JP2023125892A - Vehicle door structure and key cylinder - Google Patents

Abstract

To improve production efficiency of a vehicle door structure.SOLUTION: A vehicle door structure 1 includes a vehicle door 2 having an internal space 7, a key cylinder 13 having a paddle 16, and a latch mechanism 20 having a key rotor 24 connected to a tip end portion of the paddle 16. A casing 21 of the latch mechanism 20 has a vertical wall portion 36 closely opposed to an inner surface of the vehicle door 2, and the key rotor 24 is arranged closely to the vertical wall portion 36. The paddle 16 has a shaft portion 41 extending along the inner surface of the vehicle door 2, and an extending portion 43 extending in an extending direction intersecting the axial direction from the shaft portion 41 on the axially base end side of the vertical wall portion 36 in an assembled state in which the paddle is connected to the key rotor 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle door structure and a key cylinder.

A vehicle door lock device constitutes a vehicle door structure together with a vehicle door. A vehicle door is composed of a plurality of panel members such as an inner panel and an outer panel. The vehicle door lock device is housed in a closed space defined by these panel members. A vehicle door lock device includes a key cylinder into which a key is inserted, and a latch mechanism that switches between a locked state and an unlocked state according to a rotation operation (locking/unlocking operation) of the key. A paddle on the key cylinder transmits rotation of the key to the latch mechanism, thereby interlocking the latch mechanism with the lock/unlock operation.

One example of how to assemble a vehicle door lock device to a vehicle door is to attach a key cylinder to an outer panel and house it inside the vehicle door, and then attach a latch mechanism to the inner surface of the inner panel. In this case, in the process of moving the latch mechanism to a predetermined installation position inside the vehicle door, the assembly worker inserts a paddle into the key rotor of the latch mechanism, and rotates the tip of the paddle integrally with the key rotor. It is necessary to connect them as possible.

The closed space of the vehicle door is narrow in the direction in which the inner panel and the outer panel face each other, and it may become difficult to see the latch mechanism and the key cylinder during the installation work of the latch mechanism. Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, the paddle is configured to be swingable, and the posture of the paddle can be changed from the standard posture. This facilitates insertion. Note that the "reference attitude" of the paddle refers to the attitude of the paddle with respect to the vehicle door when the paddle is properly assembled to the key rotor and the latch mechanism is properly attached to the attachment position.

JP 2019-108733 Publication

If the latch mechanism is installed in a situation where the paddle is angularly displaced from the reference position, the paddle may be moved inside the closed space in order to insert the paddle into the key rotor. There is also a risk of the vehicle being accidentally caught between the vehicle door and the inner surface of the vehicle door. In this document, a state in which the paddle is not properly connected to the key rotor of the latch mechanism is sometimes referred to as a "misassembled state."

If the paddle is short, the paddle will catch on the surface of the latch mechanism before the latch mechanism reaches the attachment position, making it difficult to move the latch mechanism. An assembly worker can recognize an incorrectly assembled state by feeling resistance to movement transmitted to his or her hands. However, if the paddle is long, the latch mechanism can reach the attachment position without the paddle getting caught in the latch mechanism. An assembly worker may mistakenly believe that the paddle has been inserted into the key rotor and attach the latch mechanism to the inner panel in an incorrectly assembled state.

In the incorrectly assembled state, even if the key inserted into the key cylinder is rotated (locked/unlocked), the latch mechanism cannot operate. It is possible to discover this incorrect assembly state at the stage of inspecting the operation of the latch mechanism. However, the disassembly and reassembly work to correct the incorrectly assembled state reduces the production efficiency of the vehicle door structure.

An object of the present invention is to improve the production efficiency of vehicle door structures.

A first aspect of the present invention includes a vehicle door having an interior space, a paddle extending in the interior space in the axial direction along the inner surface of the vehicle door, and a key cylinder provided on the vehicle door. , a latch mechanism provided on the vehicle door, the casing having a casing attached to the inner surface and a key rotor connected to the tip of the paddle, the casing being closely opposed to the inner surface and having a key rotor connected to the tip of the paddle; the key rotor is disposed close to the vertical wall, and the paddle is connected to a shaft extending along the inner surface and the key rotor in an assembled state; A vehicle door structure is provided, comprising: an extension part extending from the shaft part in an extension direction intersecting the axial direction at a base end side in the axial direction than the vertical wall part.

