GB2117329A

GB2117329A - A motor vehicle door and method of assembling same

Info

Publication number: GB2117329A
Application number: GB08306697A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lucio Gramaglia
Original assignee: Fiat Auto SpA
Current assignee: Fiat Auto SpA
Priority date: 1982-03-31
Filing date: 1983-03-11
Publication date: 1983-10-12
Also published as: FR2524397A1; GB2117329B; DE8309452U1; ES281758Y; DE3311599A1; FR2524397B1; GB8306697D0; ES281758U; IT1155478B; IT8267419A0

Abstract

The door includes an outer skin 3 assembled to the vehicle on the assembly line, on which is mounted a lock 10 cooperating with a striker 11 fitted to the edge of the door opening in the body thereby allowing the outer skin 3 to be held in position during subsequent movement along the assembly line. An inner frame 14 on which a series of elements are mounted off the assembly line is subsequently secured to the outer skin. One of the elements is an aesthetic element 48 provided with a movable flap 50 giving access to other elements forming parts of the door and window operating mechanisms. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION A motor vehicle door and method of assembling same The present invention relates to a motor vehicle door and a method for assembling this onto a motor vehicle body.

Motor vehicle doors are normally made from an outer door skin and an inner frame. At present the outer door skin coming from the press and comprising a steel sheet, a window frame and various cross-pieces, is mounted onto the motor vehicle body on the assembly line, after which it passes, together with the body, through painting baths.

To the inner frame, also coming from the press and already provided with a sheet steel skin and various cross-pieces, a number of components are assembled in a position away from the assembly line, these components including for example the window, the window winding mechanism, the lock and the finishing panel or trim. Subsequently the said inner frame is fitted in a permanent manner onto the door outer skin arriving together with the motor vehicle body from the painting bath, means being provided for registration of the lock mounted on the inner frame with a striker previously mounted on the door opening of the motor vehicle body in such a way as to allow the closure of the said door and the correction of possible errors in the shaping of the door outer skin which could cause the edge of this to be misaligned with the edge of the motor vehicle body.

However, during its transit between the station where the painting bath is situated and through which the motor vehicle body and the door outer skin pass, and the station at which the inner frame, complete with the previously mentioned components, is fitted to it, the outer skin of the door, because of possible misalignment of its edge with respect to the edge of the door opening of the body for the above mentioned reasons, can strike against projecting bodies thereby sustaining damage to the paintwork which has just been applied.

Moreover, since it is not possible to ensure closure of the outer skin of the door with respect to the body because the door is still not provided with the inner framework and consequently the lock, it can happen that after painting of the body and door skin the said door skin might move with respect to the body in such a way as to open wide outwardly thereby causing further damage to the paint, even really denting it. Because of this it can be necessary to perform obvious additional operations on the said door thereby causing a signficant increase in the production times and consequently an increase in the cost of the motor vehicle itself.

The object of the present invention is that of providing a door in which it will be possible, with a particular assembly process, to guarantee the closure and registration of the door outer skin onto the body at an earlier stage than in the known art, in such a way as to avoid the above described disadvantages, and which will be easily constructed and of low production cost.

The present invention achieves these objects by means of a motor vehicle door including an outer door skin mounted on the assembly line and an inner framework on which a plurality of component elements are mounted off the assembly line, characterised by the fact that on the said door outer skin there is mounted a closure element cooperating with a striker fitted to the edge of the door opening in the body of a motor vehicle, whilst on the said inner framework there is mounted an aesthetic element provided with a movable flap.

We will now describe the invention with particular reference to the attached drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded view of the outer skin and the inner frame of a door forming the subject of the present invention, both parts being already provided with a plurality of elements; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the said inner framework seen from the opposite side from that shown in Figure 1.

As can be seen in Figure 1, a door outer skin is generally indicated 3, which is made by pressing in such a way as to have its lower part a cross piece 4 traversing a skin 6 which terminates in the upper part with a frame 7 defining the door window opening.

Around the whole of the perimeter of the said window frame there is formed a recess 8 intended to house a sealing strip not shown in the drawing.

On a section of the inner face of the skin 6 there is fixed a lock 10 cooperating with a striker 11 shown in dot and dash line in Figure 1, preliminarily fitted to the edge of the door opening of the motor vehicle body in correspondence with the said lock.

An inner framework generally indicated 14 is shaped by pressing in such a way as to have a box portion 1 6 visible in the drawing from which extends a series of cross-pieces 1 8 onto which are fitted, in a fixed manner a support 20 intended to serve as an abutment for locking a window holder support 24 forming part of a window winding unit 26, and two eyelets 28 intended to slidably house a flexible cable 30 also forming part of the window winder unit.

