Hatchback door for motor vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10272750-B2
Application number	US-201715618220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2016
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A hatchback door includes a load-bearing inner panel made of composite plastic material, a plastic top outer panel glued on a top portion of the inner panel, and a plastic bottom outer panel glued on a bottom portion of the inner panel. The top panel includes a first layer of transparent plastic material and a second layer of opaque plastic material or opaque paint. The opaque layer covers only some of the transparent layer such that the top panel is transparent in a central part overlying a rear-window opening of the inner panel and in its peripheral portions that function as transparent elements for two lateral sets of lights and a third top set of lights. The light sets are without a front transparent element and are connected to a rear side of the top panel. The transparent peripheral portions constitute the front transparent elements of the light sets.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hatchback door for motor vehicles comprising:
a load-bearing inner panel made of composite plastic material, which defines a rear-window opening and has a plurality of metal inserts for connection of functional elements,
a top outer panel made of plastic material designed to be glued on a top portion of said load-bearing inner panel, wherein said top outer panel comprises a first layer of transparent plastic material and a second layer of opaque plastic material or of opaque paint, wherein said second layer of opaque plastic material or of opaque paint covers only some parts of said transparent layer in such a way that said top outer panel is transparent in a central part thereof overlying said rear-window opening of said load-bearing inner panel, and
a bottom outer panel made of plastic material glued on a bottom portion of said load-bearing inner panel and having a top portion that is also glued to a bottom portion of said top outer panel in such a way that the top portion of said bottom outer panel is set between said top outer panel and said load-bearing inner panel,
wherein:
said top outer panel is transparent also in its peripheral portions that are to function as front transparent outer elements for two lateral sets of lights and for a third top set of lights,
said two lateral sets of lights and said third top set of lights each having a load-bearing body with at least one light source and without a front transparent outer element,
the body of each set of lights being connected to a rear side of said top outer panel by a plurality of fixing elements mounted in and/or obtained from an inner surface of the top outer panel, in such a way that said transparent peripheral portions of the top outer panel constitute the front transparent outer elements of said sets of lights.

2. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein said top outer panel has a hole for housing a rubber seal ring of a rear windscreen-wiper assembly, wherein an inner surface of said top outer panel has a projecting annular edge, which surrounds the hole and is designed to prevent, during painting of said inner surface, paint from dripping through the hole and reaching the outer surface of the top outer panel, said top outer panel having another hole provided for passage of a nozzle for a rear-window sprayer.

3. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein a spoiler is glued on said load-bearing inner panel and on said top outer panel.

4. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom outer panel is made of transparent or partially transparent plastic material.

5. The hatchback door according to claim 4 , wherein fixed on said load-bearing inner panel is a light source for lighting up a portion of the bottom outer panel, for display of a logo or the like.

6. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom outer panel is made of a non-transparent and/or painted plastic material.

7. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein said bottom outer panel comprises another first layer of transparent plastic material and another second layer of opaque plastic material or of opaque paint, wherein said another second layer of opaque plastic material or of opaque paint covers only some parts of said another first layer of transparent plastic material.

8. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein each of the sets of lights includes at least one coloured light source.

9. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein each of the sets of lights includes a white-light source and a coloured filter set in front of said white-light source.

10. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , further comprising a busbar prearranged for supply of an electrical heating resistance associated to a central part of the top outer panel functioning as rear window, wherein said busbar is covered on its inside by the load-bearing inner panel and is covered on its outside by the second layer of opaque plastic material of the top outer panel.

11. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein wiring of said hatchback door is embedded in internal load-bearing structure of the load-bearing inner panel.

12. The hatchback door according to claim 3 , wherein said spoiler and said top outer panel are made of a single piece.

13. The hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein in lateral end portions of said hatchback door, aerodynamic appendages are provided designed to improve aerodynamics of said hatchback door.

14. A process for assembling a hatchback door according to claim 1 , wherein said process comprises the steps of:
pre-arranging said load-bearing inner panel made of composite plastic material;
pre-arranging said bottom outer panel made of plastic material, installing an opening device;
pre-arranging said top outer panel made of plastic material;
installing a lock and a logo that is lit up and a rear windscreen-wiper assembly on said load-bearing inner panel, and laying associated cables and tubing;
installing the lateral sets of lights and the top set of lights on the top outer panel, said sets of lights each having a load-bearing body with at least one light source and without a front transparent outer element in such a way that the transparent peripheral portions of the top outer panel constitute the front transparent outer elements of said sets of lights;
gluing said bottom outer panel on a bottom portion of said load-bearing inner panel; and
gluing said top outer panel on a top portion of said bottom outer panel and on said load-bearing inner panel in such a way that the top portion of said bottom outer panel is set between the top outer panel and said load-bearing inner panel.

Assignees

• Fiat Ricerche

Inventors

• Costa Nadia
• Tribolo Fabrizio
• Cantarale Claudio
• Moda Antonio
• Chiaffoni Francesco
• Crisafi Giuseppe

Classifications

• B60Q1/2619

  built in the vehicle body · CPC title

• B60Q1/302

  mounted in the vicinity, e.g. in the middle, of a rear window · CPC title

• B60Q1/0041

  of several lamps in relation to each other · CPC title

• F21V3/00

  Globes; Bowls; Cover glasses (with refracting properties F21V5/00; with reflecting properties F21V7/00; characterised by cooling arrangements F21V29/506) · CPC title

• B60J1/18

  arranged at the vehicle rear {(optical viewing arrangements integrated in rear windows, e.g. Fresnel lenses B60R1/001)} · CPC title