Vehicle door structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicular side door structure that can reduce vibrations of the whole of an outer panel, while suppressing cost increase.SOLUTION: A vehicular side door structure 20 comprises: a door panel 24 that has an outer panel 26 forming an outer surface of a door 22 of a vehicle 10 and an inner panel 28 arranged on a vehicle interior side of the outer panel 26; and a door hinge 32 which supports the door panel 24 turnably with respect to a main body 12 of a vehicle body. The door hinge 32 comprises vehicle body-side fixed parts 32 that are fixed to the main body of the vehicle body and door-side fixed parts 35 that can turn with respect to the vehicle body-side fixed parts 32 through hinge shafts 34 and are fixed to the door panel 24. The vehicular door structure 20 further comprises attenuating means 50, mounted on the door-side fixed parts 35, which can attenuate vibration energy transmitted to the door-side fixed parts 35.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle door structure that is applied to vehicles such as automobiles. [Background technology]

[0002] When a vehicle such as an automobile is traveling, road noise is generated by the friction between the road surface and the tires, and drivetrain noise such as acceleration sounds originating from the powertrain, such as the engine. These noises are perceived as noise by passengers as vibrations propagated from the suspension to the body, then resonating with the air inside the cabin.

[0003] One of the mechanisms by which vibrations are transmitted is from the vehicle body frame to the outer panel of a vehicle door. For example, door hinges that rotatably support the side doors are attached to the sides of the vehicle's side doors, and vibrations originating from the tires or powertrain are transmitted from the vehicle body frame to the outer panel of the side door via these door hinges.

[0004] Generally, the outer panel of a vehicle door is made of thin plate, and when vibrations are transmitted from the door hinge, the outer panel vibrates and generates radiated sound. If this radiated sound propagates into the vehicle cabin as noise, it will reduce the comfort inside the cabin, so there is a demand for a door structure that reduces the noise caused by the vibration of the outer panel.

[0005] A known door structure for suppressing noise is one that reinforces the outer panel itself. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle side door structure in which multiple reinforcements, which are stiffening members, are attached to the interior surface of the outer panel. Each reinforcement extends across both ends of the outer panel in the width direction and is attached to the interior surface of the outer panel with spots of mastic adhesive applied to the reinforcement. In this door structure, the reinforcements increase the tensile rigidity of the outer panel, and the elastic mastic adhesive damps vibrations, thereby reducing vibrations of the outer panel and suppressing noise generation.

[0006] Another known door structure for suppressing noise is one that has a resonator, which is a sound-absorbing device, installed inside the door. For example, Patent Document 2 describes a door structure for a vehicle side door in which a resonator is installed between the inner panel of the door and the door trim interior material that is located on the inside of the inner panel. In this door structure, the resonator converts the energy of radiated sound generated by the vibration of the outer panel into frictional energy, thereby achieving a sound-absorbing effect. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-111235 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-142885 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the door structure described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that the locations where reinforcements can be placed are limited due to layout restrictions within the interior space of the door, making it difficult to suppress vibrations of the entire outer panel.

[0009] On the other hand, in the case of a system in which a resonator is installed inside the door, even if the outer panel vibrates, the resonator can absorb the radiated sound generated by the vibration. However, since a special sound-absorbing structure must be installed inside the door, there is a problem that the manufacturing process and costs increase.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle door structure that can reduce vibration of the entire outer panel while suppressing an increase in cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle door structure comprising: a door panel having an outer panel that forms the outer surface of a vehicle door and an inner panel that is arranged on the vehicle interior side of the outer panel; a vehicle body side fixing part that is fixed to the vehicle body; and a door side fixing part that is rotatable relative to the vehicle body side fixing part via a hinge axis and is fixed to the door panel, and which rotatably supports the door panel relative to the vehicle body, characterized in that the vehicle door structure comprises a damping means that is attached to the door side fixing part and is capable of damping vibration energy transmitted to the door side fixing part.

[0012] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, in the vehicle door structure, the door side fixing portion is formed in a cylindrical shape and is fixed to the inner panel with the hinge shaft passing through it in the radial direction, and the damping means is attached inside the cylindrical door side fixing portion.

[0013] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, in the vehicle door structure, the damping means is arranged inside the door panel and attached to the door side fixing portion by a fixing device that fixes the door side fixing portion to the door panel.

