Magnesium Door Assembly For Automobiles

• US 20030188492A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 10/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Subramanian, Saravanan, Blanchard, Patrick, Bretz, Gregory T., Bonnett, Roy Eugene
• Granted Patent: US 7,125,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 49/502
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0416 Assembly panels to be installed in doors as a module with components, e.g. lock or window lifter, attached thereto
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0444 characterised by a special cross section
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0452 including foams or expanded materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0468 Fixation or mounting means specific for door components fasteners in general F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0483 lightweight metal, e.g. aluminum, magnesium

Abstract

A lightweight automotive vehicle door assembly incorporates a modular concept having an outer door panel, an inner door panel, a reinforcement beam, and a hardware mounting module. The outer panel is preferably formed from aluminum, polypropylene or steel, while the inner door panel is preferably cast from magnesium with the hardware mounting module formed of thermoplastic. The magnesium inner panel is mounted to the outer panel by a hemming process while hardware is mounted to the inner panel through the use of two-piece thermoplastic inserts creating a dielectric barrier between the fasteners and the magnesium inner panel. The reinforcement beam is formed of a composite material consisting of a glass and carbon fiber reinforced outer skin with an interior core of polyurethane.

Claims

1. A door assembly for a vehicle comprising:

an outer door panel having a perimeter flange;

a magnesium inner door panel being formed with a peripheral edge and a mounting face; and

a modular hardware attachment panel adapted to receive conventional door hardware, said modular hardware attachment panel being attached to said mounting face of said inner door panel.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said outer door panel and said modular hardware attachment panel are formed of materials dissimilar to magnesium.

3. The door assembly of claim 2 wherein said hardware attachment panel is connected to said inner door panel by two-piece fasteners, including a nonmetallic insert member and a fastener threaded into said insert member.

4. The door assembly of claim 2 wherein said outer door panel is connected to said inner door panel by a hem extending around said peripheral edge, said hem being formed from said perimeter flange and folded around said peripheral edge.

5. The door assembly of claim 2 further comprising

a reinforcement beam connected between said inner door panel and said outer door panel.

6. The door assembly of claim 5 wherein said reinforcement beam is formed of composite material and is attached to said inner door panel.

7. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein said reinforcement beam is affixed to said inner door panel by fasteners positioned at opposing ends of said reinforcement beam.

8. The door assembly of claim 7 wherein said reinforcement beam is formed in a corrugated configuration with correspondingly corregated attachment flanges on opposing sides thereof, said inner door panel being formed with mounting lugs forming a corrugated shape corresponding to said reinforcement beam.

9. The door assembly of claim 2 wherein said inner door panel is formed with a seal channel positioned to engage a door seal carried by said vehicle.

10. The door assembly of claim 9 wherein said seal channel is formed with three sides defining a receptacle into which said door seal can be received when said door assembly is closed against said vehicle.

11. A method of forming a vehicle door assembly, comprising the steps of:

forming an inner door panel from magnesium, said inner door panel having a peripheral edge extending around said inner door panel;

providing an outer door panel of a material other than magnesium, said outer door panel having a perimeter flange extending around said outer door panel;

attaching said outer door panel to said inner door panel;

mounting door hardware to a plastic hardware mounting module;

affixing said plastic hardware mounting module to said inner door panel.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of:

connecting a reinforcement beam to said inner door panel to provide an anti-intrusion device in said vehicle door assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said attaching step includes the step of bending said perimeter flange of said outer door panel around said peripheral edge of said inner door panel to form a hem extending around said inner door panel.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said forming step uses a high-pressure die-casting technique to form an inner door panel having reinforcement ribs strengthening said inner door panel.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said connecting step mates a corrugated reinforcing beam with a correspondingly corrugated mounting area on said inner door panel.

16. In door assembly for an automotive vehicle, said door assembly having an outer door panel, the improvement comprising:

an inner door panel formed of magnesium and being attached to said outer door panel, said inner door panel being formed with a seal channel defining a three-sided receptacle for receiving a door seal carried by a body portion of said automotive vehicle.

17. The door assembly of claim 16 further comprising:

a corrugated reinforcement beam attached to a correspondingly corrugated mounting area formed in said inner door panel by two piece fasteners including a non-metallic insert member seated in an opening formed in said inner door panel, and a fastener engaged with said insert member to dielectrically insulate said fastener from said inner door panel.

18. The door assembly of claim 16 further comprising:

a plastic hardware mounting panel connected to said inner door panel, said mounting panel having mounted thereon door hardware for operating a window in said door and a latching mechanism, said mounting panel being dielectrically insulated from said inner door panel.

19. The door assembly of claim 16 wherein said outer door panel is connected to said inner door panel by a hem extending around said peripheral edge, said hem being formed from said perimeter flange and folded around said peripheral edge.

20. The door assembly of claim 16 wherein said inner door panel is formed with hinge mounting members to permit said door assembly to be pivotally supported.