Motor vehicle door

• US 6,170,199 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1998
• Issued: 01/09/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Hallstadt (Brose)
• Original Assignee: Brose Fahrzeugteile GmbH & Company KG Hallstadt (Brose), Ketschendorfer Strasse
• Inventors: Szerdaheliy, Ferenc, Stenzel, Manfred, Burger, Stefan, Pleiss, Eberhard, Neuss, Sabine, Feder, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): REDMAN, JERRY E
• Application Number:
  US09/182,856
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 493/48, 493/49, 493/52, 495/02, 296/146.5, 296/146.7, 280/730.2
• 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: E05F 11/483 by cables
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2201/22 Locks
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2800/742 abnormal
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/55 Windows

Abstract

The invention concerns a motor vehicle door with a door body, an inner door panel, and a window lifter disposed in the door body, which lifter includes a guide rail, on which a carrier for a window pane is displaceably disposed. According to the invention, at least one functional element which is not part of the regulating mechanism of the window lifter is connected to both the guide rail and the door body.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle door comprising:

a door body having an inner door panel, and

a window lifter disposed in the door body,

wherein the lifter includes a rigid guide rail on which a carrier for a window pane can be displaceably disposed and a window lifter regulating mechanism,

wherein the guide rail has a first end and a second end, both ends connected to the door body at different locations to stabilize the door,

wherein at least one functional element which is not part of the regulating mechanism of the window lifter is connected to both the guide rail and the door body,

wherein the door body defines an access opening and the guide rail is connected to the door body across the access opening,

wherein the access opening has edges along its perimeter, wherein the edges include first and second edges,

wherein the door body has a first location adjacent the first edge of the access opening, and a second location across the access opening from the first location and adjacent the second edge of the access opening,

wherein the first end of the guide rail is connected to the door body at the first location, and the second end of the guide rail is connected to the door body at the second location.

2. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the functional element is connected to at least one of the guide rail and the door body by at least one additional component.

3. The motor vehicle door according to claim 2 wherein the functional element is disposed on a carrier element by means of which it is connected to at least one of the guide rail and the door body.

4. The motor vehicle door according to claim 8, wherein the carrier element is connected to both the guide rail and the door body.

5. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the functional element extends at least partially over a large cutout in the door body.

6. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein a reinforcement of the door body is achieved through the arrangement of the functional element in the door body, whereby the functional element is not provided primarily as a reinforcement element.

7. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the functional element is connected to the door body not only by a guide rail.

8. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1, wherein the guide rail has on its ends guide elements for a pulling means running along the guide rail and that the guide rail is connected to the door body by the axles of the guide elements.

9. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the functional element is designed as a door handle.

10. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the functional element is designed as an electronic control unit or as a speaker.

11. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the functional element is designed as a side air bag.

12. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein a base plate is formed on the guide rail to accommodate the drive arrangement of the window lifter and that at least one attachment point for the functional element is provided on the base plate.

13. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the guide rail has on at least one of its end regions a widened area extending essentially along the plane of the door, which widened area is connected to the door body by at least one attachment point.

14. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the window lifter includes two guide rails and the functional element is connected to both guide rails.

15. A motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein at least one part of the inner door panel is connected to the guide rail.

16. The motor vehicle door according to claim 15, wherein at least one part of the inner door panel is preassemblably attached to the guide rail.

17. The motor vehicle door according to claim 15 wherein the inner door panel is attached exclusively to the guide rail.

18. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the guide rail has on at least one of its end regions a widened area extending essentially along the plane of the door, which widened area is connected to the door body by two attachment points.

19. The motor vehicle door according to claim 1 wherein the second end of the guide rail is spaced at a distance from the first end in a substantially vertical direction along a length of the guide rail.

20. The motor vehicle door of claim 1 wherein the at least one functional element includes at least one of a door pull handle, a speaker, an air bag unit, and a door control device.

21. The motor vehicle door of claim 1 wherein the second location is below the first location.

22. A motor vehicle door comprising:

a door body having a first location, a second location below the first location, and a third location spaced from the first and second locations;

a window lifter disposed in the door body, and having a window lifter regulating mechanism and a rigid guide rail on which a carrier for a window pane can be displaceably disposed, wherein the guide rail has a top end connected at the first location and a bottom end connected at the second location such that the guide rail forms a rigid support for the door body; and

a functional element having a first end connected at the third location and a second end connected to the guide rail between the top end and the bottom end of the guide rail such that the functional element forms a rigid support between the door body and the guide rail, wherein the functional element is not a part of the regulating mechanism of the window lifter.

23. The motor vehicle door of claim 22 wherein the door body defines an access opening and the guide rail is connected to the door body across the access opening,

wherein the access opening has edges along its perimeter, wherein the edges include first and second edges,

wherein the first location is adjacent the first edge of the access opening, and the second location is across the access opening from the first location and adjacent the second edge of the access opening.