Door panel

Abstract

To provide a door panel that can avoid occurence of a thermal expansion difference between a resin outer panel and the door panel and ensure rigidity.SOLUTION: In a door panel 10 for an automobile, which includes a metal inner panel 18 and a resin outer panel 16, the door panel 10 is provided with a metal upper stiffener 24 extending along a belt line of the outer panel 16. The upper stiffener 24 is fixed to the inner panel 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automobile door having a metal inner panel and a resin outer panel. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses welding a beltline outer reinforcement extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle to the side surface of the door outer panel facing the vehicle interior.

[0003] In recent years, there has been an increase in efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants, such as the elderly, people with disabilities and children. To achieve this, we are focusing on research and development to further improve transport safety and convenience through development of vehicle body rigidity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 2581709 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] By the way, it is conceivable that the outer panel of an automobile door may be made of resin. In this case, if the skin upper stiffener (belt line outer reinforcement) is made of metal and fixed to the outer panel with an adhesive or the like so that it cannot be displaced relative to the outer panel, a difference in thermal expansion may occur between the skin upper stiffener and the resin outer panel, causing the outer panel to become distorted.

[0006] Furthermore, if a metal skin upper stiffener is connected to a resin outer panel using a slide nut or the like so as to be capable of relative displacement, the skin upper stiffener will be displaced, making it difficult to ensure the rigidity of the door.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and has an object to provide a door that can avoid the occurrence of a difference in thermal expansion between a resin outer panel and the door and ensure the door rigidity, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides an automobile door having a metal inner panel and a resin outer panel, characterized in that it is provided with a metal upper stiffener extending along the belt line of the outer panel, and the upper stiffener is fixed to the inner panel. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a door that can avoid the occurrence of a difference in thermal expansion between the resin outer panel and the door, and can ensure the door rigidity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which an outer panel is removed from the door according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a side view of an outer panel attached to the door shown in FIG. 1, viewed from the inside in the vehicle width direction. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view including a reference point of the door. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view of a dog house provided at an upper connecting portion of the outer panel. [Diagram 5] 5 is an enlarged front view showing a state in which a clip is attached to the dog house shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is an enlarged front view of a dog house provided at a reference point of the outer panel. [Figure 7] 7 is an enlarged front view showing a state in which a clip is attached to the dog house shown in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the outer handle taken along the vehicle vertical direction. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a molding including a door glass. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, a door 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a door body 12 and a sash portion 14 attached to an upper portion of the door body 12. The door body 12 includes a resin outer panel 16 (see Fig. 2) located on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and a metal inner panel 18 located on the inner side in the vehicle width direction. A door glass 20 is disposed between the outer panel 16 and the inner panel 18 (see Fig. 3), and is provided so as to be movable up and down in the vehicle vertical direction via a lifting mechanism (not shown). The sash portion 14 has a window opening 22 located above the belt line, and the window opening 22 is provided so as to be openable and closable by the door glass 20.

[0013] 1, a metal upper stiffener 24 is provided on the upper part of the door main body 12, extending along the belt line of the outer panel 16 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction. This upper stiffener 24 is fixed to the upper part of the inner panel 18 at two points in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction, as described below. "Fixing" this upper stiffener 24 includes, for example, welding, bonding, and any other method of fixing that prevents relative displacement, and does not include, for example, a slide clip or other method that allows relative displacement.

[0014] 2, the upper part of the outer panel 16 has an upper connecting portion that is connected to the upper stiffener 24 so as to be displaceable relative to the upper stiffener 24. This upper connecting portion is made up of a first upper connecting portion 26a, a second upper connecting portion 26b, a third upper connecting portion 26c, and a fourth upper connecting portion 26d, which are arranged in this order from the front to the rear of the vehicle along the belt line of the upper stiffener 24.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, the first upper connecting portion 26a is located forward of the door mirror 28 and is provided so as to be relatively displaceable (slidable) only in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The second upper connecting portion 26b is located rearward of the door mirror 28 and is provided so as to be relatively displaceable (slidable) only in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The third upper connecting portion 26c is located rearward of the center of the upper stiffener 24 in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and is provided so as to be relatively displaceable (slidable) only in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. The fourth upper connecting portion 26d is located rearward of the third upper connecting portion 26c and is provided so as to be relatively displaceable (slidable) only in the front-rear direction of the vehicle.

