JP7552369B2 - Vehicle Doors - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a double-door vehicle door that covers, for example, the entrance and exit door through which passengers get on and off, and that opens and closes automatically when operated by the passenger.

In vehicles such as automobiles, the entrance/exit opening for passengers on the side of the vehicle is covered by a vehicle door that is supported on the vehicle body so that it can be opened and closed freely.

A known example of this type of vehicle door is a so-called double-door vehicle door, which is composed of a front door that is supported so as to be freely opened and closed on the vehicle body that forms the front edge of the boarding/alighting entrance, and a rear door that is supported so as to be freely opened and closed on the vehicle body that forms the rear edge of the boarding/alighting entrance.
Furthermore, recently, there is known a vehicle door that opens and closes automatically by an operation of a vehicle occupant (see Patent Document 1).

The vehicle door of Patent Document 1 has built-in opening and closing devices such as an air cylinder and a link mechanism for opening and closing the vehicle door. Therefore, in Patent Document 1, if an object strikes the vehicle door from the side of the vehicle, the side impact load from the side of the vehicle is applied to the opening and closing device, which may cause an unintended malfunction of the opening and closing device.

JP 2003-278447 A

In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle door that can prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device due to side impact loads.

This invention provides a double-door vehicle door that covers an entrance/exit provided on the side of a vehicle and can be opened and closed freely, and includes a load transmission member that extends inside the vehicle door in the vertical direction of the vehicle and transmits a side impact load to a side vehicle body, an opening/closing device that is arranged inside the vehicle door and opens and closes the vehicle door , a door inner panel located on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a reinforcing member that extends inside the vehicle door in the vertical direction of the vehicle and is joined to the door inner panel, and is characterized in that the opening/ closing device is arranged on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle width direction of the outer end face of the load transmission member in a horizontal cross section along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and the reinforcing member is arranged so as to pass outside the opening/closing device in the vehicle width direction and overlap the opening/closing device in the vehicle width direction .

The vehicle door refers to either a front door located at the front side of the vehicle or a rear door located at the rear side of the vehicle, or both.
According to the present invention, the vehicle door can transmit a side impact load to the vehicle body side via the load transmitting member before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device.

As a result, when an object strikes the vehicle from the side, the vehicle door can reduce the side impact load applied to the opening and closing device. This allows the vehicle door to prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device caused by the side impact load.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a door inner panel located on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a reinforcing member extending in the vehicle vertical direction inside the vehicle door and joined to the door inner panel, and the reinforcing member passes outside the opening and closing device in the vehicle width direction and is arranged so as to overlap the opening and closing device in the vehicle width direction.

According to this configuration, the vehicle door can transmit the side impact load to the door inner panel via the reinforcing member before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device, so that the vehicle door can reduce the side impact load applied to the opening/closing device even when an impact object collides toward the opening/closing device from the side of the vehicle.
This makes it possible to more effectively prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device of the vehicle door due to a side impact load.

In another aspect of the present invention, the opening and closing device is configured with a drive unit that is arranged at the bottom of the vehicle door and opens and closes the vehicle door, and a control unit that is arranged above the drive unit and controls the operation of the drive unit, and the reinforcing member may be formed so that its lower end is located at least below the control unit.
According to this configuration, the vehicle door can further prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device due to a side impact load.

Specifically, because the drive unit is located at the bottom of the vehicle door, the vehicle door makes it more difficult for a colliding object to collide with the drive unit compared to when the drive unit is located approximately in the center of the vehicle door in the vertical direction. As a result, the vehicle door can reduce the side impact load applied to the drive unit.

Furthermore, since the control unit and the reinforcing member overlap in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle door can prevent the side impact load from being applied at least substantially directly to the control unit by the reinforcing member, and therefore, even if an impact object collides toward the control unit, the vehicle door can prevent damage to the control unit.
This makes it possible to further prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device of the vehicle door due to a side impact load.

The present invention also provides a vehicle door of the double-door type that covers an entrance/exit provided on the side of a vehicle and can be opened and closed freely, the door comprising a load transmission member that extends inside the vehicle door in the vertical direction of the vehicle and transmits a side impact load to a side vehicle body, and an opening/closing device that is arranged inside the vehicle door and opens and closes the vehicle door, the opening/closing device being arranged in the horizontal cross section along the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle more inward in the vehicle width direction than the outer end face of the load transmission member in the vehicle width direction, and more inward in the vehicle width direction than a door hinge that connects the side vehicle body and the vehicle door.

