Collision Resistant Construction for a Door of a Vehicle

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to a vehicle body construction having a safety means for protecting passengers from injuries in vehicle collisions, and more particularly to a collision resistant construction for a door of a vehicle, which prevents a hinged side door from driving into the vehicle cabin upon a side vehicle collision.

2. Description of the Prior Art

When a motor vehicle is subjected to a side vehicle collision causing deformation of a side door thereof, the door thus deformed tends to be driven into the vehicle cabin, so that it sometimes happens that a passenger in the cabin is sandwiched between the driven door and any projection, such as a console box, mounted in the vehicle cabin, thus critically endangering the passenger's life. Hitherto, various solutions have been proposed for eliminating such problem. However, some of them lack functional reliability and are uneconomic.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a functionally reliable and economical collision resistant construction for a door which is capable of preventing the bumped side door from driving into the vehicle cabin during a side vehicle collision.

According to the present invention, there is provided a collision resistant construction for a door of a vehicle having a door opening, a hinged side door operable to close and open said door opening, and a seat assembly located in the vehicle cabin beside the door opening. The collision resistant construction comprises a sliding mechanism securely mounted on a floor of the vehicle, the sliding mechanism having mounted thereon a frame for a seat proper, the sliding mechanism for permitting sliding movement of the seat assembly in a fore-and-aft direction relative to the floor; first means securely connected to at least the sliding mechanism and the seat, the first means having a rigidly constructed extreme end portion which extends outwardly toward the door opening in the vicinity of the side sill; and second means provided on the hinged side door to be movable therewith, the second means being positioned at a portion of the door which faces the extreme end portion upon closing of the side door, whereby when the side door tends to be driven into the vehicle cabin by an external force applied thereto, the second means is brought into tight engagement with the extreme end portion of the first means thereby preventing the door from continuing the driving-in motion.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional passenger motor vehicle having a side door which is deformed by a side vehicle collision;

FIG. 2 is a vertically sectional view of a collision resistant construction of a first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but showing a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing the essential portion of a third embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the essential portion of the third embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 4, but showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the essential portion of the fourth embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a passenger motor vehicle which has just encountered a side vehicle collision, leaving a considerable deformation of a side door 12 because of lack of a suitable collision resistant construction.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is shown a collision resistant construction of a first embodiment according to the present invention. As will become clear as the description proceeds, the collision resistant construction of the present invention cooperates with both a seat assembly 10 and a side door 12. Thus, the outlined construction of the seat assembly 10 and that of the side door 12 will be described prior to describing the esssential parts and construction of the collision resistant construction.

The seat assembly 10 is mounted on a floor panel 14 through a sliding mechanism which permits sliding movement of the seat assembly 10 in fore-and-aft direction relative to the floor panel 14. Two spaced elongate brackets 16 and 18, for mounting the sliding mechanism thereon, are securely mounted on the floor panel 14 to extend in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The bracket 16 is located adjacent a side sill 20 and the other bracket 18 is located adjacent a transmission tunnel 22 as shown. The sliding mechanism shown comprises a pair of lower rails 24 and 26 securely mounted on the elongate brackets 16 and 18 respectively, and a pair of upper rails 28 and 30 longitudinally slidably engaged with the lower rails 24 and 26 respectively. Although not shown in the drawing, a known locking device is arranged in the sliding mechanism to lock the upper rails 28 and 30 at a desired position relative to the lower rails 24 and 26.

