Vehicle door

Abstract

Provided is a vehicle door that is light in weight and is capable of uniformly improving the surface rigidity of an inner panel.　An inner panel 12 of a vehicle door 4 includes a window opening 6, a panel part 24 positioned below the window opening, and left and right reinforcing parts 40 obliquely extending from near the center, in a width direction, of a lower part of the panel part 24 toward both side parts of an upper part of the panel part 24. Each of the left and right reinforcing parts 40 includes a lower oblique rib 41 arranged on the lower side and obliquely extending and an upper oblique rib 42 arranged on the upper side and obliquely extending. The upper oblique rib 42 of the left reinforcing part 40 and the upper oblique rib 42 of the right reinforcing part 40 cross each other.

Description

Vehicle doors

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle door having an inner panel disposed on a vehicle interior side and an outer panel disposed on an exterior side of the vehicle.

[0002] A vehicle door includes an inner panel disposed on the vehicle interior side and an outer panel disposed on the vehicle exterior side. As a vehicle body structural member, the vehicle door is required to have high rigidity. In order to increase the surface rigidity of the inner panel and thereby improve the rigidity of the entire door, it has been proposed to provide the inner panel with multiple beads (also called ribs) (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] In the vehicle door described in Patent Document 1, a pentagonal bead is formed by a horizontal bead along the upper edge of the inner panel, a pair of left and right vertical beads, and a pair of left and right oblique beads, and an inner bead is formed within the pentagonal bead and spanning the pair of left and right vertical beads. The inner bead has two downwardly convex bends, and the both bends and the connecting parts of the pair of left and right oblique beads are connected by a pair of left and right connecting beads.

[0004] In the vehicle door described in Patent Document 2, a pair of upper inclined beads extending upward and outward from positions corresponding to the upper corners of the license plate and a pair of lower inclined beads extending downward and outward from positions corresponding to the lower corners of the license plate are formed on the inner panel. The upper and lower inclined beads are connected so as to intersect in the license plate mounting area.

[0005] JP 2015-67057 A JP 2015-93582 A

[0006] However, the vehicle door inner panels described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have a large panel surface area and a structure in which the beads bulge from the panel surface toward the interior or exterior of the vehicle, making the inner panel heavy. Furthermore, in the vehicle door inner panel described in Patent Document 1, four inclined beads are concentrated near the connecting portion, resulting in high surface rigidity in this area, but areas where no beads are located have low surface rigidity, resulting in a sparse distribution of surface rigidity. In the vehicle door inner panel described in Patent Document 2, the surface rigidity is also high at the intersection of the upper and lower inclined beads (the license plate mounting area), but the difference in surface rigidity between this area and other areas is large.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above background, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle door that is lightweight and can uniformly improve the surface rigidity of the inner panel.

[0008] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle door (4) having an inner panel (12) arranged on the passenger compartment side and an outer panel (11) arranged on the exterior side of the vehicle, wherein the inner panel has a window opening (6), a panel portion (24) located below the window opening, and left and right reinforcing portions (40) extending obliquely from near the center in the width direction at the bottom of the panel portion toward both side portions at the top of the panel portion, and each of the left and right reinforcing portions includes a lower diagonal rib (41) arranged on the lower side and extending obliquely, and an upper diagonal rib (42) arranged on the upper side and extending obliquely, and the upper diagonal rib of the left reinforcing portion and the upper diagonal rib of the right reinforcing portion intersect with each other.

[0009] According to this aspect, the lower diagonal ribs and the upper diagonal ribs arranged in two rows vertically are formed as left and right reinforcing portions, and the left and right upper diagonal ribs intersect with each other, so that the surface rigidity of the inner panel can be uniformly improved by each rib alone. This makes it possible to form large-area openings (punches) in the inner panel, thereby reducing the amount of raw material used and making the inner panel lighter.

[0010] In the above aspect, each of the left and right reinforcing portions may further include at least one connecting rib (43) connecting the lower diagonal rib and the upper diagonal rib, and at least each of the upper diagonal ribs may be bent upwardly convexly at a node (45) where the corresponding connecting rib is joined.

[0011] According to this aspect, the lower and upper diagonal ribs arranged in two rows, one above the other, are connected to each other by the connecting rib, thereby further improving the rigidity of the inner panel with the rib alone. Also, since at least the upper diagonal rib is bent upward in a convex shape at the node where the connecting rib joins, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the upper diagonal rib is increased, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in the design of the reinforcing structure.