According to this configuration, since the load transmission member and the door hinge are positioned outboard of the opening and closing device in the vehicle width direction, the vehicle door can transmit the side impact load to the side vehicle body via both or either the load transmission member and the door hinge before the side impact load is applied to the opening and closing device.

As a result, when an object strikes the vehicle from the side, the vehicle door can further reduce the side impact load applied to the opening and closing device. This allows the vehicle door to reliably prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device due to the side impact load.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the opening and closing device may be disposed between the load transmitting member and the door hinge in a side view.
According to this configuration, the vehicle door can more reliably prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device due to a side impact load.

Specifically, because the opening and closing device is disposed between the load transmission member and the door hinge, when a large object that is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle strikes the vehicle door, the vehicle door can transmit the side impact load to the side vehicle body via both the load transmission member and the door hinge before the side impact load is applied to the opening and closing device.

Alternatively, even if an object strikes the opening/closing device at a position offset toward the front or rear of the vehicle, the vehicle door can transmit the side impact load to the side vehicle body via either the load transmission member or the door hinge before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device.

This allows the vehicle door to more stably reduce the side impact load applied to the opening and closing device, more reliably preventing unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device due to side impact loads.

The present invention provides a vehicle door that can prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening and closing device due to side impact loads.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the exterior of the vehicle as viewed from the right side. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the exterior of the vehicle with the side door open. FIG. 4 is a side view showing the appearance of the rear door with the door outer panel removed. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3 . 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 3 .

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.
The vehicle 1 of the present embodiment is a right-hand drive vehicle that covers an entrance G through which passengers get on and off, and has a rear door 20 that opens and closes automatically when operated by the passenger. The rear door 20 of the vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5.

FIG. 1 shows a side view of vehicle 1 as seen from the right side of the vehicle, FIG. 2 shows a side view of vehicle 1 with the side door open, FIG. 3 shows a side view of rear door 20 with the door outer panel 22 removed, FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line B-B in FIG. 3.

In the figure, the arrows Fr and Rr indicate the front-rear direction, with the arrow Fr indicating the front and the arrow Rr indicating the rear. Furthermore, the arrows IN and OUT indicate the vehicle width direction, with the arrow IN indicating the inside in the vehicle width direction and the arrow OUT indicating the outside in the vehicle width direction. In addition, the upper side of the figure indicates the top of the vehicle, and the lower side of the figure indicates the bottom of the vehicle.

First, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, vehicle 1 has a side body made of a closed cross-section member extending in the front-to-rear or up-down direction of the vehicle between the front wheel 2 and the rear wheel 3 on the right side of the vehicle, and also has an entrance G where passengers get on and off.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the side body of the vehicle 1 includes a side sill 4 extending in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, a hinge pillar 5 extending upward from the front of the side sill 4, and a rear pillar 6 extending upward from the rear of the side sill 4.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the side body of the vehicle 1 includes a front pillar 7 that extends from the upper end of the hinge pillar 5 toward the upper rear of the vehicle in a side view, and a roof rail 8 that connects the upper end of the front pillar 7 to the upper end of the rear pillar 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, the side body of the vehicle 1 has an entrance/exit G through which passengers get on and off, which is formed by an opening surrounded by a side sill 4, a hinge pillar 5, a rear pillar 6, a front pillar 7, and a roof rail 8.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this entrance G is covered by a side door that can be opened and closed freely, which is composed of a front door 10 located at the front of the vehicle and a rear door 20 located behind the front door 10.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the side doors of the vehicle 1 are so-called double-door doors, in which the front door 10 is supported on the hinge pillar 5 via a door hinge (not shown) so as to be freely opened and closed, and the rear door 20 is supported on the rear pillar 6 via a door hinge 21 (see Figure 4) so as to be freely opened and closed.

More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the front door 10 is open, it opens and closes to cover the front portion of the entrance G so that a driver's seat S can be accessed.
On the other hand, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, when in the open state, the rear door 20 opens and closes to cover the rear portion of the entrance/exit G so that passengers can get in and out of the vehicle at a rear seat (not shown).

