Vehicle door

Abstract

To provide a door for a vehicle capable of preventing an occupant from easily touching a metallic member without impairing metallic design.SOLUTION: The vehicle interior structure includes the first panel constituting the exterior side design surface and the second panel 82 constituting the interior side design surface, the second panel 82 includes the two or more panel members 84,86 each having the design surface portion, at least one of the two or more panel members is the cast member 84 which is an aluminum die cast, and the second panel 82 includes the mesh-like skin material 100 covering at least a part of the design surface portion of the cast member 84.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle doors are mainly known to be configured with a door panel made of a metal outer panel and inner panel that form the exterior surface of the door, and a resin trim that forms the interior surface of the door. On the other hand, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 below, for example, a configuration is also known in which the inner panel is made of synthetic resin, and various functional parts are attached to the inner panel before it is assembled to the outer panel, with the aim of reducing the number of assembly steps and reducing manufacturing costs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-318532 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional vehicle doors, such as the vehicle door described in Patent Document 1, are generally configured with three plate-shaped members stacked in the interior-exterior direction of the vehicle. Because conventional vehicle doors require a large number of parts, which increases the manufacturing process and manufacturing costs, in recent years, consideration has been given to constructing vehicle doors with two plate-shaped panels. Furthermore, it has been considered to construct the interior panel from two or more members, each with a decorative surface, and to ensure the rigidity of the vehicle door, some of these two or more members may be made of metal (aluminum alloy). Vehicle doors with such a configuration use metal for the decorative surface inside the vehicle, resulting in an innovative design. However, metal members have a risk of increasing surface temperature due to sunlight entering through the window.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and its object is to provide a vehicle door that makes it difficult for occupants to touch the metal members without compromising the metal design. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the vehicle door disclosed in the present application has the following structure. (1) A first panel that constitutes the exterior design surface; a second panel attached to the interior side of the first panel so as to face the interior side and constitute a design surface on the interior side; The second panel is made up of two or more panel members each having a design surface portion that forms a design surface on the interior side, At least one of the two or more panel members is a cast member that is an aluminum die-cast member, The vehicle door is characterized in that the second panel is provided with a mesh-like skin material that covers at least a portion of the decorative surface portion of the cast member.

[0007] The vehicle door disclosed in the present application is broadly composed of two panels, a first panel and a second panel. In other words, the second panel is disposed between the first panel and the second panel without any intervening panels. Furthermore, the vehicle door disclosed in the present application is premised on a configuration in which the second panel, which forms the interior-facing design surface, is assembled with two or more panel members, each having a portion of the design surface. The vehicle door disclosed in the present application has a novel design in which at least one of the panel members forming the interior-facing design surface is made of metal. Because the surface temperature of the metal (aluminum die-cast) cast member is prone to increase due to sunlight entering through the window, the vehicle door disclosed in the present application is configured to address this issue. Specifically, a mesh-like skin is provided on at least a portion of the design surface of the cast member. Therefore, the vehicle door disclosed in the present application is configured to prevent occupants from directly touching the cast member while minimizing the degradation of the design due to metal.

[0008] In the vehicle door disclosed in the present application, the covering material is preferably a material that does not easily absorb heat and has a certain thickness so that the arms of passengers do not come into contact with the mesh of the covering material.

[0009] The vehicle door having the above-described structure can be configured in the following various ways.

[0010] (2) The vehicle door according to (1), wherein the skin material is molded from a rubber material.

[0011] Since the vehicle door having this configuration has elasticity, it is possible to store small items between the cast member and the skin material.

[0012] (3) The second panel includes an armrest; The cast member forms an upper decorative surface of the armrest, The vehicle door according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the mesh of the skin material becomes finer toward the rear side.

[0013] In vehicle doors equipped with armrests, when a passenger uses the armrest, the passenger's arm is likely to come into contact with the design surface located above the armrest. In vehicle doors with this configuration, the area where the passenger's arm is likely to come into contact is the design surface of the cast member, and the mesh of the skin material provided on the cast member is made finer in the area where the passenger's arm is likely to come into contact, thereby preventing the passenger from directly touching the cast member.

[0014] (4) The vehicle door has a window extending upward from between the first panel and the second panel, The vehicle door according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the cast member has a mesh that becomes finer toward the upper side.