[0012] In the above aspect, each of the left and right reinforcing portions may include a plurality of the connecting ribs, and the connecting rib, the lower diagonal rib, and the upper diagonal rib adjacent to each other may be trapezoidal in shape.

[0013] This configuration prevents the trapezoidal reinforcing portion from deforming like a parallel link and also prevents stress from concentrating at the nodes of the upper diagonal rib, thereby improving the rigidity of the inner panel against forces in the rib extension direction as well as the surface rigidity of the inner panel.

[0014] In the above aspect, of the left and right reinforcing portions, at least the upper diagonal rib may each include a first portion (51) having a first cross-sectional shape and a second portion (52) having a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape.

[0015] According to this aspect, the degree of freedom in designing the cross-sectional shape of at least the upper diagonal rib is improved, and any reinforcing structure can be adopted according to the rigidity required for the inner panel. When the inner panel is manufactured by resin injection molding, mold design becomes easier, and the manufacturing cost of the inner panel can be reduced.

[0016] In the above aspect, the first portion and the second portion may have a common cross-sectional area (R) in part of their cross-sectional shapes.

[0017] According to this aspect, the first and second portions of the upper diagonal rib, which have different cross-sectional shapes, can be connected in a manner that minimizes stress concentration and allows for smooth force transmission. Also, the complexity of the mold shape can be reduced.

[0018] In the above aspect, the panel portion is formed with a plurality of bulging portions (38) that bulge rearward to be joined to the outer panel, and the portion of the panel portion other than the reinforcing portion and the bulging portions is preferably formed as a punched hole (47).

[0019] According to this aspect, the surface rigidity required for the inner panel can be ensured while effectively reducing the weight of the inner panel.

[0020] According to the above aspect, it is possible to provide a vehicle door that is lightweight and can uniformly improve the surface rigidity of the inner panel.

[0021] 6 is a rear view of a vehicle equipped with a tailgate according to an embodiment; 7 is a front view of the inner panel as seen from the rear of the vehicle; 8 is a front view of the inner panel with the reinforcing member removed; 9 is a perspective view of a main part of the inner panel as seen from the front of the vehicle; 10 is a perspective view showing a cross-sectional shape of the main part of the inner panel shown in FIG. 4; 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VI-VI in FIG. 5;

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a rear view of a vehicle 1 equipped with a tailgate 4 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 is a four-wheeled automobile equipped with a propulsion device such as an engine or a motor in a vehicle body 2. A tailgate opening 3 (also called a rear opening, a back door opening, etc.) is formed in the rear of the vehicle body 2. The tailgate opening 3 is selectively opened and closed by a tailgate 4 (also called a rear gate, a back door, etc.). In describing the tailgate 4, the up and down directions are based on a state in which the tailgate opening 3 is closed by the tailgate 4. The tailgate 4 is attached to the vehicle body 2 by a pair of hinges 5 provided at the top so as to be rotatable about a left-right axis.

[0024] The tailgate 4 includes a tailgate main body 7 having a rear window opening 6 formed at the top thereof, and a rear window panel 8 that closes the rear window opening 6. The rear window panel 8 is a transparent or translucent plate member made of glass, resin, or the like, and is attached with an adhesive to the outer surface of the tailgate main body 7. In the closed state shown in FIG. 1 with the tailgate opening 3 closed, the tailgate 4 is attached to the vehicle body 2 in a forward-leaning position with the upper part positioned forward of the lower part.

[0025] The tailgate body 7 is a hollow structure formed by joining together an outer panel 11 and an inner panel 12 (see FIG. 2 ), each made of resin. Here, "made of resin" means that the panel is made of a material containing resin, but may also contain materials other than resin. The tailgate body 7 is a structure that forms the outer shell of the vehicle body 2, and interior materials are attached to the interior side of the tailgate body 7.

[0026] In this embodiment, the outer panel 11 and the inner panel 12 are injection-molded products made of synthetic resin and are joined together at their outer peripheries with an adhesive. The joining method of the two members is not limited to this, and they may be joined by friction welding, ultrasonic welding, laser welding, hot melt adhesive, or mechanical fastening. Because the tailgate body 7 is made of the resin outer panel 11 and inner panel 12 joined together, it is lighter in weight than if they were press-molded products made of steel plate.

