WO2015040341A1 - Lightened door with reinforced structure - Google Patents

Abstract

Vehicle door (1) comprising at least one interior panel (11) and one exterior panel (12), the interior panel (11) being U‑shaped at least in the casing part of the door (1), said interior panel (11) comprising a lock (4) positioned on one of the edges of said interior panel (11) in the casing (14) and at least one hinge (61, 62) on the edge of said interior panel (11) which is the opposite edge to the lock edge, said door (1) further comprising a reinforcing structure (2) positioned in the casing and able to reinforce in the event of frontal impact and to stiffen said door (1).

Description

 ALLEGE DOOR WITH REINFORCED STRUCTURE

The invention relates to a vehicle door whose structure is lightened and comprising a reinforcing element ensuring the rigidity of said door. Reducing the mass of motor vehicles is an important direction for reducing vehicle fuel consumption. Designers seek to reduce this mass at all components of the vehicle. At the side doors of the vehicle, one of the orientations is to reduce the amount of material used, including opening the interior panel of the door, located on the passenger side of the vehicle and which is usually covered with a trim panel. This solution has the disadvantage of reducing the rigidity of the door which can become perceptible by the customer and give a poor appreciation of the quality and strength of the vehicle. In addition, a vehicle side door plays an important role in the event of lateral or frontal impact. For example, for a front door, in the event of a frontal impact, it must transmit the forces of the impact of the front foot to the middle foot so as to avoid a crash of the volume of the passenger compartment detrimental to the safety of passengers. In the event of a side impact, it must retransmit the forces on the structural elements of the vehicle, in particular on the front foot and the central foot for a front door, so as to limit the depression of the door. To solve this problem, patent US5417470 discloses a door having a reinforcing structure for the frontal impact and side impact, connected on one side to the hinges of the door and the other side to the lock, attached to the inner panel of door, so that the reinforcing structure has a reinforcing role of the inner panel of the door. The reinforcement is composed of several tubes between two plates, each of these plates being fixed at the front and rear edges of the inner door panel, the rear plate further supporting the locking system of the door and the front plate supporting elements hinges of the door.

The door retains a large interior door panel and specific means are required to attach the window cleaner. This door design is not optimized in terms of simplicity of design and manufacturing, as well as in terms of mass. The present invention aims to improve the design of the door so as to reduce its mass, to simplify manufacture, without degrading its rigidity and its behavior in case of impact.

This object is achieved according to the invention by means of a vehicle door comprising at least one inner panel and one outer panel, said inner and outer panels defining between them a box in the portion of the door located under a window portion of said door comprising a window, the inner panel having a U-shape at least in the box portion of the door, said inner panel having a lock positioned on one edge of said inner panel in the box and at least one hinge on the edge of said panel interior opposite the lock-side edge, one of the U-branches of the inner panel forming the hinge side edge of said inner panel and the other U-branch forming the lock side edge of said inner panel, and the lower U-section forming the edge bottom of said inner panel located opposite the window portion, said door further comprising a reinforcing structure positioned in the caisso n, adapted to create a frontal impact reinforcement and to stiffen said door, extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel. Said reinforcing structure has an edge along the upper edge of the box under the window portion, at least one main wall which extends at least on one side between the hinge-side edge and the lock-side edge of the inner panel, and on the other hand from the edge of the reinforcing structure along the top edge of the box and towards the bottom edge of the inner panel, and a hollow body extending from the lock side edge to the hinge side edge of the inner panel, one of the walls of said hollow body being formed at least by a portion of the main wall.

Thus advantageously, the mass of the door is reduced thanks to an inner panel using little material, while maintaining a rigid and resistant door in the event of a frontal impact thanks to the reinforcing structure comprising the hollow body. Indeed, the main wall will give a rigidity to the door, particularly vis-à-vis the vertical forces that are applied to the door on the lock side when the door is installed on the vehicle and in the open position, while the body hollow will increase the buckling resistance of the reinforcing structure vis-à-vis the forces passing through the reinforcing structure in the event of frontal impact of the vehicle. The hollow body will also increase the overall stiffness of the reinforcement structure. In addition, by using a portion of the main wall to make the hollow body, the reinforcing structure is simple to achieve, for example by fixing a plate having a relief on the main wall to form the hollow body, and light because without adding a complementary tube on the reinforcing structure. This design also allows greater freedom in the shape of the hollow body without complicating the manufacture, especially when the reinforcing structure is made by fixing a plate having a relief on the main wall.

Preferably, the main wall is attached to the inner panel. The main wall may comprise hinge and / or lock reinforcements on which the hinges and the lock are respectively fixed, said reinforcements may then comprise means for fixing the main wall to the inner panel.

The fastening means of the reinforcing structure to the inner panel are fastening means conventionally used, such as for example by riveting, welding, crimping, gluing or screw-nut system. Preferably, the major part of the main wall located between the fastening points of the reinforcing structure to the inner panel, is planar in order to improve the resistance of the door against the forces of the vertical which are applied to said door on the lock side when said door is installed on the vehicle and in the open position.

The reinforcing structure may be made of metal material, such as for example sheet steel, aluminum or magnesium, or composite material, such as polyamide 6.6 filled with chopped glass fibers.

If the reinforcing structure is made of at least two parts, a piece forming the main wall and a part attaching to said main wall to produce the hollow body, said parts may be in the same material or different materials. Said parts are fixed together by known fastening means such as for example by riveting, welding, crimping, gluing or screw-nut system.

The hollow body may have ribs or compartments to increase the rigidity of the reinforcing structure and its mechanical strength. In the case of a door with a frame around the window, the inner panel may extend into the window portion to form a frame around the door.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing structure has a generally triangular or trapezoidal shape, the side of the reinforcing structure along the hinge-side edge of the inner panel being longer than the side of said reinforcement. reinforcing structure along the lock side edge of said inner panel.

This form advantageously makes it possible to transfer the forces applied to the lock-side end of the reinforcing structure towards the door hinge (s) through the reinforcement structure, for the forces substantially parallel to said main wall, that is, that is to say in a substantially vertical direction when the door is installed on a vehicle, the vertical being taken in the reference system of the vehicle. This shape makes it possible to obtain a light structure by forming a reinforcement structure of the stem type. When the door has at least two hinges, the hinge side edge of the reinforcing structure extends at least from one hinge to the other so as to transmit the forces to said hinges.

In another embodiment of the invention, the hollow body forms a prism, whose base of said prism is formed by at least a portion of the main wall. The hollow body thus forms a large volume, creating an important inertia reinforcing the reinforcement structure on the one hand vis-à-vis the forces in the event of frontal impact of the vehicle, as well as vis-à-vis the vertical forces that act on the door lock side edge when said door installed on a vehicle is open.

The bases of the prism are preferably parallel. The prism shape may be of the right prism or pyramidal type. In another variant, the bases of the prism may not be parallel.

In another embodiment of the invention, the base of the prism forming the hollow body has a generally triangular or trapezoidal shape, said base of the prism having at least one edge along the edge hinge side of the inner panel, an edge along the edge lock side of the inner panel, and two edges extending between the hinge side edge and the lock side edge of the inner panel, the hinge side edge of said prism base being longer than the lock side. The lock side edge may be of zero length so as to create a triangular base prismatic hollow body.

 This form of triangular or trapezoidal prism makes it possible to increase the stiffness of the reinforcement structure, in particular with respect to the vertical forces that are applied to the said door on the lock side when the said door is installed on the vehicle and in the open position.

 In another embodiment of the invention, the hollow body extends at least fifty percent of the surface of the main wall, preferably at least seventy-five percent of the surface of the main wall.

By extending the hollow body over a very large part of the main wall, the stiffness of the reinforcing structure is increased while minimizing the amount of material used. The reinforcement structure can thus be light and resistant.

 Parts of the main wall may be outside the hollow body so as to leave gaps, such as on the edges of the main wall to allow attachment to the reinforcing structure of a door stop or hinges of door, or to place the fastening means for fixing the reinforcing structure on the door.

 In another embodiment of the invention, the door comprises a lateral impact reinforcement extending from the angle formed by the junction between the low edge and the lock side edge of the inner panel, to the reinforcing structure in an oblique direction directed substantially towards the end of the hinge-side edge of the box located at the top of the box or substantially in the direction of one of the hinges.

 Occupant protection in the event of a side impact is ensured without complicating the construction of the door. The lateral shock reinforcement and the reinforcing structure may be made in one piece, or be two independent parts attached to one another. The mass of the door is decreased because the lateral impact reinforcement does not extend over the entire width of the door, but over a shorter distance.

