Door system for automotive vehicle

• US 7,311,169 B1
• Filed: 09/22/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Caliskan, Ari, Preston, Allen
• Primary Examiner(s): Dickson; Paul N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECK, KAREN JANE AMORES
• Application Number:
  US11/162,769
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 180/274, 180/281, 180/286, 180/271, 49/31, 296/146.6, 296/68.1
• US Class Current: 180/274
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0459 Active coupling of the reinforcement elements to the door or to the vehicle body, e.g. through releasing of pressurized gas
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0004 said core being linearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0603 the detent moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 51/023 actuated in response to external pressure, blast or explosion E05B65/102 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 77/12 Automatic locking or unlocking at the moment of collision
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/08 using electromagnets or solenoids
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 81/10 Hydraulic or pneumatic hydraulic or pneumatic circuits E05B81/52

Abstract

A door system for an automotive vehicle includes an impact-responsive catcher pin which may be operated by a supplemental restraint system having side impact sensing capability so that the impact-responsive catcher pin may be directed to deploy from a housing mounted within a vehicle door, to a position in which the catcher pin locks the vehicle door to a rocker beam adjoining the door.

Claims

1. A door system for an automotive vehicle, comprising:

a door having an inner panel and an outer panel;

a door opening panel defining at least part of an door opening which is closable by said door;

a rocker beam extending under said door, so as to define a portion of the door opening, and running generally parallel to the lowermost portion of said outer panel; and

at least a first impact-responsive catcher pin contained within a housing mounted within said door between said inner panel and said outer panel, with said catcher pin having a first telescopic position in which the catcher pin is contained entirely within the door and a second telescopic position, responsive to an impact upon the vehicle, in which the catcher pin extends from the door into a receiver formed in said rocker beam.

2. A door system according to claim 1, wherein said catcher pin is located proximate the intersection of a seatback and seat cushion mounted within a vehicle and adjoining said door opening.

3. A door system according to claim 2, further comprising a second catcher pin mounted within said door forward of said first catcher pin.

4. A door system according to claim 1, wherein said catcher pin is driven by a stored energy device.

5. A door system according to claim 4, wherein said stored energy device comprises a pyrotechnic charge.

6. A door system according to claim 4, wherein said stored energy device comprises a compressed gas canister.

7. A door system according to claim 4, wherein said stored energy device comprises a compression spring.

8. A door system according to claim 1, further comprising a beam mounted within said door between said inner panel and said outer panel and extending generally along the length of said door, with said catcher pin housing being mounted at least in part to said beam.

9. A door system according to claim 1, wherein the portion of said catcher pin which extends into the door following an impact upon the door comprises a shank having an integral sprag formed thereon.

10. A door system according to claim 1, wherein said impact-responsive catcher pin is activated by an impact detection system carried within a vehicle.

11. A door system according to claim 1, wherein said impact-responsive catcher pin is activated by a side impact detection system which activates at least a side airbag supplemental restraint device.

12. A door system according to claim 1, wherein said impact-responsive catcher pin is activated by a side impact detection system which activates at least a side curtain supplemental restraint device.

13. An automotive vehicle, comprising:

a body having a door opening panel defining at least part of an door opening which is closable by said door, and a rocker beam extending under said door, so as to define a portion of the door opening;

a door having an inner panel and an outer panel, with the door being hingedly mounted so as to close said door opening;

a supplemental restraint control system for detecting an impact upon said body; and

an impact-responsive catcher pin contained within a housing mounted within said door between said inner panel and said outer panel, with said catcher pin having a first telescopic position in which the catcher pin is contained entirely within the door and a second telescopic position, responsive to an impact upon the door, in which the catcher pin is deployed by the supplemental restraint control system so as to extend from the door into a receiver formed in said rocker beam.

14. An automotive vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said catcher pin is driven by a stored energy device.

15. An automotive vehicle according to claim 14, wherein said stored energy device comprises a pyrotechnic charge.

16. An automotive vehicle according to claim 13, wherein said catcher pin housing is attached at least in part to a side intrusion beam mounted within said door between said inner panel and said outer panel and extending generally along the length of said door.

17. A method for controlling side intrusion of a vehicle door into a passenger compartment, comprising the steps of:

sensing an impact against a vehicle door;

using a supplemental restraint system to generate an activation signal in the event that an impact against said door is sensed; and

using said activation signal to activate a stored energy device to drive a catcher pin, housed within the door, into a receiver contained within a rocker beam adjacent the door, such that said pin will resist translational movement of the door toward the passenger compartment.