US20120228898A1 - Vehicle body structure - Google Patents
Vehicle body structure Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20120228898A1 US20120228898A1 US13/042,990 US201113042990A US2012228898A1 US 20120228898 A1 US20120228898 A1 US 20120228898A1 US 201113042990 A US201113042990 A US 201113042990A US 2012228898 A1 US2012228898 A1 US 2012228898A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- vehicle body
- vehicle door
- body structure
- additional
- vehicle
- Prior art date
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- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 13
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 claims 3
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 claims 3
- 238000000465 moulding Methods 0.000 description 12
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 6
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 6
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000002787 reinforcement Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60J—WINDOWS, WINDSCREENS, NON-FIXED ROOFS, DOORS, OR SIMILAR DEVICES FOR VEHICLES; REMOVABLE EXTERNAL PROTECTIVE COVERINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES
- B60J5/00—Doors
- B60J5/10—Doors arranged at the vehicle rear
- B60J5/101—Doors arranged at the vehicle rear for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B62—LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS
- B62D—MOTOR VEHICLES; TRAILERS
- B62D25/00—Superstructure or monocoque structure sub-units; Parts or details thereof not otherwise provided for
- B62D25/06—Fixed roofs
- B62D25/07—Fixed roofs having water drainage or guide means integral with roof structure
Definitions
- the present invention generally relates to a vehicle body structure. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle body structure having a mounting arrangement for pivotally coupling a vehicle door to a vehicle body.
- a rear door e.g., a tailgate or a lift gate
- Such rear doors are typically mounted to the vehicle body by a pair of lift gate hinge assemblies located at the top end of the lift gate.
- lift gates are heavy, and thus, the lift gate be mounted to a strong structural portion of the vehicle.
- the lift gate hinge assemblies are mounted at the rear end of the vehicle roof.
- the lift gate hinge assemblies are mounted to an exterior surface of the vehicle roof.
- the lift gate hinge assemblies are occasionally mounted in the roof ditches of the vehicle roof and covered with a molding. Also, the hinge assemblies can be mounted to the side edges of the lift gate so that are not readily visible when the lift gate is closed. Thus, the freedom of the layout of components for the vehicle's rear end tends to be constrained by the configuration and structural mounting requirements of the lift gate hinge assemblies.
- One object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that improves design freedom by reducing constraints that limit the positioning of roof ditches with respect to outer door edges.
- Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that increases interior roominess by utilizing the roof ditch as a hinge mounting location.
- Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that reduces the need for reinforcement panels.
- Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that increases torsional rigidity of the overall door assembly.
- one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that basically comprises at least one vehicle body panel, a hinge and a vehicle door.
- the at least one vehicle body panel includes a roof ditch.
- the roof ditch is defined by a recessed support surface, a first wall surface extending longitudinally along a first side of the recessed support surface and a second wall surface extending longitudinally along a second side of the recessed support surface.
- the second wall surface is disposed outboard of the first wall surface.
- the hinge includes a base component and an arm component.
- the arm component is pivotally coupled to the base component.
- the base component is mounted to the recessed support surface of the roof ditch.
- the arm component includes a vehicle door mounting structure.
- the vehicle door is fixed to the arm component by the vehicle door mounting structure, which defines at least one fastening point that is situated at a location outboard of the second wall surface of the roof ditch.
- FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a vehicle having a vehicle body structure with a door mounting arrangement for pivotally coupling a vehicle door to a vehicle body in accordance with one illustrated embodiment;
- FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1 , with the vehicle door pivoted to an open position;
- FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in accordance with the illustrated embodiment;
- FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 , with the vehicle door pivoted to the open position;
- FIG. 5 is a simplified elevational view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 3 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in accordance with the illustrated embodiment;
- FIG. 6 is a simplified perspective view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 3 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in a closed position;
- FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 3 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in accordance with the illustrated embodiment;
- FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 , with the vehicle door and a roof ditch cover removed;
- FIG. 9 is a simplified cross sectional view of a portion of a roof body panel and a hinge secured to the roof body panel as seen along section line 9 - 9 of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of selected parts of the top rear portion of the door mounting arrangement of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 ;
- FIG. 11 is a simplified cross sectional view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 as seen along section line 11 - 11 of FIG. 3 ;
- FIG. 12 is an interior elevational view of the rear door of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 ;
- FIG. 13 is an enlarged elevational view of a top corner of the rear door illustrated in FIG. 12 ;
- FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of one of the hinges for the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 ;
- FIG. 15 is a plan view of the hinge illustrated in FIG. 14 ;
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view of selected parts of the roof ditch molding and molding mounting component of the rear door of the vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 ;
- FIG. 17 is a perspective view of selected parts of the roof ditch molding of the rear door of the vehicle illustrated in FIG. 1-4 .
