Insert for a multi-part vehicle door

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10363798-B2
Application number	US-201715683934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2017
Priority date	Aug 23, 2017
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

An insert for a vehicle door that has one part that is separable from another part of the door. The insert may have a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end and through the center of mass of the body, an opening at the first end, and an inner surface that defines a cavity extending from the opening toward the second end. The inner surface has a first portion and an opposing second portion wherein the distance from the first portion to the axis decreases from the first end toward the second end of the cavity along at least a portion of the cavity. The distance from the second portion to the axis increases from the first end toward the second end of the cavity along at least a portion of the cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An insert for a vehicle door having one part of the door that is separable from another part of the door, the insert comprising:
a body having a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end and through the center of mass of the body, an opening at the first end, and an inner surface that defines a cavity extending from the opening toward the second end, the inner surface having a first portion and an opposing second portion wherein the distance from the first portion to the axis decreases along at least a portion of the cavity in the direction extending from the first end toward the second end, and the distance from the second portion to the axis increases along at least a portion of the cavity in the direction extending from the first end toward the second end.

2. The insert of claim 1 wherein a centerline through the center of the cavity is inclined relative to the axis at a non-zero angle.

3. The insert of claim 2 wherein the angle is between 1 degree and 12 degrees.

4. The insert of claim 1 wherein the center of mass includes only the axial length of the body in which the cavity is defined so any portion of the body axially outboard of the cavity is not included in determining the location of the center of mass.

5. The insert of claim 4 wherein the axis is also located with reference to only the axial length of the body in which the cavity is defined so any portion of the body axially outboard of the cavity is not included in determining the location of the axis.

6. The insert of claim 1 wherein the body also includes an outer surface facing outwardly away from the cavity and wherein a radial thickness of the body along the first portion and between the inner and outer surfaces is not uniform along the axial length of the cavity.

7. The insert of claim 6 wherein the radial thickness of the body along the first portion increases from the first end toward the second end along at least a portion of the axial length of the cavity.

8. The insert of claim 1 which also comprises a second insert having a second body that is separate from said body set forth in claim 1 , the second body having a first end, a second end, an axis extending between the first end and the second end and through the center of mass of the second body, an opening at the first end, and an inner surface that defines a cavity extending from the opening toward the second end, the inner surface having a first portion and an opposing second portion wherein the distance from the first portion to the axis decreases from the first end toward the second end along at least a portion of the cavity, and the distance from the second portion to the axis increases from the first end toward the second end along at least a portion of the cavity, and wherein the angle of the first portion of the second body relative to the axis of the second body is different than the angle of the first portion of said body set forth in claim 1 relative to the axis of said body set forth in claim 1 .

9. The insert of claim 8 wherein a centerline through the center of the cavity in the second body is inclined relative to the axis of the second body at a different angle than the angle between the centerline through the center of the cavity of said body set forth in claim 1 and the axis of said body set forth in claim 1 .

10. A vehicle door assembly, comprising:
a first part adapted to be connected to a vehicle for movement relative to the vehicle between open and closed positions, the first part including a first connection feature;
a second part releasably coupled to the first part for movement with the first part when coupled to the first part, and to permit the second part to be removed from the first part, the second part including a second connection feature adapted to be releasably associated with the first connection feature; and
an insert between the first connection feature and the second connection feature, the insert having a body with a first end, a second end, a longitudinal axis extending between the first end and the second end and through the center of mass of the body, an opening at the first end, and an inner surface that defines a cavity extending from the opening toward the second end, the inner surface having a first portion and an opposing second portion wherein the distance from the first portion to the axis decreases from the first end toward the second end of the cavity along at least a portion of the cavity, and the distance from the second portion to the axis increases from the first end toward the second end of the cavity along at least a portion of the cavity.

11. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein the first connection feature is one of a pin or a void, and the second connection feature is the other of the pin or void.

12. The door assembly of claim 11 wherein the insert is received within the void and when the second part of the door is coupled to the first part of the door, the pin is received within the cavity of the insert, and wherein a centerline through the center of the cavity is inclined relative to the axis.

13. The door assembly of claim 10 which also comprises a second insert having a second body that is separate from said body set forth in claim 10 , the second body having a first end, a second end, an axis extending between the first end and the second end and through the center of mass of the second body, an opening at the first end, and an inner surface that defines a cavity extending from the opening toward the second end, the inner surface having a first portion and an opposing second portion wherein the distance from the first portion to the axis decreases from the first end toward the second end of the cavity along at least a portion of the cavity, and the distance from the second portion to the axis increases from the first end toward the second end of the cavity along at least a portion of the cavity, and wherein the angle of the first portion of the second body relative to the axis of the second body is different than the angle of the first portion of said body set forth in claim 10 relative to the axis of said body set forth in claim 10 , and wherein the second insert may replace the insert set forth in claim 10 to change the angle of the second part of the door relative to the first part of the door.

14. The door assembly of claim 13 wherein a centerline through the center of the cavity in the second body is inclined relative to the axis of the second body at a different angle than the angle between the centerline through the center of the cavity of said body set forth in claim 10 and the axis of said body set forth in claim 10 .

15. The door assembly of claim 10 wherein the first part includes more than one connection feature, the second part includes a like number of connection features, and a like number of inserts are provided, and wherein one insert is associated with each set of a first connection feature and a second connection feature.

Assignees

• Kleinhoffer Richard M
• Fca Us Llc

Inventors

• Kleinhoffer Richard M

Classifications

• B60J5/0411 Primary

  Beltline · CPC title

• B60J5/0463

  Conceptual assembling of door, i.e. how door frame parts should be fitted together to form door · CPC title

• B60J5/0468

  Fixation or mounting means specific for door components (fasteners in general F16B21/00) · CPC title

• B60J5/0476 Primary

  convertible doors, e.g. window frame is stored in lower door structure · CPC title