Door stiffening device

Abstract

The invention relates to a door stiffener device (1) designed to be fitted to a door of a motor vehicle, the device (1) comprising a main part (2) shaped to extend longitudinally across the width of the door to reinforce it, the device (1) comprising an auxiliary part (3) shaped to extend around a door opening control (4) to protect the opening control (4) in the event of a lateral impact on the door, the device (1) having guide means (6) provided on an inner face of the device (1), designed to be mounted opposite the lining, the guide means (6) being designed to guide the path of at least one control cable (7), intended to extend between a door lock (8) and the opening control (4). (Figure 1)

Description

Title of the invention: Door stiffening device

[0001] The technical field relates to door stiffening devices, doors equipped with such a stiffener and vehicles having at least one such door.

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

[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 are generally equipped with stiffeners that extend across the width of the door, often in the upper section. These stiffeners typically surround the door lock. Indeed, it is important to protect the lock during a side impact to prevent the risk of it opening. Therefore, a lock reinforcement, that is to say, a sheet metal component designed to increase the lock's mechanical strength, is often added to the door to complement the stiffener.

[0004] The lock is generally connected to one or two opening controls, one internal and one external, by two cables that control the opening. The lock then has cable exits that prove particularly fragile in the event of a lateral impact. Unfortunately, the lock's stiffener and reinforcement are very often insufficient to prevent the control cables from being severed, especially at the lock's cable exits.

[0005] As testing procedures become increasingly demanding, particularly regarding lateral impacts against a barrier, it becomes essential to protect the cable exits without replacing the entire lock module. The solutions considered involve increasing the thickness of the existing reinforcements or adding additional reinforcements. Both of these solutions result in a detrimental increase in mass, which must be avoided.

[0006] Thus, there is a need for a solution that effectively protects the cable exits of a lock in the event of a side impact, without increasing the mass of the door.

[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 device stiffener allowing to equip a door to protect the control cables and preserve them from the risk of being cut, while avoiding an increase in the mass of the door.

[0008] To this end, the present invention relates to a door stiffening device designed to equip a door of a motor vehicle, the device comprising a main part shaped to extend longitudinally in the width of the door to reinforce it, the device comprising an auxiliary part shaped to extend around a door opening control to protect the opening control in the event of a lateral impact suffered by the door, the device having guide means provided on an internal face of the device, designed to be mounted opposite the lining, the guide means being designed to guide the path of at least one control cable, intended to extend between a door lock and the opening control.

[0009] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle door comprising a lining, a door skin, a lock and an opening control and a cable connecting the opening control to the lock, the door further comprising a stiffening device according to the invention, fixed between the lining and the skin, the main part extending longitudinally in the width of the door, the auxiliary part extending around the opening control, at least a part of the cable running in the guide means on at least a part of its path between the lock and the opening control.

[0010] The invention finally relates to a motor vehicle having at least one door according to the invention.

[0011] Thus, the stiffening device according to the invention is designed to replace a conventional stiffener used to reinforce a conventional door. The main part is designed to extend across the width of the door, just like the conventional stiffener. The auxiliary part, for its part, protects the door opening mechanism. The guiding means accommodate and guide the routing of each control cable, ensuring that the cable runs between the lining and the inner face. Experience shows that the stiffening device effectively protects the cable and the cable exits. The stiffening device according to the invention eliminates the need for additional reinforcement that would increase the weight of the door according to the invention. The stiffening device therefore improves the performance of the door according to the invention, when equipped with the stiffening device, in standardized side impact tests.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the stiffening device, further comprises fastening means designed to fix a cable running in the guiding means.

[0013] Advantageously, the fastening means form a tab designed to be deformed by folding to ensure the fastening of the cable running in the guiding means.

[0014] According to one possibility of the stiffening device, the guiding means form a channel provided on the internal face of the device.

[0015] Advantageously, the channel has a U-shaped profile open towards the door lining when the device is fixed to the door.

[0016] According to one embodiment of the device, the chute is formed by stamping a sheet metal constituting at least a part of the device.

[0017] According to one embodiment of the device, the auxiliary part forms a branch extending along at least part of the cable path.

[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 stiffening device according to the invention, of a lock, an opening control and a control cable linking the lock and the opening control, the cable running in the guide means of the stiffening device;

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

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

[0022] A stiffening device 1 according to the invention, illustrated in the figures, is designed to equip a motor vehicle door.

