EP1510640B1 - Sliding door of a vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly has a door operation handle (20) fixed on a movable door (10) comprising a height that is measured perpendicular to sliding direction (C). A stopping device has a stop (50) and a lock pin (52) to stop and liberate the door by elastic deformation of the stop. Distance between the handle and the stop or pin measured perpendicular to the sliding direction is lower than 5 percentage of the door height. An independent claim is also included for a motor vehicle.

Description

The present invention relates to a sliding door assembly, of the type indicated in the preamble of claim 1. Such an assembly is known from US Patent 4,464,863 .

It applies in particular to sliding doors of motor vehicles.

There are known devices for stopping sliding doors of motor vehicles. Such a device is described in the document FR-A-2 763 026 . The device is adapted to lock the door in its open position.

This device comprises a guide rail in which is guided a sliding carriage. This cart includes a roller.

The stop device is provided with a ramp which is arranged on the rail. It delimits a stop housing for the roller and is articulated between a position of passage of the roller and a locking position of the roller. The ramp is biased towards its blocking position by a viscoelastic block.

A door equipped with such a device can be brought out of its open position by pushing towards its closed position. On this occasion, the roller crosses the ramp against the force exerted by the viscoelastic block.

Generally, the stop devices of this kind are arranged at the upper or lower part of the door, while an operating handle is arranged on a central part of the door.

As a result, when the door is pushed toward its closed position, the reaction force between the handle and the stopper creates a tilting torque of the door about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the door. This couple solicits the truck and leads to a risk of jamming the door. Also, the force required to bring the door out of its open position is important.

Also known are sliding door stop devices requiring a positive action for the release of the door from its open position.

Such a device is described in the document GB-2,135,724 .

This device comprises a hook articulated on a carriage secured to the door. When the door is in its open position, the hook is engaged with a stop integral with the guide rail.

The hook is connected by a rod to an actuating handle by which it can be brought out of engagement with the stop so that the door can be brought into its closed position. When the hook is out of engagement with the stop, it does not create a reaction force between the handle and the carriage.

However, this device is expensive because of the necessary connection between the handle and the hook.

The present invention aims to overcome the blocking problem and improve an assembly as mentioned above so that it creates a low tilting torque when the door is moved out of its open position.

For this purpose the invention relates to an assembly of the aforementioned type, characterized by the characterizing part of claim 1.

According to other embodiments, the invention comprises one or more of the features indicated in the dependent claims 2 to 8.

The invention further relates to a motor vehicle comprising a bearing structure defining a door opening and a sliding door assembly, characterized in that the sliding door assembly comprises an assembly as defined above.

• la Figure 1 est une vue de côté d'un véhicule automobile comprenant un ensemble selon l'invention;
• la Figure 2 est une vue en perspective d'un ensemble de chariot et de butée selon l'invention;
• la Figure 3 est une vue en perspective d'une extrémité d'un rail de guidage d'un ensemble selon l'invention;
• la Figure 4 est une vue de la butée de l'ensemble selon l'invention; et
• la Figure 5 est une vue éclatée de la butée de l'ensemble de la Figure 4.

The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the Figure 1 is a side view of a motor vehicle comprising an assembly according to the invention;
• the Figure 2 is a perspective view of a carriage and stop assembly according to the invention;
• the Figure 3 is a perspective view of one end of a guide rail of an assembly according to the invention;
• the Figure 4 is a view of the stop of the assembly according to the invention; and
• the Figure 5 is an exploded view of the abutment of the entire Figure 4 .

On the Figure 1 is represented a motor vehicle for example of the type "mono body" or the utility type designated by the general reference 2.

In what follows, the terms "before", "back" and "laterally" will be used in relation to the usual orientation of the vehicle.

The vehicle 2 has a body 4 defining a side opening 6, which allows access to the interior of the vehicle 2, and in particular to the rear part of the passenger compartment.

