Side door structure for vehicle

Abstract

To appropriately protect an occupant from a side collision.SOLUTION: This side door structure for the vehicle comprises: a side door body; a door lock connected to the side door body so as to hold the side door body at a closed position; a side door trim that covers the side door body from a cabin inside; and a load transmission member that is disposed between the side door body and the side door trim and that transmits a load input to the side door trim from the cabin inside to the side door body. The load transmission member is disposed behind a center line of the side door body in a cross direction and above the door lock in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle side door structure. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known side door structures for protecting occupants from the impact of a side collision with a vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a side door structure that includes a side door body, a door trim that covers the side door body from the inside of the vehicle compartment, and a side impact pad disposed between the side door body and the door trim, and that, when a load is input from the side of the vehicle, compresses and deforms the side impact pad in the vehicle width direction to absorb the collision energy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-116244 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] During a side collision, a primary collision in which an object strikes the vehicle may be followed by a secondary collision in which the occupant strikes the side door. The side door structure described in Patent Document 1 aims to mitigate the impact of the primary collision, but does not directly contribute to mitigating the impact of the secondary collision. In order to protect occupants from a side collision, it is important to mitigate the impact of the secondary collision.

[0005] To protect occupants from secondary collisions, side airbags that inflate in response to the input of an impact are commonly used. However, the side doors of small cars sometimes do not have enough space to accommodate the airbag before it deploys, making it difficult to effectively protect occupants from side collisions.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle side door structure that can adequately protect occupants from side collisions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A vehicle side door structure according to one embodiment includes a side door body, a door lock connected to the side door body to hold the side door body in a closed position, a side door trim that covers the side door body from the inside of the vehicle compartment, and a load transmission member that is arranged between the side door body and the side door trim and transmits a load input to the side door trim from the inside of the vehicle compartment to the side door body, the load transmission member being arranged rearward of the center line of the side door body in the fore-and-aft direction and above the door lock in the up-and-down direction.

[0008] The vehicle side door structure according to the above aspect includes a load transmission member provided between the side door body and the side door trim. The load transmission member is positioned rearward of the center line of the side door body in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and above the door lock. When an occupant collides with the side door, the load input from the occupant to the side door trim is transmitted to the side door body via the load transmission member. Because the load transmission member is positioned above the door lock, when the load is transmitted to the side door body via the load transmission member, the upper part of the side door body deforms toward the outside of the vehicle, with the door lock as a fulcrum. This deformation allows the side door body to absorb the load from the occupant, mitigating the impact on the occupant in the event of a secondary collision. Therefore, the occupant can be adequately protected.

[0009] The load transfer member may be formed of a corrugated metal plate with alternating peaks protruding into the interior of the vehicle and valleys protruding outward. By forming the load transfer member from a corrugated metal plate, the rigidity of the load transfer member in the vehicle width direction can be increased. This prevents the load transfer member from deforming during a side collision, ensuring that the load of a secondary collision can be reliably transferred to the side door body.

[0010] The peaks and valleys may extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle body. By having the peaks and valleys extend in the vertical direction of the vehicle body, when the occupant's chest collides with the side door in a secondary collision, the load applied to the occupant can be distributed to the upper, middle, and lower chest areas. As a result, the load is prevented from concentrating on one part of the chest, and the occupant's chest can be prevented from deflecting in the secondary collision. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to various aspects of the present invention, it is possible to adequately protect an occupant from a side collision. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle side door structure according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the side door taken along line AA in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is a cross-sectional view of the load transmission member taken along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle side door structure during a primary collision. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle side door structure during a secondary collision. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. The drawings may be partially simplified or exaggerated to facilitate understanding, and the dimensional ratios, angles, etc. are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle side door structure (hereinafter referred to as "side door") 1 according to one embodiment. The side door 1 is, for example, a front side door located at the front of the vehicle, and is attached to the side of the vehicle so as to be able to open and close. Note that the side door 1 may also be a rear side door.

[0015] The vehicle to which the side door 1 is attached is, for example, a commercial vehicle such as a truck, a freight vehicle, or a bus. In the following description, the forward and backward directions of the vehicle to which the side door 1 is attached are referred to as the longitudinal direction Y, and the left-right direction when the vehicle is viewed from the rear is referred to as the transverse direction X. The direction perpendicular to the transverse direction X and the longitudinal direction Y is referred to as the vertical direction Z.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the side door 1 includes a side door body 10, a door hinge 11, a door lock 12, a side door trim 13, and a load transmission member 14.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the side door 1 taken along line AA in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the side door body 10 includes an outer panel 16 that forms the outer surface of the side door 1, and an inner panel 17 that is disposed inside the outer panel 16 in the vehicle width direction X. The outer panel 16 and the inner panel 17 are made of metal plates. The side door body 10 is formed by joining the peripheral edges of the outer panel 16 and the inner panel 17, and has a hollow structure.