[0023] The stiffening device 1 comprises a main part 2 shaped to extend longitudinally across the width of the door to reinforce it. In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 1], the device 1 is shaped to be positioned at the top of the door, similarly to a conventional stiffener. The device 1 also comprises an auxiliary part 3 shaped to extend around a door opening control 4. The auxiliary part 3 is designed to protect the opening control 4 in the event of a lateral impact to the door. In the example shown in the figures, the stiffening device 1 is formed from stamped sheet metal. The main part 2 and auxiliary part 3 are made of a different material.

[0024] The device 1 according to the invention has an inner face 5 designed to be mounted opposite the lining when the device 1 is mounted on the door. The inner face 5 has guide means 6 designed to guide the path of at least one control cable 7, illustrated in the figures, intended to extend between a door lock 8 and the opening control 4. Each cable 7 The control allows the opening of the lock 8 to be controlled when the corresponding opening control 4 is manipulated.

[0025] In the example illustrated in [Fig.1], the auxiliary part 3 forms a branch 9 extending along at least part of the path of the cable 7.

[0026] Advantageously, the stiffening device 1 according to the invention further comprises fastening means 10 designed to fix the cable 7 running in the guide means 6. As illustrated in [Fig.2], the fastening means 10 form a tab 11 designed to be deformed by folding to secure the cable 7 running in the guide means 6. The folding of the tab 11 is carried out before or after the installation of the cable 7 in the guide means 6. In the example described, the tab 11 protrudes from the arm 9 of the stiffening device 1.

[0027] As illustrated in the figures, the guide means 6 form a channel 12 formed on the inner face 5 of the device 1. The channel 12 has a U-shaped profile open towards the door lining when the stiffening device 1 is attached to the door. The channel 12 is advantageously obtained by stamping. For example, the tab 11 extends one side of the channel 12.

[0028] A door according to the invention thus comprises a lining, a door skin, the lock 8, and the opening control 4 connected by the control cable 7. The stiffening device 1 is fixed between the lining and the skin, with its inner face 5 facing the lining. The auxiliary part 3 extends around the opening control 4. The cable 7 then runs partly within the guide means 6.

[0029] Thus, the stiffener device 1 according to the invention is designed to replace a conventional stiffener used to reinforce a conventional door. The main part 2 is designed to extend across the width of the door, just like the conventional stiffener. The auxiliary part 3 protects the door opening mechanism 4. The guiding means 6 accommodate and guide the routing of each control cable 7, ensuring that the cable 7 runs between the lining and the inner face 5.

[0030] The invention is not limited to the embodiment of the stiffening device described above, only by way of example, but other embodiments may be designed by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope and extent of the present invention.

Claims

Demands

1. Door stiffening device (1) designed to be fitted to a door of a motor vehicle, the device (1) comprising a main part (2) shaped to extend longitudinally across the width of the door to reinforce it, the device (1) comprising an auxiliary part (3) shaped to extend around a door opening control (4) to protect the opening control (4) in the event of a side impact suffered by the door, the device (1) having guide means (6) provided on an internal face (5) of the device (1), designed to be mounted opposite the lining, the guide means (6) being designed to guide the path of at least one control cable (7), intended to extend between a door lock (8) and the opening control (4).

2. Stiffening device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises fastening means (10) designed to fix a cable (7) running in the guiding means (6).

3. Stiffening device (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the fastening means (10) form a tongue (11) designed to be deformed by folding to ensure a fastening of the cable (7) running in the guiding means (6).

4. Stiffening device (1) according to claim 1 to 3, characterized in that the guiding means (6) form a channel (12) provided on the inner face (5) of the device (1).

5. Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the channel (12) has a U-shaped profile open towards the door lining when the device (1) is fixed to the door.

6. Device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the chute (12) is formed by stamping a sheet constituting at least a part of the device (1).

7. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the auxiliary part (3) forms a branch (9) extending along at least part of the path of the cable (7).

8. A motor vehicle door comprising a lining, a door skin, a lock (8) and an opening control (4) and a cable (7) connecting the opening control (4) to the lock (8), the door further comprising a stiffening device (1) according to one

9. of claims 1 to 7, fixed between the lining and the skin, the main part (2) extending longitudinally in the width of the door, the auxiliary part (3) extending around the opening control (4), at least a part of the cable (7) running in the guide means (6) on at least a part of its path between the lock (8) and the opening control (4). Motor vehicle having at least one door according to claim 8.

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