Apparatus and method for commonization of front doors between vehicle cabs

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801796-B2
Application number	US-202117459951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2021
Priority date	Aug 27, 2021
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A garnish configured to enable use of a common door for a two-door vehicle and a four-door vehicle. The garnish may have a body. The body may be directly mountable onto a carriage of the two-door vehicle between an outer panel and a rocker panel of the two-door vehicle. The body may have an edge that is flush to a rear edge of the common door when mounted. The body may have at least two edges forming approximately a 90-degree angle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle comprising:
a carriage having a top end and a bottom end;
a door frame located on a side of the carriage;
a door receivable by the door frame and having a rear edge, the door having a common configuration compatible with another vehicle having a different number of doors than a number of doors on the vehicle;
an outer panel adjacent to the door frame and partially extending from the top end on the carriage to the bottom end on the carriage;
a rocker panel extending across the bottom end on the carriage; and
a garnish mounted directly onto the carriage and extending between the outer panel and the rocker panel, the garnish having an edge flush to the rear edge on the door to enable use of the door having the common configuration compatible with the another vehicle having the different number of doors than the number of doors on the vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rear edge on the door and a bottom edge on the garnish form approximately a 90-degree angle.

3. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the garnish and the outer panel are flush.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the garnish and the outer panel have an identical outer surface structure.

5. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the garnish is made of a resin.

6. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the garnish includes at least one male component configured to be received by at least one female component located on the carriage to mount the garnish onto the carriage.

7. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the garnish is made of a metal sheet that is different than a metal sheet that the outer panel is made of.

8. A garnish configured to enable use of a common door for a first vehicle having two doors and a second vehicle having four doors, the garnish comprising:
a body directly mountable onto a carriage on the first vehicle between an outer panel on the first vehicle and a rocker panel on the first vehicle, the body having an edge flush to a rear edge on the common door when mounted and at least two edges forming approximately a 90-degree angle.

9. The garnish of claim 8 , further comprising at least one male component configured to be received by at least one female component located on the carriage to mount the body onto the carriage.

10. The garnish of claim 8 , wherein the body and the outer panel are flush when the garnish is mounted onto the carriage.

11. The garnish of claim 8 , wherein the body and the outer panel have an identical outer surface structure.

12. The garnish of claim 8 , wherein the body is made of a resin.

13. The garnish of claim 8 , wherein the body is made of a metal sheet that is different than a metal sheet that the outer panel is made of.

14. A method for enabling installation of a common door for a first vehicle having two doors and a second vehicle having four doors on the first vehicle, the method comprising:
mounting an outer panel adjacent to a door frame on the first vehicle on each of a left side on a carriage on the first vehicle and a right side on the carriage on the first vehicle, the outer panel partially extending from a top end on the first vehicle to a bottom end on the first vehicle; and
mounting a garnish directly onto the carriage on the first vehicle, the garnish extending between the outer panel and a rocker panel extending across the bottom end on the first vehicle, the garnish having an edge flush to a rear edge on the common door.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein mounting the garnish includes inserting at least one male component extending outward from a back surface on the garnish into at least one female component located on the carriage.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the rear edge on the common door and a bottom edge on the garnish form approximately a 90-degree angle.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the garnish and the outer panel are flush when mounted.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the garnish and the outer panel have an identical outer surface structure.

19. The method of claim 14 , further comprising molding the garnish out of a resin.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming the outer panel from a first metal sheet and forming the garnish from a second metal sheet different than the first metal sheet.

Assignees

• Toyota Eng & Mfg North America

Inventors

• Croyle Nicholas A
• Benson Blaine
• Piper Peter C
• Garnaut Luke W

Classifications

• B60R13/043 Primary

  Door edge guards · CPC title

• B60J5/0468

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

• B60J5/0481

  plastic · CPC title

• B60R13/04 Primary

  External} Ornamental or guard strips; Ornamental inscriptive devices {thereon (fastening strips or bars to sheets or plates by means of clips F16B5/12) · CPC title