Magnesium door assembly for automobiles

• US 7,125,067 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Bretz, Greg, Blanchard, Patrick, Bonnett, Roy, Subramanian, Saravanan
• Primary Examiner(s): Strimbu, Gregory J.
• Application Number:
  US10/249,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20030188492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 495/02, 296/146.1, 296/146.2, 296/146.5, 296/146.7, 296/146.6
• US Class Current: 296/146.6
• 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: B60J 5/0444 characterised by a special cross section
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0452 including foams or expanded materials
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0468 Fixation or mounting means specific for door components fasteners in general F16B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0483 lightweight metal, e.g. aluminum, magnesium

Abstract

A lightweight automotive vehicle door assembly incorporates a modular concept having an outer door panel, an inner door panel, a reinforcement beam, and a hardware mounting module. The outer panel is preferably formed from aluminum, polypropylene or steel, while the inner door panel is preferably cast from magnesium with the hardware mounting module formed of thermoplastic. The magnesium inner panel is mounted to the outer panel by a hemming process while hardware is mounted to the inner panel through the use of two-piece thermoplastic inserts creating a dielectric barrier between the fasteners and the magnesium inner panel. The reinforcement beam is formed of a composite material consisting of a glass and carbon fiber reinforced outer skin with an interior core of polyurethane.

Claims

1. A door assembly for a vehicle comprising:

an outer door panel having a first opening to define a window opening in said door assembly above a lower body portion of said outer door panel;

a magnesium inner door panel being formed with a peripheral edge and a mounting face, said peripheral edge having a bottom portion, a top portion and opposing side portions defining a second opening in said inner door panel, said second opening being larger than said first opening and overlapping said lower portion of said outer door panel, said inner door panel including corrugated mounting lugs disposed thereon

a reinforcement beam connected to said inner door panel adjacent said opposing side portions of said peripheral edge, said reinforcement beam being mounted on said mounting lugs and spanning across said second opening above said bottom portion, said reinforcement beam having a height dimension that is smaller than a corresponding height dimension of said lower body portion of said outer door panel, said reinforcement beam having a corrugated configuration with correspondingly corrugated attachment flanges on opposing ends thereof said corrugated attachment flanges having a corrugated shape corresponding to said mounting lugs to permit attachment of said reinforcement beam directly to said mounting face of said inner door member; and

said inner door panel; and

modular hardware attachment panel being mounted to said mounting face of said inner door panel to position a portion of said inner door panel between said modular hardware attachment panel and said outer door panel, said modular hardware attachment panel having a width dimension substantially equal to a corresponding width dimension of said outer door panel.

2. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said reinforcement beam is positioned between said inner door panel and said outer door panel.

3. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said reinforcement beam is formed of a composite material.

4. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said hardware attachment panel is connected to said inner door panel by two-piece fasteners, each said two-piece fastener including a non-metallic insert member and a fastener threaded into said insert member.

5. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said outer door panel is connected to said inner door panel by a hem.

6. The door assembly of claim 1 wherein said inner door panel is formed with reinforcing ribs positioned adjacent said peripheral edge.

7. The door assembly of claim 6 wherein said reinforcing ribs are formed substantially entirely around said inner door panel.

8. A door assembly for a vehicle, comprising an outer door panel having a window opening and a lower body portion below said window opening;

a magnesium inner door panel being formed with a peripheral edge and a mounting face, said peripheral edge including a bottom portion, a top portion, and opposing side portions defining a second opening in general alignment with said window opening, said inner door panel being attached to said outer door panel by a hem, said inner door panel including a plurality of reinforcing ribs spaced around said peripheral edge;

a modular hardware attachment panel adapted to receive door hardware, said modular hardware attachment panel being mounted to said mounting face of said inner door panel to position a portion of said inner door panel between said modular hardware attachment panel and said outer door panel; and

a reinforcement beam connected by fasteners to said inner door panel at said opposing side portions of said peripheral edge and being positioned between said inner door panel and said outer door panel to extending along said inner door panel above said bottom portion of said peripheral edge, said reinforcement beam having a height dimension that is smaller than a corresponding height dimension of said lower body portion of said outer door panel, said reinforcement beam having a corrugated configuration with correspondingly corrugated attachment flanges on opposing ends thereof, said inner door panel including corrugated mounting lugs disposed therein adjacent said opposing side portions of said peripheral edge, said mounting lugs having a corrugated shape corresponding to said corrugated configuration of said reinforcement beam, said reinforcement beam being attached directly to said mounting lugs.