[0014] Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, in the vehicle door structure, the damping means is arranged between the door side fixing portion and the door panel, and is attached to the door side fixing portion by a fixing device that fixes the door side fixing portion to the door panel.

[0015] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, in the vehicle door structure, the damping means is a rubber member or Liquid Mount To It is characterized by the fact that [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the vehicle door structure of the present invention, it is possible to reduce vibration of the entire outer panel while suppressing an increase in costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a part of a vehicle to which a door structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a door structure. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the door hinge and the door panel are attached to each other. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the attachment state of the door hinge and the door panel. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing a second embodiment of the door structure. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the attachment state of the door hinge and the door panel. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is an explanatory view similar to FIG. 4, showing a third embodiment of the door structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] (First embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side view showing a portion of a vehicle 10 to which a vehicle door structure 20 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vehicle door structure 20 can be used for a front side door 22, a rear side door, and a back door provided on the side of the vehicle. In this embodiment, an example in which the vehicle door structure 20 is applied to a front side door 22 is shown, and FIG. 1 illustrates only an opening 16 for the rear side door, omitting the illustration of the rear side door of the vehicle 10. In the vehicle body 12, a front pillar 13 and a center pillar 14, which are frame members, are arranged on the vehicle front side and vehicle rear side of the front side door 22, respectively. In the following description, the front side door 22 will also be simply referred to as "door 22."

[0019] A vehicle 10 such as an automobile generates road noise and drivetrain noise when it is traveling. These noises are perceived as noise when vibrations originating from the tires 18 or the engine (not shown) are transmitted to the vehicle body 12 via the suspension, propeller shaft, etc., causing the air in the cabin to resonate.

[0020] In recent years, a method using structural intensity technology has become known as a method for determining vibration propagation paths. Vibration intensity is defined as "vibration energy transmitted per unit width of a structure in a unit time," and is an index for visualizing the propagation path of vibration energy within a structure by showing the direction and magnitude of the vibration energy as a vector. The door structure 20 is a structure that can suppress vibration of the outer panel 26 by focusing on the vibration energy propagation path obtained using vibration intensity technology, specifically, the propagation path from the vehicle body 12 via the door hinges 30A and 30B of the door 22 to the outer panel 26 of the door 22.

[0021] 2 is a schematic explanatory diagram of the door structure 20, showing a state in which the outer panel 26 of the door 22 has been removed. The door structure 20 of this embodiment includes a door panel 24, a pair of upper and lower door hinges 30A, 30B that rotatably support the door panel 24 relative to the vehicle body 12, and damping means 50 attached to each of the door hinges 30A, 30B. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0022] 1 and 2, the door panel 24 includes an outer panel 26 that forms the outer surface of the door 22, and an inner panel 28 that is disposed on the vehicle interior side of the outer panel 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the inner panel 28, in a side view of the vehicle with the door 22 closed, includes a rectangular main body 28a and flanges formed on the periphery of the main body 28a. The flanges are portions that protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the main body 28a, and include a front flange 28b that is formed on a side edge on the front side of the vehicle and extends in the vertical direction, a rear flange 28c that is formed on a side edge on the rear side of the vehicle and extends in the vertical direction, and a lower flange 28d that is formed on a side edge on the lower side of the vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction.

[0023] The pair of door hinges 30A, 30B are attached to the side of the door panel 24 on the vehicle body front side. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the attachment state of the door hinge 30A to the door panel 24. Each door hinge 30A, 30B has a vehicle body side fixed portion 32 fixed to the vehicle body main body 12, a hinge shaft 34 supported by the vehicle body side fixed portion 32, and a door side fixed portion 35 fixed to the door panel 24, and the door side fixed portion 35 is configured to be rotatable relative to the vehicle body side fixed portion 32 via the hinge shaft 34. Since the door hinges 30A, 30B have the same configuration and have the same attachment structure to the door panel 24, the following explanation will focus on the upper door hinge 30A.

[0024] The vehicle body-side fixed portion 32 of the door hinge 30A is formed from a metal material and has a plate-shaped base 32a and a pair of pivotal support portions 32b, 32c protruding from the base 32a. The base 32 is fixed to the vehicle body 12 using fasteners 33 such as bolts. The pair of pivotal support portions 32b, 32c are portions that protrude outward in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle upper and vehicle lower sides of the base 32a, respectively, and support both ends of a hinge shaft 34 that extends in the vehicle up-down direction.