The rear door 20 is configured to be able to open and close when the front door 10 is open. Furthermore, the rear door 20 is configured to be able to be automatically opened and closed by an occupant seated in the driver's seat S operating an operating switch provided in the vehicle cabin.

Next, the rear door 20 of the vehicle 1 as described above will be described in detail.
As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the rear door 20 is configured to have a hollow interior, with a door outer panel 22 that forms the exterior design surface of the vehicle 1, and a door inner panel 23 that is located on the inside of the door outer panel 22 in the vehicle width direction.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, the interior of the rear door 20 is provided with a hinge reinforcement 24 that covers the rear of the door inner panel 23, a center pillar 25 that extends in the vertical direction of the vehicle, an opening/closing device 26 for automatically opening and closing the rear door 20, and a reinforcing member 27 that protects the opening/closing device 26.

In more detail, as shown in FIG. 4, the door outer panel 22, in a horizontal cross section along the vehicle longitudinal direction, comprises an outer body 221 forming an exterior design surface, a front wall portion 222 extending from the front end of the outer body 221 toward the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a front end flange portion 223 extending from the front wall portion 222 toward the front of the vehicle.

The outer body 221 of this door outer panel 22 is joined to the door inner panel 23 so that the upper and lower edges form the upper and lower edges of the rear door 20, respectively, and the rear edge is connected to the door inner panel 23 by hemming so as to form the rear edge of the rear door 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the door inner panel 23 includes an inner body 231 that faces the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22 on the inside in the vehicle width direction at a predetermined distance, a rear wall portion 232 that extends from the rear end of the inner body 231, and a rear end flange portion 233 that extends from the rear wall portion 232 toward the rear of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 5, the door inner panel 23 further includes a bottom surface portion 234 extending from the lower end of the inner body 231, a lower end flange portion 235 extending from the bottom surface portion 234 toward the bottom of the vehicle, and an upper end flange portion 236 (see FIG. 3) extending from the upper end of the inner body 231.

Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inner body 231 has a horizontal cross-sectional shape along the vehicle front-rear direction that is generally plate-shaped with a thickness in the vehicle width direction, and is formed in a shape that conforms to the side sill 4, rear pillar 6, and roof rail 8 so as to cover the rear of the entrance/exit G when the rear door 20 is closed.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a window opening 231a in which the window glass of the rear door 20 is disposed is formed in the upper portion of the inner body 231.
As shown in FIG. 4 , the front edge of the inner body 231 is joined to a front flange portion 223 of the door outer panel 22 with a center pillar 25 (described later) in between, thereby forming the front edge of the rear door 20 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear wall portion 232 extends from the rear end of the inner body 231 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction to a position close to the outer body 221. As shown in FIG. 4, a door hinge 21 that connects the rear pillar 6 and the rear door 20 is fastened and fixed to the rear of the rear wall portion 232 at a position outside the vehicle width direction of the center pillar 25 described later.

Two door hinges 21 are arranged at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and are fastened to the outer side portion 6a (see Figure 4) of the rear pillar 6 in the vehicle width direction, sandwiching the body outer panel 9 that forms the exterior design surface of the vehicle rearward of the rear door 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end flange portion 233 extends from the rear wall portion 232 toward the rear of the vehicle, approximately parallel to the outer body 221. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end edge of the rear end flange portion 233 is connected to the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22 by hemming, thereby forming the rear end edge of the rear door 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end flange portion 233 is disposed opposite the side portion 6a of the rear pillar 6 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, with the door hinge 21 in between. Therefore, the above-mentioned door hinge 21 has the function of transmitting a side impact load from the outer side in the vehicle width direction from the rear end flange portion 233 to the rear pillar 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface portion 234 extends from the lower end of the inner body 231 toward the outside in the vehicle width direction in a vertical cross section along the vehicle width direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the bottom surface portion 234 extends toward the outside in the vehicle width direction so that the end portion on the outside in the vehicle width direction is at approximately the same position in the vehicle width direction as the second vertical surface 255d of the center pillar 25 described later.

