Dihedral door system with reverse opening rear doors for a four-door automobile

Abstract

A dihedral door system for a four-door vehicle can include one or more front doors, front hinges, reverse opening rear doors, rear hinges, locking mechanisms, end-stop pads, actuation systems, and / or interlock safety systems. The front and rear doors can each include a door beam and a door shell. The front hinge can pivotably couple the front door to the front portion of the vehicle. The rear hinge pivotably couple the rear door to the rear portion of the vehicle. The front and rear doors can have dihedral movement paths corresponding to tilt angles of the front hinge and rear hinge. The locking mechanism can include strikers coupled to the doors and latch locks coupled to vehicle's body structure. The latch locks can be vertically offset and vertically aligned along the B-pillar of the body structure.

Description

DIHEDRAL DOOR SYSTEM WITH REVERSE OPENING REAR DOORS FOR AFOUR-DOOR AUTOMOBILECROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 631,660, filed April 9, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and should be considered a part of this specification.BACKGROUNDField

[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to automobiles. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to automobile door systems.Description of the Related Art

[0003] Automobiles are typically equipped with doors that enable occupants to enter and exit the automobile’s interior cabin. While the automobile is traveling, the doors can be locked shut with latches. Automobiles are commonly equipped with either two or four doors. When equipped with four doors, most automobiles incorporate hinges located in the front part of doors and latches in the rear part of doors (front being the direction of forward travel) so that the doors open “against the wind”. In rare cases, some automobiles are equipped with front or rear doors having hinges located in the rear part of the doors so that the doors open “with the wind”.

[0004] Conventional automobile doors typically open by pivoting on one or more hinges that are arranged with a substantially vertical rotation axis (e.g., between 0° and ±3°). As a result, most conventional automobile doors can be opened without having to significantly raise the centers of gravity of the doors. In rare cases, some automobiles are equipped with doors that are configured to pivot about hinge axes that are not substantially vertical. However, this door configuration is normally limited to sportscars with only two doors and low production volumes.SUMMARY

[0005] The present disclosure provides, among other things, a dihedral door system with reverse opening rear doors for a four-door vehicle. This dihedral door system can provide numerous advantages over conventional automobile door systems. For example, each door ishinged on a single, larger hinge, allowing less total body space to be dedicated to the hinges. Each door includes a door beam which contributes to each door’s longitudinal strength and provides protection against impacts to the side of the vehicle. Front and rear door latch locks are located in a pocket on the B-pillar. The door latch locks are vertically offset and aligned in the vehicle’s vertical direction. Strikers are coupled to the doors. Positioning the strikers on the doors instead of the latch locks frees up space inside the doors’ volumes, allowing for more side window space. The strikers are fixed to the door beams, creating a continuous structure from the hinge to the latch. This in turn lessens the structural burden and structural requirements of the door shells, which allows the total weight of each door to be reduced. The combination of side view, front view, and top view hinge tilt angles allows for both doors to be fully open within confined space allowances.

[0006] In accordance with certain aspects, the present disclosure provides, among other things, a dihedral door system for a vehicle having a front portion, a B-pillar, and a rear portion. The dihedral door system comprises a first latch lock coupled to the B-pillar, a second latch lock coupled to the B-pillar, a front hinge coupled to the vehicle, a front door pivotably coupled to the front hinge, a first striker coupled to front door and configured to detachably engage with the first latch lock, a rear hinge coupled to the vehicle, a rear door pivotably coupled to the rear hinge, and a second striker coupled to the rear door and configured to detachably engage with the second latch lock. The first latch lock is vertically offset from and at least partially vertically aligned with the second latch lock. The rear door is a reverseopening rear door.

[0007] In certain aspects, the front hinge is coupled to the front portion of the vehicle and the rear hinge is coupled to the rear portion of the vehicle.

[0008] In certain aspects, the front hinge has a front side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a front front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a front top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees. The rear hinge has a rear side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a rear front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a rear top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees.

[0009] In certain aspects, the front door comprises a first door beam and the rear door comprises a second door beam.

[0010] In certain aspects, the first door beam and the second door beam at least partially vertically overlap.

[0011] In certain aspects, the first striker is coupled to the first door beam and the second striker is coupled to the second door beam.

[0012] In certain aspects, the front door further comprises a front door shell and the rear door further comprises a rear door shell.

[0013] In certain aspects, the dihedral door system further comprises a ring seal disposed around a perimeter of the front door.

[0014] In certain aspects, the dihedral door system further comprises an end-stop pad disposed at a comer point of the ring seal opposite to the front hinge.

[0015] In certain aspects, the front door and the rear door have separate non-parallel shut lines.

[0016] In certain aspects, the front door and the rear door have a single shared shut line.

[0017] In certain aspects, the dihedral door system further comprises a front actuator coupled to the front door and a rear actuator coupled to the rear door.

[0018] In certain aspects, the dihedral door system further comprises an interlock safety system. The interlock safety system comprises a first interlock pin coupled to the first latch lock, a second interlock pin coupled to the second latch lock, a first cable extending between the front hinge and the second latch lock, and a second cable extending between the rear hinge and the first latch lock. The interlock safety system is configured to ensure sequential opening of the front door and the rear door to prevent collision between the front door and the rear door.

[0019] In certain aspects, the dihedral door system further comprises an interlock safety system. The interlock safety system comprises, one or more processors configured to execute computer readable instructions, a first actuator coupled to the front door, a first position sensor coupled to the first actuator and configured to send door position data to the one or more processors, a second position sensor coupled to the first latch lock and configured to send latch lock status data to the one or more processors. The computer readable instructions are encoded to ensure sequential opening of the front door and the rear door based on the doorposition data and the latch lock status data to prevent collision between the front door and the rear door.

[0020] In other aspects, the present disclosure provides a dihedral door system for a vehicle having a front portion, a B-pillar, and a rear portion. The dihedral door system comprises a front hinge coupled to the front portion of the vehicle, a rear hinge coupled to the rear portion of the vehicle, a front door pivotably coupled to the front hinge, and a rear door pivotably coupled to the rear hinge. The front hinge has a front side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a front front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a front top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees. The rear hinge has a rear side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a rear front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a rear top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees.

[0021] In certain aspects, the front door and the rear door have an opening travel envelope with a side projection within 600mm and a total vertical height within 2200mm.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Non-limiting features of some embodiments of the inventions are set forth with particularity in the claims that follow. The following drawings are for illustrative purposes only and show non-limiting embodiments. Features from different figures may be combined in several embodiments. It should be understood that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Distances, angles, etc. are merely illustrative and do not necessarily bear an exact relationship to actual dimensions and layout of the devices illustrated.

