation is advantageously facilitated by a structural zone of weakness 15 provided in the part 3. The zone of weakness 15 is, for example and similarly to the zone 12, a zone provided with pre-cuts, drilling, or made of a material of lesser strength or thickness. The movement along the arrow Fl of the latch 10 is facilitated and guided by the deformation of the support 5, in particular the deformation of the arm 8.

[0030] Here, the free end 11 of the latch 10 is beveled and curved. Alternatively, it is configured as an arrowhead or a hook, so that any movement of the latch 10 withdrawing from the structural part 3, in the direction opposite to that of the arrow Fl, is prevented by the shape of the end 11. It is understood that the shape of the latch 10 and / or its free end 11 are adapted to ensure, on the one hand, rapid drilling of the structural part 3, and on the other hand, to keep the latch 10 in place in the part 3, thus de facto keeping the opening in the closed position during and after an impact, for example a lateral impact.

[0031] In other embodiments, several devices are fitted to an opening along its height and / or at other locations on it, for example at the hinge of the opening.

Claims

Demands

1. A vehicle equipped with at least one opening allowing access to an internal part or the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the opening being connected to a part of the vehicle's structure (3) and movable relative to said structure, the opening being equipped with a locking device in the closed position in the event of an impact on the opening, characterized in that the device comprises a non-deformable locking member (10), referred to as a latch, fixed to a deformable locking member support (5), the locking member support (5) moving from a first, so-called inactive, position in which the locking member (10) and the non-deformed locking member support (5) are housed (V) in a part (2) of the opening to a second, so-called active, position in which the locking member support (5) is deformed and housed in the part (2) of the opening, a free end (11) of the member locking (10) being moved (Fl) and,at least partially, irreversibly lodged in a part of the vehicle's structure (3).

2. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, in inactive position, the locking member (10) includes a free end (11) in support of or opposite a zone (12) of structural weakness provided on an internal lining (4) of the opening.

3. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the passage (Fl) of the free end (11) of the locking member (10) into a part of the structure (3) of the vehicle is facilitated by the presence of a zone (15) of structural weakness on the part of the structure (3).

4. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the free end (11) of the locking member (10) is configured in an arrowhead or hook shape.

5. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking member (10) is configured as a solid bar.

6. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that the support (5) of locking member (10) is configured as a flattened V-bar.

7. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that several locking devices are fitted to the same opening.

8. Vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that all openings are equipped with at least one locking device.

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