Integrated motor vehicle door and chassis
First Claim
1. An improved motor vehicle chassis comprising:
- a main chassis structure having a door opening therethrough;
a door panel hingedly mounted to the chassis for alternately covering and uncovering the door opening;
disengagable structural connections located, respectively, at opposite portions of the door panel, each of the connections including a structural key and a mating receptacle for receiving the structural key, each of the connections structurally connecting the door panel to the main chassis structure when the door panel is covering the door opening; and
a structural member immovably mounted located on the door panel and rigidly spanning between the disengagable structural connections, the structural member and the disengagable structural connections cooperating to allow compressive, tensile and torsional forces to be transmitted through the main chassis structure across the door opening when covered by the door.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A motor vehicle chassis is disclosed wherein a conventionally hinged door is integrated with and becomes a structural part of the main chassis when the door is closed. Wedge-shaped structural keys located on the forward and rearward edges of the door engage mating receptacles on the door jamb to transmit compressive, tensile, and torsional forces across the door opening when the door is closed. Preferably, the door hinges are separated when the door is closed so that all forces are transmitted through the keys and receptacles without interference from the hinges. The inventive technology can also be used with other vehicle door panels such as sliding side van doors, hoods, trunks, liftgates and tailgates to form a stronger, stiffer vehicle chassis that is less susceptible to deformation during impact.
114 Citations
30 Claims
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1. An improved motor vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis structure having a door opening therethrough; a door panel hingedly mounted to the chassis for alternately covering and uncovering the door opening; disengagable structural connections located, respectively, at opposite portions of the door panel, each of the connections including a structural key and a mating receptacle for receiving the structural key, each of the connections structurally connecting the door panel to the main chassis structure when the door panel is covering the door opening; and a structural member immovably mounted located on the door panel and rigidly spanning between the disengagable structural connections, the structural member and the disengagable structural connections cooperating to allow compressive, tensile and torsional forces to be transmitted through the main chassis structure across the door opening when covered by the door. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. An improved motor vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis structure having a door opening therethrough; a door panel hingedly mounted to the chassis for alternately covering and uncovering the door opening; disengagable structural connections located, respectively, at opposite portions of the door panel, each of the connections including a structural key and a mating receptacle for receiving the structural key, each of the connections structurally connecting the door panel to the main chassis structure when the door panel is covering the door opening; and a structural member located on the door panel rigidly spanning between the disengagable structural connections, the structural member and the disengagable structural connections cooperating to allow compressive, tensile and torsional forces to be transmitted through the main chassis structure across the door opening when covered by the door, wherein the door panel is a passenger door having forward and rearward edges and one of the structural connections is located adjacent to the forward edge of the door and another structural connection is located adjacent to the rearward edge of the door, and wherein the door is generally rectangular and has four corner areas and one of the structural connections is located adjacent to each of the corner areas. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6)
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7. An improved motor vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis structure having a door opening therethrough; a door panel hingedly mounted to the chassis for alternately covering and uncovering the door opening; disengagable structural connections located, respectively, at opposite portions of the door panel, each of the connections including a structural key and a mating receptacle for receiving the structural key, each of the connections structurally connecting the door panel to the main chassis structure when the door panel is covering the door opening; and a structural member located on the door panel rigidly spanning between the disengagable structural connections, the structural member and the disengagable structural connections cooperating to allow compressive, tensile and torsional forces to be transmitted through the main chassis structure across the door opening when covered by the door, wherein the structural keys are pyramidical in shape, each having four tapered faces. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. An improved vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis member having a door opening through a plane thereof; a door member mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis member between an open position disposed outside the plane of the door opening and a closed position disposed within the opening, the door member covering the door opening when in the closed position; inter-engageable connections fixed relative to the chassis and door members, said connections being located at opposite sides of the door opening and each comprising a key carried by one of the door and chassis members and a mating socket carried by the other of the members for mutual engagement with the socket when the door member is in the closed position to integrate the door member into the chassis as a structural part thereof. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An improved vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis member having a door opening through a plane thereof; a door member mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis member between an open position disposed outside the plane of the door opening and a closed position disposed within the opening; and inter-engageable connections carried by the chassis and door members, said connections being located at opposite sides of the door opening and each comprising a key carried by one of the door and chassis members and a mating socket carried by the other of the members for mutual engagement with the socket when the door member is in the closed position to integrate the door member into the chassis as a structural part thereof, wherein the door member is mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement by a hinge connecting the chassis and door members, wherein the hinge mounts the door member for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis about an axis defined by the hinge, and at least one of the connections is disposed adjacent the hinge, the mating key and socket of said one connection extending in a curvilinear path generally concentric with the axis of the hinge.
