Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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-BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel closure
assembly for vehicles such as automobiles, and more partic-
ularly to vehicle aperture closure assemblies such as multi-
part doors and displaceable roof sections for aperturesformed in a generally curved extexior wall.
Automotive vehicles are typically rectangular in
cross section with doors hinged along their front or leading
vertical edges so that their rear vertical edges project
outwardly when their doors are open. This type of door has `
proven to be very dangerous and troublesome in the modern
driving environment. For example, the structural integrity
of such doors is limited and they may open on impact when
the vehicle is in an accident, thus plàcing the occupànts of
lS the vehicle and other persons in danger. Even during normal
use, when a conventional door is opened carelessly, the safety
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of occupants of other passing vehicles, motorcyclists and
bicyclists is jeopardized. Furthermore, vehicles having these
doors must be parked at a substantial distance from one
another to allow occupants to comfortably enter and exit
from their vehicles, and to protect neighboring vehicles
from dents, scratches or other types of damage.
Presently, designers in the automotive industry
are modifying the conventional rectangular-shaped vehicle
with outwardly opening doors in favor of aerodynamically
designed vehicles. These new vehicles have rounded sides
and have cross sections that resemble aircraft fuselages.
Efforts to modernize door assemblies to complement the new
shapes have assumed a variety of forms, such as the Bertone
doors which slide forward, the "gull wing" doors pioneered
by Mercedes and used on the Delorean which rotate outwardly
about the door's top edge and the unusual doors of the
Lambroghini Countach which pivot vertically about the top
forward edge of the door. These doors, however, only exist
in show cars and certain limited production sports cars.
Vertically slidable vehicle doors for motor
vehicles wherein the cross-section of the body is in the
form of a curve with the doors slidable up to the top part
of the body when the doors are to be opened have been
suggested, for example, in expired United States Patent
No. 2,819,114 to Lawrence Lake. In the Lake patent, while
the vehicle body is constructed with a curved upper part
and has doors which are similarly curved, they are required
to overlap each other when in the open position so as to
; facilitate entry and discharge of passengers. The requisite
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66810-4~7
substantial vertical extent int~nded to flll the vertlcal
extent of doo~ opening when closed and yet permit entry and
exit from the vehicle places a substantial structural
constraint on the vehlcle body design. For example, the doors
must move upwardly into the roof section in contrast to
downwardly in some location under the vehicle to avoid an
inordinately high interior floor arrangement. Further, the
vehicle roof must be of a curvature generally conforming to and
an extension of that of the exterior side walls restricting the
vehicle body to a substantially tubular configuration. The
requisite overlapping relation of the doors and related track
structure occupies an lnordinately large overhead cavity within
the overhead vehicle body or roof, weakening its s~ructural
integrity, slgnificantly reducing and restricting headroom
within the vehicle and at the same time necessitating an
exterior vehicle height substantially greater than the vehicle
door openlng.
In llght of the problems with the conventional
outwardly openlng door and the new aerodynamic designs of
vehicles, it is an object of the present invention to provide
an lmproved closure assembly to be used on vehicles which will
provide an inexpensive, safe, and trouble-free means for entry
and exlt from a vehicle which is compatible with the designs of
the new vehicles and yet overcomes the limitations of earlier
proposals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention there is provided
a vehicle closure assembly, comprising a vehicle body section
having an aperture formed in a generally curved exterior side
wall thereof and an arcuate aperture closure door slidably
mounted on the vehicle body section and selectively and
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66810-427
rotatably movab~e within the curved exterior vehlcle body wall
about the circumference of an arcuate path along said vehicle
body wall between closed and at least partially open positions
with respect to the aperture, said arcuate closure door being
of a length sufficient to extend across the aperture when in
the closed position, a unitary structural member mounted within
and extending transversely across the length of the door, and
means for locking said structural member to the vehicle body
section to either side of the aperture when the door is in the
closed position within the aperture such that the door becomes
a structurally integral part of the vehicle body section.
Preferably distal ends of the structural member
extend laterally of the door and the means for locking the
structural member to the vehicle body section comprise
structural boxes mounted to the vehicle body section to either
side of the aperture, said boxes being positioned and
proportioned to complementally receive the distal ends of the
structural member when the door is moved to the closed position
wlthin the aperture.