As shown in FIG. 5, the lower flange portion 235 extends from the bottom surface portion 234 toward the bottom of the vehicle. The lower edge of the lower flange portion 235 is joined to the lower edge of the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22 to form the lower edge of the rear door 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end flange portion 236 extends from the upper end of the inner body 231 outward in the vehicle width direction so as to follow the underside of the roof rail 8 (details are omitted). This upper end flange portion 236 is joined to the upper edge of the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22 to form the upper edge of the rear door 20.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cross-sectional shape of the hinge reinforcement 24 in a horizontal cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction is formed to be a cross-sectional shape that follows the rear wall portion 232 and rear end flange portion 233 of the door inner panel 23. As shown in FIG. 3, the hinge reinforcement 24 is formed with a length in the vehicle vertical direction that extends from the lower end of the window opening 231a to the lower end of the rear wall portion 232.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the center pillar 25 has a generally hat-shaped cross section in a horizontal cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction, and is formed to a length in the vehicle vertical direction from near the upper end to near the lower end of the door inner panel 23. The center pillar 25 is joined to the front part of the door inner panel 23 to form a closed cross section that extends in the vehicle vertical direction.

Although detailed illustration is omitted, the rear door 20 is connected at its lower part to the side sill 4 via a striker and a latch at approximately the same position in the vehicle longitudinal direction as the center pillar 25, and at its upper part to the roof rail 8 via a striker and a latch. Therefore, the center pillar 25 reinforces the rear door 20 and also functions as a load transmission member that transmits a side impact load from the side of the vehicle to the side sill 4 and the roof rail 8.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the center pillar 25 is composed of a front flange portion 251 and a rear flange portion 252 that are joined to the door inner panel 23, and a pillar front surface portion 253, a pillar rear surface portion 254, and a pillar side wall portion 255 that connect the front flange portion 251 and the rear flange portion 252.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the front flange portion 251 is generally plate-shaped with a thickness in the vehicle width direction, and is formed into a shape that extends in the vehicle up-down direction along the front end edge of the inner body 231 .
As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the rear flange portion 252 is generally plate-shaped with a thickness in the vehicle width direction, and is formed into a shape that passes through the vehicle front side of the window opening 231a and extends in the vehicle up-down direction.

As shown in FIG. 4 , the pillar front portion 253 extends from the front flange portion 251 outward in the vehicle width direction so as to follow the front wall portion 222 of the door outer panel 22 .
As shown in FIG. 4, the pillar rear surface portion 254 extends from the rear flange portion 252 outward in the vehicle width direction and slightly toward the front of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pillar side wall portion 255 is formed to connect the pillar front portion 253 and the pillar rear portion 254 at approximately the center in the vehicle width direction between the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22 and the inner body 231 of the door inner panel 23.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, the pillar side wall portion 255 is formed so that, in a side view, its length in the vehicle longitudinal direction gradually increases from near the lower end of the window opening 231a to near the lower end of the rear door 20 toward the lower part of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 5, the pillar side wall portion 255 is formed below the window opening 231a so that its outer surface in the vehicle width direction is positioned further outward in the vehicle width direction as it moves from the top of the vehicle to the bottom of the vehicle.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer surface of the pillar side wall portion 255 in the vehicle width direction in rear view is composed of a first inclined surface 255a, a first vertical surface 255b, a second inclined surface 255c, and a second vertical surface 255d.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the first inclined surface 255a is a surface that inclines outward in the vehicle width direction from the vicinity of the lower end of the window opening 231a toward the bottom of the vehicle. The first inclined surface 255a is formed over a range that reaches approximately the center of the rear door 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first vertical surface 255b is a surface that, in rear view, gradually slopes outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the first inclined surface 255a toward the bottom of the vehicle, and then extends substantially vertically toward the bottom of the vehicle. The first vertical surface 255b is formed with a length in the vehicle up-down direction such that its lower end is located at a position above the bottom surface 234 of the door inner panel 23.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second inclined surface 255c is a surface that inclines outward in the vehicle width direction from the lower end of the first vertical surface 255b toward the bottom of the vehicle in rear view. The second inclined surface 255c is formed so that its lower end is located above the vehicle and outward in the vehicle width direction than the bottom surface portion 234 of the door inner panel 23.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second vertical surface 255d is a substantially flat surface that extends substantially vertically from the lower end of the second inclined surface 255c toward the bottom of the vehicle in rear view. The second vertical surface 255d is formed with a length in the vehicle up-down direction such that its lower end is located below the bottom surface portion 234 of the door inner panel 23.