In another embodiment of the invention, the reinforcing structure comprises means for fixing equipment of the door, such as a gusset or a mirror foot, an interior door pull handle, an interior control lever. door, a loudspeaker, a side air bag, one or more window guide rails, a window lift motor, a door trim. The reinforcing structure being a rigid piece fixed to the inner panel of the door, it is adapted to directly recover the forces applied to the equipment listed above in a non-limiting manner. This design makes it possible to fix equipment of the door in spite of the U-shape of the inner panel which leaves a large empty space in the central part of the box, or without the need to add heavy metal reinforcements to fix said equipment.

In the case of the presence of a fastener intended to receive a mirror gusset, the part of the reinforcing structure intended to receive the mirror gusset will preferably be located on a part of the reinforcement structure not facing the mirror. the space traversed by the window during its descent into the box so as not to interfere with the descent of said window, when said reinforcement structure is located in the box mainly on the vehicle interior side with respect to the plane defined by the window when the one it is in the lowered position. For example, in the case of a door having a fixed window, the fastening means of the mirror gusset placed on the reinforcing structure will be positioned under the zone of the fixed window. The attachment zone may be an outgrowth on the surface of the reinforcing structure extending towards the outer panel so as to create a surface capable of receiving fastening means of the rear view mirror gusset. The hollow body can be used as an acoustic chamber to improve the rendering of the loudspeaker, particularly at low frequencies, by designing said hollow body so that it has only one opening between the interior volume and the outside of said hollow body, this opening being intended to receive one or more loudspeakers so that the sound emitted by the rear face of said loudspeaker is diffused into the interior volume of said hollow body.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the inner panel has a closed frame shape running around the perimeter of the door, and is made of at least two parts, a door frame and a window frame, said door frame forming at least the portion of the inner panel at the caisson and said window frame forming an open broken line running through the edges of the window above the well when said window is fully raised, one end of said frame of the window is positioned on the lock side edge and the other end on the hinge side edge of the inner panel. The door frame can extend only in the box portion of the door, in a U-shape. It can also extend into the window part of the door so as to surround the said window part and thus form a frame traversing the entire periphery of the door, and on which is superimposed the window frame, for example on the face of said door frame facing the outside of the vehicle. The window frame circumvents the window along the edges of said window positioned above the box when the window is fully raised.

 In another preferred embodiment of the invention according to the first variant, the end of the lock side window frame covers at least a portion of the edge of the door frame lock side to a position at least between the position of the lock and the line defined by the top edge of the box so as to create a covering area on the lock-side edge, and / or the hinge-side end of the window frame covers at least the hinge-side edge of the door frame up to at a position located at least between the position of one of the hinges and the line defined by the top edge of the box so as to create a hinge-side overlap zone.

By covering a portion of the door frame by the end of the window frame, the attachment in this area of said door frame and said window frame is more rigid. The design is simplified because there is no need to add specific parts to strengthen this link. The area between the part of the door framing the window and the door box is stiffened without adding new parts.

In another embodiment of the invention according to the first variant, the overlap area of the lock-side end of the window frame extends at least as far as the lock so as to create a lock reinforcement suitable for supporting said lock, and / or in that the overlap region on the hinge side of the end of the window frame covers the edge of the door frame on the hinge side at least to one of the hinges so as to create a hinge reinforcement adapted to support the one or more hinges.

The lock reinforcement is thus formed by the end of the window frame located on the lock side. Similarly, it is possible to achieve the hinge reinforcement with the end of the lock-side window frame. If the door has a plurality of hinges, the hinge-side window frame end may provide a hinge reinforcement capable of receiving all the hinges by extending and covering the edge of the hinge-side door frame to the hinge located the most low. The design of the door is advantageously simplified. In another embodiment of the invention according to the first variant, the reinforcing structure is fixed at least on the lock-side overlay area and / or on the hinge-side overlap zone.

The overlapping areas being areas reinforced by the superposition of a portion of the door frame and the window frame, these overlapping areas are sufficiently reinforced to attach the reinforcing structure. The fixing means are fixing means known to those skilled in the art. In the case of a structure of composite material or plastic material, metal inserts may be provided to allow a strong attachment. Alternatively, instead of the hollow body, flat surfaces forming ribs substantially perpendicular to the main wall surface of the reinforcing structure and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door is installed on the vehicle and in position closed, extend substantially from the hinge side edge to the lock side edge of the inner panel so as to give said reinforcing structure buckling resistance when a compressive force is applied to said reinforcement structure in the longitudinal direction. The ribs may extend over a surface of generally triangular or trapezoidal shape, similar to the shape of the base of the prism described in the embodiment of the reinforcement structure comprising a hollow body.

The reinforcing structure may comprise or form a lock reinforcement and / or at least one hinge reinforcement adapted to allow the attachment of at least one of the hinges on said door.

In a second variant embodiment of the invention, the inner panel is entirely in the box section of the door, forming a door conventionally called "door without frame", without a frame around the window pane located in the window portion, and that the reinforcing structure is attached to at least one hinge reinforcement on which at least one door hinge is fixed, said hinge reinforcement being able to be integrated with the inner panel or said reinforcing structure.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the second variant, the reinforcing structure is attached to the inner side lock side to a fastening reinforcement of the lock. In another embodiment of the invention according to the second variant, the door comprises a fenestron positioned at the top edge of the box, said window comprising a guide rail adapted to guide one of the edges of the movable pane during its displacement, said guide rail extends along the fenestron and continuing in the interior volume of the box, and at least a portion of said guide rail located in the interior volume of the box is attached to the reinforcement structure. The invention also relates to a vehicle comprising a door as described above.

The lock side edge may be the rear edge of the door in the case of a door opening with hinges placed on the front edge of the door. Conversely, in the case of a door opening in the opposite direction, the hinges are positioned on the rear edge of the door and the lock on the front edge.

Two examples of embodiments of a door according to the invention will now be described: a first embodiment for a door comprising a frame in the window portion of the door, and a second embodiment for a door that does not include window frame in the part of the window, for doors that are classically called frameless door.