The present invention also provides a vehicle closure
assembly, comprising an elongated vehicle body section
including structural support members forming part of a vehicle
frame, said section having an aperture formed in a generally
curved exterior side wall, generally arcuate aperture closure
means for selectively filling the aperture including a door
: panel and a relatively movable window adapted to be interiorly
received in said door panel through one end thereof, said
support members being disposed to either side of the aperture
and haviny tracks positioned adjacent the aperture for
cooperatively engaging and determining the path of movement of
said aperture closure means, each said tracked support member
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66810-427
being disposed in an arcuate path about a longi~udinal axis of
rotation having a radius of curvature and extent sufflcient to
enable the slidable movement of said closure means with respect
to the aperture ~o a position displaced from the aperture, a
unitary structural member mounted within and runnlng
transversely across the length of said door panel, and means
for locking said structural member in fixed relation to said
support members when said closure means is moved to a fully
closed position within the aperture, such that said door panel
becomes a structurally integral part of the vehicle frame as a
whole.
Preferably distal ends of the structural member
extend laterally of the door panel and the means for locking
the structural member to the support members comprise
structural boxes mounted to the members to either side of the
aperture, said boxes being positioned and proportioned to
complementally receive the distal ends of the structural member
when the closure means is moved to the closed position within
the aperture.
For a more complete understanding of the invention,
its operating advantages and specific ob~ects attained by its
use, reference should be made to the accompanying figures of
the drawings and descriptive matter in which there are
illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention~
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective side view of a vehicle with
a safety drop door in a fully closed position, in accordance
with an embodiment of the invention;
Figure 2A is a perspective view similar to Figure 1
with the door panel moved partially under the vehicle body or
chassis and the window partially retracted into the door panel;
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Figure 2B is also a perspective view similar to
Eigure 1 but with the door including door panel and window in a
fully open position with the window fully drawn into the door
panel.
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Figure 3 illustrates an exemplary arrangement of
structural members of the chassis supporting the guide rails
with the door and window in their fully opened positions,
lying underneath the vehicle chassis, in accordance with an
embodiment of the invention;
Figures 4 and 5 respectively depict exemplary
front and rear door track engaging members on the door panel,
which are positioned at opposite ends of the door panel;
Figures 6 and 7 respectively show an exemplary
embodiment of the invention in which the front and rear door
tracks include flanged locking devices which receive a door
structural member as the door closed position is attained;
Figure 8 is an elevational view of the inside of
the door with the elongated locking and support member
fixed within and projecting beyond the opposite sides of the
door, and the window is shown fully raised or withdrawn from
the door panel;
Figure 9 is a schematic representation of a cross-
sectional view through the vehicle floor and a vehicle door
panel depicting a conventional counter-balancing component
coupling the bottom of the door panel with the vehicle
understructure; and
Figure 10 is a rough schematic representation in
section of an alternative embodiment of the invention
including a multipart aperture closure means consisting of
a door panel, a window and a slidable roof panel positioned
alternatively in closed and fully open (dotted outline)
position in generally overlying relation to the door panel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the
present invention, a door is provided which remains generally
flush with the body of the vehicle in its progression from a
closed positian to an open position along guide rails.
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The vehicle door illustrated in Fiq. 1 is in a
closed position in an aerodynamically designed vehicle 10,
and is substantially flush with the generally curved vehicle
body sidewall 15. Window 20 extends from the car door panel
5 to the vehicle roof 25. In the present embodiment, the
vehicle closure, in transverse section extending from the
top of the window 20 to the bottom of door panel 5, in
their closed positions, is generally in the form of an arc
of a circle.
When the door 5 is in its fully open position,
illustrated in Fig. 2~, it is directly underneath the vehicle
body 15, i.e. between the bottom of the vehicle chassis 30
and an underpan 35. The side of the passenger compartment
of the vehicle 10 is completely open, from the bottom of the
vehicle chassis 30 to the vehicle roof 25, thus allowing for
easy entrance into and exit from the vehicle. In this open
position, the window 20 lies within the door panel 5 and
the vehicle chassis 30.
The operation of the closure assembly is more
clearly illustrated in Figure 3. Vehicle door panel 5 is
shown in its fully opened position, secured between the
guide rails 40. The door 5 is prevented from moving across
the bottom of the vehicle by two barrier members 45 and 50,`
located in the bottom center of the vehicle 10. Guide rails
40 are arched length-wise and L-shaped in cross-section and
extend from a position level with the top of door 5 in its
closed position to a position abutting the barrier members
45, 50. In the embodiment shown, two pairs of track members
40, 55 are included on opposite sides of the vehicle, each
forming a part of a non-concentric circular configuration.
~.Z762~
In moving from a closed position to an open position,
the door 5 slides along the pair of track members 40 on its
lateral ends 60 and 65, shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively.