Here, it is assumed that the vehicle door structure is assembled in such a manner that the key cylinder is first attached to the vehicle door, and then the casing of the latch mechanism is attached to the inner surface of the vehicle door. When installing the casing, the assembly worker positions the latch mechanism within the interior space of the vehicle door, brings the casing closer to the key cylinder with the vertical wall close to the inner surface of the vehicle door, and then presses the paddle. Connect the tip to the key rotor.

According to the above configuration, if the paddle is accidentally caught between the vertical wall portion and the inner surface, the shaft portion will be caught on the vertical wall portion and the extension portion will be caught on the inner surface. As a result, the assembly worker can feel the resistance due to the catching of the extension before the casing is moved close to the key cylinder by the distance necessary for the paddle to be properly connected to the key rotor. can. Thereby, the assembly worker can easily recognize the incorrectly assembled state before attaching the latch mechanism to the vehicle door.

The extending direction may be a direction in which the inner surface and the vertical wall portion face each other.

According to this configuration, when the paddle is caught in the clearance between the inner surface and the vertical wall portion, it becomes easier to bring the extension portion into contact with the inner surface. Therefore, it becomes easier for the assembly worker to recognize the incorrect assembly state.

The extending position may be located closer to the axial tip end than the center position of the shaft portion in the axial direction.

According to this configuration, when the paddle is caught in the clearance, the extension portion can be easily brought into contact with the inner surface before the casing reaches the proper mounting position. Therefore, it becomes easier for the assembly worker to recognize the incorrect assembly state.

A tip of the extending portion may be closer to the inner surface than the vertical wall portion. According to this configuration, when the paddle is caught in the clearance, the extension portion can be easily brought into contact with the inner surface. Therefore, it becomes easier for the assembly worker to recognize the incorrectly assembled state of the paddle.

The paddle may include a reinforcing portion that connects the shaft portion and the extension portion.

According to this configuration, it is possible to prevent the paddle from breaking when a force is applied to move the casing while the extension portion is caught on the inner surface.

The reinforcing portion may include a triangular first rib that is bridged between the shaft portion and the surface of the extension portion and extends in the extension direction.

The reinforcing portion may include a second rib that spans between the shaft portion and a central portion of the extending portion in the extending direction.

The paddle extends in the vehicle width direction, the casing is attached to the inner surface of the vehicle door, the vertical wall portion closely opposes the inner surface in the vehicle length direction, and the extending portion extends from the shaft portion to the vehicle length. It may be extended in the direction.

According to this configuration, when a latch is provided at the rear of the vehicle door structure, an assembly worker can easily recognize an incorrectly assembled state.

A second aspect of the present invention is a key cylinder provided in a vehicle door, the key cylinder extending in the axial direction along the inner surface of the vehicle door within the interior space of the vehicle door, and provided in the casing of the latch mechanism, a paddle connected to a key rotor disposed close to and opposite to the inner surface and close to the vertical wall portion extending in the axial direction, the paddle being connected to a shaft portion extending along the inner surface and the key rotor; The present invention provides a key cylinder having an extension part extending from the shaft part in an extension direction intersecting the axial direction on the proximal end side of the vertical wall part in the axial direction in the assembled state.

According to the present invention, the production efficiency of vehicle door structures can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of a vehicle door structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. An enlarged view of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the key cylinder in an assembled state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the latch and key cylinder in an assembled state. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the latch and key cylinder in an assembled state. FIG. 3 is a side view of the latch and key cylinder in an assembled state. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which paddles are incorrectly assembled. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a paddle is incorrectly assembled in a vehicle door structure according to a comparative example. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a key cylinder according to a modification.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction indicate the vehicle length direction, vehicle width direction, and vehicle height direction, respectively.

FIG. 1 shows a right front side door structure of a vehicle as an example of a vehicle door structure 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 1. The left side of the paper is the rear side in the vehicle length direction, and the back side in the orthogonal direction to the paper is the center side in the vehicle width direction.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a vehicle door structure 1 includes a vehicle door 2 and a vehicle door lock device 3 provided on the vehicle door 2. The vehicle door 2 includes a plurality of panel members including an outer panel (not shown), an inner panel 5, and an end panel 6. The outer panel covers the outer side of the inner panel 5 in the vehicle width direction, and faces the inner panel 5 in the vehicle width direction. The end panel 6 may be provided at the rear edge of the inner panel 5 and the outer panel, and may be integrated with the inner panel 5. The vehicle door 2 itself has a closed space 7 defined by a panel member.

