Dual hinged vehicle door

• US 8,511,738 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tesla Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tesla Motors Incorporated (Tesla Inc.)
• Inventors: Brown, Matthew Lee, von Holzhausen, Franz, Rawlinson, Peter Dore, Sampson, Nicholas John, Eckert, Michael James, Lemire, David, Vollmer, Axel Boris
• Primary Examiner(s): Pape, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): IVEY, DANA DESHAWN
• Application Number:
  US13/615,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20130099523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 296/146.12, 296/146.8, 296/146.4, 296/146.11, 296/146.13, 296/202, 296/76, 296/56, 495/02, 491/97, 493/81, 493/86, 493/87
• US Class Current: 296/146.12
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 5/0473 the door having a hinge axis in the direction of the vehicle longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/262 folding vertically
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/264 for bi-fold wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 2015/268 the wings being successively folded
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/605 for folding wings
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2400/41 for multiple motors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/531 Doors
• CPC Class Codes: E05Y 2900/542 Roof panels

Abstract

A dual hinged door assembly for a vehicle is provided, the assembly including an upper door portion and a lower door portion. The upper door portion, which may include a window, pivots about a primary axis formed by its juncture with a structural member in the roof. The lower door portion, which may include a window, pivots about a secondary axis formed by its juncture with the upper door portion. Primary and secondary drive systems may be used to provide independent powered motion of the upper and lower door portions. Each drive system may include a powered strut, e.g., a hydraulic strut, and a non-powered strut, e.g., a gas strut.

Claims

1. A dual hinged door assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

a first door portion hingeably coupled to a structural member within a roof of said vehicle, wherein said first door portion forms part of the roof of said vehicle when said first door portion is in a door closed position, wherein said first door portion is configured to pivot about a primary axis formed by a first juncture of said first door portion and said structural member;

a second door portion hingeably coupled to said first door portion, wherein said second door portion forms part of a vehicle side when said first door portion and said second door portion are in said door closed position, and wherein said second door portion is configured to pivot about a secondary axis formed by a second juncture of said first door portion and said second door portion;

a primary door drive system, wherein said first door portion is mechanically coupled to said primary door drive system, wherein said primary door drive system provides powered motion of said first door portion about said primary axis between a door open position and said door closed position; and

a secondary door drive system, wherein said second door portion is mechanically coupled to said secondary door drive system, wherein said secondary door drive system provides powered motion of said second door portion about said secondary axis between said door open position and said door closed position.

2. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, wherein motion of said second door portion is independent of motion of said first door portion.

3. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, wherein said primary axis is substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to a vehicle centerline, said vehicle centerline running from a vehicle front to a vehicle rear, and wherein said secondary axis is substantially horizontal and substantially parallel to said vehicle centerline.

4. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 3, wherein said primary axis is located between said vehicle centerline and a line defined by a vehicle cant rail, and wherein said secondary axis is substantially aligned with said line defined by said vehicle cant rail.

5. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, said primary door drive system comprising a primary powered strut.

6. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 5, said primary powered strut comprising a primary hydraulic powered strut.

7. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 5, said primary door drive system further comprising a primary non-powered strut.

8. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 7, said primary non-powered strut comprising a gas strut.

9. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 7, wherein said primary powered strut is mechanically coupled to said vehicle and a first side of said first door portion, and wherein said primary non-powered strut is mechanically coupled to said vehicle and a second side of said first door portion.

10. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, wherein powered motion of said second door portion is independent of powered motion of said first door portion.

11. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, said secondary door drive system comprising a secondary powered strut.

12. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 11, said secondary powered strut comprising a secondary hydraulic powered strut.

13. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 11, said secondary door drive system further comprising a secondary non-powered strut.

14. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 13, said secondary non-powered strut comprising a gas strut.

15. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 13, wherein said secondary powered strut is mechanically coupled to said first side of said first door portion and a first side of said second door portion, and wherein said secondary non-powered strut is mechanically coupled to said second side of said first door portion and a second side of said second door portion.

16. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, said primary door drive system comprising at least one powered strut mechanically coupled to a mounting member within said roof of said vehicle and at least one first door portion hinge.

17. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 16, said at least one powered strut directly coupled to said at least one first door portion hinge.

18. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 16, said at least one powered strut mechanically coupled to said at least one first door portion hinge via at least one bellcrank and at least one pushrod.

19. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 16, said at least one powered strut comprising at least one hydraulic powered strut.

20. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 16, wherein powered motion of said second door portion is independent of powered motion of said first door portion.

21. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 16, said secondary door drive system comprising a secondary powered strut and a secondary non-powered strut.

22. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 21, said secondary powered strut comprising a secondary hydraulic powered strut and said secondary non-powered strut comprising a gas strut.

23. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 21, wherein said secondary powered strut is mechanically coupled to a first side of said first door portion and a first side of said second door portion, and wherein said secondary non-powered strut is mechanically coupled to a second side of said first door portion and a second side of said second door portion.

24. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a door latching mechanism, said door latching mechanism comprising a latch integrated into said vehicle and a striker integrated into a first side of said second door portion.

25. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 24, further comprising a second door latching mechanism, said second door latching mechanism comprising a second latch integrated into said vehicle and a second striker integrated into a second side of said second door portion.

26. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a window integrated into said first door portion.

27. The dual hinged door assembly of claim 1, further comprising a window integrated into said second door portion.