door

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 a door for an automobile 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 longitudinal direction of the vehicle to the side surface of the door outer panel facing the interior of the vehicle.

[0003] Furthermore, in recent years, efforts have been gaining momentum to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport users 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] In the case of automobile door outer panels being made of resin, if the skin upper stiffener (belt line outer reinforcement) is made of metal and fixed to the outer panel with adhesive or the like so that it cannot be displaced relative to the outer panel, a difference in thermal expansion between the skin upper stiffener and the resin outer panel may occur, causing the outer panel to warp.

[0006] Furthermore, if a metal skin upper stiffener is connected to a resin outer panel using a slide nut or the like so that it can be displaced relative to the resin outer panel, 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 view of the above points, and aims to provide a door that can avoid the occurrence of a difference in thermal expansion between the door and a resin outer panel and ensure door rigidity, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a door for an automobile 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. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention provides a door that can avoid the occurrence of a difference in thermal expansion between the outer panel made of resin and that can ensure door rigidity. [Brief explanation 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. [Figure 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. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view including a reference point of the door. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of a dock house provided at an upper connecting portion of the outer panel. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged front view showing a state in which a clip is attached to the dock house shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view of a dock 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 dock house shown in FIG. 6. FIG. [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 INVENTION

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

[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 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 able to move up and down in the vehicle vertical direction via a lifting mechanism (not shown). The sash 14 has a window opening 22 located above the belt line, and this window opening 22 is provided so as to be able to be opened and closed 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's fore-and-aft direction. As will be described later, this upper stiffener 24 is fixed to the upper part of the inner panel 18 at two points in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction. "Fixing" this upper stiffener 24 includes, for example, welding, bonding, and fixing so that it cannot be relatively displaced, but does not include, for example, a slide clip or other fixing 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 relatively displaceable. 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 further forward than the door mirror 28 and is provided so as to be relatively displaceable (slidable) only in the longitudinal 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 longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The third upper connecting portion 26c is located rearward of the center of the upper stiffener 24 in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is provided so as to be relatively displaceable (slidable) only in the longitudinal 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 longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

[0016] The first to fourth upper connecting portions 26a to 26d are configured identically, so only the first upper connecting portion 26a will be described in detail, and descriptions 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, penetrating the upper stiffener 24. When the outer panel 16 is attached to the upper stiffener 24, a dock house 34 (see FIGS. 4 and 2) that is integral with the outer panel 16 and protrudes from the surface of the outer panel 16 abuts against the recess 30. The dock house 34 has a clip groove 36 that extends laterally along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A clip 38 that 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 dock house 34 (see FIGS. 5 and 3). The outer panel 16 attached to the upper stiffener 24 is slidable along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle along the clip groove 36.

[0018] 3, the clip 38 has an elastic portion 40a that reduces its 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 that abuts against the side wall of the recess 30 of the upper stiffener 24, and an engaging portion 40c that engages with the clip groove 36 of the dock house 34. As shown in Fig. 4, the dock house 34 has a dock house main body 42 that is approximately U-shaped in side view, and the clip groove 36 that opens toward the rear of the vehicle is provided in the upper wall of the dock 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 also 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 longitudinal direction (see FIG. 1). The multiple connecting portions 46 are arranged along the peripheral edge of the outer panel 16 below the reference point 44. As shown in FIG. 2, each connecting portion 46 is provided with a slide groove 47 through which a clip (not shown) slides, and each connecting portion 46 is provided so as to be slidable in the radial direction in which this slide groove 47 extends. The multiple connecting portions 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 formed in the center of the upper part of the upper stiffener 24 by a recess 48 having a horizontally elongated rectangular shape in side view (see FIG. 1). This recess 48 has two circular mounting holes 50a, 50b that penetrate the recess 48 and are arranged side by side in the vehicle longitudinal direction. When the outer panel 16 is attached to the upper stiffener 24, a horizontally elongated rectangular dog house 52 that is integral with the outer panel 16 and protrudes from the surface of the outer panel 16 abuts against this recess 48 (see FIG. 3). The dog house 52 has a clip groove 54 that extends vertically along the vehicle vertical direction and a positioning boss 58 that protrudes from the surface of a dog house main body 56, both of which are arranged side by side (see FIG. 6). The positioning boss 58 has a generally cross-shaped protrusion in cross section perpendicular to the axis, and is configured so that the width of the protrusion narrows toward the tip.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, a positioning boss 58 of the dock 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 outer panel 16 and the upper stiffener 24 is attached to the mounting hole 50a on the vehicle front side of the upper stiffener 24 (see Figure 3). At the reference point 44, sliding in the vertical direction along the clip groove 54 is possible, but because the positioning boss 58 is attached to the mounting hole 50b (see Figure 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. Upper stiffeners 24 are fixed to the inner panel 18 at the front and rear of the window opening 22 in the vehicle longitudinal 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 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 vertical 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 longitudinal 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 material 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. The tip of at least a portion of the glass lip 74 abuts against the lower end of the extension portion 80 of the outer panel 16. The glass lip 74 is provided 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, and its functions and effects will now be described.

