JP7744199B2 - Vehicle side door - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle side door.

Conventionally, vehicle side doors have been known in which a module plate incorporating various modularized functional components, such as a window regulator, is incorporated into a door body having an outer panel and an inner panel. The module plate is attached to the interior side of the inner panel with fastening members such as bolts and nuts so as to close an opening formed in the inner panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-313743

The module plate is subjected to various loads and vibrations as the vehicle moves, particularly vibrations generated when the window regulator raises and lowers the window panel and vibrations caused by the suction of the window panel during high-speed driving. These vibrations are also transmitted from the module plate to the inner panel, causing the inner panel to vibrate, which in turn causes the door trim, an interior material attached to the inside of the vehicle, to vibrate, generating noise and reducing the quietness of the vehicle interior.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle side door that improves quietness inside the vehicle cabin.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vehicle side door of the present invention is a vehicle side door that opens and closes a door opening formed in a side surface of a vehicle body, and includes an inner panel having an opening, and a module plate attached to the inside of the passenger compartment of the inner panel so as to close the opening and equipped with a window regulator that raises and lowers the window panel, wherein the module plate has a groove portion formed in a peripheral region facing the inner panel and bent into a U-shape in cross section, and a flat portion that extends flat between the peripheral region and an area where a base plate that constitutes the window regulator is attached in an overlapping manner, and is offset toward the inside or outside of the passenger compartment relative to both regions , and has relatively low rigidity compared to both regions .

As described above, the present invention can improve quietness inside the vehicle cabin.

1A and 1B are a side view and a cross-sectional view of a vehicle side door according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this specification, the vehicle side door of the present invention will be described as a sliding door that opens and closes a door opening formed on the side of the vehicle body by sliding in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. However, the vehicle side door of the present invention is not limited to this and may also be a hinged door that opens and closes the door opening by rotating around a hinge.

Figure 1(a) is a side view of a vehicle side door according to one embodiment of the present invention, as seen from inside the vehicle compartment. Figure 1(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Figure 1(a). Note that in Figure 1(a), for clarity, the door trim that constitutes the vehicle side door is not shown, and a module plate that also constitutes the vehicle side door is partially cut away.

The vehicle side door (hereinafter simply referred to as "side door") 1 of this embodiment is a right rear side door of an automobile, and is a sliding side door that slides in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle to open and close the door opening. The side door 1 has a door main body 2 and a resin door trim 3, which is an interior material provided on the interior side of the door main body 2.

The door body 2 includes an outer panel 21 and an inner panel 22 joined to the interior side of the outer panel 21. The outer panel 21 may be made of metal but is preferably made of resin, particularly polypropylene compound, sheet molding compound (SMC), a sheet made of glass fiber or carbon fiber impregnated with unsaturated polyester resin, or polycarbonate, with polypropylene compound being more preferred. The inner panel 22 may be made of metal but is preferably made of resin, particularly SMC, or a composite material (polypropylene compound) of glass fiber or carbon fiber and polypropylene resin. A roughly rectangular window opening 23 is formed in the upper part of the door body 2, and a service hole (opening) 24 is formed below the window opening 23 in the inner panel 22. As described below, a module plate 4 is attached to the interior side of the inner panel 22 so as to cover the service hole 24, and the door trim 3 is detachably attached to the interior side of the inner panel 22 with a resin clip 11 so as to cover the module plate 4.

Between the outer panel 21 and the inner panel 22, a window panel (not shown) is provided to open and close the window opening 23. The side door 1 incorporates a window regulator that raises and lowers this window panel. Specifically, the side door 1 has a resin module plate 4 that modularizes various functional components, including the window regulator. The module plate 4 is attached to the interior side of the inner panel 22 with fastening members 12, such as bolts and nuts, to close the service hole 24. A foam sealant 5 is provided between the inner panel 22 and the module plate 4. By sealing the gap between the inner panel 22 and the module plate 4, the sealant 5 prevents rainwater or water from washing the car that has entered the door body 2 through the window panel from leaking into the vehicle.

The base plate 6, which constitutes the window regulator described above, is attached to the exterior of the vehicle cabin of the module plate 4 via fastening members 13, such as bolts and nuts. A motor (not shown), which drives the window panel, is fixed to the base plate 6. A lift arm connected to the window panel is rotatably supported by the motor. Therefore, vibrations generated when the window regulator raises and lowers the window panel and vibrations caused by suction from the window panel during high-speed driving are transmitted to the module plate 4. These vibrations are also transmitted from the module plate 4 to the inner panel 22. When this vibration causes the inner panel 22 to vibrate, the door trim 3 attached to the interior of the vehicle also vibrates, generating noise and reducing cabin quietness. Furthermore, the module plate 4 is subjected to a load in the vehicle width direction due to the operation of the window regulator and suction from the window panel. This load also applies to the sealant 5 in the vehicle width direction, potentially causing damage or peeling of the sealant 5, which could allow rainwater or water from a car wash to leak into the vehicle.