In the first exemplary embodiment for a door having a frame in the window portion of the vehicle door, the door comprises at least one inner panel and one outer panel, said inner and outer panels defining, between them, a box in the portion of the door located under a window portion of said door, the inner panel having a closed frame shape running around the periphery of the door, said inner panel having a lock positioned on one of the edges at the box, able to lock the door in the closed position, and at least one hinge on the edge opposite the edge lock side, the edge lock side being the edge of the inner panel having the lock, so as to allow an opening of said door by rotation along a substantially vertical axis in the reference frame of the vehicle. The interior panel is made of at least two parts, a door frame and a window frame, said door frame forming at least the portion of the interior panel at the caisson and said window frame forming an open broken line which runs through the window edges above the box when said window is fully raised, one end being positioned on the edge lock side and the other end on the hinge side edge of the inner panel, and in that a structure of reinforcement positioned in the box and adapted to create a frontal impact reinforcement and to stiffen the door, extends from the hinge side edge to edge lock side of the inner panel, said reinforcing structure having an edge along the top edge of the box under the glass. The inner panel is at least the combination of the door frame and the window frame. The door frame can extend around the window or be limited to the volume of the box. In the particular case where the door frame extends around the window, the window frame is superimposed on the part of the door frame located around the window, for example on the face of said door frame facing the window. outside the vehicle. The window frame circumvents the window along the edges of said window positioned above the box when the window is fully raised. The reinforcing structure increases the rigidity of the interior door panel. The edge of the reinforcing structure positioned along the top edge of the box, under the window portion, allows to create a rigid support adapted to receive a window cleaner. The reinforcing structure may be metal, or advantageously composite material or plastic to gain mass. This design makes it possible to minimize the quantity of material used, this configuration makes it possible to lighten and reduce the cost of the door. In a preferred embodiment, the end of the lock side window frame covers at least a portion of the edge of the door frame lock side to a position located at least between the position of the lock and the line defined by the high edge of the box so as to create an overlap area on the lock side edge and / or the hinge end of the window frame covers at least the hinge side edge of the door frame to a position at least between the position of one of the hinges and the line defined by the top edge of the box so as to create a hinge-side overlap area. By covering a portion of the door frame by the end of the window frame, the attachment in this area of said door frame and said window frame is more rigid. The design is simplified because there is no need to add specific parts to strengthen this link. The area between the part of the door framing the window and the door box is stiffened without adding new parts. The lock side edge may be the rear edge of the door in the case of a door opening with hinges placed on the front edge of the door. Conversely, in the case of a door opening in the opposite direction, the hinges are positioned on the rear edge of the door and the lock on the front edge. If the door is of the sliding type, the hinges will be replaced by means of blocking the door, such as lock or blocking type locking device. In another embodiment, the overlap area of the lock side end of the window frame extends at least up to the lock so as to create a lock reinforcement adapted to support said lock, and / or the hinge-side overlap zone of the end of said window frame covers the edge of the hinge-side door frame at least to one of the hinges so as to create a hinge reinforcement adapted to support said hinge (s). The lock reinforcement is thus formed by the end of the window frame located on the lock side. Similarly, it is possible to achieve the hinge reinforcement with the end of the lock-side window frame. If the door has a plurality of hinges, the hinge-side window frame end may provide a hinge reinforcement capable of receiving all the hinges by extending and covering the edge of the hinge-side door frame to the hinge located the most low. The design of the door is simplified.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure is fixed at least on the lock-side overlay area and / or on the hinge-side overlap area. The overlapping areas being areas reinforced by the superposition of a portion of the door frame and the window frame, it will be advantageous to attach the reinforcing structure. Thus, areas normally reinforced specifically to receive the fasteners of said reinforcing structure may be reduced or eliminated. The fixing means are fixing means known to those skilled in the art. In the case of a structure of composite material or plastic material, metal inserts may be provided to allow reliable attachment.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure comprises a lock reinforcement and / or at least one hinge reinforcement adapted to allow the attachment of at least one of the hinges on said door. The integration of the lock reinforcement to the reinforcement structure makes it possible to fix the lock to the inner panel by using said lock reinforcement to receive the fastening means. In particular, in the case where the end lock side of the window frame does not form a lock reinforcement, this configuration makes it possible to create a reinforcement adapted to receive the forces resulting from locking system. In the same manner, hinge reinforcements may be inserted into the reinforcing structure so as to attach at least one of the hinges to the inner panel by using said hinge reinforcements to receive the fastening means for said hinge (s), particular in the case where one of the hinges is not attached to the end of the side hinge of the window frame acting as a hinge reinforcement. The forces from the hinges can thus be transferred directly to the reinforcing structure. The sizing of the inner panel can be decreased locally. These reinforcements may also come to supplement the reinforcements lock and / or hinge already present on the inner panel, especially when they are made by covering a portion of the door frame by the ends of the window frame. The design of the door is simplified as well as the assembly of the whole, while improving the rigidity of the door. The lock reinforcements may be made for example by adding a metal insert plate in the case of a reinforcing structure made of composite material or plastic. They can be made by a thickness of material so as to locally reinforce the reinforcement structure.

The reinforcing structure can thus be fixed to the inner door panel by means of fixing the lock and / or the hinge or hinges on the inner panel. The fastening means used to secure the reinforcing structure on the inner panel are common with the fastening means of the lock or one or more door hinges on the inner panel. The design and assembly of the door is simplified.

For example at the fastening of the lock on the rear edge of the inner panel, if the fastening means are screw-nut type means, the inner panel will be sandwiched between the lock and the lock side edge of the structure reinforcement. An identical design is also possible at the hinge fixing on the hinge side edge of the inner panel.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure has a substantially trapezoidal shape, whose substantially parallel edges correspond to the lock-side edge and the hinge-side edge of said reinforcement structure, the length of the lock-side edge of said reinforcement structure being smaller than the length of the hinge-side edge of said reinforcing structure. This shape makes it possible to clear a space under the reinforcing structure so as to provide a passageway to reach the space behind said reinforcing structure, between said reinforcement structure and the outer panel, for example to install equipment in the door such as as the window lift system or electrical harnesses. This shape also reduces the amount of material for the reinforcing structure while maintaining its effects of improving the rigidity of the door. By this form giving a structure of type gallows, the vertical forces applied to the door are retransmitted to the hinges effectively. Ideally, the long edge extends at least between the areas intended to receive the high hinge and the low hinge.

Preferably, the highest point of attachment of the lock side edge of the reinforcing structure on the inner panel is positioned at a height at least equal to or greater than the height of the lowest hinge.

The reinforcing structure thus better transmits the vertical forces applied to the door towards the hinges. Ideally, the highest point of attachment of the lock side edge of the reinforcing structure on the inner panel is positioned at an altitude at least substantially equal to or greater than the altitude of the highest hinge.

The reinforcing structure forms at least one plane surface substantially parallel to a vertical plane passing through the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door is mounted on the vehicle and in the closed position, so as to have good rigidity with respect to vertical forces. Preferably, the planar surface forms a trapezoidal surface of the reinforcing structure. It can contain areas without matter to gain mass. This configuration makes it possible to obtain a high degree of rigidity of the reinforcement structure with respect to the vertical forces applied to the door, in particular when the door is in the open position on the vehicle.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure comprises at least one hollow body extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel and / or flat surfaces forming ribs substantially perpendicular to the surface of the reinforcing structure. and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door is installed on the vehicle and in the closed position, extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel so as to create ribs, said hollow body (20) and / or said ribs being able to give said reinforcing structure a buckling resistance when a compressive force is applied to said reinforcement structure in the longitudinal direction. Advantageously, these forms make it possible to give the reinforcement structure a high resistance against buckling when compressive forces are applied to said reinforcement structure between its ends on the lock side and the hinge side. Thus, in case of frontal impact, the reinforcement structure will resist better and will prevent significant deformation of the vehicle structure around the door, for example by avoiding the rearward movement of the front foot of the vehicle in the case of a front door. Preferably, the hollow body is positioned at the same level or above a line connecting the high hinge to the lock. Advantageously, this design using a reinforcing structure incorporating the frontal impact reinforcement makes it possible to create a hollow body for said frontal impact reinforcement having a large section which improves the resistance in the event of a frontal impact. The hollow body and the ribs advantageously also increase the torsional stiffness of the reinforcement structure.

In another embodiment, the vehicle door has a lateral impact reinforcement extending substantially from the bottom corner on the lock side edge of the door to the reinforcing structure in an oblique direction as directed substantially to the high corner of the lock side edge of the box or substantially towards one of the hinges. One end of the lateral impact reinforcement is located at the bottom corner on the door lock side edge, which corresponds to the area of the door facing a structural element such as the lower part of the door. middle foot in the case of a front door, said end allows, in case of side impact, the transfer of forces on the vehicle structure. The other end of the lateral shock reinforcement being connected to the reinforcement structure, in the event of a side impact, the forces of the shock pass through the lateral impact reinforcement and the reinforcing structure towards the hinges and the lock, so as to transmit said efforts to the structure of the vehicle and has limited intrusions into the cabin. Occupant protection is ensured without complicating the construction of the door. The lateral impact reinforcement and the reinforcing structure can be made in one piece.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure comprises means for attaching door equipment, such as a gusset or a mirror foot, an interior door pull handle, an interior door control, a top a side airbag, one or more window guide rails, a window lift motor, a door trim. The reinforcing structure being a rigid part participating in the structure of the inner door panel, it is adapted to directly recover the forces applied to these equipment listed above in a non-limiting manner. This design makes it possible to remove from the interior door panel reinforcements and fixings specific for these equipment, and to lighten said inner panel. In the case of the presence of a fixing intended to receive a mirror gusset, it will be located preferentially on a part of the reinforcement structure not facing the space traversed by the window during its descent in order to do not interfere with the descent of said window, the reinforcement structure being located in the box preferentially of the vehicle interior side relative to the plane defined by the window when the latter is in the lowered position, so as to allow the attachment of other equipment such as the door pull handle or the door interior control. For example, in the case of a door having a fixed window, the means for fixing the mirror gusset placed on the reinforcing structure will be positioned in the fixed window area. The attachment zone may be an outgrowth on the surface of the reinforcing structure extending towards the outer panel so as to create a surface capable of receiving fastening means of the rear view mirror gusset.

