GB2507154A

GB2507154A - Vehicle door with a lock and a door impact beam

Info

Publication number: GB2507154A
Application number: GB1314377.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Marion Schoch; Peter Haffner
Original assignee: Audi AG
Current assignee: Audi AG
Priority date: 2012-09-11
Filing date: 2013-08-12
Publication date: 2014-04-23
Anticipated expiration: 2033-08-12
Also published as: CN103660877B; GB2507154B; FR2995258B1; GB201314377D0; DE102012017865A1; DE102012017865B4; CN103660877A; FR2995258A1

Abstract

A vehicle door 1 having a door lock 10 and a door impact beam 4. The impact beam 4 being attached to the door frame 2 at one end on an end face on the door-hinge side 4a of the door frame 2 and at the other end on an end face on the door-lock side 4b of the door frame 2 of the vehicle door 1. The door lock 10 of the vehicle be fitted in the door frame 2 so as to be aligned with the door impact beam 4 in transverse direction (y-direction) of the vehicle. Preferably one end 4b of the door impact beam 4 is attached to the door frame 2 on the lock-side end face 4b adjacent to the door sill 20 of the vehicle and the impact beam 4 may run diagonally and may be a flat beam or tubular in form.

Description

Vehicle door with a lock and a door impact beam The invention relates to a vehicle door having a door lock and a door impact beam, said impact beam being attached to the door frame at one end on an end face on the hinge side of the door frame and at the other end on an end face on the lock side of the door frame.

DE 101 26 218 Al discloses a gcncric vchiclc door with a door impact beam, which is installed in longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which at the same time serves as carrier for the door's built-in components, such as window opener, door lock, geared motor for the window opener, etc. Such a door impact beam results in increased rigidity of the vehicle door in transverse direction of the vehicle so that, as a result, protection of the vehicle occupants against injury in the event of a side impact is increased.

DE 101 26 218 Al also describes a vehicle door with at least one door impact beam, which is attached on the hinge side to a door hinge and on the lock side to a side wall of the vehicle door.

Furthermore, DE 103 15 565 Al discloses a vehicle door having a reinforcing clement which is connected on the door-stop side to a power hinge and on the lock side to a coupling element. This coupling element serves detachably to connect the vehicle door to a B-pillar of the vehicle, whilst with the power hinge the vehicle door is attached on the door-stop side to the door pillar located there. By means of the reinforcing clement, forces are directed from the door pillars into the vehicle door via the power hinge and the power lock, as a result of which rigidity of the vehicle body is increased.

It is the objective of the invention to produce a vehicle door of the aforementioned type which results in increased rigidity of the vehicle body and also in an improved crash behaviour in the event of a side impact.

This objective is achieved by a vehicle door having the features of patent claim 1.

Such a vehicle door with a door lock and with a door impact beam, which is attached at one end to the door frame on an end face on the hinge side and at the other end to the door frame on an end face on the lock side, is distinguished according to the invention by the fact that the door lock of the vehicle is located in the door frame so as to be aligned with the door impact beam in transverse direction of the vehicle.

With this vehicle door according to the invention, the side impact beam is attached via thc vehicle lock to the body structure of the vehicle in transverse direction, i.e. in y-direction of the vehicle so that, as a result, on the one hand the rigidity of the vehicle body is increased and on the other hand an improvement is achieved in the event both of a front and a side impact, since the vehicle door according to the invention now also acts as a load path, formed via the side impact beam and vehicle lock, into the vehicle body. Thus, with this invention the vehicle lock serves not only to close and lock the vehicle door, but also contributes to an increase in torsional rigidity and thus to an improvement in the crash behaviour of the vehicle.

It is, of course, particularly advantageous in respect of increased rigidity and improved crash behaviour if the lock is located in the area on the lock side where the door impact beam is attached to the door frame. Thus, the end of the door impact beam attached to thc door frame is precisely aligned with the door lock in transverse direction, i.e. in y-direction of the vehicle.

With an advantageous development of the invention, one end of the door impact beam is attached to the door frame on the end face on the door-lock side next to the door sill of the vehicle. This is particularly advantageous, since the area of the sill is particularly vulnerable in a crash and, due to the attachment of the door impact beam and thus also of the vehicle lock in this area, the effectiveness of the load path thus formed is particularly great. The attachment of the door impact beam at this precise point also contributes quite considerably to the increase in torsional rigidity of the vehicle body.