[0018] 1, the side door body 10 includes a lower portion 10A and an upper portion 10B. The lower portion 10A is a portion of the side door body 10 located below the door lock 12 in the vertical direction Z and has a hollow plate shape. The upper portion 10B is a portion of the side door body 10 located above the door lock 12 in the vertical direction Z and has a generally frame-like shape that defines an opening 18.

[0019] The side door 1 further includes a side window W that covers the opening 18. The side window W is movable in the vertical direction Z by a drive mechanism (not shown). When the side window W is lowered, the side window W is accommodated in the space between the outer panel 16 and the inner panel 17.

[0020] The door hinge 11 is provided in front of the side door body 10 and connects the side door body 10 to the vehicle body so that the side door can be opened and closed. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the side door 1 is provided with a pair of upper and lower door hinges 11.

[0021] The door lock 12 is provided at the rear of the side door body 10 and includes a latch that can engage with a striker installed on the vehicle body. When the side door 1 is closed, the latch of the door lock 12 engages with the striker to hold the side door 1 in a closed position. On the other hand, when the door handle 19 is operated, the engagement between the latch and the striker is released, allowing the side door 1 to be rotated from the closed position to the open position around the pair of door hinges 11. In one embodiment, the door lock 12 may be located at substantially the same height as the upper one of the pair of door hinges 11.

[0022] The side door trim 13 is an interior member of the side door 1 and is made of resin. The side door trim 13 is attached to the side door body 10 so as to cover the side door body 10 from the inside of the vehicle compartment. As shown in FIG. 2 , the side door trim 13 forms a space S between the side door body 10 and the side door trim 13. The side door trim 13 forms the inner surface of the side door 1.

[0023] The load transmission member 14 is disposed in a space S between the side door trim 13 and the inner panel 17. The load transmission member 14 is a bracket made of a metal such as stainless steel that has higher rigidity than the side door trim 13. As shown in FIG. 3 , the load transmission member 14 is fixed to an upper rear corner of the side door trim 13 from the outside in the vehicle width direction X with a screw or the like.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 3, by attaching the side door trim 13 to the side door main body 10 with the load transmission member 14 fixed to the upper rear corner of the side door trim 13, the load transmission member 14 is disposed at the upper rear corner of the side door 1 as shown in Fig. 1. More specifically, the load transmission member 14 is disposed rearward of the center line CL of the side door main body 10 in the front-rear direction Y and above the door lock 12 in the up-down direction Z. The installation position of the load transmission member 14 corresponds to the position where the chest of an occupant will be hit in the event of a side collision.

[0025] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the load transmission member 14. Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the load transmission member 14 along a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction Z. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the load transmission member 14 has a wave-shaped configuration in which peaks 21 protruding inward in the vehicle width direction X (inside the vehicle cabin) and valleys 22 protruding outward in the vehicle width direction X (outside the vehicle cabin) are alternately formed in the front-rear direction Y. The load transmission member 14 is formed, for example, by bending a single metal plate into a wave-shaped configuration.

[0026] 4 and 5, the load transmission member 14 includes a pair of flanges 20, a pair of peaks 21, and one valley 22. The pair of flanges 20 are provided at both ends of the load transmission member 14 in the front-rear direction Y. As shown in FIG. 2, screw holes are formed in the pair of flanges, and the load transmission member 14 is attached to the side door trim 13 by screws inserted into the screw holes.

[0027] One end of the pair of flanges 20 in the front-rear direction Y is connected to one end of a pair of peaks 21 in the front-rear direction Y. The other ends of the pair of peaks 21 in the front-rear direction Y are connected to both ends of the valley 22 in the front-rear direction Y. In other words, the valley 22 is disposed between the pair of peaks 21. Note that the load transmission member 14 may include three or more peaks 21 and multiple valleys 22 disposed between adjacent peaks 21.

[0028] 5, each of the peaks 21 and the valleys 22 has a substantially U-shaped cross section when viewed from a plane perpendicular to the up-down direction Z. The peaks 21 protrude inward in the vehicle width direction X, and the valleys 22 protrude outward in the vehicle width direction X.

[0029] The peaks 21 and the valleys 22 extend in the vertical direction Z. The peaks 21 and the valleys 22 extending in the vertical direction Z means that the peaks 21a of the peaks 21 and the peaks 22a of the valleys 22 extend in the vertical direction Z. The peaks 21a are the portions of the peaks 21 that are closest to the side door trim 13. The peaks 21a face the side door trim 13 via a small gap of, for example, about 3 mm. The peaks 22a are the portions of the valleys 22 that are closest to the inner panel 17. The peaks 22a face the inner panel 17 via a small gap of, for example, about 3 mm.