As shown in FIG. 4, the opening/closing device 26 is disposed between the door hinge 21 and the center pillar 25 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, and is fixed to the inner body 231 of the door inner panel 23 via a bracket (not shown).

This opening/closing device 26 is composed of a drive unit 261 that opens and closes the rear door 20 using an actuator connected to the rear pillar 6 via a hinge (not shown), and a control unit 262 that is connected to an operating switch operated by the occupant and controls the operation of the drive unit 261.

Specifically, the drive unit 261 is composed of a motor, a link mechanism, an actuator, and the like, which are not shown in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the drive unit 261 is disposed under the rear door 20 in a side view.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drive unit 261 is disposed above the vehicle on the bottom surface portion 234 of the door inner panel 23, and is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the door hinge 21 and the pillar side wall portion 255 of the center pillar 25.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the drive unit 261 is disposed at a position inward in the vehicle width direction from the rear end flange portion 233 of the inner body 231 and inward in the vehicle width direction from the first vertical surface 255b of the center pillar 25.
In other words, the drive unit 261 is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the second vertical surface 255d, which is the outermost surface of the center pillar 25 in the vehicle width direction.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 262 is disposed higher on the vehicle than the drive unit 261 in a side view, and is disposed so that its upper end is located approximately near the center of the rear door 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the control unit 262 is disposed above the vehicle on the bottom surface portion 234 of the door inner panel 23, at a position slightly outboard in the vehicle width direction from the drive unit 261, and at a position inboard in the vehicle width direction from the door hinge 21 and the pillar side wall portion 255 of the center pillar 25.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the control unit 262 is positioned so that its outer surface in the vehicle width direction is located inward in the vehicle width direction from the rear end flange portion 233 of the inner body 231 and inward in the vehicle width direction from the first vertical surface 255b of the center pillar 25.

In other words, the control unit 262 is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the second vertical surface 255d, which is the outermost surface of the center pillar 25 in the vehicle width direction.
As shown in FIG. 5, the upper end vicinity of the surface of the control unit 262 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction is located outer in the vehicle width direction than the first inclined surface 255a of the center pillar 25 in rear view.

As shown in FIG. 3, the reinforcing member 27 is a generally band-shaped member extending in the vertical direction of the vehicle when viewed from the side, and is arranged so as to overlap the opening/closing device 26 in the vehicle width direction, passing outside the opening/closing device 26 in the vehicle width direction.
Specifically, as shown in Figures 3 to 5, the reinforcing member 27 is integrally formed of a joint portion 271 joined to the inner body 231 of the door inner panel 23, a proximal portion 272 arranged in proximity to the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22, and a connecting portion 273 connecting the joint portion 271 and the proximal portion 272.

3 and 5, the joint 271 is joined to the inner body 231 of the door inner panel 23 at a position above the opening/closing device 26, i.e., at a position above the approximate center of the rear door 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle. The joint 271 is formed in a generally plate-like shape having a thickness in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the adjacent portion 272 has a generally hat-shaped cross section in a horizontal cross section along the vehicle longitudinal direction that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction, and is positioned outside the opening/closing device 26 in the vehicle width direction and adjacent to the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, this adjacent portion 272 is positioned so that its upper end is located slightly below the lower end of the joint portion 271, and is formed with a length in the vertical direction of the vehicle such that its lower end is located below the control unit 262.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the adjacent portions 272 are fixed to the outer body 221 of the door outer panel 22 via adhesive V at positions spaced apart by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

As shown in FIG. 5, the connecting portion 273 extends from the lower end of the joint portion 271 outward in the vehicle width direction and slightly downward toward the vehicle, and its tip is connected to the upper end of the adjacent portion 272. The connecting portion 273 is formed with a generally hat-shaped cross section that is continuous with the adjacent portion 272.

Due to this configuration, when an object strikes the rear door 20 from the outside in the vehicle width direction, the center pillar 25, door hinge 21, and reinforcing member 27 begin to absorb the side impact load before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device 26, and the side impact load can be transmitted to the side vehicle body via the center pillar 25 and door hinge 21.

