GB2288288A

GB2288288A - A vehicle door

Info

Publication number: GB2288288A
Application number: GB9406396A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Ernest Biddlecombe
Original assignee: Ford Motor Co
Current assignee: Ford Motor Co
Priority date: 1994-03-30
Filing date: 1994-03-30
Publication date: 1995-10-11
Also published as: GB9406396D0; US5761851A

Abstract

A vehicle door is designed so that it contains no internal wiring, even though some of the door functions are electrically operated. In particular, a window operating motor 24 can be positioned so that its electrical connections to the vehicle power supply are accessible from the hinge shut face of the door, without needing to enter into the interior cavity of the door. Spring-pressed terminals 32, 34 engage terminal plates 38, 40 on the vehicle A-pillar when the door is closed. Alternatively, a boot-protected flying lead from the pillar plugs onto a motor connector accessible at the door hinge shut face. <IMAGE>

Description

A VEHICLE DOOR This invention relates to a vehicle door where at least some components associated with door operation are electrically operated. Such components are typically a window winder mechanism and a door locking mechanism.

The assembly of electrical wiring within the door cavity is expensive and time-consuming. In order to cut down the outlay involved in wiring the door, it has been proposed in British Patent Specification 2 212 767 to incorporate in the door construction a door cavity cover which has the desired arrangement of electrical conductors pre-formed on the surface of the cover.

According to the present invention, there is provided a vehicle door having electrically operated windows, in which no electrical connections are made within the internal door cavity.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle door having electrically operated windows, wherein the door includes a motor for raising and lowering the windows, the motor being mounted in the door and having electrical terminals for providing power to the motor, which terminals are accessible from the hinge shut face of the door.

The hinge shut face of the door is the face which mates with the A-pillar of the door when the door is closed.

The door hinges are associated with this face.

The motor may be mounted in the door cavity through an access opening in the hinge shut face of the door. The part of the motor which is then exposed at the hinge shut face may carry electrical terminals through which power is fed to the motor. The terminals may receive an end of a flying lead which can bridge the gap between the hinge shut face of the door and the A-pillar when the door is opened, but which can be housed between these faces when the door is closed.

Alternatively, the exposed face of the motor may carry terminals which will make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of terminals mounted on the A-pillar.

In this case, electrical connection to the window operating motor will only be made when the door is closed.

One set of terminals may be spring-biassed, so that the springs are compressed to hold the terminals in contact, when the door is closed.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a schematic view of a vehicle door in accordance with the prior art; Figure 2 shows part of a first embodiment of a door according to the invention; and Figure 3 is a view corresponding to Figure 2 but showing a second embodiment of door in accordance with the invention.

The vehicle door 10 shown in Figure 1 has a window 12 surrounded by a window frame 14 and lower portion 16 formed by an inner and an outer skin which define between them a door cavity. The door will be hung in a vehicle by means of hinges 18 at a hinge shut face 20.

Conventional doors have a number of electrically operated functions. Illustrated schematically in Figure 1 is a window glass 12 which may be wound up and down by means of an electrically powered window motor 24. A loudspeaker 26 forming part of the car's audio system may be mounted in the door and a door mounted rear view mirror 28 is also provided.

Each of these mechanisms 24, 26 and 28 require electrical wiring to provide power and/or signal inputs to the mechanisms.

To avoid having to place any wires at all inside the door cavity, the invention proposes to mount the rear view mirror 28 on the vehicle A-pillar and to mount the audio system speaker 26 either on the A-pillar or on the instrument panel or in the driver's footwell.

The window motor 24 is moved to the hinge shut face 20 of the door and is provided with power as illustrated in either Figure 2 or Figure 3.

Figure 2 shows that the window motor 24 has been moved so that one end of the motor casing is exposed at the hinge shut face 20 of the door. This end face of the motor is denoted by reference 30 and carries two projecting, spring-loaded electrically conductive terminals 32, 34.

On the A-pillar 36 are two corresponding terminal plates 38, 40 and when the door closes, the terminals 32, 34 will press against the plates 38, 40 respectively to make an electrical connection. Once in this condition, electrical power can be passed to the motor 24 to raise or lower the windows.

Because the motor has been moved from a relatively central position within the door cavity to the edge of the door cavity, it may be necessary to provide some other mechanical mechanism within the door cavity to transmit the motor drive to the window itself, and this can be for example a cable drive or can be achieved by changing the geometry of the window mechanism operating arms.

In place of the spring-loaded terminals 32 and 34 and the contact plates 38 and 40, the motor 24 can be connected to the wiring harness in the vehicle through a flying lead 42 (Figure 3) in order to allow operation of the window motor 24 when the door is open as well as when it is closed. The lead 24 ends in a plug 44 which can be easily connected to a corresponding socket on the housing of the motor 24, where this housing is exposed at the hinge shut face 20 of the door.

In both the embodiments shown in Figures 2 and 3, the motor 24 can be mounted in the door by inserting it axially through an opening in the hinge shut face of the door. This does not require any access to the interior of the door cavity.

The flying lead 42 shown in Figure 3 can be protected by a flexible rubber boot where it extends between the Apillar and the door itself.

Figures 2 and 3 also show a rear view mirror 28a mounted on the A-pillar 36, in place of on the door.

The measures described make it possible to eliminate all internal wiring from the door, thus reducing door assembly time and cost and reducing complexity.

Claims

1. A vehicle door having electrically operated windows, in which no electrical connections are made within the internal door cavity.

2. A vehicle door having electrically operated windows, wherein the door includes a motor for raising and lowering the windows, the motor being mounted in the door and having electrical terminals for providing power to the motor, which terminals are accessible from the hinge shut face of the door.

3. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the motor is mounted in the door cavity through an access opening in the hinge shut face of the door.

4. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the part of the motor which is exposed at the hinge shut face carries electrical terminals through which power is fed to the motor.

5. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the terminals receive an end of a flying lead which bridges the gap between the hinge shut face of the door and the A-pillar when the door is opened, but which can be housed between these faces when the door is closed.

6. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the exposed face of the motor carries terminals which will make electrical contact with a corresponding pair of terminals mounted on the A-pillar.

7. A vehicle door as claimed in Claim 6, wherein one set of terminals is spring-biassed, so that the springs are compressed to hold the terminals in contact, when the door is closed.

8. A vehicle door substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.