Shock absorbing structure of vehicle door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10358105-B2
Application number	US-201615752799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 21, 2015
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

A shock absorbing structure of a vehicle door including a vehicle body panel with a service hole includes a door trim and a shock absorber. The door trim covers the vehicle body panel from an interior side of a vehicle. The shock absorber is mounted to the vehicle body panel to cover the service hole. The shock absorber includes a shock absorbing portion that is inserted in the service hole. The shock absorbing portion is disposed such that an end of the shock absorbing portion on an exterior side of the vehicle is disposed more to the exterior side of the vehicle than the service hole and between the vehicle body panel and the door trim.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A shock absorbing structure of a vehicle door including a vehicle body panel with a plurality of service holes, the shock absorbing structure comprising:
a door trim covering the vehicle body panel from an interior side of a vehicle; and
a shock absorber to be mounted to vehicle body panel, including a shock absorbing portion inserted in one of the plurality of the service holes, and being disposed such that an end of the shock absorbing portion on an exterior side of the vehicle is disposed more to the exterior side of the vehicle than the one of the plurality of the service holes and an end of the shock absorbing portion on the interior side of the vehicle is disposed between the vehicle body panel and the door trim, wherein:
the shock absorbing portion comprises a top wall and a plurality of sidewalls,
the top wall is disposed along the vehicle body panel and more to the exterior side of the vehicle than the plurality of sidewalls,
the plurality of sidewalls project from outer edges of the top wall toward the interior side of the vehicle,
the plurality of service holes of the vehicle body panel includes a first service hole, a second service hole, and a third service hole, the first service hole and the second service hole being separated from each other in a horizontal direction of the vehicle body panel, the second service hole and the third service hole being separated from each other in a vertical direction of the vehicle body panel,
the shock absorbing portion includes a plate-shaped portion covering the second service hole and the third service hole,
the plate-shaped portion includes: a first edge and a second edge that are separated from each other in the vertical direction; and a third edge between the first edge and the second edge,
the first edge includes a first fixing portion fixed to a section of the vehicle body panel above an upper edge of the second service hole,
the second edge includes a second fixing portion fixed to a section of the vehicle body panel below a lower edge of the third service hole,
the third edge includes a third fixing portion fixed to a section of the vehicle body panel surrounded by the first service hole, the second service hole, and the third service hole, and
the shock absorbing portion is inserted in the third service hole.

2. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1 , wherein
the shock absorbing portion comprises a base section projecting from a surface of the plate-shaped portion on the interior side of the vehicle and a projecting section projecting from a surface of the plate-shaped portion on the exterior side of the vehicle,
the base section comprises first sidewall sections of the sidewalls projecting from the surface of the plate-shaped portion on the interior side of the vehicle and being disposed between the vehicle body panel and the door trim,
the projecting section comprises the top wall and second sidewall sections of the sidewalls projecting from the surface of the plate-shaped portion on the exterior side of the vehicle, and
at least the top wall is disposed more to the exterior side of the vehicle than the vehicle body panel.

3. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 2 , wherein
the sidewalls comprise distal ends opposed to the door trim, and
each of the second sidewall sections of the shock absorbing portion has a dimension between the plate-shaped portion and the top wall smaller than a dimension of each of the first sidewall sections between the plate-shaped portion and the distal end thereof.

4. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 2 , wherein
the shock absorbing portion has an overall size smaller than that of the third service hole, and
the plate-shaped portion covers a gap between the shock absorbing portion and an opening edge of the third service hole.

5. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 4 , wherein
the plate-shaped portion comprises a plurality of fixing sections in outer edge sections for fixing the shock absorber to the vehicle body panel, and
a section of the plate-shaped portion covering the gap between the shock absorbing portion and the opening edge of the third service hole is located between the shock absorbing portion and the fixing sections.

6. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 2 , wherein the shock absorbing portion and the plate-shaped portion are made of same material and integrally formed.

7. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 2 , wherein
the vehicle body panel is a door inner panel disposed inner than a door outer panel,
the door inner panel and the door outer panel form a storage space for storing a window glass therebetween, and
the shock absorbing portion is disposed such that the top wall is at a position more to the interior side of the vehicle than the window glass when the window glass is stored in the storage space.

8. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1 , wherein each of the sidewalls has a trapezoidal plate shape with a width that decreases toward the interior side of the vehicle.

9. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1 , wherein
the shock absorbing portion further comprises a rib, and
the rib protrudes from a surface of the top wall on the interior side of the vehicle and includes at least a side edge connected to the sidewall.

10. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 9 , wherein
the shock absorbing portion includes a first end that is the top wall and a second end located on the interior side of the vehicle,
the rib includes a distal end opposed to the door trim, and
the second end of the shock absorbing portion includes the distal ends of the sidewalls and the distal end of the rib.

11. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1 , wherein the plate-shaped portion has a vertically long rectangular shape in an elevation view.

12. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1 , further comprising a reinforcing rib that extends inwardly in a vehicle width direction from an entire perimeter of the plate-shaped portion.

13. The shock absorbing structure of the vehicle door according to claim 1 , wherein the plate-shaped portion has a uniform thickness in a vehicle width direction.

Assignees

• Toyota Boshoku Kk

Inventors

• Suzuki Toshihiro

Classifications

• B60R21/0428 Primary

  associated with the side doors or panels, e.g. displaced towards the occupants in case of a side collision · CPC title

• B60R21/04

  Padded linings for the vehicle interior {; Energy absorbing structures associated with padded or non-padded linings} · CPC title

• B60J5/0461

  characterised by a pre-defined mode of deformation or displacement in order to absorb impact · CPC title

• B60J5/0416

  Assembly panels to be installed in doors as a module with components, e.g. lock or window lifter, attached thereto · CPC title

• B60J5/0451

  Block or short strip-type elements (beams B60J5/0443, position thereof B60J5/0423) · CPC title