Vehicle arrangement comprising sliding door and restraint device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle arrangement comprising a sliding door and a restraint device.SOLUTION: An arrangement of a motor vehicle is provided, the arrangement including a body and a partition sliding door, the sliding door being configured to be rectilinearly moved along a side of the body between opening and closing positions. In the arrangement, the sliding door comprises a longitudinal rectilinear opening provided in the sliding door, and the arrangement comprises at least a restraint device intended to hold the sliding door in the closed position thereof, the restraint device being intended to move freely inside the longitudinal rectilinear opening during the sliding of the door.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle component including a partitioned sliding door and a restraint device. The present invention further relates to a motor vehicle including such a component.

[0002] Some motor vehicles are provided with a sliding rear door that closes or allows access to the passenger compartment and / or a loading area of the same equipment of the motor vehicle. For each sliding door, a restraint device, generally called an "impact restraint pin", is generally fixed to the body of the motor vehicle, for example, to pillar B, and holds the front part of the sliding rear door as required. Such an "impact restraint pin" is described, for example, in German Patent Application Publication No. 102007051718 (Patent Document 1).

[0003] The restraint device is used to hold the sliding rear door in its closed position, thereby preventing the sliding rear door from opening when an inward and / or outward lateral relative movement of the sliding rear door with respect to the body occurs. The restraint devices known from the prior art generally resemble male parts supported by the body of the motor vehicle, and the male parts are configured to be inserted into a female housing, such as a hole made in the casing of the sliding rear door at the front part of the rear door.

[0004] Thereby, when the sliding rear door is forced to have an outward lateral displacement during an impact, the restraint device hits the wall bounding the housing arranged in the casing of the sliding rear door, mechanically connecting the housing to the body of the vehicle, thereby preventing the door from opening outward.

[0005] Accordingly, according to the solution known in the prior art, a sliding rear door is held in its closed position by a restraint pin, the position of which on its body, in particular at the end of the closing movement, is strongly conditioned by the normal displacement kinematics of the door. Very often, such door displacement kinematics is very complex in the sense that this kinematics is combined simultaneously with the accompanying movement of the forward part of the sliding rear door along the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis. The positioning of the restraint pin integrated into the body becomes even more complex to achieve when the door displacement kinematics is directed so as to be inclined from the front part and the interior of the vehicle.

Prior art documents

Patent documents

[0006]

Patent document 1

Summary of the invention

[0007] The object of the present invention is to propose an alternative to the known solution and a simpler solution for the service front door of a multi-purpose vehicle.

[0008] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a component of a motor vehicle, in particular to a component on one side of the vehicle. The component includes a body and a partitioned sliding door, in particular an outer partitioned sliding door. The sliding door is configured to move linearly along the side surface of the body between a closed position where the sliding door closes access to the interior of the passenger compartment and / or the cargo area of the vehicle and an open position where the sliding door provides free access to the interior of the passenger compartment and / or the cargo area of the vehicle. In the component, the sliding door has a longitudinally linear opening provided in the sliding door, in particular something similar to a kerf or a groove, in particular on the bottom wall of the casing of the sliding door, and the above component includes at least a restraint device intended to hold the sliding door in its closed position. The restraint device is intended to move freely inside the longitudinally linear opening during the sliding of the door, in particular when an impact is exerted laterally on the sliding door, especially when an impact is exerted from the inside to the outside of the vehicle.