- the vehicle 10 includes, among other things, a roof panel 12 and a pair of side panels 14 that together with other panels form a vehicle body.
- the roof panel 12 and the side panels 14 are typically formed of one or more pieces of sheet metal or any other suitable material that is welded together to form a substantially rigid portion of the vehicle body. Also the roof panel 12 and/or the side panels 14 can be supported by other structural members as needed and/or desired.
- the vehicle 10 also includes a vehicle door 16 that is typically formed of metal or any other suitable material and is pivotally mounted to the roof panel 12 by a pair of hinges 18 .
- the hinges 18 are typically made of metal or any other suitable rigid material having sufficient strength and durability to support the vehicle door 16 in the open position.
- the roof panel 12 includes a pair of roof ditches 20 that are spaced apart along the roof panel 12 in a direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the roof ditches 20 .
- the side panels 14 are fixed to the roof panel 12 such that the side panels 14 and the roof panel 12 collectively define the roof ditches 20 .
- Each roof ditch 20 is thus a joint that is made by the roof panel 12 and the side panel 14 of the vehicle 10 . Also, as shown in FIG.
- each roof ditch 20 includes an inner wall surface 20 a that is within a lateral boundary of the roof panel 12 , an outer wall surface 20 b that is positioned adjacent to the lateral boundary of the roof panel 12 and a recessed support surface 20 c that extends laterally between the bottom edges of the inner and outer wall surfaces 20 a and 20 b .
- the inner wall surface 20 a extends longitudinally along a first side of the recessed support surface 20 c and the outer wall surface 20 b extends longitudinally along a second side of the recessed support surface 20 c .
- the outer wall surface 20 b is disposed outboard of the inner wall surface 20 a.
- the hinges 18 are mounted in the roof ditches 20 of the roof panel 12 and are each covered by roof ditch molding 21 as discussed in more detail below.
- the roof ditch molding 21 can be made of plastic or any other suitable material that can have some flexibility.
- the vehicle door 16 is configured as a rear door (i.e., a lift gate) of the vehicle 10 .
- the vehicle door 16 is configured as a lift gate with the hinges 18 having horizontally arranged pivot axes P between the roof panel 12 and the vehicle door 16 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 6 and 7 .
- the pivot axes P extend in directions that are perpendicular or at least transverse to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 .
- the roof panel 12 , the side panels 14 , the vehicle door 16 and the hinges 18 constitute a vehicle body structure 22 .
- the hinges 18 are situated at an upper-rear portion of the vehicle door 16 of the vehicle body structure 22 .
- the vehicle body structure 22 increases design freedom with respect to the layout of the various components for the vehicle's rear end.
- the vehicle body structure 22 is configured and arranged to improve the structural integrity of the vehicle door 16 with respect to its torsional rigidity.
- the vehicle body structure 22 improves design freedom by reducing constraints that limit the positioning of the roof ditches 20 with respect to the outer door edges.
- the vehicle door 16 includes an outer peripheral edge portion 24 defining an outer perimeter of the vehicle door 16 .
- the outer peripheral edge portion 24 has a pair of oppositely disposed side edges 26 and a pair of oppositely disposed transverse edges 28 .
- the side edges 26 extend vertically between opposite ends of the transverse edges 28 .
- the transverse edges 28 are generally arranged horizontally between the side edges 26 .