In another embodiment, at least a portion of the exterior surface of the vehicle side-facing reinforcement structure, when the door is installed on the vehicle and closed, replaces at least a portion of the door interior trim. The size of the added door trim is reduced, reducing its weight and cost. The hollow body created in the reinforcing structure and serving as a frontal impact reinforcement can be advantageously used to create ergonomic and aesthetic forms on the passenger side. The reinforcing structure comprises means for fixing a door lock and / or one or more hinges, intended to be fixed between the edges lock side and hinge side of a vehicle door, the edges of the surface of said reinforcing structure substantially defining a trapezoid shaped polygon. The reinforcing structure may include a door side impact reinforcement. The reinforcement structure is preferably made of composite material and comprises metal inserts for making fastening means and reinforcements locally to receive the forces from the elements which are fixed on the reinforcement structure. The use of a plastic or composite material, such as polyamide 6.6 loaded with cut glass fibers, allows for a lightweight but rigid reinforcement structure, with complex shapes while being easy to achieve and using known and controlled production techniques. Preferably, the reinforcing structure is produced by molding or blowing plastic material, stamping a composite material It can also be produced by a projection of glass fibers and a thermoplastic such as polyamide 6.6, on a preforming mold, followed by thermocompression, according to a method called thermocompression dry preform.

In the second exemplary embodiment for a door without frame, that is to say a door which comprises a movable window and a box disposed under said window when said window is in the up position and having no frame completely surrounding said movable window when said window is in the raised position, the door which is intended to be fixed to the structure of a vehicle with the aid of at least one hinge positioned on one of the edges of the box which will be called edge hinge side , comprises an inner panel, an outer panel and a reinforcing structure that stiffens the inner panel. The inner panel is U-shaped, one of the branches of the U forms the edge hinge side of said inner panel, the other branch forms the edge lock side of said inner panel, and the lower part of the U forms the bottom edge of said box located opposite the window when said window is in the raised position; the reinforcement structure is adapted to create a frontal impact reinforcement and to stiffen the inner panel, said reinforcement structure extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of said inner panel, having an edge along the top edge of the box under the window, being fixed to at least one hinge reinforcement on which at least one door hinge is fixed, said hinge reinforcement being integrated with the inner panel or said reinforcing structure. The hinge side edge and the lock side edge of the box can be made by the hinge side edge and the lock side edge of the inner panel.

 Thus, the inner panel is made with little material and is reinforced by the reinforcing structure. The edge of the reinforcing structure positioned along the top edge of the box, under the window portion, allows to create a rigid support adapted to receive for example a window cleaner. The reinforcing structure may be metal, or advantageously composite material or plastic to gain mass. The structural reinforcement thus positioned will advantageously stiffen the door and provide a shock reinforcement function, particularly in the event of a frontal impact of the vehicle. This design minimizes the amount of material used, and thus lighten and reduce the cost of the door.

By fixing the inner panel to at least one hinge reinforcement, the forces taken up by the reinforcing structure, such as the weight of the door or the impact forces, are directly retransmitted to the hinges. This design advantageously avoids adding intermediate parts between the reinforcing structure and at least one of the hinge reinforcements, or reinforcing certain areas of the inner panel of the door only to fix the reinforcing structure on said inner panel. The mass of the door is reduced.

The hinge reinforcements may be reinforcing pieces fixed first to the door and having means capable of fixing the reinforcing structure, or being reinforcing pieces first fixed to the reinforcing structure and then fixed to the inner panel for example by fixing the hinges on said hinge reinforcements. The hinge reinforcements may be integrated into the reinforcement structure, for example in the form of a metal insert if the reinforcement structure is made of composite or plastic material. If several hinges are used, the hinge reinforcements may be specific to each hinge or made by a single piece extending between the two hinges and acting as a hinge reinforcement for both hinges at a time. Preferably, the reinforcing structure is arranged to be at least partly on the side of the vehicle interior with respect to the plane defined by the window.

In a particular embodiment, the reinforcing structure comprises means for fastening door equipment, such as an interior door pull handle, an interior door control, a speaker, an airbag side, one or more glass guide rails, a window lift motor, a door trim, a gusset or a mirror foot. The reinforcing structure being a rigid piece attached to the inner panel, it is adapted to directly recover the forces applied to the equipment listed above in a non-limiting manner. This design makes it possible to remove the parts of the inner door panel added supporting these equipment, including portions of the inner panel that connect one edge of said inner panel to another edge, and thus lighten the inner panel. In the case of the presence of a fastener intended to receive a mirror gusset, the part of the reinforcing structure intended to receive the mirror gusset will preferably be located on a part of the reinforcement structure not facing the mirror. the space traversed by the window during its descent into the box so as not to interfere with the descent of said window, when said reinforcement structure is located in the box mainly on the vehicle interior side with respect to the plane defined by the window when the one it is in the lowered position. For example, in the case of a frameless door having a fixed window, the fixing means of the rear view mirror gusset placed on the reinforcing structure will be positioned under the zone of the fixed window. The attachment zone may be an outgrowth on the surface of the reinforcing structure extending towards the outer panel so as to create a surface capable of receiving fastening means of the rear view mirror gusset.

By making a reinforcing structure of composite material, it becomes possible to make more complex shapes and more suitable to support equipment using a simple manufacturing process.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure has a substantially triangular shape so that the length of the lock-side edge of said reinforcing structure is smaller than the length of the hinge-side edge of said reinforcing structure. The triangular shape of the reinforcing structure corresponds to a shape whose height of one of the edges of said reinforcement structure is greater than that of the opposite side, the height being the dimension of the reinforcement structure in the vertical direction in the reference frame of the vehicle when said structure is installed on the vehicle door, and the vehicle door positioned on the vehicle. Defining the hinge side edge of the reinforcing structure as being the edge of said reinforcing structure attached to the hinge side edge of the inner panel, and the lock side edge of the reinforcing structure corresponding to the edge of said reinforcing structure attached to the edge lock side of the inner panel, the hinge side edge of said reinforcing structure will be chosen greater height than the lock side edge of said reinforcing structure. Ideally, in the case of a door hinged by two hinges, the edge hinge side of the reinforcing structure extends at least from one hinge to the other. This triangular shape gives a structure type gallows. Advantageously, the vertical forces applied to the door are retransmitted through this form of the reinforcing structure to the hinges effectively. This shape also allows to clear a space under the reinforcing structure so as to provide a wide passage to reach the space behind said reinforcing structure, between said reinforcing structure and the outer panel, for example to install equipment in the door such as the window lift system. This shape also reduces the amount of material used for the reinforcing structure while stiffening the door. The edge of the lower part of the reinforcement structure, that is to say opposite the edge disposed along the top edge of the box, may be concave in order to improve accessibility to the interior volume of the door box.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure is attached to the inner lock-side panel to a lock-fixing reinforcement. The lock reinforcement can be made conventionally by a reinforcing piece that stiffens the fastening zone of the lock, made for example by fixing a metal plate on the inner panel. Alternatively, said lock reinforcement on which the lock is attached may be integrated in the reinforcing structure, for example by a metal insert placed in the reinforcement structure if it is made of composite material. The edge of the lock side reinforcement structure may include an extension for fixing said reinforcing structure on the lock reinforcement when said lock reinforcement is not disposed opposite the lock side edge of said reinforcing structure.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure comprises at least one hollow body extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel and / or a substantially flat surface, defining a plane oriented substantially along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door is mounted on the vehicle and in the closed position, having ribs substantially perpendicular to said surface of the reinforcing structure and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door is installed on the vehicle and in the closed position, said ribs extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock side edge of the reinforcing structure, said hollow body and / or said ribs being adapted to give said reinforcing structure buckling resistance when a compressive force is applied to said reinforcing structure in the longitudinal direction. Advantageously, this improvement in the strength of the reinforcement structure against buckling when compressive forces are applied to said reinforcing structure between its ends lock side and hinge side, allows said reinforcing structure to withstand better in case of frontal impact , and to avoid significant deformations of the vehicle structure around the door, for example by avoiding the rearward movement of the front foot of the vehicle in the case of a front door. Preferably, the hollow body and / or the ribs are positioned at the same level or above a line connecting the hinge disposed closest to the top edge of the box to the lock. The hollow body and the ribs advantageously also increase the torsional stiffness of the reinforcement structure. The hollow body can in in addition to being used for functions other than stiffening the inner panel, such as acoustic functions by creating an acoustic volume to improve the sound reproduction of a speaker.