[0009] According to the present invention, the above component may include the following features, adopted separately or in combination with each other. - The restraint device is fixed to the front pillar on the side surface of the body, in particular to the rear edge of the front pillar, and the rear edge is arranged to face the front edge of the sliding door in the closed position. - The restraint device is fixed to the middle pillar on the side surface of the body, in particular to the front edge of the middle pillar, and the front edge extends substantially perpendicular to, in particular laterally to, the inner wall of the sliding door. - In the closed position, the outer wall of the sliding door, in particular, is in the same plane as the front pillar and, in particular, the outer wall of the front pillar. - The restraint device is a finger, which has a finger protruding outside the side surface of the vehicle body, particularly outside the rear edge of the front pillar. The finger has a main rod extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The free end of the main rod has a head, particularly a head in the shape of a hook or a disk. The restraint device is separated from the door, particularly from the front edge of the sliding door, so that the sliding door can move freely without contacting the restraint device between the open position and the closed position. - The bottom wall of the casing of the sliding door extends so as to face the outer edge of the middle pillar regardless of the position of the sliding door. - The restraint device has a finger protruding laterally outside the side surface of the vehicle body. The finger has a main rod extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The free end of the main rod has a head, particularly a head in the shape of a hook or a disk. - The finger has a plate for being fixed to the side surface of the body, particularly a fixing plate screwed onto the rear surface of the front pillar or the front surface of the middle pillar. - The restraint device is intended to contact the sliding door in the closed position so as to hold it on the side surface of the body during a lateral impact. - The restraint device is separated from the sliding door, particularly from the edge of the longitudinal opening and / or from the passage provided in the lateral wall. The restraint device is intended to enter into a mechanical relationship with the door, particularly with respect to the lateral edge of the casing, in the closed position during an impact. The wall is particularly a reinforcing part directly attached to the bottom wall of the casing. - The assembly has a deformable element for masking the longitudinal housing, particularly an element such as a lip seal, etc., which allows the restraint device to pass through, particularly so as to separate the lips from each other.

[0010] The present invention further relates to a motor vehicle including an assembly having all or some of the above features.

[0011] The subject matter, features, and advantages of the present invention will be described in more detail in the following description of specific embodiments given by way of example but not limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] A three-sided body having three axes X, Y, and Z is depicted in a specific drawing. In this document, the X-axis refers to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle. In forward movement and in a straight line, the vehicle moves from the rear to the front along a direction parallel to its longitudinal axis. The X-axis is directed from the front to the rear of the vehicle, i.e., in the opposite direction. The Y-axis is the lateral axis of the vehicle. The Z-axis is an axis perpendicular to the X-axis and the Y-axis. The vehicle is considered to be on a horizontal plane. The Z-axis is the vertical axis and is directed from the bottom to the top. The X, Y, and Z axes form a Cartesian coordinate system.

[0014] There are multiple types of body structures 2 including a sliding door for a motor vehicle. Generally, a so-called "conventional" sliding door is distinguished from a so-called "partitioned" sliding door 4.

[0015] A sliding door of a motor vehicle is said to be "conventional" when its displacement from its closed position to its open position or vice versa includes a lateral displacement of the door towards the outside of the vehicle. In other words, in a "conventional" sliding door configuration, the movement of the sliding door is not a linear movement along a single displacement axis, and in particular not a linear movement along the longitudinal axis for a sliding side door, but a displacement in two mutually perpendicular directions, in particular a displacement along the lateral direction Y and along the longitudinal direction X.

[0016] When the sliding door 4 of a motor vehicle does not displace laterally outwards during its movement between its open and closed positions, the sliding door 4 of the motor vehicle is called a "partitioned door". In other words, in a body configuration 2 of a vehicle including a partitioned sliding door 4 for a motor vehicle, the sliding door 4 is linearly movable between its open and closed positions along a single direction, parallel to the X-axis of the motor vehicle.

[0017] Also, there are two subcategories in the body configuration 2 including the partitioned sliding door 4, namely, an internal partitioned sliding door 4 and an external partitioned sliding door 4.

[0018] In the case of the internal partitioned sliding door 4, the sliding door 4 slides along the inner surface of the body 6 of the motor vehicle. Thereby, when the sliding door 4 is in its open position, the sliding door 4 is arranged behind the pillar of the motor vehicle, inside the passenger compartment 8 or in the loading area of the motor vehicle.

[0019] In the case of the external partitioned sliding door 4, the sliding door 4 slides along the outer surface 3 of the body 6 of the motor vehicle, i.e., slides so that the door is continuously visible in front of the pillar of the body when viewed from the outside. Thereby, the sliding door 4 can be arranged on the outer surface 3 of the motor vehicle and outside the passenger compartment 8 in both its open and closed positions, as can be seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3.

[0020] In such an assembly 2, it is possible to design a restraint device 10 for maintaining the externally partitioned sliding door 4 in its closed position, particularly when an impact is exerted on the sliding door 4 in a direction transverse thereto. Such an impact exerts a force directed either inwards or outwards on the sliding door, and the restraint device tends to prevent entry into the passenger compartment or the cargo area of the door, or tends to keep the body opening closed by the door.