- the vehicle door 16 also includes a hinge mounting surface 16 a ( FIG. 13 ) extending laterally with respect to the outer perimeter of the vehicle door 16 .
- the hinge mounting surface 16 a includes a generally vertical surface that extends in a lateral direction of the vehicle 10 . As further shown in FIG. 13 , the hinge mounting surface 16 a can extend longitudinally in the direction of the portion of the hinge 18 that attaches to the hinge mounting surface 16 a.
- each of the hinges 18 includes a base component 30 and an arm component 32 .
- the pivot axes P of the hinges 18 are generally perpendicularly arranged with respect to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body structure 22 .
- the vehicle door 16 is configured as a lift gate with the hinges 18 having the horizontally arranged pivot axes P between the base component 30 and the arm component 32 .
- the base component 30 is located in the roof ditch 20 .
- the vehicle body structure 22 capitalizes on the existing, underlying structure of the vehicle 10 for rigidity. Also by mounting the base component 30 in the roof ditch 20 , the vehicle body structure 22 can be formed in a way that reduces the need for additional reinforcement panels by utilizing a tightly packaged ditch area.
- the arm component 32 includes an extension portion 32 a and a mounting flange 32 b . As illustrated, the extension portion 32 a , and thus, the arm component 32 , is pivotally coupled to the base component 30 by a pivot component 34 . In this way, the vehicle door 16 can swing about the pivot axes P of the pivot components 34 of the hinges 18 .
- the mounting flange 32 b and thus the arm component 32 , is mounted to the laterally extending interior surface 16 a of the vehicle door 16 at an outboard region of the vehicle door 16 by fasteners that can include a pair of bolts 38 and 40 and a pair of nuts 42 and 44 , or any other suitable type of fastening arrangement such as screws, rivets, welding and so on.
- the fasteners thus constitute a vehicle door mounting structure.
- the fasteners (i.e., the vehicle door mounting structure) of the arm component 32 pass through the mounting flange 32 b .
- the fasteners i.e., the vehicle door mounting structure
- the fasteners thus define two fastening points, respectively.
- the fastening points of the fasteners (i.e., the vehicle door mounting structure) of the arm component 32 are situated inboard of the side edges 26 of the vehicle door 16 .
- the mounting flange 32 b extends away from the extension portion 32 a in an outboard direction of the vehicle body structure 22 along the vertical interior surface 16 a of the vehicle door 16 that faces an interior of the vehicle body structure 22 .
- the mounting flange 32 b extends in an outboard direction of the vehicle body structure 22 along an interior facing surface (i.e., the vertical interior surface 16 a ) of the vehicle door 16 .
- the mounting flange 32 b of the arm component 32 extends along the interior facing surface of the vehicle door 16 in a non-orthogonal direction at an angle ⁇ ( FIG. 13 ) with respect to a plane including the extension portion 32 a that extends parallel to a longitudinal direction of the vehicle 10 .
- the angle ⁇ can be greater than 90° and in this example, can be at or about 120°. Naturally, the angle ⁇ can be any suitable angle to achieve the type of vehicle door mounting configuration as discussed herein.
- the base component 30 basically includes a mounting flange 46 and an upright attachment portion 48 .
- the mounting flange 46 extends away from the upright attachment portion 48 in an outboard direction of the vehicle body structure 22 and along the support surface 20 c of the roof ditch 20 .
- the mounting flange 46 of the base component 30 has a peripheral edge 46 a in a plane parallel to the support surface 20 c of the roof ditch 20 .
- a portion 46 b of the peripheral edge 46 a of the mounting flange 46 that closest to the vehicle door 16 is cantilevered with respect to the roof panel 12 . In this way, the base component 30 of the hinge 18 extends beyond a peripheral edge of the support surface 20 c closest to the vehicle door 16 .
- the upright attachment portion 48 is pivotally attached to the extension portion 32 a , and thus to the arm component 32 , by the pivot component 34 , so that the arm component 32 pivots with respect to the base component about pivot axis P.
- the mounting flange 36 is attached to the roof panel 12 by a pair of fasteners.