In another embodiment, the box comprises a lateral impact reinforcement extending substantially from the bottom corner on the lock side edge of the box to the reinforcing structure in an oblique direction as directed substantially towards the top corner of the box. edge hinge side of the box or substantially towards one of the hinges. One end of the lateral impact reinforcement is located at the bottom corner on the lock side edge of the box, which corresponds to the door area in front of a structural element such as the lower part of the foot middle in the case of a front door, said end allows, in case of side impact, the transfer of forces on the vehicle structure. The other end of the lateral shock reinforcement being connected to the reinforcement structure, in the event of a side impact, the forces of the shock pass through the lateral impact reinforcement and the reinforcing structure towards the hinges and the lock, so as to transmit said efforts to the structure of the vehicle and has limited intrusions into the cabin. The protection of the occupants is ensured without complicating the construction of the door. The lateral shock reinforcement and the reinforcing structure may be made in one piece, or be two independent parts attached to one another.

In another embodiment, the reinforcing structure comprises at least one means for guiding one of the edges of the window. The guide means may be formed by a form of the reinforcing structure or be a part attached to the reinforcing structure. Said guide means may be of a form conventionally used in the automobile, such as a U-shaped profile shape adapted to receive a seal comprising lips between which the edge of the pane slides. This arrangement of the guide means connected to said reinforcement structure advantageously makes it possible to improve the rigidity of said guide means. It also allows the guide means to extend preferentially from the edge of the reinforcing structure disposed along the top edge of the box, towards the interior of the box. The fact that the guide means of the window comes closest to the edge of the reinforcing structure along the top edge of the box allows better maintenance of the window near said top edge of the box. The movements of the window perpendicular to the surface of said window are better controlled and the risks of noise due to shocks between the window and the parts of the door located near the top edge of the window. caisson, are limited. The maintenance of the window is improved when said window is in the closed position as well as in the intermediate positions between the fully raised glass position and the fully lowered glass position. The manufacture of the door is simplified and the cost decreased. Games between the glass and the upper part of the box are better controlled and allow a better aesthetic finish.

The reinforcing structure is preferably positioned on the passenger side relative to the window. Alternatively, the reinforcing structure may have portions on each side of the window. For example, said reinforcing structure may form a stiffener of the outer panel top edge, or have a lateral shock absorbing volume extending in the portion of the vehicle outer side box with respect to the window.

In another embodiment, the door comprises a window positioned at the upper edge of the box, said window having a guide rail adapted to guide one of the edges of the movable window during its movement, said guide rail extending along the fenestron and continuing in the interior volume of the box, and at least a portion of said guide rail located in the interior volume of the box is attached to the reinforcing structure. This design advantageously makes it possible to stiffen the guide rail, to better maintain said guide rail vis-à-vis the forces perpendicular to the surface of the fenestron, and consequently to improve the maintenance of the window. The guide rail may be an independent piece attached to the reinforcement structure or a shape made by the reinforcement structure itself, which reduces the number of parts and therefore the cost of manufacture.

To manufacture this type of door, the following manufacturing method comprising at least the following steps can be used:

fixing the reinforcing structure on the inner panel fixing the outer panel on the inner door panel; the step of fixing said reinforcing structure on said inner panel taking place before or at the same time as the fixing step of the outer panel on the inner panel.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which: Figs. 1 to 6 are representations of a first embodiment of a door according to the invention comprising a frame around the window of the door,

Fig. 1 shows a door having a box and a window portion, the box being positioned below the window portion. - Fig. 2 shows the inner panel consisting of a door frame in the form of a closed frame extending around the entire periphery of the door and on which a window frame is fixed at the window portion.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a door according to the invention comprising the reinforcing structure, a side impact reinforcement and supports for fixing different equipment of the door.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a section along A-A of the lock side portion of the reinforcing structure having a hollow body.

Fig. 5 is a view of the outside face of the door without the outer panel, showing the integration of the rails of the window lifter system. - Fig. 6 is a view of a vehicle door having a visible reinforcing structure and said reinforcing structure forms part of the door trim, the other part being a trim panel added.

Figs. 7 to 12 are representations of a second embodiment of a door according to the invention having no frame around the window of the door - FIG. 7 is a diagram of a door without a frame, comprising a box disposed under a window portion, the window portion having no frame completely flanking the window.

 Fig. 8 is a view of a frameless door having a U-shaped inner panel and a reinforcing structure connecting the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel, the reinforcing structure including fastening means for equipment of the door.

Fig. 9 is a front perspective view of the U-shaped inner panel. FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a frameless door having a U-shaped inner panel and a reinforcing structure connecting the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a door according to FIG. 10, and further comprising a lateral shock reinforcement.

 Fig. 12 is a view of a frameless door having a window and showing the position of guide rails fixed or integrated to the reinforcement structure. The drawings are schematic representations to facilitate the understanding of the invention. The components are not necessarily represented on the scale. The same references correspond to the same components from one figure to another.

Fig. 1 shows a vehicle door 1 comprising a box 14 and a window portion 15. The box is positioned under the window portion 15. The window portion 15 comprises a window 151 which, generally, slides down into the box 14. An element the structure of the door 1 is around the window 151 when said window 151 is in the raised position.

Fig. 2 shows the door 1 having an inner panel 11, the outer panel not being shown. The inner panel 11 is made at least in two parts, a window frame 112 surrounding the window framing the edges of the window 151 located above the box 14, and a door frame 111 forming at least the part of the inner panel 11 at the box 14. The window portion 15 of the door 1 is made by the superposition of the window portion 15 of the door frame 111 and the window frame 112. The inner panel 11 may also be formed by a door frame 111 having no window portion 15, stopping at the top edge of the box 14, the window portion 15 of the inner panel 11 being formed solely by the window frame 112.

Each of the ends of the window frame 113 and 114 cover a portion of the edges of the door frame 111 located under the top edge of the box 14. Said edges of the door frame 111 on which said ends of the window frame 113 and 114 extend are the edges receiving the lock 4 and the hinges 31 and / or 32. Said coverings reinforce the inner panel 11 at the area between the box 14 and the window portion 15, and improve the rigidity of the window portion 15 vis-à-vis aerodynamic efforts and break-ins. The lock side end 113 of the window frame 112 covers the edge of the door frame 111 lock side to a position located at least between the position of the lock 4 and the top edge of the box 14. Preferably, as shown on fig. 3, said lock side end 113 of the window frame 112 covers the edge lock side of the door frame 111 to the position of the lock, thereby forming a lock reinforcement for fixing said lock 4. Similarly, hinge side, the end of the hinge side window frame 114 covers the edge the door frame 111 hinge side at least to the highest hinge 61 located highest to create a hinge reinforcement for fixing the said hinge high 61. Alternatively, said edge of the hinge side window frame 114 can extend to the lower hinge 62 located lower than the high hinge 61, so as to create a reinforcement for said high hinge 61 and said low hinge 62. If the door has a door stop system, the portion of said door stop system positioned on the door may be attached to said hinge reinforcement. A rigid reinforcing structure 2 extends between the lock-side edge and the hinge-side edge of the inner panel 11, affixing to said edges of the inner panel 11, so as to create a structure reinforcing the rigidity of the inner panel 11. From Preferably, the reinforcing structure 2 is fastened on the lock side at the lock reinforcement made by the end of the lock-side window frame 113, while its opposite side is fixed to the edge of the inner panel 11 on the hinge side at the level of the reinforcement. hinge formed by the end of the hinge side window frame 114. The reinforcing structure 2 may comprise metal inserts in the case of a plastic or composite material structure, or extra thicknesses, in order to reinforce the fastening zones of said reinforcing structure with the inner panel 11. Said reinforcing structure 2 can then be fixed to the inner panel by the same fastening means of the lock 4. For example, the inner panel 11 and the lock reinforcement made by the end of the lock side window frame 113 can be sandwiched between the lock 4 and the edge of the reinforcement structure 2 lock side, the means for fixing the lock 4 cooperating with said end of the reinforcing structure 2 on the lock side. Similarly, on the hinge side, the reinforcing structure 2 can be fastened to the inner panel 11 at least by the same means of fixing the upper hinge 61 to the inner panel 11. For example, the inner panel 11 and the hinge reinforcement for the high hinge 61 made by the end of the hinge-side window frame 114 can be sandwiched between at least the hinge 61 and the edge of the reinforcing structure 2 on the hinge side, the fastening means of the high hinge 61 cooperating with said end of the reinforcing structure 2 on the hinge side. The same design can be applied to the fixing of the reinforcing structure 2 to the inner panel 11 at the level of the low hinge 62. Preferably, the reinforcement structure 2 is connected by fastening means to both the lock 4 and the hinges 61 and 62.

