Powered back door for vehicle

• US 20100066120A1
• Filed: 09/12/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Toyota Shatai Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: ETOU, Shinsuke, SUGIYAMA, Kunihiko, FUKUDA, Takayuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,002,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/146.400
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/101 for non-load transporting vehicles, i.e. family cars including vans
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 13/02 Internal Trim mouldings ; Internal Ledges; Wall liners for passenger compartments; Roof liners B60R13/01 takes precedence ; padded linings for the vehicle interior B60R21/04; arrangements or adaptations of floor mats or carpets in vehicles B60N3/04; internal lining for trains B61D17/18
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/63 operated by swinging arms
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/11 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/546 Tailgates

Abstract

A powered back door for a vehicle, in which a connection section between the back door and a connection rod of a drive device, and a surrounding area thereof are not exposed to provide good external appearance. In a powered back door for a vehicle, which is opened and closed automatically by the drive device, a projecting end of a connection rod 64 of a drive device 6 is connected to an inner peripheral surface 22 of a door frame 21 around a door window opening 20 of a back door 2, an opening 30 is formed in a door garnish 3 adapted to cover the inner peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 21 in the connection position between the door frame 21 and the connection rod 64 so as to open toward a vehicle compartment, a space 50 is formed between the inner peripheral surface 22 and the door garnish 3 so as to be interconnected with the opening 30, and the projecting end of the connection rod 64 is connected to the inner peripheral surface 22 of the door frame 21 in the space 50 to conceal the connection section between the door frame 21 and the connection rod 64.

Claims

1. A powered back door for a vehicle, in which a hatchback-type back door for opening and closing a door opening provided in a back surface of a vehicle body, is connected to a drive device provided in a vehicle compartment with a connection rod projecting from the drive device towards the back door to automatically open and close the back door, wherein

a projecting end of the connection rod is connected to an inner peripheral surface of a door frame around a door window opening of the back door, which faces the vehicle compartment,

an opening is provided in a door garnish adapted to cover said inner peripheral surface of said door frame in a connecting position between said door frame and the connection rod so as to open towards the vehicle compartment, a space is provided between said inner peripheral surface and said door garnish so as to be interconnected with said opening, and

said projecting end of the connection rod is inserted in said space via said opening, and is connected to said inner peripheral surface of said door frame in said space.

2. A powered back door for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein

an internal member is provided between said door frame and said door garnish to define said space with a bag-like configuration that is interconnected with the vehicle compartment via said opening and is closed on a rear side thereof,

a connection shaft is provided to project from said inner peripheral surface of said door frame into said space via said internal member, and said projecting end of the connection rod is connected to said connection shaft.

3. A powered back door for a vehicle as claimed in claim 2, wherein

said internal member is secured to a reverse surface of said door garnish with first engaging means, and secured to said inner peripheral surface of said door frame with second engaging means.

4. A powered back door for a vehicle as claimed in one of claims 1 through 3, wherein

the drive device is provided between an interior surface of a rear pillar of a vehicle body, which defines a side edge of said door opening, and a pillar garnish adapted to cover said interior surface, the connection rod is projected towards the back door via an opening formed at a rear end of said pillar garnish, and

said door garnish is provided so as to be approximately flush with said interior surface of said pillar garnish so as to conceal said opening provided at said rear end of said pillar garnish from a rear side of the vehicle body, when the back door is closed.