- One of the fasteners can include a bolt 56 , a nut 60 and a washer 61 while the other fastener includes a bolt 58 , a nut 62 and a pair of washers 63 and 65 .
- the nut 62 and the washer 63 associated with bolt 58 can also comprise an integrally formed weld nut that is welded to an underside of the roof ditch 20 prior to assembly of the vehicle 10 .
- any suitable types of fasteners such as screws, rivets and so on can be used.
- the bolts 56 and 58 pass through a pair of openings 50 and 52 , respectively, in the mounting flange 46 and through a pair of openings 67 and 69 , respectively, in the support surface 20 c and are secured to the support surface 20 c by a pair of nuts 60 and 62 .
- the fasteners thus constitute a vehicle body mounting structure.
- the head of the bolt 56 is circular and is thus typically more difficult to remove from an exterior of the vehicle 10 than bolt 58 , which has a hexagonal head.
- the arm component 32 and, in particular, the mounting flange 32 b could extend inboard along the vehicle door 16 .
- the arm component 32 could be sandwiched by the base component 30 and extend in both the inboard and outboard directions.
- the base component 30 could be flipped (mirrored) positionally in a vehicle lateral direction such that the fasteners 56 and 58 would be located inboard of the upright attachment portion 48 .
- each of the hinges 18 is partially concealed by a cover 70 that is secured to the roof ditch molding 21 as discussed below.
- the cover 70 can be made of rigid plastic or any other suitable material.
- the cover 70 includes a top portion 71 having a pair of apertures 72 and 74 defined therein, and a clip 76 ( FIG. 5 ) that extends downward from the top portion 71 .
- the cover 70 further includes a close-out portion 77 having a pair of legs 78 and 80 that extend from a peripheral end edge of the top portion 71 towards the recessed support surface 20 c of the roof ditch 20 .
- the legs 78 and 80 define a slot 81 through which the arm component 32 of the hinge 18 passes.
- the top portion 71 generally spans a width of the roof ditch 20 above the base component 30 of the hinge 18 between respective top edges of the first and second wall surfaces 21 a and 21 b .
- the close-out portion 77 extends laterally within the roof ditch 20 from the first wall surface 21 a to the second wall surface 21 b .
- the cover 70 and the roof ditch 20 thus define a cavity.
- the base component 30 of the hinge 18 is situated within the cavity and the vehicle door mounting structure of the arm component 32 is situated outside of the cavity.
- the clip 76 is received in the aperture 54 defined by the base component 30 of the hinge 18 such that the clip 76 engages a peripheral edge of the aperture 54 to retain the cover 70 to the base component 30 of the hinge 18 .
- the cover 70 is thus a portion of a roof molding assembly that extends along the roof panel 12 in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle body structure 22 .
- two clips 82 and 84 that extend downward from the roof ditch molding 21 are received in the apertures 72 and 74 defined by the cover 70 .
- the clips 82 and 84 engage respective peripheral edges of the apertures 72 and 74 to retain the roof ditch molding 21 to the cover 70 .
- the opposite longitudinal edges of the roof ditch molding 21 include flexible members 86 and 88 that can be made of rubber, for example.
- the flexible members 86 and 88 contact the inner and outer wall surfaces 20 a and 20 b of the roof ditch 20 and thus provide a seal between the roof ditch molding 21 and the roof ditch 20 .
- the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps.
- the foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives.
- the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts.
- the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below”, “longitudinal” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle body structure. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a vehicle equipped with the vehicle body structure.
- the terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
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Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention generally relates to a vehicle body structure. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle body structure having a mounting arrangement for pivotally coupling a vehicle door to a vehicle body.
