Vehicle side door structure

• US 7,614,685 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2008
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Oka, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrow; Jason S
• Application Number:
  US12/155,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20080315619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 296/187.12, 296/146.5, 296/146.6, 280/735, 180/274
• US Class Current: 296/187.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0437 characterised by the attachment means to the door, e.g. releasable attachment means

Abstract

A vehicle side door structure includes an inner panel, an outer panel that is positioned on the outside of the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction, and that forms a closed space in cooperation with the inner panel. In addition, an impact beam extends in the longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, and is arranged within the closed space at a position close to the outer panel, a bracket is attached to the inner panel and holds, at a portion which is on the inner side of the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction, a collision detector, and a load transmission member connects the impact beam to the inner panel at a portion that overlaps the bracket from a lateral view.

Claims

1. A vehicle side door structure comprising:

an inner panel;

an outer panel that is positioned on an outer side of the inner panel in a vehicle-width direction, and that forms a closed space in cooperation with the inner panel;

an impact beam that extends in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle body, and that is arranged within the closed space at a position close to the outer panel;

a bracket that is attached to the inner panel, and that holds a collision detector at a portion of the bracket which is on an inner side of the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction; and

a load transmission member that connects the impact beam to the inner panel at a portion that overlaps the bracket from a lateral view, wherein;

the collision detector is arranged at a position closer to a rear of the inner panel than to a middle of the inner panel in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body;

the bracket is fixedly connected to the inner panel at a portion of the inner panel which is posterior to a portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected; and

the bracket holds the collision detector at a portion of the bracket which is anterior in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body to the portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected.

2. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 1, wherein the load transmission member connects the impact beam to the inner panel in such a manner that a load externally applied to the impact beam in the vehicle-width direction is transmitted between at least one portion of the bracket, which is fixedly connected to the inner panel, and a holding portion of the bracket, which holds the collision detector.

3. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 1, wherein the inner panel is arranged in such a manner that when a load that is equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied to the impact beam inward in the vehicle-width direction, the inner panel contacts, at a rear end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, a vehicle body structural portion.

4. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 2, wherein the holding portion of the bracket has an end portion opposite to a portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected, and the bracket is formed in such a manner that the end portion is allowed to be displaced relative to the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction.

5. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 1, wherein a first portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected, and a second portion of the inner panel to which the bracket is fixedly connected, are within a plate portion of the inner panel which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and in a vehicle-height direction.

6. A vehicle side door structure for a vehicle having a vehicle body that extends in a longitudinal direction, the vehicle body having a width in a vehicle-width direction that is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the vehicle side door structure comprising:

an inner panel;

an outer panel that is positioned on an outer side of the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction, a space existing between the outer panel and the inner panel;

an impact beam that extends in the longitudinal direction, and that is arranged within the space adjacent to the outer panel;

a bracket that is attached to the inner panel by a connection portion of the bracket, the bracket having a holding portion for holding a collision detector; and

a load transmission member that connects the impact beam to the inner panel at a position that overlaps the connection portion of the bracket, wherein;

the holding portion of the bracket is arranged at a position closer to a rear of the inner panel than to a middle of the inner panel in the longitudinal direction;

the bracket is fixedly connected to the inner panel at a portion of the inner panel which is posterior to a portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected; and

the holding portion of the bracket is anterior in the longitudinal direction to the portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected.

7. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 6, wherein the connection portion extends from the holding portion in the longitudinal direction rearwardly toward the rear of the inner panel.

8. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 6, wherein the load transmission member connects the impact beam to the inner panel at a location of the inner panel that is between the holding portion of the bracket and a fixing portion of the bracket that is fixedly connected to the inner panel.

9. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 6, wherein the inner panel is arranged in such a manner that when a load that is equal to or higher than a predetermined value is applied to the impact beam inward in the vehicle-width direction, the inner panel contacts, at a rear end portion in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, a vehicle body structural portion.

10. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 8, wherein the holding portion of the bracket has an end portion opposite to a portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected, the end portion being spaced from the inner panel so that the end portion is movable relative to the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction.

11. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 6, wherein a first portion of the inner panel to which the load transmission member is fixedly connected, and a second portion of the inner panel to which the bracket is fixedly connected, are within a plate portion of the inner panel which extends in the longitudinal direction and in a vehicle-height direction.

12. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 6, wherein the bracket is attached to an inner side of the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction, and the holding portion of the bracket is disposed at a portion of the bracket which is on an inner side of the inner panel in the vehicle-width direction.

13. The vehicle side door structure according to claim 6, further comprising a collision detector attached to the holding portion of the bracket.