[0021] Figs. 1, 2, and 3 schematically show cross-sectional views of an assembly 2 of a side 3 of a motor vehicle including a sliding door 4 that is externally partitioned and has restraint devices 12, 12A, 12B. In Fig. 1, the sliding door 4 is shown in its closed position. It is a service door, which, in the closed position, extends transversely to the right of the driver's seat or to the right of the row of seats in which the driver's seat is arranged. In the closed position, the sliding door 4 closes access to the inside of the passenger compartment 8 and / or the cargo area of the motor vehicle. The opening of the body 6 intended to be closed by the sliding door 4 is bounded, in part, by a front pillar 6A and a middle pillar 6B. In the closed position, the front edge of the door 4 is arranged so as to continue the front pillar 6A in the sense that the rear wall 6AR of the front pillar 6A is arranged opposite the front edge of the door 4, while the rear edge of the door 4 is arranged so as to overlap the outside of the middle pillar 6B, and the inner wall of the door 5 is arranged so as to overlap, in part, the outer wall 6BE of the middle pillar 6B. The middle pillar 6B is laterally inwardly offset with respect to the front pillar 6A, and its offset along Y is substantially associated with the thickness of the sliding door 4.

[0022] Thereby, the restraint device 10 comprises a protruding rod 12 supported by one side 3 of the body 6 of the motor vehicle. More precisely, the protruding rod 12 protrudes from the middle pillar of the body 6 of the vehicle, generally referred to as pillar B0. The protruding rod 12 has a free end 14 having a disc shape. According to a variant of the embodiment (not shown), it may be a hook-shaped free end 14. The free end 14 is configured to hold the sliding door 4 in its closed position, particularly when a lateral impact is exerted on the sliding door 4.

[0023] In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the free end 14 cooperates with a housing 16 arranged on the sliding door 4 to maintain the door 4 in its closed position. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 16 can be delimited by the casing 43 of the door 4, this box comprising a bottom wall configured such that its inner face faces the middle pillar 6A. The housing 16 can be delimited by at least one lateral partition wall 42 extending vertically within the door 4. The portion of the protruding rod 12 extending along the X axis passes through the lateral partition wall 42 through a dedicated opening 46. The opening 46 has a cross-sectional area that engages at least substantially with the free end 14 within the range of the sliding play. FIG. 4 shows a particular embodiment described in detail below.

[0024] The casing 43 of the door 4 comprises a longitudinal opening 40 extending from the rear housing 16 towards the front part of the door 4. The dimensions of the opening 40 are linear, have the X axis, and are greater than the opening stroke of the door so that the restraint device 10 extending through the opening 40 along the direction having the Y axis can move freely when the door 4 is moved between its open and closed positions. The height of the opening 40 is greater than that of the protruding rod 12 so that when the restraint device 10 is attached to the side 3 of the body 6, the free end 14 can move through the linear opening 40.

[0025] The linear opening 40 can be a kerf or groove formed in the bottom wall of the casing 43.

[0026] According to a particular embodiment of the restraint device 10, it is a single-piece part that makes it more robust. In such an embodiment, the protruding rod 12 has a substantially square cross-section. More generally, the protruding rod 12 can have a cross-section of polygonal shape. At the connection between the protruding rod 12 and its free end 14, there may be a connection block in the form of a prism with a triangular base to strengthen the connection between the protruding rod 12 and its free end 14.

[0027] According to a particular embodiment of the restraint device 10, the fixed plate 20 is firmly attached to the protruding rod 12, particularly by welding. In FIG. 4, such a fixed plate 20 is shown on the middle pillar 6B, more specifically on the front wall 6BF, having screwing means for assembly.

[0028] According to a particular architecture of the assembly 2, the front wall 6BF of the middle pillar 6B extends transversely with respect to the extension direction of the lateral partition 42 of the door 4 in the closed position. Such a design aims, in particular, to directly disperse the external impact force applied to the door 4 over the highly structured area of the middle pillar 6B.

[0029] The front part of the door 4 can be provided with a locking system 50 that provides a lock for the door on the front pillar 6A.