- 2. Background Information
- Many vehicles such as station wagons, support utility vehicles and mini vans include a rear door (e.g., a tailgate or a lift gate) that is pivotally mounted to pivot about horizontal axes in order to access a rear cargo space. Such rear doors are typically mounted to the vehicle body by a pair of lift gate hinge assemblies located at the top end of the lift gate. Typically, such lift gates are heavy, and thus, the lift gate be mounted to a strong structural portion of the vehicle. In most cases, the lift gate hinge assemblies are mounted at the rear end of the vehicle roof. In some vehicles, the lift gate hinge assemblies are mounted to an exterior surface of the vehicle roof. In order to make the exterior of the vehicle more aesthetically pleasing, the lift gate hinge assemblies are occasionally mounted in the roof ditches of the vehicle roof and covered with a molding. Also, the hinge assemblies can be mounted to the side edges of the lift gate so that are not readily visible when the lift gate is closed. Thus, the freedom of the layout of components for the vehicle's rear end tends to be constrained by the configuration and structural mounting requirements of the lift gate hinge assemblies.
- One object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that improves design freedom by reducing constraints that limit the positioning of roof ditches with respect to outer door edges.
- Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that increases interior roominess by utilizing the roof ditch as a hinge mounting location.
- Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that reduces the need for reinforcement panels.
- Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that increases torsional rigidity of the overall door assembly.
- In view of the state of the known technology, one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle body structure that basically comprises at least one vehicle body panel, a hinge and a vehicle door. The at least one vehicle body panel includes a roof ditch. The roof ditch is defined by a recessed support surface, a first wall surface extending longitudinally along a first side of the recessed support surface and a second wall surface extending longitudinally along a second side of the recessed support surface. The second wall surface is disposed outboard of the first wall surface. The hinge includes a base component and an arm component. The arm component is pivotally coupled to the base component. The base component is mounted to the recessed support surface of the roof ditch. The arm component includes a vehicle door mounting structure. The vehicle door is fixed to the arm component by the vehicle door mounting structure, which defines at least one fastening point that is situated at a location outboard of the second wall surface of the roof ditch.
- These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the vehicle body structure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses one embodiment.
- Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure:
-
FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of a vehicle having a vehicle body structure with a door mounting arrangement for pivotally coupling a vehicle door to a vehicle body in accordance with one illustrated embodiment; -
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the vehicle illustrated inFIG. 1 , with the vehicle door pivoted to an open position; -
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in accordance with the illustrated embodiment; -
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-3 , with the vehicle door pivoted to the open position; -
FIG. 5 is a simplified elevational view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIG. 3 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in accordance with the illustrated embodiment; -
FIG. 6 is a simplified perspective view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIG. 3 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in a closed position; -
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIG. 3 showing one of the rear hinge areas of the vehicle body structure in accordance with the illustrated embodiment; -
FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 , with the vehicle door and a roof ditch cover removed; -
FIG. 9 is a simplified cross sectional view of a portion of a roof body panel and a hinge secured to the roof body panel as seen along section line 9-9 ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of selected parts of the top rear portion of the door mounting arrangement of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 ; -
FIG. 11 is a simplified cross sectional view of the top rear portion of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 as seen along section line 11-11 ofFIG. 3 ; -
FIG. 12 is an interior elevational view of the rear door of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 ; -
FIG. 13 is an enlarged elevational view of a top corner of the rear door illustrated inFIG. 12 ; -
FIG. 14 is a side elevational view of one of the hinges for the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 ; -