A set 8 of sliding side door is mounted on the lateral side of the bodywork 4. This assembly 8 comprises a door 10, three sets of slides, respectively upper 12, central 14 and lower 16, and a stop device 18.

The door 10 is movable in translation in a direction of sliding C horizontal and rectilinear, between a closed position closing the lateral opening 6 ( Figure 1 ) and an open position of release of this lateral opening (not shown). It extends along a vertical door plan and has a height h measured in the door plane perpendicular to the direction C. The door is provided with an operating handle 20.

The slide assemblies 12, 14, 16 each comprise an upper guide rail 22, central 24, and lower rail 26 extending in the direction Sliding C and an upper carriage 28, central 30 and lower 32 slidably movable in the rail 22, 24, 26.

The upper rails and carriages 22, 28 and lower 26, 32 are known per se. The carriages 28, 32 comprise a support roller and possibly a lateral guide roller.

The central rail 24 is symmetrical with respect to an M-M plane extending perpendicularly to the door plane and in the sliding direction C.

The central trolley 30 is shown at Figure 2 and is adapted to, on the one hand, support the weight of the door 10 and, on the other hand, laterally guide the door 10 during its displacement.

The central carriage 30 comprises a base body 40 hinged to the door 10 by an axis AA extending parallel to the door plane and perpendicular to the direction of sliding C. On the base body 40 is articulated a carrier roller 42 around the an axis BB extending perpendicular to the axis AA and the direction C and a guide roller 44 about an axis CC extending parallel to the axis AA.

The rail 24 is connected to the bodywork 4 of the vehicle.

The stop device 18 is adapted to hold the door 10 in its open position and comprises an abutment 50 disposed at the rear end of the central rail 24 (see FIG. Figure 3 ) and a stop lug 52 integral with the base body 40 and extending along an axis DD parallel to the axis BB.

As illustrated in figure 4 , the abutment 50 comprises a casing 56, a block 58 made of plastics material, in particular viscoelastic plastic and in particular EPDM, and an insert 60. The abutment 50 has a shape symmetrical with respect to the plane MM of the central rail 24.

The housing 56 comprises a fixing orifice 62 for fixing the stop on the bodywork 4 and two receiving wings 64 of the block 58 provided with retaining tabs 66.

The block 58 has a general shape of C and comprises two lateral branches 68, 70 connected by a core 72. The two branches 68, 70 delimit a receiving recess 74 of the lug 52 when the door 10 is in its open position, as this is represented on the Figure 2 .

Each branch 68, 70 comprises, at its free end, a detent projection 76, 78 directed towards the plane M-M of the central rail 24 and towards one another. The snap protrusions 76, 78 extend in the path of the lug 52 as the door 10 moves between its open and closed positions.

In addition, softening recesses 80, 82 are provided in the side branches 68, 70.

The insert 60 is made in one piece of spring steel and is C-shaped, complementary to that of the receiving recess 74. The insert 60 covers the detent projections 76, 78 so that the lug 52 is applied to the insert 60 during its displacement. Thus, the block 58 is little used.

The insert 60 and the block 58 as well as the block 58 and the receiving flanges 64 are retained with respect to each other in the sliding direction C solely by cooperation by complementary shapes.

The abutment 50 according to the invention is assembled in the following manner, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 .

First, the insert 60 is plugged into the block 58 in the direction of sliding C.

Then the assembly consisting of a block 58 and the insert 60 is plugged laterally, perpendicularly to the direction C, between the receiving flanges 64.

Finally, the group consisting of the insert 60, the block 58 and the casing 56 is plugged into the rear end of the rail 24 in the direction C.

The assembly according to the invention operates in the following manner.

In order to open the door, the passenger grasps the door 10 to the handle 20 and moves the door 10 from its closed position to its open position. When the door 10 approaches its open position, the lug 52 is applied to the detent projections 76, 78 via the insert 60, deforms them elastically out of its path and clicks into the latch. receiving recess 74.