In the following description, with respect to the panel member of the vehicle door 2, the term "inside" may be used to refer to the surface facing the closed space 7, and the term "outside" may be used to refer to the surface opposite to the closed space 7. In FIG. 1, the inside of the closed space 7 (the inside of the inner panel 5) is shown, although the outer panel is not shown.

The vehicle door lock device 3 includes a handle mechanism 10, a latch mechanism 20, and a rod 30. As shown in the illustrated example, in the front side door structure, the vehicle door lock device 3 is provided at the rear of the vehicle door 2. The handle mechanism 10 is attached to the outer panel, and the latch mechanism 20 is attached to the inner panel 5. Most of the handle mechanism 10 and the latch mechanism 20 are housed in the closed space 7.

The handle mechanism 10 includes a handle base 11, an outer handle (not shown), and a key cylinder 13. The handle base 11 is attached to the outer panel and arranged within the closed space 7 (inside the outer panel). The handle base 11 extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle at the inner rear part of the outer panel. The outer handle is disposed outside the outer panel and is movably held by the handle base 11. The outer handle is arranged along the vehicle length direction, and is rotatably supported by the handle base 11 while being biased to a non-operating position.

Referring to FIG. 3, key cylinder 13 includes a key casing 14, a cylinder lock 15, and a paddle 16. The key casing 14 is attached to the inside of the handle base 11. The cylinder lock 15 is accommodated in an accommodation hole 11a formed in the key casing 14. The key insertion opening 15a of the cylinder lock 15 is directed outward in the vehicle width direction and is exposed to the outside of the vehicle through a hole formed in the handle base 11 and the outer panel.

The paddle 16 is rotatably supported by the key casing 14 , extends from the key casing 14 in its axial direction, and is housed in the closed space 7 . When a proper key (not shown) is inserted into the cylinder lock 15 through the key insertion slot 15a and rotated, the paddle 16 rotates around its central axis. The key casing 14 houses a transmission mechanism (not shown) that transmits the rotation of the cylinder lock 15 to the paddle 16.

Referring to FIG. 2, latch mechanism 20 includes a casing 21. As shown in FIG. The casing 21 has a base portion 22 and a protrusion 23 . The base portion 22 is arranged along the inside of the inner panel 5. The protruding part 23 protrudes from the rear part of the base part 22 in the vehicle width direction and is arranged along the inside of the end panel 6.

Although not shown in detail, the casing 21 accommodates a first mechanism that switches between a locked state and an unlocked state, and a second mechanism that switches between a latched state and an unlatched state. A key rotor 24 of a first mechanism and an open lever 25 of a second mechanism are provided on the outside of the casing 21. The key rotor 24 has a paddle insertion hole 24 a opened on the outer surface of the base portion 22 of the casing 21 . The tip of the paddle 16 is inserted into the casing 21 through the paddle insertion hole 24a and connected to the first mechanism.

When the latch mechanism 20 is in the latched and locked states, when the occupant inserts the key into the cylinder lock 15 and performs a rotation operation (unlocking operation), the paddle 16 rotates, and the rotation of the cylinder lock 15 is controlled via the paddle 16. and is transmitted to the first mechanism of the latch mechanism 20. This switches the latch mechanism 20 to the unlocked state. In the unlocked state, when the occupant rotates the outer handle from the non-operating position (door opening operation) against the urging force, the operation of the outer handle is transmitted to the open lever 25 via the rod 30. Thereby, the latch mechanism 20 is switched to the unlatched state, and the vehicle door 2 can be opened. Even if a door opening operation is performed in the locked state, the latch mechanism 20 maintains the latched state. When the occupant inserts the key into the cylinder lock 15 and performs a rotation operation (locking operation) in the unlocked state, the paddle 16 rotates, and the rotation of the cylinder lock 15 is transmitted to the first mechanism of the latch mechanism 20 via the paddle 16. be done. This switches the latch mechanism 20 to the locked state.

When assembling the vehicle door structure 1 having the above configuration, a group of parts including the handle base 11 and the key cylinder 13 are first attached to the outer panel. This constitutes an "outer subassembly." At the same time, parts are attached to the integrated inner panel 5 and end panel 6. This constitutes an "inner subassembly." The inner subassembly does not include the latch mechanism 20. Next, the outer sub-assembly and the inner sub-assembly are assembled to each other. Thereby, the general shape of the vehicle door 2 is configured.