[0015] The temperature of the upper part of the design surface of the second panel is likely to rise due to sunlight entering through the window. In particular, the part forming the upper end of the second panel is exposed to direct sunlight and therefore experiences a particularly high temperature rise. In a vehicle door with this configuration, the mesh of the skin material is made finer toward the upper part, i.e., the part where the temperature is likely to rise, so that passengers do not come into direct contact with the cast member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle door that makes it difficult for occupants to touch the metal members without impairing the metal design. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a side door according to a first embodiment of the present invention as viewed from the interior side. [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view showing the side door from the rear side [Figure 3] An exploded perspective view of the side door [Figure 4] Expansion diagram of the skin material [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view showing the mounting structure of the skin material [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a side door according to a modification of the first embodiment, as viewed from the inside of the vehicle; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the side door of the second embodiment from the viewpoint of the interior side. [Figure 8] Development view of the skin material in embodiment 2 [Figure 9] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the mounting structure of the skin material. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] <Embodiment 1> The vehicle door according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a front side door of an automobile (vehicle) as a vehicle. The overall configuration of the side door 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. In each drawing, the directions indicated by the arrows are FR (front of the vehicle), RR (rear of the vehicle), IN (inside the vehicle), and OUT (outside the vehicle).

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the side door 10 of this embodiment is provided with a door pocket 11 and an armrest 12 as an elbow rest for a passenger on its interior side. Although not shown, the armrest 12 is also provided with an inside handle for opening and closing the side door 10, a pull handle that the passenger can place their hand on (grasp) to open or close the side door 10, and a switch base equipped with operation switches for opening and closing the window and locking and unlocking the side door 10. The side door 10 is also provided with a side mirror 16 on its exterior side. The side door 10 is also provided with a window device 17 that can be raised and lowered, and a locking device 18 that locks and unlocks the side door 10 relative to the vehicle body. The side door 10 of this embodiment is attached to the vehicle body at its front end via a hinge mechanism 19, allowing the side door 10 to swing open and close.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the side door 10 is configured by assembling two panels, a first panel 20 and a second panel 22. The first panel 20 is the outermost panel of the automobile that constitutes the exterior of the automobile and is made of steel plate. The second panel 22 also serves as an interior member, that is, a panel that has a portion that constitutes the interior appearance (interior design surface) of the automobile. The side door 10 is configured such that the first panel 20 and the second panel 22 face each other, with no other panels interposed between them.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first panel 20 is made of a steel plate, but it may be made of other metals or resin. Examples of resins that can be used for the first panel 20 include fiber-reinforced resins (thermosetting resins such as unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin, polyamide resin, phenolic resin, etc., blended with glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, polyethylene fiber, etc.), as well as polyacetal resin, polyamide resin, polycarbonate resin, polyimide resin, and ultra-high molecular weight polyolefin (polyethylene) resin. As will be described in detail later, most of the components of the side door 10 are attached to the second panel 22, and no components of the side door 10 are attached to the first panel 20.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 3, the second panel 22 is broadly composed of two panel members 24, 26. The panel member 24 is generally frame-shaped and includes the portion near the outer periphery of the second panel 22. The panel member 24 functions as a base member (hereinafter, may be referred to as "base member 24") to which the other panel member 26 is attached and to which various functional components are attached. In this embodiment, the panel member 26 is made of resin, while the base member 24 is made of aluminum alloy and is a cast member that has been die-cast. Note that examples of resins that can be used for the second panel 22 (panel members 24, 26) include, in addition to polypropylene resin, polyethylene resin, polystyrene resin, polyester resin, and resins obtained by blending these resins with natural fibers.

[0023] The base member 24 also includes a main body 30 whose plate surface faces the interior and exterior of the vehicle, and protruding portions 32 that protrude from the front, bottom, and rear ends of the main body 30. The main body 30 has an opening 30a, giving it a generally rectangular frame shape. However, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the front portion 30b of the main body 30 is exposed to the interior and forms the interior design surface. On the other hand, this front portion 30b is not overlapped by any other panel member on the exterior side of the vehicle and directly faces the first panel 20.