[0030] According to a variant of the embodiment of FIG. 2, the restraint device 10 comprises another protruding finger 12A supported by the front pillar 6A. In the present example, the other protruding finger 12A is arranged to protrude from the rear wall 6AR of the front pillar 6A. It may be arranged at the same vertical level as the protruding finger 12B of the middle pillar 6B. The sliding door 4 has a front edge portion, where an opening 46A is provided, and when the door is in the closed position, the other protruding finger 12A tends to extend through the opening 46A. The opening 46A provided at the front edge of the door 4 can be substantially coaxial with the opening 46B provided in the lateral partition wall 42. Such an architecture with two restraint fingers acts to disperse the lateral impact force applied to the door between the front pillar 6A and the middle pillar 6B. The dimensions of each of the protruding rods 12A, 12B can be reduced compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 where the restraint device 10 comprises a single protruding finger 12 on the middle pillar 6B.

[0031] In FIG. 3, the sliding door 4 of FIG. 2 is shown in its open position. In the open position, the sliding door 4 allows free access to the interior of the vehicle. The arrow indicates the direction of movement of the sliding door 4 when it is moved from its closed position towards the open position.

[0032] In all possible embodiments of the restraint device 10, the restraint device 10 comprises a protruding rod 12 having a free end 14 in the shape of a disc or a hook, and is configured to hold the door in its closed position.

[0033] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the protruding rod 12B supported by the body 6, more specifically by the middle pillar 6B of the vehicle, is outside the housing 16 arranged at the rear part of the door. At that time, the protruding rod 12B is arranged so as to be close to the front end of the linear opening 40 of the door 4, and the front end is close to the lock system 50. According to one embodiment, the lock system 50 includes a bolt that can engage with the protruding rod 12B. At that time, the protruding rod 12B serves as a striker of the middle pillar. In such an example, the restraint device 10 is partially integrated with the lock system 50 for locking the sliding door 4 in the open configuration.

[0034] Thereby, the restraint device 10 acts on the one hand to hold the sliding door 4 in its closed position and on the other hand participates in the lock system 50 to hold the sliding door 4 in its open position.

[0035] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along A-A of the structure of FIG. 1, with the sliding door 4 shown in its closed position. In the closed position, the sliding door 4 closes access to the interior of the vehicle such that the restraint device 10 extends through the linear opening 40 via the protruding rod 12 and then extends into the housing 16 via its end 14. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the opening 46 formed in the partition wall 42 has a substantially square cross-section, while the end 14 has a circular profile. The partition wall 42 connects the bottom of the casing 43 to the outer panel (not shown) in the area of the door 4 arranged at least opposite the restraint device 10.

[0036] The linear opening 40 is hidden by masking means 60 assembled to the outer surface of the bottom of the casing 43. The masking means 60 is deformable and may be formed from a plastic material such as rubber. The masking means 60 may include two lips facing each other in the vertical direction. According to a variant of the embodiment (not shown), such masking means may be of the comb type, in which case its teeth extend in the vertical direction. The masking means 60 is preferably open at the protruding rod 12 and closed at a location having a distance from the rod, as shown by the dotted line. Advantageously, such masking means 60 contributes to the sealing of the door 4 and may thus be shown as a sealing means.

[0037] According to one example, the restraint device 10 includes a metallic material. The metallic material may include, for example, aluminum. The restraint device 10 may be manufactured, in particular, using a molding method.

[0038] Thereby, when the body 2 of the motor vehicle is provided with a partitioned sliding door 4, it is possible to design the restraint device 10 that tends to move inside the linear opening 40 while the door is displaced. Such a design acts to limit the thickness of the door 4 moving outside the vehicle, which contributes to increasing the effective volume in the passenger compartment or the cargo area 8 that is accessible to the outside through the opening of the body 6 intended to close the door 4.

[0039] Furthermore, the main function of the restraint device 10 is to hold the door 4 on the body 6 when a lateral impact that may cause relative displacement between the closed sliding door 4 and the body 6 occurs, and also tends to participate in locking the door 4 in the open position. Furthermore, it should be noted that the body assembly 2 is mounted such that the restraint device 10 is not prominent. Advantageously, the linear opening 40 may be masked in a sealed form.