According to a further development of the invention, the door impact beam is preferably located diagonally over the plane of the door frame so that one cnd of the door impact beam is attached to the door frame on the end face on the lock side next to the door sill of the vehicle, i.e. with the comer region of the door frame forming the attachment area. Due to this diagonal arrangement of the door impact beam over the plane of the vehicle door, a high rigidity of the vehicle door and thus also of the vehicle body as a whole is achieved and the advantage of the load-path connection in the region of the sill is maintained.

According to a further embodiment of thc invention, it is advantageous if thc door impact beam takes the form of a flat beam, preferably with rectangular cross-section, for example in the form of a proffle or bent plate, so that thc plane of the flat beam runs parallel to the plane of the door. A tubular impact beam may also be used.

Greater rigidity is achieved if, according to a further development, the door impact beam is formed so as to be U-shaped and is attached to the door frame with its U-shape lying perpendicular to the plane of the door.

A further improvement in the rigidity of the vehicle door and of the vehicle body is achieved by attaching the lock-side end of the door impact beam to the door lock via a reinibrcing patt This is particularly advantageous when the door lock is located on a module carrier which is attached to the door frame and which generally has less rigidity than the frame of the vehicle door.

According to a particularly advantageous development of the invention, a door reinfbrcing element is provided, which extends in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and which connects the hinge-side end face to the lock-side end face of the door frame, so that the lock-side end of the door reinforcing element is mechanically connected to a coupling element and the coupling element is designed to establish a detachable connection with the adjacent pillar of the vehicle body. Thus when the vehicle door is closed, a more extensive load path is produced so that overall, both the rigidity of the vehicle body and the crash behaviour in respect of a front and side impact is significantly improved. This door reinforcing clement then extends substantially in x-direction, thus in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, in the upper region of the vehicle door casing.

According to the invention, because of the relocation of the door lock to the region of the point of attachment of the door impact beam to the door frame, it is proposed that an external handle and an internal handle of the vehicle door be connected to the door lock via coupling elements for operation of said lock.

Thus, according to a further development of the invention, a lock cylinder, which is located in the region of the door handle and is formed with a keyhole for insertion of a corresponding key, is also connected to the vehicle lock via coupling elements, thus facilitating a locking and unlocking of the vehicle door by means of the key inserted into the keyhole.

The invention is described in greater detail below with the aid of working examples and with reference being made to the attached drawings which are as follows: Fig. I is a perspective representation of a vehicle door according to the invention with a door impact beam and a relocated door lock, Fig. 2 is a perspective representation of a vehicle door according to Fig. 1 with a reinforcing element and a coupling element connected to said reinforcing element, Fig. 3 is a perspective representation of a part of the B-pillar in the region of the door lock of the vehicle door shown in Figs. 1 and 2, Fig. 4 is a perspective representation, viewed from the inside, of the vehicle door according to Fig. 2 with built-in lock, coupling element and internal and external door handles.

Figs. 1 and 2 represent the vehicle door 1 of a eabriolet as the vehicle, which is viewed from the outside and has a structure consisting of a trough-shaped door frame 2, hereinafter referred to as the door's external inner panel, and a likewise trough-shaped internal inner panel 3 with through openings, which is connected at the edge to an inner surrounding edge of the external inner panel 2 and serves as module carrier for functional components of the vehicle door.

The reference numeral 2b designates an end face on the hinge side or door-stop side of the vehicle door 1 or, to be more precise, an end face of the door's external inner panel 2 which is swivel-mounted via hinges (not shown) on an A-pillar of the motor vehicle.

The end face 2b lying opposite is the lock-side end face of the vehicle door 1 or of the door's external inner panel 2. On the outside, the vehicle door 1 is completed (not shown) with an outer sheet metal panel (not shown) and on the inside with an inner covering so that, in the region of the internal and external inner panels 2 and 3, a door casing is formcd for accommodating functional components and a window panc (not shown), said window pane extending above the upper edge 2c of the door's external inncr panel 2. The lower edge 2d of the external inner panel 2 is located in the region of a sill of the vehicle.