[0024] The front protruding portion 32a of the base member 24, which is a portion of the protruding portion 32 that protrudes forward from the front end of the main body 30, is attached to the vehicle body via the hinge mechanism 19. The hinge mechanism 19 requires increased assembly strength because forces related to opening and closing the door are concentrated therein. In this embodiment, the base member 24 is a member having an interior design surface, but is made of die-cast aluminum, so the side door 10 is firmly supported by the hinge mechanism 19. As described above, the side door 10 of this embodiment is configured such that, of the first panel 20 and the second panel 22, only the second panel 22 is attached to the vehicle body via the hinge mechanism 19. As described above, the base member 24 is die-cast aluminum, which makes it easier to ensure rigidity compared to a resin-made base member. Furthermore, because the base member 24 is die-cast aluminum, its thickness can be easily varied from position to position, thereby easily varying its rigidity from position to position. Therefore, the front protruding portion 32a is thicker than the main body portion 30, thereby increasing the rigidity.

[0025] The base member 24 also has an upward extension 34 extending upward on the front side. This upward extension 34 is a mounting seat for attaching the side mirror 16, and the side mirror 16 is fixed by a fastener while extending outward from the vehicle. A cover member 35 is attached to the interior side of the upward extension 34 to hide the fastener. In other words, the side mirror 16 is attached to the second panel 22.

[0026] As described above, the panel member 26 is made of resin and is attached to the interior side of the base member 24 so as to cover the opening 30a of the base member 24. In other words, almost the entire panel member 26 constitutes the interior design surface. This panel member 26 does not cover the entire interior side of the door panel like the door trim of a conventional side door, but is similar to that door trim and will be referred to as the trim member 26 in the following description. As shown in FIG. 2 , an armrest member 36 that forms the armrest 12 is attached to the trim member 26, and a pocket board member 37 that forms part of the inner surface of the door pocket 11 is also attached to the trim member 26. The peripheral edge of the trim member 26 overlaps the interior side of the base member 24 (the opening edge 30c of the opening 30a), but the majority of the trim member 26 directly faces the first panel 20 without being overlapped by any other panel member on the exterior side.

[0027] The second panel 22 is provided on its exterior side with three longitudinal reinforcing members 40, 41, and 42 extending in the front-to-rear direction. Specifically, the three reinforcing members 40, 41, and 42 are disposed on the exterior side of the base member 24, spanning the front overhang 32a and rear overhang 32b of the base member 24. The first reinforcing member 40 extends parallel to the upper edge of the main body 30 of the base member 24. The second reinforcing member 41 is disposed below the first reinforcing member 40, along the inner surface of the first panel 20 near the center in the vertical direction (the portion that protrudes most toward the exterior). The third reinforcing member 42 functions as an impact beam to absorb impact from the exterior side during a vehicle side collision, and is disposed at approximately the height of the waist of an occupant seated inside the vehicle.

[0028] A window device 17 is disposed on the exterior side of the second panel 22, on the interior side of the three reinforcing members 40, 41, and 42. The window device 17 includes a plate-shaped window glass 44 and a regulator 45, which is a drive source for raising and lowering the window glass 44. To enable the window glass 44 to be raised and lowered, weather strips (not shown) are provided on the exterior side of the upper edge of the base member 24 and on the upper edge of the first reinforcing member 40 to fill the gap between the window glass 44 and allow the window glass 44 to be raised and lowered. The window glass 44 is slidably interposed between these opposing weather strips. Also, a wiring 46 connecting the regulator 45 to the switch base and a wiring 47 connecting the locking device 18 to the inside handle, as shown in FIG. 3, are held by the second panel 22.

[0029] The first panel 20 is detachably attached to the second panel 22, covering the second panel 22 from the outside, to which various functional components are attached. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of clip seats 50 are provided at intervals around the periphery of the first panel 20, and the first panel 20 can be fitted to the second panel 22 using a plurality of clips attached to the clip seats 50. Fastening portions 52 are provided at two locations, at the front upper end and the rear upper end of the side door 10, so that the first panel 20 and the second panel 22 can be fastened with bolts from the passenger compartment side of the second panel 22. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the first panel 20 has a female thread portion 52a with a female thread formed therein. The second panel 22, more specifically, has insertion holes 52b for inserting bolts at positions corresponding to the female thread portions 52a at the upper end of the front overhang portion 32a and the upper end of the rear overhang portion 32b of the base member 24, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0030] The first panel 20 does not have any functional parts of the side door 10 attached thereto, and is configured to be easily detachable from the second panel 22, to which various functional parts are attached. On the other hand, due to the presence of the fastening portion 52, when the side door 10 is locked to the vehicle body, the first panel 20 cannot be detached from the second panel 22 even if multiple clips are released from outside the vehicle compartment, and theft of the first panel 20 can be prevented.