On a third cross-piece of the set indicated 1 8 there are mounted, respectively, a control wheel mechanism 32 forming part of the window winder unit and a door lock operating mechanism 34 with associated linkage 36 intended to be connected on the one hand to the lock 10 and on the other to a lever 38 incorporated in a mount 40 visible in Figure 1.

On the two sides of the inner front wall of the box portion 16 are fixed two guide columns 42 visible in Figure 2 provided with channels 44 each for containing a sealing strip not visible in Figure 2 between which are lodged, in a slidable manner, the edges of a window pane 46 further secured, by known means, such as for example resilient pins, on the window holder support 24.

A trim panel indicated 48 is provided in its upper part with a hingedly movable flap 50 which is visible in Figure 1, obtained by means of a dielectric weld seam creating a ligament hinge 52 which extends along the whole of the length of the said panel.

This flap can turn about the axis of the said hinge and assume two limit positions one of which is perpendicular with respect to the plane of the panel so that, as can be seen in Figure 1, is open, whilst in the other position it is flush with the wall of the said panel and thus closed.

On the said trim panel there are further formed two seats not visible in the drawings which are respectively provided one for the attachment of the mount 40 incorporating the lever 38 and the other for attachment of the handle 53 intended to connect with a shaft 54 visible in Figure 1 forming part of the control mechanism 32 of the window winder unit.

An armrest indicated 56 is intended to be fixedly mounted on the trim panel, by securing the said armrest to one of the cross-pieces 1 8 of the box 16 in such a way as to pinch the said panel between them.

Further, the said trim panel can possibly be provided with various attachments and seats for the insertion of loudspeakers for the car radio and door pockets or recesses for carrying documents which are not visible in the drawings.

We will now describe the assembly process.

From the pressing station the outer cladding or skin 3, already preformed as a whole with the sheet 6, the cross-piece 4 and the frame 7 arrives at the assembly line where the motor body onto which the striker has already been fitted is in transit.

Similarly, but in a region away from the assembly line where the above mentioned elements are present, the inner frame 14 already preformed as a whole with the box portion 1 6 and the cross-pieces 1 8 arrives.

The door outer skin 3 is assembled to the motor vehicle body by securing the hinges with which it is provided onto this latter with nuts and bolts.

After this the motor vehicle body, together with the door outer skin follows the assembly line by passing through the painting baths to then arrive at the station at which the lock 10 is mounted on a section of the inner face of the sheet 6 in correspondence with the striker 11, and a sealing strip is fitted into the channel 8 of the frame 7.

At this station there is also provision for adjusting the lock 10 with respect to the striker plate 11 disposed on the edge of the door opening in the motor vehicle body, in such a way as to ensure the closure of the said door outer skin with respect to the motor vehicle body and to correct, whilst it is in this closure position, any possible misalignment of the edge of the door outer skin with respect to the edge of the motor vehicle body due to shaping errors.

At this point the door outer skin, completely closed on the motor vehicle body, proceeds along the assembly line in the direction of the next assembly station, that is to say the at which the door inner frame already provided with the previously described elements is to be fitted.

In the meantime, in the said region away from the assembly line the fixed mounting of the support 20 and the two eyelets 28 onto the crosspiece 18 of the box 16 of the inner door frame is taking place. After this the window winder unit 26.

already provided as a whole with the flexible cable 30, the control wheel mechanisms 34 and the window holder support 28 is assembled by inserting the said flexible cable 30 through the two eyelets 28 and resting and securing the said window holder 24 on the said support 20.

Subsequently the two guide columns 42 are fixed on the box portion 1 6 by disposing them at a distance from one another such as to allow, after having introduced two sealing strips into their recesses 44, the slidable housing of the edges of the window pane 46.

Following this the said window is fitted to the window holder support 24 by known means, such as, for example, resilient pins, in this way making the window pane securely connected to the window winder unit.

After this the door lock operating mechanism 34 and the associated linkage 36 is assembled onto one of the cross-pieces 1 8.

Subsequently, the trim panel 48, already preformed with the various seats and the movable hinged flap formed by the execution of a continuous dielectric weld seam is fixed against the edges of the outer face of the box portion 1 6, fitting the handle 53 into a first of the said openings in the said panel and connecting this with the shaft 54 of the control wheel mechanism 32 in such a way as to allow the control of the vertical displacement of the window 46, and positioning the mount 40 incorporating the lever 38 in a second of the said openings putting this latter in connection with the door lock operating mechanism 34.

After this the armrest is fixed on the trim panel by securing it to one of the cross-pieces 1 8 in such a way as to pinch the panel between them.

