Vehicle body structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11840127-B2
Application number	US-202117491469-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2021
Publication date	Dec 12, 2023
Grant date	Dec 12, 2023

Abstract

A vehicle body structure includes a reinforcement member, a latch mechanism and a secondary reinforcement portion. The reinforcement member is installed to an inner door panel of a door structure and extends from a forward area of the door structure to a rearward area of the door structure. The latch mechanism is installed to the rearward area of the inner door panel and is positioned such that a section of a rearward portion of the reinforcement member is outboard and level with a portion of the latch mechanism. The secondary reinforcement portion is fixedly attached to a central area of the reinforcement member spaced apart from a forward area of the inner door panel. In response to an impact event where force is directed to a central area of the door structure, the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism retaining the latch mechanism in the latching orientation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle body structure, comprising:
a door structure having an inner door panel and a reinforcement member installed to the inner door panel, the reinforcement member extending from a forward area of the door structure to a rearward area of the door structure, the door structure being movable to and from each of a closed orientation and an open orientation when installed to a vehicle;
a latch mechanism installed to the rearward area of the inner door panel, the latch mechanism being configured such that in a latching orientation the latch mechanism retains the door structure in the closed orientation and in a release orientation the door structure can move to the open orientation, the latch mechanism being positioned such that at least a section of a rearward portion of the reinforcement member is outboard and level with a portion of the latch mechanism, the latch mechanism includes an operation lever operably connected to a latch handle such that with the latch handle in an at rest orientation the latch mechanism can remain in the latching orientation if already in the latching orientation and with the latch handle moved to a door opening orientation the latch mechanism is moved to the open orientation; and
a secondary reinforcement portion fixedly attached to a central area of the reinforcement member spaced apart from a forward area of the inner door panel with the secondary reinforcement portion being located along an outboard side of the reinforcement member such that in response to an impact event where force is directed to a central area of the door structure, the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism retaining the latch mechanism in the latching orientation, the secondary reinforcement portion has a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of the secondary reinforcement portion being spaced apart from the forward end of the reinforcement member by a first distance, and the rearward end of the secondary reinforcement portion is adjacent to the rearward end of the reinforcement member such that in response to an impact event where force is directed to the central area of the door structure, the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism and the operation lever preventing movement of the operation lever to the door opening orientation, and the reinforcement member has a first overall length as measured from the forward area of the door structure to the rearward area of the door structure and the secondary reinforcement portion has a second overall length that is approximately half of the first overall length.

2. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the secondary reinforcement portion is welded to the reinforcement member at a plurality of locations.

3. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the secondary reinforcement portion is spot welded to the reinforcement member at a plurality of locations.

4. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the secondary reinforcement portion is formed as a single member with the reinforcement member.

5. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcement member has a forward section and a rearward section each having a first level of rigidity and a central section having a second level of rigidity.

6. The vehicle body structure according to claim 1 , wherein
the reinforcement member is provided with a second panel overlaying a central area of the reinforcement member with the second panel being pressed and welded to the central area defining a single unitary beam with the second panel and the central area of the reinforcement member defining the secondary reinforcement portion.

7. A vehicle body structure, comprising:
a door structure having an inner door panel and a reinforcement member installed to the inner door panel, the reinforcement member extending from a forward area of the door structure to a rearward area of the door structure, the door structure being movable to and from each of a closed orientation and an open orientation when installed to a vehicle;
a latch mechanism installed to the rearward area of the inner door panel, the latch mechanism being configured such that in a latching orientation the latch mechanism retains the door structure in the closed orientation and in a release orientation the door structure can move to the open orientation, the latch mechanism being positioned such that at least a section of a rearward portion of the reinforcement member is outboard and level with a portion of the latch mechanism; and
a secondary reinforcement portion fixedly attached to a central area of the reinforcement member spaced apart from a forward area of the inner door panel such that in response to an impact event where force is directed to a central area of the door structure, the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism retaining the latch mechanism in the latching orientation, the secondary reinforcement portion having a forward end and a rearward end, the forward end of the secondary reinforcement portion being spaced apart from the forward end of the reinforcement member by a first distance, and the rearward end of the secondary reinforcement portion being spaced apart from the rearward end of the reinforcement member by a second distance, the first distance being greater than the second distance.

8. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the reinforcement member has a first overall length as measured from the forward area of the door structure to the rearward area of the door structure and the secondary reinforcement portion has a second overall length that is approximately a quarter of the first overall length.

9. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the reinforcement member defines a forward section forward of the secondary reinforcement portion, a central area defined along the secondary reinforcement portion and a rearward section rearward of the secondary reinforcement portion, and
in response to an impact event where force is directed to the door structure in an area corresponding to the central area of the reinforcement member, the forward section and the rearward section of the reinforcement member deform and the central area of the reinforcement member undergoes little or no deformation as compared to deformation of the forward and rearward sections of the reinforcement member due to rigidity of the secondary reinforcement portion.

10. The vehicle body structure according to claim 9 , wherein
in response to the impact event, the rearward section of the reinforcement member deforms and contacts the latch mechanism retaining the latch mechanism in the latching orientation.

11. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the secondary reinforcement portion is located along an outboard side of the reinforcement member.

12. The vehicle body structure according to claim 7 , wherein
the secondary reinforcement portion has a central section, an upper section and a lower section that all extend parallel to one another in a vehicle longitudinal direction, at least a portion of the central section is generally planar, the upper section has a contoured shape as viewed in cross-section that has an overall U-shape with an outboard facing slot and the upper section has a contoured shape as viewed in cross-section that has an overall U-shape with an outboard facing slot.

13. The vehicle body structure according to claim 12 , wherein
the door structure further includes an outer door panel that is attached to an outer outboard periphery of the inner door panel, the o

Assignees

• Nissan North America Inc

Inventors

• Kovie David
• Ahmed Mahiuddin
• Herrala Christopher
• Iozzo David

Classifications

• B60J5/0425 Primary

  the elements being arranged essentially horizontal in the centre of the lower door structure (B60J5/0426 - B60J5/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• E05B77/04

  Preventing unwanted lock actuation, e.g. unlatching, at the moment of collision · CPC title

• B60J5/0433 Primary

  the elements being arranged at the lock area · CPC title

• B60J5/0443

  Beams · CPC title

• B60J5/0447

  formed of several elements arranged in parallel · CPC title