FIG. 15 is a plan view of the hinge illustrated inFIG. 14 ; -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of selected parts of the roof ditch molding and molding mounting component of the rear door of the vehicle illustrated inFIGS. 1-4 ; and -
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of selected parts of the roof ditch molding of the rear door of the vehicle illustrated inFIG. 1-4 . - Selected embodiments will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following descriptions of the embodiments are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
- Referring initially to
FIGS. 1 and 2 , avehicle 10 is illustrated in accordance with a first embodiment. Thevehicle 10 includes, among other things, aroof panel 12 and a pair ofside panels 14 that together with other panels form a vehicle body. Theroof panel 12 and theside panels 14 are typically formed of one or more pieces of sheet metal or any other suitable material that is welded together to form a substantially rigid portion of the vehicle body. Also theroof panel 12 and/or theside panels 14 can be supported by other structural members as needed and/or desired. Thevehicle 10 also includes avehicle door 16 that is typically formed of metal or any other suitable material and is pivotally mounted to theroof panel 12 by a pair ofhinges 18. Thehinges 18 are typically made of metal or any other suitable rigid material having sufficient strength and durability to support thevehicle door 16 in the open position. - The
roof panel 12 includes a pair ofroof ditches 20 that are spaced apart along theroof panel 12 in a direction that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of theroof ditches 20. As indicated, theside panels 14 are fixed to theroof panel 12 such that theside panels 14 and theroof panel 12 collectively define theroof ditches 20. Eachroof ditch 20 is thus a joint that is made by theroof panel 12 and theside panel 14 of thevehicle 10. Also, as shown inFIG. 8 , eachroof ditch 20 includes aninner wall surface 20 a that is within a lateral boundary of theroof panel 12, anouter wall surface 20 b that is positioned adjacent to the lateral boundary of theroof panel 12 and arecessed support surface 20 c that extends laterally between the bottom edges of the inner andouter wall surfaces inner wall surface 20 a extends longitudinally along a first side of therecessed support surface 20 c and theouter wall surface 20 b extends longitudinally along a second side of therecessed support surface 20 c. Theouter wall surface 20 b is disposed outboard of theinner wall surface 20 a. - The
hinges 18 are mounted in theroof ditches 20 of theroof panel 12 and are each covered byroof ditch molding 21 as discussed in more detail below. Theroof ditch molding 21 can be made of plastic or any other suitable material that can have some flexibility. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, thevehicle door 16 is configured as a rear door (i.e., a lift gate) of thevehicle 10. In other words, thevehicle door 16 is configured as a lift gate with thehinges 18 having horizontally arranged pivot axes P between theroof panel 12 and thevehicle door 16 as shown, for example, inFIGS. 6 and 7 . Typically, the pivot axes P extend in directions that are perpendicular or at least transverse to the longitudinal direction of thevehicle 10. - As best seen in
FIGS. 3 and 4 , theroof panel 12, theside panels 14, thevehicle door 16 and thehinges 18 constitute avehicle body structure 22. The hinges 18 are situated at an upper-rear portion of thevehicle door 16 of thevehicle body structure 22. As will become apparent from the following description of thevehicle body structure 22, thevehicle body structure 22 increases design freedom with respect to the layout of the various components for the vehicle's rear end. Moreover, thevehicle body structure 22 is configured and arranged to improve the structural integrity of thevehicle door 16 with respect to its torsional rigidity. Also, as will become apparent from the following description of thevehicle body structure 22, thevehicle body structure 22 improves design freedom by reducing constraints that limit the positioning of the roof ditches 20 with respect to the outer door edges. - The
vehicle door 16 includes an outerperipheral edge portion 24 defining an outer perimeter of thevehicle door 16. The outerperipheral edge portion 24 has a pair of oppositely disposed side edges 26 and a pair of oppositely disposedtransverse edges 28. The side edges 26 extend vertically between opposite ends of the transverse edges 28. The transverse edges 28 are generally arranged horizontally between the side edges 26. Thevehicle door 16 also includes ahinge mounting surface 16 a (FIG. 13 ) extending laterally with respect to the outer perimeter of thevehicle door 16. Thehinge mounting surface 16 a includes a generally vertical surface that extends in a lateral direction of thevehicle 10. As further shown inFIG. 13 , thehinge mounting surface 16 a can extend longitudinally in the direction of the portion of thehinge 18 that attaches to thehinge mounting surface 16 a. - Referring to