As described above, the side door of the vehicle 1 in this embodiment is of a double door type that covers the boarding/alighting entrance G provided on the side of the vehicle in a freely openable and closable manner.
The rear door 20 of this side door is equipped with a center pillar 25 that extends inside the rear door 20 in the vertical direction of the vehicle and transmits a side collision load to the side vehicle body, and an opening/closing device 26 that is disposed inside the rear door 20 and opens and closes the rear door 20.

The opening/closing device 26 is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of the outer surface in the vehicle width direction of the pillar side wall portion 255 of the center pillar 25 in a horizontal cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction.
According to this, the rear door 20 can transmit a side impact load to the side of the vehicle body via the center pillar 25 before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device 26 .

As a result, when an object strikes the vehicle from the side, the rear door 20 can reduce the side impact load applied to the opening/closing device 26. This allows the rear door 20 to prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening/closing device 26 caused by the side impact load.

The rear door 20 also includes a door inner panel 23 located on the inside in the vehicle width direction, and a reinforcing member 27 that extends inside the rear door 20 in the vehicle up-down direction and is joined to the door inner panel 23 .
The reinforcing member 27 passes outside the opening/closing device 26 in the vehicle width direction and is disposed so as to overlap the opening/closing device 26 in the vehicle width direction.

According to this configuration, the rear door 20 can transmit the side impact load to the door inner panel 23 via the reinforcing member 27 before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device 26. Therefore, the rear door 20 can reduce the side impact load applied to the opening/closing device 26 even if an impact object collides toward the opening/closing device 26 from the side of the vehicle.
This makes it possible for the rear door 20 to better prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening/closing device 26 due to a side impact load.

The opening/closing device 26 is arranged below the rear door 20 and is composed of a drive unit 261 that opens and closes the rear door 20, and a control unit 262 that is arranged above the vehicle relative to the drive unit 261 and controls the operation of the drive unit 261.

The reinforcing member 27 is formed so that its lower end is located below the control unit 262 on the vehicle.
According to this configuration, the rear door 20 can further prevent unintended malfunction of the opening/closing device 26 due to a side impact load.

Specifically, because the drive unit 261 is disposed at the bottom of the rear door 20, the rear door 20 makes it less likely for a colliding object to collide with the drive unit 261 compared to a case in which the drive unit is located approximately in the center of the rear door 20 in the vertical direction. As a result, the rear door 20 can reduce the side collision load applied to the drive unit 261.

Furthermore, because the control unit 262 and the reinforcing member 27 overlap in the vehicle width direction, the rear door 20 can prevent the side collision load from being applied at least substantially directly to the control unit 262 by the reinforcing member 27.

Therefore, even if a colliding object collides towards the control unit 262, the rear door 20 can prevent damage to the control unit 262.
This makes it possible for the rear door 20 to further prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening/closing device 26 due to a side impact load.

The opening/closing device 26 is disposed on the vehicle widthwise inner side of the door hinge 21 that connects the side vehicle body and the rear door 20 in a horizontal cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction.
According to this configuration, since the center pillar 25 and the door hinge 21 are positioned outboard of the opening/closing device 26 in the vehicle width direction, the rear door 20 can transmit the side impact load to the side vehicle body via both or either the center pillar 25 and the door hinge 21 before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device 26.

As a result, when an object strikes the vehicle from the side, the rear door 20 can further reduce the side impact load applied to the opening/closing device 26. This allows the rear door 20 to reliably prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening/closing device 26 caused by the side impact load.

The opening and closing device 26 is disposed between the center pillar 25 and the door hinge 21 in a side view.
According to this configuration, the rear door 20 can more reliably prevent unintended malfunctions of the opening/closing device 26 due to a side impact load.

Specifically, since the opening/closing device 26 is disposed between the center pillar 25 and the door hinge 21, for example, in the event of a collision with a large object that is long in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, the rear door 20 can transmit the side impact load to the side vehicle body via both the center pillar 25 and the door hinge 21 before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device 26.

Alternatively, even if an object strikes the opening/closing device 26 at a position offset to the front or rear of the vehicle, the rear door 20 can transmit the side impact load to the side vehicle body via either the center pillar 25 or the door hinge 21 before the side impact load is applied to the opening/closing device 26.