[0016] Since the first to fourth upper connecting portions 26a to 26d have the same configuration, the first upper connecting portion 26a will be described in detail, and a description of the second to fourth upper connecting portions 26b to 26d will be omitted.

[0017] Specifically, a recess 30 having a substantially rectangular shape in side view is provided in the upper part of the upper stiffener 24 (see FIG. 1). A single mounting hole 32 having a circular shape in side view is provided in the side wall of the recess 30. When the outer panel 16 is attached to the upper stiffener 24, a dog house 34 (see FIGS. 4 and 2) which is integrally provided with the outer panel 16 and protrudes from the surface of the outer panel 16 abuts against the recess 30. The dog house 34 is provided with a clip groove 36 which extends laterally along the vehicle longitudinal direction. A clip 38 which connects the outer panel 16 and the upper stiffener 24 is attached to the mounting hole 32 of the upper stiffener 24 and the clip groove 36 of the dog house 34 (see FIGS. 5 and 3). The outer panel 16 attached to the upper stiffener 24 is provided slidably along the clip groove 36 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

[0018] 3, the clip 38 has an elastic portion 40a which reduces in diameter when inserted into the mounting hole 32 to pass through the mounting hole 32 and returns to its original shape after passing through, an abutting portion 40b which abuts against the side wall of the recess 30 of the upper stiffener 24, and a locking portion 40c which is locked in the clip groove 36 of the dog house 34. As shown in FIG. 4, the dog house 34 has a dog house main body 42 which is substantially U-shaped in side view, and the clip groove 36 which opens toward the rear of the vehicle is provided in the upper wall of the dog house main body 42.

[0019] 2, the outer panel 16 has a reference point 44 that is fixed to a part of the upper stiffener 24 so as not to be displaceable relative to the upper stiffener 24. In addition to the reference point 44, the outer panel 16 has a plurality of connecting portions 46 that are connected to the inner panel 18 so as to be displaceable relative to the inner panel 18.

[0020] The reference point 44 is provided at the center of the upper stiffener 24 in the vehicle front-rear direction (see FIG. 1). The multiple connecting parts 46 are arranged along the peripheral edge of the outer panel 16 below the reference point 44. As shown in FIG. 2, each connecting part 46 is provided with a slide groove 47 for sliding a clip (not shown), and each connecting part 46 is provided so as to be slidable in the radial direction in which the slide groove 47 extends. The multiple connecting parts 46 are, for example, identically configured with slide nuts, and are provided so as to be displaceable (slidable) in the radial direction relative to the reference point 44 via the slide groove 47.

[0021] Specifically, the reference point 44 is provided at the center of the upper part of the upper stiffener 24, with a recess 48 having a horizontally long rectangular shape in a side view (see FIG. 1). In this recess 48, two circular mounting holes 50a, 50b are arranged side by side in the vehicle front-rear direction. When the outer panel 16 is attached to the upper stiffener 24, a dog house 52 having a horizontally long rectangular shape and protruding from the surface of the outer panel 16 abuts against this recess 48 (see FIG. 3). In the dog house 52, a clip groove 54 extending vertically along the vehicle up-down direction and a positioning boss 58 protruding from the surface of the dog house main body 56 are arranged side by side (see FIG. 6). The positioning boss 58 has a protrusion having a substantially cross-shaped cross section perpendicular to the axis, and is configured so that the protrusion width narrows toward the tip.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, a positioning boss 58 of the dog house 52 is inserted into the mounting hole 50b on the vehicle rear side of the upper stiffener 24. Meanwhile, a clip 60 that connects the upper stiffener 24 to the outer panel 16 is attached to the mounting hole 50a on the vehicle front side of the upper stiffener 24 (see Fig. 3). At the reference point 44, vertical sliding is possible along the clip groove 54, but because the positioning boss 58 is attached to the mounting hole 50b (see Fig. 3), relative displacement between the upper stiffener 24 and the outer panel 16 is not possible.