Other methods of fixing the reinforcement structure 2, the lock 4 and the hinges 61 and 62 can be made. For example, for fixing the reinforcement structure 2 lock side on the inner panel 11 and the lock 4: in the case where the lock reinforcement is a specific piece different from the end of lock side window frame 113, said lock reinforcement can be placed on the inner panel 11, and the end of the reinforcement structure 2 on the lock side can be fixed on this lock reinforcement. A reinforcing member in the reinforcing structure 2 may be provided to allow this attachment in a solid manner and the transfer of the forces of the inner panel 11 to said reinforcing structure 2; the reinforcing structure 2 can integrate said lock reinforcement and be fixed on the edge of the inner panel 11 lock side at a portion of said inner panel 11 outside the area of recovery of the end of the window frame lock side 113 and the door frame 111.

The end of the reinforcement structure 2 lock side can be fixed on the end of the lock side window frame 113 covering a portion of the door frame 111 of the lock side, the lock 4 being fixed on the inner panel 11 out of said end of the lock side window frame 113. - The edge of the reinforcement structure 2 lock side can be placed between a portion of the end of the lock side window frame 113 and the door frame 111.

Identical configurations may be adapted for fixing the hinges 61 and 62 and the reinforcing structure 2 on the hinge side to the edge of the inner panel 111 on the hinge side and / or on the end of the hinge side glass frame 114. FIG. 3 shows a configuration in which the ends of the window frame 113 and 114 are positioned between the ends of the reinforcing structure 2 and the door frame 111.

The forces coming from the lock 4 and the hinges 61 and 62 are thus transmitted to the reinforcement structure 2.

So that the forces on the door 1, especially when the door 1 is open, such as the weight of the door 1 or the forces during the handling of the door 1 the door 1, are efficiently transmitted to the hinges 61 and 62 by the reinforcing structure 2, said reinforcing structure 2 forms a substantially trapezoidal surface, whose substantially parallel edges correspond to the edge lock side and the edge hinge side of said reinforcement structure 2. Recesses can be made in the reinforcing structure 2 so as to lighten it. Preferably, the length of the lock-side edge of said reinforcing structure 2 is smaller than the length of the hinge-side edge of said reinforcement structure 2. This stem-like structure allows a distribution of the forces towards the high hinges 61 and low 62. The trapezoidal shape makes it possible to limit the amount of material used and to clear a space under the reinforcement structure 2 so as to allow access in the volume of the box 14 located between the reinforcement structure 2 and the outer panel, so that to allow the installation of equipment such as for example the window lifter system or the passage of electrical harnesses. The lower edge of the reinforcing structure 2 connecting the bottom of the lock-side edge of said reinforcing structure 2 to the bottom of the hinge-side edge of said reinforcing structure 2 located near the lower hinge 32, can be hollowed out. so as to form a concave line to increase the space available under said reinforcement structure 2 to access the interior volume of the box 14.

In order to give good buckling resistance, the reinforcement structure 2 comprises a hollow body 20 extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel 2. Preferably, said hollow body 20 is of tubular shape, and is positioned at the same level or above a line connecting the high hinge 61 to the lock 4. In FIG. 4, the section of the hollow body 20 is of substantially square section and forms the upper part of the reinforcing structure. Other forms known to those skilled in the art are possible. Alternatively, ribs may be created on the reinforcing structure 2, substantially perpendicular to the surface of the reinforcing structure 2 and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door 1 is installed on the vehicle and in the closed position, to increase the buckling resistance. The reinforcing structure 2 may also comprise a hollow body 20 and said ribs.

The door 1 may comprise a lateral impact reinforcement 5, one end of which is located substantially at the bottom corner on the lock side edge of the inner panel 11 and extending to the reinforcing structure 2 in one direction. oblique directed substantially to the top corner of the lock side edge of the box 14 or substantially in direction of one of the hinges 61 or 62. The lateral impact reinforcement 5 can be made directly with the reinforcing structure 2, in one piece, or by a piece preferably fixed before the mounting of said reinforcing structure 2 on the inner panel 11. The mounting of the door 1 is thus simplified. In the event of a side impact, the impact forces are distributed over the structure of the vehicle by passing through the lateral shock reinforcement 5 and the reinforcement structure 2, in particular via the hinges 61 and 62, and the lock 4, as well as by the low corner of the inner panel 2 receiving one end of the lateral shock reinforcement 5 and facing a structural element of the vehicle.

The reinforcing structure 2 comprises means for attaching equipment to the door 1, such as a gusset or a mirror foot, an interior door pull handle 22, an interior door control 23, a speaker 21 , a side airbag, one or more window guide rails, a window lift motor, a door trim panel. In the case of a fixation of a rear view mirror gusset, the reinforcing structure comprises an extension 24 adapted to receive the fixation of the mirror gusset placed preferably in an area that is not crossed by the pane 151 during its downhill movement. Indeed, the mirror gusset being positioned on the outer face of the door 1 and the reinforcing structure 2 on the inner panel 11, the vehicle interior side with respect to the pane 151 when the latter is lowered, the extension 24 for fixing the mirror gusset must cross the plane defined by the window 151 during its movement. In fig. 3, the door 1 comprises a fixed window 16 next to the window 151, said extension 24 being placed under the fixed window 26.

Fig. 5 shows the implantation of the window lifter system 7 with guide rails fixed at the top on the reinforcement structure 2.

In the case of a reinforcement of structure 2 made of composite material or plastic, metal inserts may be provided to enable reliable attachment of said equipment to said reinforcement structure 2.

The use of a plastic or composite material, such as polyamide 6.6 loaded with cut glass fibers, allows for a lightweight but rigid reinforcement structure, with complex shapes while being easy to achieve and using known and controlled production techniques. The shaping of the reinforcing structure 2 can be carried out by molding or blowing plastics material, stamping of a composite material. In particular, the reinforcing structure 2 may be produced by a projection of glass fibers and a thermoplastic such as polyamide 6.6, on a preforming mold, followed by thermocompression, according to a process called dry preform thermocompression, or by a projection of glass fibers and a thermoset plastic material on a preform mold followed by a thermocompression called F3P. Metal inserts may be introduced locally to provide fixing means and reinforcements for receiving the forces from the elements which are fixed on the reinforcing structure 2 and fastenings of said reinforcing structure 2 on the inner panel 11. The structure 2 can be fixed on the inner panel 11 of the door 1 to the shoe, before or at the same time as the fixing operation of the outer panel of the door 1 on the inner panel 11 of the door 1. The outer panel of the door 1 is then fixed to the inner panel 11.

In fig. 6, at least a part of the outer surface of the reinforcement structure 2 facing the passenger side of the vehicle, when the door 1 is installed on the vehicle and closed, replaces at least a portion of the door interior lining 1. A panel of trim 17 is added to create for example storage areas, armrests, and close the volume of the box 14 below the reinforcement structure 2. The dimension of the door trim panel 17 is reduced, thereby reducing its mass and its cost. A plastic or natural coating, such as leather, on a portion of the reinforcing structure 2 may be provided to improve the visual and tactile quality of the surface of said reinforcing structure visible by a passenger of the vehicle.

Fig. 7 shows a frameless door 1, which is a door having a box 2 located below a window portion, said window portion comprising a movable window 151 movable in the box 14, in particular by sliding, and possibly a fenestron ( shown in Fig. 12), but having no frame completely surrounding the window 151 when said window 151 is in the up position.