The seat assembly 10 comprises generally a seat proper 32 and a seatback 34 which is tiltable relative to the seat proper 32. The seat proper 32 comprises a rectangular frame 36 which is securely mounted on the upper rails 28 and 30 of the sliding mechanism to be movable therewith. A plurality of wire springs 38 extend between spaced sections of the frame 36, and a cushion member 40 is mounted on the wire springs 38, covering the frame 36. The seatback 34 comprises a generally rectangular frame 42, a plurality of wire springs 44 extending parallel between spaced sections of the frame 42, and a cushion member 46 mounted on the springs 44 to cover the frame 42. For achieving the pivotal movement of the seatback 34 relative to the seat proper 32, a hinge device 48 of known construction and a tilting device 50 of known construction are arranged between them. The hinge device 48 comprises a stationary arm secured to the frame 36 of the seat proper 32, a movable arm secured to the frame 42 of the seatback 34, and a bolt 52 pivotally connecting these arms. The tilting device 50 comprises a stationary arm secured to the seat proper frame 36, a movable arm secured to the seatback frame 42, and a locking mechanism incorporating with these arms to lock the seatback 34 at a selected angular position relative to the seat proper 32. Designated by numeral 54 is an operating lever of the tilting device 50.

The side door 12 which is of a swing type is shown as comprising an outer panel 56, an inner panel 58 and a window glass 60. The door 12 is hinged to the vehicle body to open and close a door opening (no numeral) defined above the side sill 20 beside the seat assembly 10.

In the following, the essential parts and construction of the collision resistant construction of the first embodiment will be described in detail.

A rigid elongate member 62 constructed of a strong metal, such as a steel, is employed through which the seat proper frame 36 is mounted to the upper rail 28 of the sliding mechanism. Although not well shown, the member 62 extends along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. The member 62 has a stepped cross section and comprises, as is seen from the drawing, a first vertical wall section 62a welded to the outside section of the seat proper frame 36, a first horizontal wall section 62b extending horizontally and outwardly from the top of the first vertical wall section 62a and welded to the upper rail 28, a second vertical wall section 62c extending upwardly from the outside end of the first horizontal wall section 62b, and a second horizontal wall section 62d extending horizontally and outwardly from the top of the second vertical wall section 62c. The leading end of the second horizontal wall section 62d is bent upwardly, as shown. It is to be noted that the first horizontal wall section 62b has a width sufficient for providing an adequate distance or space between the first vertical wall section 62a and the second vertical wall section 62c.

A laterally extending elongate projection 64 is formed on the inner panel 58 of the door 12 at a lower portion thereof, that is, a portion which is engageable with the above-mentioned rigid elongate member 62 when closing the door 12. The elongate projection 64, which may be press-formed, extends horizontally from the front end of the door 12 to the rear end of the same. The elongate projection 64 is located and sized so that when the door 12 is normally closed, the projection 64 is smoothly received in an elongate recess (no numeral) defined between the second vertical wall section 62c and the second horizontal wall section 62d in a manner as shown by the drawing. That is, under normal closed position of the door 12, only the upper surface of the elongate projection 64 engages slidably with the second horizontal wall section 62d, having the top of the projection 64 spaced from the second vertical wall section 62c.

When the vehicle is subjected to a side vehicle collision, that is, when another vehicle collides against the door 12 causing deformation of the same, the deformed door tends to be driven into the vehicle cabin. However, the door driving-in motion is blocked safely by the rigid elongate member 62 which is rigidly connected to the floor panel 14 through the sliding mechanism. In fact, upon collision, the top of the elongate projection 64 of the door inner panel 58 is brought into engagement with the second vertical wall section 62c of the rigid elongate member 62, thereby transmitting the impact force applied to the door 12 to the floor panel 14 through the rigidly constructed sliding mechanism and the seat proper frame 36. Further, if the vehicle collision is so violent as to break the connection between the seat proper frame 36 and the floor panel 14, the inward dislocation of the seat assembly 10 thus induced by the deformed door 12, is carried, keeping a safe distance between the door 12 and the seat assembly 10 by the function of the rigid elongate member 62 moved with the seat assembly 10. Thus, the occupant on the seat assembly 10 is protected from injury. Although, upon the vehicle collision, the door 12 is deformed having the lower portion thereof raised in a manner as is shown by FIG. 1, the degree of the deformation of the door lower portion is small because of engagement between the elongate projection 64 and the second horizontal wall section 62d of the rigid elongate member 62.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention. Similar parts to those of the first embodiment (FIG. 2) are designated by the same numerals. The seat proper frame 36 of the seat assembly hereinshown is mounted through the sliding mechanism (24,28,26,30) on transverse beams 66 which are spanned between the side sill 20 and the transmission tunnel 22.