[0023] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic side-view of a dihedral door system equipped on a four-door automobile.

[0024] FIG. 2 depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a front door beam of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1.

[0025] FIG. 3 depicts schematic side, front, and top views of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1.

[0026] FIG. 4A depicts transparent side, front, and top views of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1 with separate door shut lines in a closed position.

[0027] FIG. 4B depicts transparent side, front, and top views of the dihedral door system of FIG. 4A in an intermediate position.

[0028] FIG. 4C depicts transparent side, front, and top views of the dihedral door system of FIG. 4A in an open position.

[0029] FIG. 5 depicts side-view door projection areas of the dihedral doors system of FIG. 4C.

[0030] FIG. 6A depicts a schematic side view of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1 with a vertical actuator arrangement.

[0031] FIG. 6B depicts a schematic side view of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1 with a horizontal actuator arrangement.

[0032] FIG. 6C depicts a schematic side view of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1 with a first mixed actuator arrangement.

[0033] FIG. 6D depicts a schematic side view of the dihedral door system of FIG. 1 with a second mixed actuator arrangement.

[0034] FIG. 7A depicts schematic side and top views of a mechanical interlock safety system for a dihedral door system with a single door shut line.

[0035] FIG. 7B depicts schematic side and top views of the mechanical interlock safety system of FIG. 7A after the front door has been opened.

[0036] FIG. 8A depicts schematic side and top views of an electronic interlock safety system for a dihedral door system with a single door shut line.

[0037] FIG. 8B depicts schematic side and top views of the electronic interlock safety system of FIG. 8A after the front door has been opened.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] While the present description sets forth specific details of various embodiments, it will be appreciated that the description is illustrative only and should not be construed in any way as limiting. Furthermore, various applications of such embodiments and modifications thereto, which may occur to those who are skilled in the art, are also encompassed by the general concepts described herein. Each and every feature described herein, and each and every combination of two or more of such features, is included within the scope of the present invention provided that the features included in such a combination are not mutually inconsistent.The present disclosure provides a combination of solutions enabling non-conventional doors to be applied to automobiles with four doors, without giving up useability considerations.More specifically, the present disclosure provides dihedral doors that can be outfitted on four- door automobiles.

[0039] FIGS. 1-8B depict a dihedral door system 200 with reverse opening rear doors 220 for a four-door vehicle 10. The vehicle 10 can be an automobile (e.g., an electric vehicle). However, the dihedral door system 200 can be used with other types of vehicles, including but not limited to watercrafts, aircrafts, amphibious vehicles, or any other machine for transporting people or things. The dihedral door system 200 can be used on any type of automobile including but not limited to sedans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), hatchbacks, convertibles, trucks, coupes, sportscars, or the like.

[0040] FIG. 1 depicts a schematic view of the dihedral door system 200 equipped on a four-door vehicle 10 (e.g., automobile). The vehicle 10 can include a body structure 100 and a dihedral door system 200 coupled to the body structure 100. The body structure 100 of the vehicle 10 can function as a main body or structural base upon which the dihedral door system 200, among other vehicle 10 components, can be attached to the vehicle 10. The body structure 100 can include an A-pillar 110, aB-pillar 112 (e.g., center pillar), and a C-pillar 114. The A-pillar 110, B-pillar 112, and C-pillar 114 can function as structural members for supporting a roof portion of the vehicle 10 and / or reinforcing the structural integrity of the vehicle 10. The A-pillar 110, B-pillar 112, and C-pillar 114 can be vertical or inclined members that extend partially or entirely between the floor pan and the roof of the vehicle 10. The A- pillar 110 can be the forward-most pillar disposed between the front windshield and the front side window 216. The B-pillar 112, also referred to as the center pillar, can be an intermediate pillar disposed between the front side window 216 and the rear side window 226. The C-pillar 114 can be a rear pillar disposed between the rear side window 226 and the rear window or rear panel. The body structure 100 can define a front portion 120 of the vehicle 10, a center portion 122 of the vehicle 10, and a rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10. The front portion 120 can include the portion of the vehicle 10 proximal to the A-pillar 110 or the portion of the vehicle 10 disposed between the front end of the vehicle 10 and the A-pillar 110. The center portion 122 can include the portion of the vehicle 10 disposed between the A-pillar 110 and the C-pillar 114. The rear portion 124 can include the portion of the vehicle 10 proximal to the C-pillar 114 or the portion of the vehicle 10 disposed between the rear end of the vehicle 10 and the C-pillar 114.

[0041] The dihedral door system 200 can enable four-door vehicles 10 to be equipped with dihedral doors. A dihedral door can include any door that opens with a movement path in two or more planes. For instance, dihedral doors can open with significant motion in both the horizontal and vertical directions. Accordingly, when a dihedral door is moved from a closed to an open position, the dihedral door can swing outward and upward relative to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The dihedral door system 200 can include reverse opening rear doors 220. Reverse opening rear doors 220 (also known as suicide doors) can include any rear door 220 that is hinged at a rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10. When a front door 210 and a reverse opening rear door 220 are in the open position, the inner panels of the front and rear doors 210, 220 face each other. As shown in FIGS. 1-8B, the dihedral door system 200 can include one or more of a front door 210, a front hinge 230, a rear door 220, a rear hinge 232, a locking mechanism, an end-stop pad 242, an actuation system, and / or an interlock safety system 250. In some embodiments, corresponding to the left and right sides of a four-door vehicle 10, the dihedral door system 200 can include at least two front doors 210, two rear doors 220, two front hinges 230, and two rear hinges 232. While FIGS. 1-8B only depict the dihedral door system 200 on the left side of the vehicle 10, a mirrored dihedral door system 200 can be disposed on the right side of the vehicle 10.

[0042] With reference to FIG.1, the doors (e.g. front door 210 and / or rear door 220) can function as structural side members of the vehicle 10. The doors 210, 220 can be moveably coupled to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The front door 210 can be pivotably coupled to the body structure 100 at a front hinge 230. The rear door 220 can be pivotably coupled to the body structure 100 at a rear hinge 232. The front door 210 and the rear door 220 can have dihedral movement paths. The front door 210 can be opened or closed to enable access to the front seats of the vehicle 10. The rear door 220 can be opened or closed to enable access to the rear seats of the vehicle 10. The front door 210 can be disposed between the A- pillar 110 and the B-pillar 112 on the left and / or right side of the vehicle 10. The rear door 220 can be disposed between the B-pillar 112 and the C-pillar 114 on the left and / or right side of the vehicle 10. The front door 210 can include a front door beam 212 and a front door shell 214. The rear door 220 can include a rear door beam 222 and a rear door shell 224.

