Motor vehicle door.

Abstract

The invention relates to a door (1) designed to be fitted to a motor vehicle having a B-pillar, the door (1) extending between a lining (2) and a skin (3), the door (1) comprising a lock (4) designed to keep the door (1) closed, the door (1) having a stiffener (5) extending between the lining (2) and the skin (3) along a horizontal axis of the vehicle, the door (1) further comprising a reinforcing device (6) disposed between the lining (2) and the skin (3), the reinforcing device (6) extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle, on the one hand, between the skin (3) and at least a portion of the lock (4), and, on the other hand, along a portion of the lining (2) designed to be disposed opposite the B-pillar, the stiffener (5) and the reinforcing device (6) forming the entirety of the reinforcements of the door (1). (Figure 2)

Description

Title of the invention: Motor vehicle door.

[0001] The technical field relates to motor vehicle doors having internal reinforcements as well as motor vehicles having such equipment and / or interior elements.

[0002] In the area of ​​road safety, car manufacturers must consider numerous concerns and regulations when developing new vehicles. In particular, car manufacturers must ensure the safety of vehicle occupants in the event of a collision. The behavior of motor vehicles in various collision situations is regulated and tested using standardized test procedures. The requirements for the results of these tests are constantly increasing and becoming more difficult to meet, forcing car manufacturers to continually innovate.

[0003] Thus, in the event of a collision, particularly a side impact, regulations require that a vehicle door not open in order to effectively protect the vehicle's occupants. To this end, doors equipped with locks are generally fitted with lock reinforcements, a sheet metal component designed to strengthen the lock's mechanical resistance and protect its sensitive components: cables are often used to connect the lock to internal and external opening mechanisms. The exits of these cables are particularly vulnerable and must be protected to prevent the door from opening following a side impact.

[0004] Furthermore, regulations require that, in a side impact, the door panels remain intact to prevent injuries to the occupants. For this reason, doors are generally equipped with diagonal metal reinforcements that extend across the door. These diagonal reinforcements also improve impact detection: airbags are activated by sensors that detect a shock wave propagating from the point of impact towards the sensors, and the diagonal reinforcements facilitate this propagation.

[0005] However, lock reinforcements and diagonal reinforcements present several drawbacks: firstly, they increase the vehicle's mass and, secondly, they complicate the door assembly. It would therefore be advisable to eliminate these door reinforcements.

[0006] Thus, there is a need for a solution that allows the removal of lock reinforcements and / or diagonal reinforcements without degrading the behavior of the door in the event of a lateral impact.

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome the problems described above. In this technical context, one objective of the present invention is to provide a door devoid of lock reinforcement and / or diagonal reinforcement, which remains closed on the vehicle in case of side impact and which resists deformation.

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a door designed to equip a motor vehicle having a B-pillar extending from a center pillar, the door extending between a lining and a door skin, the door further comprising a lock, the door having a door stiffener, extending between the lining and the skin along a horizontal axis of the vehicle, when the door is mounted on the vehicle, the door further comprising a reinforcement device, disposed between the lining and the skin, the reinforcement device extending along a vertical direction of the vehicle, when the door is mounted, on the one hand, between the skin and at least a part of the lock, and, on the other hand, along a part of the lining designed to be disposed opposite the center pillar of the vehicle, when the door is closed, the stiffener and the reinforcement device forming the entirety of the reinforcements of the door.

[0009] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one door according to the invention.

[0010] Thus, the door according to the invention protects the lock in the event of a side impact thanks to the reinforcement device. This reinforcement device provides adequate rigidity to the door according to the invention, which also allows for a door without diagonal reinforcement. Furthermore, this reinforcement device, positioned opposite the B-pillar, facilitates the propagation of a shock wave from a side impact towards the airbag sensors typically located in the B-pillar. Consequently, the door according to the invention has a simplified structure and a reduced mass compared to a conventional door. The passive safety of the door according to the invention is also improved. Finally, the removal of the diagonal reinforcement frees up space that can be used to add new functions to the door.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the door, the stiffener extends between the skin and a part of the lock.

[0012] According to one possibility of the door, the reinforcement device extends from the stiffener and between the lock and the door stiffener.

[0013] Advantageously, the door is devoid of external reinforcement, diagonal reinforcement and lock reinforcement.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the door, the reinforcement device has a portion projecting from the reinforcement device towards the lining, designed to control deformations in the event of a side impact suffered by the door in an area of ​​the door including a handle.

[0015] According to one possibility, the device has a double omega cross-section.

[0016] In one embodiment of the door, the reinforcement device is formed from a stamped sheet metal.

[0017] According to one possibility, the reinforcement device is fixed by welding points and / or by gluing to the lining and / or the skin.