FIGS. 3-10 and 13-15, only one of thehinges 18 is illustrated for the sake of brevity. However, it will be apparent from this disclosure that thehinges 18 are mirror images of each other and that theroof panel 12 is symmetrical with respect to thehinges 18. Basically, each of thehinges 18 includes abase component 30 and anarm component 32. - The pivot axes P of the
hinges 18 are generally perpendicularly arranged with respect to a longitudinal direction of thevehicle body structure 22. In other words, thevehicle door 16 is configured as a lift gate with thehinges 18 having the horizontally arranged pivot axes P between thebase component 30 and thearm component 32. - As discussed in more detail below, the
base component 30 is located in theroof ditch 20. In this way, thevehicle body structure 22 capitalizes on the existing, underlying structure of thevehicle 10 for rigidity. Also by mounting thebase component 30 in theroof ditch 20, thevehicle body structure 22 can be formed in a way that reduces the need for additional reinforcement panels by utilizing a tightly packaged ditch area. - The
arm component 32 includes anextension portion 32 a and a mountingflange 32 b. As illustrated, theextension portion 32 a, and thus, thearm component 32, is pivotally coupled to thebase component 30 by apivot component 34. In this way, thevehicle door 16 can swing about the pivot axes P of thepivot components 34 of the hinges 18. - The mounting
flange 32 b, and thus thearm component 32, is mounted to the laterally extendinginterior surface 16 a of thevehicle door 16 at an outboard region of thevehicle door 16 by fasteners that can include a pair ofbolts nuts arm component 32 pass through the mountingflange 32 b. The fasteners (i.e., the vehicle door mounting structure) thus define two fastening points, respectively. The fastening points of the fasteners (i.e., the vehicle door mounting structure) of thearm component 32 are situated inboard of the side edges 26 of thevehicle door 16. - As further shown, the mounting
flange 32 b extends away from theextension portion 32 a in an outboard direction of thevehicle body structure 22 along the verticalinterior surface 16 a of thevehicle door 16 that faces an interior of thevehicle body structure 22. The mountingflange 32 b extends in an outboard direction of thevehicle body structure 22 along an interior facing surface (i.e., the verticalinterior surface 16 a) of thevehicle door 16. Also, the mountingflange 32 b of thearm component 32 extends along the interior facing surface of thevehicle door 16 in a non-orthogonal direction at an angle θ (FIG. 13 ) with respect to a plane including theextension portion 32 a that extends parallel to a longitudinal direction of thevehicle 10. The angle θ can be greater than 90° and in this example, can be at or about 120°. Naturally, the angle θ can be any suitable angle to achieve the type of vehicle door mounting configuration as discussed herein. By mounting thearm component 32 to the verticalinterior surface 16 a of thevehicle door 16 at an outboard region of thevehicle door 16, the torsional rigidity of the overall door assembly can be increased. - The
base component 30 basically includes a mountingflange 46 and anupright attachment portion 48. The mountingflange 46 extends away from theupright attachment portion 48 in an outboard direction of thevehicle body structure 22 and along thesupport surface 20 c of theroof ditch 20. The mountingflange 46 of thebase component 30 has aperipheral edge 46 a in a plane parallel to thesupport surface 20 c of theroof ditch 20. Aportion 46 b of theperipheral edge 46 a of the mountingflange 46 that closest to thevehicle door 16 is cantilevered with respect to theroof panel 12. In this way, thebase component 30 of thehinge 18 extends beyond a peripheral edge of thesupport surface 20 c closest to thevehicle door 16. - The
upright attachment portion 48 is pivotally attached to theextension portion 32 a, and thus to thearm component 32, by thepivot component 34, so that thearm component 32 pivots with respect to the base component about pivot axis P. The mountingflange 36 is attached to theroof panel 12 by a pair of fasteners. One of the fasteners can include abolt 56, anut 60 and awasher 61 while the other fastener includes abolt 58, anut 62 and a pair ofwashers 63 and 65. Thenut 62 and the washer 63 associated withbolt 58 can also comprise an integrally formed weld nut that is welded to an underside of theroof ditch 20 prior to assembly of thevehicle 10. Naturally, any suitable types of fasteners such as screws, rivets and so on can be used. In this arrangement, thebolts openings flange 46 and through a pair ofopenings support surface 20 c and are secured to thesupport surface 20 c by a pair ofnuts bolt 56 is circular and is thus typically more difficult to remove from an exterior of thevehicle 10 thanbolt 58, which has a hexagonal head. - Alternatively, the