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20. An improved vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis member having a door opening through a plane thereof; a door member mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis member between an open position disposed outside the plane of the door opening and a closed position disposed within the opening; and inter-engagaeable connections carried by the chassis and door members, said connections being located at opposite sides of the door opening and each comprising a key carried by one of the door and chassis members and a mating socket carried by the other of the members for mutual engagement with the socket when the door member is in the closed position to integrate the door member into the chassis as a structural part thereof, wherein the door member is mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement by a hinge connecting the chassis and door members, and wherein; the hinge mounts the door member for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis about an axis defined by the hinge; the hinge comprises a chassis portion attached to the vehicle chassis and a door portion attached to the door; the chassis and door portions are pivotably connected together to mount the door member for translatory lateral movement about the hinge axis; and the vehicle chassis includes disconnecting means for physically separating the door and chassis portions of the hinge so that any disturbing forces which may be generated between the door hinges and the keys and sockets are not transmitted between the door and chassis portions when the door member is in the closed position. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. An improved vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis member having a door opening through a plane thereof; a door member mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis member between an open position disposed outside the plane of the door opening and a closed position disposed within the opening; and inter-engageable connections carried by the chassis and door members, said connections being located at opposite sides of the door opening and each comprising a key carried by one of the door and chassis members and a mating socket carried by the other of the members for mutual engagement with the socket when the door member is in the closed position to integrate the door member into the chassis as a structural part thereof, wherein the door member is mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement by a hinge connecting the chassis and door members, wherein the hinge mounts the door member for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis about an axis defined by the hinge, and the mating sockets are mounted at an inclined angle such that the keys simultaneously move in a direction perpendicular to the hinge axis and in a direction parallel to the hinge axis when the keys engage the mating sockets.
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24. An improved vehicle chassis comprising:
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a main chassis member having a door opening through a plane thereof; a door member mounted to the chassis for translatory lateral movement relative to the chassis member between an open position disposed outside the plane of the door opening and a closed position disposed within the opening; and inter-engageable connections carried by the chassis and door members, said connections being located at opposite sides of the door opening and each comprising a key carried by one of the door and chassis members and a mating socket carried by the other of the members for mutual engagement with the socket when the door member is in the closed position to integrate the door member into the chassis as a structural part thereof, wherein the mating keys and sockets have mutually engageable surfaces extending at an angle relative to the plane of the door opening such that tension and compression forces imparted to the chassis are transmitted to the door member when in the closed position.
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- 25. In combination with a door member hingedly secured to a vehicle chassis member for pivotal movement about an axis between open and closed positions relative to a door opening within the chassis member, an improved connection for transmitting forces to the door member from the chassis member when the door member is in the closed position, said connection comprising mating key and socket members carried by the door and chassis members for mutual engagement when the door is in the closed position, said key and socket members extending in a curvilinear path generally concentric with said axis.
- 28. In combination with a door member hingedly secured to a vehicle chassis member for pivotal movement about an axis between open and closed positions relative to a door opening within the chassis member, an improved method for transmitting forces to the door member from the chassis member when the door is in the closed position, said method comprising providing mating key and socket members carried by the door and chassis members for mutual engagement when the door is in the closed position, said key and socket members extending in a curvilinear path generally concentric about said axis.
Specification