[0043] FIG. 2 depicts a partial cross-sectional view of a front door beam 212. The rear door beam 222 can have an identical or similar configuration to the arrangement shown inFIG. 2. The door beams (e.g. front door beam 212 and / or rear door beam 222) can be structural members of the doors (e.g. front door 210 and / or rear door 220). The door beams 212, 222 can contribute to the longitudinal strength of the doors 210, 220. The door beams 212, 222 can provide protection against impacts to the side of the vehicle 10. The door beams 212, 222 can support the weight of the doors 210, 220 as they are opened. In some embodiments, the door beams 212, 222 can be made from a high-strength and / or rigid material. In some embodiments, the door beams 212, 222 can be made from metals (e.g., steel, aluminum, titanium) and / or composite materials (e.g., carbon fiber, aramid fiber, glass fiber, mixed fibers). Each door beam can include a first end 256 and a second end 258. The first end 256 of the front door beam 212 can be pivotably coupled the front portion 120 of the vehicle 10 at the front hinge 230. When the front door 210 is in a closed position, the second end 258 of the front door beam 212 can be detachably coupled to the B-pillar 112. The front door beam 212 can extend from the front hinge 230 at the front portion 120 of the vehicle 10 to the B-pillar 112 in the center portion 122 of the vehicle 10. The first end 256 of the rear door beam 222 can be pivotably coupled to the rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10 at the rear hinge 232. When the rear door 220 is in the closed position, the second end 258 of the rear door beam 222 can be detachably coupled to B-pillar 112. The rear door beam 222 can extend from the rear hinge 232 at the rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10 to the B-pillar 112 at the center portion 122 of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the front door beam 212 and the rear door beam 222 can be positioned on the vehicle 10 such that the front door beam 212 and the rear door beam 222 overlap along the vertical direction by an overlap distance DI. In some embodiments, the overlap distance DI can be any number between about 20% to about 100% of the door beam height dimension. In other embodiments, the front door beam 212 and the rear door beam 222 may not overlap or may have an overlap distance DI that is less than 20% of the door beam height dimension. Providing overlapping door beams can create a structural stack along the vertical direction that can improve the rigidity and / or structural strength of the vehicle 10.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, each door beam (e.g., front door beam 212 and / or rear door beam 222) can include an elongate portion 270 and an angled portion 272. The angled portion 272 can be disposed at the first end 256 of the door beam. The elongate portion 270 can extend from the angled portion 272 to the second end 258 of the door beam. The elongate portion 270 can extend along a majority of the length of the corresponding door it is coupledto (e.g. front door 210 and / or rear door 220). As shown in FIG. 2, the elongate portion 270 can be substantially rectangular in shape. Additionally, the elongate portion 270 can have a height that is substantially less than the total height of the door. In other embodiments, the elongate portion 270 can have any height between 0% to 100% of the total height of the door (e.g., 15%, 25%, 35%). In other embodiments, the elongate portion 270 can be any shape allowed by the shape of the door. As shown in FIG. 2, the angled portion 272 can extend from the elongate portion 270 at an angle. The angled portion 272 can include a forked end 274. The angled portion 272 of the front door beam 212 can be directly coupled to the front hinge 230. The angled portion 272 of the rear door beam 222 can be directly coupled to the rear hinge 232.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2, the door beams (e.g., front door beam 212 and / or rear door beam 222) can be at least partially hollow to house a wiring harness 260 and / or other electrical or mechanical components. A wiring harness 260 can extend along an interior cavity of each door beam. The door beams 212, 222 can include a door outlet 262 and / or a body outlet 263. The door outlet 262 and / or body outlet 263 can be an opening through one or more sides of the door beam. The door outlet 262 and / or body outlet 263 can permit the wiring harness 260 to extend between the interior cavity and the exterior of the door beam. The door outlet262 can be an opening through which the wiring harness 260 extends to enable electrical coupling of the wiring harness 260 to electrical components in the doors (e.g., front and / or rear doors 220). The door outlet 262 can be disposed on the elongate portion 270 of the door beam. The body outlet 263 can be an opening in the door beam through which the wiring harness 260 can extend to enable electrical coupling of the wiring harness 260 to electronic features housed in the body structure 100 and / or other regions of the vehicle 10. The body outlet 263 can be disposed on the angled portion 272 of the door beam. Specifically, the body outlet 263 can be disposed at or proximal to the front hinge axis Hl or the rear hinge axis H2. The body outlet263 can be disposed between the forked ends 274 at the first end 256 of each door beam. Positioning the body outlet 263 at or close to the front hinge 230 and / or rear hinge 232 can prevent the wiring harness 260 from spatially translating when the doors are opened. According to the above-described configuration, in some embodiments the wiring harness 260 can be kept at or near (e.g., within about <50 mm) the hinge axes while the doors 210, 220 are opened, thereby limiting undue stress and deformation of the wiring harness 260.

[0046] As, shown in FIG. 1, the door shells (e.g., front door shell 214 and / or rear door shell 224) can form the exterior surfaces of and define the outer shape of the doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220). The door shells 214, 224 can be dimensioned to fit within the spaces defined by the door openings of the body structure 100. In some embodiments, the door shells 214, 224 can house the door beams (e.g., front door beam 212 and / or rear door beam 222). In some embodiments, the door shells 214, 224 and the door beams 212, 222 can be separate components that are joined together. The door beams 212, 222 can be coupled to the body shells 214, 224 by bonding (e.g., structural adhesive), mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws, rivets, bolts), a combination of bonding and mechanical fasteners, welding, or any other suitable attachment mechanism. In other embodiments, the door beams 212, 222 can be integrally formed with the door shells 214. 224 to form unitary (e.g., monolithic) pieces. The door shells 214, 224 can house retractable side windows (e.g., front side window 226 and / or rear side window 226). In some embodiments, the door beams 212, 222 can be the primary structural elements of each door with the door shells 214, 224 acting as secondary or nonstructural elements. Allocating more structural burden to the door beams 212, 222 can enable the door shells 214, 224 to have a lighter weight construction, thereby reducing the total weight of each door.