[0025] The door-side fixing portion 35 is formed of a metal material, such as steel, that has higher rigidity than the door panel 24. In this embodiment, the door-side fixing portion 35 is formed in a cylindrical shape. While the door-side fixing portion 35 in the illustrated example has a rectangular cross section, the cross-sectional shape is not limited thereto and may be other shapes, such as a polygonal, circular, or elliptical shape. The door-side fixing portion 35 is fixed to the front flange portion 28b of the inner panel 28 using a fastener 56 with the hinge shaft 34 passing radially through the door-side fixing portion 35. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the front flange portion 28b of the inner panel 28 has a pair of bent pieces 29 formed by bending a portion of the flange portion 28b toward the hinge shaft 34. The pair of bent pieces 29 abut against the peripheral wall surface of the door-side fixing portion 35 and are fixed to the inner panel 28 at each bent piece 29 using a fastener 56, such as a bolt. In this way, the door-side fixing portion 35 is fixed to the door panel 24 , so that the door panel 24 is configured to be rotatable around the hinge shaft 34 together with the door-side fixing portion 35 .

[0026] The damping means 50 is capable of damping vibration energy by elastic deformation or the like, and is attached to the door-side fixing portion 35 of each door hinge 30A, 30B to damp the vibration energy transmitted to the door-side fixing portion 35. In this embodiment, it is attached inside the cylindrical door-side fixing portion 35.

[0027] The damping means 50 may be, for example, one of an elastic rubber member, a hydraulic mount that absorbs vibrations by displacing a viscous fluid in a liquid chamber, or a damper. The damping means 50 may also be configured by combining these. Using an existing rubber member, hydraulic mount, or damper as the damping means 50 enables vibration energy to be attenuated with an inexpensive structure. In this embodiment, a rubber member 54 is used as the damping means 50, and in each drawing, the rubber member 54 is marked with a dot to make its location easier to understand. In the illustrated example, the rubber member 54 is attached to the door panel more inward than the fixing device 56. However, this is not limiting. The damping means 50 may be attached inside the door-side fixing portion 35, which is formed into a cylindrical body, within a range that does not interfere with the rotational movement of the door-side fixing portion 35.

[0028] In the door structure 20 described above, when the vehicle 10 is traveling, vibration energy transmitted from the front pillar 13 of the vehicle body 12 to the door-side fixed portion 35 via the vehicle-body-side fixed portion 32 and hinge shaft 34 of the door hinges 30A, 30B can be damped by the damping means 50 attached to the door-side fixed portion 35. That is, the vibration energy is damped by the elastic deformation of the damping means 50, and the vibration energy transmitted from the door hinges 30A, 30B to the outer panel 26 of the door 22 can be reduced. This makes it possible to effectively suppress vibration of the entire outer panel 26 without using an expensive sound-absorbing device, thereby preventing noise from being generated inside the cabin.

[0029] In this embodiment, vibration energy transmitted from the vehicle body 12 to the door hinges 30A, 30B is transmitted from the hinge shaft 34 to the cylindrical door-side fixing portion 35, and a damping means 50 is attached inside this cylindrical body to damp the vibration energy. The vibration energy transmitted from the vehicle body 12 to the door 22 mainly passes through the highly rigid door-side fixing portion 35 and is less likely to flow to the lower-rigidity inner panel 28, so the vibration energy can be efficiently damped by the damping means 50 in the door-side fixing portion 35. Furthermore, because the door-side fixing portion 35 is fixed to the inner panel 28 of the door 22, vibration energy is not directly transmitted from the door-side fixing portion 35 to the outer panel 28, which improves the vibration suppression effect of the outer panel 26.

[0030] (Second embodiment) FIG. 5 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3 showing a second embodiment of the door structure 20, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the attachment state of the door hinges 30A, 30B and the door panel 24 in the door structure 20 shown in FIG. 5. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The door structure 20 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the structure of the door-side fixing portions 36 of the door hinges 30A, 30B and the attachment structure of the damping means 50 to the door-side fixing portions 36. Since the other components and structures are the same as those in the first embodiment, their details will be omitted in the following description.