Ends 60 and 65, also L-shaped, are adapted to be securely
received by track members 40 through suitable interlocking
L-shaped construction. Other appropriate connections between
the door 5 and the guide rails 40 may be used.
For exam~le, the track mechanism could be by
ball race and small wheels in tracks, as in present
lG horizontally sliding doors found mainly in van applications.
They may be constructed of steel, nylon or graphite composites,
or any other material with suitable properties of weight,
strength and longevity, coupled with ease of design and
production along with economic considerations.
A counter-balancing component should be used
(Fig. 9), probably in the form of a conventional gas strut
68 as used in present applications for tailgates and 'gull
wing' doors. These, anchored perhaps at the 'bottom' of
the doors at one end and the underside of the vehicle,
between the door tracks, at the other end, would support
; the weight of the door on the 'downward' or 'opening'
movement and would help push up the door on its 'upward'
; or 'closing' cycle.
The door panel 5 and the side window 20 consti-
tuting the parts of a multipart aperture closure means
move substantially simultaneously, so that the window 20
is completely retracted into the door panel when the door
is in the 'down' or 'open' position (as shown in Fig. 3),
and conversely is totally erect when the door panel resumes
its 'up' or 'closed' position, by any suitable manual or
; power operation. For example, this synchronous movement
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.
may be achieved in any suitable conventional manner such
as by small revolving shafts (not shown) at right angles
to the leading and trailing edges of the door panel 5.
Each shaft running in bearings in each edge of the door,
would have a pinion on both ends, one to run on a track
in the door jamb, and one to run on a track on the edge
of the window or retracting window frame if fitted. The
gear ratio of the door jamb rack and pinion to the window
rack and pinion being calculated so that the time and
distance traveled by each component is correct for each
particular installation. These racks and pinions may
be made of metal, carbon fibre, nylon or rubber compound
(as in cogged belts) at the designers discretion. Further-
more, there preferably should be a manual override capability
retained on power driven applications in case of power
failure.
The door window 20 may be made to operate inde-
pendently of the door opening mechanism in any conventional
manner by a separate crank working a second pinion on the
window track, the first pinion being freed from the track
by the initial winding of the crank. This second pinion
could be geared for normal 2 to 3 revolutions to take the
window from the full up to the full down. If the door is
'opened', or rolled 'down', with the window 20 already
partially opened, the first window pinion will 'pick-up'
the window and roll it down the rest of the way into the
door as the door descends, in the usual manner. wnlen the
door is closed, the window will now wind all the way back
up again to its fully 'up' position.
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76~8
The manually operated doors may be fitted with
suitable conventional power windows, by fitting a small
electric motor in the door operated by an electrical switch.
This design also lends itself to power operation of the
doors themselves in addition to this form of operation for
the windows. This could be arranged by placing a heavier
duty motor of any suitable type in the door, and running
the shaft through the leading and trailing edges of the
doors, so that their pinions could mesh with the tracks
for door operation in the jams (at floor level, this being
the 'mid-point' of the extent of up and down movement for
the tracks) and inside the doors on the window track for
their simultaneous operation, as in the case of the fully
manually operated mechanism. In this case a third pinion
on the shafts would be meshed with the window track. This
would be of a suitable gear ratio to operate smoothly in
'windows only' mode. The other two pinions (for simul-
taneous door and window operations) would be disengaged as
the shaft is moved laterally to engage the 'window only'
pinion (probably by the electromechanical means of a
solenoid switch) and operated by a conventional power
window switch. An alternative solution may be employed
with the motors placed in the door jambs and the shafts
and pinions reversed, thus saving weight within the
structure of the doors.
Finally, this entire mechanism could be driven in
a conventional manner by a suita~le hydraulic servo (not
shown). If an engine driven servo is used, entry to the
vehicle would have to be effected manually, until access to
the vehicle is gained and the engine can be switched on. This
is not a large problem as dropping the doors to open should
re~uire a minimum of physical effort.
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The rotary vehicle closure assemblies of the
invention can use most known locking mechanisms with little
modification, including key, key with central locking system,
personalized digital operation and even radio control.
In the exemplary embodiments of Figs. 6, 7 and 8,
a strong structural member 80 mounted on the interior of the
door panel 5 running transversely across the door opening,
within the 'skins' of the door panel,interlocks with open
ended structural 'boxes' 70 and 75 or other suitable locking
devices as it reaches the top of its movement into the 'up'
or fully closed position, thus offering greater overall
structural integrity for the vehicle than has otherwise
been made available by any other entry systems on passenger
vehicles. As this structural member can be placed at or
near the top of the doors, the door apertures are completely
eliminated from the point of view of the vehicle's structural
frame as a whole.