[0031] As described above, in the side door 10 of this embodiment, the second panel 22 is composed of two panel members 24, 26. These panel members 24, 26 constitute the interior design surface (design surface portion) and have a portion that directly faces the first panel 20 without any other panel member overlapping the first panel 20. Therefore, in the side door 10 of this embodiment, many of the portions that form the interior design surface can be configured as a two-layer structure (double structure) of the first panel 20 and the second panel 22, thereby reducing the number of parts required for the entire side door 10. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2 , the side door 10 of this embodiment does not have any plate-like members between the first panel 20 and the second panel 22, ensuring a relatively large space and allowing for greater flexibility in the installation of functional components. Therefore, the side door 10 of this embodiment achieves simplified and easy manufacturing processes and reduced manufacturing costs.

[0032] In the side door 10 of this embodiment configured as described above, a portion (front portion 30b) of the base member 24, which is a metal member, forms the interior-facing design surface. Therefore, sunlight incident through the window glass 44 hits the front portion 30b, and the temperature tends to rise more easily than in the resin trim member 26. In particular, the upper end of the front portion 30b adjacent to the window glass 44 is exposed to direct sunlight, and therefore experiences a greater temperature rise. Therefore, in the side door 10 of this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a skin material 60 is provided on the portion of the front portion 30b, which is the design surface portion of the base member 24, above the armrest 12.

[0033] The skin material 60 is made of a rubber material, and as shown in FIG. 4, it is composed of a frame portion 62 forming an outer edge and a mesh portion 64 formed in a mesh pattern inside the frame portion 62. In the side door 10 of this embodiment, the skin material 60 is covered with the mesh portion 64, so that the surface of the base member 24 is visible to the occupant while making it difficult for the occupant to touch the surface of the base member 24. In this embodiment, the mesh portion 64 has finer meshes toward the rear and lower side. In other words, the mesh portion 64 has finer meshes in areas that are more likely to be hit by the arms of an occupant using the armrest 12, making it more difficult for the occupant to touch the base member 24.

[0034] The cover material 60 is configured to be detachable from the base member 24. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, a frame portion 62 of the cover material 60 is formed with a protrusion 66 that protrudes from the back surface, and the base member 24 is formed with a through hole 68 into which the protrusion 66 engages. The protrusion 66 is elastically deformed to fit into the through hole 68, and a head 66a of the protrusion 66 is hooked onto the edge of the through hole 68 on the back surface side, thereby attaching the cover material 60 to the base member 24. When the cover material 60 is used without being attached, for example, a cap may be used to fill the through hole 68.

[0035] <Modification of the First Embodiment> In the first embodiment, the mesh of the skin material 60 becomes finer toward the rear and downward. However, this is not limited to this. For example, the mesh may be finer in a different area than in the first embodiment, or the mesh size may be uniform. An example of an embodiment in which the mesh becomes finer in different areas is a modified side door 70 shown in FIG. 6. This modified side door 70 differs from the first embodiment only in the skin material 72. The mesh of the skin material 72 becomes finer toward the rear and upward. The second panel 22 is configured so that direct sunlight from the window glass 44 hits the upper end of the base member 24, and the temperature tends to increase toward the upper side. Therefore, the mesh of the skin material 72 becomes finer in areas where the temperature tends to increase, making it more difficult for occupants to directly touch the areas.

[0036] <Embodiment 2> Next, a side door 80 of a second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7 and 8. The side door 80 of this second embodiment has a basic configuration similar to that of the side door 10 of the first embodiment, but the configuration of the second panel 82, specifically the shapes of the two panel members 84, 86 that make up the second panel 82, differs from that of the first embodiment.