After the outline is configured, the latch mechanism 20 is attached to the inside of the inner panel 5. An opening 5a is formed at the rear of the inner panel 5. The assembly worker grasps the latch mechanism 20, inserts his/her hand into the closed space 7 through the opening 5a, moves the latch mechanism 20 to a predetermined installation position within the closed space 7, and tightens the bolts etc. at the installation position. Attach the latch mechanism 20 to the vehicle door 2 using a fixture. A paddle 16 constituting an outer sub-assembly is already accommodated in the closed space 7. In the process of moving the latch mechanism 20 to the attachment position in the closed space 7, the assembly worker inserts the tip of the paddle 16 into the paddle insertion hole 24a of the key rotor 24, and connects the paddle 16 to the first mechanism. . Once the latch mechanism 20 is installed, other parts are installed in sequence to complete the vehicle door structure 1.

The paddle insertion hole 24a is arranged at the rear of the base portion 22 and close to the end panel 6. Therefore, in the process of moving the latch mechanism 20 to the attachment position, there is a risk that the paddle 16 may be accidentally caught between the base portion 22 and the end panel 6 instead of the paddle insertion hole 24a. Hereinafter, the configuration of the vehicle door structure 1 (particularly the paddle 16 and the casing 21) will be described in relation to this incorrectly assembled state.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the base portion 22 of the casing 21 has a top wall 31 and a peripheral wall 32 protruding from the edge of the top wall 31. The peripheral wall 32 is erected outward from the inner panel 5 in the vehicle width direction, and the top wall 31 is arranged apart from the inner surface of the inner panel 5 outward in the vehicle width direction. The base portion 22 is arranged at the rear end within the closed space 7. The peripheral wall 32 includes a rear wall portion 32a that faces the inner surface of the end panel 6 in the vehicle length direction and extends in the vehicle height direction, and an upper wall portion 32b that extends forward in the vehicle length direction while tilting downward from the upper end of the rear wall portion 32a. and has.

The paddle insertion hole 24a is arranged at the upper end of the base portion 22, that is, at the corner where the rear wall portion 32a and the upper wall portion 32b intersect. Therefore, the paddle insertion hole 24a is also close to the end panel 6 in the vehicle length direction. The paddle insertion hole 24a opens in the top wall 31, and is formed in a funnel shape that becomes wider toward the opening end. In order to form such a paddle insertion hole 24a, a conical insertion hole forming portion 35 is provided at a corner of the top wall 31.

The casing 21 further includes a vertical wall portion 36. The vertical wall portion 36 projects outward from the top wall 31 in the vehicle width direction and extends in the vehicle height direction. The vertical wall portion 36 has a thin plate shape in the vehicle length direction, and its rear end surface is substantially continuous with the outer surface of the rear wall portion 32a. In other words, the vertical wall portion 36 is a portion of the rear wall portion 32a that extends outward in the vehicle width direction, and, like the rear wall portion 32a, is provided with a slight clearance from the inner surface of the end panel 6. Being faced with. Further, the vertical wall portion 36 is also arranged close to the paddle insertion hole 24a. As an example, the vertical wall portion 36 extends downward from the outer surface of the conical insertion hole formation portion 35 and is integrated with the insertion hole formation portion 35 .

As described above, in this embodiment, the direction in which the casing 21 and the inner surface of the vehicle door 2 face each other is the vehicle length direction, and the casing 21 is positioned in front of the inner surface of the vehicle door 2. In the standard posture of the paddle 16 when the paddle 16 is properly assembled to the latch mechanism 20, the central axis of the paddle insertion hole 24a is coaxial with the central axis of the paddle 16. The axial direction of the paddle insertion hole 24a (the axial direction of the paddle 16 in the standard posture) is a direction along the vehicle width direction, and the vertical wall portion extends along this direction. More specifically, the axial direction of the paddle insertion hole 24a is inclined downward as it goes inward in the vehicle width direction (that is, as it goes from the handle mechanism 10 to the latch mechanism 20), and is almost inclined in the vehicle length direction. I haven't.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, the paddle 16 includes a shaft portion 41 extending in the axial direction, an engaging portion 42 provided at the tip of the shaft portion 41, and an extending portion 43 extending from the shaft portion 41. has. The paddle 16 is manufactured by casting aluminum-based metal or the like, and the shaft portion 41, the engaging portion 42, and the extending portion 43 are integrated with each other.