[0027] A rear spoiler 13 extending rearward is provided on the upper part of the tailgate main body 7. The rear spoiler 13 is a part formed integrally with the outer panel 11, and extends rearward from an upper part of the rear window opening 6 in the tailgate main body 7. The rear spoiler 13 has the same width as the tailgate main body 7, and a stop lamp 14 is provided in the center of its width.

[0028] A rear wiper device 15 is provided approximately in the center of the tailgate body 7, specifically in a middle position in the vehicle width direction near the lower edge of the rear window opening 6. The rear wiper device 15 includes a wiper arm 16 rotatably supported on the tailgate body 7, and a wiper blade 17 pivotally supported at the tip of the wiper arm 16. A license plate 18 is attached below the rear wiper device 15.

[0029] Parts of rear combination lamps 19 are provided on both sides of the tailgate main body 7. The rear combination lamps 19 are composed of lamp vehicle body portions 20 provided on the side portions of the tailgate main body 7 in the vehicle body 2, and lamp gate portions 21 provided on the sides of the tailgate main body 7.

[0030] Figure 2 is a front view of the inner panel 12 as viewed from the rear of the vehicle (from the outside). As shown in Figure 2, the rear window opening 6 is formed in the upper part of the inner panel 12, and the upper part of the inner panel 12 has a rectangular frame shape. The lower part of the inner panel 12 forms a panel-shaped panel portion 24. The main surface of the panel portion 24 (referred to as the panel surface) faces generally in the front-to-rear direction.

[0031] The inner panel 12 is configured to improve the surface rigidity uniformly and to reduce the weight, as will be described in detail below.

[0032] The inner panel 12 is formed with a plurality of ribs for reinforcement. The ribs are portions formed three-dimensionally or thickly in a direction intersecting the panel surface of the inner panel 12, i.e., in the direction in which the panel surface faces (generally the front-to-rear direction), and reinforce the inner panel 12 to improve the surface rigidity of the inner panel 12. The ribs may be formed in such a manner as to protrude from the panel surface, to bulge from the panel surface, or to extend in a direction intersecting the panel surface (step portion of the panel surface). In Figures 2 and 3, the main ribs formed on the inner panel 12 are indicated by hatching.

[0033] An upper rib 31 extending in the left-right direction along the upper edge is formed on the upper part of the inner panel 12. Left and right side ribs 32 extending in the up-down direction along the side edges are formed on both sides of the inner panel 12. A lower rib 33 extending in the left-right direction along the lower edge is formed on the lower part of the inner panel 12. Each side rib 32 is connected to the corresponding end of the upper rib 31 and the corresponding end of the lower rib 33. The upper rib 31, the left and right side ribs 32, and the lower rib 33 are formed in a rectangular ring shape along the outer edge of the inner panel 12.

[0034] An intermediate reinforcing portion 35 is formed in the heightwise intermediate portion of the inner panel 12, extending in the left-right direction along the lower edge of the rear window opening 6. The intermediate reinforcing portion 35 is connected to the left and right side ribs 32. The intermediate reinforcing portion 35, the lower rib 33, and the lower portions of the left and right side ribs 32 are formed in a rectangular ring shape that follows the outer edge of the panel portion 24 of the inner panel 12.

[0035] The intermediate reinforcing portion 35 includes a plate-like portion 36 that hangs down from the lower edge of the rear window opening 6, and left and right connecting ribs 37 that connect the left and right ends of the plate-like portion 36 to the left and right side ribs 32. The intermediate reinforcing portion 35 extends laterally to connect the left and right side ribs 32, thereby reinforcing the inner panel 12.

[0036] The intermediate reinforcing portion 35 is formed with a bulging portion 38 that bulges rearward so as to be joined to the outer panel 11. The bulging portion 38 for joining the inner panel 12 to the outer panel 11 is formed in an appropriate position on the panel portion 24. Note that in the present embodiment, the intermediate reinforcing portion 35 has a configuration including the plate-shaped portion 36 and the connecting rib 37, but in other embodiments, the intermediate reinforcing portion 35 may further have a horizontal rib on the upper portion of the plate-shaped portion 36 that extends in the left-right direction along the lower edge of the rear window opening 6. Alternatively, the intermediate reinforcing portion 35 may not have the plate-shaped portion 36 or the connecting rib 37, but may have only the horizontal rib.

