VEHICLE DOOR STRUCTURE

• US 20100090495A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Hiroto
• Granted Patent: US 8,152,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 296/146.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0468 Fixation or mounting means specific for door components fasteners in general F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles

Abstract

A vehicle door structure includes: a door body that includes an inner panel and an outer panel and that has a space between the inner panel and the outer panel; an acceleration detector that is arranged in the space; a support portion that supports the acceleration detector on the door body so that a direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector differs from a direction in which the door body is closed; and a sensitivity direction changing portion that changes a position in which the acceleration detector is supported by the support portion so that the direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector approaches a direction in which the inner panel faces the outer panel as the outer panel is relatively displaced toward the inner panel.

Claims

1. A vehicle door structure comprising:

a door body that includes an inner panel and an outer panel and that has a space between the inner panel and the outer panel;

an acceleration detector that is arranged in the space;

a support portion that supports the acceleration detector on the door body so that a direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector differs from a direction in which the door body is closed; and

a sensitivity direction changing portion that changes a position in which the acceleration detector is supported by the support portion so that the direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector approaches a direction in which the inner panel faces the outer panel as the outer panel is relatively displaced toward the inner panel.

2. The vehicle door structure according to claim 1, further comprising:

a reinforcement member that is arranged in the space and that reinforces the door body over substantially an overall length of the door body in a vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein

the sensitivity direction changing portion changes a position in which the acceleration detector is supported by the support portion so that the direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector approaches the direction in which the inner panel faces the outer panel as the reinforcement member is relatively displaced toward the inner panel.

3. A vehicle door structure comprising:

a door body that includes an inner panel and an outer panel and that has a space between the inner panel and the outer panel;

an acceleration detector that is arranged in the space;

a bracket that has a cantilever structure in which one end of the bracket is a supported portion supported by the door body and the other end of the bracket is a free end, wherein the bracket holds the acceleration detector at a location that is distanced from the supported portion toward the free end; and

a pressing member that presses a location of the bracket, distanced from the supported portion toward the free end, as the outer panel is relatively displaced toward the inner panel to deform the bracket to thereby change a position in which the acceleration detector is supported so that a direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector approaches a direction in which the inner panel faces the outer panel.

4. The vehicle door structure according to claim 3, wherein the supported portion of the bracket is supported so that the direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector held by the bracket differs from a direction in which the door body is closed.

5. The vehicle door structure according to claim 3, wherein the pressing member presses a portion of the bracket between the supported portion and a portion of the bracket at which the acceleration detector is held.

6. The vehicle door structure according to claim 5, wherein the bracket has an engagement portion, with which the pressing member is engaged, between the supported portion and a portion of the bracket at which the acceleration detector is held.

7. The vehicle door structure according to claim 5, wherein one end portion of the pressing member is fixed to a pressed portion of the bracket.

8. The vehicle door structure according to claim 3, further comprising:

a reinforcement member that is arranged in the space and that reinforces the door body over substantially an overall length of the door body in a vehicle longitudinal direction, wherein

the bracket and the pressing member change a position in which the acceleration detector is supported so that the direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector approaches the direction in which the inner panel faces the outer panel as the reinforcement member is relatively displaced toward the inner panel.

9. The vehicle door structure according to claim 8, wherein one of the bracket and the pressing member is fixed to the reinforcement member.

10. A vehicle door structure comprising:

a door body that includes an inner panel and an outer panel and that has a space between the inner panel and the outer panel;

an acceleration detector that is arranged in the space;

a movable arm that includes a proximal portion that is rotatably supported by the door body, a sensor holding arm that is extended from the proximal portion and that holds the acceleration detector, and a load receiving arm that is extended from the proximal portion in a direction different from a direction in which the sensor holding arm is extended; and

a pressing member that presses the load receiving arm of the movable arm as the outer panel is relatively displaced toward the inner panel to rotate the movable arm to thereby change a position in which the acceleration detector is supported so that a direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector approaches a direction in which the inner panel faces the outer panel.

11. The vehicle door structure according to claim 10, wherein

the movable arm is supported by a lock structure so that the direction of sensitivity of the acceleration detector differs from a direction in which the door body is closed, and

when the pressing member presses the load receiving arm of the movable arm, the lock structure is unlocked to allow the movable arm to rotate.