[0037] In the second embodiment, the second panel 82 is composed of a base member 84 made of die-cast aluminum and a trim member 86 made of resin. Similar to the base member 24 in the first embodiment, the base member 84 is generally frame-shaped and includes a portion near the outer periphery of the second panel 82. The base member 84 includes a main body 90 whose plate surface faces toward the interior and exterior of the vehicle cabin, and protruding portions 92 that protrude from the front, bottom, and rear ends of the main body 90. The trim member 86 is attached to close an opening formed in the main body 90. In this embodiment, the trim member 86 forms the interior design surface of the portion below the armrest 12 and also forms the interior design surface of the front side of the armrest 12. The upper end of the trim member 86 is shaped to slope upward from the front end of the armrest 12 toward the front. On the other hand, the upper portion of the trim member 86 on the main body 90 is exposed to the interior of the vehicle cabin, forming the interior design surface. That is, the design surface portion of the base member 84 has a shape that widens downward from the front end side toward the rear.

[0038] In this embodiment, a cover material 100 is provided to cover a portion of the design surface of the base member 84. An inside handle 102 is provided on the base member 84, and the cover material 100 covers an area below the inside handle 102 that expands upward and rearward. The rear end of the cover material 100 covers from the armrest 12 to the upper end of the base member 84 (the upper end of the second panel 82). Like the cover material 60 of the first embodiment, the cover material 100 is made of a rubber material and includes a frame portion 104, a mesh portion 106, and a plurality of attachment protrusions 108. The mesh portion 106 has a finer mesh toward the rear and lower end. In other words, the mesh portion 64 has a finer mesh in areas that are more likely to be touched by the arms of an occupant using the armrest 12, making it more difficult for the occupant to touch the base member 84.

[0039] Although detailed illustration is omitted, the upholstery material 100 is attached to the base member 84 in such a way that the upper end 100a and the rear end 100b wrap around the upper end and rear end of the base member 84. On the other hand, the upholstery material 100 does not have a protrusion 108 formed on an inclined portion 100d connecting the upper end 100a and the front end 100c. Therefore, the upholstery material 100 made of a rubber material can extend the inclined portion 100d toward the interior of the vehicle, making it possible to store small items between the base member 84 and the upholstery material 100.

[0040] <Other embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the following embodiments are also included within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0041] The structure for attaching the skins 60, 72, 100 to the cast member is not limited to the structure described in the above-mentioned embodiment 1. For example, as shown in Fig. 9, a structure in which a protrusion 112 is provided on the cast member 110 and a through-hole 116 is provided on the skin 114 may be used, or alternatively, a structure in which the outer edge of the skin is hooked using a hook or the like may be used, and various other structures can be employed.

[0042] In the above embodiment and modified examples, the covering materials 60, 72, and 100 are made of rubber, but other elastically deformable materials such as rubber can also be used. Furthermore, a mesh-woven string such as hemp can also be used as the covering material. When string is used as the covering material, it can be configured to be tied to the panel member.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the second panel 22 includes two panel members each having a design surface portion, but it may include three or more panel members. The shapes of the panel members are not particularly limited, and various shapes can be adopted.

[0044] In the above embodiment, an automobile is used as an example of a vehicle, but the vehicle door of the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to other vehicles such as trains and recreational vehicles as ground vehicles, airplanes and helicopters as flying vehicles, and ships and submarines as marine and underwater vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 10...Side door (vehicle door), 20...First panel, 22...Second panel, 24...Base member (panel member, cast member), 26...Trim member (panel member), 30b...Front portion (design surface portion), 60...Skin material, 80...Side door (vehicle door), 82...Second panel, 84...Base member (panel member, cast member), 86...Trim member (panel member), 100...Skin material

Claims

1. a first panel that constitutes the exterior design surface; a second panel attached to the interior side of the first panel so as to face the interior side and constitute a design surface on the interior side; The second panel is made up of two or more panel members each having a design surface portion that forms a design surface on the interior side, At least one of the two or more panel members is a cast member that is an aluminum die-cast member, The vehicle door is characterized in that the second panel is provided with a mesh-like skin material that covers at least a portion of the decorative surface portion of the cast member.

2. 2. The vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the skin material is molded from a rubber material.

3. the second panel includes an armrest; The cast member forms an upper decorative surface of the armrest, 3. The vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the mesh of the skin material becomes finer toward the rear side.

4. the vehicle door includes a window extending upwardly from between the first panel and the second panel; 3. The vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the cast member has a mesh size that becomes finer toward the upper side.

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