Fig. 8 shows a door casing 14 according to the invention comprising a U-shaped inner panel 11, an outer panel 12 and a reinforcing structure 2, seen from the face of the box 14 facing the inside of the vehicle when the door 1 is installed on a vehicle. The U-shaped inner panel 11 is shown naked in FIG. 9. The inner panel 11 can be relalised by stamping a metal sheet or in composite or plastic material. Hinges 6 are fixed on one of the branches of the U formed by the inner panel 11 which will be called edge hinge side of the inner panel 11, while a lock is fixed on the other branch of the U, that the lock side edge of the inner panel 11. The reinforcing structure 2 extends from the lock side edge to the hinge side edge of the inner panel 11 and connects the two ends of the branches of the U. One of the edges of said reinforcement structure 2, extending between the edge hinge side and the edge lock side of the inner panel 11, along the top edge of the box 14, said top edge of the box 14 being the edge positioned at the bottom of the pane 151 when said pane 151 is in raised position. As shown in fig. 10, the reinforcing structure 2 may comprise a hollow body 20 extending from the hinge-side edge to the lock-side edge of the inner panel 11. Other forms for the reinforcing structure 2, known to those skilled in the art, may be used to obtain a reinforcing structure 2 able to pass forces in the event of a frontal impact of the vehicle and to stiffen the casing 14. For example, the reinforcing structure 2 may also be formed of at least a substantially flat portion, preferably oriented in a plane defined by the longitudinal axis and the vertical axis of the vehicle, when the door 1 is installed on the vehicle and in the closed position, and ribs positioned on said flat portion, substantially perpendicular to the surface of said portion plane of the reinforcing structure 2 and extending over the reinforcing structure 2 preferably from the hinge side edge to the lock side edge of the inner panel 11. In order to obtain a good reinforcement With respect to the forces along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the event of a frontal impact, the ribs are preferably positioned parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle when the door 1 is mounted on the vehicle and in the closed position. The reinforcing structure 2 is fixed at least on one side to the hinge-side edge of the inner panel 11 and on the other side to the lock-side edge of the inner panel 11. Said reinforcing structure 2 is attached to the hinge-side edge of the panel interior 11 via at least one of the hinge reinforcements conventionally used to fix the hinges 6 on the inner panel 11. In order to better transfer the forces towards the structure of the vehicle, in particular the mass of the door 1, the reinforcement structure 2 is preferably fastened to the two hinge reinforcements 6. Alternatively, the hinge reinforcements 6 may form part of said reinforcing structure 2. For example, in the case of a reinforcing structure 2 made of composite material or plastic, the hinges reinforcements 6 can be metal inserts placed in the material at the time of production of said reinforcing structure 2. The hinges 6 are then attached to the hinge reinforcements 6 integrated to the reinforcing structure 2 and the inner panel 11 is fixed to said reinforcing structure 2 by said hinge reinforcements 6. Other fixing points between said reinforcing structure 2 and said inner panel 11 can be added outside the hinge reinforcements 6. Alternatively, only the reinforcing structure 2 is attached to the hinge reinforcements 6, while the inner panel 11 is not fixed to said hinge reinforcements 6, said inner panel 11 then being fixed to the reinforcing structure 2 in other different locations of the hinge reinforcements 6 by known fastening means those skilled in the art, such as for example by gluing, riveting, welding, screwing, crimping, etc. For example, the reinforcing structure 2 can be fixed by crimping. e portions of said reinforcing structure 2 on the inner panel 11, providing areas adapted to allow the crimping of said inner panel 11 on said reinforcing structure 2, or said reinforcing structure 2 on said inner panel 11. In particular, if the reinforcing structure 2 is of composite or plastic material, metal inserts in said reinforcing structure 2 may be provided to allow said crimping.

The reinforcing structure 2 is also fixed on the lock-side edge of the inner panel 11. The attachment modes may be similar to those used for fixing on the hinge-side edge of the inner panel 11, in particular by fixing on a lock reinforcement. used to reinforce the inner panel 11 at the fixing of said lock on the inner panel 11. In the case where the lock is positioned in an area spaced from the end of the reinforcing structure 2, said end of the structure of reinforcement 2 lock side may comprise a rigid part extending between the lock reinforcement and said end of the reinforcing structure 2 so as to allow the attachment of said reinforcing structure 2 on said lock reinforcement. Other attachment methods known to those skilled in the art can also be envisaged, such as gluing, riveting, welding, screwing, crimping, etc.

Fig. 10 shows a sectional view of the frameless door 1 whose reinforcing structure 2 is positioned on the vehicle interior side with respect to the plane defined by the window 151 when said window is in the lowered position in the box 14. The outer panel 12 is fixed on the inner panel 11, the outer vehicle side with respect to the plane defined by the window 151 when said window is in the lowered position in the box 14. A stiffening piece 8 is placed along the top edge of the box 14 on the facing side oriented interior vehicle of the outer panel 12. This piece stiffens the top edge of the outer panel 12 of the box 2. Alternatively, this stiffening piece 8 can be achieved by the reinforcing structure 2. The reinforcement structure 2 comprises then a part located on the inside of the vehicle with respect to the plane defined by the window 151 when the door 1 is on the vehicle, and a part of the outside of the vehicle always with respect to the plane defined by the window 151 and which carries out the part 151. The reinforcing structure 2 and the stiffening piece 8 are then separated at least in part by a slot allowing the passage of the window 151. The reinforcement structure 2 and the rigidification piece 8 may be independent or interconnected in the areas not traversed by the pane 151, such as for example at the respective ends of the reinforcing structure 2 located near the side edge. hinge and lock side edge of interior panel 11.

Fastening means 21, 22, 33 and 24 adapted to fix equipment of the door may be provided, for example, and without limitation, a speaker fixing means 21, a fixing means for a handle 22, a fastening means for an opening control 23 or a mirror fixing means 24 adapted to fix a gusset or a mirror foot. The mirror fixing means 24 is preferably placed in an area that is not crossed by the window 151 during its downward movement. In the case of a mirror foot resting on the outer panel 12, the reinforcing structure 2 may include an extension on which is positioned the mirror support 24 fixing the foot of the mirror. This extension is positioned in an area not crossed by the window 151 during its downward movement. For example, in the case of a door 1 having a fixed window 16, shown in FIG. 12, the mirror support 24 is preferably placed on a part of the reinforcing structure 2 located under said window 16. If the stiffening piece 8 is a part of the reinforcing structure 2, the mirror fixing means can be placed on said stiffening piece 8. The fastening means 21, 22, 23 and 24 may comprise metal inserts placed in the material of the reinforcing structure 2, in particular in the case of a reinforcing structure 2 made of composite or plastic material, and comprise forms adapted to receive said equipment. Other equipment of the door, such as for example glass guide rails or a lifting system of the window can be fixed at least partly on the reinforcing structure 2.

The reinforcing structure 2 is substantially of triangular shape, that is to say that the edge of said reinforcing structure 2 disposed along the hinge-side edge of the inner panel 11 is longer than the edge of said reinforcing structure 2 disposed along the lock-side edge of the inner panel 11. The side of the reinforcing structure 2 located along the hinge-side edge of the inner panel 11 extends at least from one hinge 6 to the other hinge 6 so as to allow the fixing of the reinforcing structure 2 on the reinforcements of the hinges 6. This triangle shape allows a good recovery of the forces related to the mass of the door to the hinges 6, in the manner of a bracket, optimizing the amount of material used, and therefore the mass, while ensuring the rigidity of the reinforcing structure 2. By releasing more space under the reinforcing structure 2, this triangle shape of the reinforcing structure 2 provides good accessibility. The edge of said reinforcing structure 2 extending between the lock-side edge and the hinge-side edge of the inner panel 11, and disposed opposite the edge disposed along the top edge box 2, can be concave to increase access to the interior volume of the box 14.

In fig. 11, a side impact reinforcement 5 is disposed between the reinforcing structure 2 and the inner panel 11. One end of said lateral impact reinforcement 5 is located substantially at the bottom corner on the lock side edge of the inner panel 11 and extends to the reinforcing structure 2 in an oblique direction directed substantially towards the upper corner of the hinge-side edge of the box 14 or substantially in the direction of one of the hinges 6. The lateral impact reinforcement 5 can be realized directly with the reinforcing structure 2, in one piece, or by a piece preferably fixed before mounting said reinforcing structure 2 on the inner panel 11 to simplify the manufacture of the door 1. In case of side impact, the shock forces are distributed over the structure of the vehicle while passing through the lateral shock reinforcement 5 and the reinforcement structure 2, via including the hinges 6 and the lock, and by the lower corner of the inner panel 11 receiving one end of the side impact reinforcement 5 and facing a structural element of the vehicle.

Fig. 12 shows a vehicle door 1 having a fixed window 16. The fenestron 16 is positioned above the casing 14, along a portion of the high edge of said casing 14. The fenestron 16 comprises at least one window of fenestron and a structure connected to the casing 14 so as to maintain said window of said fenestron 16. The structure of the window 16 comprises at least a part along the window 151 of the door 1, said part of the structure of the window 16 along the window 151 comprising at least one guide means 71 of the window 151. This guide means 71 can be made by a guide rail conventionally used in the automobile to guide the sliding windows. The guiding means 71 is extended in the box volume 14 so as to guide the window 151 to lowered positions. In order to improve the rigidity of the guiding means 71, its resistance to the vibrations related for example to the air beats against the window 151 or the window of the window 16, the guide means 71 is fixed to the reinforcement structure 2 by means known to those skilled in the art, or the guide means 71 is formed with the reinforcing structure 2 in one piece, at the time of shaping of said reinforcing structure 2. Alternatively, the structure of the fenestron 16 can integrate the guide means 71, the extension of said guide means 71 in the box 14 being fixed on the reinforcing structure 2. In another variant, the structure of the fenestron 16 and the guide means 71 can be fixed either only to the reinforcing structure 2, or in combination with a fastening to the inner panel 11 or to another part of the door 1. Alternatively, the structure of the fenestron 16 and / or the guide means 71 may be inserts placed in the structure of renf ort 2 or be one piece with reinforcement structure 2.