arm component 32 and, in particular, the mountingflange 32 b could extend inboard along thevehicle door 16. Furthermore, thearm component 32 could be sandwiched by thebase component 30 and extend in both the inboard and outboard directions. Also, if the styling of aparticular vehicle 10 provides sufficient clearance, thebase component 30 could be flipped (mirrored) positionally in a vehicle lateral direction such that thefasteners upright attachment portion 48. - As further shown, each of the
hinges 18 is partially concealed by acover 70 that is secured to theroof ditch molding 21 as discussed below. Thecover 70 can be made of rigid plastic or any other suitable material. Thecover 70 includes atop portion 71 having a pair ofapertures FIG. 5 ) that extends downward from thetop portion 71. Thecover 70 further includes a close-outportion 77 having a pair oflegs top portion 71 towards the recessedsupport surface 20 c of theroof ditch 20. Thelegs slot 81 through which thearm component 32 of thehinge 18 passes. Thetop portion 71 generally spans a width of theroof ditch 20 above thebase component 30 of thehinge 18 between respective top edges of the first and second wall surfaces 21 a and 21 b. The close-outportion 77 extends laterally within theroof ditch 20 from the first wall surface 21 a to the second wall surface 21 b. Thecover 70 and theroof ditch 20 thus define a cavity. Thebase component 30 of thehinge 18 is situated within the cavity and the vehicle door mounting structure of thearm component 32 is situated outside of the cavity. - Referring now to
FIGS. 16 and 17 , theclip 76 is received in theaperture 54 defined by thebase component 30 of thehinge 18 such that theclip 76 engages a peripheral edge of theaperture 54 to retain thecover 70 to thebase component 30 of thehinge 18. Thecover 70 is thus a portion of a roof molding assembly that extends along theroof panel 12 in a longitudinal direction of thevehicle body structure 22. In addition, twoclips roof ditch molding 21 are received in theapertures cover 70. Theclips apertures roof ditch molding 21 to thecover 70. Furthermore, the opposite longitudinal edges of theroof ditch molding 21 includeflexible members flexible members roof ditch 20 and thus provide a seal between theroof ditch molding 21 and theroof ditch 20. - In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term “comprising” and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, “including”, “having” and their derivatives. Also, the terms “part,” “section,” “portion,” “member” or “element” when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single part or a plurality of parts. Also as used herein to describe the above embodiments, the following directional terms “forward”, “rearward”, “above”, “downward”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, “below”, “longitudinal” and “transverse” as well as any other similar directional terms refer to those directions of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle body structure. Accordingly, these terms, as utilized to describe the present invention should be interpreted relative to a vehicle equipped with the vehicle body structure. The terms of degree such as “substantially”, “about” and “approximately” as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed.
- While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, the size, shape, location or orientation of the various components can be changed as needed and/or desired. Components that are shown directly connected or contacting each other can have intermediate structures disposed between them. The functions of one element can be performed by two, and vice versa. The structures and functions of one embodiment can be adopted in another embodiment. It is not necessary for all advantages to be present in a particular embodiment at the same time. Every feature which is unique from the prior art, alone or in combination with other features, also should be considered a separate description of further inventions by the applicant, including the structural and/or functional concepts embodied by such features. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (21)
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US13/042,990 US8256825B1 (en) | 2011-03-08 | 2011-03-08 | Vehicle body structure |
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US13/042,990 US8256825B1 (en) | 2011-03-08 | 2011-03-08 | Vehicle body structure |
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US8256825B1 US8256825B1 (en) | 2012-09-04 |
US20120228898A1 true US20120228898A1 (en) | 2012-09-13 |
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CN103786793A (en) * | 2012-10-29 | 2014-05-14 | 日产自动车株式会社 | Vehicle body structure |
JP2019001185A (en) * | 2017-06-12 | 2019-01-10 | マツダ株式会社 | Lift gate supporting structure for automobile |
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CN103786793A (en) * | 2012-10-29 | 2014-05-14 | 日产自动车株式会社 | Vehicle body structure |
JP2019001185A (en) * | 2017-06-12 | 2019-01-10 | マツダ株式会社 | Lift gate supporting structure for automobile |
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US11519211B2 (en) | 2017-07-17 | 2022-12-06 | Harper Engineering Company | Integrated stowage bin assembly |
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