[0023] The door 10 has a window opening 22 above the belt line via a sash portion 14. The upper stiffeners 24 are fixed to the inner panel 18 at the front and rear of the window opening 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction. That is, the upper stiffener 24 is fixed at two locations: a front fixing portion 62 located forward of the window opening 22 and the door mirror 28, and a rear fixing portion 64 located rearward of the window opening 22. A slit 66 is provided between the front fixing portion 62 and the rear fixing portion 64. The door glass 20 is provided so as to be able to move up and down in the vehicle up-down direction via this slit 66 (see FIG. 3).

[0024] The door 10 also has an outer handle 68 (see FIG. 1) that extends in the vehicle front-rear direction and is exposed to the outside of the outer panel 16. The outer handle 68 is fastened and fixed to the upper stiffener 24 via a shoulder bolt 72 that is inserted through a mounting hole 70 formed in the upper stiffener 24 (see FIG. 8).

[0025] Furthermore, the door 10 is configured with a molding 76 having multiple glass lips 74 that can come into contact with the door glass 20 (see FIG. 9). The molding 76 is made of an elastic body such as rubber, and is attached to the upper end of the upper stiffener 24. The glass lips 74 are flexible and are provided so as to bend when they come into contact with the surface of the door glass 20.

[0026] The molding 76 has an attachment portion 78 with a U-shaped cross section that holds the upper end of the upper stiffener 24. The outer panel 16 has an extension portion 80 that extends above the attachment portion 78. A tip of at least a part of the glass lip 74 abuts against a lower end of the extension portion 80 of the outer panel 16. The glass lip 74 is provided so as to protrude from the attachment portion 78 toward the door glass 20.

[0027] The door 10 according to this embodiment is basically constructed as described above. Next, its functions and effects will be described.

[0028] In this embodiment, the vehicle is configured to include a metal upper stiffener 24 that extends along the belt line of the outer panel 16. The upper stiffener 24 is fixed to the inner panel 18.

[0029] According to this embodiment, by fixing the metal upper stiffener 24 to the metal inner panel 18, it is possible to suppress the influence of the thermal expansion difference with the plastic outer panel 16 while ensuring the door rigidity provided by the upper stiffener 24. In this regard, in the prior art described in the cited document 1, the upper stiffener 24 is fixed to the outer panel 16, and therefore, if the outer panel 16 is made of plastic, the above-mentioned problems that are the problem that the invention is intended to solve arise.

[0030] In this embodiment, at least a portion of the outer panel 16 is connected to the upper stiffener 24 via the first to fourth upper connecting portions 26a to 26d so as to be capable of relative displacement.

[0031] As a result, in this embodiment, the influence of the difference in thermal expansion between the outer panel 16 and the upper stiffener 24 can be suppressed.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer panel 16 has a reference point 44 that is fixed to a part of the upper stiffener 24 so as not to be displaceable relative to the upper stiffener 24. In addition to the reference point 44, the outer panel 16 has a plurality of connecting portions 46 that are connected to the inner panel 18 so as to be displaceable relative to the inner panel 18.

[0033] As a result, in this embodiment, deviation of the belt line, which is easily visible from inside and outside the vehicle through the door window (window opening 22), can be suppressed at the reference point 44. Also, in other locations, the thermal expansion difference between the outer panel 16 and the upper stiffener 24 can be tolerated via a plurality of connecting parts 46 that are connected to the inner panel 18 so as to be displaceable relative to the inner panel 18.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reference point 44 is provided at the center of the upper stiffener 24 in the vehicle front-rear direction. A plurality of connecting portions 46 of the outer panel 16 are disposed below the reference point 44 so as to be slidable in the radial direction.

[0035] As a result, in this embodiment, the center of the beltline, where misalignment is most noticeable, is positioned at the reference point 44, and other areas other than the reference point 44 are held radially slidably via the connecting parts 46, thereby making misalignment less noticeable while minimizing deflection of the plastic outer panel 16. Furthermore, by positioning at the reference point 44 in the center of the beltline, the plastic outer panel 16 thermally expands evenly in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle, making it possible to make the parting width of the door 10 even.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the door 10 has an outer handle 68. The outer handle 68 is fixed to the upper stiffener 24 via a shoulder bolt 72.