[0037] A vertically extending vertical reinforcing member 39 is attached to the center of the panel portion 24 in the width direction. The vertical reinforcing member 39 bridges, for example, between the lower center of the plate-like portion 36 of the intermediate reinforcing portion 35 and the center of the lower rib 33 so as to connect the two portions. In this embodiment, the vertical reinforcing member 39 is generally H-shaped, and its upper and lower ends are joined to the plate-like portion 36 and the lower rib 33 with an adhesive. In other embodiments, the vertical reinforcing member 39 may be joined to the inner panel 12 with fastening members such as bolts, rivets, clips, etc.

[0038] In another embodiment, the vertical reinforcing member 39 may have an H-shaped main body portion and a horizontal reinforcing portion extending in the left-right direction at the top, thereby forming a generally T-shape overall. In this embodiment, the upper end of the main body portion of the vertical reinforcing member 39 is joined to the center of the plate-shaped portion 36 of the intermediate reinforcing portion 35, and the lower end of the main body portion of the vertical reinforcing member 39 is joined to the center of the lower rib 33. In addition, the horizontal reinforcing portion of the vertical reinforcing member 39 may be arranged parallel to the plate-shaped portion 36 of the intermediate reinforcing portion 35 in a position overlapping therewith in a plan view, and both left and right ends of the horizontal reinforcing portion may be joined to the left and right side ribs 32 to connect the respective portions.

[0039] A latch device (not shown) is attached to the center of the lower rib 33. The latch device engages with a striker fixed to the vehicle body 2 and is configured to release the engagement with the striker when a drive wire connected to the latch device is pulled. The center of the lower rib 33 to which the latch device is attached is reinforced by joining the lower end of a vertical reinforcing member 39. The lower rib 33 to which the latch device is attached is also reinforced by being connected to the intermediate reinforcing part 35 by the vertical reinforcing member 39.

[0040] Fig. 3 is a front view of the inner panel 12 with the vertical reinforcing member 39 removed. As also shown in Fig. 3, left and right reinforcing portions 40 are formed on the left and right portions of the panel portion 24, extending obliquely from near the center in the width direction at the bottom of the panel portion 24 to both side portions at the top of the panel portion 24. Each of the left and right reinforcing portions 40 includes a lower diagonal rib 41 disposed on the lower side and extending obliquely, an upper diagonal rib 42 disposed on the upper side and extending obliquely, and a plurality of connecting ribs 43 (43A, 43B, 43C) connecting the lower diagonal rib 41 and the upper diagonal rib 42.

[0041] Each lower diagonal rib 41 extends from the corresponding side rib 32 toward the center in the width direction, sloping downward. The lower end of the lower diagonal rib 41 connects to the vicinity of the center of the lower rib 33. Each upper diagonal rib 42 extends from the vicinity of the connection between the corresponding side rib 32 and the intermediate reinforcement portion 35 toward the center in the width direction, sloping downward. The left and right upper diagonal ribs 42 are continuous at their upper parts via the intermediate reinforcement portion 35 and intersect with each other at their lower parts. Hereinafter, the point where the left and right upper diagonal ribs 42 intersect is referred to as the intersection point 44. The lower end of the left upper diagonal rib 42 terminates by connecting to the right lower diagonal rib 41. The lower end of the right upper diagonal rib 42 terminates by connecting to the left lower diagonal rib 41.

[0042] In this way, the lower diagonal ribs 41 and the upper diagonal ribs 42 arranged in two rows vertically form the left and right reinforcing portions 40, and the left and right upper diagonal ribs 42 intersect with each other, thereby uniformly improving the surface rigidity of the inner panel 12 with each rib. This makes it possible to form large-area openings in the panel portion 24 of the inner panel 12, as will be described later, thereby reducing the amount of raw material used and making the inner panel 12 lighter.

[0043] In this embodiment, each of the left and right reinforcement portions 40 includes three connecting ribs 43. Hereinafter, these are referred to as the first connecting rib 43A, the second connecting rib 43B, and the third connecting rib 43C, from bottom to top. Each of the first connecting ribs 43A is connected to the corresponding upper diagonal rib 42 at a first node 45A. Each of the second connecting ribs 43B is connected to the corresponding upper diagonal rib 42 at a second node 45B. Each of the third connecting ribs 43C is connected to the corresponding upper diagonal rib 42 via an intermediate reinforcement portion 35. In the illustrated example, the three connecting ribs 43 are arranged generally parallel to one another. In other embodiments, adjacent connecting ribs 43 may extend at different angles.