[0047] The hinges (e.g., front hinge 230 and / or rear hinge 232) can function to moveably (e.g., pivotably) couple the doors (e.g. front door 210 and / or rear door 220) to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The hinges 230, 232 can be affixed to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the hinges 230, 232 can be affixed to the body structure 100 via body-side hinge brackets 266. As shown in FIG. 2, the hinges 230, 232 can include split pivot elements 268. The forked ends 274 of each door beam (e.g., front door beam 212 and / or rear door beam 222) can be pivotably coupled to the split pivot elements 268. One or more rotation bearings 264 and / or rotation bushings can be disposed between the split pivot elements 268 and the forked ends 274 of the door beams 212, 222. The rotation bearings 264 and / or rotation bushings can function to reduce friction between the hinges 230, 232 and the door beams 212, 222 to enable the door beams 212, 222 to smoothly pivot on the hinges 230, 232. The front hinge 230 can be disposed on the front portion 120 of the vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the front hinge 230 can be disposed proximal to a location at which the A-pillar 110 intersects the beltline BL1 of the vehicle 10. The front door 210 can pivot on the fronthinge 230 about a front hinge axis Hl . The rear hinge 232 can be disposed on the rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the rear hinge 232 can be disposed proximal to a location at which the C-pillar 114 intersects the beltline BL1 of the vehicle 10. The rear door 220 can pivot on the rear hinge 232 about a rear hinge axis H2. Positioning the rear hinge 232 at the rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10 enables the rear door 220 to be a reverse opening rear door 220.

[0048] FIG. 3 depicts schematic side, front, and top views of the dihedral door system 200. FIG. 3 illustrates the tilt angles of the front hinge 230 and the rear hinge 232. From a side-view perspective, the front hinge 230 can be tilted backward such that a front side-view tilt angle Al is formed between the vertical direction and the front hinge axis Hl. Front sideview tilt angle Al can be any number within the range of about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees. From a side-view perspective, the rear hinge 232 can be tilted forward such that a rear sideview tilt angle A2 is formed between the vertical direction and the rear hinge axis H2. Rear side-view tilt angle A2 can be any number within the range of about 10 degrees to about 80 degrees. From a front-view perspective, the front hinge 230 can be tilted inward such that a front front-view tilt angle Bl is formed between the vertical direction and the front hinge axis Hl. Front front-view tilt angle Bl can be any number within the range of about 40 degrees to about 80 degrees. From a front-view perspective, the rear hinge 232 can be tilted inward such that a rear front-view tilt angle B2 is formed between the vertical direction and the rear hinge axis H2. Rear front-view tilt angle B2 can be any number within the range of about 40 degrees to about 80 degrees. As shown in FIG.3, the front front-view tilt angle Bl and the rear frontview tilt angle B2 can be substantially the same angle. In other embodiments, the front frontview tilt angle Bl and the rear front- view tilt angle B2 can be different angles. From a topview perspective, the front hinge 230 can be tilted backward (and toward a centerline of the vehicle 10) such that a front top-view tilt angle C l is formed between the transverse direction and the front hinge axis Hl. Front top-view tilt angle Cl can be any number within the range of about 10 degrees to about 45 degrees. From a top-view perspective, the rear hinge 232 can be tilted forward (and toward a centerline of the vehicle 10) such that a rear top-view tilt angle C2 is formed between the transverse direction and the rear hinge axis H2. Rear top-view tilt angle C2 can be any number within the range of about 10 degrees to about 45 degrees. One or more of the tilt angles (front side-view tilt angle Al, rear side-view tilt angle A2, front front-view tilt angle B 1 , rear front-view tilt angle B2, front top-view tilt angle C 1 , and rear top-view tilt angle C2) can be altered to control the door projection area away from the car body volume. As shown in FIG. 4C, according to the ranges outlined above, the tilt angles can be set to allow for complete opening travel envelope of both doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) with a side projection Pl within about 600mm (relative to a side of the vehicle 10) and a total vertical height P2 below about 2200mm (relative to a ground surface on which the vehicle 10 sits). In other embodiments, the tilt angles Al, A2, Bl, B2, Cl, C2 can be set to allow for complete opening travel envelope of both doors with a side projection Pl above 600mm and a total vertical height P2 above 2200mm. Reducing the opening travel envelope of the doors can enable the doors to be opened in confined spaces, such as a small parking spot with adjacent vehicles 10, or a garage.

[0049] As discussed above, the dihedral door system 200 can include one or more locking mechanisms. The locking mechanism can function to detachably couple the doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. When the doors are in the closed position, the locking mechanism can secure and / or lock the doors 210, 220 in place. In some embodiments, the locking mechanism can be controlled to move between locked and unlocked configurations. In the locked configuration, the doors 210, 220 are unable to be opened. In the unlocked configuration, the doors 210, 220 can be moved between the open and closed positions. The locking mechanism can include one or more latch locks (e.g., first latch lock 234 and / or second latch lock 236) and one or more strikers (e.g., first striker 238 and / or second striker 240).

[0050] Latch locks (e.g., first latch lock 234 and / or second latch lock 236) can function to secure the doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) to the body structure 100 when the doors 210, 220 are in a closed position. The latch locks 234, 236 can be any latching device or locking mechanism. For example, the latch locks 234, 236 can be any commercially available latch used on current automobiles. One or more latch locks 234, 236 can be coupled to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1, a first latch lock 234 can be coupled to the B-pillar 112 of the vehicle 10. A second latch lock 234 can be coupled to the B-pillar 112 of the vehicle 10. As shown in FIG. 1, the positions of the first latch lock 234 and the second latch lock 236 can be vertically offset. Specifically, the first latch lock 234 can be positioned below the second latch lock 236 on the B-pillar 112. In otherembodiments, the first latch lock 234 can be disposed above the second latch lock 236. Additionally, the first latch lock 234 and the second latch lock 236 can be substantially aligned along the vertical direction. Vertically offsetting and vertically aligning the first latch lock 234 and the second latch lock 236 on the B-pillar 112 (as opposed to horizontally aligning the first latch lock 234 and the second latch lock 236) enables the first latch lock 234 and the second latch lock 236 to occupy less space in the horizontal direction. Accordingly, the central region around the B-pillar 112 can be narrowed. This can reduce the size constraints on the doors 210, 220 and / or side windows 216, 226, enabling the doors 210, 220 and / or side windows 216, 226 to be larger. In some embodiments, the first latch lock 234 and / or the second latch lock 236 can be disposed in a pocket on the B-pillar 112. Each latch lock 234, 236 can be mechanically or electrically controllable to move between unlocked and locked positions. In other embodiments, the latch locks 234, 236 can be disposed on the doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) or any other part of the vehicle 10, including but not limited to the B-pillar 112, front portion 120, and / or the rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10. The latch locks 234, 236 can be attached to the doors 210, 220 and / or body structure 100 by one or more of mechanical fasteners, adhesives, bonding agents, mechanical friction, or any other fastening mechanism.