As described above, since the paddle insertion hole 24a is close to the inner surface of the end panel 6, the shaft portion 41 also extends in the vehicle width direction while closely facing the inner surface of the end panel 6 in the vehicle length direction. More specifically, in the standard position, the key casing 14 hardly tilts in the vehicle length direction, but extends inward in the vehicle width direction while tilting downward from the key casing 14 .

The shaft portion 41 is supported by the key casing 14 so as to be rotatable about its axial direction and swingable around a pivot 45 provided at the base end of the shaft portion 41 . The pivot shaft 45 extends along the vehicle height direction in the direction perpendicular to the axis. The tip of the paddle 16 is movable in the vehicle length direction in accordance with the swing of the paddle 16 around the pivot axis.

The engaging portion 42 is constituted by a plurality of ribs protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the tip portion of the shaft portion 41 . These ribs are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the shaft portion 41. The engaging portion 42 is engaged with the key rotor 24 within the paddle insertion hole 24a, thereby transmitting the rotation of the paddle 41 to the latch mechanism 20.

In the assembled state connected to the key rotor 24, the extending portion 43 extends from the shaft portion 31 in an extending direction that intersects with the axial direction on the base end side of the vertical wall portion 36 in the axial direction. This extending direction is a direction in which the vertical wall portion 36 and the inner surface of the end panel 6 face each other, and in this embodiment, it is the vehicle length direction. The position where the extension portion 43 is provided in the axial direction of the paddle 16 is referred to as the "extension position." The extended position is located closer to the axial tip end than the axial center position of the shaft portion 41 . The tip of the extending portion 43 is brought closer to the inner surface than the vertical wall portion 36.

The paddle 16 further includes a reinforcing portion 44 that connects the shaft portion 41 and the extension portion 43. The reinforcing portion 44 has a first rib 44a and a second rib 44b. The first rib 44a spans between the shaft portion 41 and the surface of the extension portion 43, and is formed in a triangular shape. The extension portion 43 protrudes from the shaft portion 41 on both sides, and the first ribs 44a also form a pair in the vehicle length direction. The second rib 44b spans between the extending position of the shaft portion 41 and the central portion of the extending portion 43 in the extending direction, and is formed in a solid block shape.

In this regard, when casting parts having ribs, releasing from the mold is facilitated by pushing the peripheral portions of the ribs with ejector pins. On the other hand, traces (ejector pin receivers) remain on the product at the parts pressed by the ejector pins. In this paddle 16, a portion close to the first rib 44a is pressed by an ejector pin, thereby improving the production efficiency of the paddle 16 (facilitating mold release). Since the paddle 16 is housed in the closed space 7, the ejector pin receiver is not visible to the occupants and does not spoil the beauty of the vehicle. Therefore, the second rib 44b is realized by an ejector pin receiver. By omitting the removal of the ejector pin receiver, the manufacturing process of the paddle 16 is simplified, and by making the ejector pin receiver function as a reinforcing member together with the adjacent first rib 44a, high rigidity is provided to the paddle 16.

In the case where the casing 21 and the paddle 16 are configured as described above, an incorrect assembly state in the work of attaching the latch mechanism 20 to the vehicle door 2 while connecting the paddle 16 to the key rotor 24 will be described. FIG. 8 shows a first comparative example and a second comparative example. The paddle 86 according to the first comparative example is shorter than the paddle 16 of the present embodiment and does not have an extending portion. The paddle 96 according to the second comparative example has the same structure as the paddle 16 of the present embodiment, except that it does not have an extending portion. In the first comparative example, the second comparative example, and the present embodiment, the base end portions of the paddles 16, 86, and 96 are located at the same position in the vehicle width direction.

Furthermore, in the first comparative example, the second comparative example, and this embodiment, the latch mechanism 20 has the same structure, and FIG. 8 shows a situation in which the latch mechanism 20 is shared among multiple vehicle models. I can say it. In this respect, the shape and arrangement of the handle mechanism 10 are easily influenced by the design of each vehicle and vary depending on the vehicle type. The latch mechanism 20 is not required to serve as a design component. Therefore, it is permissible to share the latch mechanism 20 between multiple vehicle models that have the same required functions (switching states with a smart key, etc.).