[0044] The lower diagonal ribs 41 and the upper diagonal ribs 42 arranged in two rows, one above the other, are connected to each other by the connecting rib 43, thereby further improving the rigidity of the inner panel 12 with just the rib itself.

[0045] Each upper diagonal rib 42 is bent upwardly at a first node 45A and downwardly at a second node 45B. By bending the upper diagonal rib 42 upwardly or downwardly as desired so that at least the upper diagonal rib 42 has a portion where it bends upwardly at the node 45 where the connecting rib 43 joins, the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the upper diagonal rib 42 is increased. This increases the degree of freedom in the design of the reinforcing structure of the inner panel 12.

[0046] In this embodiment, the upper diagonal rib 42 is bent upward or downward at the node 45, but in other embodiments, in addition to the upper diagonal rib 42, the lower diagonal rib 41 may also be bent upward or downward so as to have a portion that bends upwardly convexly at the node 45 where the connecting rib 43 joins. This increases the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the lower diagonal rib 41 and the upper diagonal rib 42, and further increases the degree of freedom in designing the reinforcing structure of the inner panel 12.

[0047] In each of the left and right reinforcement portions 40, a first quadrangle S1 formed by the first connecting rib 43A, the second connecting rib 43B, the lower diagonal rib 41, and the upper diagonal rib 42 is trapezoidal. Furthermore, a second quadrangle S2 formed by the lower portion of the upper diagonal rib 42 on the opposite side, the first connecting rib 43A, the lower diagonal rib 41, and the upper diagonal rib 42 is also trapezoidal. The trapezoidal portion of the reinforcement portion 40 is prevented from deforming like a parallel link. Furthermore, the trapezoidal portion of the reinforcement portion 40 (e.g., first quadrangle S1) prevents stress from concentrating at the node 45 of the upper diagonal rib 42, compared to a triangular reinforcement structure in which the adjacent first connecting rib 43A and second connecting rib 43B are connected to a single point (e.g., first node 45A) of the upper diagonal rib 42. Therefore, in addition to the surface rigidity of the inner panel 12, the rigidity of the inner panel 12 against the force in the extending direction of the diagonal ribs and the connecting ribs 43 is also improved.

[0048] As described above, the panel portion 24 of the inner panel 12 includes the intermediate reinforcing portion 35, the plurality of ribs, and the bulging portion 38, and the portions other than these portions are formed as holes (openings) 47. This effectively reduces the weight of the inner panel 12 while ensuring the necessary surface rigidity for the inner panel 12.

[0049] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the inner panel 12 near the intersection 44 of the upper diagonal rib 42, as viewed from the front of the vehicle. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the cross-sectional shape of a main part of the inner panel 12 shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each of the upper diagonal ribs 42 includes a first portion 51 located below the intersection 44 and a second portion 52 located above the intersection 44.

[0050] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5 , showing the first portion 51 and the second portion 52 as viewed in the material axis direction. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 , the first portion 51 of the upper diagonal rib 42 has a T-shaped cross-sectional shape (an example of a first cross-sectional shape). Meanwhile, the second portion 52 of the upper diagonal rib 42 has an S-shaped cross-sectional shape (an example of a second cross-sectional shape) or a crank-shaped cross-sectional shape formed by combining two inverted L-shaped parts. That is, the upper diagonal rib 42 includes the first portion 51 having a first cross-sectional shape and the second portion 52 having a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape, and the cross-sectional shapes of the upper diagonal rib 42 change at the intersection 44. The first portion 51 and the second portion 52 have a common cross-sectional region R (the shaded portion in FIG. 6 ) in a portion of each of the first and second cross-sectional shapes as viewed in the material axis direction.

[0051] In other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the upper diagonal rib 42 may be, in addition to the above-mentioned T-shape, S-shape, and crank-shape, L-shape, V-shape, U-shape, H-shape, etc., or any combination of these cross-sectional shapes. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the upper diagonal rib 42 may change at the intersection 44 or, for example, at the first node 45A with the first connecting rib 43A or the second node 45B with the second connecting rib 43B. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the cross-sectional shape of the lower diagonal rib 41 may change at the node 45 with the first connecting rib 43A or the second connecting rib 43B.