In order to close the door 10, the passenger pushes the door 10, through the handle 20, to its closed position. The lug 52 then crosses the projections 76, 78 which fade by deforming elastically and the door 10 is free to move to its closed position.

Since the projections 76, 78 are symmetrical and the handle 20 is arranged at the stop in the sliding direction C, the forces applied to the handle 20 create only a small torque about the axis. DD of the pin 52. As a result, the risk of jamming of the door 10 is low and it requires only a small force to overcome the resistance force of the stop device 18.

In general, it is advantageous for the distance between a handle 20 and the abutment 50 or the lug 52, measured in the direction of the height h, to be less than 10% of the height of the door, and preferably less than 10% of the height of the door. 5% at this height.

The stop device according to the invention has a low manufacturing cost since it comprises a symmetrical viscoelastic block and since it is easy to mount. Moreover, it does not require any means of positive release as stop devices with a hook.

Claims (9)

1. A sliding door assembly, of the type comprising

   - a door (10), moveable by sliding in relation to a wall in a sliding direction (C) between an open position to the side of an opening and a closed position sealing the opening,

   - the door (10) extending along a door plane, and having a height (h) measured perpendicularly to the sliding direction (C) and according to the door plane,

   - a handle (20) for manoeuvring the door fixed to the door (10),

   - a locking device (18) for locking the door in its open position, the locking device (18) having a first (50) and a second (52) co-operating locking element, the locking elements (50, 52) being adapted to lock and release the door by elastic deformation of said first locking element (50) when the door (10) is brought into its open position and out of its open position,

   characterised in that the distance between the handle (20) and said locking elements (50, 52), measured perpendicularly to the sliding direction (C) and in the door plane, is less than 10% of the height of the door (h), and preferably less than 5% of this height, and in that said first locking element (50) is provided with a first locking component (68) made of an elastic plastic material, in particular viscoelastic, comprising a first detent projection (76) adapted to co-operate with said second locking element (52).
2. The assembly according to Claim 1, characterised in that said locking elements (50, 52) and the handle (20) are aligned in the sliding direction (C) in the door plane.
3. The assembly according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that it further comprises a rail (24) extending in the sliding direction (C) and a trolley (30) moveable by sliding in relation to the rail (24) between an open position and a closed position of the door (10), one of the rail (24) and the trolley (30) being fixed onto the door (10), and the other being fixed to the wall, and in that said first locking element (50) is fixed onto one end of the rail (24), and said second locking element (52) is fixed onto the trolley (30).
4. The assembly according to Claim 3, characterised in that it further comprises two additional rails (22, 26), and in that the rail (24) is disposed between the additional rails (22, 26) according to the height of the door (h).
5. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first locking element (50) is symmetrical in relation to a plane of symmetry (M - M) extending in the sliding direction (C) and perpendicular to the door plane.
6. The assembly according to Claim 5, characterised in that said first locking element (50) is provided with a second locking component (70) made of a plastic material, in particular viscoelastic, comprising a second detent projection (78), adapted to co-operate with said second locking element (52) and to be deformed elastically when the door (10) is brought into its open position and out of its open position, and in that said first (76) and second (78) projections are symmetrical in relation to the plane of symmetry (M - M).
7. The assembly according to Claim 6, characterised in that said first and second locking components are formed in just one piece by the branches (68, 70) of a substantially C-shaped block made of a plastic material, open towards said second locking element (52).
8. The assembly according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first locking element (50) comprises an insert (60) with a shape that complements the shape of said first detent projection (76) and made of a material with greater mechanical resistance than that of the material of said first detent projection (76) made of a plastic material, and in particular of spring steel.
9. A motor vehicle comprising a carrying structure (4) delimiting a door opening (6) and a sliding door assembly, characterised in that the sliding door assembly comprises an assembly according to any of Claims 1 to 8.

Images