[0051] The strikers 238, 240 can function to secure the doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) to the body structure 100 when the doors 210, 220 are in a closed position. The strikers 238, 240 can be any mechanical feature for engaging with a latch lock. In some embodiments, the strikers 238, 240 can each be a substantially U-shaped fixture, a rod, a pin, or the like. In some embodiments, the strikers 238, 240 can each be a male engagement feature dimensioned to engage with a female engagement feature of the latch locks 234, 236. One or more strikers can be coupled to the front door 210 and / or rear door 220. As shown in FIG. 1, a first striker 238 can be coupled to the front door 210. The first striker 238 can be affixed to the second end 258 of the front door beam 212. The first striker 238 can be detachably engageable and / or removably couplable to the first latch lock 234. With reference to FIG. 1, a second striker 240 can be coupled to the rear door 220. The second striker 240 can be affixed to the second end 258 of the rear door beam 222. The second striker 240 can be detachably engageable and / or removably couplable to the second latch lock 236. In other embodiments, the first striker 238 and / or second striker 240 can be disposed on any other part of the vehicle 10 or doors, including but not limited to the B-pillar 112, front portion, and / or the rear portion124 of the vehicle 10. In some embodiments, the positions of the strikers 238, 240 and the latch locks 234, 236 can be switched such that the latch locks 234, 236 are disposed on the second end 258 of each door beam and the strikers 248, 240 are disposed on the B-pillar 112. The strikers 238, 240 can be attached to the doors 210, 220 and / or body structure 100 by one or more of mechanical fasteners, adhesives, bonding agents, mechanical friction, or any other fastening mechanism.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, a ring seal 284 can be disposed around the perimeter of the side openings of the vehicle 10 corresponding to the front door 210 and / or rear door 220. The ring seal 284 can be disposed between the doors (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) and the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. One or more ring seals 284 can be coupled to the body structure 100 and / or the doors 210, 220. The ring seal 284 can function to seal the doors 210, 220 from exterior environmental interferences. For example, the ring seal 284 can provide thermal insulation, sound insulation, and / or environmental insulation (e.g., preventrain or dust from entering the interior of the vehicle 10).

[0053] As shown in FIG. 3, the end-stop position of each door (e.g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) can be determined by one or more end-stop pads 242. The end-stop pads 242 can function as a spacer between body structure 100 of the vehicle 10 and the doors 210, 220. The end-stop pads 242 can absorb the impact of the doors 210, 220 as the doors 210, 220 close onto the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The end-stop pads 242 can be disposed at the corners of each door opposite the hinge positions (e.g., front hinge 230 and / or rear hinge 232). As shown in FIG. 3, the dihedral door system 200 can include three end-stops pads corresponding to the front door 210 and three end-stop pads 242 corresponding to the rear door 220 for a total of six end-stop pads 242. In other embodiments, the dihedral door system 200 can include zero, one, two, or any other number of end-stop pads 242. In some embodiments, the end-stop pads 242 can be positioned at a pad spacing distance D2 from the comer points of the door ring seal 284 perimeters. In some embodiments, the pad spacing distance D2 can be within about 200mm. in other embodiments, the pad spacing distance D2 can be less than 200mm or greater than 200mm. In some embodiments, one or more end-stop pads 242 can be positioned at the corner points of the door ring seal 284 perimeters opposite to the hinges. In other embodiments, the end-stop pads 242 can be positioned at any location around the perimeter of the doors 210, 220. In some embodiments, the end-stop pads 242 can be madefrom rigid materials, semi-rigid materials, flexible materials, shock-absorbent materials, compressible materials, or the like. In some embodiments, the end-stop pads 242 can be adjustable. In some embodiments, the end-stop pads 242 can be adjusted during production or repair in order to align the outer surfaces of the doors 210, 220 with the outer surfaces of the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The end-stop pads 242 can include screw threads. The screw threads can couple the end-stop pads 242 to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The screw threads can permit the end-stop pads 242 to be adjusted by rotation of the end-stop pads 242. Rotation of the end-stop pads 242 can raise or lower the end-stop pads 242 with respect to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. After the end-stop pads 242 have been adjusted to a desired position, the end-stop pads 242 can be fixed in that position with locknuts, bonding, or the like.

[0054] In some embodiments, the dihedral door system 200 can include doors (e g., front door 210 and rear door 220) having separate shut lines 276 between the doors 210, 220 and the B-pillar 112, as shown for example in FIG. 4A. In some embodiments, the separate door shut lines 276 can be non-parallel. In other embodiments, the separate door shut lines 276 can be parallel. An intermediate outer panel 130 element can be disposed between the separate shut lines 276 on the B-pillar 112. The intermediate outer panel 130 can be an exterior surface panel. The intermediate outer panel 130 can extend from the roof of the vehicle 10 to the floor pan of the vehicle 10. The intermediate outer panel 130 can be shaped according to both minimum geometry requirements and stylization considerations. The intermediate outer panel 130 can be shaped to permit completely independent opening of each door. The shape of the intermediate outer panel 130 can define specific shut lines 276 between each door and the intermediate outer panel 130. FIGS. 4A-4C depict sequential stages in the operation of a dihedral door system 200 with separate non-parallel door shut lines 276. Non-parallel door shut lines 276 can permit the doors 210, 220 to be simultaneously and independently opened (or closed) without interference by the other door. FIG. 4A depicts the dihedral door system 200 with doors 210, 220 having separate non-parallel shut lines 276 in a closed position. When in the closed position, the side windows (e.g., front side window 216 and / or rear side window 226) can be fully extended. Dashed outlines are illustrated in FIG. 4A to show the position of the side windows 216, 226 when they are fully retracted into the doors 210, 220. FIG. 4B depicts the dihedral door system 200 with doors having separate non-parallel shut lines 276 inan intermediate position. When moved from the open position to the intermediate position, the doors 210, 220 can be pivoted on their respective hinges 230, 232 to move outward and upward with respect to the vehicle 10 body structure 100. As the doors 210, 220 are moved towards the open position, the side windows 216, 226 can simultaneously retract into the body shells 214, 224 of the doors 210, 220. Retraction of the side windows can reduce the spatial footprint of the doors 210, 220 to avoid interference between the side windows 216, 226 and the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. FIG. 4C depicts the dihedral door system 200 with doors 210, 220 having separate non-parallel shut lines 276 in an open position. When in the fully open position the side windows 216, 226 can be retracted into the doors 210, 220 to enable the doors 210, 220 to sit more closely to the body structure 100 of the vehicle 10. The combination of hinge tilt angles and simultaneous lowering of the side windows 26, 226 can enable opening of the doors 210, 220 within the target maximum height P2 and side projection Pl distances. When the doors 210, 220 are in the completely open position as shown in FIG. 4C, the doors 210, 220 can have a side projection Pl of about 600mm or less and a total vertical height P2 of about 2200mm or less.