[0052] This configuration improves the design flexibility of the cross-sectional shape of each rib applied to the inner panel 12, allowing for the adoption of any reinforcing structure appropriate for the rigidity required of the inner panel 12. In particular, the shape of a vehicle door is significantly influenced by the design and vehicle design, and the inner panel 12 may have a curved or protruding shape in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle 1. When such an inner panel 12 is manufactured by resin injection molding, the mold structure requires that a molding region (cavity) be located across the parting line. In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the molded product must be designed to ensure smooth release of the inner panel 12. Therefore, as described above, by switching (changing) the cross-sectional shape of each rib of the inner panel 12 depending on the location in the mold to facilitate release, mold design becomes easier, and manufacturing costs can be reduced while maintaining the rigidity of the inner panel 12.

[0053] 5 and 6, for example, by making the cross-sectional shape of the first portion 51 T-shaped and the cross-sectional shape of the second portion 52 S-shaped or crank-shaped, and by providing a common cross-sectional region R in part of these cross-sectional shapes, the first portion 51 and the second portion 52, which have different cross-sectional shapes, can be connected in a manner that reduces stress concentration and allows for smooth force transmission. Also, the complexity of the mold shape is suppressed.

[0054] Although the description of the specific embodiment has been completed, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be widely modified and implemented. For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the tailgate 4. However, the tailgate 4 is an example of a vehicle door, and the present invention may also be applied to a driver's door, a passenger door, or a rear seat door. In the above embodiment, the outer panel 11 and the inner panel 12 of the tailgate 4 are made of resin. However, they may also include steel or aluminum components. In the above embodiment, the inner panel 12 includes the longitudinal reinforcing members 39 as shown in FIG. 2 . However, the inner panel 12 may not include the longitudinal reinforcing members 39, i.e., the configuration shown in FIG. 3 . Furthermore, the intermediate reinforcing member 35 is integrally formed with the inner panel 12. However, it may be formed separately from the inner panel 12 and attached to the inner panel 12 like the longitudinal reinforcing member 39. Furthermore, the inner panel 12 may not include the intermediate reinforcing member 35. Furthermore, the specific configuration, arrangement, quantity, materials, and assembly procedure of each component and part may be modified as appropriate within the spirit and scope of the present invention. On the other hand, not all of the components shown in the above embodiment are necessarily required, and they can be selected as appropriate.

[0055] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 4: Tailgate (an example of a vehicle door) 6: Rear window opening 11: Outer panel 12: Inner panel 24: Panel portion 38: Bulging portion 39: Vertical reinforcing member 40: Reinforcing portion 41: Lower diagonal rib 42: Upper diagonal rib 43: Connecting rib 43A: First connecting rib 43B: Second connecting rib 43C: Third connecting rib 44: Intersection 45: Node 45A: First node 45B: Second node 47: Hole 51: First portion 52: Second portion R: Common cross-sectional area

Claims

1. A vehicle door having an inner panel arranged on the passenger compartment side and an outer panel arranged on the exterior side of the vehicle, wherein the inner panel has: a window opening; a panel portion located below the window opening; and left and right reinforcing portions extending obliquely from near the widthwise center of the lower part of the panel portion toward both side parts of the upper part of the panel portion, wherein each of the left and right reinforcing portions includes a lower diagonal rib arranged on the lower side and extending obliquely, and an upper diagonal rib arranged on the upper side and extending obliquely, and the upper diagonal rib of the left reinforcing portion and the upper diagonal rib of the right reinforcing portion intersect with each other.

2. A vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein each of the left and right reinforcing portions further includes at least one connecting rib connecting the lower diagonal rib and the upper diagonal rib, and at least each of the upper diagonal ribs is bent upwardly convexly at a node where the corresponding connecting rib is joined.

3. A vehicle door according to claim 2, wherein each of the left and right reinforcing parts includes a plurality of connecting ribs, and adjacent connecting ribs, lower diagonal ribs, and upper diagonal ribs are trapezoidal in shape.

4. A vehicle door as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the upper diagonal rib of the left and right reinforcing portions includes a first portion having a first cross-sectional shape and a second portion having a second cross-sectional shape different from the first cross-sectional shape.

5. The vehicle door according to claim 4, wherein the first portion and the second portion have a common cross-sectional area in part of their cross-sectional shapes.

6. A vehicle door as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the panel portion is formed with a plurality of bulging portions that bulge rearward to be joined to the outer panel, and the portions of the panel portion other than the reinforcing portion and the bulging portions are perforated holes.

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