Claims

1. A component (2) of a motor vehicle, said component (2) comprising a body (6) and a partitioned sliding door (4), said sliding door (4) being in a closed position where the sliding door (4) closes access to the passenger compartment (8) of the vehicle and / or the interior of the cargo area, and an open position where the sliding door (4) provides free access to the interior of the passenger compartment (8) of the vehicle and / or the cargo area, and being configured to be linearly displaced along the side surface (3) of the body. In the component (2), the sliding door (4) is provided with a longitudinally linear opening (40) provided within the sliding door, and the component comprises at least a restraint device (10) intended to hold the sliding door (4) in its closed position, said restraint device (10) being intended to move freely inside the longitudinally linear opening (40) during the sliding of the door. A component (2) characterized by the above.

2. The component according to claim 1, wherein the sliding door (4) is an outer partitioned sliding door.

3. The component according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the longitudinally linear opening (40) is a kerf or a groove.

4. The component according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the longitudinally linear opening (40) is arranged on the bottom wall (44) of the casing (43) of the sliding door.

5. The restraint device (10) is intended to maintain the sliding door (4) in its closed position when an impact exerted laterally on the sliding door (4) occurs, said impact being exerted from the inside of the vehicle towards the outside. A component according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The restraint device (12A) is fixed to the front pillar (6A) of the side surface (3) of the body (6) at the rear edge (6AR) of the front pillar (6A), said rear edge (6AR) being arranged to face the front edge (4F) of the sliding door (4) in the closed position. A component (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the above.

7. The restraint device (12, 12B) is fixed to the front edge (6BF) of the middle pillar (6B) on the side surface (3) of the body (6) with respect to the middle pillar, and the front edge (6BF) extends substantially perpendicular and laterally with respect to the inner wall (43) of the sliding door (4). The structure (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that.

8. In the closed position, the outer wall (45) of the front door (4) of the sliding door (4) is in the same plane as the front pillar (6A) and the outer wall (6AE) of the front pillar (6A). The structure (2) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that.

9. The restraint device (12A) is a finger (13) protruding from the side surface (3) of the body (6) of the vehicle and from the rear edge (6AR) of the front pillar (6A). The finger (13) has a main rod extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the free end (14) of the main rod has a head in the shape of a hook or a disk. The restraint device (12A) is separated from the front edge (4F) of the sliding door (4) so that the sliding door (4) can move freely without contacting the restraint device (12) between the closed position and the open position. The structure (2) according to claim 8, characterized in that.

10. The bottom wall (44) of the casing (43) of the sliding door (4) extends so as to face the outer edge (6BE) of the middle pillar (6B) regardless of the position of the sliding door. The structure (2) according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that.

11. The restraint device (12, 12B) includes a finger (13) protruding laterally from the side surface (3) of the body (6) of the vehicle. The finger (13) includes a main rod extending in the lateral and longitudinal directions of the vehicle, and the free end (14) of the main rod oriented in the longitudinal direction has a head (15) in the shape of a hook or a disk. The structure (2) according to claim 10, characterized in that.

12. The finger (13) comprises a fixing plate (20) for being fixed to the side surface (3) of the body (6), and the fixing plate (20) is screwed onto the rear surface (6AR) of the front pillar (6A) or onto the front surface (6BF) of the middle pillar (6B). The combination of claim 6 and 9 is applicable. The structure (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized by the above.

13. The restraint device (12, 12A, 12B) is intended to contact the sliding door (4) so as to hold it on the side surface (3) of the body (6) when a lateral impact occurs in the closed position. The structure (2) according to claim 12, characterized by the above.

14. The restraint device (10) is separated from the sliding door (4) and is separated from the edge of the longitudinal opening (40) and / or from a passage (46) provided in the lateral walls (41, 42). The restraint device (10) is intended to enter into a mechanical relationship with the door and with the lateral walls (41, 42) of the casing (43) in the closed position during an impact. The walls are reinforcing parts directly attached onto the bottom wall (44) of the casing (43). The structure (2) according to claim 13, characterized by the above.

15. The structure comprises a deformable masking element (60) for the longitudinal housing (40). The element is a lip seal, and the lip seal is traversed by the restraint device (12, 12B) so as to separate the lip of the lip seal. The structure (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, 9 to 12, or 14 to 15, characterized by the above.

16. A motor vehicle, characterized by comprising the structure (2) according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The motor vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the structure is located on the side surface of the motor vehicle.

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