[0028] In this embodiment, the outer panel 16 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 ensure the door rigidity provided by the upper stiffener 24 while suppressing the effects of the difference in thermal expansion with the resin outer panel 16. In this regard, in the prior art described in Cited Document 1, the upper stiffener 24 is fixed to the outer panel 16, and therefore, if the outer panel 16 is made of resin, the above-mentioned problems that are the problem that the invention is intended to solve will 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 that it cannot be displaced 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 that they can be displaced 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, differences in thermal expansion between the outer panel 16 and the upper stiffener 24 can be tolerated via multiple connecting portions 46 that are connected to the inner panel 18 so as to be capable of relative displacement.

[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reference point 44 is provided in the center of the upper stiffener 24 in the vehicle longitudinal direction. The multiple 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 reference point 44, and other areas other than reference point 44 are held radially slidably via connecting portions 46, thereby minimizing deflection of resin outer panel 16 and making misalignment less noticeable. Furthermore, by positioning at reference point 44 in the center of the beltline, resin outer panel 16 thermally expands evenly in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the parting width of door 10 can be made even.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the door 10 has an outer handle 68. This 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. Upper stiffeners 24 are fixed to the inner panel 18 on the front and rear sides of the window opening 22 in the vehicle longitudinal 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, 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 in front of the window opening 22 and the door mirror 28, and a rear fixing portion 64 located in the rear 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 that has 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, ensuring the positioning performance of the door glass 20 and also ensuring the water-shedding and sound-insulating performance of the door glass 20 due to the glass lip 74. Furthermore, by directly mounting the molding 76 to the upper stiffener 24, the holding rigidity of the molding 76 is increased, improving the water-shedding and sound-insulating performance of the door glass 20.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the molding 76 has an attachment portion 78 with 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 80 of the outer panel 16, thereby improving the design of the door 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 doors 16 Outer panel 18 Inner panel 20 Door glass 22 Window opening 24 Upper Stifna 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 extending along a belt line of the outer panel; The upper stiffener is fixed to the inner panel, the outer panel has a reference point fixed to a part of the upper stiffener so as not to be displaceable relative to the upper stiffener; A connecting portion is provided at a position other than the reference point, the connecting portion being connected to the inner panel so as to be capable of relative displacement, The reference point is provided at the center of the upper stiffener in the vehicle longitudinal direction, The connecting portion is disposed below the vehicle from the reference point so as to be slidable in a radial direction. A door characterized by

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 door has an outer handle, The door is characterized in that the outer handle is fixed to the upper stiffener.

4. The door of claim 1, the door has a window opening above the belt line; 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.

5. A door for an automobile having a metal inner panel and a resin outer panel, a metal upper stiffener extending along a belt line of the outer panel; The upper stiffener is fixed to the inner panel, 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. The door is characterized in that the molding is attached to the upper stiffener.

6. The door according to claim 5, 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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