[0055] FIG. 5 depicts side view projection areas of the dihedral door system 200 with doors 210, 220 having separate non-parallel shut lines 276 in an open position. The side openings can define front and rear side-view opening projection areas 280. The ring seals 284 can extend around the perimeter of the side-view opening protection areas 280. When the doors (e g., front door 210 and / or rear door 220) are in the open position, the doors 210, 220 may block portions of the side-view opening projection areas 280. The doors 210, 220 may block up to about 40% of the side-view opening projection areas 280 as shown by the overlay ed sideview projection areas 282 illustrated in FIG. 5. About 60% to about 100% of the side-view opening projection area 280 may be unobstructed to allow passengers to enter and exit the vehicle 10 through the access area. The unobstructed area can be represented by the access side-view projection areas 278 as illustrated in FIG. 5. The dihedral door system 200 disclosed herein can maximize the access side-view projection areas 278. Specifically, the utilization of the hinge tilt angles specified above with reverse opening rear doors 220 can increase the access side-view projection areas 278.

[0056] As mentioned above, the dihedral door system 200 can include an actuation system. The actuation system can facilitate movement of the doors (e.g., front door 210 and orrear door 220) between open and closed positions. FIGS. 6A-6D depict various configurations of actuation systems that can be used to operate the dihedral door system 200. The actuation system can include one or more actuators (e.g., front actuator 252 and / or rear actuator 253). The actuators can be any device or machine capable of moving a door. For example, in some embodiments the actuators 252, 253 can be commercial automotive telescopic linear power push-pull actuators (e.g., actuators used for power tailgates). The front actuator 252 can be coupled to the front door 210. The rear actuator 253 can be coupled to the rear door 220. The front actuator 252 can have one end coupled to the front portion 120 of the vehicle 10 and an opposite end coupled to the front door beam 212. The rear actuator 253 can have one end coupled to the rear portion 124 of the vehicle 10 and an opposing end coupled to the rear door beam 222. In some embodiments, the actuators 252, 253 can have a leverage distance LI with respect to the hinge axes (front hinge axis Hl and / or rear hinge axis H2) of at least 100mm. In other embodiments, the leverage distance LI can be less than 100mm. In various embodiments, the actuators 252, 253 can be arranged substantially vertically, substantially horizontally, or at any orientation between horizontal and vertical. FIG. 6A depicts an arrangement of the actuation system in which the front actuator 252 and the rear actuator 253 are both oriented substantially vertically. FIG. 6B depicts an arrangement of the actuation system in which the front actuator 252 and the rear actuator 253 are both oriented substantially horizontally. FIG. 6C depicts a mixed arrangement of the actuation system in which the front actuator 252 is oriented substantially vertically and the rear actuator 253 is oriented substantially horizontally. FIG. 6D depicts a mixed arrangement of the actuation system in which the front actuator 252 is oriented substantially horizontally and the rear actuator 253 is oriented substantially vertically.

[0057] In some embodiments, the dihedral door system 200 can include doors (e.g., front door 210 and rear door 220) having a single, shared shut line 276 between the front door 210 and the rear door 220. FIGS. 7A-8B depict a dihedral door system 200 with doors 210, 220 having a single shut line 276. In some cases, doors, 210, 220 having a single shut line 276 may move along intersecting movement paths. Accordingly, in some instances, the front door 210 and the rear door 220 may collide if they are opened simultaneously. To resolve this potential issue, the dihedral door system 200 can include an interlock safety system 250. The interlock safety system 250 can function to ensure that the doors, 210, 220 do not collide whenopened. In some embodiments, the interlock safety system 250 can prevent collisions between the front and the rear door 220 by requiring sequential opening of the front door 210 and the rear door 220 (i.e., preventing simultaneous opening of the front door 210 and the rear door 220). The interlock safety system 250 can prevent the unlatching and opening of one door (either the front door 210 or rear door 220) before the other door has been opened sufficiently to avoid collision of the two doors, 210, 220. The interlock safety system 250 can be a mechanical system or an electronic system.

[0058] FIGS. 7A-7B depict a mechanical interlock safety system 250 and stages of operation thereof. The mechanical interlock safety system 250 can include one or more interlock pins (not shown) and one or more cables (e.g., first cable 254 and / or second cable 255). The interlock pins can be coupled to and engageable with the latch locks (e.g., first latch lock 234 and / or second latch lock 236). The cables 254, 255 can be connected to the hinges 230, 232 and the latch locks234, 246 and can extend therebetween. The cables 254, 255 can be any type of tensile structure, including but not limited to, Bowden cables, strings, wires, filaments, or the like. The mechanical interlock safety system 250 can include a first cable 254 extending from the front hinge 230 to the second latch lock 236. One end of the first cable 254 can be coupled to the front hinge 230 and an opposing end of the first cable 254 can be coupled to the second latch lock 236 on the B-pillar 112. The mechanical interlock safety system 250 can include a second cable 255 extending from the rear hinge 232 to the first latch lock 234. One end of the second cable 255 can be coupled to the rear hinge 232 and an opposing end of the first cable 254 can be coupled to the first latch lock 234 on the B-pillar 112. FIG. 7A depicts the mechanical interlock safety system 250 when the doors 210, 220 are closed. FIG. 7B depicts the mechanical interlock safety system 250 after the doors 210, 220 have been at least partially opened. The mechanical interlock safety system 250 can operate according to a series of steps. In step one, the front door 210 is unlocked (either from outside the car or inside the car). In step two, an interlock pin from the first latch lock 234 corresponding to the front door 210 projects out to block the second latch lock 236 corresponding to the rear door 220. In step three, opening movement of the front door 210 pulls on the first cable 254 at the front hinge 230. In step four, the interlock pin is pulled away from the second latch lock 236 by the first cable 254 pulled by the movement of the front door 210 about the front hinge 230. Once the front door 210 is opened to a position that allows the rear door 220 to be opened withoutcollision, the first cable 254 connected to the front hinge 230 of the front door 210 pulls the interlock pin out of the second latch lock 236, allowing the rear door 220 to be opened. A similar sequence of steps involving the second cable 255 can be performed if the rear door 220 is opened first. The top views illustrated in FIGS. 7A-B show the motion paths of the first cable 254 and the second cable 255.