At this point the inner frame provided with the above described elements is forwarded to the assembly station where the body together with the door outer skin already provided with the lock is arriving from the painting bath with the door completiey closed with respect to the said body.

At this station the assembly of the inner frame to the door outer skin takes place by fitting the inner face of the box 1 6 against the inner face of the skin 6 and securing one to the other by means of nuts and bolts.

After this the door lock operating device 34 of the inner support frame is connected to the lock 10 of the door outer skin by means of the linkage 36 by bringing this latter manually up to the lock 10 through the passage left free by the open position which the hinged flap 50 has been made to assume by rotating it.

After these operations the hinged flap 50 is turned in the opposite direction with respect to that described above until it has come to rest with its inner face against the faces of the box portion 1 6 and the hinged flap is then fixed to the said box portion. At this point the door is complete and can proceed together with the motor vehicle body to the next assembly station.

As is apparent from the present description, with the particular conformation of the trim panel an assembly process is performed by which a door is obtained on which it is possible to fit onto the door outer skin a lock cooperating with a striker fitted to the edge of the door opening of the motor vehicle body as soon as this together with the said door outer skin comes out from the painting bath station. In this way, being able to adjust the lock with respect to the striker, possible shaping errors causing the displacement of the edge of the outer door skin with respect to the edge of the door opening are corrected, which misalignments could cause during subsequent movement after the painting baths possible scratches of this latter against projecting bodies.

Moreover, by being able to lock the door outer skin on the motor vehicle body by means of the cooperation of the lock on the first with the striker on the second possible movements of the said door outer skin with respect to the motor vehicle body are prevented and consequently possible damage caused by various dents is avoided.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door comprising an outer skin assembled on the assembly line and an inner frame on which a series of elements are mounted off the assembly line, characterised by the fact that the closure element is mounted on the said outer skin for cooperating with a striker fitted to the edge of the door opening of the motor vehicle body, whilst on the said inner frame there is mounted an aesthetic element provided with a movable flap.

2. A door according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that the elements mounted off the assembly line on the iinerframe are, respectively, a support, two eyelets, two guide columns, a window winder unit, a window pane, a door lock operative device with associated linkage and the said aesthetic element.

3. A door according to Claim 1, characterised by the fact that one the said aesthetic element there are fitted, respectively, an armrest, a handle connected to the shaft of the control wheel mechanism of the said window winder unit, and a mount incorporating a lever connected to the said door lock operating device.

4. A method for production of the said door according to any of Claims 1 to 3, characterised by the fact that it comprises the steps of: A) assembling the said door outer skin, already preformed, by pressing, with a cross-piece and with a metal sheet teminating in a frame provided with a channel, to the said motor vehicle body on the assembly line by securing it to the hinges with which the door outer skin is provided.

B) painting the motor vehicle body together with the door outer skin, C) assembling on the assembly line a seal into a channel in the frame of the door outer skin, D) assembling the closure element to a section of the inner face of the door outer skin on the assembly line and adjustment of this closure element with a striker already provided on the edge of the door opening of the motor vehicle body, E) correction of possible misalignments of the edge of the door outer skin with respect to the edge of the motor vehicle body due to shaping errors and securing the said door outer skin to the said body by cooperating operation of the lock and the striker, F) assembling the support and the eyelets to the cross-piece of the inner frame of the door away from the assembly line, G) assembling the window winder unit onto a cross-piece of the inner frame away from the assembly line securing a window winder support with which the said unit is provided to the said support and inserting a flexible cable forming part of the said window winder unit through the said eyelets.

H) assembling two guide columns to the inner front wall of the frame work, away from the assembly line, and introducing the sealing strip into the channels in the guide columns, I) slidably inserting the edges of a window pane between the said guide columns and fixing this window pane to the window winder support by resilient pins, L) fixing a door lock operating device and associated linkage into a cross-piece of the inner frame away from the assembly line, M) fixing the aesthetic elements to the outer face of the inner frame away from the assembly line, and fitting over the said aesthetic elements, respectively, an armrest secured to a cross-piece of the inner frame; a handle, with associated connection of this latter to the shaft of a control mechanism for the window winder unit; and a mount incorporating a lever, with associated connection of this to the door lock operating mechanism, N) fitting and securing the complete inner frame to the door outer skin on the assembly line and connecting the linkaage of the door lock opearating device of the said inner frame to the closure element of the door outer skin by working through the opening left free by the open position of the movable flap of the aesthetic element, and 0) closure, on the assembly line, of the movable flap and fixing of this latter against the outer face of the inner frame.