In addition, this structural member could be
arranged to offer superior protection for the occupants in
the event of a 'side-swipe' accident and would not allow
the door to 'pop-open' in this or any other kind of accident.
In the alternate embodiment of Fig. 10, sections
90 of the vehicle roof may roll down on separate arcuate
tracks (not shown) away from a conventional center "T" bar
into slotted or overlying relation alongside the door panel
5, being operated in any suitable manner either manually
or with power assist, thus providing the vehicle with a
convenient cabriolet (detachable) "top" which could be
raised or lowered while the vehicle is in motion and may be
withdrawn along with the door panel 5 and window 20 when
the door is to be opened.
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The aforementioned closure assembly offers several
advantages over vehicle doors known in the art, particularly
with regard to the safety of other road users and vehicle
occupants. For example, accidents associated with projecting
doors are avoided since drop doors do not project beyond the
vehicle body at any time during their use. Other advantages
include: entry or exit from the vehicle in small spaces is
easier with vehicles having doors that drop rather than
conventional doors since the occupants do not have to
squeeze into the small space provided by the outward opening
door. Additional space for entry into the vehicle is not
necessary, thus allowing vehicles to be parked closer to
each other. Furthermore, the often unpredictable and
undesirable effects of the highly levered weight of a door
hinged on its side in relation to gravitational forces when
the vehicle is parked on an inclined or cambered surface
is eliminated. If the occupant is disabled, his mobility
and independence can be increased by avoiding the hindrance
and inconvenience of outwardly opening doors as he moves
into and out of the vehicle.
Similarly, since the closure assembly can be used
for one long door which extends from a point near the front
wheels to a point near the rear wheels of a vehicle, the
need for several side doors may be eliminated. The present
invPntion may consequently be applied to ambulances, buses
and limousines in addition to ordinary passenger automobiles.
Other applications may become apparent in other vehicle types
such as trains, boats and aircraft. Additionally, by
allowing the vehicle windows to project beyond the bottom
of the door when the door is open, the size of vehicle
windows need no longer be limited by the depth of the door.
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l.Z762Q8
This feature eliminates an important overall car design
restriction which has placed a limit on the depth of the
openable portion of the windows in relation to the height
of the vehicle doors. Finally, the cost of manufacture of
these doors is substantially similar to the cost of conven-
tional doors due to the low cost of the components.
Although the present invention has been shown and
described in terms of the preferred and certain alternative
embodiments, it should not be limited to those embodiments
or modifications thereof. Further variations and modifi-
cations to any particular embodiment will be apparent to
those skilled in the art without departing from the scope
of the present invention.
For example, from the safety standpoint, a simple
micro switch, which would close a circuit enabling operation
of the ignition or gearbox only when the door is fully
closed in the 'up' position, may be installed. This would
prevent the vehicle from being driven on the road with the
doors open, a situation which would endanger the occupants
in the event of a crash.
~sing the same principles of vertically sliding
doors around the circumference of arcs formed by the
section through the sides of a motor vehicle, it may be
found preferable in certain applications to roll the door
down underneath the vehicle as described above, while the
windows slide up and over the vehicle, either slotting into
or locating on top of the roof. It`may also be desirable
in some instances to reverse the whole procedure and roll
the entire door up and over the roof, absorbing the window
as before, but as it travels in an upward direction in this
instance.
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As an adjunct to the foregoing, it is recognized
that vehicles equi~ped with these types of entry systems
would lend themselves to easy conversion for unaided
operation by a driver who is confined to a wheelchair.
~t i5 envisioned that, with the permanent interference
of the traditional hingin~ door in the open position
removed, the floor could extend out sideways and drop
to the pavement to form a ramp up which a suitable type
of wheelchair could be driven. A locking device in the
floor could clamp onto the underside of the wheelchair
and, if necessary, turn it around through 90 degrees to
face the front, while perhaps automatically plugging the
wheelchair battery into a recharger, running from the
motor vehicle's main electrical systems or supplementary
alternator, installed for the purpose. An alternative to
the ramp in some applications might be the use of a small
elevator, onto which the wheelchair locks and is lifted
and moved into position so that the vehicle could be
operated in the normal way through converted to 'hands only'
operation.
All such modifications and variations are intended
to be within the scope of the present invention which is
not deemed to be limited except as defined in the following`
claims.
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