[0059] FIGS. 8A-8B depict an electronic interlock safety system 250 and stages of operation thereof. The electronic interlock safety system 250 can include one or more processors, one or more position sensors, door control software, and one or more actuators (e.g., front actuator 252 and / or rear actuator 253). Position sensors can function to detect the position of the front door 210 and / or rear door 220. Position sensors can be coupled the actuators 252, 253 and / or latch locks (e.g., first latch lock 234 and / or second latch lock 236). The position sensors can transmit latch lock status data and door position data to one or more processors. The one or more processors can execute computer readable instructions for controlling the operation of the doors, 210, 220. The computer readable instructions can be door control software. In some embodiments, the one or more processors executing the door control software can read latch lock status data and door position data received from the one or more position sensors. FIG. 8A depicts the electronic interlock safety system 250 when the doors 210, 220 are closed. FIG. 8B depicts the mechanical interlock safety system 250 after the doors 210, 220 have been at least partially opened. The electronic interlock safety system 250 can operate according to a series of steps. In step one, the front door 210 is unlocked (either from outside the car or inside the car). In step two, the second latch lock 236 corresponding to the rear door 220 is electronically blocked, preventing the rear door 220 from being opened. In step three, the front actuator 252 opens the front door 210 to a position at which the rear door 220 can be opened without collision. In step four, the second latch lock 236 is unlocked to permit the rear door 220 to be opened. A similar sequence of steps can be performed if the rear door 220 is opened first.Additional Examples

[0060] In examples of the present disclosure, a dihedral door system for a vehicle may be in accordance with any of the following clauses:

[0061] Clause 1. A dihedral door system for a vehicle having a front portion, a B- pillar, and a rear portion, the dihedral door system comprising: a first latch lock coupled to theB-pillar; a second latch lock coupled to the B-pillar, wherein the first latch lock is vertically offset from and at least partially vertically aligned with the second latch lock; a front hinge coupled to the vehicle; a front door pivotably coupled to the front hinge; a first striker coupled to front door and configured to detachably engage with the first latch lock; a rear hinge coupled to the vehicle; a rear door pivotably coupled to the rear hinge, wherein the rear door is a reverseopening rear door; and a second striker coupled to the rear door and configured to detachably engage with the second latch lock.

[0062] Clause 2. The dihedral door system of clause 1, wherein the front hinge is coupled to the front portion of the vehicle and the rear hinge is coupled to the rear portion of the vehicle.

[0063] Clause 3. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, wherein the front hinge has a front side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a front front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a front top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees, wherein the rear hinge has a rear side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a rear front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a rear top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees.

[0064] Clause 4. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, wherein the front door comprises a first door beam and the rear door comprises a second door beam.

[0065] Clause 5. The dihedral door system of clause 4, wherein the first door beam and the second door beam at least partially vertically overlap.

[0066] Clause 6. The dihedral door system of clauses 4 or 5, wherein the first striker is coupled to the first door beam and the second striker is coupled to the second door beam.

[0067] Clause 7. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, wherein the front door further comprises a front door shell and the rear door further comprises a rear door shell.

[0068] Clause 8. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, further comprising a ring seal disposed around a perimeter of the front door.

[0069] Clause 9. The dihedral door system of clause 8, further comprising an endstop pad disposed at a comer point of the ring seal opposite to the front hinge.

[0070] Clause 10. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, wherein the front door and the rear door have separate non-parallel shut lines.

[0071] Clause 11. The dihedral door system of clause 10, further comprising an intermediate outer panel coupled to the B-pillar and disposed between the separate non-parallel shut lines of the front door and the rear door.

[0072] Clause 12. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, wherein the front door and the rear door have a single shared shut line.

[0073] Clause 13. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, further comprising a front actuator coupled to the front door and a rear actuator coupled to the rear door, wherein the front actuator is configured to move the front door between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the rear actuator is configured to move the rear door between an open position and a closed position.

[0074] Clause 14. The dihedral door system of clause 13, wherein the front actuator has a leverage distance of about 100 mm with respect to a front hinge axis of the front hinge, and wherein the rear actuator has a leverage distance of about 100 mm with respect to a rear hinge axis of the rear hinge.

[0075] Clause 15. The dihedral door system of clauses 13 or 14, wherein the front actuator and the rear actuator are both oriented substantially vertically or both oriented substantially horizontally.

[0076] Clause 16. The dihedral door system of clauses 13 or 14, wherein one of the front actuator and the rear actuator is oriented substantially vertically, and the other one of the front actuator and the rear actuator is oriented substantially horizontally.

[0077] Clause 17. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, further comprising an interlock safety system comprising: a first interlock pin coupled to the first latch lock; a second interlock pin coupled to the second latch lock; a first cable extending between the front hinge and the second latch lock; and a second cable extending between the rear hinge and the first latch lock, wherein the interlock safety system is configured to ensure sequential opening of the front door and the rear door to prevent collision between the front door and the rear door.

[0078] Clause 18. The dihedral door system of any preceding clause, further comprising an interlock safety system comprising: one or more processors configured toexecute computer readable instructions; a first actuator coupled to the front door; a first position sensor coupled to the first actuator and configured to send door position data to the one or more processors; and a second position sensor coupled to the first latch lock and configured to send latch lock status data to the one or more processors, wherein the computer readable instructions are encoded to ensure sequential opening of the front door and the rear door based on the door position data and the latch lock status data to prevent collision between the front door and the rear door.

[0079] Clause 19. A dihedral door system for a vehicle having a front portion, a B- pillar, and a rear portion, the dihedral door system comprising: a front hinge coupled to the front portion of the vehicle; a rear hinge coupled to the rear portion of the vehicle; a front door pivotably coupled to the front hinge; and a rear door pivotably coupled to the rear hinge, wherein the front hinge has a front side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a front front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a front top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees, wherein the rear hinge has a rear side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a rear front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a rear top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees.

[0080] Clause 20. The dihedral door system of clause 19, wherein the front door and the rear door have an opening travel envelope with a side projection within 600mm and a total vertical height within 2200mm.

[0081] While certain embodiments of the inventions have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel methods and systems described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the systems and methods described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the present inventions is defined only by reference to the appended claims.