Other guiding means may be attached or integrated to the reinforcing structure 2, such as for example a rear guide 72 of the pane 151 along the edge of said pane 151 situated on the side of the lock-side edge of the inner panel 11. This rear guide means 72 stops just at the edge of the reinforcing structure 2 located along the top edge of the box 14, and extends inside the box 14. The length of said rear guide means 72 depends among other equipment installed in the box 14 and of the shape of the inner panel 11. This rear guide means 72 may be a guide means attached to the reinforcing structure 2 or made at the time of shaping of said reinforcing structure 2. Preferably, this guide means rear 72 is in the conventional form of a U-shaped section in which is placed a seal system for sealing, holding and sliding the window 151. Other window guiding means known to man of the craft can be applied.

Part of the outer surface of the reinforcement structure 2 facing the passenger compartment of the vehicle, when the door 1 is installed on the vehicle and closed, can replace at least a portion of an interior lining of the door 1. A trim panel a small size is added below the reinforcing structure 2 to close the interior volume of the box 14 and create for example storage areas, armrests. The size of the trim panel is reduced, reducing its weight and cost. A plastic or natural coating, such as leather, may be provided on a portion of the reinforcing structure 2 to improve the visual and tactile quality of the surface of said reinforcing structure 2 visible by a passenger of the vehicle.

The reinforcing structure 2 may be made of plastic or composite material, such as, for example, polyamide 6.6 loaded with cut glass fibers, which makes it possible to produce a light but rigid reinforcement structure 2 with complex shapes while being easy to use. achieve and using known and controlled production techniques. The shaping of the reinforcing structure 2 can be carried out by molding or blowing plastic material, stamping a composite material. In particular, the reinforcing structure 2 can be produced by a projection of glass fibers and a thermoplastic such as polyamide 6.6, on a preforming mold, followed by thermocompression, according to a process called dry preform thermocompression, or by a projection of glass fibers and a thermoset plastic material on a preform mold followed by a thermocompression called F3P. Metal inserts may be introduced locally to provide fixing means and reinforcements for receiving the forces from the elements which are fixed on the reinforcing structure 2 and fastenings of said reinforcing structure 2 on the inner panel 11. The structure 2 may be fixed on the inner panel 11 in the step of shoeing, before or at the same time as the fixing operation of the outer panel 12 on the inner panel 11. The outer panel 12 is then attached to the inner panel 21. The box 14 can then be immersed in a cataphoresis bath to protect the metal parts against corrosion.

Claims

1 / Vehicle door (1) having at least one inner panel (11) and one outer panel (12), said inner (11) and outer (12) panels defining between them a box (14) in the door part located under a window portion (15) of said door (1) having a window (151), the inner panel (11) having a U-shape at least in the box portion (14) of the door (1), said panel interior (11) having a lock (4) positioned on one of the edges of said inner panel (11) in the box (14) and at least one hinge (6, 61, 62) on the edge of said inner panel (11) opposite the lock-side edge, one of the U-branches of the inner panel (11) forming the hinge-side edge of said inner panel (11) and the other U-branch forming the lock-side edge of said inner panel (11), and the lower part of the U forming the lower edge of said inner panel (11) situated opposite the window part (15), said door ( 1) further comprising a reinforcing structure (2) positioned in the box (14), adapted to create a frontal impact reinforcement and to stiffen said door (1), extending from the edge hinge side to the edge lock side of the panel interior (11), said reinforcing structure (2) having an edge along the top edge of the box (14) under the window portion (15), characterized in that the reinforcing structure (2) comprises at least one main wall which extends at least on one side between the hinge side edge and the lock side edge of the inner panel (11), and on the other hand from the edge of the reinforcing structure along the top edge of the box (14) and direction of the bottom edge of the inner panel (11), and a hollow body (20) extending from the lock side edge to the hinge side edge of the inner panel (11), one of the walls of said hollow body (20) being formed at least through part of the main wall. 2 / Door (1) according to claim 1 characterized in that the reinforcing structure (2) has a generally triangular or trapezoidal shape, the side of the reinforcing structure (2) along the edge hinge side of the inner panel (11) being longer than the side of said reinforcing structure (2) along the lock side edge of said inner panel (11). 3 / Door (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the hollow body (20) forms a prism, the base of said prism is formed by at least a portion of the main wall. 4 / Door (1) according to claim 3 characterized in that the base of the prism forming the hollow body (20) has a generally triangular or trapezoidal shape, said base of the prism having at least one edge along the edge hinge side of the inner panel (11), one edge along the lock side edge of the inner panel (11), and two edges extending between the hinge side edge and the lock side edge of the inner panel (11), the hinge side edge of said prism base being longer than the lock side. 5 / Door (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the hollow body (20) extends at least fifty percent of the surface of the main wall, preferably at least seventy-five percent of the surface of the main wall. 6 / Door (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that it comprises a lateral impact reinforcement (5) extending from the angle formed by the junction between the low edge and the edge lock side of the panel interior (11), to the reinforcing structure (2) in an oblique direction directed substantially towards the end of the hinge-side edge of the box (14) located at the top of box (14) or substantially in the direction of one of the hinges (6, 61, 62). 7 / door (1) vehicle according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the reinforcing structure (2) comprises means for fixing equipment of the door (21, 22, 23, 24), such as a gusset or mirror stand, an interior door pull handle, an interior door control, a speaker, a side air bag, one or more glass guide rails, a window lift motor , a door trim (17). 8 / Door (1) according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the inner panel (11) has a closed frame shape running around the perimeter of the door (1), and is made of at least two parts, a door frame (111) and a window frame (112), said door frame (111) forming at least the portion of the interior panel (11) at the box (14) and said window frame (112) forming an open broken line which runs through the edges of the window (151) above the box (14) when said window (151) is fully raised, one end of said frame window (113) being positioned on the lock-side edge and the other end on the hinge-side edge (114) of the inner panel (11). 9 / door (1) vehicle according to claim 8 characterized in that the end of the lock side window frame (113) covers at least a portion of the edge of the door frame (111) lock side to a position located at least between the position of the lock (4) and the line defined by the top edge of the box (14) so as to create an overlap area on the lock-side edge, and / or the hinge-side end of the window frame (114) covers at least the hinge-side edge of the door frame (111) to a position at least between the position of one of the hinges (6, 61, 62) and the line defined by the top edge of the door frame (111). box (14) so as to create a hinge area overlap. 10 / Door (1) according to claim 9 characterized in that the overlap area of the lock side end of the window frame (113) extends at least to the lock (4) so as to create a reinforcement lock member adapted to support said lock (4), and / or in that the hinge-side overlap area of the end of the window frame (114) overlaps the edge of the hinge-side door frame (111) at least as far as at one of the hinges (6, 61, 62) so as to create a hinge reinforcement adapted to support the hinge or hinges (6, 61, 62). 11 / Door (1) according to one of claims 9 or 10 characterized in that the reinforcing structure (2) is fixed at least on the lock side overlap area and / or on the hinge side overlap area. 12 / Door (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 characterized in that the inner panel (11) is entirely in the box portion (14) of the door, forming a door conventionally called "door without frame", without a frame around the window (151) in the window part (15), and in that the reinforcing structure (2) is fixed to at least one hinge reinforcement on which at least one hinge (6, 61, 62) is fixed, said hinge reinforcement can be integrated with the inner panel (11) or with said reinforcing structure (2). 13 / vehicle door according to claim 12 or 13 characterized in that the reinforcing structure (2) is attached to the inner panel (11) lock side to a fixing reinforcement of the lock (4). 14 / Door (1) according to one of claims 12 to 13 taken in combination with claim 7, characterized in that it comprises a fenestron (16) positioned at the top edge of the box (14), said fenestron (16) comprising a guide rail (71) adapted to guide one of the edges of the movable pane (151) during its movement, said guide rail (71) extends along the fenestron (16) and continuing in the internal volume of the box (14), and at least a portion of said guide rail (71) located in the interior volume of the box (14) is fixed to the reinforcing structure (2). 15 / vehicle comprising a door according to one of the preceding claims.