Therefore, in this embodiment, the module plate 4 has the function of suppressing the transmission of the above-mentioned vibrations and loads from the module plate 4 to the inner panel 22. Specifically, the module plate 4 has a groove 41 formed in the peripheral region 4a facing the inner panel 22, and a flat portion 42 provided between the peripheral region 4a and the central region 4b to which the base plate 6 is attached. The groove 41 is formed so as to open toward the inner panel 22 by bending the module plate 4 into a U-shaped cross section, and a sealant 5 is housed within the groove 41. The flat portion 42 extends flat between the two regions 4a, 4b and is offset toward the outside of the vehicle cabin relative to the two regions 4a, 4b. Specifically, it is offset toward the outside of the vehicle cabin in a stepped manner via a portion extending in the vehicle width direction.

This configuration allows the rigidity of the flat portion 42 to be relatively reduced compared to the peripheral region 4a, which becomes a high-rigidity region due to the formation of the grooves 41, and the central region 4b, which also becomes a high-rigidity region due to the attachment of the base plate 6. Therefore, vibrations transmitted to the central region 4b through the base plate 6 can be absorbed by the flat portion 42, which is a low-rigidity region. As a result, vibration transmission from the peripheral region 4a of the module plate 4 to the inner panel 22 and ultimately to the door trim 3 is suppressed. This reduces noise generation due to vibration of the door trim 3, improving cabin quietness. At the same time, even if a load is applied to the central region 4b in the vehicle width direction through the base plate 6, it can be absorbed by the flat portion 42, thereby reducing the load in the vehicle width direction applied to the peripheral region 4a, i.e., the load in the vehicle width direction applied to the sealant 5. As a result, damage and peeling of the sealant 5 are suppressed, and watertightness is maintained. Note that "flat" here does not only mean completely flat, but also includes substantially flat, and it also means that the flat portion 42 may be slightly curved or have some irregularities, for example, as long as they have almost no effect on the rigidity of the flat portion 42.

On the other hand, the fastening members 12 used to attach the module plate 4 to the inner panel 22 also reduce the load on the sealant 5 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, reducing the load on the peripheral region 4a of the module plate 4 in the vehicle width direction also leads to a reduction in the number of fastening members 12. Furthermore, the sealant 5 may be made of adhesive instead of foam. In this case, the module plate 4 can be fixed to the inner panel 22 using only the sealant 5. Therefore, the fastening members 12 can be omitted. Furthermore, because the load on the sealant 5 in the vehicle width direction is reduced, sufficient watertightness can be ensured even with a smaller cross-sectional area of the sealant 5, and the amount of sealant 5 required can also be reduced. Thus, this embodiment not only improves quietness within the vehicle cabin, but also reduces costs by reducing the number of parts and material costs. Furthermore, vibration absorption by the flat portion 42 improves the durability of the module plate 4 and enables the module plate 4 to be made thinner, i.e., lighter.

From the perspective of improving the rigidity of the module plate 4, the groove 41 does not necessarily have to be formed continuously along the peripheral region 4a of the module plate 4, but it is preferable that it be formed continuously in order to accommodate the sealant 5. However, it does not need to be formed along the entire periphery of the peripheral region 4a of the module plate 4, as long as it is formed at least in the area where watertightness needs to be ensured by the sealant 5. In other words, as shown in the figure, the groove 41 needs to be formed in at least the area of the peripheral region 4a of the module plate 4 excluding the upper end, specifically in the areas forward, downward, and rearward of the service hole 24.

In the illustrated embodiment, the flat portions 42 are offset in a stepped manner from the peripheral region 4a and central region 4b of the module plate 4 toward the outside of the vehicle cabin, but the same effect can be achieved even if they are offset in a stepped manner toward the inside of the vehicle cabin.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle side door 2 Door body 21 Outer panel 22 Inner panel 23 Window opening 24 Service hole (opening)
3 Door trim 4 Module plate 4a Peripheral area 4b Central area 41 Groove portion 42 Flat portion 5 Sealing material 6 Base plate (window regulator)
11 Clip 12, 13 Fastening member

Claims (9)

A vehicle side door that opens and closes a door opening formed on a side surface of a vehicle body,
an inner panel having an opening;
a module plate attached to the inner panel on the vehicle interior side so as to close the opening, the module plate including a window regulator that raises and lowers the window panel;
a groove formed in a peripheral region of the module plate facing the inner panel and bent into a U-shaped cross section, and a flat portion extending flat between the peripheral region and a region where a base plate constituting the window regulator is attached in an overlapping manner , the flat portion being offset toward the inside or outside of the vehicle compartment relative to both regions , and having a relatively low rigidity compared to both regions . The vehicle side door according to claim 1, wherein the flat portion is offset in a stepped manner toward the inside or outside of the vehicle compartment relative to both of the above-mentioned regions. The vehicle side door according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the groove is formed to open toward the inner panel, and the groove contains a sealant that seals the gap between the inner panel and the module plate. The vehicle side door according to claim 3, wherein the groove is formed in the peripheral region excluding the upper end portion. The vehicle side door according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the sealing material is made of foam. The vehicle side door according to claim 4, wherein the module plate is fixed to the inner panel by a fastening member. The vehicle side door according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the sealing material is an adhesive. The vehicle side door according to claim 7, wherein the module plate is fixed to the inner panel by at least one of the sealing material and fastening members. A vehicle side door according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a door trim attached to the interior side of the inner panel so as to cover the module plate.