Vehicle door assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186147-B2
Application number	US-201916436645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2019
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

A vehicle door assembly with an inner door panel, an outer door panel and a reinforcement assembly. A first attachment area is defined adjacent to an upper edge and a forward edge and a second attachment area is defined adjacent to the upper edge and a rearward edge of the inner door panel. The inner door panel and the outer door panel are fixedly attached to one another and define a hollow space therebetween. The reinforcement assembly has a first end fixedly attached to the first attachment area of the inner door panel and a second end fixedly attached to the second attachment area of the inner door panel. A mid-section extends of the reinforcement assembly extends along the upper edge of the outer door panel. The mid-section of the reinforcement assembly and the upper edge of the inner door panel define a window receiving slot therebetween.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle door assembly, comprising:
an inner door panel having a forward edge, a rearward edge, a lower edge and an upper edge, the inner door panel having a first attachment area adjacent to the upper edge and the forward edge and a second attachment area adjacent to the upper edge and the rearward edge;
an outer door panel attached to the forward edge, the rearward edge and the lower edge, the inner door panel and the outer door panel defining a hollow space therebetween, the upper edge of the inner door panel and an upper edge of the outer door panel being spaced apart from one another; and
a reinforcement assembly having a first end, a mid-section and a second end, the first end being fixedly attached to the first attachment area of the inner door panel, the second end being fixedly attached to the second attachment area of the inner door panel with the mid-section extending along the upper edge of the outer door panel, the mid-section of the reinforcement assembly and the upper edge of the inner door panel defining a window receiving slot therebetween, wherein the reinforcement assembly includes a first member and a second member that the first member extends from the first attachment area to the second attachment area when attached to the inner door panel and the first member includes an upper flange and a lower flange, the upper flange being fixedly attached to an upper flange of the second member, and, the second member includes a plurality of downwardly extending flanges that are fixedly attached to a lower flange of the first member such that a hollow interior is defined between the first member and the second member.

2. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the inner door panel includes a stiffening member fixedly attached to the inner door panel along the upper edge, the reinforcement assembly and the stiffening member defining the window slot therebetween.

3. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 2 , wherein
the stiffening member is welded to the inner door panel.

4. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the second member and the lower flange of the first member define a plurality of drainage openings between the downwardly extending flanges.

5. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the upper flange of the first member is welded to the upper flange of the second member.

6. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the lower flange of the first member is welded to the plurality of downwardly extending flanges of the second member.

7. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 6 , wherein
the inner door panel includes a stiffening member fixedly attached to the inner door panel along the upper edge, the reinforcement assembly and the stiffening member defining the window slot therebetween.

8. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 7 , wherein
the stiffening member is welded to the inner door panel.

9. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 , wherein
the first member includes an offset portion that extends from a lower edge of the upper flange to an upper end of the lower flange, the offset portion and the upper flange defining an obtuse angle therebetween.

10. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the lower flange of the first member is located outboard of the upper flange of the first member.

11. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 9 , wherein
the hollow interior is defined above the offset portion of the first member.

12. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising
a window regulator assembly having positioning mechanism and window tracks, the positioning mechanism being installed to the inner door panel within the hollow space, with the window tracks extending from the positioning mechanism upward through the window receiving slot to an area above the upper edge of the inner door panel.

13. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 12 , wherein
the positioning mechanism is connected to window glass that is retained between the window tracks for vertical movement therebetween, the positioning mechanism being operable to selectively raise and lower the window glass.

14. A vehicle door assembly comprising:
an inner door panel having a forward edge, a rearward edge, a lower edge and an upper edge, the inner door panel having a first attachment area adjacent to the upper edge and the forward edge and a second attachment area adjacent to the upper edge and the rearward edge;
an outer door panel attached to the forward edge, the rearward edge and the lower edge, the inner door panel and the outer door panel defining a hollow space therebetween, the upper edge of the inner door panel and an upper edge of the outer door panel being spaced apart from one another, and
a reinforcement assembly having a first end, a mid-section and a second end, the first end being fixedly attached to the first attachment area of the inner door panel, the second end being fixedly attached to the second attachment area of the inner door panel with the mid-section extending along the upper edge of the outer door panel, the mid-section of the reinforcement assembly and the upper edge of the inner door panel defining a window receiving slot therebetween, the reinforcement assembly includes a first member and a second member with a hollow interior defined therebetween, the first member extending from the first attachment area to the second attachment area, wherein the first member includes an upper flange and a lower flange, the upper flange being welded to an upper flange of the second member, and, the second member including a plurality of downwardly extending flanges that are welded to a lower flange of the first member, wherein the inner door panel includes a stiffening member welded to the inner door panel along the upper edge, the reinforcement assembly and the stiffening member defining the window slot therebetween.

15. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 14 , further comprising
a window regulator assembly having positioning mechanism and window tracks, the positioning mechanism being installed to the inner door panel within the hollow space, with the window tracks extending from the positioning mechanism upward through the window receiving slot to an area above the upper edge of the inner door panel.

16. The vehicle door assembly according to claim 15 , wherein
the positioning mechanism is connected to window glass that is retained between the window tracks for vertical movement therebetween, the positioning mechanism being operable to selectively raise and lower the window glass.

17. A vehicle door assembly, comprising:
an inner door panel having a forward edge, a rearward edge, a lower edge and an upper edge, the inner door panel having a first attachment area adjacent to the upper edge and the forward edge and a second attachment area adjacent to the upper edge and the rearward edge;
an outer door panel attached to the forward edge, the rearward edge and the lower edge, the inner door panel and the outer door panel defining a hollow space therebetween, the upper edge of the inner door panel and an upper edge of the outer door panel being spaced apart from one another; and
a reinforcement assembly includes a first member and a second member, the first member having a first end, a mid-section and a second end, the first end being fixedly and directly attached to the first attachment area of the inner door panel, the second end being fixedly and directly attached to the second att

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Iozzo David
• Kovie David

Classifications

• B60J5/0463 Primary

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

• B60J5/0469

  for door panels, e.g. hemming (hemming equipment B21D39/00) · CPC title

• E05F11/382

  for vehicle windows (E05F11/40 - E05F11/52 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05Y2900/55

  Windows · CPC title

• B60J5/042

  Reinforcement elements · CPC title