Side door structure of vehicle

• US 20040088823A1
• Filed: 11/05/2003
• Published: 05/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Moriyama, Yukihiro
• Granted Patent: US 6,966,600 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 16/74
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0479 without B-pillar or releasable B-pillar, i.e. the pillar is moving with door
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 17/206 with elastomeric springs to hold wing open

Abstract

The invention provides a side door structure of a vehicle of which side openings are covered by a front door swingably supported by a door hinge located at the front of the front door and by a rear door swingably supported by a door hinge located at the rear of the rear door. The side door structure includes a door checker for holding the front door at an open position situated slightly on the outside of a swing trajectory of the rear door.

Claims

1. A side door structure of a vehicle of which side openings are covered by a front door swingably supported by a door hinge located at the front of the front door and by a rear door swingably supported by a door hinge located at the rear of the rear door, said side door structure comprising:

a front door checker for holding the front door at an open position situated on the outside of but close to a swing trajectory of the rear door.

2. The side door structure according to claim 1, wherein the front door checker can hold the front door at multiple open positions, and the open position where the front door is held at a minimum opening angle is situated on the outside of but close to the swing trajectory of the rear door.

3. The side door structure according to claim 2, wherein the front door checker can hold the front door at least at two open positions situated at opening angles larger than the minimum opening angle.

4. The side door structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a rear door checker for holding the rear door at an open position situated on the outside of but close to a swing trajectory of the front door.

5. The side door structure according to claim 2, wherein the front door checker includes a bracket fixed to a vehicle body;

a holder fixed inside a frontal part of the front door; and

a front checker plate having one end pivotally mounted on the bracket and the other end and a main body extending between said one end and the other end, extending through an opening formed in the holder.

6. The side door structure according to claim 5, wherein said main body portion of the front checker plate has a plurality of protruding portions and a plurality of recessed portions along the extending direction of the main body and a clamping member is provided in the holder such that said clamping member has a portion which is in press-contact with the main body of the front checker plate.

7. The side door structure according to claim 6, wherein the clamping member is provided at an upper and a lower portions in the holder, an elastic member is interposed between the top inner wall of the holder and the upper clamping member and between the bottom inner wall of the holder and the lower clamping member such that said main body of the front checker plate is interposed between the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member.

8. The side door structure according to claim 4, wherein the rear door checker includes a bracket fixed to a vehicle body;

a holder fixed inside a rear part of the rear door; and

a rear checker plate having one end pivotally mounted on the bracket and the other end and a main body extending between said one end and the other end, extending through an opening formed in the holder.

9. The side door structure according to claim 8, wherein said main body portion of the rear checker plate has a plurality of protruding portions and a plurality of recessed portions along the extending direction of the main body and a clamping member is provided in the holder such that said clamping member has a portion which is in press-contact with the main body of the rear checker plate.

10. The side door structure according to claim 9, wherein the clamping member is provided at an upper and a lower portions in the holder, an elastic member is interposed between the top inner wall of the holder and the upper clamping member and between the bottom inner wall of the holder and the lower clamping member such that said main body of the rear checker plate is interposed between the upper clamping member and the lower clamping member.