[0082] Features, materials, characteristics, or groups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment, or example are to be understood to be applicable to any otheraspect, embodiment or example described in this section or elsewhere in this specification unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and / or all of the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at least some of such features and / or steps are mutually exclusive. The protection is not restricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The protection extends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

[0083] Furthermore, certain features that are described in this disclosure in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination can, in some cases, be excised from the combination, and the combination may be claimed as a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

[0084] Moreover, while operations may be depicted in the drawings or described in the specification in a particular order, such operations need not be performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, or that all operations be performed, to achieve desirable results. Other operations that are not depicted or described can be incorporated in the example methods and processes. For example, one or more additional operations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or between any of the described operations. Further, the operations may be rearranged or reordered in other implementations. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in some embodiments, the actual steps taken in the processes illustrated and / or disclosed may differ from those shown in the figures. Depending on the embodiment, certain of the steps described above may be removed, others may be added. Furthermore, the features and attributes of the specific embodiments disclosed above may be combined in different ways to form additional embodiments, all of which fall within the scope of the present disclosure. Also, the separation of various system components in the implementations described above should not be understood as requiring such separation in all implementations,and it should be understood that the described components and systems can generally be integrated together in a single product or packaged into multiple products.

[0085] For purposes of this disclosure, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features are described herein. Not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment. Thus, for example, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

[0086] Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certain features, elements, and / or steps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended to imply that features, elements, and / or steps are in any way required for one or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without user input or prompting, whether these features, elements, and / or steps are included or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

[0087] Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may be either X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

[0088] Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,” “about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent a value, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, or characteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves a desired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”, “generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is within less than 20% of, within less than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, within less than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount. As another example, in certain embodiments, the terms “generally parallel” and “substantially parallel” refer to a value, amount, or characteristic that departs from exactly parallel by less than or equal to 20 degrees, 15 degrees, 10 degrees, 5 degrees, 3 degrees, 1 degree, or 0.1 degree.

[0089] The scope of the present disclosure is not intended to be limited by the specific disclosures of preferred embodiments in this section or elsewhere in this specification, and may be defined by claims as presented in this section or elsewhere in this specification or as presented in the future. The language of the claims is to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to the examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive.

[0090] Of course, the foregoing description is that of certain features, aspects and advantages of the present invention, to which various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, the devices described herein need not feature all of the objects, advantages, features and aspects discussed above. Thus, for example, those of skill in the art will recognize that the invention can be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or a group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other objects or advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. In addition, while a number of variations of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other modifications and methods of use, which are within the scope of this invention, will be readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon this disclosure. It is contemplated that various combinations or subcombinations of these specific features and aspects of embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can be combined with or substituted for one another in order to form varying modes of the discussed automobile.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A dihedral door system for a vehicle having a front portion, a B-pillar, and a rear portion, the dihedral door system comprising: a first latch lock coupled to the B-pillar; a second latch lock coupled to the B-pillar, wherein the first latch lock is vertically offset from and at least partially vertically aligned with the second latch lock; a front hinge coupled to the vehicle; a front door pivotably coupled to the front hinge; a first striker coupled to front door and configured to detachably engage with the first latch lock; a rear hinge coupled to the vehicle; a rear door pivotably coupled to the rear hinge, wherein the rear door is a reverse-opening rear door; and a second striker coupled to the rear door and configured to detachably engage with the second latch lock.

2. The dihedral door system of claim 1, wherein the front hinge is coupled to the front portion of the vehicle and the rear hinge is coupled to the rear portion of the vehicle.

3. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, wherein the front hinge has a front side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a front front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a front top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees, wherein the rear hinge has a rear side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a rear front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a rear top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees.

4. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, wherein the front door comprises a first door beam and the rear door comprises a second door beam.

5. The dihedral door system of claim 4, wherein the first door beam and the second door beam at least partially vertically overlap.

6. The dihedral door system of claims 4 or 5, wherein the first striker is coupled to the first door beam and the second striker is coupled to the second door beam.

7. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, wherein the front door further comprises a front door shell and the rear door further comprises a rear door shell.

8. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, further comprising a ring seal disposed around a perimeter of the front door.

9. The dihedral door system of claim 8, further comprising an end-stop pad disposed at a corner point of the ring seal opposite to the front hinge.

10. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, wherein the front door and the rear door have separate non-parallel shut lines.

11. The dihedral door system of claim 10, further comprising an intermediate outer panel coupled to the B-pillar and disposed between the separate non-parallel shut lines of the front door and the rear door.

12. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, wherein the front door and the rear door have a single shared shut line.

13. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, further comprising a front actuator coupled to the front door and a rear actuator coupled to the rear door, wherein the front actuator is configured to move the front door between an open position and a closed position, and wherein the rear actuator is configured to move the rear door between an open position and a closed position.

14. The dihedral door system of claim 13, wherein the front actuator has a leverage distance of about 100 mm with respect to a front hinge axis of the front hinge, and wherein the rear actuator has a leverage distance of about 100 mm with respect to a rear hinge axis of the rear hinge.

15. The dihedral door system of claims 13 or 14, wherein the front actuator and the rear actuator are both oriented substantially vertically or both oriented substantially horizontally.

16. The dihedral door system of claims 13 or 14, wherein one of the front actuator and the rear actuator is oriented substantially vertically, and the other one of the front actuator and the rear actuator is oriented substantially horizontally.

17. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, further comprising an interlock safety system comprising: a first interlock pin coupled to the first latch lock; a second interlock pin coupled to the second latch lock; a first cable extending between the front hinge and the second latch lock; and a second cable extending between the rear hinge and the first latch lock, wherein the interlock safety system is configured to ensure sequential opening of the front door and the rear door to prevent collision between the front door and the rear door.

18. The dihedral door system of any preceding claim, further comprising an interlock safety system comprising: one or more processors configured to execute computer readable instructions; a first actuator coupled to the front door; a first position sensor coupled to the first actuator and configured to send door position data to the one or more processors; and a second position sensor coupled to the first latch lock and configured to send latch lock status data to the one or more processors, wherein the computer readable instructions are encoded to ensure sequential opening of the front door and the rear door based on the door position data and the latch lock status data to prevent collision between the front door and the rear door.

19. A dihedral door system for a vehicle having a front portion, a B-pillar, and a rear portion, the dihedral door system comprising: a front hinge coupled to the front portion of the vehicle; a rear hinge coupled to the rear portion of the vehicle; a front door pivotably coupled to the front hinge; and a rear door pivotably coupled to the rear hinge, wherein the front hinge has a front side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a front front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about 80 degrees, and a front top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees, wherein the rear hinge has a rear side-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 80 degrees, a rear front-side tilt angle between about 40 degrees and about80 degrees, and a rear top-view tilt angle between about 10 degrees and about 45 degrees.

20. The dihedral door system of claim 19, wherein the front door and the rear door have an opening travel envelope with a side projection within 600mm and a total vertical height within 2200mm.

Images