Fitted to the door's external inner panel 2, there is a door impact beam 4 extending diagonally over the plane of the door so that one end 4a of the door impact beam 4 is attached in the corner area between the end face 2a on the door-stop side and the upper edge 2c of the door's external inner panel 2, and the other end, lying diagonally opposite in the corner area 6 forming the attachment area between the end face 2b on the lock side and the lower edge 2d, is attached to the door's external inner panel 2.

According to the representations in Figs. 1 and 2, this door impact beam 4 can be made as a flat beam with rectangular cross-section, the plane of the flat beam lying in the plane of the door. A tubular construction of this door impactbeam is just as possible as the use of a U-profile. A U-shaped door impact beam 4 is fitted to the door's external inner panel 2 with its U-shape lying perpendicular to the plane of the door.

Such a door impact beam 4, extending diagonally over the door's external inner panel 2, results in improved crash behaviour of the vehicle door 1.

The vehicle door 1 according to Fig. 2 differs from that according to Fig. 1 in that, in addition, in the upper region of the external inner panel 2, a door reinforcing element 5 connecting the two end faces 2a and 2b in longitudinal direction of the vehicle, thus in x-direction, is provided, which presents a U-profile. One end Sa of this door reinforcing element 5 is attached in the upper region of the hinge-side end face 2a of the external inner panel 2, whilst the other end 5b is attached to the lock-side end face ib, at the same time terminating in a coupling element 13, which, in the closed state, is connected to retaining jaws 12 disposed on the adjacent B-pillar 7, so that a load path is formed by the door reinforcing element 5 via the coupling element 13 and the retaining jaws 12, as a result of which, on the one hand, rigidity of the vehicle door I is increased and, on the other hand, due to force coupling via the coupling element 13 and retaining jaws 12 with the vehicle body, torsional rigidity of the vehicle body is improved.

In accordance with Figs. I and 2, the door lock 10 of the vehicle door I is not located at the usual mounting site, i.e. in the upper region of the lock-side end face 2b, but is located in such a way that the door lock 10 is aligned with the door impact beam 4 in transverse direction of the vehicle, i.e. in y-direction. Since the end 4b of the door impact beam 4 is connected in the attachment area located in the corner region 6 formed by the end face 2b and the lower edge 2d of the external inner panel 2, the door lock 10 is aligned in y-direction with the end portion 4b of the door impact beam 4.

As a result, the door lock 10 is attached in y-dircction to the door impact beam 4, SO that coupling of the door impact beam 4 with the vehicle body is achieved via the door lock 10. This leads, on the one hand, to an increase in the rigidity of the vehicle body and, on the other hand, leads to an improved outcome in the event of a side and frontal collision, since the vehicle door I acts as an additional load path into the vehicle body.

In accordance with Figs. 1 and 2, the door lock 10 is located on the door's internal inner panel 3. In addition, a strengthening element 9 is provided in the attachment area 6 of the external inner panel 2, said strengthening element 9 being attached both to the door lock 10 and to the door impact beam 4. As a result, the mechanical coupling between door impact beam 4 and door lock 10 is reinforced, thus also strengthening the above-specified effects.

Owing to the fact that the door lock 10 is moved from its usual location counter to the z-direction down into the area 6 of the door's external inner panel 2, the co-operating striker plate 11 mounted on the B-pillar 7 of the vehicle body must also be moved accordingly, as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 shows a door opening S of the vehicle body in the region of the B-pillar? and of a sill 20, the striker plate 11 being fitted in this corner area on to the B-pillar 7.

Provided in the upper region of the B-pillar 8 are the retaining jaws 12 associated with the coupling element 13, the coupling element 13 engaging in said jaws by means of cotters.

Since the door lock 10 is now no longer located in the region of a door handle of the vehicle door 1, a reliable mechanical connection must also be established between such a door handle and the door lock 10.

This problem is resolved in that an operative connection is established between the door handle and thc door lock 10 by a Bowdcn cable, as shown schcmatieally in Fig. 4, which shows the vehicle door I according to Fig. 2 when viewed from the inside.