[0018] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description, given solely by way of non-limiting example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0019] [Fig-1] [Fig.1] represents a perspective view of a vehicle door according to the invention, the skin being represented as transparent;

[0020] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] represents a cross-sectional view along axis AA of the door of [Fig.1];

[0021] In these figures, the same references are used to designate the same elements.

[0022] A door 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to equip a motor vehicle, not illustrated, having a pillar B extending from a middle pillar.

[0023] The door 1 extends between a door lining 2, forming a face intended to receive an interior trim, and a door skin 3, forming the outer face of the door 1 when it is mounted on the vehicle.

[0024] Door 1 further includes a lock 4 for keeping door 1 closed on the vehicle.

[0025] Conventionally, the door 1 has a door stiffener 5 extending between the lining 2 and the skin 3 along a horizontal axis of the vehicle when the door is mounted on the vehicle. The stiffener 5 is, for example, formed from corrugated sheet metal. Advantageously, the stiffener 5 extends between the skin 3 and a portion of the lock 4.

[0026] The door 1 further includes a reinforcing device 6, located between the lining 2 and the skin 3. The reinforcing device 6 extends vertically along the vehicle, when the door 1 is mounted, on the one hand, between the skin 3 and at least a portion of the lock 4, and, on the other hand, along a portion 7 of the lining 2 designed to be positioned opposite the B-pillar of the vehicle, when the door 1 is closed. In the door 1, the stiffener 5 and the reinforcing device 6 constitute the entirety of the door 1's reinforcements. In other words, the door 1 lacks a conventional diagonal reinforcement extending diagonally within the door 1 between the skin 3 and the lining 2. The door 1 also lacks an external reinforcement. Finally, the door 1 lacks a conventionally installed lock reinforcement.

[0027] The reinforcement device 6 is, for example, formed from a stamped sheet. The device 6 advantageously has a double omega cross-section.

[0028] In the example illustrated in the figures, the reinforcement device 6 extends from the stiffener 5 and between the lock 4 and the door stiffener 5.

[0029] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the reinforcement device 6 is, for example, fixed by weld points against the lining 2 and the skin 3, in the lower part of the door 1. In the upper part, the reinforcement device 6 is fixed to the skin 3 by gluing and / or weld points.

[0030] As illustrated in [Fig.2], the reinforcement device 6 has a portion 8 projecting from the reinforcement device 1, towards the lining 2 and designed to control deformations, in the event of a side impact suffered by the door 1, in an area of ​​the door including a handle, not illustrated in the figures.

[0031] Thus, the door 1 protects the lock 4 in the event of a side impact thanks to the reinforcement device 6. The reinforcement device 6 provides adequate rigidity to the door 1 and therefore allows for a door 1 without conventional diagonal reinforcement. Furthermore, this reinforcement device 6, by positioning itself near the B-pillar, facilitates the propagation of a shock wave from a side impact towards the airbag sensors normally located in the B-pillar. Consequently, the door 1 has a simplified structure, with reduced mass and increased passive safety.

[0032] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the door described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments can be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Door (1) designed to be fitted to a motor vehicle having a B-pillar extending from a center pillar, the door (1) extending between a lining (2) and a door skin (3), the door (1) further comprising a lock (4), the door (1) having a door stiffener (5) extending between the lining (2) and the skin (3) along a horizontal axis of the vehicle, when the door (1) is mounted on the vehicle, the door (1) further comprising a reinforcing device (6) disposed between the lining (2) and the skin (3), the reinforcing device (6) extending in a vertical direction of the vehicle, when the door (1) is mounted, on the one hand, between the skin (3) and at least a portion of the lock (4), and, on the other hand, along a portion of the lining (2) designed to be disposed opposite the center pillar of the vehicle, when the door (1) is closed,the stiffener (5) and the reinforcement device (6) forming the entirety of the door reinforcements (1).

2. Door (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the stiffener (5) extends between the skin (3) and a part of the lock (4).

3. Door (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the reinforcement device (6) extends from the stiffener (5) and between the lock (4) and the door stiffener (5).

4. Door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it is devoid of external reinforcement, diagonal reinforcement and lock reinforcement.

5. Door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the reinforcement device (6) has a portion (8) projecting from the reinforcement device (6) towards the lining (2), designed to control deformations in the event of a side impact suffered by the door (1) in an area of ​​the door (1) comprising a handle.

6. Door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the device (6) has a double omega cross-section.

7. Door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the reinforcement device (6) is formed of a stamped sheet.

8. Door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the reinforcement device (6) is fixed by spot welding and / or by gluing to the lining (2) and / or the skin (3).

9. Motor vehicle having at least one door (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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