[0031] In this embodiment, the door hinges 30A, 30B each include a vehicle body-side fixed portion 32 fixed to the vehicle body 12, a hinge shaft 34 supported by the vehicle body-side fixed portion 32, and a door-side fixed portion 36 fixed to the door panel 24. Since the door hinges 30A, 30B have the same configuration and the same mounting structure to the door panel 24, the following description will focus on the upper door hinge 30A.

[0032] The vehicle body-side fixed portion 32 and the hinge shaft 34 of the door hinge 30A have the same structures as those in the first embodiment. The door-side fixed portion 36 of the door hinge 30A is connected to the hinge shaft 34 so as to be rotatable about the hinge shaft 34. The door-side fixed portion 36 is formed of a metal material having higher rigidity than the door panel 24, and has a pair of door-side base portions 36a, 36b fixed to the inner panel 28, a pair of support portions 36c, 36d protruding from each of the door-side base portions 36a, 36b, and a connecting portion 36e. The pair of support portions 36c, 36d are formed in plate shapes protruding approximately perpendicularly from opposing side edges of the pair of door-side base portions 36a, 36b, and the connecting portion 36e connects the tips of the support portions 36c, 36d. The door-side base portions 36a, 36b are fixed to the front flange portion 28b of the inner panel 28 using fasteners 58 such as bolts and nuts. The pair of support portions 36c, 36d each have an insertion hole through which the hinge shaft 34 is inserted, and with the pair of support portions 36c, 36d inserted between the pair of pivot supports 32b, 32c of the vehicle body-side fixed portion 32, the hinge shaft 34 is inserted into this insertion hole.

[0033] The damping means 50 is disposed inside the door panel 24 (i.e., in the internal space formed by the joining of the inner panel 28 and the outer panel 26) and is attached to the door side fixing portion 36 by a fixing device 58 that fixes the door side fixing portion 36 to the door panel 24.

[0034] In this embodiment, the damping means 50 has a main body 52 that damps vibration energy and a holding portion 51 that holds the main body 52. ​​In this embodiment, the main body 52 is composed of a rubber member 54 that is a damping portion that damps vibration energy and a housing that houses the rubber member 54. The holding portion 51 constitutes an attachment portion for the door-side fixing portion 36 and is formed of a metal plate, such as a steel plate, that is more rigid than the door panel 24. In this embodiment, bolts that serve as fixing devices 58 pass through the door-side base portions 36a, 36b of the door-side fixing portion 36, the front flange portion 28b of the inner panel 28, and the holding portion 51, and the door-side base portions 36a, 36b and the holding portion 51 are fastened together by these bolts.

[0035] In the door structure 20 of the second embodiment, vibration energy transmitted from the vehicle body 12 to the door-side fixed portion 36 via the vehicle-body-side fixed portion 32 and hinge shaft 34 of the door hinges 30A, 30B is transmitted to the damping means 50 via the fasteners 58 that fix the door-side fixed portion 36 to the inner panel 28, and is damped by the damping means 50. This reduces the vibration energy transmitted to the outer panel 26, making it possible to efficiently suppress vibration of the entire outer panel 26.

[0036] In this embodiment, since a typical vehicle door hinge having a bracket structure for the door-side fixing portion 36 can be used as the door hinges 30A, 30B, manufacturing costs can be reduced. Furthermore, since the damping means 50 can be attached using the fixing device 58 that fixes the door-side fixing portion 36 to the door panel 24, a simple and inexpensive structure can be achieved.

[0037] (Third embodiment) FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram similar to FIG. 4 showing a third embodiment of the door structure 20. In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals. The door structure 20 of the third embodiment differs from the second embodiment in the mounting structure of the damping means 50. Other components and structures are the same as those in the second embodiment, and therefore will not be described in detail below.

[0038] In this embodiment, the damping means 50 is formed of a rubber member 54 formed in a sheet shape having a predetermined thickness. In the illustrated example, the thickness of the rubber member 54 is formed to be greater than the thickness of the door-side base portions 36a, 36b of the door-side fixing portion 36. The damping means 50 is disposed between the door-side fixing portion 36 and the door panel 24, and is attached to the door-side fixing portion 36 by a fastener 58 that fastens the door-side fixing portion 36 to the door panel 24. Specifically, the damping means 50 is fixed by the fastener 58 in a state where it is sandwiched between the door-side base portions 36a, 36b of the door-side fixing portion 36 and the front flange portion 28b of the inner panel 82, and in this embodiment, the door-side base portions 36a, 36b and the damping means 50 are fastened together by bolts.