Instead, the paddle 16 is designed for each vehicle type according to the positional relationship between the handle mechanism 10 and the latch mechanism 20, and is designed to have a length suitable for the vehicle type. When the vehicle size is small, the distance between the latch mechanism 10 and the handle mechanism 20 tends to be short, and accordingly, the paddle 16 becomes relatively short as in the first comparative example. When the vehicle size is large, the paddle 16 becomes relatively long as in the second comparative example.

In the first comparative example and the second comparative example as well, in order for the paddles 86 and 96 to be sandwiched between the casing 21 and the inner surface of the vehicle door 2, the tip of the paddle 36 must cross over the vertical wall 36 and move backward. need to be located. The paddle 16 needs to be angularly displaced by that amount with respect to the reference attitude. The shorter the paddle 86 is, the larger the amount of angular displacement with respect to the reference posture required to get over the vertical wall portion 36 is, and the longer the paddle 96 is, the smaller the amount of angular displacement is.

As in the first comparative example, if the paddle 86 is short (because the vehicle size is small), it is possible to make an angular displacement sufficient to overcome the vertical wall portion 36 while the casing 21 is attached to the predetermined mounting position. Can not. That is, in the first comparative example, in the process of moving the casing 21 to the mounting position, even if the paddle 16 is largely displaced with respect to the reference posture and comes off the paddle insertion hole 24a, the casing 21 reaches the mounting position. In the front, the vertical wall portion 36 interferes with the paddle 86. A large resistance to movement of the casing 21 is transmitted to the assembly worker, which allows the assembly worker to recognize the incorrect assembly condition before fixing the casing 21 to the inner panel 5. In FIG. 8, the vertical wall portion 36 is shown overlapping the paddle 86 with the casing 21 located at the attachment position. This indicates that when the casing 21 is located at the attachment position, the paddle 86 cannot climb over the vertical wall portion 36 and be caught, and the paddle 86 becomes caught before reaching the attachment position. .

As in the second comparative example, if the paddle 96 is long (due to the large size of the vehicle), even when the casing 21 is installed at a predetermined mounting position, the tip of the paddle 96 can be moved toward the vertical wall with a small angular displacement. It is possible to be located further back than 36. Since the amount of angular displacement is small, the paddle 96 can maintain a state of extending along the vehicle width direction, and the tip of the vertical wall portion 36 is separated from the paddle 96 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, unlike the first comparative example, the latch mechanism 20 reaches the installation position without any noticeable resistance being transmitted to the hands of the assembly worker, and the latch mechanism 20 is attached to the inner panel 5 while the incorrect assembly condition is overlooked. There is a risk that it may be attached.

In this situation, the latch mechanism 20 cannot respond to unlocking and locking operations. Although it is possible to easily discover incorrect assembly through inspection after the vehicle door structure 1 is completed, it is necessary to disassemble and reassemble the vehicle door structure 1, which reduces the productivity of the vehicle door structure 1. lower. Note that, as shown in the first comparative example, the vertical wall portion 36 is an effective member for preventing an incorrectly assembled state from being overlooked. However, even if the distance between the handle mechanism 10 and the latch mechanism 20 becomes longer due to a change in vehicle class, the latch mechanism 20 is intended to be shared among multiple vehicle types as described above. Due to production constraints, it is difficult to adjust the height of the vertical wall portion 36 depending on the size of the vehicle.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, in this embodiment, the paddle 16 designed according to the vehicle type has the extending portion 43. By providing the extension part 43, even if the amount of angular displacement allowed for the paddle 16 is sufficiently large, the extension part 43 comes into contact with the end panel 6, so the maximum angular displacement is substantially limited. receive. If the casing 21 is attached with the paddle 16 angularly displaced backward with respect to the reference posture, even if the tip of the paddle 16 comes off the paddle insertion hole 24a, the paddle 16 is is brought into contact with the inner surface of the end panel 6 and is about to be returned to the reference posture. A portion of the shaft portion 41 of the paddle 16 that is closer to the tip than the extension portion 43 hits the tip of the vertical wall portion 36 that is about to move to the attachment position.