[0037] As a result, in this embodiment, the outer handle 68 is directly fixed to the upper stiffener 24, which increases the mounting rigidity of the outer handle 68 to the door 10. Also, in this embodiment, the outer handle 68 can be fixed using the upper stiffener 24, which eliminates the need for a separate handle bracket and reduces the number of parts.

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the door 10 has a window opening 22 above the belt line. The upper stiffeners 24 are fixed to the inner panel 18 on the front and rear of the window opening 22 in the vehicle front-rear direction.

[0039] As a result, in this embodiment, the upper stiffener 24 extends to the front and rear of the window opening 22 and is fixed to the inner panel 18, thereby further improving the rigidity of the door 10. That is, the upper stiffener 24 is fixed at two locations: a front fixing portion 62 located forward of the window opening 22 and the door mirror 28, and a rear fixing portion 64 located rearward of the window opening 22.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the door 10 is configured to include a door glass 20 that can be raised and lowered, and a molding 76 having a glass lip 74 that can abut against the door glass 20. The molding 76 is attached to the upper end of the upper stiffener 24.

[0041] In this embodiment, by fixing the molding 76 to the upper stiffener 24 fixed to the inner panel 18, the glass lip 74 can be brought into contact with the door glass 20 without being affected by thermal expansion of the resin outer panel 16. Also, in this embodiment, the mounting position accuracy of the molding 76 can be improved, so that the position retention performance of the door glass 20 can be ensured, and the water drainage and sound insulation performance of the door glass 20 by the glass lip 74 can be ensured. Furthermore, by directly mounting the molding 76 to the upper stiffener 24, the retention rigidity of the molding 76 is increased, and the water drainage and sound insulation performance of the door glass 20 can be improved.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the molding 76 has an attachment portion 78 having a U-shaped cross section that sandwiches the upper end of the upper stiffener 24. The outer panel 16 has an extension portion 80 that extends above the attachment portion 78 of the molding 76.

[0043] In this embodiment, the molding 76 can be hidden by the extension portion 80 of the outer panel 16, so that the design of the door 10 can be improved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 Doors 16 Outer Panel 18 Inner Panel 20 Door Glass 22 Window opening 24 Upper Stiffness 26a~26d Upper connection part 44 Reference point 46 Connecting part 62 Front fixation part 64 Rear fixed part 74 Glass Lip 76 Molding 78 Mounting part

Claims

1. In a door for an automobile having a metal inner panel and a resin outer panel, A metal upper stiffener is provided extending along a belt line of the outer panel, A door characterized in that the upper stiffener is fixed to the inner panel.

2. The door of claim 1, A door, characterized in that at least a portion of the outer panel is connected to the upper stiffener so as to be relatively displaceable.

3. The door of claim 1, The outer panel has a reference point fixed to a portion of the upper stiffener so as not to be displaceable relative to the upper stiffener, The door further comprises a connecting portion other than the reference point, the connecting portion being connected to the inner panel so as to be displaceable relative to the inner panel.

4. The door according to claim 3, The reference point is provided at the center of the upper stiffener in the vehicle front-rear direction, The door, characterized in that the connecting portion is arranged radially slidably below the reference point.

5. The door of claim 1, The door has an outer handle, A door characterized in that the outer handle is fixed to the upper stiffener.

6. The door of claim 1, the door has a window opening above the beltline; The door is characterized in that the upper stiffeners are fixed to the inner panel at the front and rear of the window opening in the vehicle front-rear direction.

7. The door of claim 1, The door includes a door glass that can be raised and lowered, and a molding having a glass lip that can come into contact with the door glass, A door, characterized in that the molding is attached to the upper stiffener.

8. The door of claim 7, The molding has a mounting portion having a U-shaped cross section that sandwiches the upper end of the upper stiffener, The door is characterized in that the outer panel extends above the mounting portion.

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