A rigid elongate member 68 having substantially the same configuration as the rigid elongate member 62 of the first embodiment is employed. The member 68 is welded at the first vertical wall section 68a to the outside section of the seat proper frame 36. Unlike the first embodiment, the leading end of the second horizontal wall section 68 is not bent.

A laterally extending groove 70 is formed on the door inner panel 58 at a lower portion thereof, that is, a portion which faces to face with the leading end of the second horizontal wall section 68 of the rigid elongate member 68 when closing the door 12. As is seen from the drawing, the elongate groove 70 is sized so that when the door 12 is in its closed position, the second horizontal wall section 68d is spacedly received in the elongate groove 70.

Since the function of the door stopping arrangement of this second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment as will be easily known to those skilled in the art, the description of it will be omitted.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a third embodiment of the present invention. The door stopping arrangement of this third embodiment comprises a rigid elongate member 72 which is welded at its vertical wall section 72a to the outside section of the seat proper frame 36 and bolted at its horizontal wall section 72b to the upper rail 28 of the outside-positioned sliding mechanism. As will be understood from the drawings (FIGS. 4 and 5), the lower rail 24 of the sliding mechanism is securely mounted on the flat top of the bracket 26 with its outside-positioned wall section 24a extending along a flange 20a of the side sill 20, the flange 20a being arranged to be flush with an inner panel 20b of the side sill 20, as shown. Designated by numeral 74 are rollers which are arranged between the lower and upper rails 24 and 28. As is well seen from the drawings, the flange 20a of the side sill 20 is formed with a plurality of spaced rectangular openings 76 which are merged with corresponding openings 78 formed in the outside-positioned wall 24a of the upper rail 24.

A plurality of rectangular projections 80 are connected through a retaining plate 82 to the lower section of the door inner panel 58 to extend outward of the door 12, that is, toward the vehicle cabin. The projections 80 are arranged and sized to be deeply received in the corresponding rectangular openings 76 and 78 of the flange 20a and the lower rail 24 when the door 12 takes its close position in a manner as shown by FIG. 4.

Similar to the first embodiment, the impact force applied, upon a side vehicle collision, to the side door 12 is transmitted to the floor panel 14 through the rigidly constructed sliding mechanism and the seat proper frame 36.

In addition to the above, according to the third embodiment, the critical lower section raising of the door 12 at the collision is suppressed because of the latching engagement between the projections 80 of the door 12 and the openings 76 and 78 of the flange 20a and the lower rail 24. Thus, the door driving-in motion is inhibited much more effectively.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, there is shown a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The door stopping arrangement of this embodiment is generally the same as that of the third embodiment except for the construction of the sliding mechanism. The sliding mechanism comprises an elongate guide rail 84 having a generally C-shaped cross section. The guide rail 84 is welded at its one shorter wall section 84a to the flat top of the bracket 16 with its major bottom section 84b extending along the flange 20a of the side sill 20. The bottom section 84b is formed with a plurality of rectangular openings 86 which are merged with the corresponding rectangular openings 76 formed in the flange 20a. Longitudinally slidably received in the guide rail 84 is a guided member. The guided member comprises a pair of elongate sliders 88 and 90 slidably contacting with the upper inner and lower inner surfaces of the guide rail 84 and an elongate support 92 by which the sliders 88 and 90 are supported. The support 92 is connected to the seat proper frame 36 by means of a plurality of bolts 94. Designated by numeral 96 are spacers which are secured to the support 92.

The function of the door stopping arrangement of the fourth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the third embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5, as will be easily understood.