In this manner, the paddle 16 interferes with the vertical wall portion 36 and the inner surface of the end panel 6 before the casing 21 reaches the attachment position. A large resistance to movement of the latch mechanism 20 is transmitted to the assembly worker, thereby allowing the assembly worker to recognize the incorrectly assembled condition before securing the latch mechanism 20 to the inner panel 5. In FIG. 7, the paddle 16 is shown overlapping the end panel 6 with the latch mechanism 20 in the attached position. This indicates that when the latch mechanism 20 is located at the attachment position, the paddle 16 cannot climb over the vertical wall portion 36 and be caught, and the paddle 16 may become caught before reaching the attachment position. There is. That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the length of the extension portion 43 in the extending direction is such that it interferes with the end panel 6 in an incorrectly assembled state in which the paddle 16 is in contact with the vertical wall portion 36 at the mounting position. is set to .

If such a catch occurs and the assembly worker applies an overload to the vehicle door structure 1 in order to move the latch mechanism 20 before recognizing the incorrectly assembled state, the load will be applied to the extension part 43. is input. Since the extending portion 43 is provided with the reinforcing portion 44, damage to the paddle 16 can be prevented.

According to this embodiment, the long paddle 16 has an extension 44 . Therefore, the vertical wall section 36, which would not have been able to function effectively if the extension section 44 was not present, can be made to function effectively, and the cooperation between the extension section 43 and the vertical wall section 36 can prevent incorrect assembly. It becomes possible to prevent the condition from being overlooked. The frequency of disassembly work after completion is reduced, and the production efficiency of the vehicle door structure 1 applied to large vehicles is improved.

As shown in FIG. 9, the extending portion 43 may have a disc shape. In the case of the extension part according to the above embodiment, when the elongate member is undesirably inserted into the closed space, rotational force is transmitted from the elongate member to the shaft part 41 via the extension part 43, and the latch mechanism 20 may operate undesirably. A disk shape can prevent such undesired operation.

Although the embodiment has been described taking the front side door structure of a vehicle as an example, the vehicle door structure 1 according to the present invention is also applicable to a rear side door structure.

1 Vehicle door structure 2 Vehicle door 3 Vehicle door lock device 5 Inner panel 6 End panel 7 Closed space (interior space)
10 Handle mechanism 11 Handle base 13 Key cylinder 16 Paddle 20 Latch mechanism 21 Casing 24 Key rotor 24a Paddle insertion hole 32a Rear wall part 36 Vertical wall part 41 Shaft part 42 Engagement part 43 Extension part 44 Reinforcement part 44a First rib 44b 2 ribs

Claims (9)

A vehicle door having an interior space;
a key cylinder provided on the vehicle door, the key cylinder having a paddle extending in the axial direction along the inner surface of the vehicle door within the interior space;
a latch mechanism provided on the vehicle door, the latch mechanism having a casing attached to the inner surface and a key rotor connected to the tip of the paddle;
Equipped with
The casing has a vertical wall portion that closely opposes the inner surface and extends in the axial direction, and the key rotor is disposed close to the vertical wall portion,
The paddle intersects with the axial direction from the shaft portion at a base end side in the axial direction relative to the vertical wall portion in an assembled state connected to the key rotor with a shaft portion extending along the inner surface. and an extension part extending in the extension direction;
Vehicle door structure. The extending direction is a direction in which the inner surface and the vertical wall portion face each other,
The vehicle door structure according to claim 1. The extension position is closer to the axial tip end than the center position of the shaft portion in the axial direction,
The vehicle door structure according to claim 1 or claim 2. The tip of the extending portion is closer to the inner surface than the vertical wall portion,
The vehicle door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The paddle has a reinforcing part that connects the shaft part and the extension part.
The vehicle door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The reinforcing part includes a triangular first rib that is bridged between the shaft part and the surface of the extension part and extends in the extension direction.
The vehicle door structure according to claim 5. The reinforcing portion includes a second rib bridged between the shaft portion and a central portion of the extending portion in the extending direction.
The vehicle door structure according to claim 5 or 6. The paddle extends in the vehicle width direction, the casing is attached to the inner surface of the vehicle door, the vertical wall portion closely opposes the inner surface in the vehicle length direction, and the extending portion extends from the shaft portion to the vehicle length. extending in the direction of
A vehicle door structure according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A key cylinder provided in a vehicle door,
Extending in the axial direction along the inner surface of the vehicle door within the interior space of the vehicle door, provided in the casing of the latch mechanism, and disposed close to a vertical wall portion that closely opposes the inner surface and extends in the axial direction. with a paddle connected to the key rotor,
The paddle intersects with the axial direction from the shaft part extending along the inner surface at a proximal end side in the axial direction relative to the vertical wall part in an assembled state connected to the key rotor. A key cylinder having an extension portion extending in an extension direction.

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