[0039] In the door structure 20 of the third embodiment, vibration energy transmitted from the vehicle body 12 to the door-side fixed portion 36 via the vehicle-body-side fixed portion 32 and the hinge shaft 34 of the door hinges 30A, 30B is transmitted directly from the door-side base portions 36a, 36b of the door-side fixed portion 36 and the fixing device 58 to the damping means 50, whereby the vibration energy can be damped by the damping means 50. Because the damping means 50 is disposed between the door-side fixed portion 36 and the inner panel 28, it can damp the vibration energy before it is transmitted to the door panel 24, thereby efficiently suppressing vibration of the entire outer panel 26. Furthermore, because the damping means 50 can be attached using the fixing device 58 that fixes the door-side fixed portion 36 to the door panel 24, a simple and inexpensive structure can be achieved.

[0040] The damping means 50 of the third embodiment can also be used in combination with the structure described in the second embodiment, in which case the vibration energy damping effect can be further improved.

[0041] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0042] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the damping means 50 is attached to each of the door hinges 30A, 30B, but the damping means 50 may be attached to either one of the door hinges 30A or 30B. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 10 vehicles 12 Body 13 Front pillar 20 Door structure 22 doors 24 Door Panel 26 Outer panel 28 Inner Panel 30A, 30B Door Hinge 32 Body side fixing part 34 Hinge axis 35,36 Door side fixing part 50 Damping means

Claims

1. a door panel having an outer panel that forms an outer surface of a vehicle door and an inner panel that is disposed on an interior side of the outer panel; a door hinge having a vehicle body side fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body, and a door side fixing portion fixed to the door panel and rotatable relative to the vehicle body side fixing portion via a hinge shaft, the door hinge supporting the door panel rotatably relative to the vehicle body; In a vehicle door structure comprising: a damping means attached to the door-side fixing portion and capable of damping vibration energy transmitted to the door-side fixing portion; The door-side fixing portion is formed in a cylindrical shape and is fixed to the inner panel with the hinge shaft passing through in a radial direction, The vehicle door structure is characterized in that the damping means is attached inside the cylindrical door-side fixing portion.

2. a door panel having an outer panel that forms an outer surface of a vehicle door and an inner panel that is disposed on an interior side of the outer panel; a door hinge having a vehicle body side fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body, and a door side fixing portion fixed to the door panel and rotatable relative to the vehicle body side fixing portion via a hinge shaft, the door hinge supporting the door panel rotatably relative to the vehicle body; In a vehicle door structure comprising: a damping means attached to the door-side fixing portion and capable of damping vibration energy transmitted to the door-side fixing portion; The damping means is disposed inside the door panel and attached to the door-side fixing portion by a fixing device that fixes the door-side fixing portion to the door panel.

3. a door panel having an outer panel that forms an outer surface of a vehicle door and an inner panel that is disposed on an interior side of the outer panel; a door hinge having a vehicle body side fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body, and a door side fixing portion fixed to the door panel and rotatable relative to the vehicle body side fixing portion via a hinge shaft, the door hinge supporting the door panel rotatably relative to the vehicle body; In a vehicle door structure comprising: a damping means attached to the door-side fixing portion and capable of damping vibration energy transmitted to the door-side fixing portion; The damping means is disposed between the door-side fixing portion and the door panel, and is attached to the door-side fixing portion by a fixing device that fixes the door-side fixing portion to the door panel.

4. a door panel having an outer panel that forms an outer surface of a vehicle door and an inner panel that is disposed on an interior side of the outer panel; a door hinge having a vehicle body side fixing portion fixed to a vehicle body, and a door side fixing portion fixed to the door panel and rotatable relative to the vehicle body side fixing portion via a hinge shaft, the door hinge supporting the door panel rotatably relative to the vehicle body; In a vehicle door structure comprising: a damping means attached to the door-side fixing portion and capable of damping vibration energy transmitted to the door-side fixing portion; 10. A vehicle door structure, wherein the damping means is a rubber member or a hydraulic mount.

Images