[0030] Next, the effects of the side door 1 according to one embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The occupant 100 shown in Figures 6 and 7 is shown in the form of a dummy that complies with the international regulation (Regulation No. 95) regarding occupant protection in the event of a side collision.

[0031] Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the side door 1 during a primary collision. As shown in Fig. 6, during a side collision, an external impact F is input to the lower part of the side door 1. This impact F generates a moment around an axis extending in the front-rear direction Y in the vehicle, causing the vehicle to rotate. At this time, the upper part 10B of the side door main body 10 is in contact with the roof side member 30 of the vehicle.

[0032] 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the side door 1 during a secondary collision. As shown in FIG. 7, after the primary collision, the occupant 100 rotates around an axis extending in the front-rear direction Y as the vehicle rotates, and the chest 101 of the occupant 100 collides with the side door 1. At this time, the load from the occupant 100 is transmitted to the side door main body 10 via the load transmission member 14 disposed at the upper rear corner of the side door 1. As a result, the side door main body 10 is pressed outward in the vehicle width direction X.

[0033] At this time, because the load transmission member 14 is disposed above the door lock 12, the upper portion 10B of the side door body 10 deforms outward in the vehicle width direction X with the door lock 12 as a fulcrum. As the upper portion 10B of the side door body 10 deforms outward in the vehicle width direction X, a gap G is formed between the upper portion 10B of the side door body 10 and the roof side member 30 of the vehicle. When the upper portion 10B of the side door body 10 deforms, the load from the occupant 100 is absorbed by the side door body 10. Therefore, the impact on the chest 101 of the occupant 100 is alleviated.

[0034] Furthermore, because the peaks 21 and valleys 22 of the load transmission member 14 extend in the vertical direction Z, when the chest 101 of the occupant 100 collides with the side door 1, the load acting on the occupant 100 is distributed to the upper chest 101A, the middle chest 101B, and the lower chest 101C. As a result, the load is prevented from concentrating on a part of the chest 101 of the occupant 100, and chest deflection of the occupant 100 due to a secondary collision can be prevented. Therefore, the occupant 100 can be protected from the impact of a side collision.

[0035] As explained above, in the above-described side door 1, the load input from the occupant 100 to the side door trim 13 is transmitted to the side door main body 10 via the load transmission member 14, and the load is absorbed by the side door main body 10 by deforming the upper part 10B of the side door main body 10 toward the outside of the vehicle with the door lock 12 as a fulcrum. By adopting such a structure, the occupant 100 can be protected from a secondary collision without using a side airbag. As a result, the manufacturing cost of the side door 1 can be significantly reduced while still protecting the occupant.

[0036] The side door 1 according to various embodiments has been described above, but it is not limited to the above-described embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0037] For example, in the above embodiment, the load transmission member 14 has a wave shape, but the shape of the load transmission member 14 is not limited as long as it can transmit the load input to the side door trim 13 to the side door main body 10. Furthermore, the peaks 21 and the valleys 22 do not have to extend in the up-down direction Z, but may extend in the front-rear direction Y.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the load transmission member 14 is fixed to the side door trim 13, but the load transmission member 14 may be fixed to the side door main body 10 as long as it can transmit the load input to the side door trim 13 from inside the vehicle compartment to the side door main body 10.

[0039] In the above embodiment, a gap is formed between the top portion 21a of the load transmission member 14 and the side door trim 13, but the top portion 21a of the load transmission member 14 may be in contact with the side door trim 13. Similarly, a gap is formed between the top portion 22a of the load transmission member 14 and the inner panel 17, but the top portion 22a of the load transmission member 14 may be in contact with the inner panel 17. Even in this case, the load input to the side door trim 13 can be transmitted to the side door body 10.

[0040] The various embodiments described above can be combined to the extent that they are not inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1...vehicle side door structure, 10...side door body, 12...door lock, 13...side door trim, 14...load transfer member, 21...peak portion, 22...valley portion, CL...center line.

Claims

1. The side door body, a door lock coupled to the side door body for holding the side door body in a closed position; a side door trim that covers the side door body from the inside of the vehicle compartment; a load transmission member disposed between the side door body and the side door trim, the load transmission member transmitting a load input to the side door trim from the vehicle interior side to the side door body; Equipped with The load transmission member is disposed rearward of the center line of the side door body in the front-rear direction and above the door lock in the up-down direction. Vehicle side door structure.

2. 2. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 1, wherein the load transfer member is formed of a corrugated metal plate having alternating peaks protruding into the interior of the vehicle and valleys protruding outward from the interior of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 2 , wherein the ridges and the valleys extend in the vertical direction.

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