As a result, the rear door 20 can more stably reduce the side impact load applied to the opening/closing device 26, thereby more reliably preventing unintended malfunctions of the opening/closing device 26 due to side impact loads.

In the configuration of the present invention and the correspondence with the above-mentioned embodiment,
The vehicle door of the present invention corresponds to the rear door 20 of the embodiment,
Similarly,
The load transmitting member corresponds to the center pillar 25.
The outer end surface of the load transmitting member in the vehicle width direction corresponds to the outer surface of the pillar side wall portion 255 in the vehicle width direction.
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and many other embodiments can be obtained.

For example, in the above embodiment, the rear door 20 is equipped with a center pillar 25 as a load transmission member that transmits the side impact load to the vehicle side body, but this is not limited to this, and any appropriate member that can transmit the side impact load to the vehicle side body may be used.

In addition, the opening/closing device 26 is configured to be built into the rear door 20, but this is not limited thereto, and the opening/closing device may be built into the front door 10. Alternatively, the opening/closing device may be built into both the front door 10 and the rear door 20.

In this case, a load transmission member that transmits at least the side impact load to the side vehicle body is disposed in the door with the opening/closing device built in, and the opening/closing device is disposed on the inside in the vehicle width direction of the outer surface of the load transmission member in the vehicle width direction.

In addition, the reinforcing member 27 has a lower end located below the control unit 262, but this is not limited thereto, and any suitable shape may be used as long as the reinforcing member has a lower end located at least below the control unit 262.

For example, it may be a reinforcing member whose lower end is located below the drive unit 261, or a reinforcing member whose lower end passes below the opening/closing device 26 and is joined to the door inner panel 23.

In addition, the opening/closing device 26 has the drive unit 261 disposed below the vehicle and the control unit 262 disposed above the vehicle relative to the drive unit 261, but this is not limited thereto, and the opening/closing device may have the control unit 262 disposed below the vehicle and the drive unit 261 disposed above the vehicle relative to the control unit 262.

In addition, the opening/closing device 26 is configured with the drive unit 261 and the control unit 262 as separate entities, but this is not limited thereto, and the opening/closing device may be configured with the drive unit and the control unit integrated together.

20... rear door 21... door hinge 23... door inner panel 25... center pillar 26... opening/closing device 27... reinforcing member 255... pillar side wall portion 261... drive unit 262... control unit G... entrance/exit

Claims (4)

A double door for a vehicle that can be opened and closed to cover a boarding/alighting entrance provided on a side of the vehicle,
a load transmission member extending in a vehicle up-down direction inside the vehicle door and transmitting a side collision load to a side vehicle body;
an opening/closing device disposed inside the vehicle door for opening and closing the vehicle door ;
A door inner panel located on the inside in the vehicle width direction;
a reinforcing member extending inside the vehicle door in a vehicle up-down direction and joined to the door inner panel ,
The opening and closing device includes :
In a horizontal cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction, the load transmitting member is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction than an outer end surface in the vehicle width direction of the load transmitting member ,
The reinforcing member is
A vehicle width direction outer side of the opening/closing device is arranged so as to overlap the opening/closing device in the vehicle width direction.
Vehicle door. The opening and closing device includes:
a drive unit disposed under the vehicle door and configured to open and close the vehicle door;
a control unit that is disposed above the drive unit on the vehicle and controls the operation of the drive unit;
The reinforcing member is
The lower end of the control unit is located at least below the vehicle.
The vehicle door according to claim 1 . A double door for a vehicle that can be opened and closed to cover a boarding/alighting entrance provided on a side of the vehicle,
a load transmission member extending in a vehicle up-down direction inside the vehicle door and transmitting a side collision load to a side vehicle body;
an opening/closing device disposed inside the vehicle door for opening and closing the vehicle door,
The opening and closing device comprises:
In a horizontal cross section along the vehicle front-rear direction, the load transmitting member is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of an outer end surface in the vehicle width direction, and is disposed on the inner side in the vehicle width direction of a door hinge that connects the side vehicle body and the vehicle door.
Vehicle door. The opening and closing device includes:
When viewed from the side, the load transmitting member and the door hinge are disposed
The vehicle door according to claim 3 .

Images