Fig. 4 shows the vehicle door 1 in the closed state, in which the door lock 10 is connected to the striker plate 11. The vehicle door 1 is locked and unlocked via a vehicle key with remote control. In addition to the coupling element 13, an external door handle 14 and an internal door handle 15 are fitted to the vehicle door 1, in which case the external door handle 14 also includes a lock cylinder with keyhole, so that, in the event of a failure of the vehicle's electric locking system, the door lock 10 can also be operated by means of a mechanical emergency key, i.e. emergency unlocking of the vehicle door is possible. The operative connection of the external door handle 14 and of the internal door handle 15 to the door lock 10 is in each case established by means of a Bowden cable 16 or 17.

Instead of a Bowden cable, a chain or a connecting rod can also be used.

For controlling the coupling element 13, there is an electric connecting line 18 between the coupling element 13 and the door lock 10.

Instead of a vehicle key with remote control for unlocking and locking the vehicle door, keyless access control (keyless-go) can also be provided by means of a transponder establishing a radio link with a control unit of the vehicle, in which case the control unit controls a corresponding electronic door lock and possibly a coupling element when for cxamplc thc door handle is operated. In this case too, there must also be a mechanical connection to the door lock for emergency unlocking in the event of failure of the vehicle's power supply, for example, or failure of the control unit responsible for operating the door lock.

Reference Numerals 1 Vehicle door 2 Door frame, door's external inner panel 2a Hinge-side end face of the door's external inner panel 2 2b Lock-side end face of the door's external inner panel 2 2c Upper edge of the external inner panel 2 2d Lower edge of the external inner panel 2 3 Door's internal inner panel 4 Door impact beam 4a End of the door impact beam 4 4b End of the door impact beam 4 Door reinforcing element Sa End of the door reinforcing element 5 5b End of the door reinforcing element 5 6 Attachment area of the door impact beam 4 7 B-pillar 8 Door opening 9 Strengthening element Door lock 11 Striker plate of the lock 10 12 Retaining jaws 13 Coupling element with cotters 14 External door handle Internal door handle 16 Bowden cable 17 Bowden cable 18 Electric line Sill

Claims

Patent Claims A vehicle door (1) having a door lock (10) and a door impact beam (4), said impact beam (4) being attached to the door frame (2) at one end on an end face (Ia) on thc door-hinge side of the door frame (2) and at the other end on an end face (lb) on the door-lock side of the door frame (2) of the vehicle door (1), characterized in that the door lock (10) of the vehicle is disposed in the door frame (2) so as to be aligned with the door impact beam (4) in transverse direction (y-direction) of the vehicle.
2. A vehicle door (1)according to Claim 1, characterized in that the door lock (10) is located on the door-lock side in the area (6) of attachment of the door impact beam (7) to the door frame (2).
3. A vehicle door (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that one end (4b) of the door impact beam (4) is attached to the door frame (2) on the lock-side end face (ib) adjacent to the door sill (20) of the vehicle.
4. A vehicle door (1) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the door impact beam (4) runs diagonally over the plane of the door frame (2), one end of the door impact beam (ib) being attached to the door frame (2) on the lock-side end face (ib) adjacent to the door sill (20) of the vehicle.
5. A vehicle door (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the door impact beam (4) is formed as a flat beam or is tubular in form.
6. A vehicle door (1) according to one of Claims ito 3, characterized in that the door impact beam (4) is U-shaped, and is attached to the door frame (2) with its U-shape lying perpendicular to the plane of the door.
7. A vehicle door (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at its lock-side end, the door impact beam (4) is attachcd via a reinforcing part (9) to the door lock (10).
8. A vehicle door (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a door reinforcing element (5) is provided, which extends in longitudinal direction of the vehicle and which connects the hinge-side end face (Ia) to the lock-side end face (Ib) of the door frame (2), in which case the lock-side end (ib) of the door reinforcing element (5) is mechanically connected to a coupling element (13), and the conpling element (13) is designed to establish a detachable connection with the adjacent pillar (7) of the vehicle body.
9. A vehicle door (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an external door handle (14) and an internal door handle (15) of the vehicle door (1) are connected to the lock (10) via coupling elements (16, 17) for operating said lock (10).
10. A vehicle door (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that located in the region of a door handle (14), there is a lock cylinder with a keyhole for insertion of an appropriate key, conpling elements (16) being provided, which connect the lock cylinder to the vehicle lock, for locking and unlocking the vehicle door (1) by means of the key inserted into the keyhole,.