Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60J—WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
  • B60J5/00—Doors
  • B60J5/04—Doors arranged at the vehicle sides
  • B60J5/0412—Lower door structure
  • B60J5/0416—Assembly panels to be installed in doors as a module with components, e.g. lock or window lifter, attached thereto
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
  • B60R—VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B60R13/00—Elements for body-finishing, identifying, or decorating; Arrangements or adaptations for advertising purposes
  • B60R13/02—Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a trim panel for a motor vehicle which can be provided with equipment such as a lock and / or a loudspeaker and a door equipped with such a panel.
• Vehicle doors are known, the various interior elements of which (window lifter, lock, rods, bottom window guide slide, interior opening control, etc.) are assembled through the panel forming an interior structure of the door, then are covered internally by a trim panel.
• This type of door that can be described as a "classic" door requires all the interior elements of the. door must be mounted either on a separate door assembly line or on the assembly line of the motor vehicle.
• the car manufacturer prefers, for the sake of optimizing its assembly line, that it be provided with door modules on which are already mounted. or pre-assembled various interior door fittings. For the manufacturer, the assembly of the door is therefore reduced to mounting the door module and making the necessary connections with the rest of the vehicle.
• the door module or the door cassette is in the form of a support structure for the interior equipment of the door, for example a sheet metal plate, which closes the opening made in the interior panel of the door.
• the installation of the interior trim panel ensures the finishing of the door by covering this support structure.
• EP 0 967 097 also discloses a trim panel which is overmolded on a metal insert which stiffens its structure and allows more complex interior elements to be mounted on this panel.
• this type of trim panel has the disadvantage that the entire interior of the door becomes a humid space. Since we want to integrate more and more interior elements in the door that fear humidity such as the window regulator motor and in particular other electronic components, such a solution is not suitable, because it requires expensive waterproof connectors and housings with limited reliability. Indeed, these elements must in this case be specifically designed for a humid space thus increasing the cost price of these elements and therefore of the door.
• Document DE 1 97 32 225 discloses a door module which has a seal on its periphery so that, when assembled, the space of the door casing is divided by the module into a humid space and a dry space delimited between the module and a trim panel mounted on the door frame. In this way, all humidity-sensitive electrical components can be installed in the dry space of the door.
• the trim panel is mounted in addition to the door, the cost / functionality ratio of the module is not fully optimized.
• the present invention aims to overcome these various drawbacks by proposing an improved trim panel.
• the subject of the invention is a trim panel for a door structure of a motor vehicle, comprising sealing means arranged so that in the mounted state of the panel, the latter separates the interior of the door structure forming a wet area of the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle forming a dry area, characterized in that it comprises on its face intended to be directed towards the interior of the passenger compartment a hollow to receive an electric motor from a window regulator and openings made in this hollow part to allow mechanical coupling between said motor and a window regulator drum housing on either side of the panel so that in the assembled state, the motor is in the dry zone and the window regulator mechanism in the wet zone.
• the trim panel according to the invention may also include one or more of the following characteristics:
• the window regulator mechanism comprises a drum unit directly coupled to the electric motor, - an electric control unit for electrical equipment is placed in the hollow part of the panel in the dry area,
• said electrical control unit is made in one piece with the housing of the electric motor, - it comprises at said openings seals,
• the cover for the electric controls of the window regulator - it has in its hollow part mounting openings and associated removable shutters.
• the invention further relates to a door structure of a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a panel as defined above, a window regulator with its electric motor arranged in the dry area and its window regulator mechanism arranged in humid areas.
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an automobile door structure and a trim panel according to the invention
• FIG. 2 represents a sectional view along the axis 11-11 of FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 represents a sectional view along the axis III-III of FIG. 1,
• Figure 4 shows a sectional view along the axis VI-VI of Figure 1.
• FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a door structure 1 of a motor vehicle and a trim panel 2 according to the invention.
• This door 1 comprises a lower part 3 forming a box 4 and an upper part forming a frame (of which only a part of the uprights is shown) delimiting a bay 5 closable by a window not shown.
• the box 4 comprises an external metal wall 7 and an internal metal lining 9 defining an internal opening 11 of the box.
• the panel 2 according to the invention is fixed in the direction of the arrows 12 on this lining 9 as will be explained below.
• the trim panel 2 is shown in such a way that the side 1 3 of the panel 2 intended to be turned, in the assembled state, is seen towards the interior of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, therefore the face of the panel facing away from door 1.
• the panel 2 has a generally rectangular shape and is preferably made in a single piece of plastic, possibly. reinforced with glass fibers or natural fibers. Of course, it may have on its face opposite the door 1 reinforcing ribs to improve its mechanical strength.
• the face 1 3 of the panel has a finished appearance as is known for trim panels. Thus, a covering skin can be placed on this face 1 3.
• the panel 2 comprises sealing means 1 5 arranged so that in the mounted state of the panel 2, the latter separates in a sealed manner the interior of the door structure forming a wet zone 16 from the interior of the passenger compartment forming a dry zone 1 7.
• These sealing means comprise in particular a peripheral seal 1 8, for example a flexible seal, disposed around the periphery of the panel 2 on the face thereof intended to be opposite door structure 2.
• the panel 2 can be provided with various equipment such as an interior handle 22, a pre-assembled electric lock 23, and more particularly a window regulator 25 shown diagrammatically in dotted lines. Other equipment can also be provided.
• the window regulator 25 essentially consists of a window regulator mechanism for guiding the window during its movement and an associated drive of the mechanism.
• the window regulator 25 is of the so-called “double lift” type and the window regulator mechanism comprises two parallel rails 27 for guiding cables 29 and 31 which are wound on a reel in a cable box 33, also called the drum housing (see also Figure 2).
• the rails 27 and the drum housing 33 are in the assembled state of the panel 2 with the window not shown in the humid space 16.
• the cable reel is moved by means of a drive for the window regulator mechanism produced by an electric motor 37.
• the trim panel 2 according to the invention comprises a hollow portion 39 in which is received the electric motor 37.
• the hollow part 39 has openings 40 formed in the wall to allow mechanical coupling between the drum housing 33 and the motor 37, for example by screws 43.
• the openings 40 are provided with seals 41 mounted on the other face 1 7 of the trim panel 2.
• a box 45 for electrical and / or electronic control of electrical equipment such as an electric lock 23 or window lifter 25 is also arranged, with the motor 37, in the hollow part 39 of the panel in the dry zone 17.
• the electrical control unit 45 is made in one piece with the housing of the electric motor 37, which makes it possible to reduce the number of connectors required.
• the housing 45 is separated from the housing of the electric motor and where the latter are connected via connectors can be envisaged.
• the trim panel has, in its hollow part 39, mounting openings 50 (see FIGS. 1 and 3) and associated removable waterproof shutters 52. As shown in FIG. 3, the location of the mounting openings and their size are chosen to facilitate mounting of the window 53, in particular its attachment to slides 54 of the rails 27 of the window lifter.
• a cover 60 (see FIG. 1) which covers the hollow portion 39 in the assembled state is provided to finish the trim panel 2.
• electrical controls (buttons) 62 are carried by this cover 60 and connected by electric wires (not shown) to the control box 45.
• a wall 70 is attached at the level of an opening 72 of the trim panel to delimit a storage bin 74.

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=8856561

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (4)

Family Cites Families (7)

• 2000
  • 2000-11-15 FR FR0014816A patent/FR2816566B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2001
  • 2001-11-15 EP EP01996481A patent/EP1349749A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-11-15 WO PCT/EP2001/013220 patent/WO2002040318A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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